How does Super Smash Bros, both versions, and Sonic Boom for the 3DS play out?
If there’s one thing you know going into E3, it’s you’re going to wait in line for a long time for certain games. That’s actually the main reason why I skipper Super Smash Brothers all together at the start of the show and went to other Nintendo games first. While I was waiting in line for Hyrule Warriors, I got my hands on Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal for the 3DS and gave that a go.
Sonic Boom is the new direction that Sega is taking the Fastest Hedgehog around and the 3DS version of the game just doesn’t have that classic Sonic feel, but that isn’t all bad. The demo had you play with four characters, each one with their abilities and you can touch the touch screen to switch between them. Sonic has speed boosts, Tails can fly, Knuckles can dig, and newcomer Sticks has a boomerang to throw. You would think that switching between characters would take away from the game and slow it down but it doesn’t really slow things down, too much.
The game introduces a “grapple beam,” I guess is the best way to put it, to grab hanging hooks as well as throw you in the right direction. I feel that this beam is forced at times, like they didn’t need it in the game in the first place. The only major flaw I had with the game was that it felt like I was just going in circles and nothing showed I was going in the right direction. Also, the controls didn’t feel right to me. What I mean is that I’m hoping in the finished product, you’ll be able to switch jump and attack because they way they are now, it makes things more difficult.
Now, onto what you’re here for, Super Smash Bros. Sorry, I didn’t play it. Come on, if you fell for that, you don’t know me at all! Anyway, the Super Smash Bros demos were played with the Game Cube controller so you didn’t get to feel how the different control layouts would work. Since this was the case, the Game Cube control still feel comfortable, I just suck as Smash Bros. The characters didn’t feel overpowered and the new ones feel like they’ve been there the whole time. The stages are some of the tougher ones in the series, like the Pilotwings plane stage. I would have liked to have tested the other controls but I think I can just assume they play like the Wii version. On to the 3DS version.
Now, if you haven’t been under a rock for the past year, you know that Super Smash Bros will have a version on the Wii U and on the 3DS. The character roster will be the same for both games but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. It appears that there will be more custom options in the 3DS version, such as attacks and outline thickness on the actual character. I have an issue with the controls for Super Smash Brothers and that might have to do with the layout of the actual system. Controls didn’t feel natural/comfortable in the sense that I kept hitting the wrong button at times. When I was playing as Mario I found myself using Flood when I wanted to use the cape or recovery move to save myself. Instead, I would fall off the stage, unable to recover. Like most fighting games, you usually have a chance to set your controls the way you want them so the layout, hopefully, won’t be a problem.
It will be interesting how things like the Amiibo NFC toys play into Wii U games, like Super Smash Brothers and how the Smash Bros games will change/modified when they’re ready for release. It will also be interesting to see how Nintendo sells the Amiibo toys. Will they be bundled in with the game or will you need to buy a set, like Disney Infinity?
