Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U

[DimensionWarped]

Been playing this since the demo released public (I was platinum, but apparently they didn't give out the platinum demo if you didn't sign on for 'promotional emails' (read: spam))

 

In any event, my impressions right now are that it's a much more satisfying game to play than Brawl, if not quite as technically minded as Melee (the dodge spammability just makes it a little iffy). I do have some small beefs with the DS version that appear to be more graphical in nature than anything else and I wouldn't be surprised if they end up being fixed in the Wii U version.

 

Here's an example:  Villager's bowling ball.  Frankly, I kind of hate this move, but what really kills it is that the ball hits the ground and just kind of immediately disappears without fading away or anything like that.  This also happens with Mega Man's lemons and Villager's slingshot pellets. It's too abrupt and it looks sloppy.

 

I feel like they kind of missed an opportunity by having custom specials but not custom regular attacks.  The loss of Lucas would have stung a whole lot less if Ness could switch to using Lucas's up smash. Also the fact that Ness's own up smash doesn't hit on charge in this one really irks me. I'm really hoping there are some mechanical differences in the Wii U version like that. Another example of something that might have been able to be done here would have been to swap out grapple grabs for regular grabs. That way Ness could have inherited Lucas's snake as well and for people who don't like grapples, they could have let Link/Samus/etc have some normal grabs too. Oh well, there's always the future.

 

Another thing that would have been cool is if Mario were able to float Peach style as long as he had Fludd charge.

[Serephim]

Been playing this since the demo released public (I was platinum, but apparently they didn't give out the platinum demo if you didn't sign on for 'promotional emails' (read: spam))

 

In any event, my impressions right now are that it's a much more satisfying game to play than Brawl, if not quite as technically minded as Melee (the dodge spammability just makes it a little iffy). I do have some small beefs with the DS version that appear to be more graphical in nature than anything else and I wouldn't be surprised if they end up being fixed in the Wii U version.

 

Here's an example:  Villager's bowling ball.  Frankly, I kind of hate this move, but what really kills it is that the ball hits the ground and just kind of immediately disappears without fading away or anything like that.  This also happens with Mega Man's lemons and Villager's slingshot pellets. It's too abrupt and it looks sloppy.

 

I feel like they kind of missed an opportunity by having custom specials but not custom regular attacks.  The loss of Lucas would have stung a whole lot less if Ness could switch to using Lucas's up smash. Also the fact that Ness's own up smash doesn't hit on charge in this one really irks me. I'm really hoping there are some mechanical differences in the Wii U version like that. Another example of something that might have been able to be done here would have been to swap out grapple grabs for regular grabs. That way Ness could have inherited Lucas's snake as well and for people who don't like grapples, they could have let Link/Samus/etc have some normal grabs too. Oh well, there's always the future.

 

Another thing that would have been cool is if Mario were able to float Peach style as long as he had Fludd charge.

 

 

The fact that the 3DS version is even a thing really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I think it's already a longshot to assume Nintendo would ever release a real rebalancing patch for smash brothers (it being a "party game" and all), but keeping them synced with the 3DS just makes it even less likely.

 

 

I looked at most of the custom moves, and was disappointed with most of them. Alot of those concepts could have been used to allow some cool things to happen, but meh. 

 

 

When news of the custom moves came up, I immediately ran over to Link and Samus. Thoroughly disappointed at the wasted potential. 

Edited September 24, 2014 by Serephim

[Abominal Taz]

Okay, Villager can gobble balls. I mean Jesus, I went sudden death with this asshole on Lv. 9, twice and he fucked me up within 2 seconds, while I was nowhere near him. What the fuck is that about? The best way I've taken him down with that air recovery is with Link's up special smacking his ass to kingdom come.

[AnOrdinarySonicFan]

Okay, Villager can gobble balls. I mean Jesus, I went sudden death with this asshole on Lv. 9, twice and he fucked me up within 2 seconds, while I was nowhere near him. What the fuck is that about? The best way I've taken him down with that air recovery is with Link's up special smacking his ass to kingdom come.

 

Link's Up Special always came in handy during Sudden Death matches. Unless someone comes in and smacks Link from above.

Edited September 24, 2014 by AnOrdinarySonicFan

[DimensionWarped]

Link's Up Special always came in handy during Sudden Death matches. Unless someone came in and smacks Link from above.

 

Wow, what a great way to leave yourself completely defenseless at a time when a simple jab combo is enough to kill you.

[AnOrdinarySonicFan]

Wow, what a great way to leave yourself completely defenseless at a time when a simple jab combo is enough to kill you.

 

Hey, I don't claim that Link's spin slash is the best way to kill someone quickly.

 

I think I should clarify: I use Link's spin slash if I'm in close proximity of my opponent. I would grab, but I'm not really good at grabbing, and I'd shoot arrows for long range.

[Abominal Taz]

I use the spin slash in the air when I can get nice launch hits. It's the only time I find it useful.

[ila]

Been playing the demo. It's fun. I will say though that if it wasn't for the free soundtrack offer, I'd be completely skipping out on Smash 3DS. Hyrule Warriors is coming out this Friday, and I've enjoyed that demo much more than the Smash demo.

I'm not comfortable playing Smash on the 3DS at all. Don't mind the button layout, but the circle pad lends itself to very little precision.

 

Also DW, sorry I didn't send you one of my early access codes. I ended up giving them away via random giveaways over the week.

[DimensionWarped]

It's quite fine Ila.  I've got more than enough demo uses to keep going through to release (or whenever I end up getting the game) and the extra week I had to wait wasn't a big deal. I was just put off that Nintendo would dis their platinum members over something as trifling as not signing up for spam.

[ila]

Anyway, if the net play isn't complete garbage I'll be hosting a Smash tournament for us sometime in November.

[Neo Hazard]

Oh yeah! So I got the demo code a while back. It's a load of fun and it's way better than Brawl could ever hope to be. I'm quite worried about multiplayer though. From what I've played, matches range from flawless to choppy and irritating. There's zero input lag, but the game will freeze and resync whenever there's the slightest issue. The rate at which it occured was about the same with three people playing as there were four. I hope that the final version is a bit more stable but it's cause for concern.

Also, to those who think people are lying about breaking their Circle Pads... why would they? It's absolutely true and I can see how. Smash is a very demanding game, requiring constant quick thrashes of the stick. Sm4sh is no exception, and the Circle Pad was clearly not intended for this sort of abuse. I'm worried about this too as well, but I think it'll be alright for the time being. Here's hoping the New 3DS has a better pad.

[Guest Mr Lange]

I don't know if it's related, but I remember hearing that the Japanese version got a patch shortly after release that fixed something online related. We at least know they're on top of it and willing to make updates. It's very likely that whatever system the demo is using is outdated.

Edited September 25, 2014 by Mr Lange

[Neo Hazard]

That's good! Hopefully it fixes the local multiplayer too. That's what I was referring to in that post but I would assume it does.

[Guest Mr Lange]

That's good! Hopefully it fixes the local multiplayer too. That's what I was referring to in that post but I would assume it does.

Yeah, local or otherwise.

 

I've been playing the demo quite a bit and practicing up for the full game. I've gotten used to the game enough that I'm getting close to playing at my Melee/Brawl level, and hopefully I can exceed that by getting the swing of the new tweaks and mechanics (it'll ultimately be dampened a bit by playing it on the 3DS). Mario is my main, and he's been decently buffed it seems. Can't wait to see how well I fair competitively.

I'm legit surprised at how well it controls on the 3DS, you can tell they put a lot of effort into refining it. Still a far cry from how well I can do with a GC controller, but great for what it is. The Wii U version is going to be where the real action is.

Edited September 25, 2014 by Mr Lange

[Sir Spacebar]

After playing around with lv 9 CPUs, here are my findings:

Villager is stupidly easy.

Pikachu is still a freaking beast.

Megaman is about on par with level 6 CPUs

Link has the reflexes of a freaking ninja

Mario is the least unfair of them all.

They seem to also have an affinity for neutral b spamming. 8/10 times they roll exactly as you do, which seems suspicious.

[ila]

Still a far cry from how well I can do with a GC controller, but great for what it is. The Wii U version is going to be where the real action is.

 

I hear you there. Hell even the time I spent trying to play Brawl with a classic controller sucked. Muscle memory is probably to blame for that one.

 

Oddly enough, I tried placing my 3DS XL in my roommate's Vita handle shell (http://www.amazon.com/CTA-Digital-Vita-Hand-Grip-playstation/dp/B0073ESZ58) and I was able to have a much better time, particularly with shoulder button placement.

[Guest Mr Lange]

I keep forgetting to specify that. I've got a 3DS XL, and I've heard there's a significant gap in control quality between normal 3DS and XL when it comes to Smash Bros.

[BlitznBurst]

I'm honestly surprised at how easily I was able to adapt to the game, considering how floaty Brawl feels after having mostly played Melee for half a year. Most of my troubles have come from trying to pull of old techniques that aren't in this game, which has led to quite a few SDs, like trying to wavedash onto a ledge (which is pointless anyway because ledge hogging is gone) or trying to use Mario's down B to recover.

[Serephim]

 

......no words for this

 

Link's Up Special always came in handy during Sudden Death matches. Unless someone comes in and smacks Link from above.

 

If Link's up+B is anything like it was in brawl while grounded, then it's been nerfed to uselessness and is unsafe always

 

Oh yeah! So I got the demo code a while back. It's a load of fun and it's way better than Brawl could ever hope to be. I'm quite worried about multiplayer though. From what I've played, matches range from flawless to choppy and irritating. There's zero input lag, but the game will freeze and resync whenever there's the slightest issue. The rate at which it occured was about the same with three people playing as there were four. I hope that the final version is a bit more stable but it's cause for concern.

 

 

 

I really wonder if Namco Bandai was used as anything more than slave workers at this point. There's no visible influence in balancing, clone etiquette, graphics or netcode. 

[BlitznBurst]

Online play seems fine, honestly. I've been watching a lot of streams and most of them have had pretty much no lag online lag save for a few matches which were presumably due to the guy on the other end having a shitty connection more than anything else.

[Serephim]

Was at Anime Weekend Atlanta, finally got to play the demo on a 3DS and a few matches between people. It's brawl 1.5, at least this demo was. I hear the final version gets some changes but ive only played the demo.

 

The game is pretty hard to control decently on a 3DS. The 3DS slide control stick simply does not give you the same range of motion as an analog. I seriously wanted to just play on the D-Pad because of how foreign it felt.

 

The game runs wicked smooth, but plays as if it's in slow motion because of how floaty the jumps are. It looks nice in motion on the 3DS at least.

 

Combos exist, but in a way that doesn't really make much sense to me. Tilt combos are extremely easy to pull off, but it seems like the vast majority of moves intentionally knock the opponent so far away that you aren't able to follow up, and since the aerial physics are similar to Brawl, this basically just resets you and your opponent. The majority of grabs are unable to be followed up. Meteor Smashing an opponent onto the ground safely launches them AWAY from the ground for a free reset. So basically once Tilts are no longer possible due to knockback, the game feels like a match of slow-mo tag again. So you can royally combo the shit out of someone at low damage, but once you hit around 50%, you're basically fishing for a KO move that will reach the blast zone.

 

 

If anything stood out to me in terms of changes, it would be how efficient the shield and roll is now. I've gotten clear roll reads and still failed to achieve a punish because of how fast it is. Fastfalling feels better but the game is still extremely floaty, and with the defensive options buffed so hard and the movement options still nerfed from Melee with nothing new to replace or augment anything, i'm afraid this game might end up being a campfest again. Just like in Brawl, i just see no logical benefit to playing proactive or aggressive in this game. Going from PM to Smash3DS, the lack of solid maneuverability just feels offputting.

 

 

Finally, i witnessed a 4-player local match with the demo. The players were literally standing in a circle around eachother, and the game what appeared to be having latency issues. Someone had to tell me they were playing locally. I have no clue how to take this. Could have just been the high amount of interference around.

Edited September 28, 2014 by Serephim

[AnOrdinarySonicFan]

Going from PM to Smash3DS, the lack of solid maneuverability just feels offputting.

 

Oh, so you're one of those people who say that Project Melee is better than any Smash bros game, right? I respect that, man, but when you're in the mindset of PM being better than Brawl or Melee, it downgrades your overall experience of the games. I found that Smash3DS played just exactly like a Smash Bros game, with no control problems whatsoever. It could be because I've never played PM, that I've never experienced how good that mod actually is.

[fahyda]

even though brawl was one of the worst smash games people still kept playing the game. this means there not really an awful smash bros 

[AnOrdinarySonicFan]

even though brawl was one of the worst smash games people still kept playing the game. this means there not really an awful smash bros 

 

Exactly. I've never heard anyone say that any Smash Bros games are bad. Sure, the Smash 64 is archaic compared to Brawl or Melee, but still a very good game on it's own merits.

[Serephim]

Oh, so you're one of those people who say that Project Melee is better than any Smash bros game, right? I respect that, man, but when you're in the mindset of PM being better than Brawl or Melee, it downgrades your overall experience of the games. I found that Smash3DS played just exactly like a Smash Bros game, with no control problems whatsoever. It could be because I've never played PM, that I've never experienced how good that mod actually is.

 

 

Being a balanced, competitive game isn't really a subjective opinion, it's a matter of design principles. The difference between PM and Brawl are like night and day but to the layman there really isn't much difference...which is the reason Brawl's design is so disgusting to me. It has nothing to do with being 'like melee'. It's all about just being a well-designed game. 

 

To put it somewhat simply...Melee built upon the mechanics of 64 and fleshed them out. Brawl took what Melee built, and hacked it to pieces.  Project M just takes brawl and puts everything it removed back together again. I never noticed until I started playing real fighting games. But the moment I did and went back to smash bros, the difference between Melee and Brawl became very, very hard to ignore. Melee had the capacity to recognize and address certain mechanics. Brawl deliberately removed them from the game.

 

The difference between Brawl and PM/Melee to me is like the difference between Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic 4 to alot of you around here. At face value, nothing is different, and to someone who's just sampling the game, it's a "promising return to form". But to anyone who knows better it's a damn joke. You can't just 'enjoy the overall experience', because you know it could be (and at some point was) better than it is, and it just feels a bit empty.

Edited October 2, 2014 by Serephim