1UP is reporting on the omission of any mention of online gameplay when the subject of Smash Bros. Brawl came up at Nintendo’s press conference earlier this week. Of course, online is a feature that’s probably probably the number one item on every gamer’s wish list when it comes to Super Smash Bros. So it really raises an eyebrow when Nintendo discusses its dedication to online gaming but fails to mention anything about Brawl being online.

It’s suggested in the 1UP story that Nintendo may simply want gamers to focus on the concept of Mario Kart Wii’s online play. And, of course, there is the Tokyo Game Show where Nintendo could make the announcement. Given that this press conference seemed heavily focused on Nintendo’s mentality of expanding the market with casual games, an announcement of Smash Bros. Brawl being online would have drastically diverted attention from that focus.

We’ll keep you up to date on this situation; in the meantime, let’s keep our fingers crossed and all hope that Nintendo knows what it’s doing.