Super Smash Bros 3DS review: pocket monster

Describing the contents of Super Smash Bros. 3DS makes it sound like some kind of mythical horn of plenty. It's got nearly 50 playable characters from games across franchises, universes and publishers. It's got RPG customization systems with shocking depth. It's got game modes for days, and unlockables for even longer.

All that stuff isn't filler for a threadbare core. Fears that the game would be compressed to the point of being unrecognizable can safely be assuaged — Super Smash Bros. 3DS proves this franchise belongs in your pocket.

That's not to say Super Smash Bros. 3DS has moved away from the ideals of Brawl altogether. There are tons of assist trophies and level features to serve as obstacles in each match, and plenty of items to throw the balance of power in favor of their possessors. There are clever tools like the Bombchu, which can run along walls and ceilings in search of a target; Bottled Fairies, which will heal you, but only if your damage meter is over 100 percent; and the Special Flag, which can give you an extra life in Stock matches or an extra point in Timed.

There are so many new items, characters and levels, all mixed in with returning franchise favorites, that beginning to develop expertise with anything is kind of a tricky proposition. Case in point: After 20 hours or so, I'm still not sure which character I'm the most proficient with — except for, of course, myself.

Super Smash Bros. 3DS allows you to turn any Mii on your system into a playable fighter, and it's hands-down the best part of the game. By choosing between three archetypes — the Brawler, Gunner and Swordfighter — and choosing four special attacks (there are three options for each slot, for a total pool of 12), you can essentially replicate and remix most characters from franchise history. There's immediate familiarity with your Mii Fighter's techniques, making them a great starting point for the rest of the game's roster.

You can also equip your Miis with outfits and hats to change their appearance, which became my overriding goal for my every moment with the game. My fashion hunt paid off in a big, big way — my Brawler is wearing the Power Loader suit from Aliens, my Swordfighter is a wizard-pirate and my Gunner is some kind of Texas oil magnate with an inexplicable arm cannon.

This suite of customization options affords more control to players than fighting games are typically willing to hand over — however, they come with a caveat: All customization options can be disabled with the push of a button from the pre-fight lobby. Moreover, when playing online with strangers, you're unable to use any customized fighters, including your Mii.

It's a bummer that the game's main progression hook is disabled when you're matchmaking, but Super Smash Bros. 3DS's online mode has a much larger albatross around its neck: Network stability is wildly inconsistent.

Maybe a quarter of the matches I played online, either with friends or against strangers, were great, with almost no lag to speak of whatsoever. A few matches were simply unplayable, with frequent, full-blown freezes. But most of the time, latency landed somewhere in the middle. In most matches, there was a noticeable amount of input lag that, while passable, made pulling off any kind of combo or technical maneuver far more difficult than in an offline match. It doesn't matter who you're playing with, either. I had completely stable matches with three random Japanese players, but a one-on-one match with a stateside colleague was a slideshow.