Super Smash Bros. Brawl Member Review for the Wii

I know I’m late with doing a review for Brawl but I finally decided to do one.

Anyways, this is THE game most Nintendo fanboys were waiting for and it’s packed with everything you could ever want in a Smash Bros. game.

STORY

         The story only comes into play during the Subspace Emissary Mode. In it, a guy named the Ancient Minister is using bombs to create an opening to another dimension. You think it’s just him in the beginning but then bad guys come (like Wario and King Dedede) turning the characters into giant trophies. Then, you find out Bowser and Ganondorf, then Master Hand and finally, some blue guy named Tabuu. This whole mode follows many different characters’ stories until they all meet up in the end.

DESIGN

                This game is absolutely packed with modes. For single player, there’s the Classic Mode where you pick a character and beat your way through various other characters until you reach Master Hand (and sometimes Crazy Hand too) and win. And as said earlier, there’s the Subspace Emissary Mode, which replaces the Adventure Mode from Melee. Unlike other people, I like this. Sure, the enemies are repetitive but playing as all these different characters in different scenarios with a decent story is great. Also, this can help you unlock various characters.

               For VS. mode, there’s basic Brawl which lets you pick who you are, who your against what stage you want to play on, etc. As always this is great and it can help you unlock things too. But also, there’s the online mode. Everyone has been waiting for this but unfortunately, it sucks. I don’t if it’s just me but I can never connect with someone. And if I do, it’s usually very laggy. Even with friends I can’t connect sometimes or it will just stop in the middle of a fight. It’s extremely frustrating.

                There are also some great new stages and items. The favourite item for many is probably the Smash Ball. Getting this lets you to a character-specific mega move. There’s also the Assist Trophies where a character helps you out. Then there are the new stages. Some of them are extremely annoying (like that Pokemon Diamond/Pearl stage) while others have become my new favourite (the Wind Waker Pirate Ship).

                Now besides the fighting aspect, there are various other things like trophies, stickers, demos of classic games and many others that I’m not going into detail with. With these many modes, you would think you would never get bored. But for some reason, I just can’t keep playing Brawl. It’s great and all but there just isn’t something that makes me want to keep playing. Maybe it’s just because I have so many other games to play, or maybe it’s just there’s no hook to it. Oh well.

GAMEPLAY

        As always, Brawl has quick and frantic gameplay but not as quick as Melee. Like usual, it’s mainly button mashing but there is still some strategy to it. Unfortunately, Nintendo promised there wouldn’t be any clone characters in the game but that’s wrong. For christ’s sake, Fox has two clones (Falco and Wolf)!! Then there’s still Ganondorf and Captain Falcon, Link and Toon Link, Mario and Luigi and others.

                At least the controls work. There are four control options: Wii Remote, Wii Remote and Nunchuk, Gamecube controller and Classic controller (I use the Gamecube). The only motion control (other than pointing in menus) is shaking the remote (with the remote and Nunchuk combination) to execute a Smash Attack. But it’s OK; Brawl wouldn’t work with motion control. Anyways, the Gamecube controller is used the same ways as in Melee. I feel the Classic controller’s control stick it too “loose” for this. What’s cool with just the remote is that when you choose a character, their voice comes out the speaker but the controls for it aren’t that great because you have to use the D-Pad.

PRESENTATION

                Let me get this out of the way now, Brawl looks absolutely phenomenal for a Wii game. The detail is great. I’d say it’s the best looking game for the Wii. Same goes for the music, it’s great. There is music from so many Nintendo games, with some you just want to keep playing over and over again.

                Well, Brawl is actually a little disappointing. Sure, there is tons of modes, the presentation is awesome and there is tons of new characters but there just isn’t something that really makes you want to keep playing. Also, the online is crap. Despite being superior to Melee, it actually isn’t superior (confusing, isn’t it).

Story-A

Design-B+

Gameplay-A-

Presentation-A+

OVERALL

A-