For some background, my friends actually transitioned to Project M about a year ago. For those of you who don’t know, Project M is a fan “patch” for Brawl that brings the engine more in line with Melee and adds in a few characters that were removed (like Roy and Dr. Mario (though he’s back in the 3DS one, happily)). There wasn’t any particular reason for us to play this–we definitely aren’t hardcore players. It was mostly a, “Hey, this is a unique experience that isn’t quite the same Brawl we know. Let’s try it!”

For me, I thought Project M was a mild improvement over Brawl in some aspects. It was a faster paced game that didn’t have floaty jumps or tripping. There were a few changes I wasn’t happy with, but I enjoyed it for its physics handling more than anything. Plus, it was a new experience in the world of something I enjoyed, although I don’t care about hardcore Smash or wavedashing or frame counting.

However, now that I have the 3DS version, Project M is practically unplayable. It feels so broken compared to Smash 3DS’s tight physics package. The characters in Smash 3DS are not quite as heavy and fast as in Project M, and I think that’s a better thing overall. They feel more firmly planted, and their movements are more fluid and dynamic.

To transition back to comparing the game to actual Smash Bros. titles, 3DS still comes out on top for me. The physics of the game really just feel so comfortable that it blows Brawl out of the water. And while it feels closer to Melee, it really trumps it in several key areas–character balance and character physics.

And of course, there are enough characters to satisfy almost everyone. There are a wide range of heavier and mid-weight characters that are new, such as Palutena and Duck Hunt. The existing characters have been rebalanced excellently. There are strong characters that have been appropriately reigned in (Shiek) and weak ones that have been buffed to bring them up to level (my beloved Pikachu).

The only characters that I really can’t find a strong footing with are the Wii Fit Trainer and Villager. And it’s really not because they’re bad characters. It’s entirely because they don’t suit my play style at all. They control exactly how they should, and they have hilariously gimmicky attacks.

The game lacks many of the features of its predecessors. However, those features and more will be returning in the WiiU version. Smash 3DS is really for the portable fan–someone who wants to play on the bus or in the waiting room or other inconvenient locations where carrying a WiiU just won’t do it. I’m going to own both, but it may not be to everyone’s liking to do so.

Overall, however, I’d recommend Smash if you have a 3DS and if you like Nintendo’s franchise characters (plus some third party interlopers) beating the tar out of each other. It’s not going to be the definitive version by any stretch, but it’s perfect for the player on the go.