Super Smash Bros. 4 is about to be launched, and Nintendo has released some screenshots of the hugely popular game.

The crossover series started in 1999 without much fanfare and was meant to be released only in Japan. Fifteen years later, it is in its fourth incarnation, and fans are waiting for official word on the game's release. Nintendo has kept things mostly under wraps so viewers have to settle with the recently revealed screenshots for now.

It is still a side-scrolling game, for the most part, but playing in 3D Land showed that there are some surprises in the gameplay. The reveal was about the Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS version of the game. The screen shots are teasers, giving further hints of the gameplay.

From earlier reveals, the stage is continuously scrolling before turning into the valley. The stone blocks change the platform play, and with more side-scrolling, the stage ends with the player hopping onto a pipe, which takes them back to the start.

According to the developing director, Masahiro Sakurai, the stage takes roughly two minutes to finish.

Although there have been no official release dates, Super Smash Bros. 4 is expected to be available for the Wii U and 3DS in late 2014. As a crossover game, there are 24 confirmed characters to choose from, including: Diddy Kong; Donkey Kong; Little Mac; Lucario; King Dedede; Mario; Luigi; Peach; Zelda; Rosalina and Luma; Marth; Link; Samus; Kirby; Pikachu; Bowser; Pit; Mega Man; Sonic; Fox; Villager; Pikmin and Olimar; Toon Link; and Wii Fit Trainer. The first Super Smash Bros. title was a crossover game featuring characters from Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon.

Super Smash Bros. 4 is the first cross-platformer as well as the first portable game in the series. In an earlier statement, it was confirmed that it would be cross-compatible between the Wii U and 3DS versions.