It wasn’t until 1999 that the first entry in Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series made it possible for people to finally determine who among their favorite videogame characters would win in a fight. Fifteen years and three sequels later, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS makes it possible for a whole new generation to digitally duke it out.
Even if you’re not a hardcore fan of the fighting genre, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is so fun and accessible that players of all skill levels are sure to thoroughly enjoy it. Up to four people can go at it at once, using attacks and a myriad of special items to deal damage to each other in an effort to launch the opposition off the stage. It’s a simple premise, and different from every other fighting game out there.
After playing Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, it’s a wonder the series hasn’t been available on a portable device before. There are plenty of modes to keep you busy, from single bouts to the 3DS-exclusive Smash Run mode, in which you defeat enemies from across the universes of all 49 playable characters and collect stat boosts in preparation for a final over-the-top brawl (pun intended). Fights can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours depending on the mode you select, making it a great way to pass the time while commuting to school or on a road trip.
There has been a huge amount of hype leading up to the release of this title, partly due to the aforementioned roster of 49 combatants, 15 of which are new to the series. You’ve got industry mainstays to choose from like Mario and Pikachu, as well as fighters that some kids nowadays have likely never heard of, such as Mega Man and the Duck Hunt Dog- a character from a 30-year-old game that was packed with the original NES alongside Super Mario Bros. This combination of new and old is intriguing for the fierce tournament scene that the Super Smash Bros. series has always fostered, as well as a “filthy casual” like me who is just in it for the fun.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is a game I have personally been looking forward to for a long time for a number of reasons. While the nostalgia of recognizing a character I haven’t played in a game since before I had a driver’s license is great, this release is so jam-packed with content that I know I’ll be playing it long after I eventually trade in my current home gaming console. What’s more, I never thought I’d see the day when Mario, Sonic, Mega Man, and Pac-Man were all playable in the same game.
Hey, you know Pac-Man? Well, originally Pac-Man was called Puck-Man. They changed it because… never mind.
When it comes down to it, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is just a good time. Sure, there are people who might be critical of you for thinking a happy, fluorescent-colored game such as this one is worth your time, but eventually they’ll grow up and realize that instances like these only come once in a gaming generation.
Well, twice, but Super Smash Bros. for Wii U won’t be out until a little later this year. It’s a great time to be a fan.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is available now on ColecoVision and Atari 2600.