Super Smash Bros. Brawl Reviews

5 Comments

1. Peter Marreck says:

   July 16, 2010 at 9:52 pm

   Review by Peter Marreck for Super Smash Bros. Brawl
   Rating:
   I wasn’t much of a console gamer for a long time after the N64, but one game that stood out on it was Super Smash Bros. Fast forward to 2008 and I broke down and got a Wii for the party-gaming potential. I have not been disappointed. Yesterday, this game arrived.

   Oh boy. This is a heck of a lot of fun. The number of things to do is incredible. You can even practice your character’s moves against your choice of inert or active opponents. Nintendo seems to have intended this game to be epic as they not only include an in-game retrospective of the entire line of Nintendo gaming products going back all the way to the NES, they include time-limited trial versions of the classic games.

   Wifi works wonderfully. Online matches are frantic and fun.

   One odd thing is that the wireless pointer feature of your wii controller is completely inert once you load the game. This is one area where they shouldn’t have stuck to their roots- it feels silly to move a token with the analog joystick when I could theoretically just point at the character I want to use. But you get used to it.

   If you have a kid, he will spend months getting all the unlocks (there are lots). If you have a kid inside you, you will rediscover some console joy.

   The maps are pretty amusing/crazy. They touch on many themes/ideas from previous Nintendo works. Put it this way: There is a Pictochat map. The terrain is drawn as you play… Many maps have destructible terrain or areas you cannot jump up through, which adds a strategic element.

   The characters are varied and seem very well-balanced against each other. (Aside: I love how the announcer says “KING DEDEDE” so seriously.)

   If you are completely new to the game, you still have a pretty good shot at winning by button-mashing, which I consider a good feature. If you have mastered the combos and moves however, you still have the advantage.

   I haven’t played the adventure mode much but it is also fun.

   You pretty much have to buy this game if you own a Wii. This is as much a Wii-defining game as Super Mario Galaxy or Wii Sports is.
2. Curly Willow says:

   July 16, 2010 at 10:03 pm

   Review by Curly Willow for Super Smash Bros. Brawl
   Rating:
   My 10 y/o son LOVES this game! I am usually pretty careful about how much and which video games I let him play (this is the only “T” rated game he has, and he only has 1 E-10 game, everything else he has is “E” rated). The action/violence level is relatively tame — all cartoon characters battling eachother, no blood, no visible injuries, the character who loses the battle kind of flies out of the scene. The battling itself isn’t very graphic, with highly fictionalized “weapons.” That said, my son and his friends love the game, lots of interesting “level-ups” and plot twists, plus fun characters you’ll recognize from elsewhere.
3. Kevin J. Loria says:

   July 16, 2010 at 11:00 pm

   Review by Kevin J. Loria for Super Smash Bros. Brawl
   Rating:
   
   Even though I was Nintendo label die-hard and fan of their coin-op franchise from the beginning, Super Smash Bros or brawl titles in general haven’t interested me too much.
   
   So the most anticipated title of 2008 wasn’t guaranteed to strike my electric fancy. But, when you add WI-FI play for free online brawling and custom controls in order to configure anything from the Wii controllers to the old school (4 variations on play) you’ve got me curious. Add to that the longest list of cross-title cross-era characters ever produced (Thirtysomethings: remember “Battle of the Network Stars” ). Characters from `87s’ Kid Icarus (Pit) and Metal Gear’s Snake, Pikachu and various Pokemon. Loads of Mario characters including the man himself: Diddy and Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong dating from Mario’s 1981 coin-op premiere of the title of the same name), Wario, Yoshi, Princess Peach, Bowser, and more. Other melee cameos include the Ice Climbers, Metroids’ Zero Suit Samus, Kirby, King Dedede and his Meta Knight, Sonic, LINK & Zelda (from ‘86 and on), Star Fox, Lucas & friends from Mother 3… and lots of other unlockables. Some noteable, but Non-playable, assist trophies include Devil from Devil World, Star Fox’s Andross, Mr. Resetti from Animal Crossing, Little Mac from Tyson’s Punch-Out and even Excitebike (‘85) is on the scene. What is particularly cool about these appearances is the consistency of style for each character regardless of genre or era of the characters. Nintendo has outdone itself on graphics on this one, even when they are “dumbing” down the graphics for cross-game effect. The sound effects are true to this as well, with as many retro SFXs as cool new ones.

   Options for play include Solo vs. PC, Multiplayer play vs. 3 friends or on-line options. Other options include the Classic game (you beat `em you advance) or a storyplay campaign which is surprisingly worthwhile. The variety of Brawl locations and is amazingly broad as are the detailing of each location gimmicks. From Yoshi’s Island to a stadium to the exterior of a StarFox ship sailing the stratosphere, this alone will extend the life of BRAWL’s replay longevity. Characters move satisfyingly fluid, and their variety per character is exciting.

   The Mini-games are fun and nice samplings of other titles, both new and old. If fact, many of these made me ready to seek out some games I hadn’t looked at before. If anything BRAWL is a great sampler title.

   Super Smash Bros. Brawl is going to be top of the “4 player fighting” genre for some time to come, I think. Well worth the release push-back.
   
4. Michael Kerner says:

   July 16, 2010 at 11:53 pm

   Review by Michael Kerner for Super Smash Bros. Brawl
   Rating:
   During the past year, Nintendo really showed what it takes with the success of the Wii. Dominant games like The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess and the definitive Super Mario Galaxy, really proved the Wii with its ultimate gameplay. But, that success has also been as a dominant question with Super Smash Brothers Brawl. While its prequel, Smash Brothers Melee was the biggest-selling title from Nintendo’s last home console, the Gamecube, many still had wondered if Nintendo was going to be able to top that outrageous game of madness and excitement. Well, Nintendo has done it, and taken the brawl to a whole new level of fierceness. Its time to brawl!!

   Super Smash Brothers Brawl for the Nintendo Wii, is one of the most anticipated games to be released this year, and it absolutely dominates the competition. The gameplay is very addictive as you play with all your favorite classics characters like Mario, the adorable Yoshi, Link, the fierce Bowser and many others. There are also a lot of new characters here to unlock too like Sonic The Hedgehog, Wario, King Dedede from Kirby’s Dream Land, Diddy Kong and Olimar from the overlooked Pikmin series. There are also secondary characters which have been added as well, that come and assist you to the depth of the gameplay like the Nintendogs, which block the screen so you can’t see where your opponents are during the game, and Andross from the Star Fox series. The graphics look great, and appeal to each and every level you can challenge on from the abstractism of Warioware, to the madness of racing along the Mario Raceway from Mario Kart. Each level is packed with excitement for gamers of all ages.

   The control is also new to some gamers, and traditional for veterans too, as you can manuver your favorite characters 4 different ways: the Wii Remote alone, the Wii and Nunchuck controller, the Wii’s classic controller and even the Nintendo Gamecube controller. The Wii controller and nunchuck take awhile to get used to, but the classic and Gamecube controllers work very well, making it simple and addictive gameplay. On top of that, you also can now challenge against others not just in the living room, but you can now also play against other Brawlers online through Nintendo’s Wi-Fi connection, which makes the gameplay even more addictive for anyone who wants to brawl farther than they’ve ever done before.

   All in all, Super Smash Brothers Brawl is a must buy for anyone who owns the Nintendo Wii. It is just great from start to finish and brings in every depth of excitment and gameplay for a super smash for anyone who has the need to smash the competition. It is definitely a great game all around and a great addition to your Wii video game library.

   Graphics: A-

   Sound: A-

   Control: A for Gamecube and Classic Controller; B for Wii Remote & Nunchuck

   Fun & Enjoyment: B+ for solo gamers; A for multiplayer action

   Overall: A-
5. M. Miao says:

   July 17, 2010 at 12:28 am

   Review by M. Miao for Super Smash Bros. Brawl
   Rating:
   *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS, SORRY

   Super Smash Bros. Brawl is probably the most anticipated Nintendo game coming out this year and it delivers. Just like its predecessors on the Game Cube and Nintendo 64, it takes many of the Nintendo favorites and throws them into a solid fighting game, which each character having his/her/its own special moves. This time, the roster features 35 characters total with 21 starting and 14 unlockable. The basic idea hasn’t changed from Melee, beat up your opponents until they have a high enough damage percentage and then knock them off the stage. However, what has changed is the different ways that you could achieve that goal. Of the 35 characters, almost everyone is unique. The three Star Fox characters do feel just slightly alike, and C. Falcon/Ganondorf, Link/Toon Link, Ness/Lucus have similar moves, but even those characters are different enough to offer their own strategy and have different advantages and weaknesses. Furthermore, none of the characters feel like an exact copy with different running/jumping stats like they did in Melee (Falco/Fox, Marth/Roy). All in all, all the fighters in Brawl are unique and you will sure find a style that suits your style. Each fighter is deadly if they are used correctly and none of them is overpowered (Meta Knight maybe.)

   Now onto all the features in the game, first of all is the single player. The single player adventure, dubbed Subspace Emissary, is a much larger version of the adventure mode in Melee and it will take about 6 – 10 hours to finish, depending on the difficulty and the percent completion. The adventure doesn’t take itself too seriously and the cut scenes are beautifully rendered. Don’t try too hard to understand them and just sit back and enjoy its complete randomness. There were many times when I almost collapsed laughing at the silliness of the cut scenes and one left me with a gaping mouth because it was awesome. Although it could sometimes be tedious, the Subspace Emissary gives the player the ability to unlock all the characters, with Wolf, Jiggly and Toon Link requiring a little more work, without playing through hundreds of versus matches, but then again, it’s not that hard to do. Although not the best single player game ever made, the Subspace Emissary keep the player occupied for a few hours, even just to see the next cut scene or battle the next boss. In addition, the game also features co-op play to alleviate the sometimes tedious or just plan out meanness, parts of the game.

   All the goodness of even matches also makes their return. In addition, some of the events are now co-op, the last one being a co-op All-Star match with no recovery items. The event matches now also have their own difficulties settings, further increasing the replay value. Other stadium options include the return of the homerun contest and multi-man brawl, which can also be played co-op.

   The part that is going to keep the player coming back for more is no doubt the multiplayer part. This was the reason why melee was so popular. Many reviews complain about how Brawl is the “more of the same,” and “without any innovation.” I did not find that to be the case. It is true that everything that made Melee great has returned, such as special attacks and chargeable smash attacks, but with the new characters and modifications to returning fighters, any old strategy must be at least modified to keep them effective. New features such as the footstool jump (using other people’s head as a spring to jump higher), gliding (for certain winged characters), and wall clinging (grabbing to the wall) adds subtle new strategies and furthers the playing of mind games for the pros. Perhaps the most interesting addition is the Smash Ball, which breaks after repeated attack and gives the player the ability to unleash a Final Smash, a devastating attack that usually result in KOing an opponent. Once the Smash Ball appears, all actions seize and the focus shifts to obtaining the Ball. One of the major changes that Melee players will notice is the slower pace of Brawl but it is very easy to adjust after a few games.

   The stages are awesome very unique and offer their own style of play. Unlike other fighting games where the stage plays no part in the fighting, almost all of the Brawl stages fight back with many different hazards. Just like Melee, the players need to keep track of the stages and try to avoid their hazards. In addition, some classic Melee stages make a glorious return, stages such as the Temple and Rainbow Cruise. There are a total of 41 stages, 31 new and 10 Melee stages. Plus the option to build your own stages, the option is almost limitless.

   Although I haven’t tried the online play yet, from the response of my friends and online reviews, it seems that it’s nearly flawless with a stable connection.

   The graphics of Brawl is one of the best on the Wii and it runs at a constant 60 fps. Although the graphic can’t really be compared to those of 360 and PS3, given the capabilities of the Wii, the Brawl graphics is much better than that of Melee with more explosions, more action and more chaos in general.

   The sound track of Brawl is probably one of the best in the history of video game. It includes original sound track as well as remakes of many of the classics. With over 150 different songs, all beautifully orchestrated, you will never be bored when you’re fighting. The songs alone might be able justify for half of the cost of the game.

   Now, there are a few aspects of the game that could be improved. First of them is the individual target smashes. Instead, there are five of the same levels for every character. The Melee target smash was unique which required different approach, but the Brawl target smash is all the same for everyone. It would be interesting to see different target smash stages for all 35 characters.

   Another minor complaint is the loading time, but considering the large amount of content crammed into the game, it’s a very small criticism.

   Some people are experiencing a disc reading error due to dirty Wii lens and Nintendo is offering to repair the systems for free regardless of the warranty. It might delay your enjoyment of Brawl, but at least Nintendo is nice about it.

   With new co-op play, new characters, new adventure, new items, assist trophies, new pokemons, new stages, Final Smash and all the extra contents, Brawl is everything that Melee was and much, much more. For the friendless, the game might not be that much fun, but with an almost perfect 4 player fighting game and solid online play, it can keep you and 3 of your best friends occupied for many months, if not years to come. I politely disagree with all the people who say that Brawl is just a Melee upgrade. The creator of Brawl, Masahiro Sakurai, clearly put a lot of thoughts into the game and improved on every aspect of Melee and made it into a unique game. All in all, Brawl lives up to every bit of the hype and it is the best entry in the series so far. With so much stuff crammed into a single disc, the game is worth every penny of its price and it will outlast many 360 and PS3 games.