Smash Brothers Returns! Better than ever, Nintendo’s fighting game sensation has returned after a long wait. Smash Bros is unlike any other fighting game out there; a 2D game for up to four players duking it out for fun or for glory. The different thing about the Smash Bros games is how you win. It is not by knocking the health to zero, but by knocking the opponent off the screen. The more damage they take, the further they will launch. One other big draw is the items which will pop up around the stages which can be used to cause chaos in the battle. There is one more thing about Smash that makes it the best. It is a crossover of a ton of Nintendo franchises, and some non-Nintendo characters, such as Sonic and Pac-Man.

The 3DS version of Smash, simply put, is amazing. There is a lot to do. The gameplay is great. The roster is spectacular. It is just amazing. There is no end to what there is to do in the game. Between all the modes, and the online, there is potential for infinite battles. Smash Run is exclusive to the 3DS version. You run around a map for 5 minutes collecting powers to increase your stats, and at the end you have one final showdown against 4 other players/CPU by doing either a “smash battle,” or some kind of challenge. The mode is quite enjoyable. It adds some competition to the gameplay of the adventure mode as it has appeared in previous games. Of course there is classic mode, where you go through battles to get to the final battle with the Master Hand, a big, white glove that tries to kill you. In the 3DS version, classic mode is different from in previous installments. You can choose your difficulty and gain more rewards at the higher levels. As you go through the mode, you choose how difficult your battles will be. In higher modes, the Master Handis joined by the “crazy hand,” which is similar to the Master Hand. At even higher levels, the Master Hand, after taking some damage, will transform into the master core. The master core has a number of various forms that you must defeat before you win. This new version of classic is great. It adds choice to your battles and makes classic much more enjoyable.

The gameplay feels like a Smash game on the controls, and still changes up the subtle stuff to make it feel fresh. Whether you’ve played all the games before it, or are brand new to the series, you will love Smash Bros for 3DS. It’s hard to articulate exactly how good the gameplay of Smash is. The gameplay is so good that it makes Smash Bros one of the best fighting game franchises (if not the best), possibly even one of the best video game franchises ever.

The roster of Nintendo all-stars is one of the key points of the game. The roster is bigger than ever. There are the consistently returning veterans like Mario and Link, and those who skipped a generation like Dr. Mario and Mewtwo (coming soon), and those returning for only their second game like Lucario and Meta Knight. Smash 3DS is not just full of returning characters. There are newcomers like the additions to returning series like Greninja and Roselina, to brand new franchises like Little Mac from Punch Out, and the Villager from Animal Crossing. In addition to the ton of Nintendo characters, there are a few third-party characters too like Sonic, Pac-man, Mega man, and Shulk (from Xenoblade Chronicles). All these characters add up to a 49-character game (50 with the Mewtwo DLC releasing in spring). With all the additions, there are a few characters taken out. Ice Climbers, Snake, the Pokémon Trainer (whose Charizard portion remains), Wolf, and as I’m playing Mother 3 right now, my least favorite removal, Lucas. However, the Mewtwo DLC gives hope for a comeback for these characters.

Super Smash Bros for 3DS is one of the best games you can get. Everything about the game is spectacular. The only problem with the game is that I still want more. The Wii U version of the game is coming out in a few weeks to give even more Smash fun, and getting both is recommended as you can only collect all the trophies if you have both versions. Smash Bros 3DS gets a 9 out of 10. Now go, get the game.

Blog By Reuben Malone

Image courtesy of BagoGames – Flickr License