Get more tips with Prima’s Super Smash Bros. 3DS strategy guide!
Super Smash Bros. 3DS is a multiplayer game through and through. However, before most people can truly enjoy the multiplayer aspects of Nintendo’s handheld title, they need to unlock all of the characters and stages. Playing through the Classic mode is one way to unlock characters, and a bit faster than playing an exorbitant amount of Smash battles.
Classic mode pits you against a series of computer-controlled adversaries ranging from one-on-one matches to team battle against metal or giant opponents. All of this culminates in a battle against the final boss, which varies depending on the difficulty you’re playing on.
With this in mind, here are some Super Smash Bros. Classic Mode tips to set you on the path to unlocking cool stuff.
Choose Your Intensity
Before you start playing Classic mode, the first order of business is to select your desired difficulty. Like any other difficulty setting, the higher you go, the harder the computer-controlled characters will fight. In order to increase the difficulty setting, you need to spend gold coins. These coins are earned by playing through Classic mode. That means that at first, you probably won’t be able to set the difficulty too high.
The difficulty level of Classic mode is determined by the intensity. The more gold coins you spend, the higher the intensity you can select. As the intensity increases, the opponents you face become more aggressive. In addition, each path you choose as you play through Classic mode varies in difficulty. You won’t be able to just run up and attack. You’ll need to use projectiles and items to cover your approach if you want to get in close. Once you’re close, you need to shield, roll, jump and defend against your opponent’s attacks any way you can.
It’s rare for the computer-controlled characters to pull off anything that a human opponent wouldn’t do, but it’s just as rare for the opponents on higher intensity levels to miss opportunities. If you leave yourself open, the AI will take advantage of it. Your best approach is to play defensively and try to limit your mistakes as much as possible.
If you’re playing in a team battle, back up your partner whenever possible, but let them do most of the work until you see an opening to strike. When playing against a metal opponent, inflict as much damage as possible before going for a KO. Metal opponents won’t go far when you hit them, so traditional KO tactics won’t work. You need to damage them heavily before you have a chance at knocking them off the stage. Giant opponents are easy to hit, especially with projectile attacks and items. Focus on these methods of attack while you keep a safe distance and let your teammates take most of the giant opponent’s attacks.
Master Hand and Crazy Hand
Master Hand is the easiest of the three final bosses you will face in Classic mode. The master of all hands has been the final boss in Super Smash Bros. since the beginning of the series, and hasn’t evolved much since the Smash 64 days. When fighting Master Hand, you must drain his health down from 300 HP. When it reaches zero, you’ve won the fight.
There are a wide variety of attacks that must be avoided if you wish to defeat Master Hand. Even if you’re familiar with Master Hand battles of the past, it has new attacks in Smash 3DS. Arguably the most dangerous new attack is the instant dizzy. Master Hand looks like it’s about to “flick” your character, and moves in sync with you. Wait approximately four seconds, then quickly move away from Master Hand. If you’re caught anywhere near Master Hand when this attack executes, you will be dizzy for a short time.
Master Hand also tosses out several flat surfaces that resemble sheets of paper. The paper lands on the platform, then quickly rises. If you’re caught on a piece of paper, get off as quickly as possible to avoid a KO. It’s best to stay in the air as much as possible during this attack. If you use a single jump, you have time to see where the next piece of paper will land, and use your double jump to move away.
Finally, Master Hand creates a ball of energy, then breaks it into four smaller balls of energy that scatter across the platform. The trajectory of the four balls is relatively easy to predict after you’ve seen the attack once. However, to make it easier to avoid the attack, stay in front of Master Hand or behind it. Avoid standing directly below Master Hand. This gives you enough room to move away in either direction to avoid the balls of energy.
Crazy Hand is the left hand. Some liken Crazy Hand to be Master Hand’s brother (Master Hand is the right hand). While Crazy Hand and Master Hand look identical, they attack very differently. Crazy Hand’s attacks are far more erratic than Master Hand’s. Your best bet to defeat Crazy Hand is to be ready to roll, dodge or shield as soon as you see an attack coming. If you choose to shield, release the shield as soon as you can to avoid a shield break.
In addition to dodging Crazy Hand’s attacks, you need to attack Crazy Hand as often as possible. This is one of the few times in Smash Bros. that being offensive is the only way to win. It’s still important to avoid Crazy Hands attacks, but if you don’t inflict damage to Crazy Hand the fight will never end. In most cases jumping attacks and projectile attacks work best, but you want to use an attack that hits hard. Damage is the most important factor when deciding which attacks to use against Crazy Hand.
Master Core
When you reach Master Hand and Crazy Hand on 7.0 intensity or higher, you will eventually fight Master Core. In order to face Master Core you must first deplete the health of Master Hand and Crazy Hand. Once it gets low enough, Master Core appears and the fight continues against only Master Core.
Master Core is surrounded by a swarm-like substance that must be removed. This substance is essentially Master Core’s health. The higher the intensity (difficulty) the more dense the substance, and the more health Master Core has. The substance takes on multiple forms that must be defeated as you clear away the substance to reveal the core and defeat the enemy.
The first form is humanoid, followed by an insect form, then a clone of the character you’re playing as, and finally the core itself. Fighting against the humanoid is fairly straightforward and not unlike the battle against Master Hand and Crazy Hand. Play more defensively to avoid its attacks, then attack the humanoid whenever possible.
The insect form hits very hard, so defense is extremely important. Dodging and rolling both work well against the insect form. Do not leave your shield up too long because it will get broken. When it shifts into the clone of your character, it has all of the attacks and abilities you have.
Once all of the forms have been defeated, all that’s left is the core, which is basically the Super Smash Bros. emblem. It is imperative that you knock the emblem off the stage as quickly as possible. Think of it like a character that must be KO’d to win. If you take too long to KO the Master Core, it uses a wave attack that causes an instant KO. You cannot survive the wave attack, which is why you must KO Master Core as quickly as possible.
Check with Prima for more Super Smash Bros. 3DS tips.
