Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/Nintendo 3DS (2014)

With Smash Bros. Wii U coming out next week I decided it was time for me to write this review of the 3DS version on it’s own merits rather than comparing it with the home console version, something that would inevitably occur once I get my hands on it next week. I’ve had the 3DS version for about a month now and here are my impressions.

Visually it’s probably the best looking 3DS game I’ve played, things are sharp -even on the XL which often makes things look stretched- and the character models and stages all look great. Often excellent visuals come with a sacrifice in performance but not here my friends, things play out at a rock solid 60fps with practically no hiccups, ever. In the 20 odd hours of time I’ve spent with the game I think I’ve only noticed slowdown twice, and that was when all hell was breaking loose in the battle and it only lasted a fraction of a second.

More importantly, this game feels like Smash. Sakurai has nailed it, things don’t feel compromised at all for the handheld version. Battles are slightly slower than melee but a lot less floaty than Brawl, a game which never felt quite right to me. Basically the gameplay feels spot on, I like the way all the characters feel and smashing people off the screen is just as satisfying as it has been on all the previous home console editions. Top marks here.

It’s amazing just how much content has been rammed into this tiny 3DS cartridge, nearly 50 characters, 34 stages and close to 700 trophies. Not to mention the endless items and assist trophies you’ll pick up during battle. Quantity is nothing without quality however and thankfully the game shines in the latter too. Sure there’s a fair few clone characters knocking around but generally I think the roster is great with a wide variety of different kinds of fighters. The new additions are generally great with the exception of the Wii Fit Trainer which in my opinion feels a little weird and out of place, but I guess that’s what smash is all about, and so I’m cool with her/his inclusion really. The stages are great on the whole too although there are a few bland ones, and a few too many dark ones – I’m not sure why Jungle Japes keeps re-appearing in these games for example. The trophies are fun to collect and the sheer variety of them keeps me playing to see what will come up next. It’s a great mini history lesson in Nintendo. The in battle items and assist trophies are fantastically chaotic, just like they should be.

The burning question that everyone had before this release however was whether it would hold up as a single-player experience, and in my opinion it does, although perhaps not in the way people expected. I’ve not had chance to play local multiplayer with this game as in my circle of gamer friends I’m the only one who really plays handhelds much and so pretty much all my experience has been of the single player variety. I tend to play the game on the move, thus meaning I generally don’t have access to the online either. Despite this lack of multiplayer, which is what Smash is generally known for, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all the time I’ve spent with this game so far. Is it because of Smash Run? In a word, no, it’s an enjoyable mode for a few hours but held back by some of the same things that held back Subspace Emissary in Brawl, such as the mechanics not suiting platforming. The enemies are varied and fun to beat but overall the mode just doesn’t have that much entertainment value for me, partly because the 5 minutes building up to the final battle don’t seem all that important and are a little too long for my liking. It’s probably more entertaining in local multiplayer but I’ve not had chance to try that and likely never will. Is it because of the all-star mode? Again, no, although this is enjoyable too. Beating all of Smash’s fighters in order of their first video game appearance makes you realise just how much of a living museum this game has become.

For me the main reasons I’ve spent so long with the game are the classic mode, which with it’s varying difficulties, many routes, and 2 different bosses gives you plenty of challenge, and good old Smash (versus) mode. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed battling 3 CPU’s on the move and getting to know the new characters, while going through classic mode now and again to gain some coins for the simple and yet fun trophy rush. The online mode has been pretty much a non-factor for me as I play this on the move where there is no connection. When I have tried it though it’s been a solid experience, although there’s still a bit too much lag for me to prefer it over just battling CPUs.

Overall this is a great version of Smash Bros. and perhaps the version I’ve enjoyed most since my days battling against family on the N64 version. There’s so many stages and characters that I just can’t see things ever getting boring and although I expect the Wii U version to trump it in every way (not least because of the return of multiplayer for me), I can’t take my Wii U on the road, and so this version will be being played for many years to come.

Score: 9/10