July 19, 2012

Don't mess with the best! A review of Super Smash Bros. Brawl

It's been the privilege of gamers all over the world to play the Super Smash Bros. series. Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii has been out for a few years now, but I recently bought my very own copy of it (for many years I shared a Wii and a copy of the game with my younger siblings).

Brawl belongs to the fighting video game genre. At it's most basic, it sees up to four players duking it out as their favorite Nintendo characters on one of the many Nintendo-inspired arenas the game has to offer. As players are hit, their damage percentages go up, and the higher the percentage, the farther they fly when hit. A life is lost when they are hit out of the level's boundary.

That's the gist of it. But I'm sure most of you know all about that. Now I want to focus on the gameplay in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The controls work incredibly well and are even customizable. Players can use the Wii remote + nunchuck, classic controller, Gamecube controller, or even Wii remote by itself. From there, the controls can be further personalized and assigned to player names.

Brawl pulls off an incredible feat by creating an unprecedented balance amongst a massive and varied character roster. No one character will give a player an inherent advantage, but you'll find that certain types of characters fit your playing style better than others. When it comes to the line-up itself, you'll find no shortage of great fighters to choose from. From Mario to Marth, from Pikachu to Pit, there's a character for everyone.

On the content front, Brawl is no slacker. When you're with friends, the battles you can create are virtually unlimited thanks to options that alter play mode, time limit, item frequency, and much more. A large collection of arenas adds to the variety, and a level building tool allows players to contribute something of their own to the game's depth. If you don't happen to have a friend to play with, no worries. Brawl also contains an extensive amount of solo modes, one of which is the colossal Subspace Emissary adventure.

Slick menus, smooth-running graphics, and an okay online mode round out one of the best gaming experiences on Wii. In short, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is simply a must-own game for any Wii owner.

6 comments:

  1. Hey, new reader...nice place you've got here.

    You briefly mentioned it, but what is your opinion on the Subspace Emissary mode? I thought it was a bit stale. I know that single player adventure is not what the series is about but still...

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    1. Welcome to the site! Glad to have you!

      I like the Subspace Emissary a lot, but I do feel it has a couple of problems. Mainly that the story feels disconnected somehow. When you think about it, though, it's a big job to put together a storyline that includes such a diverse cast of characters. In that way, I think it's an admirable job.

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    2. Yeah, I can agree with that. And I remember reading somewhere that they had bigger ideas for the mode that had to be cut. I don't remember where I read that or what was left out but if that's true, I hope they try again next time.

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    3. I'm sure they will for the upcoming Wii U/3DS entries in the series. Can't wait to see how that turns out!

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  2. You know, I've never really parked my butt on the sofa and played this game the way I did Smash Brothers on the Gamecube. My kids love it, and I've enjoyed my short stints with it, but I really should give it more of a run.

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    1. Brawl has some of the best multi player gameplay around, that's for sure. But it's also incredibly fun to play alone. I'll catch myself playing until late trying to collect trophies and unlock other goodies.

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