So Sony's making a Smash Brothers clone

[Bobinator]

Let's be honest, we were all expecting this would happen some day. So yeah, some dude on NeoGAF let leak that a certain unnamed developer is working on a Smash Brothers clone, with Sony characters. Apparently at the moment the game is called 'Title Fight', but that could change any time.

The only official confirmation so far is from Eurogamer, which says:

Sony has declined to comment on a rumour that it is making a PlayStation 3 exclusive Smash Bros. rival.

The console manufacturer told Eurogamer "we do not comment on rumour or speculation" when quizzed about the game, reportedly in the works at US developer SuperBot Entertainment.

Word of the mystery brawler first emerged on The Paul Gale Network, which claimed it featured a number of Sony mascots, including Parappa the Rappa (Parappa the Rapper), Kratos (God of War), Sly Cooper (Sly Cooper), Nathan Drake (Uncharted), Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal), Colonel Mael Radec (Killzone) and Fat Princess (Fat Princess).

The report also mentioned a Sandover Village stage (from Jak & Daxter), Hot Shots Golf characters in stage backgrounds, a LittleBigPlanet stage and a Buzz! trivia mini-game. A James Bond character is also mentioned.

Current speculation points to SuperBot Entertainment, a Culver City, California-based studio confirmed to be working on a "very amazing PS3 game" for Sony Computer Entertainment America, as developer of the game.

SuperBot's website describes the company as "an exclusive developer of Sony Computer Entertainment America" and reveals it is "currently in production of a yet-to-be announced PS3 title".

According to a job advert, SuperBot is after a senior combat designer with "a strong familiarity with fighting games and fighting game theory".

Another job advert asks for a lead designer with "a strong familiarity with online mode and matchmaking design as they apply to console gaming".

On SuperBot's website are pictures of arcade fighting sticks.

So Sweet Tooth's apparently confirmed, along with Parappa, Kratos, Sly Cooper, Nathan Drake, some guy from Killzone, and Fat Princess. Also... James Bond, apparently? Apparently because Sony's involved in the new movie, so I guess I've heard weirder, really. I'd say I really want PS1-era Crash and Spyro playable, but sadly, that's not bloody likely.

Some questions about the game are answered here
Some more questions about gameplay answered
Some character information

So if you don't feel like looking through all that, here's the most important stuff:
- Roster will be around 20 characters, not including possible DLC
- Game plays a lot like Smash Brothers, with simple special moves, double jumping, and recovery moves
- There's a 3 level super bar, first level gives you a unique attack, second level powers that attack up, Level 3 attack is a Final Smash-ish thing
- The game is expected to be a 2012 title

There's more information on how the characters play and what some of the stages are in the links, though, so go check those out, too.

Got to say I'm actually really looking forward to this. I'm a Smash Brothers fan, but having a game like this that not only has decent online support and isn't based on Cartoon Network will be great. There are a ton of characters I'd ask for I haven't heard about yet, (Sir Dan, Spike from Ape Escape, maybe somebody from War of the Monsters) but it's nice to know Parappa's not dead completely.

 

[akb778]

I'll buy it from what's been revealed already. I hope it has an awesome online mode.

...I wonder if it'll feature non-Sony characters (Solid Snake, Sonic, Klonoa, etc.) like Brawl did when they brought in non-Nintendo characters. (Kinda doubt it though.)

 

[Yoshi]

Fat princess? Parappa the rappa??? What kind of game is this going to be?

 

[Sergeant Brown]

-If this is anything but on the PSP or the Wii, I'll pass.
-If it won't have Crash, Jak & Daxter and Spyro as playable characters, I'll pass.

-If all requirements above are met, I'll think about about getting it.

 

[Bobinator]

-If this is anything but on the PSP or the Wii, I'll pass..

A game about Sony characters.

On the Wii.

What a smart one you are!

 

[Sergeant Brown]

Hurr durr :V

Well, at least it should be on the PSP, so I don't have to waste 200+ € buying the specific console for it (read: PS3 or 360) and 70+ € on the game because all new PS3/360 games cost that much.

 

[Bobinator]

I can see your point there, but the PSP's pretty much dead and gone at this point. Plus, from what I heard they're selling memory sticks for the Vita at like 80$ now, so... hmm. :X

 

[Sergeant Brown]

O_o
Seriously? They're selling that for 80$?!

Dude, I don't remember PSP memory sticks being that expensive. What's so different between one and the other to the point that it got its price to skyrocket?

 

[Blitzzo]

There is absolutely no way this will be able to compete with Smash Bros. They don't have the brand recognition Nintendo and Co. have.

 

[Bobinator]

There is absolutely no way this will be able to compete with Smash Bros. They don't have the brand recognition Nintendo and Co. have.

You might be right, but on the other hand, this will more than likely have online play that isn't a complete pain to get going.

Seriously, I like Nintendo, even when it's gotten really hard to defend them, but I hate friend codes so much. So. Much.

 

[akb778]

There is absolutely no way this will be able to compete with Smash Bros. They don't have the brand recognition Nintendo and Co. have.

^This. I've never even heard of SuperBot Entertainment before reading the OP, so that's one thing going against them - not everybody has heard of SuperBot Entertainment. Then again, this game being a PS3 exclusive, you have to wonder if Sony will publish it, thus adding more brand recognition to the game.

 

[Jellybones]

Seems interesting. Hopefully it does a little more to so that it isn't labeled as a "Smash clone" so quickly. But it already sounds intriguing. No clue if it'd sell.