"Nearly Perfect...But the problems are so small that it doesn't really matter."

POINT OF GAME: Select your favorite Nintendo character and enter the fray again. This is the Super Smash Bros. franchise's third installment. Beat the crap out of your other Nintendo favorites and send them flying of the stage and into oblivion. You can finally take the fight online and brawl with just about anyone.

GRAPHICS (9.75/10): One of the best looking Wii games out there. The character graphics look a lot more detailed than ever before in the series and the animations are perfect. The attack animations and effects look absolutely spectacular and are fun to watch (especially the Final Smash attacks of most characters). Most of the stages all look really detailed and very nice, however, there are a few that could've been a bit better looking.

SOUND QUALITY (10/10): The soundtrack is very impressive and includes some of Nintendo's greatest hits from their games, as well as a few exclusive tunes for the game. The sound effects are fantastic and fun to listen too. The voice-acting is also excellent and really works for the game.

CONTROLLING AND PLAYABILITY (9.75/10):
There are four different control modes: Wii Remote, Wii Remote w/ Nunchuck, Classic Controller and Nintendo GameCube controller. I would recommend either the Nintendo GameCube controlling or the Wii Remote w/ Nunchuck, those are the two most controllable modes of the game. The Wii Remote by itself is just bad. I haven't played with the Classic Controller, so I don't have an opinion on that. Overall, the game's playability is excellent. You can set the AI's difficulty level, which is good. However, the game can be difficult, as it is easy to fall off the stage if you go to crazy with the fighting and a few characters have B- Up moves that are ineffective at helping you get back on the stage.

ENTERTAINMENT (9.75/10): The game is really good playing alone. There are many solo modes like Classic, All-Star and the new Subspace Emissary is to die for. The trophies, stickers and game demos that you can unlock make this game a challenge. The events and other single-player challenges only help further the entertainment. Plus there are so many characters that you just want to try them all (Sonic and Snake are interesting choices and very good ones). But once you start playing with others, the fun just never stops. This makes for an excellent party game (by party game, I mean games with multiplayer that are fun to play with others at a party or something), as you can hold personal tournaments, create rules for special brawl and lots more. The online multiplayer is all fun by itself. You can play Brawl with any of your friends or you can even take the fight worldwide by playing the game with just about anyone. You can choose a free-for-all or a team-based online match. You can even spectate a fight and bet coins on who's going to win (yay, simulated gambling!). But the online multiplayer has only a few flaws that can be a hassle to fix if you don't know what your doing. Depending on your internet connection and wireless router, it can sometimes be a lengthy wait for opponents when you're playing "with anyone." Also depending on your router and internet connection, the game can experience sometimes lag and that may kill the experience for you (but, hey, that's why they put "Game Experience May Change During Online Play"). But, overall, the online multiplayer is fun and really addicting.

REPLAY: 5 out of 5
The game is fun and the online gaming is addicting. Like the past Super Smash Bros. games, this just never gets old.

THE GOOD: All the graphics are at an excellent standpoint, save for a few stages that could use more detail. The sound quality is perfect on every level. The entertainments you can get out of this game are for too numerous to name and the control schemes for the Nintendo GameCube controller and Wii Remote w/ Nunchuck really work well. Online multiplayer is a really nice addition to the game and it works well.

THE BAD: "GAME EXPERIENCE MAY CHANGE DURING ONLINE PLAY" and that may kill some of the fun, but it is still really addicting. Also, don't even bother with the control scheme for the Wii Remote without the Nunchuck.

THE BOTTOM-LINE: The game is nearly perfect in every way, but the problems are so small that is doesn't really affect the final score on GameFaqs that much. It is a fun game with addicting gameplay and it is worth every bit of money you pay for it. The game's entertainment is damn near flawless and the controllability depends on the control mode you use for it. The online play is addicting, but technical issues may kill the experience sometimes. Overall, another outstanding game by Nintendo.

AVERAGE FINAL SCORE: 9.81 out of 10

FINAL SCORE (rounded to nearest quarter-point): 9.75/10

GAMEFAQS SCORE: 10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/07/08

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