The new Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS adds new modes, gameplay changes, and better online options, but let’s be honest: Many of us care most about the new characters.
Thankfully, the newest version of Nintendo’s cross-over fighting game series, which comes out for the 3DS tomorrow and for the Wii U later this year, adds plenty of new combatants to the roster. Fellow GamesBeat writer Jeff Grubb and I have had a chance to play as all of them, and we’ve each come up with a few favorites.
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Mike’s picks
Mega Man
I wanted to love Mega Man. I’ve been a huge fan of the characters since I played his classic 2D sidescrollers on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Thankfully, the Blue Bomber is a great addition to the Smash Bros. roster.
As expected, he has one of the strongest ranged games. He can throw Metal Blades in eight directions, attach Crash Bombs on opponents that eventually explode, and even send out a rotating Leaf Shield. However, his neutral standard attack actually makes the biggest difference. Unlike most characters, Mega Man’s regular attack is a ranged series of buster shots. They only do a little damage, but they disrupt any character or projectile they hit. He can even shoot while moving or jumping. His standard Smash Attack also has range, making it one of the most unusual (and useful) in the game.
Above: Mega Man is posing like the retro badass he is.
Also, despite his ranged expertise, his close-ranged options aren’t terrible. His aerial moves are especially good. His forward air attack is quick and can cause some decent damage, while his backward air move can send enemies flying to their deaths.
Most importantly, however, playing as Mega Man is a blast for anyone who loves the character. All of his moves come from the games, and his 3D model perfectly captures the spirit and proportions of the original 2D sprite.
Duck Hunt
Above: Those are the faces of your doom.
This was one of the most surprising additions to the roster, but Duck Hunt (a tag team of both the dog and a duck from the famous NES light-gun game) is one of the most entertaining characters.
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Like Mega Man, Duck Hunt has incredible ranged moves. By tapping the special attack button, you can hop an explosive barrel across the stage. Unlike most projectiles, the barrel isn’t on a set path, and you can continue to move it even while you’re in the middle of other attacks. It’s especially good for guarding the ledge while your opponent tries to come back from a knockout.
Still, I mostly love Duck Hunt for his retro move-set. He can summon 8-bit characters from other classic NES light-gun games, and his smash attacks make It look like he’s dodging shots from a player with the classic Zapper controller.
Also, I mean, it’s a dog and a duck teaming up to fight the likes of Bowser and Ganondorf. Who couldn’t love that?
Robin
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Fire Emblem Awakening was my Game of the Year in 2013, so I was desperately hoping that one if its great characters would make it into the roster. I was surprised that Robin, the canon name of the player-character, was one of them, but it’s a great pick.
While every other Fire Emblem character in Smash Bros. uses just a sword, Robin is primarily a mage. He (or she, depending on which costume you pick) can use spells familiar to anyone who’s played the series. One of the coolest is a lightning attack that has different properties the longer you charge it.
Above: Robin’s the one with the book. The dog, sadly, is not playable.
Also, Robin can’t just spam magic attacks. Eventually, just like in Fire Emblem, he’ll run out of spells in his tome and discard it. It takes just a short while for that spell to become available again, but this neat mechanic forces you to think about conserving your moves.
Robin also has one of few attacks in the game that can heal. Nosferatu traps enemies in a vortex that hurts them while it restores your life. It’s just another unique quirk that makes the character stand out.
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Jeff’s picks
Villager
The Villager is simultaneously one of the weirdest and most interesting new characters in Smash Bros. His cute aesthetics, dead eyes, and ax made him the subject of a meme following the announcement that Nintendo was putting him in the series, but it turns out that he is more than just a joke.
Above: The Villager is going to shoot a rock down Bowser’s throat and choke him to death.
My favorite part of using Villager is just how unusual his close-ranged attacks are. Whether it’s the bowling-ball smash attack that does a ton of damage if you’re close enough to connect with it or digging holes to bury players for a quick stun, everything is a bit silly. His best attack by far is his down special. It’s a four-part move that requires you to plant a tree sapling, pour water on it, and then chop it down with two ax swings. Once the tree is up, it can act as a bit of a shield. Also, your ax — which you only get when the tree has grown — is a pretty powerful weapon. Finally, if you manage to fell the tree onto an opponent, it can bring down a ton of pain.
If you can get the hang of Villager, it’s easy to keep your opponents off-balance. He’s weird, and that’s probably what makes him so useful.
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Little Mac
I love Little Mac, and I hate Little Mac. He is the best example of high-risk, high-reward in the new Smash.
The star of Punch-out is all about laying down massive haymakers and uppercuts. But he is not about recovering and is an especially tough fighter to control on smaller stages. If you connect with his forward special attack, which is a leaping, overhand punch, you’ll have a good chance of sending your opponent skyrocketing. If you miss, you’re left wide open for a reprisal attack.
Above: Little Mac teaches his friends a lesson in threatening the sky.
Even worse, if you misjudge the distance to the edge, you could leap punch right off the side of the level. This sums up most of Little Macs moves. Essentially, Little Mac is probably one of the best characters at KO’ing enemies. In my experience, he’s also one of the best at KO’ing himself.
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But if you can learn and manage his risks, Little Mac is unbelievably devastating, and, in a skilled player’s hands, he’s going to win a ton of matches.
Pac-Man
Namco helped Nintendo develop the new Smash, so it’s not surprising that the studio snuck its mascot into the game. And I am glad they did.
Above: Old school cool.
Pac-Man is a great nostalgia character. His smash attacks involve summoning his ghost enemies from his arcade game, which are decently powerful close-ranged attacks. Powering up his standard special scrolls through the different fruits you would pick up to score bonus points in the original Pac-Man as well.
I’m not sure how great Pac-Man is for competitive play, but I do have a ton of fun using him. He may seem like a strange addition to the series at first, but he ends up fitting end just fine.