How do you review a game like Super Smash Bros.? Almost everyone has played it, and most people either love the series or hate it, with very few falling in-between. Until Sony’s recent lackluster attempt, other developers have ignored the series’ signature combination of the fighting and platforming genres. I’m writing this under the assumption that the reader is familiar with past version of Smash Bros., but in case you aren’t, here’s the gist:
Super Smash Bros. is a series of fighting games that pits Nintendo characters from various games and universes against each other. While traditional fighting games are generally played one-on-one, with the goal of damaging your opponent until they run out of health points, Smash Bros. games are played with up to four players. In Smash Bros., characters don’t have a limited amount of health points, but instead have a damage counter. Hitting an opponent causes their damage counter to go up, and they will be knocked further back by future attacks. The goal is to knock your opponents off the side of the stage, or into the stratosphere.
Nintendo’s marketing team made an “interesting” choice to name the 2014 entries to the Super Smash Bros. franchise Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, as the name not only clashes with the original for the Nintendo 64, and departs from the naming scheme established with Super Smash Bros. Melee, but is not very inventive. Nevertheless, the 3DS version is being reviewed here, as the Wii U version will not release until November 2014. In this review, you can assume I am referring to Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS when I say Smash Bros.
The two games are slightly different. The upcoming release on the Wii U will have better visuals and a different set of stages, while sharing the characters and gameplay with its 3DS cousin. Until recently, the handheld versions of most games getting both a console and portable release was mediocre at best. In recent years, Nintendo has dramatically bridged that gap, with Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and now Smash 4 having very similar, multiplayer-compatible 3DS and Wii U versions.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay of Smash 4 attempts to combine the elements of Melee and Brawl that players enjoyed most. Speed falls roughly halfway between the lightning fast Melee and the comparably sluggish Brawl. Random tripping has been removed, but Melee purists will still be upset at the lack of wavedashing and L-canceling. Players now force each other off ledges when grabbing them, which sounds like a minor change to non-fans but severely affects the game’s meta strategy.
While Smash 4 lacks a story mode in the vein of Brawl’s “Subspace Emissary,” Classic Mode has been revised and expanded. Difficulty is tied to cost; playing on lower difficulty is free, but higher difficulties require more coins (obtainable by playing almost any game mode). Before each stage, a slot machine spins to determine what the victory reward will be, such as extra trophies or more gold. Playing on a higher difficulty will increase maximum and baseline rewards. Between each stage, players are given a choice between easier and harder routes, culminating with a battle against Master Hand (or if the player is particularly greedy, fighting both Master Hand and Crazy Hand together for massive rewards).
The new “Smash Run” game mode earns a spot on the main menu, taking Classic Mode’s place. The mode, based on City Trial from Kirby Air Ride, another game directed by Masahiro Sakurai, tasks players with running through a gigantic stage and grabbing power ups. Players are given five minutes to collect as many stat-enhancing power ups as they can, either finding them in randomly hidden treasure chests or obtaining them by destroying enemies collected from all the franchises represented in Smash 4. These power ups include every major stat category, from speed to power.
At the end of the five-minute collection period, results are compared, and the final battle begins. The final battle is a randomly selected game. It can be a straight-up fight between the four players, a race through an obstacle course, or a competition to see who can eliminate the most weak Miis in a minute. Smash run won’t appear on the Wii U edition of Smash 4. It’s fun, but not remotely balanced, and will probably get overlooked by most players.
ONLINE
Smash 4’s online multiplayer is a mixed bag. Players first choose “With Friends” or “With Anyone.” With Friends allows players to create rooms that anyone with whom they have exchanged friend codes with can join. After joining a room, the game is almost the same as playing locally.
I had very few problems playing on the Stevens Media network with two friends in Connecticut while using Skype on my computer. In two of the 15 or so matches I played, the game would occasionally grind to a halt as a spinning Smash logo appeared, indicating network issues. These problems resolved themselves after a few seconds. Other than these brief interruptions, the gameplay was no different than playing with my friends in The Stute office.
With Anyone is vastly improved from Brawl’s online multiplayer. Unlike Brawl’s online component, it is divided into two separate communities: “For Fun” and “For Glory.” For Fun is traditional Smash Bros. with items enabled, played on a random stage (excluding Final Destination) in either a four-player free-for-all or two-on-two.
“For Glory” is played exclusively on Omega Form stages — which apply the aesthetic of every stage to the flat structure of Final Destination — with items turned off, either as a four- player free-for-all or team match with a two-minute time limit, or a one-on-one with 2 stock (lives). Character customization is disabled and player statistics are recorded, used in an attempt to find even matches. Of the 10 rounds I played in For Glory, most were fair fights.
While networking has improved since Brawl, it is still far from perfect. Attempting to join games frequently results in arcane, Microsoftian error messages. While most one-on-one matches I played were fine, four-player bouts could slow to a near-standstill in the game’s attempts to compensate for lag. Other times, the game would oscillate between normal and half- or quarter-speed.
CUSTOMIZATION
Character customization is new to Smash 4, but is also potentially a new point of contention. By playing Classic, Smash Run, and/or by completing challenges, players earn customization parts. These parts fall under three categories: clothing for Miis, special moves, and equipment.
While characters in Melee and Brawl had four special attacks (a combination of the “B” button and a direction), in Smash 4, they have 12. Most of these alternate moves are similar to the originals with minor differences, such as charging more quickly but doing less damage, or trading range for knockback power. But other characters, such as Mega Man, get completely different, character-changing attacks, such as Ice Man’s “Ice Slasher” move.
Unfortunately, players need to unlock these attacks. Furthermore, alternate moves are dropped randomly (although I suspect odds increase to prioritize the player’s current character), and it is possible to get duplicates. For the character I play most, Samus, I have only unlocked two of her nine alternate moves.
Equipment is also a game-changer. Characters have three slots for equipment, which can increase strength, defense, or speed, and usually comes with trade-offs. It is not difficult to get the parts to create a balanced loadout which is superior to the original character with no drawbacks.
Ultimately, players can receive significant statistical bonuses by playing longer than others, or by playing different game modes more conducive to “farming” special moves and equipment. After consistently losing to some friends the night of Smash 4’s release, and then winning several matches 24 hours later, I was unsure if I had gotten better at the game, or if my equipment bonuses were giving me an edge.
Regarding stages in addition to 23 original ones, 11 stages return from Melee and Brawl. As usual, a new coat of paint has been applied to Final Destination and Battlefield, the signature “tournament legal” stages of the series. The stages all tend to be on the small side, either due to hardware limitations (although the game does impressively maintain 60 frames per second) or screen size. Playing on a 3DS XL, it became difficult to follow the action on many stages when players spread out and the camera zoomed away to accommodate them — and this is much more pronounced on the original 3DS model, which sports a much smaller screen. The optional cell-shading-style borders around characters can help to alleviate this issue, but this is unlikely to be an issue playing the Wii U version on a TV. The Wii U edition will also contain different stages, hopefully with some larger ones in the vein of Hyrule Temple or New Pork City.
ROSTER AND STAGES
The roster has expanded from Brawl’s 35 characters to 51. Characters who could transform into other characters, such as Zelda transforming into Sheik, have been split into two, independent characters. Brawl surprised fans by including third-party characters, such as Sonic and Snake from Sega and Konami respectively. Konami’s presence is missed in Smash 4, but is made up for by Capcom and Namco, bringing Mega Man and Pac-Man.
Smash 4 also sees more diverse character styles. Mega Man’s moveset is almost entirely ranged, making good positioning a must. Little Mac (of Punch-Out fame) is a fish out of water in the air. To fight effectively, he must stay grounded, punishing combatants when they have to land and building up to a knockout punch.
Of course, there is the usual contingency of clone characters. Falco, Toon Link, Luigi, and Dr. Mario all return with their minimal moveset differences. They are joined by Lucina, whose moves are exactly the same as Marth’s, but with different damage distribution (Marth’s sword deals more damage towards the tip and less at the hilt, while Lucina’s deals average all around). Most baffling is “Dark Pit,” who is identical to Pit but with black hair and a glove. While many other characters, including Link and Samus, have “dark” variants as alternate costumes, the developers saw a need to make Dark Pit a separate character, the only unjustifiable clone on the roster.
Costume designs range from brilliant to poor. While most characters have eight costumes, Robin, Villager (Animal Crossing) and the Wii Fit Trainer have four, but can choose the gender of their character, bringing them up to par. Bowser Jr. can be replaced with any of the 7 Koopalings, and Olimar can be swapped for Alph. Kirby and King Dedede have alternate monochrome skins, and while Wolf is no longer a character, Fox can adopt his color scheme. Little Mac is available as a wireframe from his arcade days, and Link can take his Fierce Deity form. Characters with particularly lacking alternate costumes include Sonic and Pac-Man, whose designs only include minor alternate colorations on the characters’ gloves and shoes.
The Miis are surprisingly versatile. Smash 4 can import any Mii off your 3DS and turn them into a character. Miis come in three classes: Brawlers, Gunners, and Swordsmen. Their alternate moves are well varied, and players start off with all of them unlocked. However, they unlock clothes and headgear, including pirate, samurai, cyborg, cowboy, vampire, and other outfits. Players upset that their favorite characters didn’t make it into the game can create them. My Senator Armstrong welcomes all challengers.
The Smash Bros. games have always had excellent soundtracks, essentially serving as a massive “best-of” album for Nintendo games, with both original chiptunes, rock, and orchestral arrangements. Smash 4 is no exception. My new highlights are the “Mega Man 2 Medley” and “Brinstar” remixes. However, a considerable amount of music has been reused from Melee and Brawl.
Smash 4’s soundtrack is smaller as well, with fewer tracks per stage (supposedly this is due to cartridge space constraints, and will be expanded on in the Wii U release). Furthermore, Brawl’s music sliders, which allowed players to change the frequency of songs played on each stage, have been removed. Despite this loss, a welcome addition is the ability to play music while the 3DS is in sleep mode, listening to the soundtrack anywhere with the 3DS in your pocket.
VERDICT
Some of the issues I’ve brought up may be fixed in the future. Nintendo has already issued downloadable patches for bugs in the game; something that they have only begun to do for recent titles. Players who download their copy of Smash 4 will find that despite only having 2.1 gigabytes of files, the game reserves 3. Given Nintendo’s recent strategy with titles like Mario Kart 8, we can assume that, for better or for worse, there will be DLC characters and/or stages.
Despite my gripes, Smash 4 has quickly become my favorite in the series. Fans of any previous entry (with the exception of the most die-hard Melee loyalists) will enjoy it, and the new loading-screen hint system will help explain the more complex-mechanics to new players. While I was incredibly skeptical of all the hype leading up to this game, it has delivered. I’m spoiled by Steam sales, and I rarely spend more than $10 on video games, but Super Smash Bros. for 3DS is well worth its $40 price tag.
Disclosure:
I paid $39.99 + tax for a downloadable copy of Smash 4 on launch night. At the time of writing, I have played the game for roughly 16 hours, and unlocked all characters and stages. In preparation for this review, I played every game mode at least once, in addition to playing regular Smash as every character at least once, and I tried every stage. I played ~15 rounds of online multiplayer with friends, 10 rounds of “For Glory” (eight one-on-one and two free for all), and 3 rounds of “With Anyone” (one team match and two free for alls).
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