by Cody Norton
When Super Smash Bros. launched for the Nintendo 3DS last month, it was unclear how the upcoming Wii U version would compare. A week after its release, Smash for the 3DS, which is undoubtedly great in its own sense, simply cannot stack up to everything its counterpart offers. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Wii U dazzles with incredible visuals, updated gameplay mechanics, as well as several exciting new game modes.
Simply having a larger screen enhances the enjoyment of the game. Due to the generally fast gameplay, fully appreciating the improved background graphics was a struggle on the 3DS. Now I find myself accidentally falling off maps distracted by the sheer beauty of what’s happening behind the battle. Onett, a very simplistic map in previous entries, has been entirely redone to fully encapsulate the city. While Super Smash has never needed top-notch graphics to enwrap us for hours at a time, it is a pleasure to have them nonetheless.
8-Man Smash is the craziest, most unpredictable mode that Super Smash has ever created. It’s incredibly necessary, but most importantly, it’s a tremendous success. New players often struggle to beat friends who have had significant practice in the game. Even with four players, the more experienced prevail through better spacing and edge guarding. With 8-Man Smash, the playing field becomes more balanced without entirely sacrificing skill. Advanced mechanics are difficult to achieve, and there is reliance on riskier, harder hitting moves to gain an advantage. Yet those with a solid understanding of timed hits and smash attacks can still succeed. While the map selection is bland, the zaniness and unpredictability of every game is entertainment galore for even the most technical players. For new players it’s an opportunity to learn the basics without the frustration of being repeatedly destroyed.
While it includes the same characters as the 3DS version, Super Smash for the Wii U provides a larger starting roster to allow for more immediate enjoyment. For those not keen on completing other activities to unlock their favorite fighter, you only need to play 50 matches with your friends and they’ll have access to everyone. In previous entries, gathering the characters could be a grueling task. Now with the roster almost fully available, other modes can be enjoyed for what they are rather than what they offer.
Thankfully, not only is Event Mode back, it’s better than ever. While it’s always been an entertaining mode for creating intriguing matchups with interesting goals, the setup was a bland, straight across board layout. Completing each task would unlock the next until there were no more. Now it has a maze-like design where completing a task will open up several new routes to take. Additionally, two-player mode has been enhanced from the brief, unoriginal designs of previous games. With more options, cooler matchups, and a more expansive map layout, Event Mode makes a welcomed return.
The emergence of both competitively viable and casual maps cannot be undervalued. While the 3DS version introduced some wonderful maps for casual fun, like Spirit Train and Reset Bomb, there were almost no new neutral maps for more competitive options. Final Destination, Battlefield, and Yoshi’s Island were all that existed, which unfortunately had been created in previous games.
Pilot Wings, Wuhu Island, and Town and City are not only beautiful maps, but are competitively viable options. While they do have somewhat similar layouts to previously created maps, simply making the effort to provide new backgrounds is a treat for those looking for a more serious battle that isn’t at Final Destination. Even for the more casual, maps like Orbital Gate Assault, Woolly World, and Mushroom Kingdom U are crazy and original options to enjoy. Most importantly, each new character now has a representative stage, which perfectly captures their characteristics and origins.
Having good map options seems like an obvious task, but Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U blows away every previous entry with its incredible variety, and unbelievable graphics. The fact that a multitude of them are competitively viable selections makes them that much better.
Hello Duck Hunt stage.
Much like Smash Run on the 3DS, Smash Tour suffers from a lack of originality and difficult-to-understand mechanics. It’s clear that this turn-based mode is inspired by Mario Party. Unfortunately, it’s unable to translate the ever-entertaining mini games into Super Smash. While Mario Party could sometimes be tedious due to the generally slow gameplay, Smash Tour is so fast-paced that it’s nearly impossible to follow. I’m constantly losing and gaining characters and items without ever being able to keep track of them. Having the whole turn occur at once is a nice idea, but the minimal explanation of each thing happening makes the mode difficult to enjoy. Having the final battle be time based, and very brief at that, causes those with more stocks to play a heavily defensive game so as to simply run out the clock. While it can sometimes be an enjoyable side activity, it requires multiple playthroughs before even beginning to make sense of its randomness and chaos.
Despite all of these upgrades, the online portion is still an unfortunate work in progress. Aside from 1 on 1, every other mode is often subjected to varying amounts of lag. 1 on 1 is usually for the more experienced players so those looking for a casual experience have to endure the sometimes unplayable lag of the other four-player modes. For the more competitive player, the lack of other stock mode options can be annoying. With the option to now play online with a friend, a stock option for team mode would have been a pleasant addition. It doesn’t ruin the online, but it’s a missed opportunity to create a more enjoyable experience with friends.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Wii U is the most complete entry into this magnificent franchise. From the upgraded graphics to the expansive, yet balanced character roster, there is more than enough to appreciate. And while online has its faults, this game is just so good that it’s no more than a moot issue. For those who have grown up with Super Smash, this game will be an absolute delight. For those who are unfamiliar to the series, it is a perfect entry point.
