Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U are the fourth and fifth installments of the Super Smash Bros. series developed for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U respectively. Like previous games in the series, they are developed by Sora Ltd. along with Namco Bandai and directed by Sora Ltd. founder Masahiro Sakurai. On June 2012, it was announced that Sora Ltd. is working alongside Namco Bandai Games in developing the games.

Development
Prior to the official announcement and trailers in 2013, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U were announced in the E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) during 2011, however, the title names were not known and no information regarding to the game was announced, as Masahiro Sakurai was still developing Kid Icarus: Uprising. He also stated that a Nintendo 3DS version of SSB4 will be released as well, have more changes in SSB4, and also have dual support for the 3DS and the Wii U. Sakurai also wanted to make the gameplay experience better than its predecessors. And after months of development, it was confirmed by Nintendo that the first screenshots and a trailer of SSB4 will be show during a 2013 E3 edition of Nintendo Direct.

In the Nintendo Direct of E3 2013, Mega Man from the Mega Man series by Capcom was announced as the guest character of the series (and the third third-Party Character, after Sonic and Solid Snake, to be in a Super Smash Bros. game). They also announced newer characters such as the Villager from the Animal Crossing series and the Wii Fit Trainer from Wii Fit. During a Q&A with Masahiro Sakurai, during the 2013 E3, it was revealed that both games may not come out at the same time. It was also revealed previous characters may not make it due to the Nintendo 3DS's space limitations.

In a Nintendo Direct on 1 October 2013, Sonic the Hedgehog was confirmed to be a playable character,  making this his second appearance in the series since Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Windy Hill from Sonic Lost World is also recognized to be playable as his home stage in the Wii U version. Sonic retains his ability to transform into Super Sonic as his Final Smash and he now shouts "Super Sonic Style", using a clip from Sonic Generations. Shadow the Hedgehog will once again appear as an Assist Trophy using Chaos Control to slow down the user's opponents just as he did in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Eggrobos will appear as enemies on the 3DS-exclusive mode Smash Run. Green Hill Zone from Super Smash Bros. Brawl is confirmed to reappear in the 3DS version as his home stage. Tails, Knuckles, and Silver reprise their roles as cameos in Green Hill Zone.

Console differences and similarities
Due to the hardware capabilities along with other such hardware used in the 3DS and Wii U, there is many differences with almost everything in the game.
 * The game's versions have different release dates. The 3DS version was released in September 13, 2014 (in Japan) and October 2-4, 2014 (for the rest of the world) while the Wii U version on November 21 for North America, a week later in November 28 in Europe, and December 5-6 for the rest of the world.
 * All of the playable characters in the game (both included, unlockable, and as Downloadable Content) are on both of the consoles. However, all of the stages are different on both versions of the game.
 * Playable characters run at 60 FPS on the 3DS version, even in stereoscopic 3D, while some of the Assist Trophies and Pokémon (such as Meowth) in the 3DS Version run at only 30 FPS.
 * The screen's resolution is different. The 3DS Version is under a 320x400 resolution while the Wii U version goes up to 1080p.
 * Both versions offer online multiplayer by Wi-Fi, though it is recommended for Wii U users to use a Wii U LAN Adapter for smoother online play.
 * There are two musical pieces per stage on the 3DS version while the Wii U version brings back "My Music" from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which allows players to set how often a song will play on each stage.
 * In addition, the 3DS version allows the player to listen to music while on Sleep Mode. Pressing the "L" and "R" buttons can be used to skip a song.
 * Also, the Wii U version has more songs from all the Stages included than the 3DS Version. Most of the songs from that version are also on the Wii U version.
 * Smash Run, which is a battle mode where it allows up to four players to search in a dungeon with power-ups, is a 3DS exclusive.
 * The Wii U Version will support Amiibo figurines, which give individual character data and stats for the figurine and it can be exchanged to and from a figurine. A stand that transmits Amiibo data to the 3DS will be released at the same time as the Amiibo figures themselves however the New 3DS will offer NFC pre-installed, which will not require any additional add-ons to use the figures. Sonic will be getting his own Amiibo in February 2015.
 * The 3DS Version allows players to buy trophies that they cannot earn using "Play coins" or "G".
 * The Wii U Version has 8-player Smash.
 * Classic Mode is very different between versions.
 * On the 3DS, a player can chose any paths to fight with other characters until they reach the end. Unlike its predecessors, where it randomly selects a player that is unlocked and/or included, this process give the player more choices in terms of what character he/she decides to battle with.
 * On the Wii U, it acts as a Skill-Based Challenge and how it works may sound similar to board games as well, except, the player fights with three characters and if the player is the last one standing, he/she will go to the next round. There will be rivalries and challenges during the process and players can change difficulty which will change the reward he/she gets for winning the battle (the hard it gets, the bigger rewards it will offer). For the first time, Classic Mode can be played solo or co-op and if completed, the player can win one or two trophies, depending if one or two players done Classic Mode.
 * All 3DS Trophies come from games represented on handhelds (such as the DS), while Wii U Trophies come from home consoles (such as the Wii). Oddly, the 3DS version has more Sonic-related trophies.
 * The 3DS Version allows users to sync any items that the player obtained in the 3DS version to the Wii U version.

Reception
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS has received generally positive reviews. Much of those include a high rating of 37/40 from Famitsu and a 9/10 from Destructoid and among others. Most of the critics praised for a diverse roster, the amount of unlockable features and characters found in the 3DS version of the game, and also, the number of modes that are available to play in the 3DS Version as well. However, there is some things that the critics may not like in the long term as well. Some criticized about the lag while playing multiplayer, Smash Run and for some, they also criticize the controls in the games while some praise it. The worst reviews that came for the 3DS Version was from GamesRadar which game it a mediocre 3/5 due to the "latency problems in local multiplayer".

The game eventually made major sales after Japan got the game first and with strong sales in North America and the PAL Regions. At its first weekend after the Japanese Launch, up to a million copies are sold, and as of October 7, 2014, up to 2.8 Million copies are sold for the 3DS Version.

Music
All Sonic music appears on the Wii U version. Those marked with * are ripped from Brawl. Those marked with ** are also on the 3DS version. Bold denotes unlockable songs.


 * Windy Hill - Zone 1 (Original)
 * Green Hill Zone (Original)
 * Angel Island Zone is remixed by Jun Senoue*
 * Open Your Heart (Original, However curtailed)*
 * Live and Learn (Original but curtailed)**
 * Escape from the City (Original but curtailed)
 * Sonic Heroes (Original but curtailed)*
 * Wonder World (original)
 * His World (Instrumental) (remixed)*
 * Seven Rings in Hand (original but curtailed)*
 * Rooftop Run (original from Sonic Generations)
 * Reach For The Stars (Original but curtailed)
 * Right There, Ride On (original but curtailed)
 * Knight of the Wind (original but curtailed)

3DS Trophies
The Trophies shown are from the 3DS version.

Trivia

 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is the first Super Smash Bros. title on a handheld.
 * Many fans speculated that Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U was the third and final video game for the Nintendo-Sega partnership along with Sonic Lost World and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. However, it was revealed by an interview with Aaron Webber that the third Sega-Nintendo Sonic the Hedgehog video game is something "completely different than before." A Facebook comment by the official Sonic the Hedgehog page also confirmed that Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U was not the third game from the Nintendo-Sega partnership. It was later revealed that the third game is Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric/Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal.
 * Sonic was revealed in October 2013, the same month that he was confirmed to be in Super Smash Bros. Brawl in 2007.
 * Classic Sonic in his original 16-bit form can be seen on Pac-Man and Duck Hunt's promotional posters.
 * Coincidentally, Sonic has encountered each of the third-party company's mascots in some form before Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U:
 * Mario and Sonic met each other at Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games in 2007 and this has continued with other Olympic games ever since (including the Winter Olympics).
 * Archie Comics made a crossover between the Sonic and Mega Man franchises a few months before Sonic's confirmation, known as Sonic & Mega Man: Worlds Collide in 2013.
 * Sonic and Pac-Man appeared in the Disney movie Wreck-It Ralph in 2012 and were guests at Fix-It Felix Jr.'s party.
 * The variant covers for Archie Comics' Sonic Universe #69, Mega Man #42 & Sonic the Hedgehog #266 depict Sonic, Shadow and Mega Man in a Super Smash Bros.-themed cover.
 * Sonic is the only third party character in the game who is a veteran fighter.
 * Although Sonic was an unlockable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he appears as a starter character in both games.
 * Rosalina and Dr. Mario are the only characters from the Mario universe in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U who do not make an appearance in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series as either a playable character or costume.