Smash Bros. veteran Masahiro Sakurai has provided an update on the series' Wii U instalment, revealing that his team is currently looking into ways to utilise the Wii U GamePad for the Nintendo brawler.

Sakurai has enlisted the help of http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=354948">Namco Bandai for Smash Bros. Wii U, but according to his latest interview he won't be changing the series formula too much.

"The game system itself is complete, so we don't want to make it 3D or introduce complicated controls just for the sake of it," he told IGN.

"However, I am thinking of ways we can introduce a slightly different, fun experience all the while keeping the usual frantic game play."

On the game's controls, he added: "The GameCube controller is not the only way to control Smash Bros., so we will look into ways that fits the Wii U."

The last entry in the series, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, famously included non-Nintendo characters such as Sonic and Solid Snake.

Despite the Namco team up though, Sakurai suggested we won't be seeing a load of Tekken fighters this time around:

"I think Snake and Sonic joining were fantastic. It made many fans happy, and it broadened the Smash Bros arena," he said. "However, introducing more non-Nintendo characters willy-nilly will lose the focus of the game, so I also recognise the need to narrow it down."

Obviously it's going to use the UPad, just not its touch functions except perhaps in a nominal way (it would be possible to map the smash attacks to single-press instances, like the motion controls in Brawl)

I just hope that combos aren't assigned to a button press. That would take a lot of the skill out of the game.

As long as they do what they Capcom did with Street Fighter on 3DS' touch screen

I doubt the touch screen will be used, at least not in core gameplay, much like motion was mostly ignored on Wii.
This is one game where the Classic Controller Pro would be preferable.

Yeah, I would prefer that the game is played by four players, classic style, and a fifth player uses the WiiU gamepad to create havoc for them.

Also, I like the fact that the Tekken characters likely won't make it in; they're already fighters from their own game. Same goes for Soul Calibur characters as well. Although I would love to see Pac Man in the game - at least as an assist character ala Little Mac.