Super Smash Bros.

If you were worried that Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS wouldn't live up to the status this premier franchise is known for, great news: it does. Like other console iterations, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS combines decades of notorious Nintendo characters into one package. It's an intense fighting game that tailors to everyone's specific talents and keeps you coming for more with its extensive assortment of unlockable characters, stages, and trophies.

Super Smash Bros. 3DS builds on the fun four-player brawler by adding new characters and stages to the insanity. Each one of these characters uses the same button inputs to trigger their unique move set. If you learn how to play one character you can master all 48 of them. But don't let the simple controls fool you; knowing what attack to use at the right time is absolutely paramount when facing a difficult opponent.

From the start, you'll have 36 characters to choose from, and 12 more fighters to unlock. Mainstream characters such as Mario, Fox, Pikachu, and Samus are joined by newcomers Mega Man, Little Mac, Rosalina & Luma, and so many more. Stages, items, and trophies also draw inspiration from various Nintendo games, showcasing lots of tiny details. Some stages are littered with hazards that can be just as dangerous as your opponent. Whether it's moving the screen or an NPC jumping into the fray, navigating the environment is just as important as being alert to your opponent's actions.

One glaring issue is present and it's due to the 3DS's limitations. Due to the small screen it becomes difficult to track your character during intense battles. Nintendo has attempted to fix this issue by highlighting characters either using a black outline or red and blue during team battles, but when explosions and avatars are flying everywhere, it's easy to mistake your character from someone else. 

The 3DS does, however, handle well. The demo didn't allow for customized button controls, but the final version does, alleviating many of our concerns. While the 3DS' analog nub isn't the best way to control your avatar, especially when attempting to face the correct direction when on the ground and using the vertical special attack, not allowing us to use the d-pad is upsetting.

Super Smash 3DS offers a lot of different ways to play. Building your own custom Mii fighter is an easy process allowing you to choose from Brawler, Gunner, and Swordfighter. Each has their own specific talents, strengths, and weaknesses. You can choose to allocate points to attack, defense, and speed to build your own personal fighter or alter the existing roster to your liking. Special attacks, recovery moves and basic attacks can be altered to fit your play style. An easy to access training mode allows the player to test these customized characters out without exiting the mode. While you'll have to unlock the existing roster's list of special moves, the Mii Fighters automatically come their entire set from the start.

At first the menus can feel scattered, but once you learn where everything is located you'll be able to jump in any mode easily. Just like the character customization, changing the rules of each fight can easily be done once you become accustomed to the scattered menu system. Whether you decide to face CPU opponents locally, challenge other players locally, or go online, Super Smash Bros. 3DS has a lot of reasons to come back again.

Super Smash Bros. 3DS has eight modes to choose from. Quick matches with CPU opponents, Classic mode, All-Star mode, and selection of mini-games, which include Home-Run Contest, Target Blast, and Multi-Man Smash. Online mode has been carefully separated into two categories, For Fun and For Glory. For Fun allows players to face one another on any stage, except Final Destination, and have full access to items where statistics are not recorded. In For Glory, players face one another without items on Final Destination versions of stages where your wins and losses are recorded. An option to play with friend and spectate is available as well. Conquest has teams of fighters battle for supremacy by choosing the specific fighter that is currently fighting and winning battles with that warrior.

Online mode is the best way to experience Super Smash Bros., but it's not without issues. Slowdowns and disconnection issues are a constant plague while online. If you do fall victim to any of these issues they won't be calculated into your For Glory records, but constant disconnect has led to temporary banning.

If you lack an online connection, players can face one another locally, as long as the other person has a copy of the game. It's easy to setup a battle using this method, but the issues that plague the online game modes remain present here as well. Frame rate issues that rendered the game unplayable or battles that would abruptly end is a constant variable.

The 3DS exclusive mode Smash Mode takes inspiration from the GameCube adventure mode. Here players will traverse a Nintendo themed environment to collect special upgrades that raise your speed, defense and attack for five minutes. These colorful items are obtained from defeating enemies and are littered around the environment itself. After the time limit expires players are placed into a free-for-all fight against randomly generated opponents. It's a fun distraction, but nothing that will draw you away from the other modes.

Super Smash 3DS is an impressive and solid installment in the Super Smash Bros. franchise. The customization options, myriad of modes and amazing roster coupled with hidden characters, plenty of challenges to complete, new stages, and plenty of trophies will keep players busy for a while. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is everything that we've expected from the franchise and more despite its issues. It's an excellent game for any Nintendo or fighting fan looking for intense competitive action.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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