Upon the announcement of Super Smash Bros for 3DS, many were skeptical about the Nintendo fighter translation onto a portable console. Smash Bros is a social game that is most enjoyable with a group of friends sitting on a couch, trash talking left and right. Why would people want to hunch over a group of smaller screens? Super Smash Bros is indeed a smaller smash but the fast paced action and multiplayer fun still remains within. Super Smash Bros is a fun portable title that reignites my enthusiasm for the Wii U release.
At the start of the game, players will notice many of the fighters are unlocked at the get go (all of the fighters announced). But aside from this, many traditions remain the same. You select your fighter, choose a stage, and then proceed to smash your foes off the screen until a victor is decided. The cast is a mix of returning characters and new additions. Nintendo has even left the door open for characters outside of their brand such as Pac-Man and Megaman. Initially, it seems overwhelming at the start, but there are many more surprises in store beneath the surface.
You will clashing with several foes across several maps within the Nintendo universe. Many familiar maps such as Corneria and Brinstar make a return, but also new maps such as Gerudo Valley from Ocarina of Time as well as Prism Tower from Pokemon X/Y. The stage selection is a great mix of the old and new, even featuring many to unlock through challenges. Each stage also has an Omega variant, which recreates the stage into a map similar to the Final Destination level from past games.
Smash Bros for 3DS features all of the modes that you expect to see in a Smash game. Classic mode has been revamped, allowing players to choose a path of randomly selected fights with special rules. The difficulty can be altered before you start, determining the amount of loot you acquire. If you lose, however, you lose a little loot so be aware of your abilities before risking it all. All-Star mode is also unlocked from the get-go, giving players the chance to challenge every current Smash character available. Aside from the bigger modes, Smash Bros for 3DS also has multi-man battle, target blast, and ever welcome home-run contest. The event mode from previous games doesn’t return, however. This is a major disappointment especially since there is no alternative that allows players to compete using special rules.
The 3DS also contains a new mode call Smash Run. Here, you have 5 minutes to run through a maze, similar of the Subspace, battling enemies and collecting power-ups that increase your stats. When the time is up, the competitors converge in a final battle against each other, deciding the victor. The mode is a welcome addition and a fun little diversion, but won’t keep many away from the action for long.
A noticeable new feature allows players to customize combat abilities for each fighter. The Mii fighters are completely customizable, allowing players to select their different outfits and moves. You can also chose to different abilities for each Nintendo fighter as well. Different fireballs Mario launches and different arrows for Link are just scratching the surface. Choose and play until you find a play style you’re comfortable with. You can also customize the controls to your liking, but you can’t change the movement controls to the d-pad.
In the end, everyone knows that Super Smash Bros boils down to its multiplayer. Online matches are split into two types: For Fun, which rules any stage, items, customizable characters, and no records are recorded; and For Glory, which records stats, eliminates items, and every match is played exclusively on Omega variant stages. You can also play private matches with your friends. These modes give everyone a place to play, but the online overall is one of the game’s weakest features. When it works, it runs smoothly, with the fast paced you’ve come to expect from the Smash series. Unfortunately, the online service tends to hiccup, slowing down the action to a crawl, turning it into painful slide show of loading screens before ultimately stalling. The local multiplayer, however, doesn’t face these issues. If you can manage to compete with friends nearby, the multiplayer will run as smooth as ever.
To this day, Super Smash Bros Melee is one of my favorite games of all time. On my best day, I could play some of the best and give them a run for their money. Smash Bros for 3DS takes a bit of getting used to but after a few matches your previous experiences will soon follow. I won some matches, I lost a few, but I had a completely fun time the entire way through. Smash for 3DS is a nice diversion to keep players busy until the Wii U release, but it doesn’t beat Smash Bros played with a controller in hand; preferably a Gamecube controller.
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Super Smash Bros 3DS Review: Smaller Smash
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