With a bigger cast, bigger brawls and the addictive chaotic gameplay we all know and love, SSB has never been better
For those who are new to this series, Super Smash Bros. is a party fighting game that lets you choose from a wide variety of Nintendo characters and pits you against up to 3 other players (or AI) from a 2D perspective. The goal is to knock the other players off the map; whether that means send them flying above you, knock them off the side of the screen or knock them off the cliff to their doom below. Each player has a percentage meter that rises every time you get hit. As it gets bigger, the player becomes easier to knock off the map. You are also assisted by random items and special moves that drop on the map. This fast paced gameplay is chaotic and fun, and no other game does it better than Brawl. Playing against an AI is fun enough, but it's even more fun when you have friends to play with.
The gameplay is complimented by how accessible it is. There are only two real attack buttons and a block button but depending on which way you tilt your stick, you can perform a variety of attacks without having to memorize 20 different combos. And then there is the character roster, which is bigger than ever before with a grand total of 35 playable fighters at your disposal. Not only do you get the returning favorites like Mario, Link, Pikachu, Fox, Kirby, etc., but we are also introduced to many newcomers like Wario, Meta Knight from Kirby, Lucario from Pokemon, Olimar from Pikmin and many more. As a bonus, Brawl is also the first game in the series to introduce two third party characters into the action; Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series and Sonic the Hedgehog. With their own signature moves and abilities, Brawl offers a nice variety for you to choose from.
Luckily, this time around you're not limited to playing offline if you want to play with others. This is the first game in the series to offer online play. How this works is you get the choice between free for all and teams, and the game will try to find a match for you. After picking your character, you will be taken to a practice room to warm up before fighting. In spite of fighting other people being as fun as fighting people offline, matchmaking is so-so. Sometimes I can connect with little issues, other times I suffered from some serious lag. Not to mention if you want to play with friends online, you'll have to exchange friend codes which is always a hassle. Online is ok, but the matchmaking could have used some tweaking.
Even though there are a lot of fun stages to choose from, you also have the option to create your own stage. Using a simple interface, you can specify a size, background picture, and theme song to go along with your work. Then it's just a matter of selecting which of the premade terrain parts and platforms you want to lay out. This tool works surprisingly well, and you can make some pretty interesting levels. It's just too bad you can't play them online, not even with friends.
There is plenty more for single players too. There is the traditional Classic mode, of course, where you must fight in a number of rounds, two bonus rounds and eventually, defeat the master hand, a mysterious giant hand that is the main enemy in every SSB game. The best part about classic in this version is the fighters you take on change every time you play, so you will never take on the same fighters twice. Next is event mode which is a series of fights where you must complete a specific objective to complete.
The main event in the single player mode is the story mode, otherwise known as the Subspace Emissary. The story is pretty simple, all of the Nintendo characters (and Snake) band together to take on a mysterious enemy that's freezing everyone into statues. It usually starts off with two or more characters teaming up against this oncoming threat, but eventually, all stories slowly weave together. There isn't a whole lot more to say about the story, but it is cool to see characters like Link and Mario interacting with each other, or just to see what happens when Samus teams up with Pikachu.
As for the game itself, Subspace Emissary is controlled from a side scrolling perspective and plays like a beat em up, only with platforming. The percentage rule in the main game still applies here only this time, you have a life system, only dying may switch you to another character if you have the option. For the most part, this mode has it's moments and it can be a blast to play. However, there are moments tat drag it down like sections where the level scrolls or other annoying platforming sections. Not to mention some characters fair better in a platforming style game than others. Other than that, it's an interesting new experience for fans and newcomers alike, and you can play it in co-op if you like.
What started out as fan service on the Nintendo 64 is now one of, if not the, best party/fighting games on the Nintendo Wii. With bigger brawls, a bigger cast, and an improvement on that crazy chaotic gameplay we all know and love, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is simply one of the best game to grace the system. Tht's also not to mention the amount of content, stages and unlockables available. I would go ahead and say this is a must own to all Wii owners but let's be honest, if you own a Wii, chances are you already have it.