You'd Be Crazy to Pass This One Up.
Introduction
With most of Nintendo’s first-party games, we only get one installment every console generation. Typically, that means the games have a much higher level of polish than games made by mere mortals. This is most certainly the case with Nintendo’s newest system-seller, Super Mario Brother Brawl. SSBB is basically a Nintendo-centric fighting game, but with several head asploding qualities that separate it from the crowd of DoA’s and Virtua Fighters.
Unlike common Japanese fighting games, which usually consist of little more than a random assortment of generic fighters -- based on as many racial stereotypes as possible -- Nintendo has the luxury of drawing content from its illustrious catalog of breathtakingly-imaginative characters, courtesy of developer/artist/demi-god Shigeru Miyamoto. What's more is that this year, they began the orgasm-inducing trend of adding characters from other publishers, although it is sadly limited to Metal Gear Solid's Snake and Sonic. It speaks volumes that this relatively minor addition has the power to send longtime gamers down memory lane, and it's a shame that it wasn't developed further. And speaking of the roster, it contains such legendary characters as Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Link, Kirby, and both princesses. The maps in which battles take place are each designed to recreate the atmosphere of a specific Nintendo game, and the overwhelming majority of them are brilliant in both style and execution. The characters and locales seem instantly familiar, and yet so fresh; it really makes SSBB feel more virtual family reunion and less tournament fighter.
That said, there's more to SSB than its fabulous roster and its nostalgia factor. The true genius of Super Smash Brothers lies in its simple, yet incredibly deep fighting mechanics. Each character's skills are based on the abilities found in their native games: for example, Peach pulls radishes from the ground, ala Super Mario Brothers 2, whereas Mario uses a yellow cape like the one he wore in Super Mario World for both gliding and his frontal attack. Amazingly, the game manages to keep things astonishingly well-balanced, despite the wide variety in play styles and movesets. Sure, with every fighting game, certain characters will appeal to different people, but you can rest assured that even the lowliest of characters in one person's estimation can be an Ace in the Hole for another gamer. That’s what has always made the SSB series so fun -- it combines the vastness of choice without losing the balance usually derived from simplicity.
Super Smash Brother Brawl is a success as a fighter, a system seller, and a fan service. It's not perfect, but you'd be crazy to pass this one up.
Pros
- Tons of Characters
- 40 + Stages
- Characters are relatively easy to unlock
- The dynamic nature of the levels is astonishing, easily my favorite part about the game.
- Very solid graphics -- the game is always pleasant to look at, and boasts a solid 60 FPS
- 10+-hour single player campaign, surprisingly engaging for a fighting game
- Fabulously-animated cut scenes that have geekdom-inducing character combinations
- Very well-balanced characters
- Awesome finishing moves
- Nearly lag-free online when in the same state
- 4 Virtual console demos unlockable
- Lots of collectable music that spans the breadth of Nintendo’s library
- Lots of gameplay modes
- Almost every conceivable controller combination available, each being completely customizable.
- This game will make you almost respect the GameCube controller. No joke.
Cons
- Some of the stages have random pitfalls that can lead to a few frustrating deaths
- Single player is sometimes frustrating and/or a little grindish
- Characters only have about a dozen moves apiece, more would have been nice
- Stickers, coins, and trophies seem almost completely useless
- Some maps zoom out way too far to accommodate more than a couple of players
- Map editor is a complete afterthought
- Conversely, this game can lead you to completely despise the classic controller.
Bottom Line
So is Super Smash Brothers wildly different from its predecessors? Not really, apart from the addition of online multiplayer (which, by the way, is one hell of an addition for a game this fun), Nintendo has left the formula basically the same. But with the quality and success of the last few installments, there was really no need to reinvent the wheel. So what we got was an upgraded, improved, and more accessible Smash Brothers. I don't think one could legitimately ask for more.
A
Head Asplode? – Hell yes! Head Asplode if you don’t own it yet -- don’t even finish reading this sentence. Go out now and buy it......just had to finish the sentence didn’t you? Bah!
