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List of Super Smash Bros. 4 character trailers

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The brief animation played at the beginning of character trailers for Super Smash Bros. 4, as well as the intro for the Wii U version.

All newcomers and third-party characters, as well as a few veterans, in Super Smash Bros. 4 were officially announced with trailers. These trailers consist of original animation, done predominantly with CGI, as well as gameplay clips that demonstrate a character's moveset. Each trailer begins with the sound of a sword being unsheathed and an animation of a fiery Smash logo blazing toward the camera. At some point in each trailer, the relevant character strikes a pose on a splash screen alongside their name and an introductory catchphrase, pun, or statement (e.g., "Palutena Alights!" or "Roy Seals the Deal!").

All character trailers are viewable in the Movies submenu in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, except those of Sonic, Mii Fighters, and DLC characters. Duck Hunt must be unlocked in order to view its trailer. Newcomers also have character posters, many of which directly reference their respective characters' trailers.

Below is a complete, chronological list and synopsis of all 21 character trailers in SSB4.

Main animated trailers[edit]

These trailers were made to present all the newcomers for the base game.

Most of them share a single art style, featuring computer-generated animation by Digital Media Lab Inc. and Digital Frontier.[1] Exceptions are Little Mac's trailer (animated in a comic book-like style), Palutena and Dark Pit's (animated by Shaft in the style of the promotional anime short Palutena's Revolting Dinner), and Lucina and Robin's (animated by anima inc. in the style of the Fire Emblem: Awakening's cutscenes). Pac-Man's trailer was animated in-house with Bandai Namco.

Villager[edit]

E3 2013 reveal trailer.

Villager's reveal was included as part of Super Smash Bros. 4's first trailer at E3 2013. The trailer begins with the standard flaming cross pattern in the shape of the Smash logo, being its first appearance in a trailer. The scene cuts to a sunny day in in an Animal Crossing town, where Villager opens his mailbox to find a letter. Villager then hurriedly runs off while the animal citizens look on with surprise. Tom Nook catches wind of the open envelope, which depicts the Super Smash Bros. logo on the wax seal. The trailer then shows clips of Mario, Link, Samus, Kirby, Pit, Fox, Donkey Kong, and Pikachu in their respective series' settings and logos before they appear in a misty abyss and jump into the top screen on a Nintendo 3DS. A series of gameplay clips follows, revealing Bowser and showcasing a multitude of new playable stages in the process (Battlefield, Gerudo Valley, Spirit Train, Arena Ferox, 3D Land, and Living Room). The next clip shows Mario leaping from a portion of the then-unknown Smash Run and back into the abyss from before, where his 3DS design sheds and flakes away to reveal his Wii U design and lands on another Battlefield alongside the other characters. More new stages (Skyloft, Boxing Ring, and Town and City) appear as the trailer shows gameplay from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. After the gameplay showcase, Mario and Bowser both fight in the Super Smash Bros. version of the Boxing Ring (revealed prior to the announcement of Little Mac as a playable fighter), whereupon Bowser knocks Mario into a corner of the ring. Before Mario can retaliate, Villager appears and catches him with a bug net to his surprise. Following a splash screen with the tagline "Villager Comes to Town!", the trailer shows several gameplay footage of Villager using various tools from the Animal Crossing series to fight. Stills of all known characters trail by before the trailer concludes with the combined Super Smash Bros. 4 logo before splitting into the two games' logos.

Mega Man[edit]

"Mega Man Joins the Battle!" trailer.

Mega Man's trailer, simply titled "Mega Man Joins the Battle!", begins with a blaring siren and a "New challenger approaching!" sign. The scene then cuts to a canyon in the dead of night. Mario, Link, Kirby, and Donkey Kong glance up at the silhouette of a humanoid with spiky hair, who gazes down at them from atop a cliff, backlit by the moon. A helmet forms around the figure's head as a series of lights illuminate its features such as the eyes and face. The figure, Mega Man, leaps into the air and teleports out of the canyon. He reappears in an area similar to the stage intro screen from Mega Man 2 and strikes a pose. The text, "Mega Man Joins the Battle!" appears. Several gameplay clips follow, which demonstrate Mega Man's animations, moveset, and unique KO explosion. This section also provides a brief look at the Wily Castle stage. The trailer then transitions back to the canyon. Mega Man, heavily damaged, accesses his Variable Weapon System and summons two Metal Blades, which he hurls at his assailants. A blade nearly hit Mario, but barely dodges as coins fly everywhere. The other blade is blocked by Link's shield. Additional gameplay footage follows, in which Mega Man utilizes numerous attacks based on powers he could obtain from fallen bosses in his home series. The trailer ends with Mega Man being ambushed by his opponents and using his down smash, Flame Blast, to create two pillars of fire and propel everyone else away. A brief clip of Mega Man fighting the Yellow Devil on Wily Castle serves as a stinger.

Wii Fit Trainer[edit]

"Wii Fit Trainer Joins the Battle!" trailer.

Wii Fit Trainer's trailer, simply titled "Wii Fit Trainer Joins the Battle!", opens on gameplay footage from Wii Fit. The camera pans out to reveal that the footage is actually displayed on a television screen, with Mario, Link, and Kirby struggling to follow its instructions and keep their balance. When a white hand taps Mario on the shoulder, the three characters turn to discover Wii Fit Trainer. She abruptly strikes a yoga pose, which sends the trio soaring and knocks the television askew. The trailer then cuts to a number of clips in which Wii Fit Trainer uses multiple yoga poses to attack her foes, even using a barrage of them in her Final Smash. At the end of the trailer, she stretches and provides a thumbs-up to the camera. The Wii Balance Board bounces up and down behind her as the text, "Wii Fit Trainer Weighs In!" appears.

Rosalina & Luma[edit]

"Comet Observatory" trailer.

Rosalina & Luma's trailer, titled "Comet Observatory" (ほうき星の使者, Comet Emissaries), opens on Kirby soaring through the cosmos on his signature Warp Star. He flies towards Rainbow Road, where a race is underway. Mario and Donkey Kong, the leaders in the race, attempt to overtake each other with Luigi, Peach and Bowser not far behind. Before they reach the finish line, Kirby whizzes by and causes the two leaders to spin out. Kirby crosses the finish line and flies back into space. The camera cuts to a distant Launch Star, which propels a glowing, cyan orb toward Kirby. When it speeds past him, he loses control of his Warp Star, crashes into Rainbow Road, and comes to a skidding halt. A second ball of light splits off from the first and drifts toward the track, where it reveals itself as a Luma. The Luma pokes Kirby, who sits up and looks around in confusion. The racers arrive before the two can exchange a high five. Donkey Kong pokes Kirby out of curiosity. The cyan light returns and illuminates the group. This causes the Luma to excitedly squeak, bounce toward the light's source, hop upward, and land in the arms of Rosalina. The following splash art reads, "Rosalina & Luma Launch Into Battle!" A selection of gameplay footage follows, in which Rosalina uses Luma to supplement her attacks and block damage. The trailer ends with a brief clip of Kirby and Luma dancing and finally exchanging a high five while everyone else happily looks on.

Little Mac[edit]

"Champion of the Ring" trailer.

Little Mac's trailer, titled "Champion of the Ring" (リングの王者, Champion of the Ring), begins in a gym. A figure in a pink hoodie performs various training exercises while a coach shouts advice and encouragement. The training montage ends with the figure delivering an uppercut to Sandbag and knocking it through a window. The figure sheds his hoodie and strikes a pose, his identity revealed as Little Mac. The corresponding splash art quips, "Little Mac Punches In!" The background transitions to Battlefield. Samus stares down at Little Mac, still holding his pose, seemingly unimpressed by his height. (This is a reference to Little Mac's Assist Trophy profile from the Smash Bros. DOJO!! website.) Samus mockingly compares their heights by running a hand between the tops of their heads, lightly tapping Little Mac's in the process. This enrages Little Mac, as Power Meter appears at the bottom of the screen, rapidly filling up to maximum as his face reddens. He hits Samus with a KO Uppercut that sends her flying. The trailer shifts to in-game footage, which illustrates Mac's powerful attacks, quick ground speed, and poor air mobility. Doc Louis shouts advice throughout. Little Mac briefly transforms into the colossal Giga Mac before throwing another KO Uppercut that defeats Mega Man and Bowser on the Boxing Ring. A short stinger shows Little Mac and Doc Louis enjoying some chocolate bars as Samus rolls past them in her Morph Ball form.

Charizard and Greninja[edit]

"Challenger from the Shadows" trailer.

Greninja's trailer, titled "Challenger From the Shadows" (忍ぶもの, The Stealthy One), opens in supposedly the same canyon seen in the Mega Man trailer with a series of Poké Balls soaring through the sky. They land at the foot of a cliff and release multiple Pokémon from Smash 4. The camera pans up to reveal Pikachu at the top of the cliff, with Charizard immediately behind it. Charizard's caption proclaims, "Charizard Fires It Up!" This is the only instance of a base-game veteran whose splash art differs from their in-game render. Charizard launches itself into the sky above the cloud level before slamming down to the ground in front of a sprinting Mario. The plumber narrowly avoids the attack and lands in front of Link holding his Gale Boomerang, Samus, Kirby wielding the Star Rod, and Olimar accompanied by a red Pikmin. Elsewhere, a silhouetted figure readies an attack. Mario rushes toward Charizard while the other fighters hurl projectiles at it. Charizard evades the projectiles with ease. The silhouette continues to charge its watery, four-pointed attack. Mario and Charizard leap toward each other, but the attack intercepts them before they can exchange blows. The two fighters look toward the attack's source and see the figure hanging from a tree branch, upside down. It flips itself upright and reveals itself as Greninja. The following splash art reads, "Greninja Makes a Splash!" Greninja uses Hydro Pump to blast itself out of the shot, at which point the trailer transitions into gameplay footage. This footage shows both Greininja and Charizard in action, as well as Charizard's and Lucario's new Final Smashes. It concludes with Greninja using its own Final Smash on Mario.

Palutena[edit]

"Goddess of Light" trailer.

Palutena's trailer, titled "Goddess of Light" (光の女神, Goddess of Light), begins in the animated art style of the Kid Icarus: Uprising animated short, Palutena's Revolting Dinner. Palutena observes a duel between Link and Pit. Neither combatant can land a solid hit on the other, until Link delivers a fierce kick to the gut that sends the angel flying. He throws his Gale Boomerang to finish Pit off, but the item is intercepted by a flash of light. Palutena appears, protected by a horizontal force field, while Pit stares in awe. Palutena activates Pit's Power of Flight to send him away and states that she came "for a little divine intervention." She strikes a pose as the text "Palutena Alights!" appears. The trailer transitions to gameplay footage, which emphasizes Palutena's numerous custom moves and her Final Smash. Palutena comments on the vast number of worthy opponents in the Super Smash Bros. series and states that she won't hold back on them. In the trailer's stinger, Dark Pit appears and taunts Palutena. While he was a newcomer, he was not confirmed as such until after the game released. As a result, he lacks a splash screen. This is Smash 4's longest character trailer, at three minutes in length.

Pac-Man[edit]

"Red, Blue, Yellow" trailer.

Pac-Man's trailer, titled "Red, Blue, Yellow" (赤、青、黄色, Red, Blue, Yellow), opens with a shot of Mario fighting Link on Battlefield. The camera zooms in on Mario's hat, filling the screen with red. It zooms back out to display the red as a diagonal streak across the screen. Another scene begins, featuring Sonic in Windy Hill Zone and a battle between Mega Man and Greninja on Wily Castle. The camera zooms in on Mega Man's helmet and creates a blue streak below the red one. A yellow line appears between the two streaks, fills the screen, then shrinks into the shape of a perfect circle. It opens up with a "waka" sound effect, which confirms that the circle is actually the original form of Pac-Man. The text "Pac-Man Hungers for Battle!" appears. Gameplay footage of Pac-Man's in-game appearance, based on the Pac-Man World series of games, follows. The footage demonstrates Pac-Man's moveset, which relies heavily on acrobatics and the use of characters and items from past Namco games. The trailer also reveals the Pac-Land and Pac-Maze stages. It concludes with Pac-Man using his Final Smash to chase Mario, Sonic, and Mega Man offscreen. In the stinger, Mr. Game & Watch approaches Pac-Man and rings his bell. The text "1980" appears above the duo, which was the year in which they both first appeared. The tops of Mario's and Donkey Kong's heads appear in the corner of the screen, with the text "1981" written above them. This illustrates the fact that Pac-Man and Mr. Game & Watch are the oldest characters to appear in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Lucina and Robin[edit]

"By Book, Blade, and Crest of Flame" trailer.

Robin and Lucina's trailer, titled "By Book, Blade, and Crest of Flame" (剣と魔法と炎の紋章, Swords, Magic, and the Fire Emblem), begins with a wounded Chrom lying on the ground while his daughter, Lucina, faces off against Captain Falcon. Lucina readies her sword, Falchion, as the caption "Lucina Wakes Her Blade?!" appears. She takes several swipes at Captain Falcon, but he dodges them and ultimately overpowers her by kicking Falchion's hilt. Captain Falcon prepares to finish the fight with a Falcon Punch, but two blasts of Elwind interrupt him. Both fighters look toward the source of the attack and see a hooded figure. The figure descends to the ground and assures Lucina, "It's going to be alright." He lifts his hood and readies a jagged, sparking sword. The figure is confirmed to be Robin, whose caption reads, "Robin Brings the Thunder!" In-game clips of Robin follow. He and Lucina discuss the various types of spells and swords he has at his disposal and the importance of using them wisely. Lucina's in-game appearance and cloned moveset are revealed after she states that she will fight at Robin's side. The pair then comment on the presence of the Hero-King and the Radiant Hero of Legend. In the stinger, Chrom laments his missed chance to appear in Smash. He is then revealed to assist Robin in the latter's Final Smash, Pair Up. The trailer concludes with a brief clip of the female Robin.

Shulk[edit]

"Looks like we don't have a choice!" trailer.

Shulk's trailer is titled "Looks Like We Don't Have a Choice!" (NTSC)/"Now it's Shulk Time" (PAL) (穏やかじゃないですね, Not Being Gentle, Huh?). The NTSC English title references a quote from Xenoblade Chronicles, said by Shulk when he encounters a strong monster, while the PAL English and Japanese titles reference one of his taunts. The trailer opens with Bowser running across Gaur Plain. He comes to a stop and roars before becoming distracted by a passing butterfly. Shulk, hidden behind some nearby bushes, readies the Monado and leaps into the air. He attacks Bowser with a Back Slash, sending him him flying into the distance. He turns and addresses the camera with an enthusiastic, "I'm really feeling it!" His splash screen, which reads, "Shulk Foresees a Fight!" appears. The scene is soon disrupted by a vision in which Shulk sees himself attacked and defeated by Link and Marth. Shulk manages to change the future by flipping away from his assailants and parrying their blows. He announces, "Now it's Shulk time!" and readies the Monado once again. Four Monado Arts scroll past the Monado's central panel before Shulk selects the fifth and final one, Smash, and declares, "This is the Monado's power!" The trailer transitions to gameplay footage, which showcases the effects of Shulk's Monado Arts alongside the remainder of his special moves. It concludes with Shulk summoning Dunban and Riki for a Chain Attack. A stinger follows, in which Metal Face looms over Shulk and taunts him.

Bowser Jr.[edit]

"The Future King" trailer.

Bowser Jr.'s trailer, titled "The Future King" (NTSC)/"The Future of Evil" (PAL) (未来の大王, Future Great King), opens in a canyon similar to those used in Mega Man Joins the Battle and Challenger from the Shadows. It begins with an unknown figure gliding above the ground in a small, floating vehicle with a face. The vehicle makes a sharp turn and produces a cannon from its smiling mouth. It fires a massive cannonball, which hits the ground in front of a group of heroes, namely Mario, Link, Samus, Kirby, Mega Man, and Rosalina & Luma. After the cannon retracts, the figure releases a wrecking ball from the vehicle's side and swings it at the group. Mario dashes toward the vehicle, which arms itself with a pair of drills. Mario then raises a shield to defend himself, but the drills whittle away at it until it shatters and knocks Mario back. Finally, the kart produces a pair of wheels from its undercarriage and charges forward, crashing into Mario and Mega Man. The figure is finally revealed to be Bowser Jr., whose splash screen reads, "Bowser Jr. Clowns the Competition!" The trailer cuts to gameplay footage that showcases the menagerie of weapons hidden within Bowser Jr.'s Junior Clown Car. Of note are his up special, wherein he ejects himself out of the Clown Car, and his Final Smash, Shadow Mario Paint, during which he transforms into Shadow Mario and paints a massive X on the stage that deals damage and knockback to other characters. When the animated portion of the trailer resumes, Mario watches in horror as the seven Koopalings, each with his or her own Clown Car, join Bowser Jr. on a clifftop. The eight villains and the six heroes stare each other down before launching into battle. A series of clips show Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings working in tandem to attack numerous foes. The trailer culminates with a group shot of Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings engaging in various antics on Big Battlefield.

Duck Hunt[edit]

"One Dog, One Bird, One Zapper" trailer.

Duck Hunt's trailer, titled "One Dog, One Bird, One Zapper" (NTSC)/"An Unlikely Team" (PAL) (一匹、一羽と一丁と, One Beast, One Bird, and One Gun), begins with a round of the classic Duck Hunt game. The dog sniffs along the ground and leaps into the grass, causing a duck to flutter into the air. An unseen player shoots the duck, which the dog grabs and presents with a smile. The player fails to shoot a second duck, which causes the dog to break into its infamous laugh. The camera zooms in on the dog, who glances to the side and sees the 8-bit versions of Mario, Link, Pit, Donkey Kong, Samus, and Bowser. Mario gestures at the dog and leaps into the air, accompanied by a flash of light that causes the scene to transition into modern-day graphics. He and his five companions wait for the dog to emerge. The dog leaps out of the grass and allows a duck to land on its back. Both members of the Duck Hunt duo face the screen and become startled when their splash text, "Duck Hunt Takes Aim!" appears. Gameplay clips of the duo follow, which demonstrate their taunts, special moves, and neutral attacks, which involve both the dog and the duck landing blows on opponents. Duck Hunt's first use of a smash attack pauses the video. The camera zooms out to reveal a TV screen and the hand of the unseen player from before. The player readies the NES Zapper and fires a trail of shots. When the gameplay footage resumes, the dog, duck, and player all unleash attacks on a series of foes. This segment of the trailer also provides a glimpse at Duck Hunt's stage, Duck Hunt, based on the iconic hunting ground from Duck Hunt. The trailer concludes after Duck Hunt unleashes a horde of ducks, which trap Mario, Yoshi, and Villager in the middle of a gunfight between the Wild Gunmen and the gangsters from Hogan's Alley. In the stinger, the dog and duck exchange a high five. The dog begins to laugh while the player gives the camera a better view of the NES Zapper. Duck Hunt must be unlocked to view this trailer in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

DLC trailers[edit]

These trailers were made to reveal all of the fighters that would be available as DLC.

Unlike the trailers for the base game, these focus on both newcomers and veterans alike. None of them feature original animation, using only gameplay footage instead, albeit sometimes visually altered. The trailer for Corrin also reuses CG animation by anima inc. that was produced for Fire Emblem Fates.

Mewtwo[edit]

"Mewtwo Strikes Back!" trailer.

Mewtwo's trailer, titled "Mewtwo Strikes Back!", is named after the first Pokémon movie. It starts on a black screen, the sound of a heartbeat audible in the background. A monochrome eye opens and jitters around the screen as the heartbeat grows faster. The lights become brighter, revealing Mewtwo. The caption proclaims "Mewtwo Strikes Back!" The remainder of the trailer is gameplay footage that highlights Mewtwo's various moves. One segment references Mewtwo Strikes Back, showing Mewtwo next to Mew. Another segment makes reference to the sixteenth Pokémon movie, in which a different Mewtwo encounters Genesect. Ness also holds a Master Ball while slowly walking toward what resembles a shiny Mewtwo. Mewtwo then Mega Evolves into Mega Mewtwo Y to unleash its Final Smash, Psystrike. The trailer ends with Mewtwo taunting while Pikachu crawls toward it, backward.

Lucas[edit]

"Lucas Comes Out of Nowhere!" trailer.

Lucas's trailer, titled "Lucas Comes Out of Nowhere!", begins with scenes of Ness being beaten up by Mario, Little Mac, Wario, Marth, Villager, Robin, and Donkey Kong, before Bowser sends Ness flying. Ness lies helplessly on the ground while Bowser roars and charges forward for another attack. The screen cuts to black before a voice cries "PK Fire!" A burst of flames hits Bowser and knocks him away. As a groggy Ness rises, his defender is revealed to be Lucas, who leaps away. Lucas's caption declares "Lucas Comes Out of Nowhere!" (a reference to Mother 3's Nowhere Islands, where Lucas is from). Gameplay footage demonstrates Lucas's moves, as well as several recreations of moments from Mother 3. One scene references the endgame fight against the Masked Man, represented by Lucas's new gray costume holding a Beam Sword and his standard costume wearing a Franklin Badge. Another scene references Lucas with his twin brother, Claus, and the family dog, Boney, the latter of which is represented by a brown-costumed Duck Hunt. Lastly, one scene references Lucas with his father, Flint, and Boney, who are represented by a Wild Gunman and Duck Hunt, respectively.

Roy[edit]

"Roy Seals the Deal!" trailer.

Roy's trailer, titled "Roy Seals the Deal!", begins with all four Fire Emblem characters (Marth, Ike, Robin, and Lucina) battling on Coliseum. The screen goes black shortly before a voice says, "Don't forget about me!" in Japanese. A short cinematic then shows Roy dashing out of a wall of flames. He lands on Coliseum and declares, "I've returned at last!" in Japanese. His caption announces that "Roy Seals the Deal!", which is a reference to his sword, the Sword of Seals. The trailer cuts to a clip of Roy attacking Roy Koopa, who shares his name. Additional gameplay footage follows. One segment involves Roy performing his down taunt in front of a Superspicy Curry. This is a reference to "The Ultimate Curry", one of the winning photos from the Melee "Camera Mode Contest." After performing his Final Smash, Critical Hit, Roy says "守るべきもののために、負けられない!", which translates to, "For those I must protect...I cannot lose!"

Ryu[edit]

"Here comes a new challenger! RYU." trailer.

Ryu's trailer, titled "Here comes a new challenger! RYU.", begins with Ryu declaring (in the form of on-screen text) "I'm looking for a challenge." The opening segment of the trailer is based on the opening screen from Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers before unleashing a Hadoken on the screen. He then enters the battlefield and says, "So this is Smash..." Mario then appears to fight him, which Ryu accepts. One scene in his trailer shows him using the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku and Shoryuken while being pushed by Mario's F.L.U.D.D. This references Ryu's ending in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (SNES) where he trains by continually performing Shoryukens under a waterfall. The trailer ends with Ryu declaring "You must defeat my Shoryuken to stand a chance", a correct translation of his win quote in Street Fighter II, which was famously mistranslated in that game as "You must defeat Sheng Long (a mistranslation of "Shoryuken") to stand a chance". A stinger at the end of the trailer shows a Mii Brawler wearing the Heihachi outfit clashing with Ryu, referencing the Capcom-Namco crossover game Street Fighter X Tekken.

Cloud[edit]

"Cloud Storms into Battle!" trailer.

Cloud's trailer, titled "Cloud Storms into Battle!", begins with a starry sky (referencing the opening animation to Final Fantasy VII), leading to the Super Smash Bros. 4 logo, followed by an "X" (to signify the crossover), and then showing the Final Fantasy VII logo, all while playing Final Fantasy VII's opening music. The trailer then cuts to Cloud on Midgar, showing him at different angles, before finally showing him fully; he then says "Never thought I’d see the day..."

The trailer then goes on to show off his moveset, as well as his alternate costume based on Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, before fading to black; it then cuts to Cloud charging a Limit Break, while saying "Limits are meant to be broken!". The trailer then shows his moveset with the added Limit Break, and then showing off the stage hazards on Midgar, before cutting to a fight between him and Ike, with Cloud finishing him off with Omnislash. The trailer ends with a remix of the victory theme from Final Fantasy VII, while also showing off the Chocobo Mii Fighter hat. Square Enix's copyright information can be seen added in at the end of the trailer. This detail, as well as the opening shot of the fiery Smash symbol, was not shown in the Nintendo Direct.

The trailer contains references to moments and characters from the Final Fantasy series, primarily Final Fantasy VII.

  • The starry sky in the opening is a reenactment of the original opening to Final Fantasy VII, which even includes the original accompanying music, "Opening - Bombing Mission".
  • The trailer contains a "blurring" screen transition to the battle phase in which Cloud faces off against Kirby, Samus, and Charizard, with Cloud situated opposite of the other three combatants. These instances reference Random Encounters, battle sequences that are often seen in the Final Fantasy series. The screen transition itself is one that is observed during gameplay of Final Fantasy VII along with the accompanying battle theme "Let the Battles Begin!".
  • Zelda lying on her knees near Cloud laying on his back is a reference to a scene in Final Fantasy VII, where Cloud falls from the Sector 5 Reactor down into the church and is found by Aerith Gainsborough the Flower Girl, with Pikmin representing flowers in the church. The Lip's Stick that Zelda is holding resembles the flowers that Aerith sells.
  • Cloud grabbing Wario and throwing him off his bike before making off with it himself references the segment when Cloud commandeers the Hardy Daytona motorcycle to escape from Shinra Headquarters. In Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Cloud himself has the motorcycle Fenrir, to fit with his "Lone Wolf" motif.
  • Cloud being dizzy on The King of Red Lions is a reference to the motion sickness Cloud often suffers from.
  • The Prince of Sablé turning into a frog next to Cloud is a reference to the recurring Toad spell, which transforms its targets into harmless frogs.
  • Odin's appearance after Cloud uses his casting animation is a reference to the ability to summon monsters in Final Fantasy VII.
  • Cloud fighting Ike towards the end is a reference to the final battle in Cloud's mind between him and Sephiroth.
  • The segment in which Chocobos appeared references Chocobo Woods, a location in Final Fantasy III where Chocobos and the Fat Chocobo can be found, and Smells Like Chocobos is a recurring quote in the series which references the fact that Fat Chocobo can only be summoned in places that "Smell like Chocobos" in Chocobo Woods.
    • The fact that the Chocobos are on Gaur Plain may be a reference to the Chocobo Farm from Final Fantasy VII, which is located in the grasslands outside Midgar.

Corrin[edit]

"Corrin Chooses to Smash!" trailer.

Corrin's trailer, titled "Corrin Chooses to Smash!", opens with the cutscene of the central plot divergence of Fire Emblem Fates, where Corrin must choose to side with Hoshido ("Birthright"), Nohr ("Conquest"), or neither ("Revelation"). In this cutscene, his family in Hoshido is represented by Ryoma, Sakura, Takumi, and Hinoka, while his family in Nohr is represented by Xander, Elise, Camilla, and Leo. These characters' voice clips differ from the original games', and Corrin additionally speaks after each family has said their piece. Corrin is presented with the three options from Fates, but a fourth option appears labeled "Join the battle in Smash", which he immediately selects. Once Corrin makes his choice, the trailer then cuts to Corrin on Battlefield.

Corrin, as well as his little sisters and kingly older brothers, provide commentary while the trailer proceeds to show Corrin's mixture of swordplay with Omega Yato and attacks using Dragon Fang transformations. The trailer also reveals the female Corrin as a costume. At the end when showing off his Final Smash, Torrential Roar, Corrin verbally reaffirms his decision, declaring that his path is "to take on the legendary heroes of Smash". The trailer ends with a scene on the Kalos League stage with Pac-Man chasing Corrin in Super Pac-Man form, then Corrin chasing Pac-Man whlie using Dragon Lunge on a rolling crate.

Bayonetta[edit]

"Bayonetta Gets Wicked!" trailer.

Bayonetta's trailer, titled "Bayonetta Gets Wicked!", opens with Pit defeating Samus and Bowser on Battlefield, declaring "Two down!" Palutena, however, warns him that a challenger is approaching. The camera pans to the large moon behind Battlefield; Bayonetta's voice is heard saying "Oh, another angel? Must've missed one." She then appears from Bat Within in front of the moon and lands on the stage, saying "Let's dance, boy."

The trailer itself shows off Bayonetta's moveset in depth, showing her combo-based gameplay, her Bullet Arts, her special moves, and her Wicked Weaves smash attacks. The trailer has Bayonetta, Pit, Palutena, and Dark Pit narrating throughout, with many references to Bayonetta's games and her battles against angels. The trailer also shows off Bayonetta's access to costumes based on both Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2, and her stage, Umbra Clock Tower.

The trailer contains several references to the Bayonetta games.

  • Bayonetta posing in front of the moon in the beginning of her trailer references the style of various different artworks created when promoting her series.
  • Bayonetta's interactions with Pit references the fact she kills angels for a living.
    • Her interactions with Pit and Dark Pit in the end of her trailer references her interactions with Loki and Loptr, two characters who are light/dark halves of the other, much like Pit and Dark Pit.
  • When Palutena states that she thought Umbra witches were extinct, it is in reference to the Witch Hunts in the Bayonetta series.
    • Bayonetta's response to this, referring to Palutena as part of an "Endangered Species" references how she, in both of her games, kills off a god as the game's final boss.
  • Bayonetta telling Palutena to stop talking at the end of the trailer references how, in both of her games, Bayonetta will interrupt enemies who end up going on tangents while conversing with her.
  • Bayonetta's posing with the Chain Chomp references the creature's utility as a weapon in Bayonetta 2.
  • The trailer concludes with Bayonetta KOing Pit and Dark Pit with Infernal Climax and declaring "Don't mess with a witch", which is a euphemized reference to her famous quote, "Don't fuck with a witch" which she declares upon defeating Bayonetta's penultimate boss.

Other trailers[edit]

Sonic[edit]

"Sonic Joins the Battle!" trailer

Sonic's trailer, simply titled "Sonic Joins the Battle!", begins with a fight between Mario and Mega Man on Battlefield. The two rush toward each other, but Sonic appears and launches them away with his down aerial. After a brief look at Sonic's new model, the trailer transitions into gameplay clips of him fighting against other Nintendo characters. It concludes with a glimpse of the Windy Hill Zone stage and another battle between Sonic, Mario, and Mega Man. Sonic was the first veteran to receive his own trailer (and the only non DLC to do so), likely due to his status as a returning third-party character.

Mii Fighters[edit]

Reggie Fils-Amié (Brawler) vs. Satoru Iwata (Swordfighter).

Mii Fighter's trailer begins with Satoru Iwata and Reggie Fils-Aimé in a black background. The pair stare each other down before Reggie lunges at Iwata, who swiftly kicks him away; before they begin exchanging rapid jabs, Iwata "absorbs" energy while striking a pose similar to a double hand chop, which is the pose made by presenters in Nintendo Direct when saying "direct." Following this, an over-the-top fistfight commences, culminating in Iwata pulling out a Wii U GamePad while Fils-Aimé does the same with a Classic Controller Pro and proceed to play Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, using Miis of themselves to continue their conflict; while Reggie's Mii is only equipped with a pair of gloves, Iwata's is armed with a longsword. The pair continue their duel, going from Battlefield's Ω Form to Palutena's Temple, as both men trade glances as the bout progresses; ultimately, Reggie ends up triumphant while Iwata shoots him a look before pulling out an amiibo of Mario and placing it on the GamePad. The resulting in-game Mario exacts revenge on Reggie, handling every move his Mii self throws with ease before launching a Forward smash that sends the real Reggie flying. As Iwata's Mii celebrates alongside the amiibo Mario, Masahiro Sakurai himself arrives and explains the history behind getting Miis ready for Super Smash Bros.; after he explains it didn't feel right during the lifetime of Super Smash Bros. Brawl to have Miis as playable fighters, he delivers some new video gameplay which shows off a number of Miis fighting official Nintendo characters. The Miis, he adds on, are grouped into three classes: Mii Brawlers who fight using hand-to-hand combat, Mii Swordfighters who use swords and other bladed tools to do battle, and Mii Gunners who come equipped with arm cannons and a variety of projectiles. In addition, Mii Fighters are special in that their special moves, rather than be modified versions of their standard specials, have all-new options to use for all four special move types. To demonstrate some of the possibilities of the Mii Fighters, Mii versions of actual character suggestions posted by Miiverse users, with captions such as "Lincoln gets sworn in!," "Elijah Wood like to battle!," and "Ice-T pours it on!" (with the lattermost being replaced in the Japanese broadcast with Japanese comedian Shinya Arino). During this, Sakurai explains the reasoning behind adding Miis, stating that he gets countless amounts of requests and ideas for characters to join the roster, and concludes by saying that by using Miis, players can put their dream character into the roster. This trailer is not on the official Super Smash Bros. website, nor available for viewing in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Trivia[edit]

  • Margie and Flame Man are the only characters in the Super Smash Bros. series to only appear in a character trailer for Smash 4 (in this case, Villager and Mega Man's trailers, respectively); in Ultimate, they would later be joined by Solon, who exclusively appeared in Byleth's trailer, and Niall and Aegaeon, who only appeared in Pyra/Mythra's trailer.
    • All other Robot Masters seen in Mega Man's reveal trailer, as well as Corrin's siblings (with the exceptions of Ryoma and Xander) in his reveal trailer, also did not make any in-game appearances in Smash 4, but they would later receive spirits in Ultimate.
    • Additionally, Rosie (who makes an appearance in Villager's trailer) does not make any appearance in Smash 4, but she did make an appearance in Brawl as a sticker.
  • Possibly due to the December 2013 Nintendo Direct also showing the footage of Mario Kart 8, the Nintendo Direct version of Rosalina & Luma's trailer featured no Smash-logo intro at all. A similar situation later occurred with Isabelle in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
    • Additionally, the version of Rainbow Road seen in their trailer is fully original to the trailer and has not appeared in any Mario Kart game to date, despite having elements such as star-shaped guardrails and bright green arrow signs from Mario Kart Wii.
  • Villager's trailer is the only Smash 4 trailer to feature the Smash invitation.
    • It is also the trailer in which the Smash invitation first appeared, due to its being a wax-stamped letter received by Villager as the player receives mail in the Animal Crossing games.
  • While most of the songs used in the trailers are available in-game, there are a few exceptions.
    • "Title Screen" from Animal Crossing plays during Villager's trailer, which was also Smash 4's initial reveal trailer.
    • "Yoga" from Wii Fit appears in Wii Fit Trainer's trailer, as well as an original composition not found in Smash 4 or any of the Wii Fit games. The former song was later added in Ultimate.
    • "Opening" from Kirby Air Ride, as well as "Peach's Castle Stolen" and "Overture" from Super Mario Galaxy appear in Rosalina & Luma's trailer.
    • A unique arrangement of "Jogging" from the NES version of Punch-Out!! appears in Little Mac's trailer, which wasn't used in any of the Punch-Out!! games prior.
    • An original unnamed composition appears in Mii Fighter's trailer.
    • "Chaos Vortex" and a higher-pitched version of "Opening" from Kid Icarus: Uprising appear in Palutena's trailer.
    • "Main Theme" from Fire Emblem: Awakening appears in Lucina and Robin's trailer.
    • "Battleship" from Paper Mario: Sticker Star, "Attack of the Airships" from Super Mario Galaxy, and "Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla" from Super Mario Galaxy 2 all appear in Bowser Jr.'s trailer.
    • The "Game Start" and "Shot Duck" jingles from Duck Hunt appear in Duck Hunt's trailer.
    • A slightly different version of "Arcade Intro" from Super Street Fighter II plays in Ryu's trailer.
    • "Opening - Bombing Mission" from Final Fantasy VII appears in Cloud's trailer. An arrangement of this song was later added in Ultimate.
    • "Prelude to Disaster" from Fire Emblem Fates appears in Corrin's trailer.
  • Villager's reveal trailer was done by Digital Media Lab.[1]
  • Mega Man's reveal trailer was done by Digital Frontier.[1]
  • According to Sakurai, Little Mac's trailer was done in comic style to save budget.[1]
  • According to Sakurai, Bowser Jr.'s reveal trailer cost a lot more money than expected when creating it.[1]
  • In an interview held in 2022 between Reggie Fils-Aimé and ex-Nintendo employees Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, the fight between him and Satoru Iwata, along with stunt doubles, were shot independently for the Mii Fighters' reveal trailer. For Iwata and the doubles, they were shot in Kyoto, Japan, while for Fils-Aimé, he was shot in the Pacific, north-west of the United States.[2]
  • Masahiro Sakurai released a YouTube video on the subject of these trailers and revealed many aspects of their creation[3]:
    • These trailers are a response to the cutscenes of Subspace Emissary being leaked online before the game released by media groups, defeating their purpose as a reward for playing the game. The trailers were made with the purpose of being shared online without providing major spoilers for in-game content.
    • Sakurai was primarily the only scenario writer for these cutscenes.
    • The CG models used in these trailers are not the same as the in-game models, but touched up versions that visually hold up under higher resolutions and close-ups.
    • Developers use a special debug mode with replay features to capture in-game footage.
    • All trailers had to receive approval from the original rightsholders for all characters and properties featured in said trailers.

External links[edit]

References[edit]