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E3 2014: Super Smash Bros. Lets You Battle With Your Miis

Miis confirmed as playable characters; can be set up as one of three different fighter types.

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In the slow release drip feed that has been the character reveal process of Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U, there has been one announcement that many of us had been expecting from day one--confirmation that you'll be able to use your own Miis in battle. That speculation was made real today, with Nintendo indeed confirming that you'll be able to play as your own little avatar in the upcoming fighting game.

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Including Miis may be a first for the Smash Bros. series, but according to game designer Masahiro Sakurai, this was something that was first considered many years ago. "I thought about having Mii characters appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and decided against it. Somehow at the time it didn't seem right to have Miis punching and kicking," he said. "For this game, though, we're not just throwing Miis into the fray. We're doing some serious work to get them ready for a fight."

The Miis join an ever-growing roster of Nintendo characters appearing in Super Smash Bros. (Palutena, goddess of light from the Kid Icarus series, joined the list today), and have a unique fighting style compared to the other fighters. You can assign your Mii to one of three different fighting styles: brawlers rely on their fists and fight empty-handed, swordfighters specialize in weaponry, while gunners focus on projectile attacks. Each style has 12 different special moves to choose from, and players will be able to select four different abilities for their fighter. This gives Super Smash Bros. a light customization feel when it comes to playing with a Mii. I say light, however, because you won't be able to mix and match abilities from different styles. So if you wanted to make your Mii into a gun-wielding martial arts expert, for example, you're out of luck when it comes to Super Smash Bros.

Also confirmed today for Super Smash Bros. is the integration of Nintendo's Amiibo range of toys. Amiibo--Nintendo's Skylanders-like toys to life initiative--will allow you to have a unique version of one of the Smash Bros. characters that you can train and level up. Touching an Amiibo Mario figurine to the Wii U gamepad's NFC reader, for example, will make a Mario character appear on your screen. This AI-controlled Mario can then battle for you against other opponents or your friend's Amiibos.

Your personal Amiibos can gain levels and increase their base stats and can even learn new combat strategies as they continue to grow. Unfortunately, you won't be able to play as your little trained fighter, giving the Amiibos in Super Smash Bros. more of a tamagotchi-like pet feel rather than a Skylander/Disney Infinity experience where you can take direct control of your toys' virtual representations.

On the positive side, Amiibos can be used for more than just Super Smash Bros., with several other Wii U titles confirmed as having some sort of Amiibo functionality, although what those are remain a mystery. For more on Nintendo's Amiibos, read our story here.

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