Super Smash Bros. Brawl Review

The new additions to Brawl are pretty fun. Not a fan of Pit or Snake, but Wario, Metaknight Sonic, R.O.B. and others are very fun and unique to play with. I’m somewhat disappointed though that there’s three Starfox characters but no Animal Crossing characters represented like KK Rider or Tom Nook (though they do make cameos). And the roster itself has it’s fair share of clones- some characters play very much alike in some cases. But overall, the new characters are fun to play as and you’ll have a fun time playing through them all.

The new items in Brawl are pretty fun, too. Final Smashes are just awesome, as well as Assist Trophies, which includes cameos from Little Mac, Excitebike, Mr. Resetti, and more. There’s also bombs which you have to avoid because your ass can get burned QUICK if you don’t avoid it’s range. There are some more I won’t list but there are several new ways to destroy your opponents, and they are all fun.

The new stages in Brawl range from awesome to relatively okay. They are all designed so cleverly that you’ll have to come up with a plan each time you see what stage you’re about to enter. My favorites include Pictochat, where things are drawn to your advantage, Delphino Plaza, which gives you a tour of Super Mario Sunshine’s Delphino Isle, and Mario Circuit, where Shyguy’s on go-karts can run your ass over as quick as an old lady with a suspended driver’s license. There’s also Melee stages here as well, and of course there’s the stage builder in which you can make your very own stages. This mode is particulary fun; I created a stage that only used falling blocks and I had a hell of a time fighting my way back to the top. Good times.

There’s so much more I can probably talk about, but I think you get the gist of it- there’s a ton of stuff to do in Smash Bros. Brawl. I don’t think I’ve even gone halfway into the overall game yet and I’m still having fun with it. There’s a few disappointments along the way, but I can deal with it. Some might be turned off with the cutesy Nintendo characters, and some might be turned off by assuming that it’s nothing more than a button smasher, but they’re wrong. There’s a great deal of depth to this game, and once you enter your first Brawl, you’ll quickly realise that this is a game that will take over your life for weeks to come. Any Wii owner who’s hesitated getting a game should go to their local mall and get the game as soon as possible- you’ll won’t regret it.

THE FIVE FACTORS:

Gameplay- 10/10

There’s so many new ways to defeat your opponents, it’s staggering. Final smashes are a great way of regaining momentum and other items can give you the one-up over your opponents. Don’t dismiss the Smash Bros. series as a button masher- it takes a great deal of skill to get the win.

Story- 6/10

Well, at least there is a story this time around. It’s nothing revolutionary, really. There’s some cool moments with other Nintendo characters hanging around with each other, but the overall story really isn’t that interesting. I give them points for effort but..you know..dialogue would have been a nice addition.

Graphics- 8/10

Of course, graphics are a huge improvement over Smash Bros. Melee, but let’s be realistic here- this is the Nintendo Wii. Things aren’t going to pop out and catch the eye like other games. But there’s nothing wrong with the graphics either, and overall in the visual department there’s nothing wrong at all with Brawl.

Replay Value- 10/10

There’s so much stuff to unlock it’s just downright staggering. I have so much more trophies, stickers, and CD’s to collect it might just take me months to collect them all. If you just love to collect stuff..trust me, it’ll take you months to collect all of what Brawl has to offer. The brawls themselves will keep you entertained for a while as well.

Sound- 10/10

There’s so much great music here, it’s just simply awesome. Every series musically is represented well here, and the remixes are just fun to hear. The who’s who of composers contributing to this game is just plain awesome as well. If your a Nintendo nerd like myself then you’ll definitely be in love with Brawl’s soundtrack.

OVERALL: 94% A