'Smash Bros. Brawl' Friend Code Woes

Today is a sad day in Smash Bros. history. It has been revealed that Brawl will in fact use friend codes that will be unique to the game.

Just like other Wii games, it will be a terrible chore to populate a friends list with people you know and IMPOSSIBLE to add random people you play.

[Bonsai1214]

i'm not entirely sure how wii friend codes work (you have a unique number, you swap number with people to enter them into friend list?) but it does suck that you can't add people you play with randomly. hopefully they'll add this feature in, because there's nothing like playing someone random online, finding out you two make a great team, then never seeing that person again.

which is why i enjoy the PSN's "players met" category. i have several friends who i know because we made such a good Rfom team.

[Panthers]

so no voice chat or friend invites?

Everyone thinks the Wii is so f*ck!ing innovative but it cant even get the basics of online right. That is where innovation needs to happen.

They know that motion control is a bad choice, hence the reason its not in this game. (And if it is an option, no one will use it)

I will probably still get a Wii simply for this game alone, but I was hoping the online would be better.

[Snipes20]

First off, I think that the Wii NEEDS headsets, and that friend codes should only apply to parental settings.

Since Nintendo refuses to change that, here is what devs can do to deliver without voice chat and with friend codes.

1. Let people set the options for the game they want to play, then search for players to fight.

2. Let people make their own matches and let people join. (With the ability to boot unpopular players).

3. Create a "Party" list so you could keep the name (initials if names are too "revealing") of random people that you enjoyed playing with. Then you could send game invites, join parties, etc.

4. Let people who have traded friend codes send text messages to each other.

Those are four simple ways to improve online play and I'm sure if a dev was even a little persistent, Nintendo would not stop them. Why don't they do it? I don't know. Rare did option #1 on Diddy Kong Racing for DS, why can't someone do it for Wii?

[Prismo_Fillusion]

Lack of voice chat is worse than the friend codes. :/

[djroberts]

This is false. Read the link below directly from Nintendo: "You can also battle with people you don’t know who are looking for brawls. The most important point here is that you will not know each other’s names."

http://www.smashbros.com/en...

[Prismo_Fillusion]

Did you see the smashbros dojo update yesterday?

[Panthers]

It says that you will not know each others names. That is bad. That means you will not be able to tell who you are fighting.

[djroberts]

I saw it. It simply details how to use the friends list. It doesn't eliminate the "With Anyone" mode. G4 made an assumption but didn't actually look at the game features. No worries folks, it supports random games.

[Prismo_Fillusion]

Noone said it eliminated the "With Anyone" mode. You're reading far far far too deeply into this report. It's only saying that it's still a pain to add your friends if you want to play with them, and you can't add people to your friends list whom you play with randomly online. In fact, the report even says "IMPOSSIBLE to add random people you play" meaning that you do play random people. We all knew this, so did G4. You made an assumption, and you didn't actually look at this report.

[Kulupoo]

I try to add 6 friends for Mario strikers and it takes like 3min each to type in the codes... and you tell me i got to do that for every game?
=.=

[djroberts]

Geez guys. Stop freaking out. That quote is referring to the "With Anyone" mode. You will know names when playing with friends, you will not know names when playing with random people. The game is going to be awesome.

[djroberts]

TWO MODES

"With Friends" - You see the names, requires friend codes.

"With Anyone" - No names, play random games without friend codes.

IGNORE G4!

[rofldings]

So I wanna play with my friend, I gotta add a code for every different wii game? Screw that.

Nintendo needs to learn how to make an online network.

Playing with some random guy with no way of communicating is NOT fun. It would feel like playing an expert bot or something, lifeless.

Once again, Nintendo proves it's Kidtendo.

[Relientk77]

well this doesnt sound very good

[Darkiewonder]

Same Wii code please.

They should take a page out of Elebits that uses the same code. Hopefully we can input our own name instead of them choosing. when they add the code they'll get an update to show that name that we picked.

[jackdoe]

Was there any indication that Nintendo wouldn't use game exclusive Friend Codes? There isn't any reason to overreact. People know how Nintendo online works anyway.

[bootsielon]

I don't even know why. "Gullible" comes to mind.

[Snipes20]

Don't know why, but hater comes to mind.

[Salvadore]

Friend Code and no voice-chat, what a turn off.

[djroberts]

Prismo,

Read it, they claim it's "IMPOSSIBLE to add random people you play." which is false because that's what the "With Anyone" mode let's you do.

[Reinhart]

Nintendo's Friend Code system may not be the best for hard core gamers but if you head over to http://www.NintendoWorlds.c... you can get around that system.
Super Smash Brothers Brawl Friend codes can be easily traded and its also a great Nintendo Forum. Check it out!

[rofldings]

weak.

[Bleucrunch]

I will be getting this cause I am a fan but they should have removed the online because I think nothing would be better than this crap that nintendo is offering. They need to change this but I dont think they will cause its not a priority to them.

[AcroMonolith]

I really wish Nintendo could just make an actual friggin' online game right. They should have the greatest online games, it "could" be amazing. I wish they would just establish better online gaming features right now, and not wait until it's to late! friends codes are annoying, but they work i guess....but it could be much MUCH MUCH! EASIER! They need to add an easier online connection type, voice chat DEFINATELY (isn't the "speaker" in the center of the wiimote a "mic/speaker"? If i am misinformed please tell me*) that would be great, and if not the use of that, a wireles headset is simple. Nintendo has been running with this "simple is good" idea, but the basics of online gameplay, communication, and ease of use have been not only completely unused by Nintendo, but they have created something that is the exact opposite. I guess I can wish and wish, but whatever happems, happens i guess. It's just sad how the situation is. This console with the most potential of all is not being taken to the limit, most game developers don't even seem like they tried, and there is so much room for awesomeness.
-Anyone agree? / What do you think?