Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 North American box art For alternate box art, see the related gallery. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Developers | Sora Ltd. Bandai Namco Games | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher | Nintendo | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Platform | Nintendo 3DS | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Release dates |  September 13, 2014[1] October 2, 2014[2] October 3, 2014[3] October 3, 2014[4] October 3, 2014[5] October 4, 2014[6] July 24, 2015 (for HK/TW model)[7] July 24, 2015 (for HK/TW model)[8] July 30, 2015 (for Japan model)[9] July 30, 2015 (for Japan model)[10] September 10, 2015[11] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Languages | English (United States) English (United Kingdom) Japanese Dutch French (Canada) French (Europe) German Italian Korean Portuguese (Europe) Russian Spanish (Latin America) Spanish (Europe) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Platform fighter | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ratings |
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| Modes | Single-player, Multiplayer | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Format |  Game Card Digital download | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Input | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Serial code | LNA-CTR-AXCE-USA | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Everyone 10+
- All ages
- Twelve years and older
- Twelve years and older
- Twelve years and older
- Ten years and older
- All ages
- Parental guidance
- Ten to twelve years
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is a platform fighting game and the first handheld entry of the Super Smash Bros. series. It and its partner game, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, were both developed by Sora Ltd. and Bandai Namco Games,[12] and released as the joint fourth installment, though the 3DS version had released slightly earlier to allow for a dedicated debugging period for the Wii U version.[13] Both games were designed to be similar to one another, though both retain some exclusive content, such as Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS having Smash Run. Both games can be connected to transfer customized characters between each other, and the Nintendo 3DS can be used as a controller for the Wii U version. The game requires 9,108 blocks (1.16 GB) of memory on an SD card if purchased from the Nintendo eShop until March 27, 2023.[14] Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS could be played over Nintendo Network until the service stopped on April 8, 2024.[15][16]
The game had its own Miiverse community, though screenshots could not be posted from original Nintendo 3DS units due to high processing requirements.[17] The game has 
C Stick support, faster loading times, and the ability to take screenshots when played on a New Nintendo 3DS.
Gameplay[edit]
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS features similar gameplay to its predecessors, especially Super Smash Bros. Brawl, with the return of Final Smashes, Footstool Jumping, and the same type of air dodging. The core gameplay involves fighters having percentages starting at zero, gradually rising as they take damage, leaving them vulnerable to higher knockback. If a fighter is hit beyond the blast line, they lose a point. The 
button is generally used for regular attacks, and using the 
in conjunction decides upon the direction, type, and strength of attack. Tapping while pressing initiates a smash attack, a strong move that is often used to score KOs. 
is used for special attacks, also usable with the , such as their up special functioning as a recovery. By pressing 
, the player can shield and block certain attacks, and they can press 
to grab. Each fighter has at least two jumps, which are activated by pressing 
, 
, or by pressing up on . Jumps can potentially allow a player to go back on the stage.
Each fighter is surrounded by an outline, which is to make them more visible on the Nintendo 3DS screen.[18] The outline can be either thick or thin, or disabled entirely. During a team match, the characters each have an outline matching their team color, regardless of the option, allowing for differentiation between two or more players if their fighter and alternate costume is the same.
Players can customize their fighter with up to three pieces of equipment, affecting their attack, defense, and speed stats by highering or lowering it. A fighter's special move has three variations, although each has to be unlocked first. It is possible to have up to ten custom fighters. Custom characters were unusable in With Anyone.
Players can send customized fighters from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and vice versa, though it is not possible to edit any transferred fighters. By connecting the two games, the player can use their Nintendo 3DS as a controller for the Wii U version.[19]
Exclusive modes[edit]
Smash Run[edit]
- SmashWiki article: Smash Run
Smash Run is similar to City Trial from Kirby Air Ride, though also has the 2D platforming mechanics of Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary. The player travels around a large, maze-like map for five minutes, fighting various enemies from the Super Mario franchise and other Nintendo series, which can be defeated for stat boosts. When time is up, the final stats determined by the stat boosts are shown, followed by a match between the player and other fighters. Players have to fulfill the given conditions to win.
StreetSmash[edit]
- SmashWiki article: StreetSmash
StreetSmash represents StreetPass functionality in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Players compete using tokens to knock away their opponents. Holding causes the player to build up power, and releasing it while moving the 
in direction allows them to charge forward into an opponent. The player can press to shield, also being able to dodge while moving, followed by pressing to counterattack. Players can either play against other players tagged via StreetPass or in practice mode. The reward for participating in StreetSmash is gold.
Games & More[edit]
- SmashWiki article: Games & More
Classic[edit]
- SmashWiki article: Classic Mode (SSB4-3DS)
Classic Mode involves the player traveling through challenges while making their way towards the end. The mechanic of deciding upon the intensity level is taken from the Fiend's Cauldron from Kid Icarus: Uprising.[20] Set to 2.0 by default, the intensity can be either decreased or increased by spending gold. If the player receives a game over, the intensity is lowered by .5 if they opt to continue, though it does not go below 2.0.
The mode takes place on a linear map, where the player can choose which of the colored paths to take: blue for easy difficulty; green for medium; and red for hard. The opponents depend on which fighters are available, so unlocking fighters makes them potential opponents in Classic Mode. After each match, the player receives various rewards, which can be either gold, a trophy, or Custom Parts, depending on which the roulette landed on prior to the battle. The number of rewards become higher for each increased difficulty setting.
Classic Mode consists of six matches. After each of the first four battles, the player battles the Fighting Mii Team, consisting of ten weak Miis, or a team of ten weak fighters of the same type. The last stage is a battle against Master Hand, though if the intensity is anywhere from 3.0 to 7.9, the player has the choice to fight Master Hand and Crazy Hand together, but at intensity 8.0 onwards, the player does not have a choice to fight only Master Hand. Additionally, if the intensity is 5.1 or higher, Master Core is also fought, and the number of forms depend how high the intensity is.
| Level | Intensity | Wager | Final Battle | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Path 1 | Path 2 (black path) | |||
| Effortless | 0.0 to 0.9 | 55 to 100 | Master Hand | N/A |
| Easy | 1.0 to 1.9 | 5 to 50 | Master Hand | N/A |
| Standard | 2.0 to 2.9 | 0 to 72 | Master Hand | N/A |
| Tougher | 3.0 to 3.9 | 80 to 188 | Master Hand | Master Hand and Crazy Hand |
| Challenging | 4.0 to 4.9 | 200 to 335 | Master Hand | Master Hand and Crazy Hand |
| Heatin' Up | 5.0 to 5.9 | 350 to 530 | Master Hand | Master Hand, Crazy Hand, and Master Core (5.1 or higher) (Master Edges, Master Shadow) |
| Extra Spicy | 6.0 to 6.9 | 550 to 775 | Master Hand | Master Hand, Crazy Hand, and Master Core (Master Beast, Master Edges, Master Shadow) |
| Infernal | 7.0 to 7.9 | 800 to 1205 | Master Hand | Master Hand, Crazy Hand, and Master Core (Master Giant (7.5 or higher), Master Beast, Master Edges, Master Shadow) |
| White Hot | 8.0 to 8.9 | 1250 to 2105 | N/A | Master Hand, Crazy Hand, and Master Core (Master Giant, Master Beast, Master Edges, Master Shadow) |
| Nothing Harder! | 9.0 | 2200 | N/A | Master Hand, Crazy Hand, and Master Core (Master Giant, Master Beast, Master Edges, Master Shadow) |
All-Star[edit]
- smashwiki article: All-Star Mode
All-Star is a single-player or two-player mode where the goal is to defeat every playable fighter (excluding Miis), excluding unlockable fighters if they have not been unlocked. The introduction of the characters depends on the timeframe in which they were introduced, not by series. After each match, the player goes into the All-Star Rest Area, where a trophy or Custom Part may appear after a match. The All-Star Rest Area has only a Maxim Tomato, a Fairy Bottle, and a Heart Container (two if all fighters are unlocked), allowing the player to recover from damage. There are no continues, so if time runs out in a match or the player loses their stock, they receive a Game Over. When the player clears All-Star Mode, they receive a trophy of their fighter in one of their alternate costumes.
Training[edit]
- SmashWiki article: Training
Training involves the player trainning against a CPU. There are a variety of customizable options, such as which items appear, the number of opponents or the handicap for each player.
Stadium[edit]
- SmashWiki article: Stadium
Three minigames are available in Stadium: Multi-Man Smash, Home-Run Contest, and Target Blast. In Home-Run Contest, like before, players have ten seconds to increasingly damage the Sandbag before having to launch it as far as they can. The outer shield surrounding the platform is more durable than in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.[21] In Target Blast, there are two rounds giving the player ten seconds to attack and launch a bomb to destroy several targets within the time limit, which starts counting down when the player attacks. It is possible to earn trophies, equipment, or a special move variation by breaking their targets.
Multi-Man Smash involves one or two players battling the Fighting Mii Team, consisting of Mii Fighters that are much more vulnerable to knockback than the average fighter. Platforms sometimes appear with items on them. Two players can also play this mode together via local wireless. The options are:
- 10-Man Smash - Defeat ten Mii Fighters
- 100-Man Smash - Defeat 100 Mii Fighters
- 3-Minute Smash - Defeat as many Mii Fighters within three minutes
- Rival Smash - The player character competes against a CPU counterpart of themselves to defeat as many Mii Fighters as possible until being KO'd. If the player wins, the final score is the point difference between the player and their CPU counterpart.[22] Rival Smash is the only one of the Multi-Man Smash modes introduced in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
- Endless Smash - Defeat as many Mii Fighters before being KO'd.
- Cruel Smash - Defeat as many stronger enemies who can easily KO the player as possible. This is the only mode where Mii Fighters are not weaker than the player.
Vault[edit]
- SmashWiki article: Vault
Within the vault, players can view collected trophies, snapshots taken during play, and saved replays; listen to the game's music and voices in the sounds menu; view records; and view a series of tips.
Trophies[edit]
- Main article: List of trophies in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
There are 707 trophies in total, including the downloadable ones.[23] From the trophies menu, players can either view their collected trophies or acquire more by either purchasing them from the Shop or by playing Trophy Rush, which involves breaking crates and rock blocks to destroy them and collecting gold, trophies, and custom parts when the meter has filled, activating "Frenzy."
Challenges[edit]
- SmashWiki article: List of challenges (SSB4-3DS)
- Main article: Challenges (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS)
Challenges are specific objectives that can each be completed to unlock the prize inside, such as a trophy, as well as a picture. By completing a certain number of challenges, a new panel of them is unlocked. The player is sometimes rewarded a Golden Hammer, which completes a challenge automatically.
Online[edit]
- SmashWiki article: Online play
The Online mode allowed players from across the globe to compete in matches, though has become permanently inaccessible since Nintendo Network shut down. In With Friends, the rules were customizable as desired. With Anyone is divided into two options: For Fun, where matches took place on a stage of choice with items turned on, and For Glory, where matches took place on the Ω form of a stage, without any items. There was Spectator Mode, where players could watch matches and bet gold on their outcome, view replays of earlier online matches, and view a map that would show whoever was online.
Since September 15, 2014 in Japan, and October 2, 2014 internationally, the Conquest system had been added, where various fighters compete in matches, and whoever won with them in With Anyone mode would have points added to that fighter's score. The winning fighter would be revealed after a few days, and players who had used that fighter were rewarded gold.
A Sharing mode had been added in version 1.0.5, and it players could use it to send and receive Mii Fighters from other players, as well as screenshots and replays. The player could share or post Mii Fighters and replays with friends to the server, and snapshots could be added to Miiverse before the service discontinued. Replays were searchable through a variety of categorizations, such as mode, stage, character, location, and user. Snapshots or Mii Fighters were searchable by only creator and location, as well as the type of fighter in the case of Mii Fighters.
The game used Global Smash Power to rank players online. The score was recorded for each of the various single-player modes, and the number shows the number of players outranked around the world.
Playable characters[edit]
There is a total of 58 playable fighters, if counting the three Mii Fighters as separate, and the same fighters all return in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The base roster consists of 51 characters (counting each Mii Fighter), featuring 34 returning fighters and 17 newly added fighters. Alph and the Koopalings count as alternate costume choices for Olimar and Bowser Jr. respectively, and both the male and female versions of Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Robin, and Corrin are additionally available through alternate costumes. On the select screen, the Original Fighters section is for fighters in the base game, while Extra Fighters is for characters purchased as downloadable content. To keep the rosters consistent across both games, certain characters and features have been removed, most notably the Ice Climbers.[24]
Eleven of the characters are from the Super Mario franchise (18 if counting each of the Koopalings): Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Rosalina & Luma, Dr. Mario, Bowser Jr., Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Yoshi, and Wario.
With the discontinuation of digital purchases for Nintendo 3DS on March 27, 2023, it has no longer been possible to purchase the downloadable characters. Redownloading previously downloaded characters was initially disabled upon the termination of Nintendo Network services on April 8, 2024, though this had been reversed days later.[25]
| Default characters | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Character | Trophy description | Special Attacks | Final Smash |
 Mario 
|
As iconic as iconic gets, this gaming celebrity is known for saving the world from Bowser. He's got amazing jumping skills and makes use of a wide range of transformations. In his free time, he plays too many sports to count. In Smash Bros., he's a well-rounded fighter you can rely on. Say it with me: “It’s-a me, Mario!” | Standard - Fireball Side - Cape Up - Super Jump Punch Down - F.L.U.D.D. |
Mario Finale |
 Luigi
|
Luigi recently celebrated his 30th anniversary with the Year of Luigi, but all that attention just made him even more shy and awkward. In Smash Bros., Luigi takes a lot of cues from his brother in fighting style, adding flair to moves like Super Jump Punch. His taunts, however, are truly unique. | Standard - Fireball Side - Green Missile Up - Super Jump Punch Down - Luigi Cyclone |
Poltergust 5000 |
 Peach
|
Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach continues to prove that "powerful" and "cute" are not mutually exclusive. In Smash Bros., Peach uses her dress to float above the fray, suddenly descending and attacking with numerous weapons. A frying pan? Umbrella? TOAD?! Where does she keep it all? | Standard - Toad Side - Peach Bomber Up - Peach Parasol Down - Vegetable |
Peach Blossom |
 Bowser
|
The archenemy of Mario and the reason Peach spends more time kidnapped than in her own castle. His plans aren't always the best, and occasionally he even finds himself on Mario's side. In Smash Bros., he's a serious heavyweight who laughs off weaker attacks. Hit him hard to send him flying! | Standard - Fire Breath Side - Flying Slam Up - Whirling Fortress Down - Bowser Bomb |
Giga Bowser |
 Yoshi 
|
As dependable a partner as one could hope for, Yoshi often aids Mario in his adventures. Yoshi can swallow just about anything and make an egg of it instantly. He's got some serious airborne power, making launching opponents skyward and then following up with more attacks a wise choice. | Standard - Egg Lay Side - Egg Roll Up - Egg Throw Down - Yoshi Bomb |
Super Dragon |
 Rosalina & Luma (new)
|
The mysterious Rosalina lives in the Comet Observatory with the Lumas. She first traveled with them in search of their mother. In Smash Bros., Rosalina and Luma can fight in different places at the same time. If you can trap someone between Rosalina and Luma, you'll be able to unleash incredible damage! | Standard - Luma Shot Side - Star Bits Up - Launch Star Down - Gravitational Pull |
Power Star |
 Donkey Kong 
|
This king of the jungle really, really loves bananas. His adventures usually start with people stealing his hoard of them. In Smash Bros., he's known for his incredible strength and long reach. Despite his size, he's still pretty quick. He can even jump carrying heavy items! Use this knowledge well. | Standard - | |