New Star Wars Multiplayer Might Remind You Of Super Smash Bros.

At PAX, LucasArts is showing off what person after person keeps calling Star Wars Smash Bros. Wrong?

The video I’ve shot and am showing you here is the offline multiplayer mode in October’s Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II. And, no, its designer says, Smash Bros. was not the inspiration.

It turns out that creative lead James Clarendon at Red Fly Studio is a fan of many fighting games and drew from inspirations as diverse as SNK vs. Capcom and… The Outfoxies? Clarendon told me that that game is an antecedent of Smash Bros. What he liked about that one is its use of transforming levels.

But if you don’t know Outfoxies any better than I do, I think you can think of this as Super Star Wars Smash. Up to four players can choose from eight characters and play them in fixed-screen arena levels. You control combat with Wii Remote and Nunchuk, hammering buttons for attacks, using a dash move for quick escapes and collecting items to charge super attacks.

You can choose from characters unlocked while playing the single-player campaign. The roster includes Darth Vader and Boba Fett as well as characters from Clone Wars, Force Unleashed and other corners of Star Wars fiction. The levels include the Death Star laser tunnel, Jabba the Hutt’s sail barge and a big arena that includes a monster than can beat up Rancors.

Last player standing wins.

I played it and enjoyed it. But I did struggle as Boba Fett. His offence is a little weak. He can fire rockets but by default shoots a laster pistol. He can jump and use his jetpack to fly, which makes him tough to catch, but the fact is, he does not wield a lightsaber and he can’t force choke.

I shoulda picked Darth Vader!