Super Smash Bros. Brawl

System: Wii
Release Date: 2008
Published By: Nintendo
Reviewed by: Darien
Rating:

The Smash Bros. series is now in its third game, and it's still getting larger and more full of stuff every iteration. At this point I have to wonder if it's perhaps a bit over-full; there's so much stuff packed into Brawl that it's a bit intimidating, and definitely hard to get the full experience without doing some things that aren't up your alley.

Not that that last part would matter if the game didn't have such a complicated system of unlockables. But there's enough stuff to unlock that, if you care about it at all, you'll probably have to slog through some content you aren't enjoying; the most efficient way to unlock all the characters and a fair few of the multiplayer levels, for example, is to beat the single-player adventure mode. If you just bought the game to brawl, though, that may not be the exact thing you want to do.

The adventure mode, while I'm on the subject, is a substantially enhanced version of the adventure mode in Super Smash Bros. Melee; instead of being a one-off mode you can clear in about a half-hour, it's a long game with saves that will probably take you ten hours to get through. This is both good and bad; it's nice to have a more-developed single-player experience, but I also miss the ability to sit down and play a game of adventure mode just for kicks. Also odd is the fact that the game's built like an action platformer, but retains fighting-game controls -- the control scheme wasn't designed for this kind of gameplay, and it shows. Additionally, the combat mechanics aren't designed for fighting giant boss monsters that don't flinch or launch, which is something that always annoyed me about the Master Hand fights in the previous games, and annoys me with all the bosses in this one.

The cutscenes are very well done; they're short and wordless, but nice to look at, and they get the point across efficiently. Some of them are funny, some are dramatic, and one in particular (near the end of the game) includes a really clever plot twist that even hardened veterans probably won't see coming. It's good that the cutscenes are so enjoyable, since they're extremely thick on the ground; there are generally at least two cutscenes per level, which is a density that gets a bit jarring even with them as short and well-made as they are.

The multiplayer, of course, is the main attraction, and Brawl doesn't disappoint. If you've played a Smash Bros. game before, you know broadly how to play this one; there are more characters, different boards, and more items, but the overall play is the same. As before, it's best with four players, and permits you to fill empty slots with CPUs if you prefer; four players all running around in the same confined space helps to create the crazy crowded feel that the Smash Bros. games are known for. The brawls are entertaining for those people who have no meaningful Smash skill and are just mashing buttons (and highly playable, since the controls are so simple and the destructive power of various attacks and items is so high), while at the same time deep enough that if you're really hot to become a Smash expert there's plenty to practice.

The game looks and sounds excellent, with large, colourful environments, detailed (and highly stylistically variable) characters, flashy attacks, and a massive range of background music. There are a few stinkers in the song list, but a lot of catchy tunes and a whole lot of nostalgia value for those with years of video game experience. There isn't very much speech in Brawl (in keeping with Nintendo tradition), but what there is is perfectly adequate.

In addition to the two "main" play modes, the game contains a whole lot of secondary games -- target breaking, the old home run contest, special "event" matches, a coin launcher, and more. There's also internet play, which is an excellent addition; you can play full-featured brawls against anybody on your friends list, or somewhat limited games against internet randoms. As is typical with Nintendo WFC games, the internet connectivity is spotty, and it's sometimes difficult to connect with your friends. When it does work, though, it's an excellent feature to have, especially for those of us who have friends across the country we'd dearly love to hit in the face with a fucking bat.

If you have a Wii and any friends, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a game you should pick up; it's one of the best party games around. The single-player probably isn't compelling enough to buy the game for on its own, though, so if you don't intend to brawl you should give this one a miss. But this is pretty much the same verdict Smash Bros. games have always gotten; if you liked any of the older games, you'll like this one too.

Buy this game from Amazon.com!