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Super Smash Bros, as well as being a staple childhood game for many people, is also one of Nintendo’s most critically acclaimed franchises, scoring on average 93/100 for the last two games in the series. With big shoes to fill, Nintendo went all out on the newest iteration of the franchise, adding a plethora of new characters, all new game modes, online multiplayer, the lot. The question is, did these new features expand on the game, improving the franchise as a whole? Or did they dilute what was already a proven formula into a game that was, as a whole, worse?
If you are unfamiliar with the series, it differs slightly from your standard fighting game. Instead of the widely used method of beating your opponent into unconsciousness found in most fighting games, Super Smash Bros employs a scoring system where the more damage you do to your opponent the farther they will fly when you hit them, with the ultimate goal being to knock any one of up to four opponents off the screen.
Another key difference between the Smash Bros franchise and other fighting games is the absence of combos. There are essentially twelve moves for each character, a standard and a special attack in each of the four directions, a unique special, a basic attack, a block and a grab. That’s not to say that this game is simple, far from it. There are 49 different characters, with a 50th on the way and, for the most part, they are all unique with their own movesets, strengths and weaknesses. For example, Little Mac is unrivalled on the ground but as soon as the fight gets airborne he becomes almost useless. Kirby on the other hand is comparatively weak on the ground but unparalleled in the air.
Upon first starting up Super Smash Bros, the game seems a little threadbare. There’s only one game mode in single player and that’s just a mode where you can set up standalone fights. As the game progresses, however, more and more game modes begin to unlock, and more characters unlock with them. A particular highlight is the “Classic” game mode, where you continuously choose a path, leading to a challenge with varying levels of difficulty. The more difficult the challenge, the more gold you can earn to spend on collectibles, like statues and buttons. All of these paths will ultimately lead you to a final fight between yourself and the ominous Master Hand, a giant hand who, instead of being knocked out of the ring, has a set amount of health that you must deplete to defeat him. This hand is very powerful, with hard to avoid attacks, and deals a lot of damage.
In terms of online there are two different modes: a “For Fun” mode and a “For Glory” mode. The “For Fun” mode is your standard Smash Bros battle experience. Every level is unlocked and all items are available. This mode is less fair and competitive and more fun and random, with the first player to pick up the sledgehammer being the winner in most cases. “For Glory” is almost exactly the opposite, in order to recreate the rules of competitive Smash Bros. All items are turned off and every stage is the “Final Destination” stage, a completely flat level without any raised platforms. This mode makes the game as fair as possible and allows the possibility of true competitive play.
Super Smash Bros set out to re-establish itself to a whole new generation of players, all the while keeping long time fans happy by not deviating too much from the established formula. For the most part, this newest instalment in the series accomplishes this. While it is a little sparse in terms of game modes, all the modes that are in the game are amazing. Each of them are unique, yet still really fun and addictive. This game is classic Smash Bros with a lot of fun extra attachments.
Reviewed on Nintendo 3DS.
