New ‘Smash Bros.’ embraces competitive scene, offers new niche

By Jace Riley ’16
THE ROUNDUP

“Super Smash Brothers for 3DS” – Nintendo

8.5 out of 10

When I first heard news of a new “Smash Brothers” game my heart was torn.

I was excited for it because I loved the series, but I didn’t own a Wii U so I couldn’t get the game.

Then they announced that there would be two versions, one for the 3DS and one for the Wii U.

I own a 3DS, yet my heart was still restless.

I, along with many others, were very skeptical on how it would perform on a handheld device.

I can safely say that it is just fine.

“Super Smash Brothers for 3DS” feels great even with the limitations on the device.

The game uses the same formula as it does in the past versions.

Two to four players battle it out from a variety of different Nintendo games with a few crossover characters on different stages with varying platforms and stage hazards.

The goal is simple: knock out the other players from the stage by hitting them off the screen while items from the various games drop from the sky for you to use.

The two core game modes are Time and Stock. Both use the knockout mechanics differently.

In Time, you have a time limit that runs down as you try to get the most knock offs and get knocked out the least with an infinite amount of lives.

In Stock, you have a limited number of lives and your goal is to be the last man standing.

While the formula has stayed the same, the game still changes. This game boasts its largest and best roster to date.

It also adds a new that which makes all stages flat, takes off all items and eliminates all stage hazards. This leads to who the best technical player is by solely relying on skill and not items.

It looks as good as it did in its last iteration on the Wii and plays better.

While this game doesn’t play nearly as fast as “Melee” or the mod for “Brawl”, Project M, this game will hold on its own with a separate niche of players.

If you wanted the frenetic, yet precise fighting of those games, you will be slightly disappointed, but can still have fun.

The worst part is its online mode.

Currently you have a decent chance of constantly lagging throughout a game, and that ruins the game.

Local multiplayer runs fine as of now, and the lag will be fixed in the future.

Whether you are a fan of the competitive side or just want to play for fun, “Super Smash Brothers for 3DS” is a solid entry.

If the multiplayer was more consistent, this game would be near perfect. It really drags it down though since computer players are easily beaten.

When they fix the servers it will help it out immensely.

However, its minor problems don’t cast out what it does it right.

It has its best roster, slick combat and will last for a long time running.