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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Action Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo |
The Super Smash Bros. series has always offered gamers a vast amount of content to play, including different characters, levels,
trophies, collectibles and more. Many of the games in the series, all the way back to the N64, have offered so much content that players
could be kept busy for not only months, but years. With the induction of “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” on the Nintendo Wii, gamers will be
given yet another incredible task of trying to make their way through all of the content that has been carried over from previous games
and all of the new content created specifically for this game.
For those that are looking at the numbers, “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” offers 35 different characters to choose from ranging through the
years of gaming. That is a huge amount of characters compared to the 12 characters available in the original and 26 in Melee. There
are also more than 40 different levels, each of which is a throwback to classic gaming franchise stages from Nintendo, Sega and
Konami. From Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser within the Mushroom Kingdom, to Pikachu, Samus, Pikmin and Pit for Kid Icarus who is
back after two decades of retirement. Also making their way into the battle field are two non-Nintendo characters, Sonic the Hedgehog
and Solid Snake, both welcome additions to the line-up.
When players begin playing the game, it will look quite familiar, yet very different. Brawl looks like an enhanced version of Melee. The
characters in the game look amazing, nearly flawless, but this is at a price. The backgrounds in the game have been kept very simple
and almost boring, but this is necessary to ensure that the game doesn’t slow down during processing. To some it is worth it, others
may feel they are losing part of the experience. However, the moment players get into a four-player battle with explosions and
background destruction, all without a single frame skip, they will be thankful for the minor lack in background.
There are two main mode in which the game can be played, the player favorite Multiplayer and the always available Story Mode.
Multiplayer matches can take place both online and offline. However, for those that don’t have the friends to play multiplayer with at
home and don’t have a Wi-Fi connection, Subspace Emissary can give almost all the excitement of multiplayer, without the multiplayer.
Though many may see Subspace Emissary as a complementary piece of the game, it is obvious that a lot of time was put into creating
the story mode. For those that are able to play the multiplayer mode, the Story Mode is a great way to play a solo game and get an
interesting story all at the same time.
Throughout the game players will unlock many different items, including new characters to fight with. Unlike many games, “Super
Smash Bros. Brawl” offers many different ways to unlock these items. This allows players who do not like to Story Mode to play the
game online, but players who put the time into the Story Mode will be able to unlock additional characters with their work and
progression through the game.
This game takes the controls and fighting mechanics of Melee and enhances them to make the game even easier to controls, adding
balance, maneuvers and move sets for the 35 characters in the game. In the end, the game offers a fast fighting game that is very
responsive to the player’s moves and seems to offer more material than players will be able to get through in a single play through.
This means that the coveted Button Mashers will be able to jump into the game and play along with more skilled players, however, the
more skilled players will be able to figure out which character is best for them and fine tune the abilities of that character in a fight.
As stated before, players are finally able to battle online with up to three other players, whether it is four separate consoles or any variety
of four players on consoles. One thing that may be seen as a downfall to the online gaming is that there is no voice chat, a text system
that includes a minimal amount of messages to send to other players and more online leader board or statistic tracking of any type.
Also, with random opponents online, no name is displayed or way to communicate, making impossible to set up future rematches.
Another hiccup in the online mode is the fact that the further away players are from each other, the more likely chance there will be for
lag in the game.
Also, on time of the multitude of characters and the chance to play online, collectors will have a heyday with “Super Smash Bros. Brawl”
and the unlockable and collectable stickers and trophies throughout the game. The trophies in the game offer Nintendo bios and lore
for the characters, adding another reason to gather these treasures. Also, players will have the opportunity to create their own levels
and upload them via WiiConnect24 and share levels with friends. This means that the game should never get old because there will
always be new levels to try out with friends.
In closing, with all of the materials that are thrown into the tiny package that is “Super Smash Bros. Brawl,” players will have many
different options, adventures, characters and collectables that could possibly keep them busy until the release of the next Super Smash
Bros. title. Let’s hope that the next title will offer as much as Brawl does and maybe include so more dearly missed characters from the
past, like Bubsy.
trophies, collectibles and more. Many of the games in the series, all the way back to the N64, have offered so much content that players
could be kept busy for not only months, but years. With the induction of “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” on the Nintendo Wii, gamers will be
given yet another incredible task of trying to make their way through all of the content that has been carried over from previous games
and all of the new content created specifically for this game.
For those that are looking at the numbers, “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” offers 35 different characters to choose from ranging through the
years of gaming. That is a huge amount of characters compared to the 12 characters available in the original and 26 in Melee. There
are also more than 40 different levels, each of which is a throwback to classic gaming franchise stages from Nintendo, Sega and
Konami. From Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser within the Mushroom Kingdom, to Pikachu, Samus, Pikmin and Pit for Kid Icarus who is
back after two decades of retirement. Also making their way into the battle field are two non-Nintendo characters, Sonic the Hedgehog
and Solid Snake, both welcome additions to the line-up.
When players begin playing the game, it will look quite familiar, yet very different. Brawl looks like an enhanced version of Melee. The
characters in the game look amazing, nearly flawless, but this is at a price. The backgrounds in the game have been kept very simple
and almost boring, but this is necessary to ensure that the game doesn’t slow down during processing. To some it is worth it, others
may feel they are losing part of the experience. However, the moment players get into a four-player battle with explosions and
background destruction, all without a single frame skip, they will be thankful for the minor lack in background.
There are two main mode in which the game can be played, the player favorite Multiplayer and the always available Story Mode.
Multiplayer matches can take place both online and offline. However, for those that don’t have the friends to play multiplayer with at
home and don’t have a Wi-Fi connection, Subspace Emissary can give almost all the excitement of multiplayer, without the multiplayer.
Though many may see Subspace Emissary as a complementary piece of the game, it is obvious that a lot of time was put into creating
the story mode. For those that are able to play the multiplayer mode, the Story Mode is a great way to play a solo game and get an
interesting story all at the same time.
Throughout the game players will unlock many different items, including new characters to fight with. Unlike many games, “Super
Smash Bros. Brawl” offers many different ways to unlock these items. This allows players who do not like to Story Mode to play the
game online, but players who put the time into the Story Mode will be able to unlock additional characters with their work and
progression through the game.
This game takes the controls and fighting mechanics of Melee and enhances them to make the game even easier to controls, adding
balance, maneuvers and move sets for the 35 characters in the game. In the end, the game offers a fast fighting game that is very
responsive to the player’s moves and seems to offer more material than players will be able to get through in a single play through.
This means that the coveted Button Mashers will be able to jump into the game and play along with more skilled players, however, the
more skilled players will be able to figure out which character is best for them and fine tune the abilities of that character in a fight.
As stated before, players are finally able to battle online with up to three other players, whether it is four separate consoles or any variety
of four players on consoles. One thing that may be seen as a downfall to the online gaming is that there is no voice chat, a text system
that includes a minimal amount of messages to send to other players and more online leader board or statistic tracking of any type.
Also, with random opponents online, no name is displayed or way to communicate, making impossible to set up future rematches.
Another hiccup in the online mode is the fact that the further away players are from each other, the more likely chance there will be for
lag in the game.
Also, on time of the multitude of characters and the chance to play online, collectors will have a heyday with “Super Smash Bros. Brawl”
and the unlockable and collectable stickers and trophies throughout the game. The trophies in the game offer Nintendo bios and lore
for the characters, adding another reason to gather these treasures. Also, players will have the opportunity to create their own levels
and upload them via WiiConnect24 and share levels with friends. This means that the game should never get old because there will
always be new levels to try out with friends.
In closing, with all of the materials that are thrown into the tiny package that is “Super Smash Bros. Brawl,” players will have many
different options, adventures, characters and collectables that could possibly keep them busy until the release of the next Super Smash
Bros. title. Let’s hope that the next title will offer as much as Brawl does and maybe include so more dearly missed characters from the
past, like Bubsy.
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