Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U

Melee will always be the one I turn to to get that sweet Smash Bros fix, but this is definitely a big improvement on Brawl. The cast of characters is just so ludicrously and delightfully huge, even bringing in off-brand characters like Pac-Man, Mega Man, Cloud Strife, Ryu and Bayonetta. Less slick and fast but a bit more tough and physical than Melee, most casuals I play with do prefer this one.

A bit of a comeback after Brawl. This one feels more akin to the 64 and GC versions, though still shy of achieving identical heights. Still, it's just about one of the best experiences you're gonna have on the Wii U. The commitments to the 3DS and to using Gamecube controllers were added bonuses.

Personally my favorite version of Smash Bros.

rating the Wii U version: the kinetic excitement of the first two games is largely back, and while it sharply blunts the skill curve from Melee, there's still enough technique involved to make the game fun from a competitive perspective. likely as balanced as the series will get, though the DLC characters, particularly Cloud and Bayonetta, are so much better than the rest that it's a little disheartening.

My housemates played my copy of the Wii U version so much I eventually sold my Wii U because it was getting annoying.

Smash 4 is a slow game with a lot of dumb shit - footstools are dumb, rage is retarded, hitboxes are non-sensical, losing the neutral is overly punishing, etc. Compared to Brawl, the game is functionally less broken but it's still mechanically shallow with boring 50-50 mix-ups and overemphasis on throw combos. There's a lot of things wrong with this game, yet I've put more time into it than I should have. I guess I just like Corrin and meming it up on For Glory.