Super Smash Bros for the 3DS came out with an exclusive demo for Platinum level Club Nintendo members, which led to a massive scramble for access codes, and the site going down. The exclusive demo itself is not too different from the public one, the only differences being that it came out a week prior and there are an unlimited number of plays, as opposed to the public demo’s limit of 30.
With a larger roster, I intend to smash with all available bros. However, the demo has only five to use so far. We have the famous plumber, Mario; the sword-bearing hero, Link; the shocking rodent, Pikachu; the robotic shooter, Megaman; and the master town designer; Villager.
Mario, Link, and Pikachu are the same as their previous Smash iterations, so the newcomers Megaman and Villager will get a brighter spotlight. Megaman has an interesting arsenal mainly consisting of projectiles. His play style suits a more technical player, with set up attacks to deal crushing combos. The Villager, straight from Animal Crossing, a game in which the most violent interaction is gently tapping your neighbor with a bug catching net, was a surprise for everyone. All of their moves are tools from the game, creatively repurposed to kill. For example, a flying Gyroid that you can ride and explodes on impact. That is honestly so cool. Villager’s attacks are varied to an extent where they are noticeably correlated with the direction they point, so this character can act as a good segue into playing for beginners, but the unique attacks are also suitable for the use of a more experienced veteran to the series.
The demo only features one stage, which isn’t really a big deal considering it’s just a demo. Players can fight on the Battlefield, which presents two forms. In its normal form, it’s the floating island with the three platforms that we all know and love. In its omega form, the three platforms are removed, leaving a stage akin to Final Destination.
I am looking forward to trying out all the new characters in the full release, as well as fighting on each of the new stages and discovering all the new items. In specific, I’m curious to test out Greninja. He’s a ninja, a frog, a Pokemon, and he has his own tongue as a scarf. What’s not to love? ❖
Luke Hellman/Web Editor
