Q: True, Brawl may be amazing, but will it satisfy the desires of Veteran Smashers? A: Yes [The Review for PRO VETERANS]
For those who know the game of Super Smash Brothers, it was already predicted that Brawl would be a great game. Theres no need for me to extensively praise the amazing cinematic cut-scenes; the flashy visuals and plethora of new faces; and the powerful, engaging, and literally infinitely customizable gameplay. GAMESPOT's review covered that in great detail, and trust me, you won't be disappointed.
But for Veteran smashers like myself, there was a main concern that stood out in the mind:
>Would the completely perfect game mechanics of Melee be altered?
>If yes, would Brawl be accepted by the gigantic Smash community which is so rooted in Melee, that a change would completely upset everything that we know about Super Smash Brothers?
Well, theres no simple answer. Yes, Brawl has been altered. The physics are different... not bad, but different. However, it is a hurdle that can (and will) be crossed by the whole Smash community.
In lay man's terms, the game has been improved and greatly de-glitched... however, for those who played Pro Smash Bros. for a long time, this is a double-edged blade. For example, Wavedashing (a NECESSARY skill for any Pro Smasher), is no longer possible. This alone takes away thousands of combos, techniques, and in-battle possibilities.
What has happened to Brawl is that the game's intelligence has been refined. In Melee, 90% of commands on the controller took an immediate effect on the screen, whether they "physically" made much sense, or not. Say dashing back and forth rapidly (the term evades me... some Pro I am). In Melee, for a fast character like fox, one could smash the control stick left and right and have a quick left-right dashing motion on screen take place, as soon as it is keyed on the controller. However, in Brawl, the game is aware that a character should not be able to immediately dash to the right within a fraction of a second of dashing to the left. Thus, many tactics have been removed.
Some even say that the game has 'slowed down' in Brawl. This is partially true. Even many characters (in main example, I use Fox again) have slightly slower movements and more floaty jumps, instead of the naturally quick falls that are evident in Melee.
However, this is not all bad news. No, in fact, the more time I spend with Brawl, the more I realize that this IS the time to throw those Melee game discs away. Brawl has improved over Melee, and by a huge margin, too.
Remember all those glitched controls in Melee? The things one wanted to do, but could only do half the time, because a particular technique was just too unresponsive or too difficult to execute? No longer a problem. Brawl really is smart; and even with the removal of Wavedashing and the like, there are so many things that just make more sense now. A wall jump is executed just when it's needed, recovery moves now actually allow one to grab the edge when one aims at it, and it is no longer a pain to the fingers to pull off a short hop.
This does not mean that Brawl is easy and dumbed-down, no, absolutely not. Skilled players will still have the advantage. Thankfully, the actions that are easier to use are the ones that required not skill, but luck, in Melee. It takes the frustration out of the game, not the challenge. So yes, n00bs still get PWNed.
In conclusion, while it still may take a while to adjust to the the physics of Brawl, it is ultimately a happier and more satisfying experience. While everyone will adapt at different times, the physics are not illogical or difficult to understand. Soon, anyone who plays Melee on their Wii will be laughed at, for Brawl is a worthy sequel. It has more of what we love, and less of what we don't. More content, more playability, more characters, more options, and endless new possibilities. Thats the way Super Smash Brothers should be... and now, thats the way it is.
(IGN style rating)
9.5 for Presentation
10 for Gameplay
9.5 for Graphics
10 for Sound
10 for Lasting Appeal (deserves more)
Average: 9.8