It's that time again, you know the drill by now. Nintendo has once again squashed the latest release date rumor for Super Smash Bros. 4, leaving the Wii U and 3DS game with a 2014 launch window as vague as ever. 

It was previously reported that Bernd Fakesch, general manager of Nintendo of Germany, told Neckar-Chronik the game would be coming out in spring 2014. 

"At Christmas we now want to inspire with titles like Wii Party U, Wii Sports Club, Wii Fit U and all of course Super Mario 3D World, the classic Nintendo Family for the new console. For next spring two bigger license games are also announced for our TV console with Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros."

However, after the story broke, Nintendo contacted IGN and clarified that Fakesch's words were mistranslated and that there is no release window outside of the year 2014 for Super Smash Bros. 4.

"There seems to be some buzz online today about the launch date of Super Smash Bros. We would like to clarify that the speculation about a spring 2014 launch date for Super Smash Bros. on Wii U was the result of a misquotation in an interview. The original article has since been rectified and we have no further announcements to make at this time," Nintendo told IGN. 

In addition, the original article that featured Fakesch's interview changed his words from "next spring" to "the next year."

So, if the game is not coming in the spring, when can we expect to see the game on store shelves? Nintendo has been slow to deliver solid information about the game, and most of the character announcements have been for characters such as Peach, Luigi, and Marth, mainstays of the franchise that fans already expected. Nintendo may be announcing these characters as a stall tactic as they continue to work on new aspects of the game and fine tune them before showing them to the public.

In addition, the leap from the Wii to the Wii U as well as the 3DS might be a struggle for Nintendo as they are developing Super Smash Bros. 4 for two new systems instead of one. With the two versions of the game having separate stages and certain connectivity features, Nintendo might need until the second half of 2014 before they are comfortable releasing the game.