SSBB Review
Lets get one thing straight from the get-go: I am by no means a Super Smash Bros. expert. I’ve played every incarnation of the game, but the series has never held my attention for very long, as I have never had friends around who like playing it regularly. And a Smash Bros. game without multiplayer satisfaction is hardly Smash Bros. at all.
So, for now, lets stick to what I do know about this game. The graphics are splendid enough, especially when you consider that the Wii can only output in the aging 480p format. The framerate is smooth and unwaivering, the textures are crisp, and the animations are fluid and believable. The sounds of the game are great, with each character having his own taunts, grunts, and yelps, although most of the sounds seem like they were simply copied over from the last Smash Bros. game.
The gameplay is identical to previous versions with a few minor additions. First and foremost is the “Final Smash” ability, which for most characters equates to a screen-wide KO ability that you activate after hitting a floating item a few times, although this doesn’t really add new strategies to matches other than “who can punch the smash ball quicker.” There are a few new items and some notable new characters, but nothing that can be classified as groundbreaking.
The biggest addition to the game is the single-player Subspace Emmisary mode, which follows a story that finds you battling a space-dwelling evildoer that shoots arrow-shaped energy beams at protagonists that transform them into miniature statues of themselves. While this storyline may seem absurd, the challenges and gameplay quirks that the mode offer are extremely fun, and by the end of the campaign you’ll have played every character at least once. The other single player modes are knock offs of the previous games’ campaigns, so you won’t find anything shiny and new there.
One would think that free online multi player would be the best addition to the franchise, and perhaps that one person would be correct. But in order for Nintendo to keep Brawl a T-rated game, they had to omit all the features that make online multi player a more personal experience. You won’t be able to voice or text chat with players, and you have no choice regarding who you’ll play online. If you have the friend codes of people you know, you can set up a friend match, but you’re still stuck with a silent taunt-less multi player experience. Watching my roommate play his friend online while keeping the cell phone to his ear to talk to his opponent may get a chuckle every now and again, but it merely highlights Nintendo’s need to beef up their online gaming experience.
While there doesn’t appear to be anything truly original or revolutionary about Smash Bros. Brawl, it’s still worthy of high praise. Multi player Smash Bros. has always been a top-notch experience, and it’s refreshing to see that Nintendo has maintained, if not exceeded, that experience in Brawl. The game still caters to players of all skill levels, and while amateur button mashers will enjoy the game, they are easily dominated by those who take the time to learn the intricacies of the game mechanics. And while the Subspace Emmisary mode may have given the single-player offering a much-needed shot in the arm, this game continues to be a multi player beat down seminar, and should not be purchased for any other reason.
