With all new features added to the mix, Brawl is everything you wanted Melee to be, and more.
Since the original, released in 1999, the Super Smash Bros. series has evolved in many different ways. The first games cartoony graphics and low expectations (because Smash Bros. was one of the first games to bring diferent series protagonists together), has gradually made the transition to a darker game, in which every major, and a few lesser known minors make an appearance. This may put off some people, but after playing Brawl, you will soon realise it is simply Melee with a facelift and a ton of new features. And that is definitely not a bad thing.
There are alot of people out there who judge the series by its cover, in this case, its most impressive feature. They see it as an OK game with an impressive multiplayer. Melee made them change their minds, and Brawl will make sure that they never look back. Simply because it is such a deep game. Once you have seen everything the game has to offer, you wont feel disappointed that its over. You will want to play it again. And again. It's almost as if Nintendo couldnt fit anything else onto the disk, with everything from Melee returning with new additions that make the game better than you ever thought it could be.
The first thing that makes Brawl streets ahead of Melee, in terms of replayability, are the new characters. Nintendo have streched further into the archives and broadened their horizons even more to bring you Wario, Sonic the Hedgehog and even Solid Snake, and they all have 5 different costumes to add some more variety. One of the only downsides to the choice of characters is the fact that too many of them you may not have heard of. Yes, there is Samus, Link, Peach, Captain Falcon and everyone else you expect, you may also come across such as the Ice Climbers and Lucas (The latter of which was in a game only released in Japan). There are 35 characters overall and 14 of them must be unlocked.
There are numerous ways to unlock new Brawlers. When playing offline quick Brawl or offline multiplayer, you may randomly be 'approached' by a challenger who you must defeat. If you win, the character is unlocked and also the arena associated with them. Another way to unlock a character is to do the equivalent of an offline 'Story Mode' called Subspace Emissary. This mode has character specific storylines and CGI style animation explaining said story. It is played side-scrolling, like the Mario Bros. series, and at the end of levels there will be a boss. As you progress through this mode, more characters will join your team and can be swapped in and out. It is a great timewaster, and is best played, as with most else in this game, multiplayer.
Subspace, if you are unlucky enough to not have your Wii online, is a fairly decent 'main story' mode. It will take a good few days to complete (providing you want to collect everything) and it can be played locally. The Emissary is complete with awesome looking cutscenes. Seeing them, you can tell Nintendo put alot of work into making Brawl look good. They do the best job they can of explaining the story but with no narration, it is quite hard to understand what is actually happening. The only real downside to this mode is that (simply because of everything else in the game) it doesn't really need to be there. The story mode is difficult to understand, , particularly jumping, are unforgiving and it just generally feels tacked on. The game already has a classic mode, Brawl mode, a ton of extras and of course, the online.
WiFi is where Brawl really stands out. For the past 2 games, we have been confined to our living rooms, Melee'ing with our friends. There wasn't much challenge involved, because playing the same people meant you knew their moves and strategies. If you needed a bit more of a challenge, you were kind of stuck. Brawl's online is the answer to both these problems. You can fight with friends, as expected, but also with anyone else in the world who is currently connected. You can be matched up in teams, or go it alone. You then choose your character and the stage you would like to play in. Everyone else in the match does this and a stage is picked from the group at random.
Once again, Nintendo's annoying friend-code system returns if you want to battle against one of your friends online. You may think it ruins the process of playing with a specific person, but Brawl is different. I would encourage you to use a friend code more often, because it opens up a whole host of new options which playing Quick Matches don't allow. You can change the rules and game type. It is just like playing with a friend in your house, but they may live all the way in Austrailia. You can even have another person join the online brawl as a guest!
With that said, we have to remember that this is Smash Bro's first attempt at an online feature, so we can expect a few niggles here and there. I am glad to say that this is not the case with this game, with very minor lag, if any at all. This makes the online experience a great new feature, and one that can and should be built upon in the future. Online voice chat via Wii Speak, anyone?
Online is where it is at, yes, but the offline multiplayer can be just as enjoyable. Rules can be changed to add spice to those gruelling deciders with friends. These include timed explosives, gravity and game speed. These are definitely fun to mess around with, but for those new to the game, you may just want to stick to the traditional rules. Game modes can also be altered, making it able to brawl in teams, or individually.
When actually playing Brawl, you can see that this is a game that has been honed to perfection over time. The animations are well done, with every hit looking like it should, and leaving the opponent looking like they should. The balance of running around and actually attacking is levelled, making sure you will spend equal time between fighting and jumping to a platform to collect a weapon. And when you capture that great moment, you can zoom in close and take a picture, to be saved onto an SD card.
Another place where Nintendo has hit the sweet spot is the controls you will use to actually perform the above actions. Smash Bros. features no less than 4 control methods including the Wii Remote, Remote and Nunchuck, Classic controller and Gamecube controller. Featuring so many different ways to play, you are almost guaranteed to find a method that works for you. Not one of the control types is better than another meaning there is no large advantage to any of them. They do what they are supposed to superbly, like jumping to save yourself from instant death to dealing that last smash to send your enemy into orbit.
Speaking of smashes, a new feature called 'Final Smash' has been implemented. When you collect the floating Brawl logo (by bashing it a few times) the sky darkens and your character will start to flash. With the press of a button, he will unleash his final move to end the match. Well, it wont end the match, but it is basically a free kill. There is a large variety of the smashes, with each brawler having his own, so you should experiment with each to find out the most effective one.
Another Brawl first is the ability to create your own levels. While it isn't as in depth as it could be, it's still a fun way to waste a few hours. Choosing blocks to place on your stage is easy, with most of the screen taken up by a preview window, and the rest with all of your options. These include stone platforms, elevators, spikes and springs. The possibilities aren't endless, with only a few backdrops to choose from and very little different materials to coat your objects with, but the unique levels you CAN make are more than enough. When you have finished your masterpiece, you can test it in real time. There are also a few finishing touches you can add, such as a name and over 100 different music tracks. It is a bit of a shame that custom levels can't be emjoyed online though.
As said above, there is alot of variety in the music. Over 100 tracks feature on the games mammoth soundtrack, and they all come from the games in which the Brawl characters come from. So for example: Some tracks from the Metal Gear Solid games feature, because Solid Snake is a playable character. Some of the songs also go with the stages, and these really go well together.
Brawl's graphics really stretch the boundaries of the Wii. Impressive lighting effects, great character models and unique stages make it ahead of most games already released. Not an inch of paint looks in the wrong place and not an inch of space looks wasted. The framerate rarely drops, meaning the most hectic of match-ups play like a dream. Simply amazing to look at, Brawl looks set to stand the test of time, maybe even being one of the best looking Wii games at the end of the consoles lifespan.
So, one of the most highly anticipated games of 2008 is a resounding sucess. Almost everything added from Melee improves the experience and even those that don't wont hinder it. If you own a Wii, please buy it now. If you don't own a Wii, please buy a Wii and buy it now. You will not regret it.
GRAPHICS
One of the best looking games on the Wii so far - really stands out from the rest.
GAMEPLAY
4 different control options and an overall fun game to play.
SOUND
Over 100 songs on the soundtrack and not one of them sounds out of place.
LASTING APPEAL
Brawl will last you years, and with the new online feature it could well be even longer.
FINAL COMMENTS
Playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl is an experience you don't want to pass up.
THE SCORE
Gameplay
9 out of 10
Graphics
8 out of 10
Sound
9.5 out of 10
Lasting Appeal
10 out of 10
Final Score
9.4 out of 10