Super Smash Bros Brawl is possibly the most anticipated game for the Wii this year, though the majority have abandoned ship after Nintys switch to the casual market, could this be the game to bring them back? Well Nintendo always make an amazing piece of work out of their flagship titles and this is no exception.

Brawl is a fighting game with a difference. As fans will know the premises of the game is a beat em up featuring all of the signature Nintendo characters, such as Mario and Link, ETC, and then some. A lot of the characters are starting to creep in from Third party companies such as Konami’s Solid Snake and SEGA’s Blue Hedgehog, Sonic. Don’t worry though if you don’t recognise some of the characters such as Marth and Ike from Fire Emblem (Final Fantasy mixed with Advance Wars) and Ness and Lucas from Earthbound, these games were never released outside of Japan, with the exception of the more recent Fire Emblem titles. All together the roster caps off at an amazing 35 characters with only a couple of copies with altered stats, this gives Brawl amazing versatility and increases its life span with all the different options and paths available to the player, to makes things better, the game is quite clearly made up with a tournament fighter in mind.


The game is perfectly balanced and as a player you can explore so many different styles of fighting its mind boggling. The game play itself in multiplayer (Where the game is focused around) is simple and effective. The players are thrown into an area based on one of many Nintendo game based arenas, each with its own unique gimmick, and made to try and knock each other out of the arena off stage. The game has no health bars, only a damage percentage that raises as a player takes damage, the higher the percentage the further the player flies out of the ring when hit by an attack, making it harder for them to recover back onto the stage. It’s a simple premise but items (also from various different Nintendo games) are thrown into the mix and add humour and unpredictability to the game. Especially the game changing Smash ball (Allows each character use of their unique uber powerful “Final Smash”) and the Assist Trophy (Summons a NPC onto the playing field, again from a different Ninty game). The game arenas do the same and to top it all off, the sheer variety and humour of the game keeps it from getting boring. Whilst it can be played against bots, the multiplayer content is really built for having friends over where the fun really comes into this game and brings it alive, the more the merrier and it makes the game fun and exciting. Though if your sad and have no freinds or still fancy a quiet night in the game is online compatable, though seriously lag ridden, making some games unplayable. I'd also like to add that this is the only game I have problems with. My internet supports Live with no lag, this is the sole game Im having problems with.



As a Wii game the graphics are limited in comparison to the 360 and PS3 but regardless the graphics are amazing and are comparable to another next gen console when shown in standard definition, its when the consoles make the jump to HD that this game starts to look shabby in comparisons to other consoles. However for a Wii game the visuals are fantastic and the frame rate holds up well even with a ton going on in the playing field. The music is also suitably stellar with over 300 different tracks in the game, ranging from epic orchestral music to a fast paced techno track. Each one suitably fits the situation it plays in and if you don’t like it, change it for a different piece, each section has around 4 or more different tracks to choose from, I really cant stress the amount of choice you have in this game, this games limit is your imagination.

In a first for the Smash series Brawl has a two player story mode. On its own its quite weak and stands up a game in its own right, not a brilliant game but a decent one. The story is compelling, even with only one line of dialogue in the entire story, the sound is still stellar and the game play really holds well (with the same beat em up style applied to a 3-d side scroller), the ability to co op as well just adds to the fun of the game. It’s a little easy and on its own would make an average game, but when stuck with the immense multiplayer Brawl possesses, it gives the game another leg to stand on.


Other game play modes players have to choose from include, the minigame based “Stadium” with such hits has “Home Run Contest” (damage the target enough and then hit with a baseball bat) and “Boss Battles” (essentially Brawls Boss Rush mode). Event mode where the player must complete various challenges with certain characters. Classic where the player must battle a series of opponents and bosses with various twists. And All Star mode where the player fights every single character in the game with limited health and no items. To boot I haven’t even covered every single game mode, seriously how much more can a gamer want in a game.


This game is quite simply amazing. It takes everything good about its sequel and adds so much more to the formula. It is quite simply a fans dream with a horde of Easter eggs and references to the many Nintendo games. Its only real drawback is that there is no benefit to using the Wiis motion controls in game, as they prove to be more of a hinderance than a cool add on to the game. This isnt a major flaw just a slight dissapointment. The game play is solid, graphics are good the sound is stellar, this is the must have game for the Wii this year.


10/10

Tom

Labels: Review, Super Smash Bros

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