Video game fans stayed up late Thursday waiting to download or take home a copy of the new Super Smash Bros. It has been six long years since a new installment of this game has been released, and it has certainly lived up to its predecessors.

For anyone who has never played the game, Super Smash Bros. is a 2D platforming, fighting game where you play as one of almost any Nintendo character from across time. Imagine Mario fighting Link-that’s the kind of game we’re dealing with.

When it comes to Nintendo classics Super Smash Bros. is one of the best. The new game brings back everything that made the old ones special. There’s almost infinite replayability potential, and fresh controls eliminate the monotony of the older characters.

This is a game for everyone, and anyone who has played this title before knows that. Hardcore fighting game competitors compete in tournament play, and ten year olds compete with their siblings at home. This game has been bringing families together for decades. It’s hard to define or summarize what this game is other than that its a modern version of a classic title and it looks good on the 3DS screen.

I spent several hours playing the game, and found the local play terrific. It was fun to just waste a little bit of time fighting computer-controlled opponents. You don’t have to spend a lot of time on this game to enjoy it. It’s not Bioshock Infinite, or Skyrim. You don’t have to level up constantly, you don’t even really have to save your game. All you have to do is open it up and play which makes this game really appealing to me. The multiplayer is terrific; I spent a lot of time playing over system link with my brother and it brought me back to playing the original game on the Nintendo 64. Now you can take the fun of the game with you anywhere you go. You can even system link with friends and play on a bus ride to Canada without the need for wifi. The online play offers a lot of options you can either play for fun with all of the items on, or you can play for glory in the competitive style with no items and standard maps.

The fighting mechanics of the game have never been better, and with every session it becomes easier to play. Fans of the older games might take a while to get acclimated to the 3DS controls, but once they’ve played for a while it gets much easier.

I wish this new Smash had more of a story. This is a classic problem for Nintendo games, but the last installment tried this out with the Subspace Embassy mode. Sure the platforming story mode took away from the fighting mechanics, but no one can deny it was cool to see all those characters interacting in cut scenes. I was hoping for a Mortal Kombat style story mode where the story is driven by different fights rather than platforming levels, but that was sadly not included. You can still play classic mode, but it isn’t much of a story. This is a small price to pay for what the entire game is as a whole, though.

Nintendo has included guest fighters in its past installments such as Solid Snake. This year, the guest fighters feature video game legends such as: Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Pac-Man. Features like this make Smash more than just a silly Nintendo fighting game. Smash is an event in gaming history. It is a game where you can play as Mario and fight Pac-Man, where you can play as Sonic and fight Zelda. This isn’t just another new game, it’s an anthology of all gaming and represents what made up the childhoods of a generation. If you have a 3DS, buy this game. It’s well worth it, and you’ll always have something to play. Super Smash Bros. will be available for Wii U in December.