* - Give or take a month or so

So, SSBB. I'm still playing it, you're still playing it (and if you're not, you should be), and we'll probably be playing it for a long time. The casual fanbase and tournament scene is still very active, and the game is still evolving, both in competitive play and in free-for-all parties.

But the question, some may ask, is why are we still playing? Then they come to their own conclusions and figure they have enough material to start a Wii hate thread, if you frequent SW. But for non-delusional reasons, I've come up with 5 good ones.

Five Reasons Why We're Still Playing:

5: The...Online? No, I'm not talking about the clunky excuse for a matchmaking system, I'm talking about With Friends (and here's where I've lost most of SW). Say what you want about the online, most of it I'll agree with. But it adds a lot of replay value, especially when you can find someone who's equally skilled and on a lag-less connection. Sadly, the former remains a problem for me. :P

4: The Massive Amounts of Content. You do not beat Brawl, Brawl beats you. If you think you've done all there is to do in the game, you're wrong, and if you have done all there is to do in the game, then you're me 27 years in the future. Hi there!

3: The Depth. Brawl is a competitive fighting game. Tournaments are played. Money is won. End of. Depth is a big part of replayability, especially for me, and it's why similar games like Power Stone simply do not compare.

Consider this: I've been practicing ROB's glide toss (at the very start of a roll, throw an item in any direction and you'll slide a good distance) and various things to do with it. From Fthrow combos to Upthrow retreats to a move I like to call "Ninja ROB" where you Dthrow and slide past the opponent. I found out about the technique a long time ago, and I still don't think I've found everything that can be done. And that's one technique using one move (Down + B) for one character. I've barely scratched the surface of the potential of his Up + B, his Up Air or his Side + B.

2: The Variety. Brawl is often criticized by people who've never played it as a casual party brawler. Then it's criticized by people who desperately want to hate it for needing to "change the core of the game" (remove all items and some levels) too much to be a competitive fighter. Here's the thing: It's both a competitive fighter and a party brawler. The "core of the game" is whichever we want to play. And that variety adds greatly to...

1: The Replayability. It's simple, but that's the answer. We've kept on playing for a reason. It's just one of those games that has such a formula that you can play pretty much forever, provided you've got someone to play with (uh oh, lost SW again).

Undoubtebly, SSBB is the Wii's Halo. And like Halo, the game gets a ton of hatred and envy from rival fanboy groups in SW. See, as a certified Brawl fan, I don't mind. In fact, I like defending the game, 'cause it's just pathetically easy.

So since I haven't blogged in a long time, I've been thinking of starting a weekly blog again. Mostly for Brawl-related Top 5 lists. (You gotta love lists, human nature and all.) The question is, would anyone read them?