One Brawl Above All

Every so often, there comes a game that is preceded by untold amounts of hype and, despite the odds, manages to surpass all expectations. Such is the case with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the third iteration in the Nintendo's iconoclastic, melting pot fighter. If you have played the first two games, you know the scoop: Classic Nintendo characters fight it out, four at a time, in item-packed arenas that span the breadth of Big N franchises. If you have not played the first two, you really owe it to yourself to check them out, if for no other reason than to see how revolutionary the N64 classic really was, and to trace the humble beginnings of the franchise. The same features that made the original so, well, original, are found in this Smash Bros. incarnation as well: Gameplay is truly pick-up and play, with standard attacks mapped to the A button, specials to the B button, and a shield with the R trigger. Different attacks are produced depending on the direction you press on the analog stick, and depth is found in Smash attacks among other advanced moves; Smashes are activated when you flick the analog stick and press A in order to send an opponent flying. Of course, the other novelty of Smash. Bros is that, unlike other fighters, you are not so much interested in depleting your opponents' health as you are in removing them bodily from the stage. The fighters themselves are well-done. Have a favorite character? He or she is probably in the game. Have a favorite playing There's probably a character to suit your fancy.
So how does Smash Bros. Brawl compare to its predecessors? Quite simply, it is more of everything-more characters, in fact 30+ more, more levels, some of which are quite imaginative (Pikmin's Lost Planet, Pictochat, and Wario Ware spring immediately to mind), more amazing, fully orchestrated music, more options for fight customization (you can build your own stages this time around!), and more ways to play, including online (which is admittedly laggy, quite a bummer) and The Subspace Emissary mode, which is a fairly enjoyable adventure mode for one or two players that allows you to play as all of your favorites at one time or another. Brawl delivers more unlockable goodies, also-hidden characters, hidden levels (including some from Melee), extra music, stickers, and trophies abound. The visuals in the game are mind-blowing: This is a game that could be done on Gamecube in form only, as the power of the Wii is definitely utilized in stages that teem with activity and never slow down in the least (offline, that is). Speaking of the cube, the ability to play the game with the GCN controller is awesome, as that setup is both the best and the most immediately comfortable to long-time series fans. Which neatly brings us to our conclusion: Brawl is a happy marriage of old and new, retaining the same core Smash Brothers fundamentals that make the game an absolute joy to play, while balancing the gameplay and adding a near-limitless amount of new content that will keep players contentedly Smashing away. In my opinion, this is the finest Wii game available, a gift from Nintendo that shows its long-time faithful that they do care (single tear falls slowly).