Every Smash Brothers game has some type of main appeal to it; whether competitive or casual, every game has its appeals that make them special in its own right. Smash Bros. for 3DS does not have that. It's a perfectly fine smash game; with tons of characters, and most single-player modes that one would love in any other smash game, it's a perfectly passable game. However, especially given the console's limitations, it struggles compared to other smash games. Since it is on the 3DS, unless one is playing online, the single-player modes are about the extent of what you can do in this game, which isn't a whole lot since the single-player modes are so derivative. Smash Run is a fun mode, but there are only so many times you can play it without it getting stale. All of the other returning modes feel the same too; classic mode, break the targets, and even multi-man smash all feel like shells of what they are in other games; not to mention the numerous modes that have been cut for whatever reason. The online mode, while great for its time, essentially uses the same stage each time; same with every mode actually. Nearly every feature in this game (Except for the custom moves) is extremely repetitive, with very little replay value outside of getting the trophies. It's a fine and passable Smash Bros. game, but that is the extent of it.

Ironically, despite being on the less powerful console, Smash Bros for 3DS got the longer end of the stick. Although the core of the Wii U game is here, it is put on significantly better stages which are much more fun than the big empty maps of Wii U. 3DS also has a far superior classic mode, and it even has smash run which has yet to be seen again. Although the core appeal of it being smash on the go is gone, there is still a lot of unique features at play here meaning Smash for 3DS doesn't have that feeling of being "replaced"