Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Reviews

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
IGN
Top Critic
8.8 / 10.0
Sep 26, 2014

Smash 3DS is impressive and, for the most part, feels right at home on 3DS. The multitude of ways to play and awesome customization gave me many reasons to keep fighting - and I've been at it for more than 45 hours already. It all produces a fun feedback loop of engaging in matches to unlock custom moves and trophies, then jumping into another match to try out the new stuff. Even the online modes feel carefully considered and focused on what the series does best, and what the 3DS can reasonably do. It's a little disappointing that the four-player antics that are the best part of the console games don't really work on a small screen, but there's still more than enough that does work to make Smash a great 3DS game.

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No Recommendation / Blank
Sep 26, 2014

Pocket fighter.

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Sep 30, 2014

A highly polished iteration of Smash Bros. that plays great on its own. But if you're afflicted by latency problems in local multiplayer, you'll suddenly become painfully aware of the 3DS version's critical shortcomings.

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8 / 10
Oct 2, 2014

There are some inherent limitations with playing a four-player fighting game on a 3DS but this overcomes almost all of them, to become one of the portable's definitive multiplayer games.

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9.3 / 10.0
Sep 26, 2014

Don't let the screen size fool you – Super Smash Bros. on 3DS is a riot, and it's worthy of the name

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9 / 10.0
Sep 26, 2014

Smash Bros hasn't been compressed for 3DS — it's been tailored to it

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8 / 10
Sep 26, 2014

Smash Bros. is a cavalcade of cartoonish violence and chaos, and it's never been better.

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Yes
Oct 3, 2014

Portable Smash Bros. blizz.

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Sep 26, 2014

For the first time in the franchise's 15-year history, you can pummel your friends on the go. It comes with some drawbacks, but not enough to get in the way of another chaotic, fun experience.

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USgamer
Top Critic
Sep 27, 2014

Given the technical limitations of the Nintendo 3DS, Sora Ltd. and Bandai Namco have done an admirable job with this port. At its core, Super Smash Bros. is both a loving tribute to Nintendo and a surprisingly deep fighter, and though it hasn't changed much over the years, its appeal is strong as ever on the Nintendo 3DS. The solo experience is admittedly lacking, but as a multiplayer game, it remains a delight.

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Sep 26, 2014

Even if you're likely to move onto the console version or you don't play your 3DS much, this edition of the venerable brawling series offers everything you could want and will likely become a standard bearer for the platform.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 2, 2014

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS delivered just about everything I wanted out of it, and then some. I've grown attached to a number of newcomers, I've played more online matches than I ever did with Brawl, and I'll be tackling all of the single-player content for weeks on end. I'm all in again thanks to Smash 3DS, and it's made me even more excited for the Wii U version later this year.

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8 / 10
Sep 26, 2014

If anything, Super Smash Bros. For 3DS is a precursor to the main event – the Wii U version – which is arriving later this year. It's a handheld game at heart, so it can be excused where it falls short in certain modes, and it brings a wealth of new functionality to the series, including character customisations in an already expansive roster.

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8 / 10
Sep 26, 2014

Super Smash Bros. brings everything good about the series, including its rich roster of beloved characters, stages that honor Nintendo's handheld heritage, tens of hours of unlockable content, and condenses it all into a fine portable package. It goes a long way towards catering to both long-time fans of the series and casual newcomers with mechanics that are simple to grasp, while also adding some welcome new degrees of complexity.

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Oct 10, 2014

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS might be the lead up to a better game on Wii U, but when what's there is so much fun and contains so much content there is no reason to complain.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 26, 2014

It's not feature rich, and it's not the perfect way to play Super Smash Bros. 4, but Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS does mean you can see if attacks link in training while in the queue for coffee. It means you can set a new high score in a home run contest while on the loo and save the replay to prove how you did it later. It means you can play Super Smash Bros. online without crippling lag, while waiting for pasta to boil, and then watch some replays of online Luigi players while you eat. It would be easy to sit and reel off a list of things Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS doesn't have, but it's better to focus on what it is. And what it is, is a functionally excellent, portable version of Super Smash Bros.

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9 / 10
Sep 26, 2014

The best Smash Bros. in the series to date, giving the Wii U version a lot to live up to.

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97 / 100
Sep 26, 2014

You can never tell how great a fighting game will really be until the public has time to master it, but Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS has everything it needs to finally get the competitive community to move on from Melee. The new characters are excellent, and the gameplay is smooth, fast, and exciting.

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Sep 26, 2014

Despite the system's limitations, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS successfully brings the frenzied fighting series to a portable platform.

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7 / 10.0
Oct 3, 2014

The 3DS version of Smash Bros. is the broadest yet … but it lacks the social aspects of gathering round a TV

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