By Bryan Smith on October 11, 2014 at 5:10pm
Masahiro Sakurai took to Famitsu (since it's only in Japanese, NintendoEverything has translated the information into English) and explained how clones are implanted into the "Super Smash Bros." series. In this instance, Sakurai is talking about "Super Smash Bros. for 3DS," and most likely the Wii U version as well.
Mild Spoiler Warning
There are three fighters (Lucina, Dark Pit, and Doctor Mario) that are alternate models (clones) in the game. Each was originally a color variation, but during development, they were given balanced characteristics. Since their functionality had differences, forms were separated from each other. However, it was vital that this didn’t increase the required man hours. Some relative tuning was sufficient, as it wasn’t necessary to create balancing from scratch. Masahiro Sakurai
His explanation is in regards to the inclusion of fighters for the crossover fighter. As some would expect more unique characters and not clones of existing fighting-styles, the additional work is lowered due to similar play-testing. For example, Lucina plays almost identical to Marth, so there doesn't need to be more bug testing to see what works and what doesn't.
This is like a free dessert after a luxurious meal that was prepared free of charge. In a restaurant with this type of service, I don’t think there’s anybody who would say, “Change this to a meat dish!" Yet, I’m told [to do that] about "Smash Bros." But I guess since a lot of them are children, it cannot be helped. Masahiro Sakurai
"Super Smash Bros. for 3DS" is out now. Check out our review of the game to see Player Theory's thoughts on the title. "Super Smash Bros. for Wii U" comes out in North America on Nov. 21 with the European release on Dec. 5 and the Japanese release on Dec. 6.
Famitsu NintendoEverything
