Super Smash Bros. Brawl

"It's the Final Countdown..."

The times are changing. Not necessarily for the good, either. The old Mushroom Kingdom is a decrepit ruin. The realm of Hyrule has become dull and stagnant in its time of peace. The post-war countries of Fire Emblem are struggling to regain their prosperity after so many blood-soaked battles. Zebes is nothing more than a beautiful, haunting memory now. The same could be said for a lot of Nintendo's characters; they thrive on the memories of days past. They can't go on living like that, however. There's a new threat on the horizon, and it aims to wipe Nintendo out of existence. This army of monstrous creatures and lifeless soldiers will wipe out everything in its path, game genres and history be damned. The castles, dungeons, and fields that were once cherished are being consumed by an evil unlike anything ever seen. Needless to say, this isn't just about saving princesses anymore.

This is the plot for the Subspace Emissary, the most prominent new feature in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In this single-player/co-op mode, you'll be guided along a rather simplistic storyline that spans across the spectrum of the Nintendo world. There's nothing particularly mind-blowing about the way the journey is portrayed; aside from numerous nostalgia-ridden cutscenes (taking on an army of killer ROBs was a work of genius) and detailed backgrounds, there isn't much to keep things interesting. The game is designed as a scrolling adventure that blends platforming and fighting game elements with some occasional exploration to boot. The adventure strives to emulate the games from which its characters are based; you'll get to ascend the snowy icecaps with the Ice Climbers, explore the innards of Halberd airship, and defend a Fire Emblem fortress from an impending invasion.

There's nothing fancy about the gameplay, though; the majority of the levels are comprised of sectioned areas with platforms, puzzles, and a slew of enemies that need to be killed before moving onward. While such aspects certainly improve upon those of Melee's Adventure Mode, Subspace Emissary is unsatisfying. The main problem lies with the structuring; there are few areas in the game that provide any challenge in terms of platforming. The puzzles are utterly unimaginative and boring; considering that most of them involve hitting switches and finding keys, Nintendo could have at least developed better designs. Aside from a few key exceptions, the levels are little more than generic assortment of mismatched platforms overburdened with enemy forces. If anything, it's a halfhearted attempt to introduce Brawl's fighting gameplay to a wider audience.

At least it's not necessary to play through it. While the story mode has nostalgic fun to spare, chances are you'll play through the other single-player options more often. Like its predecessors, Brawl sports a Classic Mode that pits you against a series of opponents with the occasional extra challenge thrown in. No, not occasional. Frequent. Giant, Metal, and Team Random Character battles have replaced the usual lineup of traditional battles. Not that it's a bad thing – variety is definitely welcome here – but Nintendo decided to remove some of the old bonus stages as well. Though Melee's Race to the Finish level has been cut, the game focuses more on the Break the Targets challenges. Should Classic seem lacking to you, the unlockable All-Star and Boss Battle Modes ought to give you a run for your money by pitting you against the entire roster and a gauntlet of Subspace Emissary foes.

Since these gameplay modes will inevitably go stale, Nintendo included several more single player options for you to chew on. The Event Mode comes with a whopping 41 unlockable challenges that come with selectable levels of difficulty. Some of these are simple, like taking on a team of enemies at once, performing certain moves, or protecting teammates. Despite the simple objectives, many of the later missions can prove challenging. But if you prefer something a little more open-ended, the Stadium Mode offers a slew of gameplay options as well. It retains all of the challenges found in Melee, such as the Multi-Man Brawls, the Home Run Contest, and the Break the Targets levels. However, several changes have been made to expand the gameplay experience. The most notable change is the co-op feature; you and a friend can endure the trials of Home Run batting and the endless brawling actions in a joint effort. The Break the Targets mode has been revised from the ground up; individual characters no longer have special stages. Instead, all of the characters can play through a selection of levels with progressively higher difficulties. Once you've completed all of these extra gameplay modes, it really boils down to setting new records and beating your old high scores.

But hey, you're not interested in this game just for the single-player aspects, right? Right?

Good. The real meat of the game – the key to its longevity – is not based with the lone player experience. Like its predecessors, Brawl is primarily crafted as a multiplayer title; its VS Mode options trump every other aspect of the game. The roster includes 35 playable characters, spanning the likes of mascots like Mario, Link, and Samus, while including newcomers like Sonic, Snake, Pit, King Dedede, and Captain Olimar. The surprising thing about this cast isn't its size, but its balance. Many of the returning characters have been modified to make them more an even match to traditionally weaker choices. Thus it's not really a matter of which character is supposedly the best, but about how well you can adapt to the character's fighting abilities. Should you go for Marth's flowing short-ranged swordplay, or would you prefer smacking people around with Ike's ridiculously slow and overpowered slashes? Don't scoff at the three Star Fox characters, either; despite the similar movesets, they play far differently than they appear. The trick is finding a character that suits your playing style and mastering it.

The goal of the fights is simple: attack your enemies to build up the damage meter o nthe bottom of the screen, then use a more powerful attack to knock them off the fighting stage completely. Considering that each character comes packing a wide variety of punches, kicks, slashes, and throws, dishing out the punishment is never a problem. There are also special moves that utilize a character's special move, like Link's boomerang or Kirby's sucking ability. Since your fighter can also roll, dodge, and block, learning how to fight defensively is just as important. Though each moveset has its own little tricks and combos for you to master, it's the pacing of the combat that will make the difference. Brawl is far slower than its predecessor; veteran Smash fans may find it aggravating that their well-developed strategies no longer work. This game focuses more on chaining combos and dodging than it does on speed. While this might seem distasteful to some gamers, newcomers will have an easier time picking up the gameplay.

Given the wide variety of control options, getting comfortable with the combat mechanics shouldn't be difficult. Brawl supports not only the default WiiMote, but the Nunchuck, Classic and Gamecube controllers as well. That's definitely a blessing, considering how awkwardness of some of the control schemes. Some people may be able to pickup a mere WiiMote and master it, while others require something with a few more buttons. At least the game lets you modify the controls; since you can save your options to whichever controller you use, perfecting your control style isn't much of a hassle. Melee veterans, however, need not worry; the default button mapping for the Gamecube controller has been transferred perfectly to Brawl. Thus the fans of the series can jump right into the gameplay without feeling alienated by the newer control styles.

Besides, the inclusion of the Items tends to balance everything our regardless. Should you choose to include them in battle (traditional gamers will invariably have the Items turned off), your fights will be laden with several dozen weapons, pickups, and other items. Many of the items from the previous games have been either modified or cut completely. The Home Run Bat, for example, lacks the speedy animation that used to ensure one-hit kills. The Beam Sword now extends based on the power behind the attack, yet it had surprisingly little knockback effects. Some of the newer items are far more effective; nabbing the three-piece Dragoon machine, a Cracker Launcher, and Golden Hammer can turn the tide of any battle. The Pokeball roster to a big hit, however; many of the overpowered behemoths from Melee have been replaced with monsters that focus more on combos and unavoidable projectiles.

The dwindling importance of the Pokeball items isn't a coincidence, however. They've been replaced by something far more appealing: Assist Trophies. Grabbing one of these will unleash a random character onto the stage to wreak some havoc. Imagine having the Ninja from Metal Gear Solid dashing across the battlefield, tearing into your foes with his trusty katana. Or Shadow, whose Chaos Control summon can slow the pace of the battle to a near-standstill. There's nothing quite as awesome as having Tingle show up and spout out a few random items, or having to endure Mr. Resetti's angry tirades as he comments on the match at hand. While these secondary characters may be more for nostalgia than for strategy, the newly designed Smash Balls certainly make up for it. Having one of these things appear onscreen can be both a blessing and a curse; since you have to break it open to gain its power, regular battles turn into a frantic struggle for the item. The victor is granted the ability to unleash character-specific Final Smash moves. Though taking one of these attacks can mean an instant kill, few of the Final Smashes are broken; they require both timing and precision to be executed well.

Assuming that you don't have a friend around to challenge, the game allows you to set up AI-controller opponents. Choosing the difficulty level and handicap options are as simple as going through a couple of menus. Don't put too much faith in these enemies, though; the Brawl's AI is remarkably inconsistent. Sometimes your foes will be very good - headache and frustration-inducing good – but not always. Be wary of foes that make no effort to dodge your attacks or commit suicide by jumping off the edge of the fighting arenas. Look out for AI that allows its characters to be grabbed or easily abused with cheap combos. That same computerized opponent could come back in a later match and utterly ravage you. Unlike its predecessors, Brawl doesn't force you to memorize your opponents' predictable attacks and strategies; rather, it makes you react more to whatever your foes throw at you.

But if you feel like playing against a real person, you'll likely be drawn to the game's biggest selling point: the online multiplayer. Connecting to Wifi grants you the ability to play against up to three other opponents from around the world. Since the game uses the same Friend Code system as most of Nintendo's other online games, you'll be able to keep a list of which gamers are online, seeking battles, or other options. The co-op features from the Stadium Mode are also present here; you and a friend can tackle Multi-Man Brawls and the Home Run Contest as a team. There are a handful of extra options, like crafting your own text messages (which are severely limited in character spaces) for your taunts. If you prefer anonymity, however, the With Anyone Mode ditches the code system and pits you against four random gamers. While all of these options are great, there is one glaring problem: the lag. The speed of the matches is inconsistent; some battles will go as smoothly as possible, while others suffer from slow-motion framerates and unresponsive controls. While searching for random opponents is a great feature, you can end up waiting for several minutes for a single fighter to appear in your queue. Though online multiplayer does wonders for Brawl, it is far from perfect.

Your perseverance is rewarded, however. The game keeps track of all your records, from the amount of matches you've played down to the distance your characters have run in-game. Completing certain objectives (all of which are listed in a massive list of challenges) will net you the game's countless collectibles and extra content. In addition to wide variety of unlockable fighters and stages, the game boasts several hundred Trophies of lesser-known Nintendo characters. All of these little works of nostalgia are organized in a viewable gallery, complete with a brief explanation of its relevance. While the collection is massive, the sheer amount of Sticker pickups dwarfs it; these drawings not only depict every notable Nintendo in recent memory, but boost your avatar's stats in Subspace Emissary as well. It's not like you'll need them, though; just collecting all of them is a trying task in itself.

While obsessive completionists will accept the Trophy and Sticker sets with open arms, they might be turned off by the other unlockable content. Playing enough matches will net you the Masterpieces option, which includes an assortment of retro titles featuring Brawl's cast. Retro gamers will recognize titles like the original Donkey Kong, F-Zero, and Super Metroid. There's nothing wrong with reliving Nintendo's 2D glory days, but given that the demos only allow you to play a few minutes, there isn't much of a reason to play them. Chances are, you own these titles, acquired them through the Virtual Console, or have played them extensively. Thus the Masterpieces selection is really nothing more than a glorified advertisement for the titles on the Virtual Console. What's even more useless in the Chronicle menu, which offers a list of every Nintendo game from the Game & Watch handhelds to the Wii. There's no incentive to view the Chronicle; there are no descriptions, unlockables, or relevant information. Considering that you can look up far more complete lists online, this feature is pointless, if not self-congratulatory.

Don't let that stop you from enjoying the game's other options, though. If you've got a SD card handy (or system memory to spare), you'll likely want to utilize Brawl's recording capabilities. You can record your matches for a limited amount of time, then either save it to a memory card or send it to another Wii owner. The only thing better than bragging about your epic match victories is having the video to prove it. The same goes with the Photo Album; considering all of the fast-paced action and crazy characters, you'll have plenty of reasons to pause the game, snap a couple of in-battle pictures, and store them on your console or send to a friend. Aside from the nigh-unavoidable upskirt shots (come on, everyone did that in Melee at least once), creating memorable pictures and sharing them can prove fun when the fighting is done.

The most notable new feature (outside of online multiplayer, anyway) is the Stage Builder Mode. If you feel like you can design better battlefields than Nintendo's creations, delving into this option can be a rewarding experience. Once you've chosen the size and background music of a stage, you'll find yourself immersed in a list of usable set pieces. There are simple things, like boxed platforms, stairs, springs, etc. The real fun comes with crafting the most unique and unconventional stages possible; you could have a stage with its bottom completely covered in spikes, have extensive conveyor belt systems running on endless cycles, or design a harrowing ascent up a tower of moving platforms. Your levels cannot be too cluttered, however; since every set piece takes up space on the stages' grid-based menus, you're going to run out of space quickly. But once you've finally perfected your ideal stage, you can show it off by choosing it to play in VS Mode or sending it to a friend to enjoy.

That's assuming, of course, that you get tired of the game's default stages. By the time you've unlocked everything, you'll have amassed over 40 playable stages ranging across each character's respective series. Unlike previous games, however, Brawl focuses more on dynamic and interactivity with its stages. The infamous acid pits of Zebes have been replaced with the fiery depths of Norfair, complete with the appropriate music and screen-filling lava flows. Smashing everything in Skyworld is fun, until you realize those wispy cloud won't hold you forever. Other stages thrive more on constant change; the Ice Climber's Summit is nothing more than a melting iceberg that slides down its base and splashes into the frigid ocean below. The Delfino Plaza stage isn't just limited to a single area of the island, but a constant tour through many of its more memorable sections and altering structures. Others are a bit less chaotic; the Bridge of Eldin, for example, is little more than a straight-flat surface. Such simplicity allows you to enjoy its atmosphere; there are few things more beautiful than fighting your opponent to the death while the sunset casts its orange hue and on everything.

The stages would be nothing, however, without the music to back them up. Brawl boasts several hundred songs that come from the characters' respective series. Some of the tracks have been transferred directly; stuff like Sonic Boom, the Snake Eater theme, and the Donkey Kong Country map music offer plenty in terms of nostalgia. Many of the older tunes, however, have been modified or put into arrangements. The old Super Mario Bros. music, for example, has been remixed into a series of jazzy tunes. The melodies from Ocarina of Time have been rearranged into a single track and redone with instrumentals (utilizing what sounds like a real ocarina, no less). There are plenty of selections from games that aren't primarily featured in Brawl, either; fans will recognize stuff from Golden Sun, Tetris, and plenty of other Nintendo titles. Since you are given an assortment of songs for each level, you can set your favorite tracks to play every time.

Nostalgia can be a wonderful and terrible thing. It can produce some of the best games imaginable, or it can provide fans with an excuse to wolf down whatever drivel the parent companies dish out. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is thankfully of the former; the sheer amount of history present in this game is unheard of. Nearly three dozen characters from Nintendo's most popular series are present, complete with unique and balanced movesets. While the single-player modes are lackluster, the multiplayer is a force to be reckoned with; with an insane amount of items, unlockables, music, levels, and character cameos at every turn, there will be plenty for any fan to admire. That's not to say that just Nintendo fans will enjoy this game; given the various control schemes and easy-to-learn gameplay, anyone can pick this up and play a few matches. The online mode, though laggy, is easily the best multiplayer on the system. No, Brawl is not the perfect game. But for what it offers, it's close enough.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/21/08

Game Release: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (US, 03/09/08)