Post by nocturnal YL on Sept 15, 2014 16:47:47 GMT -5
I'm going to put my impressions on Smash 3DS here, talking about each small part. I contemplated whether I should this up or not, but ultimately, I decided that this message board should serve its purpose.
I have stayed silent on my opinions of Smash for the most part, because I didn't want to talk about a game that's not out yet and get too worked up over nothing. Now that it's out, my opinion actually didn't change much. I did feel better than before, though.
So... where do we get started...
Characters
Character lineup
Love it. Yeah, I'm stumped that a few characters didn't return, but this isn't a Smash-specific thing. It happens everywhere. Mario spinoffs comes to mind; other examples include F-ZERO, Puyopuyo, or even Metal Slug. And just because is a gigantic crossover doesn't mean you should get all too emotionally involved in it. It's a game, and it may not even be your favourite series.
Now, for the newcomers: I'm glad because I got 3 of my most wanted newcomers in, and 7 more I never even thought possible. To elaborate, my most-wanted this time are:
(1) Robin or Lucina. It was a roller coaster of sort.
- At first I wanted to see Chrom and Lucina to replace Marth and Ike because of the Ferox stage, and because I'm sick of FE getting single characters from different worlds. That's before knowing they aren't cutting the "time-limited" characters this time.
- Then, after Marth was announced, I wanted to see Ike come back as well; starting from that point, I wished for no Chrom (at least not without the other two contenders) because I hate traditions. I've always been hating that Smash seems to treat the original game series as something that can be easily formulated.
- Then came the Male Wii Fit Trainer, which made me wish to see a gender swap for Marth.
- Seeing Ike came back filled me with joy, as well as a reassurance that Chrom wouldn't be playable.
- 14 July reveal video. Best reveal ever. I wanted either, and we got both.
- Colour palettes were revealed. I'm so glad that they actually paid attention to the source material.
(2) Someone from the Golden Sun series. Simply because I like them. We also need more earth-based moves. I was disappointed at Issac's AT's non-return. Feh.
(3) Bowser Jr. I always thought that with the Mario lineup being so big, Jr. has to be among them. He's a regualar antagonist of the New SMB series, after all. So if they're all about promoting the main Mario series, Jr. would be the best candidate. It also creates the opportunity to make battles like Mario and Luigi versus Bowser and Jr.
...Then the game came out. And we know that Bowser Jr. has Koopaling alts. They're another bunch of characters that I do like a lot, and ones that I'd have never thought would be playable in Smash at all.
And for the ones that I didn't have particular preference of, some of them feel really fresh (Shulk's different modes, the Villager's Pocket-related humour, Rosalina & Luma's puppet mechanic...). Definitely the best newcomer set ever.
Luigi
I'm glad they fixed the Final Smashes of Luigi. Whose idea was it that Negative Zone was a good idea? Luigi wasn't even that kind of in-the-shadow character since the GBA was around. Make him a starter with a proper Final Smash. That's the only correct way to treat Luigi.
Kirby
Another character who I'm glad got a better Final Smash. Some may not like his "yet another trap and slash" FS, but it's way better than Cook. When I saw Cook, all I thought was why didn't he get a more proper Final Smash like Crash.
Another change I'd most welcome is his demon-slaying fire hammer (鬼殺し火炎ハンマー). Another trademark killer move of Kirby's. Previously, I've accused the Smash series for failing to understand the Kirby series. It got better this time.
Robin
Another reason I'm so glad about Robin is that the weapon system is finally in Smash. I've imagined what would happen if Melee had implemented this: Roy would use his swords 20 times, after which he'll become useless. Sounds cruel, you say? That's about how useful Roy is in his own game.
Oh, the magic part makes me really glad too. Not only does it put a stop to sword-only fighting, but the FE6~8 animation reference (to one of my favourite classes, no less) is pretty neat too.
King Dedede
He no longer throws Waddle Dees. How weak. I'd have wanted him to throw more Waddle Dees, not less. He should make a tag team of sorts with Bandana Waddle Dee too (like throwing him out once in a while). I like his new Final Smash, though.
Duck Hunt
I officially lost it when I saw them in action. I was wondering how could some team from a simple game like that get into a Smash title that gives its newcomers mostly loyal-to-original moves. Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman are really, really clever. I'd have never imagined these games would appear elsewhere besides WarioWare.
Falco
Falco, what are you doing in that Landmaster again?
Meta Knight
Meta Knight could use the full-screen Mach Tornado from Ultra. Galaxia Darkness isn't enough to convery how badass he is.
Stages
Stage lineup
Both good and bad stuff happen here. This is the only part of the game that I'm unimpressed about. But let's talk about the good things first.
First off, I'm actually a fan of scrolling Mario stages, but the ones in the past have failed to convey Mario's true feel. The desert thing of Mushroomy Kingdom feels unnecessarily gritty (just like Brawl itself), for example. 3D Land,on the other hand, is just what I wanted. Tricky platforming sections that scream Mario.
Other than that, I'm generally impressed at the new 3D stages. Paper Mario, the two Pokémon stages and Spirit Train are all good stages to me, and Magicant stands out even more (although I have no knowledge of MOTHER or MOTHER2 to really talk about it). I particularly appreciate Paper Mario; Mario games other than the platformers, Mario Kart and Luigi's Mansion need some recognition.
I feel mixed about Arena Ferox. On one hand, I'm glad to see a specific location in the series (Castle Siege was among my least favourite stages in Brawl, because it didn't show much about the original games and doesn't even look like anything), but on the other hand, I don't like the Pokémon Stadium-style change. This is one stage that I'll appreciate its Final Destination form more. It's originally a featureless stage, so why introduce unnecessary gimmicks here?
Now, for the bad stuff. First off, why does it have so many 2D stages? At this point, I'm sick of them showing 2D pixel art visuals everywhere (I wouldn't have liked Duck Hunt either, if not for the sheer unexpectedness of those moves). You don't need to advertise laziness, Namco, especially when you're not. No, this isn't "classic" or "nostalgic" when you're shoving it everywhere. FOUR 2D stages are off-limit. And this is a 3D system. Using 2D art is only excusable on a weak system like Nintendo 64.
But even that's not the worst thing. What's worse: some traditional series don't have new stages at all. With all those complaints from DK and Metroid fans, those series are getting no new stages here. Is it so hard to make stages for them? And if you're saying it's because they're making two games this time, well, why even make two games? Why not just make a single Wii U game that has everything in it and call it a day? Dear Smash developers, you've got a lot to explain.
PictoChat 2
Boring stage based on a feature that no one uses is now getting a follow-up. At least the drawings are more interesting this time. Still, there are better themes than a boring grey background. Flipnote and Swapnote come to mind, but those may rub people in a wrong way. One had abruptly ended, the other didn't even make it overseas for the same reason (though still often advertised in Japan).
Dream Land
A 2D Kirby stage. The only Kirby stage. And that is a scrolling stage taking place in a Game Boy screen and, for some reason, isn't fixed-camera like every other scrolling stage is. Oh, and you want to experience the colourful world of Kirby's? Nope, that is the only Kirby level. Seriously. I'm sick of this. Take a hint from Kirby Fighters, Smash team.
Final Destination
The game has some Final Destination forms that make no sense. Why is there an abyss in the Living room? And Tomodachi Life's building has no visual distinction that it can't be entered now. Spirit Train feels odd too; it could have been an actual car, but it may then cause Tomodachi Life's problem, so I don't know. But then, I can use Final Destination forms to make Dream Land and Arena Ferox easier to live with, so I have no complaints on the feature's existence. They just need to make some of the stages look more natural.
Items
Assist Trophy
Like the other things in the list, there are lots of loves and hates here. I like some of the additions, and I also like some of the removals. I have more dislikes, though. I'll just list them:
- Additions that I like: Sablé Prince, Takamaru, Dillon, all the Zelda and Metroid ones
- Removals that I like: Helirin (as much as I like the Kururin series, I simply think it does not translate well to Smash), Resetti (who wastes much time during which no other ATs can show up), Excitebike (every pixel sprite-based AT gone is a small victory)
- Non-removals that I dislike: Andross (because he's ugly; I wanted 64 Andross instead)
- Removals that I dislike: Issac, Ray Mk-III, Jill
- Others: Nightmare: I'm glad he's available, but why does he do nothing other than darkening the screen?
Oh, they still don't have an Assist switch like with regular items. Since Assist Trophies are random, being available as one is possibly the worst in-game treatment a character can get compared to moves and stage elements. I think this feature should be restricted to series without playable characters and stages.
Cracker launcher and fan
I don't really miss them. The fan is a minor Smash icon though. Guess they removed it because the fan slaps are annoying?
Modes
Classic
It's branched, short, and has an intense, scary final battle with Master Core at higher level. And it doesn't arbitrarily lock battle types and game series anymore: If you enter an F-ZERO themed 2-vs-2 battle, you'll face Falcon and someone from a different series, which was not possible in Brawl at all. But more importantly, this mode has the best Smash boss of them all. You'll have an intense battle with an abomination that puts Tabuu to shame. Easily the best Classic mode ever.
All Star
Also the best of the series. Instead of tiring lines of 12 battles with 1~3 opponents each like in Melee or 19 of them with mostly 1 or 2 opponents like in Brawl, you enter 7 battles with 7 opponents each. This makes the fighting much more fast-paced. It gets challenging on higher levels too. Still think it should be randomised, though.
One neat thing I like is that characters with alternate appearances will use them. This includes wireframe Mac, overall Wario, Villagers, the Koopalings, Alph and female Robin. I haven't seen male Wii Fit Trainer, ending Zero Suit Samus or swimming trunks Shulk, but I assume the first one will show up too.
Smash
Meh at the lack of options. This is the main reason (along with stages) why this game feels like it's only half a game. No Special Smash despite Smash Run clearly supporting it, no My Music despite having loads of extra music, no replays supported (that is for Stadium), items are locked to "appear" and "not appear". It's like they're intentionally crippling Smash 3DS. If this is a way to push players to Smash Wii U instead... seriously, why even make Smash 3DS? Also, why not state the intention clearly?
Music
Outright awesome. We've got this Sakuraba-styled N's Castle remix! (Did I mention I like Motoi Sakuraba's music?) Other nice songs include... well, all of them. The creepy Master Core theme, the upbeat Murasame Castle medley, the peaceful Magicant, your usual Mario music from SMB3, 3D Land, New SMB... N's Castle still stands out the most.
I doubt the suitability of using emotional songs like N's Castle and Id~Purpose as battle themes though.
User interface
The menu is a bit confusing. Games & More should be better explained, and Vault/Options should be put in the top menu while Challenges should be under Vault. Group should probably become a single menu item for all local connections so that players can play multiple game modes in the same session.
The characte rselection screen is chaotic too. For some reason, it sees fit to separate the clones. May I suggest an alternative:
It still puts older series first for the most part, adjusting to situations where unusual line breaks may occur. It also has a secondary effect of separating the single-character series into a single row (with an exception). It's not that hard, Smash UI designers.
Others / Conclusions
Well, if anything, this game makes me wish they concentrated their effort on a single Smash Wii U. The stage choices are unusual, and the modes look like their intentionally crippled, but the overall quality is great. A single Wii U game would possess all the game modes and stages, so that I can actually play 3D Land (an excellent stage in my mind) under Giant Metal Heavy Smash and save its replay.
I have stayed silent on my opinions of Smash for the most part, because I didn't want to talk about a game that's not out yet and get too worked up over nothing. Now that it's out, my opinion actually didn't change much. I did feel better than before, though.
So... where do we get started...
Characters
Character lineup
Love it. Yeah, I'm stumped that a few characters didn't return, but this isn't a Smash-specific thing. It happens everywhere. Mario spinoffs comes to mind; other examples include F-ZERO, Puyopuyo, or even Metal Slug. And just because is a gigantic crossover doesn't mean you should get all too emotionally involved in it. It's a game, and it may not even be your favourite series.
Now, for the newcomers: I'm glad because I got 3 of my most wanted newcomers in, and 7 more I never even thought possible. To elaborate, my most-wanted this time are:
(1) Robin or Lucina. It was a roller coaster of sort.
- At first I wanted to see Chrom and Lucina to replace Marth and Ike because of the Ferox stage, and because I'm sick of FE getting single characters from different worlds. That's before knowing they aren't cutting the "time-limited" characters this time.
- Then, after Marth was announced, I wanted to see Ike come back as well; starting from that point, I wished for no Chrom (at least not without the other two contenders) because I hate traditions. I've always been hating that Smash seems to treat the original game series as something that can be easily formulated.
- Then came the Male Wii Fit Trainer, which made me wish to see a gender swap for Marth.
- Seeing Ike came back filled me with joy, as well as a reassurance that Chrom wouldn't be playable.
- 14 July reveal video. Best reveal ever. I wanted either, and we got both.
- Colour palettes were revealed. I'm so glad that they actually paid attention to the source material.
(2) Someone from the Golden Sun series. Simply because I like them. We also need more earth-based moves. I was disappointed at Issac's AT's non-return. Feh.
(3) Bowser Jr. I always thought that with the Mario lineup being so big, Jr. has to be among them. He's a regualar antagonist of the New SMB series, after all. So if they're all about promoting the main Mario series, Jr. would be the best candidate. It also creates the opportunity to make battles like Mario and Luigi versus Bowser and Jr.
...Then the game came out. And we know that Bowser Jr. has Koopaling alts. They're another bunch of characters that I do like a lot, and ones that I'd have never thought would be playable in Smash at all.
And for the ones that I didn't have particular preference of, some of them feel really fresh (Shulk's different modes, the Villager's Pocket-related humour, Rosalina & Luma's puppet mechanic...). Definitely the best newcomer set ever.
Luigi
I'm glad they fixed the Final Smashes of Luigi. Whose idea was it that Negative Zone was a good idea? Luigi wasn't even that kind of in-the-shadow character since the GBA was around. Make him a starter with a proper Final Smash. That's the only correct way to treat Luigi.
Kirby
Another character who I'm glad got a better Final Smash. Some may not like his "yet another trap and slash" FS, but it's way better than Cook. When I saw Cook, all I thought was why didn't he get a more proper Final Smash like Crash.
Another change I'd most welcome is his demon-slaying fire hammer (鬼殺し火炎ハンマー). Another trademark killer move of Kirby's. Previously, I've accused the Smash series for failing to understand the Kirby series. It got better this time.
Robin
Another reason I'm so glad about Robin is that the weapon system is finally in Smash. I've imagined what would happen if Melee had implemented this: Roy would use his swords 20 times, after which he'll become useless. Sounds cruel, you say? That's about how useful Roy is in his own game.
Oh, the magic part makes me really glad too. Not only does it put a stop to sword-only fighting, but the FE6~8 animation reference (to one of my favourite classes, no less) is pretty neat too.
King Dedede
He no longer throws Waddle Dees. How weak. I'd have wanted him to throw more Waddle Dees, not less. He should make a tag team of sorts with Bandana Waddle Dee too (like throwing him out once in a while). I like his new Final Smash, though.
Duck Hunt
I officially lost it when I saw them in action. I was wondering how could some team from a simple game like that get into a Smash title that gives its newcomers mostly loyal-to-original moves. Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman are really, really clever. I'd have never imagined these games would appear elsewhere besides WarioWare.
Falco
Falco, what are you doing in that Landmaster again?
Meta Knight
Meta Knight could use the full-screen Mach Tornado from Ultra. Galaxia Darkness isn't enough to convery how badass he is.
Stages
Stage lineup
Both good and bad stuff happen here. This is the only part of the game that I'm unimpressed about. But let's talk about the good things first.
First off, I'm actually a fan of scrolling Mario stages, but the ones in the past have failed to convey Mario's true feel. The desert thing of Mushroomy Kingdom feels unnecessarily gritty (just like Brawl itself), for example. 3D Land,on the other hand, is just what I wanted. Tricky platforming sections that scream Mario.
Other than that, I'm generally impressed at the new 3D stages. Paper Mario, the two Pokémon stages and Spirit Train are all good stages to me, and Magicant stands out even more (although I have no knowledge of MOTHER or MOTHER2 to really talk about it). I particularly appreciate Paper Mario; Mario games other than the platformers, Mario Kart and Luigi's Mansion need some recognition.
I feel mixed about Arena Ferox. On one hand, I'm glad to see a specific location in the series (Castle Siege was among my least favourite stages in Brawl, because it didn't show much about the original games and doesn't even look like anything), but on the other hand, I don't like the Pokémon Stadium-style change. This is one stage that I'll appreciate its Final Destination form more. It's originally a featureless stage, so why introduce unnecessary gimmicks here?
Now, for the bad stuff. First off, why does it have so many 2D stages? At this point, I'm sick of them showing 2D pixel art visuals everywhere (I wouldn't have liked Duck Hunt either, if not for the sheer unexpectedness of those moves). You don't need to advertise laziness, Namco, especially when you're not. No, this isn't "classic" or "nostalgic" when you're shoving it everywhere. FOUR 2D stages are off-limit. And this is a 3D system. Using 2D art is only excusable on a weak system like Nintendo 64.
But even that's not the worst thing. What's worse: some traditional series don't have new stages at all. With all those complaints from DK and Metroid fans, those series are getting no new stages here. Is it so hard to make stages for them? And if you're saying it's because they're making two games this time, well, why even make two games? Why not just make a single Wii U game that has everything in it and call it a day? Dear Smash developers, you've got a lot to explain.
PictoChat 2
Boring stage based on a feature that no one uses is now getting a follow-up. At least the drawings are more interesting this time. Still, there are better themes than a boring grey background. Flipnote and Swapnote come to mind, but those may rub people in a wrong way. One had abruptly ended, the other didn't even make it overseas for the same reason (though still often advertised in Japan).
Dream Land
A 2D Kirby stage. The only Kirby stage. And that is a scrolling stage taking place in a Game Boy screen and, for some reason, isn't fixed-camera like every other scrolling stage is. Oh, and you want to experience the colourful world of Kirby's? Nope, that is the only Kirby level. Seriously. I'm sick of this. Take a hint from Kirby Fighters, Smash team.
Final Destination
The game has some Final Destination forms that make no sense. Why is there an abyss in the Living room? And Tomodachi Life's building has no visual distinction that it can't be entered now. Spirit Train feels odd too; it could have been an actual car, but it may then cause Tomodachi Life's problem, so I don't know. But then, I can use Final Destination forms to make Dream Land and Arena Ferox easier to live with, so I have no complaints on the feature's existence. They just need to make some of the stages look more natural.
Items
Assist Trophy
Like the other things in the list, there are lots of loves and hates here. I like some of the additions, and I also like some of the removals. I have more dislikes, though. I'll just list them:
- Additions that I like: Sablé Prince, Takamaru, Dillon, all the Zelda and Metroid ones
- Removals that I like: Helirin (as much as I like the Kururin series, I simply think it does not translate well to Smash), Resetti (who wastes much time during which no other ATs can show up), Excitebike (every pixel sprite-based AT gone is a small victory)
- Non-removals that I dislike: Andross (because he's ugly; I wanted 64 Andross instead)
- Removals that I dislike: Issac, Ray Mk-III, Jill
- Others: Nightmare: I'm glad he's available, but why does he do nothing other than darkening the screen?
Oh, they still don't have an Assist switch like with regular items. Since Assist Trophies are random, being available as one is possibly the worst in-game treatment a character can get compared to moves and stage elements. I think this feature should be restricted to series without playable characters and stages.
Cracker launcher and fan
I don't really miss them. The fan is a minor Smash icon though. Guess they removed it because the fan slaps are annoying?
Modes
Classic
It's branched, short, and has an intense, scary final battle with Master Core at higher level. And it doesn't arbitrarily lock battle types and game series anymore: If you enter an F-ZERO themed 2-vs-2 battle, you'll face Falcon and someone from a different series, which was not possible in Brawl at all. But more importantly, this mode has the best Smash boss of them all. You'll have an intense battle with an abomination that puts Tabuu to shame. Easily the best Classic mode ever.
All Star
Also the best of the series. Instead of tiring lines of 12 battles with 1~3 opponents each like in Melee or 19 of them with mostly 1 or 2 opponents like in Brawl, you enter 7 battles with 7 opponents each. This makes the fighting much more fast-paced. It gets challenging on higher levels too. Still think it should be randomised, though.
One neat thing I like is that characters with alternate appearances will use them. This includes wireframe Mac, overall Wario, Villagers, the Koopalings, Alph and female Robin. I haven't seen male Wii Fit Trainer, ending Zero Suit Samus or swimming trunks Shulk, but I assume the first one will show up too.
Smash
Meh at the lack of options. This is the main reason (along with stages) why this game feels like it's only half a game. No Special Smash despite Smash Run clearly supporting it, no My Music despite having loads of extra music, no replays supported (that is for Stadium), items are locked to "appear" and "not appear". It's like they're intentionally crippling Smash 3DS. If this is a way to push players to Smash Wii U instead... seriously, why even make Smash 3DS? Also, why not state the intention clearly?
Music
Outright awesome. We've got this Sakuraba-styled N's Castle remix! (Did I mention I like Motoi Sakuraba's music?) Other nice songs include... well, all of them. The creepy Master Core theme, the upbeat Murasame Castle medley, the peaceful Magicant, your usual Mario music from SMB3, 3D Land, New SMB... N's Castle still stands out the most.
I doubt the suitability of using emotional songs like N's Castle and Id~Purpose as battle themes though.
User interface
The menu is a bit confusing. Games & More should be better explained, and Vault/Options should be put in the top menu while Challenges should be under Vault. Group should probably become a single menu item for all local connections so that players can play multiple game modes in the same session.
The characte rselection screen is chaotic too. For some reason, it sees fit to separate the clones. May I suggest an alternative:
It still puts older series first for the most part, adjusting to situations where unusual line breaks may occur. It also has a secondary effect of separating the single-character series into a single row (with an exception). It's not that hard, Smash UI designers.
Others / Conclusions
Well, if anything, this game makes me wish they concentrated their effort on a single Smash Wii U. The stage choices are unusual, and the modes look like their intentionally crippled, but the overall quality is great. A single Wii U game would possess all the game modes and stages, so that I can actually play 3D Land (an excellent stage in my mind) under Giant Metal Heavy Smash and save its replay.
