The hype for the upcoming Super Smash Bros. game for Wii U and 3DS is at an all time high right now following the recent leaks and announcements that have been made over the last couple of weeks. With less a month until the North American release of the 3DS Smash, Nintendo has announced that a demo for the game will be available via the eShop on September 19 and right now for certain members of Club Nintendo, its online rewards program. Being one of those lucky members, I have decided to post my thoughts regarding the title and what are some of the things we can expect out of the full game. However, keep in mind that the version I played was very limited and may not illustrate the final product.
How Does It Play?
My initial fear with the 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. was that it wouldn’t control that well because of the way the buttons are laid out on the handheld. Smash has always been about quick reaction time and precise maneuvers and I was worried that it would be hard to pull those off on the 3DS. Fortunately, I am happy to report that Super Smash Bros. on the 3DS plays exactly like any other Smash Bros. game, however it does take quite some time to fully wrap your head around the controls.
The first ten minutes of play were really excruciating as all I kept thinking about was how better it would be if I had a GameCube or Wii U Pro controller in my hands. I was constantly pressing the wrong buttons to attack and jump, which led to multiple deaths and frustration. It felt like a slower version of Smash Bros. and I did not enjoy it. Nevertheless, I kept going to see if practice was the only way to get better at the game and it successfully paid off. After about 45-60 minutes, it all made sense to me and I was pulling off Smash moves, playing offensively and defensively without any problem, and beating the AI on level 6-7 difficulties. All it took was a little practice. However, it is worth mentioning that having 4 players displayed on screen can make the action a little too chaotic for the small 3DS screen as I lost sight of my character at multiple occasions. I was playing on a 3DS XL and I can’t imagine how hard it will be for players who will play on a regular 3DS or a 2DS system. Thankfully, the fighters’ percentages are located on the bottom screen of the system so that the top screen is only focused on the constant action.
Despite the fact, I was extremely surprised to see how well the game was running on the 3DS hardware. I encountered no frame rate issues or lag as everything ran smoothly without a hiccup. That’s an astonishing accomplishment considering the amount of action than can be displayed at once with the Final Smashes and Assist Trophies. Speaking of which, these Assist Trophies, which are additional characters that can be summoned throughout the fight, are just a great addition to the combat and are a joy to look at. The ones that really stood out were Mother Brain from the Metroid series and the Galaga ship that both have attacks inspired by their respective franchises. As far as items go, I did not pay that much attention to them because the list would just go on forever, but I can tell you that there is a nice balance of old and new items thrown into the Super Smash Bros. 3DS mix.
Super Smash Bros. uses the 3DS’ power to the max
Though Battlefield was the only stage playable in this build, the demo allowed me to get a sneak peak at some of the levels that will be available in the full game. Classics like Corneria, Brinstar and DK Japes from Melee are back as well as a wide selection of new ones. The interesting thing to note with Smash 3DS is that it features modifiable levels. Each level has its Omega and Normal forms which the player can choose during the level selection screen. For instance, Battlefield’s 3 platforms, which have always been present in its original form, can be removed if the Normal form is selected. It will be interesting to see how this feature pans out in the other stages.
In addition to that, the game looks absolutely gorgeous with an amazing attention to detail and fitting cel-shaded art design that easily make it the best-looking game on 3DS. I did not think the system had enough power to do all those things and it just proved that it is a very capable handheld device. This is the definitive fighting game experience on-the-go in terms of visual fidelity and gameplay.
Breaking Down The Characters
Unfortunately, the demo version only provided 5 playable characters with three veterans in Link, Mario and Pikachu, as well as two newcomers in Villager from Animal Crossing and Mega Man. Despite the fact, it does provide sneak peak at the initial roster that will be in the full game. And my, is it a big one.
If you have ever played with one of the veteran characters, you’ll have no problem getting used to their move sets as they are identical to the ones in previous Smash games. And that includes the Final Smashes, Taunts and alternative looks for each character. Though this may sound disappointing to some players, I found that it made getting used to the controls a lot easier because I already knew the character’s abilities. For example, Link has been my go-to character ever since Super Smash Bros. Melee and it was so easy to play as him because I remembered all of his key attacks and abilities. However, it will be interesting to see if each veteran has received nerfs or upgrades to their overall character strength as this demo did not fully demonstrate this aspect. Plus, only three veterans were playable in this build, so who knows if others have the same attacks as in previous games.
A look at the initial roster of Super Smash Bros. 3DS
Mega Man was a pretty hard character for me to play as. His moves are all based on certain powers he obtains from the various Mega Man games, which makes him a ranged character instead of a melee one. Let start with his standard A moves: A shoots from his Buster and it isn’t really powerful or fast at all, Up+A is his Uppercut, Side+A makes him spin around in a tornado and Down+A makes him slide for a short distance. His B moves consist of B, which throws a metal saw very far, Up+B which summons Rush, his companion dog, as he launches him in the air and gives him a jump boost, Side+B throws bigger pellets, and Down+B summons leafs around him that act as a defensive shield or an offensive attack. Mega Man’s Smashes are really where most players will deal massive damage: His Up Smash summons electricity bolts over him, his Side Smash launches a bigger energy ball that is very similar to Samus’ B ability, and his down Down Smash creates fire walls on each of his sides. As for his Final Smash, he creates a huge black energy ball that deals massive damage. His Taunts only make him strike different poses, except the Down D-Pad one which makes him teleport like he is about to start a level in Mega Man. Finally, probably the most cool-looking aspect of Mega Man is with his death animation that disintegrates him into small energy balls just like in the Mega Man games when he dies. All in all, I couldn’t wrap my head around the character because he is simply not my kind of fighter. I prefer melee ones and Mega Man has way too many ranged attacks for me to use efficiently.
Mega Man’s attacks are mostly based on range
On the other end of the spectrum, the Animal Crossing Villager is just hilarious to play as. First of all, his Final Smash summons Tom Nook, the greedy raccoon salesman from the AC games, as him and his family build a house on top of your opponent, which launches it in the air afterwards. This literally made me laugh out loud because of how ridiculous it looked on screen. As for the Villager’s move set, they are also really wacky as they involve various Animal Crossing interactions; his A attack hits the opponent with boxing gloves, Side+A hits with an umbrella, Up+A waves a stick in the air and Down+A pulls roots out of the ground. His B ability lets him absorb an item and store it for a later opportunity in the fight, his Side+B summons a weird wooden shape that launches horizontally, his Up+B pops balloons and makes him fly exactly like the character from the NES title Balloon Fight, while his Down+B makes him plant a tree in the ground which can provide cover once it has grown. While his Smashes are pretty generic, they are still quite effective to use; his Side Smash throws a boulder at the opponent, his Down Smash shovels the ground and his Up Smash puts a canon that launches fireworks in the air. His Grab is used with a bug net, which, once again, comes from the many Animal Crossing games. A neat thing with Villager is that his alternative skins aren’t just different colors; they are entirely different character looks. This means that the player has the ability to play as 4 different Villagers if he wants. Surprisingly enough, Villager was a great character to use even though he mostly looked like a joke at first glance. His attacks deal a pretty decent amount of damage, though you’ll most likely use 3-4 of them because the others don’t work or need to be used at perfect moments.
One of the Villager’s many wacky attacks
Presentation & Other Features
Just from the opening menus, you can tell Bandai Namco and Project Sora are taking the handheld Smash Bros. experience seriously. The music will just captivate you as soon as you start up the game as it features remastered tracks from previous Smash games. Despite only allowing Free For All Smash in the demo, it gives you the opportunity to look ahead and get excited for what’s to come in the full game, which seems to be packed with content. You have your Smash, Online and Challenge mode modes, which will be the center of attention in the handheld version, but you also have Smash Run; an exclusive feature to Super Smash Bros. on the 3DS. Smash Run allows you to boost up your characters stats in a separate zone before the fight and take those upgrades with you to defeat your opponents. I cannot wait to try it out.
What was weird to see is that the classic Solo modes are located in an entirely different menu section than all of the key modes of the game. This is surprising considering this will be the preferred mode to unlock more characters, but it is not as big of deal when you are getting so much out of this portable experience. You’ll be able customize/create your own Mii characters in the 3DS version as well as check out the Vault, which allows you to take a look at trophies, the snapshots you have taken, replays you’ve saved, the music of the game, records and various tips on how to become a better player.
This is the main menu screen of Super Smash Bros. 3DS
Surprisingly enough, the 3D function in Smash Bros. 3DS looks good and doesn’t make the game lag or stutter at all. Though I probably won’t use it because it hurts my eyes way too much, it is still good to know that it has been implemented successfully without ruining the core experience.
One interesting thing you’ll notice right from the initial menu is that there is the function to connect the 3DS to the Wii U. Unfortunately, I have no idea what this could possibly do, but it probably has something to do with character sharing or even control options. Nevertheless, it looks pretty interesting.
Closing Thoughts
Like every other 3DS owner, I am extremely excited to play the full portable Super Smash Bros. on my handheld system on October 3, 2014. This demo was only a sneak peak at what’s to come and it looks really looks good from what I have played/seen. I think the 3DS version will be able to stand on its own against the highly anticipated Wii U version that will launch later this year and that is pretty huge considering the latter will definitely be the preferred version. It is a full-fledged and not a simple filler Smash game to play until the console version comes out. It looks, feels and plays like a Smash Bros. game and that is pretty incredible, all things considered.
For more Super Smash Bros. 3DS impressions, stay tuned to Gamer Headlines as we are sure to have a full review come the game’s official release.
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