A brawler for the ages
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a game with something for everyone. Granted, it has more for some than others, but between the hectic brawls made for up to four players, the lengthy story mode that travels through Nintendo's most popular franchises, and the loads of nostalgia crammed in every corner of the experience, it's a game you'd have to be crazy to hate. Unless you're one of those jerks that Jeff mentioned.
At the same time, not everything in Brawl is for everyone. While Brawl offers a whole lot more single player options than previous games in the series, they just don't have that same punch that the multiplayer side of things has. The controls are made for frantic four player mayhem, and don't translate entirely well to a mode like The Subspace Emissary (Brawl's main single player campaign) where you have time to think about what you're really doing. And like most of the single player modes, the main quest in the Emissary drags a bit, and feels awfully repetitive. But it's still to be enjoyed, if only for the loads of nostalgia packed in the thing. In fact, those with an eye for Nintendo's history and lore will have a blast with the entire game- every part of Brawl is going to leave you with that warm, fuzzy feeling one gets from some good old fashion nostalgia. And this is only intensified with the game's epic soundtrack, which contains awesome remixes of some of the most iconic songs in video game history. It could very well be one of the best video game soundtracks ever made, and the way it permeates every facet of Brawl only enhances the experience.
But the real heart and soul of the Smash Bros. franchise has always been in its wacky four player free-for-alls, and Brawl is no different. The game is at its best when you have four people sitting in the same room, laughing and screaming as you struggle to actually keep up with what all is going on, while simultaneously trying to pummel your opponents into submission. In these scenarios the controls are perfect, and the game's large roster of playable characters and good selection of stages to play only add to the excitement. I felt the roster and stages as a whole have been streamlined since Melee, making things more balanced, yet providing tons of variety at the same time. The only problem with all of this is that the experience is dulled if you don't have a full company of four. The controls and moves were made with four players in mind, and playing with less just doesn't have the same effect. That's not to say the game isn't fun at that point- it simply means that those without an entourage of friends to play with regularly will not be able to get the full extent of what Brawl has to offer.
In all honesty though, any complaint I could make is simply nit-picking- everyone can find something to enjoy in Brawl. It's still got that "easy to learn, hard to master" vibe that has carried the series so far, and the loads of nostalgia and rambunctious four player fights are just a blast. If you can get a group of four together, you'll kick and scream through the night, and probably end up having one of the best multiplayer experiences ever made.
For additional information on my review style and scoring system, click here.
