Reviewers have always docked points for handheld versions of games - Vita suffered particularly hard on that

I thought IGN's review score of 8.8 was pretty fair and they made some decent points.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/26/super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds-review

The smaller screen does make 4 player mode somewhat confusing, I noticed that just from playing the demo. Can't say if Smash Run will be good or not but it looks fun to me. We'll see, I guess.

Lol those were perfect reasons for a 9 and not a 10. It has issues with multiplayer, multiplayer is Smash Bros bread and butter. Without solid MP is their even a reason to play Smash?? =P

Why is it a bullshit review? It's not like he gave the game a 6! We can't expect every game to get a 10.. i've seen games getting 9's and not have a single thing being bad about them, it's just that the reviewer thought that there are better games out there. It's really up to the reviewer, no review can be really objective.

All I know is the 3DS version graphically looks like shit. And the 3DS controls were not made for Smash.

The Wii U version will rate higher, I'd be willing to bet.

Well. If memory serves, it's -2 for handheld, -5 for being Nintendo, and then -5 for not being that month's primary advertiser.

Or is it +5 if you ARE the advertiser?

It's hard to remember how review scores work sometimes.

Seems like there's lag issues with online multiplayer. Even if the game is solid in every other aspect, online play in a game like Smash Bros. is very important. I could definitely understand reviewers lowering the score because of that.

Well, it's not perfect for a reason. There could be 3 reasons:

1) Nintendo pays for reviews. They purposely told everyone to give it "good" reviews so when the Wii U version comes out, it'll be seen as the "perfect" version.

2) The reviewers aren't getting paid. Yet, they know that the Wii U version is the "main" version. Therefor, they can't give the 3DS version perfect scores because the Wii U version has to be better...right?

3) They give honest reviews and they really don't think it's perfect...

This is a pretty common thought process, but video game review scores are not supposed to start at 10 and then things wrong with the game bring it down from there.  They are meant to start low and then good things about the game will make it better.  You don't have to have any specific detriments for a game to be a 9 (a fantastic score by the way), you just were having a great time instead of a mind breakingly amazing one.  

No its the devs fault for not building game that suits the system specs. If the small screen negatively impacts the game you are in the right to dock points