| System: Wii | ||
| Dev: HAL Lab. / Sora / Game Arts | ||
| Pub: Nintendo | ||
| Release: March 9, 2008 | ||
| Players: 1-4 | ||
| ESRB Rating: Teen | ||
The Ultimate Nintendo Fighter
Quite possibly
the most agreeable gaming-related news is that Nintendo's hotly
anticipated Wii-exclusive fighter, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, has had its
release date pushed back. Brawl is now slated for release in the United
States on February 10th, 2008 (*Update: The game was delayed again -
Official Release Date is March 9, 2008.*) Details are scarce as to why
exactly the release date has been postponed.
Despite this though, Brawl remains one of the
most anticipated games of 2008. The Smash Bros. series has always been
known for chaotic fighting action featuring tons of characters, a wide
variety of battleplaces, and a huge amount of useable items. Brawl is
certainly looking to continue with that trend, while at the same time
amplifying it with a number of significant improvements.
If you thought that Super Smash Bros. Melee,
released for the Nintendo GameCube, had a lot of characters, then Brawl
is going to make you think again. Characters present in Brawl come from a
huge spectrum of all sorts of Nintendo-related franchises. Nintendo
classics such as Link, Zelda, Mario, Samus, and Pikachu all return, as
well as new favorites. Brand-new characters include Pit from Kid Icarus
and Solid Snake of Metal Gear Solid fame. Additionally of note is the
fact that, however controversial it may be, Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega's
mascot, essentially) has been confirmed as a playable character in Super
Smash Bros. Brawl.
The real fun of Super Smash Bros. games has
essentially been knocking around other Nintendo characters. Every
character throughout the game has a very distinct and well-crafted
moveset. Basic moves are simple to perform; hitting a foe enough times
will add damage. Super Smash Bros. is unique in that killing a foe does
not encompass merely beating him or her up to a certain damage level.
Instead, the more damage a foe receives, the further he will fly when
hit. Rack up enough damage, then deliver a powerful blow to knock your
opponent off the edge of the stage.
Previous Super Smash Bros. games have also been
known for their quick-to-learn, difficult-to-master control schemes.
Again, Brawl seems to be taking this fact and running with it. To begin
with, there are four different styles of play: you can use the Wii
remote, the Wii remote with the Nuncuk attached, the GameCube
controller, or the Classic Controller. Naturally, the button presses for
each controller to perform desired moves are going to be different and
there'll certainly be some fun in deciding exactly which controller best
suits your style of play.
Duking it out with other Nintendo characters is
all well and good, but as someone once said, variety is the spice of
life. And to spice up your playing experience with Super Smash Bros.
Brawl are a huge amount of Nintendo-themed items. They range from
well-known accoutrements such as a Super Mushroom or Bob-Omb to
lesser-recognized items (for example, the Maxim Tomato from the Kirby
games). Easily the best (as well as least frequent) of all the items is
the Smash Ball; the fighter that gains possession of this item has the
ability to unleash an absolutely devastating attack called a Final
Smash.
If you thought that the variety of courses in
which to play was impressive in Melee, then Brawl is going to blow your
mind. Not only are the graphics immensely improved from the latest
iteration of the series, but the actual locales in which you will play
are so much more interesting. Each character has a stage that somehow
pertains to him; for example, Pit's stage is a broken down temple,
presumably that of the Goddess which he serves.
In addition to providing some graphical eye candy
(which you probably won't get to enjoy, by the way, thanks to Brawl's
frantic action-packed gameplay), the courses provide tons of little
diversions. Every course is very distinct, mainly in the obstacles that
it provides. Some courses move around, forcing you to follow along in
the screen frame to avoid being knocked off the screen. Others include
different environmental elements, some which merely present themselves
as part of the environment and others with which you can interact.
Graphically, Brawl is one of the most
impressive-looking titles on the Wii so far. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
has become the poster-child for great graphics on the Wii, and Brawl is
looking to join the club. Absolutely everything looks jaw droppingly
beautiful. Environments are expertly done, textures look fantastic, and
the obvious attention to detail in every little aspect of each of the
many characters is very noticeable. Graphics will never make a bad game
good, but as Brawl exemplifies, they can make an already great game even
better.
Another huge staple of the series ever since its
conception is multiplayer. Playing against a computer is fine, but
playing against a live opponent is a far more satisfying experience.
Brawl offers typical four-player local multiplayer, allowing you and
some friends to sit down and engage in a major slug-fest. The game also
sports some incredible online play. The online mode matches you up with
multiple players from around the world, and ensures that there's always
somebody ready to fight you.
Despite it being a very-hyped game, I have little
doubt that Brawl will live up to, if not succeed, expectations. From
all the information that's been divulged from the developers thus far,
we've seen that all the core elements of a Super Smash Bros. game are
clearly there. But what's going to make Brawl the must-buy game of 2008?
All those elements have been hugely amplified. The graphics are great,
the gameplay maintains both its simplicity and its complexity, and the
multiplayer is shaping up to be great. All in all, expect Brawl to be
the biggest-selling Wii title of 2008.
