WhenSuper Smash Bros.launched for the Nintendo 64 way back in 1999, gamers everywhere imagined what the game would be like on a portable platform.
For years they pined – picturing the wonder it would bring, while at the same time assuming that its intensity wouldn’t translate well to a small screen. Well finally, that dream is now a reality in the form of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, and the good news is that it’s everything you want it to be and more.
For those who have been housed under a rock all this time, the Smash Bros. series takes Nintendo’s most popular mascots (like Mario, Link and Donkey Kong), places them onto an arena, and lets them beat the hell out of each other to achieve victory.
On 3DS, it’s a tried and tested formula that is able to make the transition surprisingly well. With an opening roster of 36 characters and another 12 to unlock, there’s a hell of a lot of variety on offer and a great deal of effort has been made to keep everything relatively balanced no matter which style of fighter you choose.
While a handful of the stages can become almost too chaotic, and a lot of the new items feel overpowering, the core gameplay stays faithful to the roots of the series. Is it going to be as pretty or as consistent as the Wii U version that’ll be out by the end of the year? Most likely no, but that’s OK.
The 3DS version has had to make concessions, but none of them impact the final product – which remains so gosh darn enjoyable. It’s fast, it’s with you wherever you go, and it feels like a Smash Bros. game. And really, that’s all we could ever ask for. Just go buy it already.
4.5/5.
Super Smash Bros.for Nintendo 3DS is out now.
