Since the dawn of Super Smash Bros., players have enjoyed a single-player mode consisting simply of fighting characters one by one. Classic Mode is back! This time, each stage is tied to a game franchise (e.g. stage 1 is Zelda-themed, stage 3 is Pokémon-themed), while the character you battle is randomly chosen from that franchise. Also, randomly selected Giant, Metal, and Team battles make a return.

Oh, and those coins in that last screen? You earn them as you play. You’ll be able to use them elsewhere in the game.

Smash Bros. DOJO!!

Three games added to the Japanese Virtual Console today. Wait a sec, isn’t that Hanjuku Hero? On the Famicom? From Square Enix?? Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure this is the first VC game I’ve seen from them. Open the floodgates, soon you’ll be able to buy Final Fantasy yet again! This week’s VC games for Japan are:

• Hanjuku Hero (Famicom, 500 Wii Points)
• Assault Suit Leynos (Mega Drive, 600 Wii Points)
• Yoshi’s Story (Nintendo 64, 1000 Wii Points)

Pirated copies of Super Mario Galaxy have reached the internet, been burned to disc, and are now being played on a tiny number of Wii consoles around the world. The one shown above is on what looks to be a European Wii, but it’s happening elsewhere too. Is $50 and two weeks (or three days, if you’re in Japan) too much to ask for?

Stay away from piracy, kids. It’s evil, and Nintendo will send their hounds after you if they catch you.

GameTrailers
via Wii Fanboy

Jade Raymond, the producer behind Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed, spoke in an interview about the possibility of a version of the game for Nintendo’s Wii console.

“It would be possible, if we completely changed the gameplay, just like the DS-version. But it wouldn’t be the same experience. Unfortunately, it hasn’t got the same power as the PS3 and 360.”

Raymond also said that were the Wii as powerful as the 360 and PS3, her team would have considered a Wii port. As it stands, however, a Wii game would be completely different. The DS version of the game, currently scheduled for a February release, is not being handled by Raymond’s team.

AMN

Time recently posted an interesting photo essay featuring survivors of the fires that are currently devastating Southern California. These images show not only the people who were forced to abandon their homes, but also what important personal items they brought with them. The boy shown above is Danyelle Miller, and he chose to save his Game Boy Advance SP as he escaped with his family from their home.

What about you, readers? If you were in Danyelle’s situation and were forced to flee your home, would you bring something gaming related with you?

Time.com
via GoNintendo

I’ve got two new songs on my playlist courtesy of Sega Europe, and it’s surprising how quickly you might get addicted. Personally, I find myself conducting to the re-orchestrated NiGHTS Theme with my trusty Mollard, and singing the cheesy “Dreams Dreams” lyrics to this remix in my head for some time after it’s finished playing.

Music is a huge part of any video game experience, so take the time to enjoy a little bit here before you revisit Nightopia. You can download both of those sample audio files after the break and listen to them on repeat until December 18th. Enjoy!

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Remember the Brawl update with the blurred picture? The one that wasn’t unveiled at the time until it could be confirmed as part of the final game? Some keen eyes noticed that the image was updated last night along with the revelation that Stage Builder would have an online sharing service.

Looks like you’ll be able to share your screenshots online with the world!

Smash Bros. DOJO!!
via GoNintendo

You know, if this was an entry into this year’s Short Cuts competition, this guy would be $10,000 richer.

Black Nerd Comedy

Now we’re talking. This is the kind of action you’ll be seeing in Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles coming out November 13th. You’ll be playing Mario by day and this by night, and you’ll never get to sleep with this level of excitement. Luckily for us, Matt will be handling a very special review for The Umbrella Chronicles, while my focus goes to Galaxy. Teamwork!

DailyMotion

As we continue our descent upon the holiday season, we now have more and more reason to buy games as presents for friends and family…most who won’t have a need for them, so we keep them for ourselves. North America sees a great lineup this week, headlined by Wii releases such as Battalion Wars 2, High School Musical: Sing It!, Manhunt 2, and of course Guitar Hero III, which many of you already own. Over in Europe, your week is highlighted by some key DS titles, including Spyro and Tony Hawk.

As for Japan, well, the release list is much smaller than it usually is. It’s like when a huge, blockbuster movie claims Memorial Day weekend, all other studios stay away from that weekend. The big blockbuster in Japan for this week? I’ll give you a hint. He eats magic mushrooms, wears overalls, and will go to the edge of the universe in order to save a princess.

Check past the break to see everything coming out this week.

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