Super Smash Bros for 3DS Review

Super Smash Bros for 3DS is the first time Nintendo has brought their seminal brawler to handhelds, and fans have been waiting for this one.


Published: October 8, 2014 12:00 PM /

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Super Smash Bros for 3DS Key Art

The moment Super Smash Bros fans have been waiting for since the release of Brawl for the Nintendo Wii back in 2008. Super Smash Bros for 3DS adds new characters, new stages, completely new aspects of the game, and even some new surprises. Super Smash Bros for 3DS is the first time that the famous Super Smash Bros franchise has come to a handheld console, and because of that, Nintendo has taken full advantage of all the 3DS has to offer.

Super Smash Bros for 3DS - Game Modes

In Smash, you will find your standard game modes. Here is where you find your normal solo and group matches. In solo, you are able to pick a character and set up a match with you and up to 3 different CPU players. In group, you can either create a lobby or connect to other friends' lobby to allow you and 3 other friends who also have a 3DS with Super Smash Bros for 3DS. When you first load up Super Smash Bros for 3DS you will be able to have near 40 different characters to play, as you progress through fulfilling conditions or just from playing matches you can unlock 12 more characters. The rules you are able to change are standard ones that Super Smash Bros fans will be used to; Stock and Smash. Features like item switch will be unlocked from the start, but the ability to add more rules such as the Random Stage Switch will get unlocked later as you complete challenges.

Next is Online play, which is online multiplayer where as long as your 3DS is connected to a wireless network you are able to play online "with friends" or "with anyone". If you aren't in the mood to be playing but instead want to just sit back and watch there is an in-built spectator mode that allows you to watch live matches, watch saved replays or just see who is playing where around the world. While spectating watches, you are able to bet gold that you earn from playing the game on who you believe will win. Each player will have odds displayed over their character portraits based on the last 10 games that they have played which will affect how much money you win if the player you bet on wins the match. There is also a conquest feature that pits two characters against one another, and over the course of the week, the people who play as those characters will add to the side, there seems to be no reward, but it's a way of showing support for the characters you like.

Super Smash Bros for 3DS - Gameplay

Challenges have returned from Super Smash Bros Brawl and have a similar format. You complete special objectives and are able to unlock special trophies, features, stages, or character customization items as a reward. There is initially one panel of 35 challenges for you to pick from, but once that is completed a second panel will appear, and then a third one after that. Sometimes as you complete a challenge, you will also be rewarded with a special hammer that will allow you to shatter and unlock a challenging tile without having to fulfill the criteria allowing you to skip some of the harder challenges. Keep in mind some of the more difficult ones like "Defeat ???" is unbreakable meaning you have to complete the objective.

Super Smash Bros for 3DS has a new game mode called Smash Run; this is meant to be a nod to the city trials mode of Kirby Air Ride for the Gamecube. In Smash Run, you and three other characters, being controlled by other players or CPUs, will be given 5 minutes to explore a large area and defeat as many foes from past Nintendo franchises who will drop stickers that you pick up to enhance your stats, these include your special attacks, speed, and jump ability. Random events will happen throughout the 5 minutes as well including powerful foes appearing and special warp doors that lead you to rooms that if you complete their challenge, you will be rewarded extremely well. After the time limit is complete then, you will be pitted against one another using your new stat boosts to improve your character in a special round.

You may end up fighting in a normal round of smash or one with special rules like super jump. Sometimes you will be competing in a more skill-based activity, such as trying to climb as high as possible or running as far to the right, which will depend on the stickers that you have picked up during the first round. This game mode boasts the most replay value, as each time you play smash run, it will be different from the last time. Smash run ran perfectly when playing alone but trying with three 3DSs connected at once, there were times in the final round when the frame rate dropped quite significantly.

Super Smash Bros for 3DS - Solo Mode

In Solo, you are able to play through the classic mode of the game; this allows you to play consecutive rounds of smash in different conditions before facing off against Master Hand, Crazy Hand, or even a more deadly boss. There is an added charge to the feature that makes you wager money on what level of difficulty you will be playing at. This means you should only try for level 9 if you feel up to it as you can lose a lot of money in the process. Classic mode has also got a new split roads system which means that you can select for your next challenge to be the same level of difficulty, harder or even easier, just keep in mind that you wont get nearly as much gold for the easy fights as you would for doing one of the harder ones.

Also available in solo is all-star mode, where you fight against all of the characters in batches of 5-8 at a time chronologically as they appeared in games, so expect Mario and Pac-Man to show up first to the fight. Stadium mode hasn't been forgotten with the usual game modes of multi-man melee and home-run contests, but the old target mode has been swapped out with target blast. In target blast mode, you use your character to smack a bomb into a structure in a very Angry Birds-style mini-game. The training mode from the prior game has returned so that players can practice their combo execution or just test out characters to see which one they like the most if you want to play some of these Games with a friend the option to participate in All-Star Mode and Multi-Man Melee with up to three of your friends.

The vault in Super Smash Bros for 3DS is filled with goodies for fans of Nintendo franchises as well as smash to go an enjoy. Here you can view your trophies that have been collected throughout the game, view screenshots and replays, enjoy the sound test which contains all of the music from the game (including the ability to create a playlist and listen while the 3DS is in sleep mode), a list of your in-game records and all of the tutorial messages in case you've forgotten how to do something.

Super Smash Bros for 3DS - Custom Features

The custom feature of Super Smash Bros for 3DS is one of the largest new changes to the way that Super Smash Bros is played. You are able to use one of the Mii's that you have created and build a Brawler, Sword Fighter, or Gunner character out of them. From there you can edit their appearance as a full suit or their headgear as well as be able to edit your attack, defense, and speed stats by adding different equipment. The real meat of this feature comes from each of the special attacks being customized between three choices so that you can build hundreds of different fighters. This is then taken to the next level for the regular roster of characters as you can create 8 different custom versions of them to bring to the fight. These characters while you might not be able to alter their physical appearance, you are able to change the special moves to add variety to what could be stale characters eventually.

Back on the main screen, there is an option to connect to the Wii U version of the game so that you can use it as a controller. This will mean that for players who want to quickly play with the WiiU version and don't want to spend time and money buying a controller for the WiiU and learning the new layout. This way you will also likely mean that personalized characters will be able to be used on the console version instead of each person having to recreate their characters in the WiiU game.

The final feature on the main page is Street Smash, the new spotPass enabled the feature for Super Smash Bros 3DS. In Street Smash for each of the Super Smash Bros for 3DS players that you spot pass with you can play a mini-game where you are looking down at a lot of tokens, yours and your opponents, and your aim is to charge up and knock them out of the arena. For each of the tokens that you knock off the stage, you're rewarded with gold. If you win the match overall then you get bonus gold as well as the chance to get a customization item such as a special move or clothing item. If you find you are never able to street pass with people, there is also a training mode so that you can enjoy the fun.

Super Smash Bros for 3DS - Visuals

The look of Super Smash Bros for 3DS is a complete overhaul of Super Smash Bros Brawl. While it may not appear that the graphics come across too well in screenshots once the game is in front of you and moving it looks much better. In solo play and in regular multiplayer Super Smash Bros for 3DS runs clearly in 60 fps, as previously stated though there was a significant frame drop once three players were together.

The audio in Super Smash Bros for 3DS is consistently on point, both the background sound effects as well as the audio for the menus and for the stages giving great quality versions of classic Nintendo music as well as adding remixed versions of past tracks. Each sound effect in the game is unique to each character; with a connecting punch from Mario or a mega blast from Mega Man, you can tell what is happening. The addition of a sound test where you are able to create a custom playlist of your favorite songs to be able to listen to while you have your 3DS in sleep mode is a nice added touch.

Multiplayer is the bread and butter of this game. This being the first handheld iteration of the series adds a whole next level of multiplayer as you're now no longer restricted to needing a tv and home console to play Super Smash Bros. Now you can play wherever you want, though there is also a downside to this that all participants of the game need to have their own 3DS and copy of the game. This means people who don't own both cannot join in to the fun. This problem will be quickly remedied with the release of Super Smash Bros WiiU so that everyone can join in.

The Verdict

Super Smash Bros for 3DS is all I ever wanted in a handheld smash, it has an enormous roster of characters, great stages, the audio is great and in 3D more or in 2D there is little to no graphical bugs. The ability to play smash on the go for fun has been something this franchise needed to get. There is some dependence on needing a lot of gold to partake in the classic mode at higher difficulties and to collect trophies in the game, this is a big problem when because you played through on a harder difficulty once and you lost that you have to work your way up to being able to do it again.


TechRaptor reviewed Super Smash Bros for 3DS on 3DS. This review was originally published on 10-08-2014. While care has been taken to update the piece to reflect our modern style guidelines, some of the information may be out of date. We've left pieces like this as they were to reflect the original authors' opinions, and for historical context.

Review Summary

9.0
Smash Bros for 3DS is a must have for Smash fans, for casual players it's best to make sure you have friends who are also planning on getting the game or the ability to play multiplayer or it may get stale. If none of that turns you away then you'll get countless hours of gameplay out of Super Smash Bros for 3DS! (Review Policy)

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