Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

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Editions & platforms

Controls, damage and safe recovery

1. 01

   Damage is not a health bar

   Attacks increase damage percentage. The objective is to launch opponents beyond the blast zone. Build damage, then look for a strong hit near an edge. A high percentage does not end a stock by itself.

2. 02

   Separate normal, smash and special attacks

   A with a gentle direction produces a directional normal attack; a fast direction with A performs a smash attack. B plus a direction selects special moves. Practise forward, up and down separately. Physical buttons depend on your controller.

3. 03

   Shield, grab and evade

   Shield an expected attack, then act after it ends. Grabs defeat a normal shield. Repeated rolls and uncovered smash attacks make your next action predictable.

4. 04

   Save your jump

   After a hit, drift toward the stage first. Spend your midair jump when it is needed, then aim your up special toward the ledge. Test each fighter separately: jump count and recovery moves differ.

5. 05

   Turn practice into a match plan

   Practise ten recoveries without an opponent, then play short games with one learning goal. Track stocks lost to your own mistakes separately from enemy KOs. Winning one game does not establish reliable recovery.

Every fighter and a practice focus

This table lists every playable fighter or form in this game. Short plans are original training suggestions, not a tier list or guaranteed combos. German and English names are shown together.

Smash Run: use five minutes effectively

1. 01

   Select powers before starting

   Choose powers and equipment before exploration. Familiar movement matters more than a strong effect you cannot activate during a jump.

2. 02

   First minute: establish a safe route

   Explore reachable routes, defeat weak enemies and collect boosts. Avoid spending the entire opening against one tough enemy. Remember exits to other elevations.

3. 03

   Middle phase: choose challenges carefully

   Use treasure and challenge rooms when you can handle their route and objective. Attack, special, speed, jump and defence help with different final tests; raw power is not the whole answer.

4. 04

   Final minute: reduce risk

   Collect safe boosts and avoid unprepared fights that consume time. The final event can test movement rather than normal combat. Adapt to the actual displayed objective.

5. 05

   Understand multiplayer correctly

   Smash Run is the special 3DS mode for local participants and CPUs. It is not Wii U Smash Tour or a long story campaign. Each exploration round builds toward its final event.

Classic, All-Star and Stadium

All seven hidden base stages

Custom moves, equipment and a practice plan

1. 01

   Set standard rules first

   For comparable practice, disable custom moves and equipment initially. If you want customization, compare the same fighter with and without it. Added effects otherwise distort your view of ordinary move range.

2. 02

   Balance attack, defence and speed

   Equipment changes stats and may add effects. More attack is not always better than mobility or protection. Inspect the actual setup instead of selecting only the largest single number.

3. 03

   One new goal per session

   Practise recovery, then one safe grounded move and one aerial. Play short matches and note whether a missed recovery, grab or uncovered smash caused your loss. Use that to choose the next practice goal.

Online closure, DLC and local matches

Nintendo ended regular Nintendo 3DS and Wii U online play in April 2024. Local matches and single-player modes are independent. A discontinued service is not a router error that a new DNS setting will fix.

New eShop purchases ended on 27 March 2023. Nintendo continues to allow redownloading purchased content and updates for the foreseeable future; this is not an indefinite guarantee. The seven DLC fighters are Mewtwo, Lucas, Roy, Ryu, Cloud, Corrin and Bayonetta.

A DLC fighter cannot be unlocked through VS matches. A disc or game card does not automatically contain previously separate expansions. Check your existing licence first. Mii costumes are not additional fighters.

Unlocks & rewards