[Update] If you missed it, we should have replay of the tournament right here later today.
It’s finally here! Sixteen competitors from the Smash Bros. tournament scene, two veteran announcers, and the most in-depth look we’ve ever gotten at an upcoming Nintendo game with the first Nintendo-hosted Smash Bros. tournament. Watch it live right here starting at 7PM ET.
Tournament info from Nintendo:
Celebrate the Super Smash Bros. franchise and its fans by watching this once-in-a-lifetime event! Whether you’re in the Nokia Theater, or if you’re at home streaming the event on Twitch, it’s time to GET HYPED!
Character Draft
On the morning of the tournament, each player will draw a number from a hat, ranging from 1 through 16. Players will then pick characters one by one based on their numerical order starting with 1. After a character is chosen, they are no longer selectable by any other player. Players must keep the same character throughout the entire event.
Super Smash Bros. Invitational Highlights
- Single-Elimination Tournament
- 4 players per match, 4 stock, 5 minute time limit
- Top 2 players determined by score advance from each match to the next round
- 2nd place scores have the following tiebreakers:
- Most KO’s
- If the number of KO’s are tied, 2nd place will be determined by fan vote
- Quarterfinals: Items on Medium
- Semifinals and Finals: Items on Low
- Grand Finals: Items off (1 vs 1)
- Stages will be unveiled at the tournament.
*Grand Finals is a 4-stock, 8-minute, 1-on-1 match on Battlefield as an homage to the competitive Smash Bros. community.
Fan Favorite Voting during the Tournament
We are also going to be running a concurrent Fan Favorite bracket during the event. This Fan Favorite bracket is completely separate from the Invitational Tournament. To gain entry into the Fan Favorite bracket, players from the Invitational need to be voted in by the audience as a Fan Favorite. At the end of each Quarterfinal and Semifinal match of the Invitational, members of the audience will be encouraged to hold up character cards provided by Nintendo to vote on the player they feel performed with the most heart, courage, creativity, and style. The player that gets the most votes from the crowd wins a spot in the Fan Favorite Bracket.
In the Fan Favorite bracket matches, the highest scoring winner will advance to the next round. A second player will advance based on a fan vote. The objective for the players in this bracket is not only to win, but to do their best to win the hearts and votes of the fans.
Fan Favorite Bracket Highlights
- Single-Elimination Bracket
- Up to 4 players per match, 5 minute time limit only
- Two players move on to the next round:All Rounds: Items on Medium
- 1 by Highest Score (KO’s minus Falls)
- 1 decided by Fan Vote (the decibel level of the fans will decide a tied vote)
- Grand Finals: Winner is determined by score only
- Stages will be unveiled at the tournament.
The tournament is a mix of rulesets that will show off the game in a more party-style, four player battle with items as well as a one-on-one, no items showdown in the final round. Only part of the game’s roster is available to the players, but the game’s mechanics will finally be on display in full for the seasoned competitors to explore and exploit.
From what we’ve seen on Twitter, there are a lot of people trying to attend the tournament in person.
Thousands are lining up to see the new Smash Bros. for Wii U: http://t.co/BYrSQuNQCo pic.twitter.com/TZwwoZb1XC
— Kotaku (@Kotaku) June 10, 2014
You can pick up the 3DS version of the game on October 3 and the Wii U version this holiday season alongside the Wii U GameCube controller adapter and those snazzy Smash Bros.-emblazoned controllers either alone or in a bundle.
Yes, those controllers will be on sale to the public. It’s an exciting time to own a Wii U.
(via Nintendo)
- Check out the highlights of Nintendo’s media briefing
- Or watch the replay of the whole thing
- And take a look at what you missed from Sony, too
