Not as groundbreaking as Melee, but refines the formula even furhter as a fan service and a fighter.
Since Super Smash Bros. Melee, fans of the series have tirelessly played through the Gamecube classic. So much so, it kept getting strong sales not only during its release in 2001, to this day it still sells copies all over the world. The unique platforming/fighting blend that a Smash Bros. game brings, along with it's simplistic controls and hidden fighting game depth, kept the game inside of Gamecube's until the very end of the console.
That is a hard fight for the Wii version to go through, so is Brawl able to fill in the rather large shoes that Melee created?
There are a bunch of firsts for Brawl on the Wii. The game not only allows you to play with the Wii Remote: It also allows you three different control schemes (Wii-mote/Nunchuk, Classic Controller and Gamecube Controller) to choose from, so you choose which is most comfortable. There is also a simple level editor that you can trade with all of your friends. Finally, there is the online mode, which lets you play against friends and strangers online (no voice chat, unfortunately).
Brawl also introduces a good amount of newcomers, from Captain Olimar from Pikmin to Wario. There are numerous stages and characters to choose from, as well as a various assortment of items to use in fights and stickers and trophies to collect. On top of all of that, there are demos you can play of virtual console games such as Kid Icarus and Donkey Kong.
In fact, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is chock full of more stuff than any game of its kind. The mere fact that you can spend hours going through a mini-game called "Coin Shooter" (which replaces "Lottery" from Melee) that has you shooting coins at trophies in order to collect them. This Galaga/Bust-A-Move hybrid can eat a good hour of your time after amassing tons of coins in the actual gameplay modes.
The final new feature in this game is the brand new story mode called "The Subspace Emissary". I'm not exactly sure who asked for it, but this new mode actually creates a story with all the characters of the game being used to destroy a common threat. Or, I guess that's what it is, since there is no semblance of dialogue or plot to really speak of (other than a bomb going off here and a random appearance there).
The 8-hour story has you playing with every character in the game, going against faceless monsters and random obstacles in order to defeat the main boss in this mode (which isn't Master Hand, surprisingly).
But let's be honest: Story isn't why you're playing this mode. One main reason to drudge (and it feelsl ike a drudge at times) through this mode is because most, if not all, of the characters are easily unlocked through this game mode. Otherwise, you might have to go through dozens or hundreds of multiplayer matches just to unlock most of the characters.
The Subspace Emissary does two things well: It's offers an imaginative, somewhat whimsical take on the series and it gives you a great training primer for playing each and every character. Originally, I hated Fox McCloud in all version of Smash Bros., but I've come to love his fighting style a lot, as long as I can control him. As well, I found my original favorites from Melee (which were Marth and Captain Falcon) to have slight differences that altered the way I fought with them, but also found new favorites along the way (King Dedede and Lucario are the best fighters in this game, in my opinion).
The classic mode is back, which allows you to play like a standard single-player fighting game, which is the same as it always has been. It's still fun, however. Mini-games such as Multi-Man Melee, Home Run Contest, Target Smash and Smash Events all make a return as well.
Back to characters, the game does a superb job of balancing not only the characters. Sure, some of the characters are overpowered (FALCON...PUNCH!!!!) while others seem a bit weak (Diddy Kong, ::sigh:: Marth), but the balance is also off set by the stages. In a brilliant use of balancing that few fighting games actually possess (which includes the vaunted and loved Virtua Fighter), the stages act like characters themselves at which some characters would be at an advantage, while others in a disadvantage.
Example: A powerful, destructive character like Dedede could absolutely tear house in a level like The Battlefield or Pokemon Stadium 2. However, place him in Mushroomy Kingdom, which is a side-scrolling jump-a-thon that gets faster every minute you are on the stage, and you'll find that fighter at a heavy disadvantage.
Knowing the strategies of each stage as well as each character is vitally important in being successful, much like a First Person Shooter like Halo 3.
Speaking of multiplayer, local four player brawls are a blast, as always. Allowing differenet skill sets, as well as various stages of play, gives the game a fresh, great feel every time. The non-intimidating nature of Smash Bros. triumphs so well in this game for sheer multiplayer purposes.
Problems? Sure, there are a couple of gripes. As much as I like Subspace Emissary, it has cut most of the replay value tremendously. Part of the reason I loved Melee so much is that it rewarded long-time investors (such as me and my son, Evan, who played the game ALOT) with crazy characters or different levels. The fact that 80% of the good stuff is unlocked through The Subspace Emissary is quite disappointing. Sure, you can collect rare trophies and stickers after the mode is over, but it was highly rewarding in Melee to have Mewtwo and Mr. Game and Watch unlocked after playing the game for over 20 hours.
Also, online gameplay is alarmingly inconsistent. This isn't new with gamers who played Mario Strikers Charged, but the fact that Brawl was hyped to be the premiere game for online play on the Wii, it's disappointing that the game has so many problems getting a good frame rate.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl was primarily made to be a pure multiplayer experience and as long as you stay local, it's an absolute blast to play. As of right now, however, online is a complete mess and the friend codes don't help either. That's why, in the end, Brawl falls slightly short of Melee's greatness.
It has to be said, however, that the game gives more than enough things to do on the single player that you could be playing for months on end. If you haven't already bought this game and you have a Wii, you should quickly purchase this game.