At first I intended to write something like a review of Smash Bros 3DS, but since I’ve covered a lot of my thoughts in my previous two Smash Bros posts I don’t really have any more to add right now. Any additional thoughts about how this version of Smash Bros stacks up can wait until I get my hands on the WiiU version. Then I will write something more complete. However, I have been playing almost nothing but Smash for the last couple of weeks. I have been exhausting myself trying to complete all the challenges that are part of the game and I’m close.

While some of the late challenges are more tedious than difficult, they have helped me get used to the whole of the roster. Challenges like complete Classic or All-Star Mode with all fighters or complete the 100-Man Smash with the same. It isn’t hard; it just takes a long time to complete. Now that I’ve mostly conquered those challenges, I have a few more fighter to do 100-Man with, I feel like I have a handle on every fighter in the game. So I am going to rank them using a complicated formula known only to me. Mostly just a combination of how much I like them mixed with how effective I think they are and how much I like or dislike fighting against them.

*: Mii Swordsmaster, Brawler and Gunner – I haven’t used these three enough to rank them.

48: Wario – Remember, this list is largely based on how much I like to play as the characters. And as much as I love Wario and his motorcycle and his farting, I am terrible with him. I die so often and so quickly that I can’t ever play as him. Bottom of the list.

47: Meta Knight – Meta Knight I simply don’t like. He annoys me when I play as him or against him. Screw Meta Knight.

46: King Dedede – Another Wario case. Dedede his hilarious, but I just can’t play as him.

45: Mr. Game and Watch – I have softened on Mr. G&W since I forbid his use on my Gamecube back in the day, but as amusing as flipping sausages at foes is ,I don’t really like to play as him.

44: Olimar – He is too weird for me to have any fun with. I like his games, but that doesn’t really translate to Smash.

43: Yoshi – My hate for Yoshi has lessened greatly from the Melee/Brawl days. Him and his baby voice still annoy me, but I actually have some fun with him now.

42: Pit – I like the character, but try as I might I can’t figure out how to get a KO with him. He is too weak.

41: Sonic – A slippery fast jerk with a bunch of annoying fans. Not using him.

40: Ganondorf – He is basically the opposite of Pit, all I can do with him is get KO’s. I can’t move or fight, just randomly punch around to occasionally knock people out.

39: Fox – Better than Brawl, but still no fun.

38: Captain Falcon – I want to like Captain Falcon. But I am so very, very bad with him. Still, I can occasionally manage competence using him.

37: Diddy Kong – I’m actually not bad with Diddy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find him annoying. Another character I find too weak.

36: Charizard – He was the worst part of the Pokemon Trainer trio, but he still isn’t terrible. I just find him awkward to use.

35: Lucario – He’s fine, but I don’t ever really want to use him. I do like gimmick of getting much stronger as he takes damage.

34: Shulk- I like the character, but I haven’t been able to crack using him. So he ends up pretty far down the list.

33: Kirby – My eternal nemesis. (i.e. my brother’s favorite character) He’s fun to play against, but I am just no good with him.

32: Mario – From here up are characters I generally enjoy playing as, where below are the ones I kind of don’t. Mario is neutral.

31: Dark Pit – He’s like Pit, but just enough stronger for me to get KO’s with him.

30: Zero Suit Samus – Too fast for me, but a generally fun character to play as.

29: Sheik – See ZSS, Sheik is the same deal.

28: Greninja – I’ve fiddled a little bit, but he kind of falls into that same ZSS Sheik mold.

27: Falco – He’s a little better than Fox, that’s about all I can say with him.

26: Villager – I suck as this guy/gal. But his attacks are all so weird that I can’t help but love him/her.

25: Pikachu – Probably my favorite of the small speedy characters.

24: Dr. Mario – He is Mario, but fun to play as. Plus, he’s got the Tornado Spin.

23: Palutena – Another weird new character. Her moves are strong, but awkward.

22: Wii Fit Trainer – I really love the new characters. WFT is just as amusing I’d hoped s/he would be when announced.

21: Zelda – This is basically the same as she was before, except with a new down special. I really like her.

20: Donkey Kong – This is the last character that I am terrible with, but he’s so much fun. He is strong and slow and I lose and lose and lose while playing as him. I don’t care; I’m going to keep using DK.

19: Marth – My old favorite Melee character, but I can’t quite use him as well as I’d like, though I’m better than I was with him in Brawl.

18: Pac-Man – Weird newcomer? You bet. He is such a fun love letter to Namco arcade games.

17: Peach – She’s the floatiest and has some fun moves.

16: R.O.B – This robot is a tough character to deal with. I’ve got nothing else to say. I’m glad he’s here.

15: Samus – I hated Samus in Brawl. She had not power. Here she is nearly back to being the beast she was in the original; she is just hard to KO.

14: Luigi – Luigi is my boy, but I’ve lost a lot of my skills with using him. He is still the best, but I’m no longer the best with him.

13: Rosalina – She is like Ice Climbers lite, with the Luma echoing Rosalina’s attacks. Plus, she is pretty heavy.

12: Little Mac – Strong on the ground and nothing in the air. I like him a lot, but you best not end up off the edge, he’s got no recovery.

11: Duck Hunt – Biggest surprise in the game. He has a lot of medium range attacks and a great hook.

10: Link – Link was terrible in Brawl, but I love him this time. His move-set has a few changes, like his hopping running attack, but for the most part it was just small tweaks to make him fun again.

09: Robin – Another character with a kind of high concept hook. Robin is the first Fire Emblem character to use that games breakable weapons or magic. It makes for a fun, versatile character.

08: Ness – The original weird character. His recovery is still chancy, but he still has an excellent array of moves.

07: Mega Man – He has the most versatile move-set, a great KO move and is just generally a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I haven’t used much since I wasted all my time with him on the demo.

06: Bowser Jr. – This should actually read any of the Koopalings names, because I don’t use B Jr. here, I use Ludwig or Roy. While he lacks a good KO move, his clowncar has a lot going on.

05: Bowser – I hated Bowser before this, but now they’ve got the heavy right. His power is scary and he now he doesn’t die before he can bring it to bear.

04: Jigglypuff – She’s a Kirby clone without his signature move. Her singing, falling asleep combo is impossible to pull off against an opponent with a brain. But I love to clown people with Jigglypuff. Rollout and spike kick and constant taunts.

03: Lucina – She is the return of Roy. Same moves as Marth, but a little stronger and with a different focal point on the sword. I liked Marth more back in the day, but I am much better with Girl Marth this time around.

02: Ike – Ike is still a beast, though a little less of a beast that before. He is still a KO machine, but he is a little easy to take out now. I still love him.

01: Toon Link – He seems to be the sturdiest of the light characters. Plus he has Link’s wide variety of attacks. Plus he’s Toon Link.