Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

 3DS
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 922 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 756 out of 922
  2. Mixed: 116 out of 922
  3. Negative: 50 out of 922
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  1. Schizoidmouse
    Oct 17, 2014
    6
    Who hasn't heard of Super Smash Bros? This is every fanboy/girl's dream! You get to settle rivalries never thought to ever be settled in their respective franchises. You even learn about Nintendo's more beloved non-mainstream titles as even their characters are given life on this stage. Everyone was stoked for the next installment in this series on the Wii U. Come to find out there is aWho hasn't heard of Super Smash Bros? This is every fanboy/girl's dream! You get to settle rivalries never thought to ever be settled in their respective franchises. You even learn about Nintendo's more beloved non-mainstream titles as even their characters are given life on this stage. Everyone was stoked for the next installment in this series on the Wii U. Come to find out there is a 3DS version of the game that comes out prior. That being said, does it stand up to the standard set by the others?

    With the evolution of this non-conventional 2D fighter, Smash Bros blew up with its amazing feel and unique play from other games like Tekken, Soulcalibur, and Street Fighter. With the evolution of the game came a more unique thing never thought about for Smash Bros, a story. We never cared about a story before the Wii edition and were perfectly content on mashing away that A button. Now that you gave the fans a piece of what you are capable of with a surprisingly fun story-mode, they had to deliver it again on the newer version right? Wrong. There is no story mode in this one, not even an adventure mode to emulate a different solo playing mode other than classic. It just decided to skip it which the fanbase is half and half on and I agree its not really needed. It's just a little peeve that knocks this one down a bit.

    That being said, they took away that peeve with the amazing new mode, Smash Run. This was the innovation we were looking for! This is a mode designed with a large overworld where you battle against some of Nintendo's devilish enemies from all over. This all culminates into a battle at the end via Kirby Air Ride style. For each enemy you defeat, you gain something to increase a stat and in the end you face off against your opponents in a randomized game. This wowed us, this excited us, this...wait its not for online? The biggest gimmick for this version was shafted to only solo or local play making it completely underused and undervalued unless you have friends with a 3DS and a copy of the game.

    The online play has a good concept with poor connection. They divided it into the "for fun" and the ranked playlists both with which sounds like fun! That is if you can connect well. Most of the games have a bunch of lag in them unless you are playing with a friend. This ruins the feel of the online play at times for you can die unnecessarily because of some bad lag.

    With all the bad aside, when Nintendo got it right, they got it right. The customization aspect is incredible and by far the best addition to the series. You can either create your own Mii fighter, which is heavily customizable for what it is and for its first time being added into the series. That being said its not as extensive as ones like Soulcalibur but you can't argue that this one is a great stepping stone. You even get to add onto the characters unlocked, changing the way their specials are and their stats. Want a tanky Mario that can use huge but slow fireballs? It can happen now.

    The games fighting style is the same, but just on another platform. This being said, it is a little small at times. The platform really limits the ability of the game as well which is angering since the visuals are some of the best in the series. The colouring is fresh, the stages are amazing and that black outlining actually is not a bad design choice. It allows the focus to be on the smaller details and easily allows you to discern what is on the screen. Though they wouldn't need to do it if the screen was too small, I digress it was smart nonetheless. I'm going to be short and sweet on the music, masterful. It honestly remakes some of the most memorable Nintendo songs and sometimes even revamps them with either a new feel or orchestrated. Need I say more?

    Classic mode is still there and offers a great challenge for those who go for a higher difficulty. It even allows a choice in who you battle at points, and for those wanting a true challenge tempts you to go straight at the end for one of the best challenges ever offered in Classic mode. That being said...that's about it. The roster is huge, the biggest its been but has quiet a few obvious clones still despite Nintendo saying they are trying to remove clones. This feels like the most solid roster to date. Trophies are back, the 100 man challenges are back, Homerun....is back. Really there is not much other than I previously stated making this the shortest Smash Bros with the least amount of replayability cause a lot of people will be switching to the Wii U version.

    Nintendo screwed the pooch on this attempt at getting more money. It is shameless taking away beloved elements and having limitations due to the platform. While being an awesome game with great gameplay, design, customization, stages, and concept, it doesn't deliver like the games previous and ultimately will be washed away by the Wii U version.

    Story: 5
    Gameplay: 6
    Visuals: 6.7
    Music: 7.5
    Overall: 6.3    … Expand
  2. Zyromkiru
    Feb 21, 2015
    6
    It's fun and has new things but the key bindings aren't great with little customization. The singleplayer feels solid but the multiplayer is horrid which is why i bought the game in the first place is to fight other people. We are talking about lag that makes it feel like you are running the game in 8 FPS even on the new 3DS just released in 2015.

    Great game but falls short on multiplayer.
  3. Vyrotix
    Jan 12, 2015
    7
    While the Wii-U version might be slightly better in terms of stages, and more replay value, this is a great game for the 3DS.

    If you don't own a Wii-U on the other hand, this is a must have for the 3DS.

    7.9/10
  4. Hierolax
    Oct 28, 2014
    6
    Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is the 4th installment of the Smash. series. Having waited 6 whole years I feverishly downloaded this title from the eShop after enjoying the Demo for a week or two. After playing 50~ hours and being a veteran of the series from the N64 days, I felt it was high-time I reviewed this game. If I could summarize in advance for those who don't want to read aSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is the 4th installment of the Smash. series. Having waited 6 whole years I feverishly downloaded this title from the eShop after enjoying the Demo for a week or two. After playing 50~ hours and being a veteran of the series from the N64 days, I felt it was high-time I reviewed this game. If I could summarize in advance for those who don't want to read a lengthy review, it would be this:

    Super Smash Bros. has taken a step forward only to take a drastic step back. While it's an improvement from previous title, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it also removed a lot of features both fundamental and superficial to the point it negates the improvements' efforts. Slap an overly sterile and rather surgical presentation over it and you have this title. Sm4sh as it has been dubbed.

    Now I'd like to articulate as to what it is I'm getting at. Right off the bat it's important to understand that the Smash. bros community is split between two types of enthusiast: The casual player and the tournament player. Something Nintendo alludes to with their 'For fun' and 'For glory' mode(s). This contrast of player-base has been with the series right from the start.

    However, a defining tension has been drawn since the days of Brawl when the changing and removing of integral mechanics occurred.
    To save the reader with a separate issue entirely, I'll put it bluntly. Casual players are happy no matter the title. Tournament players are more responsive to change. Sm4sh has made further removal of key features enjoyed by this demographic, disenfranchising this part of the audience which Nintendo aimed to appease with the inclusion of 'For glory'.

    The inclusion of infinite air-dodges, the removal of wave-dashing and edge-guarding, and of course, the higher/further kill-zones and floatier launch making for a lengthy match that makes opponents harder to kill. These are all fundamental changes that have been made that has contributed to the taking of a step back. As said above, casual players by their nature are impartial to either removal or inclusion, and therefore there is no benefit, only an alienation of one half of the audience. As I touched upon before, the fundamental mechanics did not only take a blow. The content has too. One might argue that as it is a 3DS title, it is inherently limited. And you would be right. But this only adds to the reasoning that the series has taken a step back and not forward.

    This title is unique in the sense that it's the first Smash. game to be a multi-platform title. Normally this implies minor difference in any other game, but in this case it is severe. It is a console game (Wii U) that is optimized to deliver a similar experience with the handheld (3DS). The margin of difference is massive, and it's seen in what I'm talking about. The removal of content. From the gross lack of cut-scenes, to the rather simplicity of stages, all the way to the changes of characters (Diddy Kong's banana limit, Olimar's Pikimin limit) and ultimately, the removal of characters entirely. (Ice Climbers). All of the mentioned were removed/changed to suit the multi-platforming approach.

    Most importantly, the netcode leaves a lot to be desired. Whether or not Nintendo will refine their connection quality in the future via patching remains to be seen. But in closing, I'd like to drive home the point that Sm4sh is prettier and boasts a larger roster than it's contemporary titles - yes - but it commits to the sin of clone-characters more than it's previous iterations. As far as fundamental and content changing goes, it's a step back.

    The stand-alone game is good, but as a Smash. title it certainly does not live up to the legacy. to quote my previous summary, it is lack-luster, surgical, and sterile. Giving the illusion that it's a breath of fresh-air and 'new' only to the consumer's dismay that it has removed more than what it's added. And although the Wii U version will offer the Smash veteran more, the fact will always haunt us that whatever it is we get on the console COULD have been better if it had not been multi-platform.

    I give it a 6/10. It's a good game, but a poor Smash game.    … Expand
  5. Tobi_Whatever
    Nov 13, 2014
    7
    This is Smash Bros so I'm going to make this short.

    Balancing is great. Character variety is great, aside from some **** clones. Content is a bit lacking. Controls are bad. Online lags sometimes and the 3DS connection is easily negatively influenced by phones, to many 3DSes and other Wifi sources. The game is fun and it's nice to have a portable Smash but the Wii U version will heavily    This is Smash Bros so I'm going to make this short.

    Balancing is great. Character variety is great, aside from some **** clones.
    Content is a bit lacking. Controls are bad. Online lags sometimes and the 3DS connection is easily negatively influenced by phones, to many 3DSes and other Wifi sources. The game is fun and it's nice to have a portable Smash but the Wii U version will heavily improve on basically everything.    … Expand
  6. ELBOWSELBOWSKNE
    Nov 13, 2014
    6
    First, the bad.

    As of writing, there are ~5 characters played in for glory mode - 90% of the characters are useless for online play. Unplayable lag in all online 4v4 modes means that if you want to play online you're pigeonholed into these terribly unfun 1v1 matchups (you'll be matched up against the same 3 or 4 wildly overbalanced characters every game). There is no place to use your    First, the bad.

    As of writing, there are ~5 characters played in for glory mode - 90% of the characters are useless for online play. Unplayable lag in all online 4v4 modes means that if you want to play online you're pigeonholed into these terribly unfun 1v1 matchups (you'll be matched up against the same 3 or 4 wildly overbalanced characters every game). There is no place to use your custom characters/mii's online (not even a "custom arena"?) so that feature might as well not be included.

    Onto the good stuff!
    The wide array of characters, fun stages, and the single player modes are excellent, not much to say.

    Summary: Terrible character balance ruins what might have otherwise been a fun game. Lag in 4v4 matches is out of Nintendo's hands, as I'm sure there are people trying to play on public wifi ruining the connection, so I'll give that one a pass. I don't intend to play the game any more unless the balancing is addressed.

    6/10    … Expand
  7. FrannyFantastic
    Nov 15, 2014
    7
    As polished as this new instalment of Super Smash Bros. is, I don't feel there is enough variation in the single-player modes to warrant a higher score. Without any challenge or story modes there is only classic and all-star campaigns, and these are both very repetitive fare.

    The Smash Run mode is a great addition, and despite being a breeze to clock through on your own it's still a    As polished as this new instalment of Super Smash Bros. is, I don't feel there is enough variation in the single-player modes to warrant a higher score. Without any challenge or story modes there is only classic and all-star campaigns, and these are both very repetitive fare.

    The Smash Run mode is a great addition, and despite being a breeze to clock through on your own it's still a load of fun. A huge roster of characters also gives the player an array of fighting styles to experiment with, but for me, the dearth of any solid, single-player modes really puts a black mark on this.    … Expand
  8. EvilstuffGaming
    Feb 7, 2015
    7
    It's a nice game with good graphics, especially considering we're talking about the 3ds. However, with no adventure or event mode like Brawl, the game does lack a bit of content. Still a nice game to play when you're bored.
  9. tdunster
    Oct 5, 2014
    7
    I honestly don't understand all the hype. It's a fighting game but a very basic one compared to other offerings such as Street Fighter or dare I say it WWE Wrestling.

    On the 3DS the characters while moving freely and looking sharp they are also incredibly small making it difficult to spot your character or indeed determine which way they are facing. But it's not all bad news. There    I honestly don't understand all the hype. It's a fighting game but a very basic one compared to other offerings such as Street Fighter or dare I say it WWE Wrestling.

    On the 3DS the characters while moving freely and looking sharp they are also incredibly small making it difficult to spot your character or indeed determine which way they are facing.

    But it's not all bad news. There are a plethora of options for this game and I have no doubt for the fans its a big release.

    For though, I think it's a game best played on-line on a big screen TV.    … Expand
  10. nofeet
    Oct 8, 2014
    7
    Super Smash Bros. 3DS is a great game and a must have for any 3DS owner. However it falls short in Classic Smash Mode, notably Master Hand and Crazy Hand.
  11. Ernste
    Oct 18, 2014
    7
    4 people battle was the best part of this series , but now -_- 3ds power limitation really mess up with the 4p battle , things 99% will get better on new3ds as i believe? There is mostly no framerate issues on this game but luigi do has a glitch on animal crossing map (another patch coming soon?)

    OVERALL: Buy it -/_- 4p **** but 2p so far has no noticeable problem been found yet
  12. APaperbackHero
    Oct 5, 2014
    6
    The core of the game is good, lots of iconic Nintendo action. However some issues make this game less than stellar. No d-pad for more precise movement inputs forcing the use of circle pad which is by no means as good as analog stick controller. The circle pad makes difficult twitch moments in a battle a complete toss up. The multiplayer is P2P instead of dedicated servers and matchmakingThe core of the game is good, lots of iconic Nintendo action. However some issues make this game less than stellar. No d-pad for more precise movement inputs forcing the use of circle pad which is by no means as good as analog stick controller. The circle pad makes difficult twitch moments in a battle a complete toss up. The multiplayer is P2P instead of dedicated servers and matchmaking is not filtered very well so if you live in an out of the way area expect to lag, and lag often. Even in an urban metropolitan area, lag is still an issue every couple of matches***. The screen size gives some characters who have hard to see or follow attacks very difficult to deal with when the battle area becomes heavily zoomed out.

    ***Odds of having a laggy match can be reduced by playing For Glory - 1 vs 1 matches. However this completely diminished the game as the pull of Smash is the fun frantic fighting of 4 vs 4 or 2 vs 2.    … Expand
  13. cndman
    Oct 6, 2014
    5
    This game is honestly mediocre as far as smash goes.

    Problems include Huge blast zones that make it extremely difficult to get a kill unless your opponent is at 150 percent. Almost no comboability due to high knockback and low hitstun. Items that are extremely overpowered. Also there is no option to change the frequency of items, only on or off. Pretty much no neutral stages.    This game is honestly mediocre as far as smash goes.

    Problems include
    Huge blast zones that make it extremely difficult to get a kill unless your opponent is at 150 percent.

    Almost no comboability due to high knockback and low hitstun.

    Items that are extremely overpowered. Also there is no option to change the frequency of items, only on or off.

    Pretty much no neutral stages. All of them are extremely gimmicky.

    The floaty feel of brawl.

    A lack of returning favorites (Ice climbers, Wolf, Lucas).

    An online mode that is extremely laggy and nearly unplayable. No option to only play people from your region so you get matched up with Japanese dudes with LITERALLY 1-2 seconds of lag.

    The screen is too small sometimes (at least on a regular 3ds).

    Pros:

    60fps looks great.

    Good graphics.

    Some fun new characters.

    Custom moves are kinda fun, even though you cant use them online.    … Expand
  14. Coy47
    Oct 5, 2014
    5
    The lack of a c-stick is frustrating and is only emphasized by the lacklustre analogue stick the 3DS has making controls clunky and uncomfortable to use and means in some cases you're character doesn't face the right direction to attack when you've input them. Smashing is also made difficult because of this and I've spoken to people put off the game by it's controls in the demo. It's alsoThe lack of a c-stick is frustrating and is only emphasized by the lacklustre analogue stick the 3DS has making controls clunky and uncomfortable to use and means in some cases you're character doesn't face the right direction to attack when you've input them. Smashing is also made difficult because of this and I've spoken to people put off the game by it's controls in the demo. It's also extremely bare bones, some modes and features have been stripped away for some reason including any kind of story mode. Classic mode was reduced to 6 stages not ten, coin battles are gone, and Sakurai has put some of his own pointless characters in like Dark Pit while Dark Link remains a skin. Overall it's a very frustrating experience from a game I expected a lot more.… Expand
  15. Trev87
    Oct 5, 2014
    7
    Ok so I just bought this game and i have some good and some bad things to say about it. First the good points. Right off the bat I think the 3D looks good with this game. Ive read reviews where players stating that the screen was too small or characters were too tiny. I play on the 3DSXL and in my opinion the detail and size of everything was well balanced. The new levels look amazing withOk so I just bought this game and i have some good and some bad things to say about it. First the good points. Right off the bat I think the 3D looks good with this game. Ive read reviews where players stating that the screen was too small or characters were too tiny. I play on the 3DSXL and in my opinion the detail and size of everything was well balanced. The new levels look amazing with great detail and flavorful backgrounds. The controls are well done and have a natural feel to them, making combos easy to pull off. I have not played a SSB game since the Gamecube, and the gameplay felt like it hasnt lost anything. I really like the powerups that come into play during fights. They are fun and visually stunning. Next is the custom characters. This I LOVE! You are able to assign new abilities and stats to any character you chose to give them that custom feeling, this is a huge plus.

    Now for the Cons for this game. My biggest complaint about this game is the roster. It's 95% completed for you. My favorite part of SSB was unlocking all the new characters. There are characters to unlock, but not near the amount as its predecessors. Next is, Where is the target challenge mode!!!!!! I loved that in SSB. There are a lot of new game modes, but the one that was always the best, imo, was the timed target challenge. The game seems lacking in the replay value. It feels more like a SSB game that was designed as an iphone app where corners were cut.

    Overall the game is very fun and worth buying just to have a SSB game on handheld. I feel like they could have improved on some of the game modes and allowed players to get that excited feeling every time they defeat master hand and knowing "A new challenger has approached!!!!!"    … Expand
  16. vinkl
    Oct 3, 2014
    7
    Amazing amount of content for a brawler; however, online lags so much! When one player has a terrible connection, he/she drags you down like an anchor. It's an issue and it needs to be addressed. Hopefully, there's a fix in the near future. Until then, I'll be practicing against AIs and having local battles with buddies.
  17. Peeko
    Oct 27, 2014
    5
    This game has two halves. single player and multiplayer. the singler player is fine but for me, the multiplayer is laggy to the point where it is no longer playable. and this is not an issue with my internet, this is a Nintendo issue. smash 4 is the only game i own where online is like this, and until it is fixed, i would advise against buying this game.
  18. StarmanDX
    Oct 15, 2014
    5
    Pros: Portable.

    Cons: Bad Controls (Smash just wasn't meant for the 3DS circle pad). Laggy Online. Disappointing Roster. This game basically feels like Smash Bros. Brawl 0.5; a downgrade in some ways, and not much of an improvement in most others. They cut some of Brawl's interesting characters and features, and failed to replace them with anything exciting. There's a lot of reuse of    Pros: Portable.

    Cons: Bad Controls (Smash just wasn't meant for the 3DS circle pad). Laggy Online. Disappointing Roster.

    This game basically feels like Smash Bros. Brawl 0.5; a downgrade in some ways, and not much of an improvement in most others. They cut some of Brawl's interesting characters and features, and failed to replace them with anything exciting. There's a lot of reuse of existing moves and mechanics for the "new" characters.

    For example, 6 of the game's newcomers have the same B-Down Counter that 4 of the game's veterans already have. So, roughly 20% of all characters in the game share that same move. That's just lazy.    … Expand
  19. Kazek7
    Oct 17, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Super smash brothers 4 doesn't live up to my expectations. This game doesn't have enough content on it, And the controls with the circle pad suck. First off, When I try to do a smash attack with the circle pad, It doesn't do it 60% of the time. And with the B attacks, When I try do the recover move, It sometimes registers as the side B attack, making me fall off the F@#%ing stage! Fighting games require precise control, and the 3DS just cannot do that with the circle pad.
    The content on this game is bear minimum. All star mode and classic mode are the only modes you will WANT to play, And of both of them All star mode is the only enjoyable one if you play at a higher difficulty. Classic mode has this stupid roulette wheel for prizes, And most of the time you're going to want costumes and hats for the Mii fighters. Except THE WHEEL NEVER GIVES YOU S%^T! I don't care about trophies, and I don't care about an extra 200 coins. But that's not the worst part of Classic mode. The master hand battle is bulls@#t!. I played all the way through White hot difficulty (9), I went all the way through without being KO'd, And The master hand whoops your ass. First you fight Crazy hand AND master hand, Then some stupid shadow thing, Then a shadow dog, Then 4 swords, then Yourself, Then you have to do a lot damage to a smash ball, then you win. And EACH time you lose, The difficulty drops, Your money is taken away, and it takes away prizes you got from the f@$^ing roulette wheel. And makes you want to smash your 3DS with a sledge hammer in frustration. Don't even mention the new Smash run mode, Just do a normal brawl.
    Then we have the Characters, A large roster, with a small amount being unlockable. Remember when Clone characters were not going to be in the game? Yea- no. Dark Pit and Pit, Toon link and Link, Dr Mario and Mario. Yep. Certainly don't see any clone characters here. Ice climbers have got to go though, Don't want any duplicates.
    This games multiplayer is slow as s@$t.. Every battle runs at like 3 fps. And if you get disconnected, receive a 15 min ban. Sounds like fun doesn't it?
    This game is pretty bad. The controls don't work well, The modes are boring, Multiplayer runs too slow, and there aren't enough stages. Its not a game I would pulverize with my sledge hammer, But its certainly not even close to being good, And I expect the Wii U version to contain more content then this version.    … Expand
  20. Beancurd86
    Oct 3, 2014
    5
    I really can't see anything wrong in this game. Despite being on a handheld console, it's the same Smash Bros we've always played, if not better. I have to say my expectations were low about it, but now that I've played it, man it's fun. As others already said, the only downside of this game is the 4-player matches, but I don't consider it a reason to lower my rating.
  21. ShadowofZexa
    Oct 9, 2014
    7
    Super Smash Bros is a very good game there is alot of game modes to keep you playing and the game modes are fun however when you have the controls holding back a excellent game you can't hope to wait for the wii u version
  22. Gotohellcadz
    Oct 4, 2014
    7
    This game offers an amazing amount of content and graphical fidelity for a 3ds game. With the roaster being over 30 characters and having additional game modes like smash run and classic mode. Problem is: how well is smash bros in a competitive standpoint? As a competitive smash player myself having over 2 years of competitive smash experience I can say no. It plays very much like brawlThis game offers an amazing amount of content and graphical fidelity for a 3ds game. With the roaster being over 30 characters and having additional game modes like smash run and classic mode. Problem is: how well is smash bros in a competitive standpoint? As a competitive smash player myself having over 2 years of competitive smash experience I can say no. It plays very much like brawl but without the floaty movement and tripping. And this creates another large issue and that's how future competitive play may evolve for smash 4. As taking notes from the lv. 9 bots they love to shield spam and dodge spam making faster characters even more op than they were in melee/project m. But surprisingly it plays really well on the circle pad. And if it doesn't it is very easy to get used to it. Another issue i've had is the multiplayer. If you play a game online with strangers there's a 50/50 chance the game will be unplayable due to lag from either you or your opponent (or from the netcode but I digress) and if you do decide to quit mid game either from lag or from rage quitting. It bans you without any warning for about 30 minutes. This wouldn't be an issue as playing with friends online is far more enjoyable but it bans you from playing with friends aswell. If you're coming from the casual scene you'll love smash on the 3ds (or if you want great value in a 3ds game) if you're like me and want something more competitively balanced: either wait a year for a project m mod for smash 4, or wait a few months to see how the wii u version stacks.… Expand
  23. chideraokoye
    Dec 21, 2014
    7
    With a launch worse than BF4:Beta, and lag worse than your parent watching Netflix on 1080p, It's a solid game with new characters, no suprises however worth checking out
  24. CyberRobotnix
    Sep 25, 2018
    5
    I enjoy the smash hell, thanks for this beautiful mastahpiece Nin10doh. Must play again.
  25. MadnessisRising
    Mar 6, 2019
    7
    If you buy this game, you will get what you expect. Compared to the N64 version, it hast better visuals (obviously) a bigger move-set, more areas (sadly not longer hyrule castle) and of course more fighters. Only 7 /10 because i don't like the controls of this game. Moving/walking around with the joystick on the 3DS felt totally wrong and uncomfortable.
  26. DolphinReviews
    Jul 20, 2022
    5
    Smash 4 is okay... It is by far the worst entry in the series. It's smash at it's most basic, slow, clunky form. It's impressive it was able to run as well as it does on the 3DS hardware but the game is pointless now that Smash Ultimate exists. I still find myself revisiting other entries but this one I can safely say I've retired.
  27. spi280
    Nov 27, 2014
    7
    An enjoyable smash bros title but a its definitely a step down from brawl or the wii u game that game after. You have one great massive roster and tons of options for customization which I ended up using more then I thought I would. the problem is that smash 3ds has a lot of weak stages and lacks many of the modes that could get me to play brawl for hours.
  28. bonsai
    Nov 25, 2019
    7
    This is not a bad game, it's a very good one, but compared to previous title of the serie this is probably the worst one.
  29. rhaynes7
    Nov 18, 2014
    7
    Why portable Smash Bros. didn't happen sooner, I'm not sure, but one thing I know is that I'm so glad to have it now. With one of Smash's largest rosters, this game features a very diverse set of fighters and contains all the modes one would generally expect in Smash. Although I'm very happy to have Smash on the go, there are several things I'm not so much a fan of.

    Playing on the    Why portable Smash Bros. didn't happen sooner, I'm not sure, but one thing I know is that I'm so glad to have it now. With one of Smash's largest rosters, this game features a very diverse set of fighters and contains all the modes one would generally expect in Smash. Although I'm very happy to have Smash on the go, there are several things I'm not so much a fan of.

    Playing on the original 3DS screen, the action is rather small. The major problem this provides is that when things get spread out, it can be hard to determine exactly what actions are taking place, and it can make it hard to calculate your next move. Also, Smash Run is not too interesting at all. A mad dash for power ups that sometimes makes my character's movements feel unnatural (especially jump) does not justify the trip through nostalgia (especially when there is so much geared to Kid Icarus, which I don't have particularly care for). StreetSmash is nothing to write home about, and the mini games are never really worth it in my estimation. As always, the greatest fun comes in playing Smash, but the small selection of stages is quite noticeable. I could do without the mini games if that meant more stages. Online play works well enough. With a handheld system, lag is inevitable. Several of the new characters also feel overpowered compared to the old (but a patch is supposedly going to fix this).

    It's understandable that you can't cram as much into a handheld though. This is a great entry for the first portable Smash, and I hope the trend continues. The same solid fighting action is here, with several improvements to the mechanics over Brawl. Whether you want a copy or not depends on how much you want Smash on the go.    … Expand
  30. aasecr14
    Nov 18, 2014
    7
    The latest installment in the Super Smash Brothers series looks brand new and exciting, but it doesn't quite bring everything to the table that we were hoping it would. There is no doubt that the game is fun. It is mind-numbingly fun. But there are a few small details that bugged me about it. You can't change the item frequency. The special battles from smash run can't be accessed outsideThe latest installment in the Super Smash Brothers series looks brand new and exciting, but it doesn't quite bring everything to the table that we were hoping it would. There is no doubt that the game is fun. It is mind-numbingly fun. But there are a few small details that bugged me about it. You can't change the item frequency. The special battles from smash run can't be accessed outside of smash run.
    Overall, this game is extremely fun to play, and aside from some of the smaller issues, a great buy.    … Expand
  31. benbenius
    Nov 28, 2014
    7
    It lacks greatly in content, and is not worth the purchase. The online is bad. The gamemodes are bad. But, after a long day, you can look at it and say, "Hey. It's Smash Bros. The fighting is the core gameplay. I don't NEED these other gamemodes." It also lacks challenge, similar to the Wii U version. The graphics aren't good either, but I guess it's pretty cool to see Donkey Kong's faceIt lacks greatly in content, and is not worth the purchase. The online is bad. The gamemodes are bad. But, after a long day, you can look at it and say, "Hey. It's Smash Bros. The fighting is the core gameplay. I don't NEED these other gamemodes." It also lacks challenge, similar to the Wii U version. The graphics aren't good either, but I guess it's pretty cool to see Donkey Kong's face squished up against you in 3D.… Expand
  32. ilikecamperz
    Feb 22, 2015
    7
    Ok I have been dreaming for a SSB game but this one I like. Smash run is a great challenge, but its lacks modes and the photo's you share are low quality but the 51 characters are great and balanced for sure. Using the amiibo on the NN3DSXL is a great mechanic as it can beat you later. This game lacks its mode as the WII U version has more, and the Solo also lacks just like the WII UOk I have been dreaming for a SSB game but this one I like. Smash run is a great challenge, but its lacks modes and the photo's you share are low quality but the 51 characters are great and balanced for sure. Using the amiibo on the NN3DSXL is a great mechanic as it can beat you later. This game lacks its mode as the WII U version has more, and the Solo also lacks just like the WII U version but this game still has more unlock-ables which makes it a great challenge. The final thing I like is the handheld power of this, fun to play anywhere anytime.… Expand
  33. AriseAndBe
    Aug 5, 2015
    5
    Super Smash Bros. is definitely a game that's meant for the big screen. I didn't get nearly as much satisfaction in this game than the previous game on the Nintendo WII. Also there's not story mode which kinda sucks
  34. LuigiBro04
    Sep 10, 2015
    6
    Pros:
    -Portable Smash Bros!
    -Great character roster
    -Insane multiplayer
    -Excellent soundtrack

    Cons:
    -Most of the new stages are awful
    -Awful online
    -weak single player content
    -Feels awkward to play on a 3ds
    -Too many clones!
  35. GaryFaulkDoesIt
    Jul 31, 2016
    5
    Largely the weaker of the two Smash 4 versions, as its graphics seem kind of rough by 3DS standards and the stage choices felt weaker.

    The only advantage this game really has over the Wii U version is that Smash Run is a much better mode than Smash Tour, although even then it feels a bit lackluster and not particularly well thought out. Other than that, the 3DS and Wii U versions    Largely the weaker of the two Smash 4 versions, as its graphics seem kind of rough by 3DS standards and the stage choices felt weaker.

    The only advantage this game really has over the Wii U version is that Smash Run is a much better mode than Smash Tour, although even then it feels a bit lackluster and not particularly well thought out.

    Other than that, the 3DS and Wii U versions have very little difference from each other. Their choices for new characters was, in general, a bit questionable at times. The stages were sometimes poorly designed and they didn't seem to understand the desires of competitive or casual players, as almost every stage is extremely over-complicated, with gimmicks and movement directly affecting the gameplay, whereas the "Omega" version that is offered overly simplifies the stages into generic, flat planes. The Fire Emblem and especially Kid Icarus franchises are over-represented to the arguable detriment of other franchises.

    Overall, it's not hard to get the impression that this 3DS version was only made for the purpose of selling more copies on the historically more popular handheld system.    … Expand
  36. zoob_m
    Jul 11, 2017
    6
    does not have adventure mode or proper match making. (at least it didn't have those when I played it.) missing these especial features brings down the game dramatically.
  37. SortOfCritic
    Jan 1, 2018
    7
    Super Smash Brothers for 3ds is nothing like its brothers, but its still great fun to experience smash on the go with your friends
  38. Da3_who_knows
    Jul 4, 2018
    6
    Ok, so can anyone please explain me what is so special about this game? Oh yeah it has all the Nintendo characters in it, and so what???? I payed it for 15 hours and forgot it ever existed. Not that I am a big fan of the genre but I can not say that playing this game was that fun. So no I am not gonna advise it to anyone.
  39. QuacksonjaMeme
    Aug 29, 2018
    7
    I have almost 30 hours in this game. Its really not great. It is really suffering form a lot of lag. And yes I do know this is a 3DS game. The Menus are really confusing. All of the characters control well and the design of them, and the levels are outstanding. Cant wait for Super Smash Bros Ultimate!

    7/10
  40. Bbplayer
    Mar 11, 2019
    7
    I gave the Wii U version an 8. The only reason this gets knocked down a peg, was because of the fact that your hands just start to hurt over a longer play session. Play it on the Wii U if you can.
  41. FortniteSteve
    Jan 25, 2020
    7
    Now that ultimate has been out for over a year this game is worthless. but at its core is still smash with a few draw backs ( specificly the 3ds joy pad not being made for intense fighting games) and with all of that OF COURSE its not as good as alvin and the chipmunks for WII , nothing can top it!
  42. lesiuML
    Jan 6, 2023
    7
    It's hard to compare this version to wii u smash, or to Ultimate on switch. It's little bit bare bone in comparison to those two. There is not much to do and it's becoming boring after really short time. There is quite a nice roster but lot of great characters are hidden behind pay wall. Generally it's a nice alternative to switch ultimate, but it is not even close in terms of what you canIt's hard to compare this version to wii u smash, or to Ultimate on switch. It's little bit bare bone in comparison to those two. There is not much to do and it's becoming boring after really short time. There is quite a nice roster but lot of great characters are hidden behind pay wall. Generally it's a nice alternative to switch ultimate, but it is not even close in terms of what you can do in it.… Expand
  43. Biggleboi
    Jul 14, 2020
    7
    Super Smash bros for 3DS is probably the weakest by no means a 'bad' game but not the best. This one is on a smaller scale then most smash games since the 3DS screen is so small. Nintendo pulled a move that EA would do and created DLC which would also be in WII U and Ultimate.The core gameplay is what you'd want from smash on the go,yes you can't use a Gamecube controller unlike in BrawlSuper Smash bros for 3DS is probably the weakest by no means a 'bad' game but not the best. This one is on a smaller scale then most smash games since the 3DS screen is so small. Nintendo pulled a move that EA would do and created DLC which would also be in WII U and Ultimate.The core gameplay is what you'd want from smash on the go,yes you can't use a Gamecube controller unlike in Brawl and Ultimate (also Melee but I mean it's on the Gamecube so it'd be kinda dumb to bring it up but I don't wanna die.)Overall Super Smash bros for 3DS is an alright game.Final sentence:go for WII U… Expand
  44. ElCaptain
    Jul 19, 2020
    6
    Look, it's a good smash game, but it is probably the weakest smash game personally

Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best 3DS Game of 2014
1
#1 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2014
6
#6 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 76 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 71 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 76
  3. Negative: 0 out of 76
  1. CD-Action
    Jan 9, 2015
    80
    If you’re a fan of Nintendo, you will be delighted with Super Smash Bros. [13/2014, p.69]
  2. Hyper Magazine
    Dec 2, 2014
    80
    On its own merits, it's an utter joy...but it's also pretty clearly a primer for the Wii U version. [Issue#255, p.68]
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Nov 15, 2014
    85
    The new Smash overcomes its biggest challenge by actually being very playable on the portable 3DS. The online side is mediocre at best, but there is nevertheless a lot of fun to be had here. [Nov 2014]
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