When I first heard about the Nintendo Wii years ago, way back when it was still called the Nintendo Revolution, I knew that they were going to have something special. This was even before I heard anything about motion-based controls or the prospect of online gaming. Shortly afterwards, I caught word that they were developing another sequel for the Super Smash Bros. franchise and I couldn’t be happier. This game was originally supposed to be released shortly after the launch of the system, but for whatever reason, it got delayed.
Well, let me tell you. It was worth the wait. There is not a doubt in my mind that Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the single best game available on the Nintendo Wii today. That’s a pretty big statement considering that we have other great games like Twilight Princess and Super Mario Galaxy, and the statement is made even more ironic when you consider that Brawl doesn’t even make use of the Wii’s unique control scheme. And I will be forever thankful for that, because tacked-on Wii controls would have bumped Super Smash Bros. Brawl down a notch or three.
As it stands, this game is absolutely stellar, especially if you are a fan of fighting games. Let’s go through some of the best (and worst) parts of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
The Combatants
In the original Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64, we were offered 12 selectable characters. The roster expanded to 26 fighters for Super Smash Bros. Melee on the GameCube. For the third entry — Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii — Nintendo once again expanded the cartoon-fueled battle cast, pushing the envelope to a whopping 35 characters, some of whom have alternate forms with whole new move lists.
As you can see from the character selection screen above, Brawl offers a huge variety of fighters for gamers to choose from. Old school favorites like Mario, Pikachu, and Captain Falcon are back, but they are joined by some rather notable fighters as well. Super Smash Bros. Brawl represents the first time that third-party characters have entered the fray.
(Note: Three characters are missing from the screen above because I haven’t unlocked them yet: Toon Link, Jigglypuff, and Star Wolf from the Legend of Zelda series, Pokemon, and Star Fox series, respectively.)
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Players are going to have their preferences, but I have enjoyed the most success (and had the most fun) with Meta Knight, an angry puff ball from the Kirby franchise. Don’t let his small stature fool you; he’s totally bad ass. The two other new characters that have everyone talking are Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid) and Sonic the Hedgehog.
As if all the different characters weren’t enough, the developers have also loaded up this game with a huge selection of game-inspired stages. Shadow Moses Island from Metal Gear Solid is pretty awesome, but if you’re looking for something a little more quirky, they’ve also got stages inspired by Luigi’s Mansion, Game and Watch, and even Pictochat.
Four Ways to Play
There are four different control schemes for Super Smash Bros Brawl. The simplest control scheme by far is the Wii Remote on its own, held horizontally and played like an old school NES game.
The three other control schemes are:
- Wii Remote + Nunchuk (analog stick for movement)
- Classic Controller
- GameCube Controller
I personally prefer the GameCube controller, because it offers the most traditional control style. I’d imagine that the Classic controller would be pretty good too, but I don’t have one of those. The least versatile is the Wii Remote by itself, but it would be the easiest for beginners.
Solo vs. Multiplayer
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is best enjoyed with a group of friends, largely because of the multiplayer nature of the game. There is nothing more satisfying than the absolutely hectic action that takes place with four simultaneous characters doing battle, getting bombarded from all directions with all the cool weapons. Things get even more crazy when you toss in things like the Assist Trophies and Pokeballs, because secondary “helper” characters emerge to join the action.
One of the cooler features in the game is Rotation. You can use this when you have more than four people around, ensuring that everyone gets an equal opportunity to play the game. Rotation supports up to 20 players in all and you can set up who gets to stay and who gets swapped out. If you prefer, there is also a tournament mode to determine brawling supremacy among your friends.
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Going Solo…
The solo side of things isn’t nearly as satisfying. You can partake in the group battles with CPU opponents, but when you select Solo from the main screen, you are offered two less than satisfying game modes. The first — “Classic” — is arranged in similar fashion to conventional fighting games insofar that you face off against a series of computer-controlled opponents, ultimately culminating against the boss character, Master Hand.
The other solo mode is an expanded story mode called The Subspace Emissary. This combines a a platformer-like game with the usual brawls. Although the cutscenes are gorgeous, the story itself is quite weak and the action is terribly repetitive. You’ll get about 10 hours of play out of this mode, but you’re basically doing the same thing over and over again.
Taking the Action Online
When I heard that I would be able to do battle with other Smash Bros. enthusiasts from around the world using online play, I got pretty stoked. Unfortunately, SSBB makes use of that horrible friend code system. Worst still, the regular online play is absolutely crippled, especially when you’re just looking for a casual match with strangers. Despite having so many people online, it can take forever to find a match… assuming you get one at all. I’ve waited several minutes on countless occasions, only to have the system time out on me.
There is no ranking system, no way to determine skill level, and no usernames. You are randomly matched up with your opponents and there’s no way to tell who you’re facing. This is so much worse than even the online gaming system found in Mario Kart DS. It sucks pretty bad, especially when compared with an online community like Xbox Live. In the end, you’re much better off with “real” friends who will play at your house, because the online gaming experience is seriously lacking. And it lags too.
Masterpiece Theatre
The biggest reward that you’ll get for playing through the game will be the raw enjoyment itself. After this, you’ll get a sense of elation from unlocking characters like R.O.B. the Robot, Lucario, and Falco. But wait, there are more rewards too. You can earn the right to kick it old school with some retro games like Donkey Kong, F-Zero, and Star Fox 64 too!
That’s the good news. The bad news is that these are just demos and they limit the amount of time that you can play them. The time ranges from 30 seconds to about three minutes, so you really don’t get to play much of any of these. As you can imagine, these demos have been included to entice you into the (paid) Virtual Console. It worked. I’m so tempted to buy some classics.
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Conclusion
Make no mistake. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the absolute best game available on the Nintendo Wii today. I haven’t had this much fun playing a video game in quite some time, possibly only getting rivaled by the rhythmic sensation of Rock Band and Guitar Hero. But those games don’t give me the opportunity to let out a big blast as Samus Aran or pass some gas as Wario. Those games don’t let me partake in absolutely hectic and thrilling battles with three of my friends. And those games don’t let me participate in dream matches like Mario vs. Sonic or Link vs. Marth.
The battle gameplay mechanic is stellar. That’s because Super Smash Bros. Brawl really doesn’t bring anything all that new to the franchise. All they have done is refine the best elements from Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee. That’s not a knock on the game; in fact, it’s the exact opposite. I’m glad that they didn’t tinker with the winning formula.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is not without its faults — the Subspace Emissary and online play really need some work — but those faults are all secondary to the greatness of this game. If you own a Nintendo Wii, particularly if you are a fan of fighting games, you will want to head out to the closest retailer and pick up a copy. It really is that good.
And you can set up funny pictures like the one above too…
Pros
- Huge roster of characters, including Sonic and Snake
- Fighting engine is easy enough for beginners, complex enough for pros
- Multiplayer action is positively orgasmic
- Smash ball super special moves are a great addition
- Retro masterpieces are a nice bonus
Cons
- Online play is very disappointing
- Subspace Emissary story mode could use some work
- Masterpiece demos are a big tease
- Doesn’t really bring anything new to the franchise (not really a con)
Overall Rating: 9.5 / 10.0
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