Super Smash Bros. 4: Difference between revisions

| version      =  

| released  = '''Nintendo 3DS'''<br>September 13, 2014 {{flag|Japan}}<br>October 2, 2014 {{flag|Germany}} <br>October 3, 2014 {{flag|North America}} {{flag|Europe}}<br>October 4, 2014 {{flag|Australia}}<br>July 24, 2015 {{flag|Hong Kong}} {{flag|Taiwan}}<br>September 10, 2015 {{flag|South Korea}}

| genre        = [[wikipedia:Fighting game|Fighting]]

| platforms    = [[Nintendo 3DS]], [[Wii U]]

| media        =  

| requirements =  

| input        =  

}}

Both versions have received positive reviews; critics applauded the fine-tuning of existing gameplay elements but criticized some issues with online play. Both versions sold quickly, with the ''3DS'' version selling over 8.72 million copies worldwide as of March 2017, and the ''Wii U'' version selling over 5.20 million copies during the same period.

==Characters==

{{SSB4 character table}}

==Stages==

In general, the ''3DS'' version features more stages based on handheld console games, while the ''Wii U'' version features more stages based on home console games. However, several stages in both games ignore this distinction.

===3DS version===

===Single Player===

*[[Classic Mode]]

*[[Home-Run Contest]]

*[[Trophy Rush]]

Mid-match character transformations have been removed. {{SSB4|Sheik}} and {{SSB4|Zelda}}, and {{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}} and {{SSB4|Samus}}, are all now completely separate characters, while {{SSB4|Charizard}} returns as a standalone fighter in place of the Pokémon Trainer. These changes are due to hardware limitations on the 3DS and Sakurai’s own wish for both versions of the game to feature the same roster.  

An additional overhaul is the elimination of most [[planking]] strategies, as the length of [[intangibility]] given by grabbing the ledge is now affected by air time and current damage, and does not carry over if the character drops from the ledge. No intangibility at all will be granted if a character grabs the ledge twice without touching the ground or being hit (making them more open to edgeguarding). Finally, the difference between fast and slow edge options based on current damage has been removed. The general [[recovery|recoveries]] of the cast have also been improved, with many of them traveling farther and having better protection while benefiting from the faster air speeds and new ledge mechanics; these changes weren't entirely consistent across the cast, however, and recoveries are overall more polarized than in previous games. On the other hand, meteor canceling has been removed, making [[meteor smash]]es functionally equivalent to spikes and thus much deadlier edge-guarding moves; to compensate, several meteor smashes are now weaker, with a few requiring more specific hitboxes (such as {{SSB4|Ike}}'s down aerial).   

[[Hitstun]] canceling, a controversial mechanic introduced in ''Brawl'' that allowed characters to escape combos with ease, has been toned down. Characters can now air dodge or use an aerial attack to cancel hitstun after 40 or 45 frames respectively, compared to ''Brawl''’s 13/25 frames, with the window being pushed back when a character sustains 69 or more frames of hitstun, due to a limit being set on how fast a fighter's current launch speed can be when attempting to cancel hitstun. As a result, true [[combos]] at low- and mid-percents are much more prevalent. However, with the increased knockback growth on many throws, moderate falling speeds, [[gravity]] increasing vertical knockback, the continued lack of advanced techniques such as [[wavedashing]] and [[L-cancelling]], and the retained ability to cancel hitstun, true combos in ''Smash 4'' are generally shorter and less varied compared to the ones in ''Melee'' and ''Smash 64'', especially at high percents. Additionally, many of the faster, more combo-oriented fighters, such as {{SSB4|Sheik}}, {{SSB4|Fox}}, Meta Knight, and Diddy Kong have had their damage outputs reduced, likely to compensate for their improved combo abilities or to balance them out with the slow, heavy characters. The changes to hitstun also prevent characters from immediately performing moves to slow their [[momentum cancelling|momentum]], reducing their ability to survive powerful attacks.  

Defensive options have been heavily modified. [[Shield]]s now take 19% more damage from attacks, rather than 30% less. As of update [[1.1.1]], [[shield stun]] has been significantly increased, making [[out of shield]] options less reliable; thus, shields are much more fragile than in ''Brawl''. Furthermore, when having their shields broken, fighters are now intangible until they hit the ground and enter their [[stun|stunned]] animation. This slightly narrows the window in which a fighter can be attacked when their shield is broken, as well as making it impossible to use windboxes to push opponents offstage while falling to the ground to be stunned. However it also prevents players from saving teammates who are tumbling to their death due to being forced over the ledge when their shield broke. Finally, when a fighter's shield is hit when they are right on the ledge, they are no longer guaranteed to be pushed off the ledge and put into [[tumble]], and instead the attack must be sufficiently strong enough to push the shielding player with enough force to trigger a ledge slip.

[[Star KO]]s and [[Screen KO]]s now do not always occur when a character is KO'd over the top [[blast line]]; also, the Screen KO animation has been lengthened to last a few frames longer than the Star KO animation. They no longer occur near the end of a [[time]]d match (unless characters are launched to the upper blast line when [[End of Day]] is active, the only known exception to this) or [[Sudden Death]]; being instead replaced by regular blast KOs. They also will not occur when a character is launched at a fast enough speed.