Super Smash Bros. Brawl tried something with its single player mode- in response to all the criticism that the lackluster single player offerings of Melee and the Nintendo 64 original got, Sakurai decided to give the game an epic single player story mode called the Subspace Emissary that, for the first time, tried to give some narrative context to how all these different Nintendo characters came together.
If you liked it- and most people did not- then you will be saddened to learn that it will not be returning in the next game on the Wii U. Sakurai’s reasons are telling as a game designer.
“Unfortunately, the movie scenes we worked hard to create [for Super Smash Bros. Brawl] were uploaded onto the internet.” Sakurai said in his Famitsu column. “You can only truly wow a player the first time he sees [a cutscene]. I felt if players saw the cutscenes outside of the game, they would no longer serve as rewards for playing the game, so I’ve decided against having them.”
I mean, I guess it makes sense, but he should understand that it is very hard not to have spoilers in today’s day and age. Everything gets leaked.
Regardless, I can honestly say I will not be missing the Subspace Emissary in the next game. Keep that platforming crap out of my Smash Bros.