nintendo-3ds-3dsxl-2dssuper-smash-bros-4
Sorry if the title made no sense.
I go a Youth group. Before it starts, we play Super smash bros on the Wii U.
I want to bring my 3DS to use as a controller, but I do not have Super smash bros on my 3DS.
The question is, do I need Super smash bros 3DS to use as a controller, to play Super smash bros Wii U?
You can link a single ID to your 3DS and Wii U (this is a fairly recent change). But the games are not "cross buy" in any way similar to the Playstation ecosystem. You can upgrade Wii VC games to Wii U (only if they physically reside on the Wii U console), but buying [GAME] on Wii U, much less Wii, doesn't entitle you to [GAME] on 3DS even if [GAME] is on both. There's also no way to move save data between either system, with case-by-case exceptions (you can do this in Monster Hunter 3 U, but only because of a companion app, it's not built-in functionality like it is on Playstation 3/4/V)
The consoles are joined by ID, but really only for Miiverse, Club Nintendo and eShop balance purposes. This has been a common complaint about Nintendo's ecosystem but there have been no announced plans to change this on the current consoles.
Sadly, there is no option in the controls menu to assign movement to the d-pad.
The only thing you can do with the slide pad, is switch off/on if up should jump
The d-pad is for taunting.
Best Answer
I believe that Nintendo recently released an application on the eShop that allows you to use your 3DS as a controller for Wii U without the game.
"If you don't have the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS software, you can purchase and download the Smash Controller software for Nintendo 3DS beginning 6/14/15 (eShop price: $0.99)."
See: http://www.smashbros.com/us/howto/entry11.html