Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Genre: Fighting Game / Platformer / Party Game

Players: 1-8 Competitive / Team Competitive (Local Wireless, Online)

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Review:

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, alongside its Nintendo 3DS counterpart, is often referred to by fans simply as “Super Smash Bros. 4”, as both of these games are essentially different versions of the same core game, both released in 2014, with that game being the fourth entry in Nintendo’s beloved franchise that mixes Platformer and Fighting Game elements to make for a fast-paced frenetic brawl where Mario can punch Pikachu in the face while Link faces off against Samus… along with numerous other Nintendo characters (along with a few Third-Party characters as well).

Each version of this Super Smash Bros. 4 features the same roster of characters, along with the same core gameplay, but each version has a slightly different list of stages, as well as its own unique gameplay modes and features. Many of these features (and at least a few stages) did not end up carrying over into the game’s Nintendo Switch sequel, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, so one might be inclined to ask, “is it worth it to get Super Smash Bros. for Wii U if I have Ultimate?”

Before answering that question, let’s talk about exactly what this game brings to the table that separates it from what came before and what we got in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

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Smashing Features

There’s an argument to be made that the core gameplay in Super Smash Bros. 4 is mostly a refinement of what we had in brawl, adjusting the speed, fixing the pointless “tripping” from Brawl, and adding more characters, stages, and features, making for some of the best core gameplay in the series, with a great balance of accessibility and depth, and making for a truly outstanding party game to huddle around with friends and have a blast duking it out with each other.

However even compared to its predecessor, Super Smash Bros. 4 isn’t clearly superior in all areas. For one thing, this game has no single-player campaign or story mode to speak of, unlike the prior game’s “Subspace Emissary” campaign and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s World of Light. In its place, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U got a new multiplayer mode, Smash Tour. This gameplay mode plays like a combination of typical Smash Bros. gameplay with a Mario Party-style Party Game, complete with a board game style game board. While an interesting idea in theory, this game mode feels just far too chaotic to be more than a brief distraction.

That’s not to say that there weren’t significant new features added to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U that weren’t in Brawl. This is the first game in the series to support up to 8 players in one game, and this game would allow players to build customized versions of their characters with alternate attacks or different stats. The former feature would be carried over into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and the latter feature would be replaced with the Spirits mode in that game, but nonetheless these are two noteworthy features. It also bears mention that this game’s Stage Builder mode is different than both the Stage Builder in Brawl and the Stage Builder in Ultimate.

In terms of game modes, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is the final game in the series to feature All-Star mode, Events (matches built with unique conditions or themes), or any sort of Target mode (though sadly the Target mode isn’t nearly as engaging as its counterparts in Brawl and Melee). This game also features a Special Order mode where players can choose to take on matches of different difficulties to essentially wager and earn in-game coins to spend on bonuses.

All things considered, there’s a lot of stuff that’s interesting here, but I don’t think any of it really makes up for the loss of Subspace Emissary and the earlier Break the Targets modes, nor does any of it quite compare to the World of Light mode in Ultimate.

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All the World’s a Stage

Okay, so what about the stages that this game has that were cut from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? From what I can tell (and assuming we’re not counting slightly-altered versions of stages like Final Destination and Battlefield), this game features five stages that would go on to be cut from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Jungle Hijinxs is a truly creative stage based on the Donkey Kong Country Returns games that has players blasting back and forth between the foreground and background. It’s a fantastic idea, but it was clearly cut because it just wouldn’t work properly with Ultimate’s Stage Morph feature.

Miiverse is a simple stage that has the same basic layout as stages like Battlefield, and its core gimmick of displaying messages from the Miiverse died along with the Miiverse itself, making this stage largely pointless. No great loss here.

Pyroshpere was an outstanding stage based on the Metroid franchise, where players had to alternate between fighting each other and fending off a massive Ridley… a stage that was clearly cut because Ridley was made a playable character in Ultimate, and it even if having two of him present in the game wouldn’t be odd, the extreme disparity in their sizes would have been.

That leaves Orbital Gate Assault and Woolly World, stages based on the Star Fox franchise and Yoshi’s Woolly World that are each visually gorgeous in different ways, albeit perhaps a bit gimmicky. Still, it is a shame these stages didn’t make it into Ultimate.

Would Ultimate have been better with some or all of these stages? Absolutely. But I think the absolute abundance of stages present in Ultimate more than makes up for it.

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A Smashing Spectacle!

Of course, visually, the Super Smash Bros. series is one that just keeps getting better and better, though some may argue that Brawl’s visuals were a mixed bag due to its washed-out colors. Anyway, Super Smash Bros. 4’s 3D visuals maintain the pattern of being a true spectacle to behold, with a ton of detail, some incredible action going on in backgrounds, an incorporation of countless games’ different visual styles, amazing animation… this game is one of the best-looking games on Wii U, no question.

What’s more, it’s all backed by an ever-growing soundtrack of original game tunes and remixes that make this series one of the most musically epic franchises ever made, building on the massive soundtrack already present in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and adding even more great songs. Plus of course each character is appropriately voiced (or at least, those characters who should be voiced are).

In short, Super Smash Bros. 4 is a treat for both the eyes and ears… though of course all of this would go on to be topped by Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

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Smash or Pass?

Okay, I’ve put off answering the question long enough. Is Super Smash Bros. for Wii U still worth getting if you already have Ultimate?

Well… no.

Sorry, while this game does have some features and game modes not present in Ultimate, as well as a few stages that never made it into the sequel, Ultimate absolutely mops the floor with this game in terms of its comprehensive 80+ character roster, its absolutely massive stage list, and its superb World of Light campaign.

If you own a Wii U and don’t have a Nintendo Switch… well, you’re a rare breed. But if that’s the case then yes, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is absolutely worth picking up. It is a truly phenomenal game that is an absolute blast to play in groups. But since most of those who got a Wii U likely also have a Nintendo Switch, my strong recommendation is to just skip this one and proceed straight to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Trust me, you won’t be missing much here.

tl;dr – Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is a truly great entry in Nintendo’s franchise of Platformer / Fighting Game hybrids. Unfortunately, it is a truly great game that has been thoroughly eclipsed by Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Nintendo Switch. While this game has a few gameplay modes, features, and stages that didn’t make it into its Nintendo Switch sequel, none of those elements hold a candle to all of the content in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This game is truly a great game, but if you own a Nintendo Switch, you should skip it and go straight to the sequel.

Grade: A-

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