"It's about time it came out!"

Intro

Super Smash Bros Brawl is the highly anticipated sequel of Super Smash Bros for the Nintendo 64 and its successor Melee, best selling game for the Nintendo Gamecube. It is a 1-4 player fighting game for the Nintendo Wii and, unlike most games, features four different and unique control options. Players can play the game with just the remote, the remote w/ the nunchuk, the classic controller, or any Gamecube controller.

Story mode

The story mode of Brawl is known as "Subspace Emissary" or abbreviated as SSE and has been expanded greatly from Melee's adventure mode. SSE takes the player across the world through different levels ranging from a castle to a jungle a spaceship and even some strange alternate dimension. At each of these levels you will face hordes of enemies ranging from standard bad guys to other playable characters and even some classic Nintendo bosses such as Ridley from the Metroid series.

As you progress through this mode you'll meet (and most of the time fight) the other playable characters and unlock them for use in the story and in the other modes as well. The story revolves around the hero characters like Mario and Kirby fighting against villainous characters like Bowser. The story itself is told through movies between levels and although some scenes look epic, amazing, and just plain cool, most of them are silly and it would really help if the characters talked.

The bizarre story aside this mode can be played with one or two players at any time on any difficulty. This way a friend can enjoy the story and/or help out with a particular level. My only real complaint with SSE is that it is really freaking long, especially the last level. Luckily it only needs to be completed once and once it is any level can be selected to be replayed. Almost all characters are unlocked in this mode also.

Brawl also features classic and all-star modes along with the return of event challenges and the stadium. Some event challenges are also co-op and can be done with a partner. These modes offer plenty to do for either a lone brawler or a pair of them.

Multiplayer

Probably the best part of the game and main reason for most people to get this game is the multiplayer mode. Anywhere from 1-4 players or CPU's can battle with plenty of ways to play. There are a variety of characters and stages to choose from, items to turn on and off, and several other rules to make giving you plenty of ways to customize the match. Tournament and Special Melee make their return here except with different names (Tourney and Special Brawl respectively). Again these modes offer more ways to fight in this game.

Another interesting thing that has been added to the game is "Final Smashes". Basically ultimate moves for characters, and in most cases one-hit kill moves, a player must first obtain the item and use it so it will hit their opponent. This way even a novice can turn the tide of battle against 3 veterans. Some people may see them as cheap ways to win so luckily they can be turned off for those players.

A welcome feature to the series (and Nintendo games in general) is online multiplayer through Nintendo Wi-Fi although its not without its flaws. The main reason why I didn't give this game a 10 is the online part. First off you can choose to play with either any random person or just your friends.

Should you choose anybody you will only be able to do a standard 2-minute 4-player brawl. Upon selecting a character your character will be taken to level with a sandbag. Here you can practice your moves while you wait for your opponents which may take about a minute if you have a decent connection. The gameplay online was good with almost no lag at all. However unlike Xbox Live you can't become friends with anyone you play with and all players are anonymous.

Should you wish to play with your friends you must first become friends on the Wii. To do this you'll have call your buddy up on the phone, tell him your friend code to enter on his Wii, then have him do the same to you. After a while it should register and then you'll have a friend that you can play from anywhere. Actually I have had some trouble trying to play with friends. Either me or one of them would sometimes get disconnected but maybe its just us. While playing with friends the player hosting the match can change any of the rules like a normal offline match. Communication, however, is a problem as there are no Wii headsets or communicators. The best players can do for conversation are comments that can be typed beforehand and programmed to a corresponding button or your telephone.

Control / Gameplay

The reason this game is so fun is because its easy to pick up and play. Each of the four controller choices are easy to learn and use with a game or two of practice (except for remote by itself, that may take alot of practice; I honestly would not recommend it). The gameplay is fast paced but just enough to keep things interesting and not too confusing. This game can and should be played by gamers of all ages.

Graphics / Music / Extras

Graphically the game looks good. One of the best on the Wii. The sound quality is excellent as well. The are several pieces of music from several Nintendo games that can be unlocked and played in the game. Along with music there are other cool things to unlock. Trial versions of classic games can be unlocked and played for limited time. There are also hundreds of trophies and stickers to get. Stickers are actually used to power up your characters in story mode but I think they're better as collectibles like the trophies.

Yet another cool feature is the stage builder. Here you can create your own level by selecting the size, backround, and music and then by placing down various objects such as platforms. While you can't create anything too complicated you can still create a unique level and even send it to your friends to brawl on.

Outro

To make a long story short this is an excellent game. The Story is a little long but still fun. Multiplayer is something that can be enjoyed by anyone although it might be problematic online. All of the characters play really well although in my professional opinion Solid Snake does not fit in with other Nintendo characters. And with the amount of content to unlock people will play this game for months and months to come. If your Nintendo fan then you should buy this game. If your not a fan you should still buy this game but try it first so you have a reason to buy. If you absolutely hate Nintendo then you should not have been reading this in the first place. A spectacular game that is by no means perfect but still deserving and worthy enough to be played and remembered till the next one comes out in 5 or 6 years.

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

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