Is Smash Bros for 3DS worth it’s weight?
Recently, Nintendo put out a video showing off some of the new features to the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros.
As it went through the over 50 new things for the console version, I really started to feel like the version on the 3DS had been cut back.
It turns out I wasn’t alone.
I noticed a lot of people on various game sites complaining that they paid $40 for a “demo” of Smash. While that’s probably a major overstatement, it’s pretty apparent some people feel they got ripped off.
Looking at Smash 3DS, the obvious appeal is having a portable version of the popular franchise. Being able to take Smash with you wherever you want and playing against people you normally wouldn’t sit down to play with is a huge draw. I know I’ll be taking my copy with me to local events, and heck I’ve street passed with a bunch of people just being downtown.
Online functionality is a bit of a mixed bag. So far, I’ve found that 3 player matches run pretty smoothly, but when a 4th person joins in, I found the lag to range from pretty bad to “did we just travel back to 90’s dial up” bad. This might be more of a network and location thing as I’ve heard that people haven’t had any problems with online, while others couldn’t play online at all.
[caption id=”” align=”aligncenter” width=”645"]
Smash 3DS lets you duke it out with your player created Miis![/caption]
One of the things I could see people getting hung up on is the lack of a fleshed out single player mode.
Smash’s single player has evolved throughout the series culminating with Smash Bros Brawl’s Subspace Emissary, which was the first time the series had any semblance of story. This time around, single player mode is more reminiscent of the original Smash on N64 but with a little more variety.
It lets you choose from a group which fight you wanted. I think the big problem with Brawl’s single player was it was heavy with side scroller platforming levels and the games controls weren’t really designed for that. The 3DS’ circle pad, while competent, is still noticeably harder to use than a normal thumbstick and I don’t think would’ve worked right with Subspace Emissary type single player design.
I can see why some people feel a bit ripped off.
Smash Bros for Wii U looks to have the most content of any game in the series to date and in comparison, its handheld counterpart seems a little light.
Could they have added more?
Well… if you’ve played the game, you know that for a 3DS game it takes a while to load. I really think they packed the game with as much stuff as the hardware and cartridge space would let them. Again, Smash 3D’s biggest appeal is Smash on the go and if that’s what you want, you should be satisfied.
The best and fullest Smash Bros experience is probably always going to be on a console with a controller, but I definitely don’t regret buying the handheld option.
