[dropcap size=small]I[/dropcap]t’s finally here, you guys. I’ve been playing Smash nonstop since midnight on Friday morning. I haven’t showered or eaten, so I’m quite delirious. Even my pet snowman agrees with me.
This is the fourth installment to the Super Smash Bros. series, and the first portable, which is great, because now I can play with strangers from the comfort of my own bathroom.
It took me a bit to unlock all the hidden characters, and I still haven’t gotten around to playing everyone yet. However, some of my current favorites are (in no specific order): Pac-Man, Bowser Jr., Little Mac, and Mega Man, just to name a few. I really enjoy the rosters’ diversity and the couple “what the f—” wildcards.
Nintendo is showing more love for some of these third party characters than their actual companies. Pac-Man and Mega Man were huge reveals, and they live up to the classic hype. From fighter design to move set, they hit the nail on the head with these.
There’s plenty to do in the new game. Aside from veteran modes, such as Classic and All-Star, Super Smash Bros. has included Smash Run, a platformer where you collect power-ups throughout the level, then battle it out at the end. Multi-Man Smash and Home-Run Contest are now joined in the stadium by Target Blast, an Angry Birds-esque game that requires hurling a bomb into a mountain of wood. Masahiro Sakurai has catered to the casual and hardcore.
Online play is diverse and (mostly) lag-free, at least for me. “For Fun” and “For Glory” gives you the option of just playing a casual match or ranking yourselves among the community. Most of my time has been spent playing for glory. I enjoy the competitive Smash scene, and the 1-on-1 matches are a nice way to gauge my skill level. Hint: I’ve been opening cans of whoop-ass all day. Come see my Pac-Man, I’ll give you the business. Marc hasn’t even bought the game yet because he doesn’t want to be shamed by me.
The customization is nice to have. You have the returning ability to swap buttons and turn off tap jumps, but now you can unlock and create custom move sets for characters. You don’t like Mario’s lame-ass side-B cape flicking? Swap it out for something else.
There’s a little more depth to creating Mii fighters, as expected. I created a swordsman with a cowboy hat. Other characters on the roster unlock relatively quickly, and there are multiple unlock methods.
This is the first game in the series to (hopefully) make use of DLC. As most of you are, I’m looking forward to additional characters and stages. The visuals are crisp and clean for a handheld game, I’m using a standard 3DS XL because I felt like I needed a larger screen for a game like Smash. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have butts to kick.
