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Video Games : Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
page 8 of 12
Rating: 
- After the scrutiny, it's still that good.
After sweating over this game for the best part of six months, I was in an oddly 'meh' state of mind when it finally flew into my hallway on 27th June. After a couple of hours play, I was brought back into the 'OMG This Game Rockz!!!!' catagory, which again rears it's ugly head every time i read the majority of buyer reviews prior to the 1st of July. After playing this game for the better part of 2 weeks, having completed the single player adventure, and all the other modes with at least 5 characters (albeit on Easy) I would have expected to be sitting here at around this time spouting profanities about just how boring this game has become, and how Nintendo are the kings of building hype around games with the replayablilty of a game of darts, the board being made from balloons. Thankfully, if my darts skills were as good as my ability to judge a game after a day of play, the balloon board would live long enough to become a brightly coloured family heirloom.
In short, this game is the must have Wii game of the year. In my opinion, for shear fun and pick-up-and-play-ability(?) this game has it all. Okay, so it's fighting, but even in todays society of underaged Manhunt fanatics, there are still parents out there that look at what their kids are playing. Thankfully for the under 10's, this game is so dumbed down in the 'horrific violence' area, that it even features a short cinematic of your opponent(s) clapping you after having had your boot print implanted in their face anywhere between 50-1000 times in the space of 2 minutes.
That last comment is no exaggeration either. This game is extremely fast paced. Forget your Tekken's with all of that tactical tomfoolery (although SSBB does involve tactics when you become more proficient) this is like Super Street Fighter on smack (under 10's don't ask). Initially a 2 minute standard time limit for brawls seemed far too short. After a few plays you'll realise that this it's probably actually too much time.
The single player adventure which was hyped by Nintendo and slammed by everyone else, is actually very good. It's a side scrolling adventure, much like any platformer you've played before, (Mario, surprise surprise) and features a number of beautifully made cutscenes that give you enough information without having any actually voices, to what the hell is going on. The story itself is pretty vague, and not that great, obviously being built around an idea that every character in the game has to be involved and meet each other thanks to various random events, but it's still 100% better than the adventure mode in Melee, and for what is ultimately something that would have been tacked on at the last minute by most other game designers, actually runs up some substantial play time....and breathe.
The classic mode is the same as the previous editions, albeit a couple of extra stages. It basically involves you fighting through 12 stages of random battles and target smashing sections until you reach the Master Hand involved in every game thus far, and knocking him into oblivion (again). It's still fun though, and gives the added incentive of obtaining a trophy of the character used, which is unobtainable any other way.
The brawl mode which i've touched on, is the tightest feature in the game. Simply a one vs one, two vs two, two vs one or...okay maybe not that simple, but you get the idea. Simply a mode to fight the CPU or your friends (if you have any) on pretty much any terms, this provides, and is still providing, hours of fun. When i say any terms, it feels like it because there are simply so many customisable options, from the time limit, right down to which items individually spawn and how often, that you've almost got unlimited possibilities.
The vault section is something that has drawn me in too. Very much like Pokemon, you have to collect them all, as it were. There are literally hundreds of trophies, stickers, trial games, and music tracks from Nintendo games, to collect, and getting them all will take months, if not years. Not to mention all of the unlockable stages and characters in game. The content is absolutely huge.
The only horror story for this game is the online play. The two times i've had the patience to have a go at humilating someone in Japan, (or somewhere, anyway) it's taken roughly 10 minutes to actually find anyone to fight, and the ensuing battle has been so lag-tastic that you feel like your fighting either underwater, in space, or on a crappy server that can't handle the demand... Basically where MK:Wii was saved by it's fantastic online mode (in my opinion) brawl suffers immensely. However, every story has a silver lining, as does Brawl's online element. The abilty to spectate and bet on other fighters in online play is fanastic. The matches are pre-recorded so they're lag free, and this feature is so fun that it's actually in danger of setting me off on a wild gambling adventure.
All in all, SSBB is a must buy for anyone who owns a Wii. It does glorify Ninendo somewhat, but fanboys and gamers alike will love that. And if you don't, at least you can beat the living daylights out of that annoying blue thing, eh?
Rating:
- Nintendo's best example of "flawed genious" yet
As someone who got many hours of multiplayer gaming heaven out of Melee, I was very happy to hear about how Nintendo intended to amp the next in the series.
I'm not going to repeat the points you have heard generally, yes it is fantastic, a fantastic roster, Melee's returning "clone characters" fleshed out and some great stages. It's worth buying on these alone.
The Subspace Emissary was a great idea on paper, but missed a trick by not taking the concept beyond some flash CG cutscenes. The bits inbetween involve standard matches and low end 80's platforming. Considering that it has key characters from the platform genre's hayday, you'd think they'd add more elements inspired by the roster of characters, maybe even some original ideas.
The biggest let down is the Online modes that are promised by Nintendo, put simply I have not had a single match since I am forever waiting for the service to match me up with other players. I have had the game since launch and still nothing... which is made worse if you have experienced how well Mario Kart Wii Online has hand this.
To sum up, the game is excellent, Subspace Emissary is a dull missed opertunatey, the fantastic multiplayer still isn't broke and the online equivalent is, unless Nintendo see fit to sort it out, which maybe unlikely since they knowingly sold it in this state after having the very same problem in Japan and the US.
I know there will be fans who won't like this when I say it, heck I'm suprised I'm saying it, but this game really is the definition of flawed genious. This game and it's publisher come from a good pedigree, but don't take everyone's word for it that it's a classic, the hype was definately a step beyond a product that European gamers were made to wait for, which is why I scored it 2 stars overall.
Rating: - Grab and Smash
You've got to hand it to Nintendo when it comes to taking an old game format (some would say `tired' while others would say `classic') and turning it into something new and wonderful. They did it with the racing game (Mario Kart), the platform game (Super Mario Galaxy), and now they've done it with the fighting game with SSBB.
It seems that Nintendo follow a few simple rules when developing games: simple on paper that is, but not implemented by every game developer by any means. Their rules appear to be (1) keep it simple, (2) keep it varied, (3) keep `em coming back, and (4) make it beautiful.
First off, this is a very simple game to describe and to play. A brawl has up to four combatants. The aim is to knock them off the screen, and avoid being knocked off the screen yourself. With every hit, your damage goes up. The higher your damage, the easier it becomes for your opponents to knock you perilously off the screen. If you've been knocked off the screen, you lose a point, and the player who KO'd you gains a point. Repeat until the time is up. Game over. Dead easy, right? Well yes, but this makes for some very subtle strategic play. For example, just because you are the fighter that inflicts the most damage on another doesn't count for anything: only KOing an opponent gains you points. That means that another fighter can wear down an opponent, and you nip in at the last moment to deliver the killer strike and get the points! This makes for very competitive and vigilant play, where you keep your eye on everyone's damage and all end up picking on the same guy, or beating away anyone else who tries to get to your quarry. The controls are also very simple. There are twelve attack types: four basics corresponding to the four compass points of the joystick, four special attacks, and four smash attacks. There are no block manoeuvres to remember, just a single block and dodge function that puts a shield around you or allows you to roll out of the way. This has a limited lifespan and is depleted by damage. All moves are accessed very simply with single button presses or joystick manoeuvres on the Game Cube controller at least: other control methods are less satisfactory. All the moves are modified by your position on the screen, such as moving or standing still, in the air or on the ground, facing towards or away from an opponent. Fortunately the controls are always the same. This is not a game where you have to remember great lists of button combos for different characters. The strategy in using the different attack types is in deciding whether you want a quick attack that causes little damage, or one of the super or smash moves that takes a little longer, and is therefore easier to dodge, but inflicts more damage.
Despite the simple gameplay, SSBB is incredibly varied. You already know that there are umpteen characters that you can play as, and almost as many stages that you can play on. The characters have various strengths and weaknesses in terms of their power, manoeuvrability, speed, handling, and their ability to recover from being smashed off-screen. The stages too vary in their size, shape, number of platforms and dynamics. That is, some stages are fairly simple and static, while others morph, move and change as you play, meaning that you have to change your position to avoid being transported off the screen by the stage itself. Additionally, there are dozens of usable items (power-ups and pick-ups) that can change the course of a fight. The most dangerous of these is the glowing `Smash Ball' which, when collected and used correctly, will deliver a fatal blow to every other fighter on the screen. Standard pick-ups range from the usual weapons and health bonuses, to the more unusual `assists' which place additional fighters in the game that defend you and attack your opponents. One of the most hilarious of these is the Nintendogs puppy who... no, I won't spoil it for you! There are also loads and loads of game modes. The one I've described here is `Brawl', which can be played alone or in multiplayer. But there is also `classic' mode (defeat fighters in a sequence of battles), event modes (complete a number of specific challenges), boss battles, `stadium' minigames, not to mention the Subspace Emissary adventure mode. The last one is where you unlock most of the additional content, and combines fighting with platforming, boss battles and exploration, and is great fun. If this isn't enough variety, nearly every player-selectable aspect of the game can be tweaked, such as time limits, frequency of assists and other pick-ups, CPU difficulty, etc., etc. Basically, the game is endlessly tweakable.
The main things that keep you coming to SSBB are the simple but addictive fun it offers, and the vast variability of the game that stops it becoming predictable. On top of this though, the game is stuffed with unlockable content. The most useful stuff is obviously fighters and stages, but there are also trophies (3D artwork and descriptions of various characters and features of Nintendo's back catalogue), stickers (which can be stuck on Subspace Emissary fighters to improve their stats), music soundtracks, new game modes and difficulty levels, new challenges... Oh, and then there's the replays, photos... Enough! There's loads of stuff in this game, just take my word for it!
Finally, Nintendo have not only made SSBB beautiful, they've made it sublime. It may be a 2D fighter at heart, but it's got beautiful 3D graphics, fantastic music and sound effects, perfect gameplay and controls, speed and ease of game selection - all the basics are covered. What it also has that most other games do not, however, is a complete infusion of humour, nostalgia and love. How many games have you got where you enjoy looking at the `extras' like videos, development artwork and the like? Not many I bet. The trophies in SSBB on the other hand are genuinely funny and interesting to look at and read. The soundtracks are a pleasure to listen to as background music when you're just mimbing around (I particularly loved listening to the Sonic music again). The characters HAVE character. Who could fail to smile at seeing Mr Game and Watch, in all his two-frame animated flatness, beeping and buzzing seven shades out of Solid Snake?
Faults? Er... hmmm. Really, this is a game with no serious faults, and that can't be said for many games. I know. It'll consume your life, eat up you time and make your hands and eyes ache. They're not really proper faults though, are they? Please buy this: your Wii will love you for it.
PS: not played this online, but this might be THE game to get me to take the plunge and take my Wii online.
Rating:
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl
This game, like many, has both positive and negative aspects. Once again the subtle combat system is both fun and a challenge - those who claim it is mere button-mashing are missing the finer points of combat, and should look again at how they play. Yes, this method will get you by, but to become a great fighter you have to master the art of blocking, dodging and grappling, as well as hitting your opponents in the face with a baseball bat. The sheer range of characters will mean there is a fighter to suit anyone, from the pace of Sonic to the awkwardness of Olimar and Game and Watch, though yet again the Nintendo mascots Mario and Luigi are grossly overpowered. With a group of friends Smash Bros provides an unrivaled multiplayer experience.
Playing the game alone is where the problems start. The Subspace Emissary is a good idea, but the style of play simply does not lend itself to a side-scrolling beat-em-up, and many times you will find your character running off a ledge or being beaten up by what look like the Microsoft Office Paperclip's children from hell. Playing a standard brawl on one's own can also lead to frustration, as the computer controlled players will appear to make it their mission to hunt only you, leaving you watching miffed as you're knocked out and the computer proceeds to put on a display of childish incompetence without you. Like Mario Kart Wii, this game suffers from the Nintendo curse - in order to make the game more difficult, the AI actively cheats. But this is not how to make a game more challenging, it simply makes it frustrating and definitely not fun - like children's games on the old consoles.
These negatives may seem weighty, but they are relatively small given the scale of the game, and thus only prevent me from giving the game 5 stars.
Rating: - Smashing
This one isn't as immediate as say Mario Kart, but after a while of gaming it's just as satisfying. Brilliant, bold gaming and online mode means you'll be playing well into the night.
- After the scrutiny, it's still that good.After sweating over this game for the best part of six months, I was in an oddly 'meh' state of mind when it finally flew into my hallway on 27th June. After a couple of hours play, I was brought back into the 'OMG This Game Rockz!!!!' catagory, which again rears it's ugly head every time i read the majority of buyer reviews prior to the 1st of July. After playing this game for the better part of 2 weeks, having completed the single player adventure, and all the other modes with at least 5 characters (albeit on Easy) I would have expected to be sitting here at around this time spouting profanities about just how boring this game has become, and how Nintendo are the kings of building hype around games with the replayablilty of a game of darts, the board being made from balloons. Thankfully, if my darts skills were as good as my ability to judge a game after a day of play, the balloon board would live long enough to become a brightly coloured family heirloom.
In short, this game is the must have Wii game of the year. In my opinion, for shear fun and pick-up-and-play-ability(?) this game has it all. Okay, so it's fighting, but even in todays society of underaged Manhunt fanatics, there are still parents out there that look at what their kids are playing. Thankfully for the under 10's, this game is so dumbed down in the 'horrific violence' area, that it even features a short cinematic of your opponent(s) clapping you after having had your boot print implanted in their face anywhere between 50-1000 times in the space of 2 minutes.
That last comment is no exaggeration either. This game is extremely fast paced. Forget your Tekken's with all of that tactical tomfoolery (although SSBB does involve tactics when you become more proficient) this is like Super Street Fighter on smack (under 10's don't ask). Initially a 2 minute standard time limit for brawls seemed far too short. After a few plays you'll realise that this it's probably actually too much time.
The single player adventure which was hyped by Nintendo and slammed by everyone else, is actually very good. It's a side scrolling adventure, much like any platformer you've played before, (Mario, surprise surprise) and features a number of beautifully made cutscenes that give you enough information without having any actually voices, to what the hell is going on. The story itself is pretty vague, and not that great, obviously being built around an idea that every character in the game has to be involved and meet each other thanks to various random events, but it's still 100% better than the adventure mode in Melee, and for what is ultimately something that would have been tacked on at the last minute by most other game designers, actually runs up some substantial play time....and breathe.
The classic mode is the same as the previous editions, albeit a couple of extra stages. It basically involves you fighting through 12 stages of random battles and target smashing sections until you reach the Master Hand involved in every game thus far, and knocking him into oblivion (again). It's still fun though, and gives the added incentive of obtaining a trophy of the character used, which is unobtainable any other way.
The brawl mode which i've touched on, is the tightest feature in the game. Simply a one vs one, two vs two, two vs one or...okay maybe not that simple, but you get the idea. Simply a mode to fight the CPU or your friends (if you have any) on pretty much any terms, this provides, and is still providing, hours of fun. When i say any terms, it feels like it because there are simply so many customisable options, from the time limit, right down to which items individually spawn and how often, that you've almost got unlimited possibilities.
The vault section is something that has drawn me in too. Very much like Pokemon, you have to collect them all, as it were. There are literally hundreds of trophies, stickers, trial games, and music tracks from Nintendo games, to collect, and getting them all will take months, if not years. Not to mention all of the unlockable stages and characters in game. The content is absolutely huge.
The only horror story for this game is the online play. The two times i've had the patience to have a go at humilating someone in Japan, (or somewhere, anyway) it's taken roughly 10 minutes to actually find anyone to fight, and the ensuing battle has been so lag-tastic that you feel like your fighting either underwater, in space, or on a crappy server that can't handle the demand... Basically where MK:Wii was saved by it's fantastic online mode (in my opinion) brawl suffers immensely. However, every story has a silver lining, as does Brawl's online element. The abilty to spectate and bet on other fighters in online play is fanastic. The matches are pre-recorded so they're lag free, and this feature is so fun that it's actually in danger of setting me off on a wild gambling adventure.
All in all, SSBB is a must buy for anyone who owns a Wii. It does glorify Ninendo somewhat, but fanboys and gamers alike will love that. And if you don't, at least you can beat the living daylights out of that annoying blue thing, eh?
Rating:
- Nintendo's best example of "flawed genious" yetAs someone who got many hours of multiplayer gaming heaven out of Melee, I was very happy to hear about how Nintendo intended to amp the next in the series.
I'm not going to repeat the points you have heard generally, yes it is fantastic, a fantastic roster, Melee's returning "clone characters" fleshed out and some great stages. It's worth buying on these alone.
The Subspace Emissary was a great idea on paper, but missed a trick by not taking the concept beyond some flash CG cutscenes. The bits inbetween involve standard matches and low end 80's platforming. Considering that it has key characters from the platform genre's hayday, you'd think they'd add more elements inspired by the roster of characters, maybe even some original ideas.
The biggest let down is the Online modes that are promised by Nintendo, put simply I have not had a single match since I am forever waiting for the service to match me up with other players. I have had the game since launch and still nothing... which is made worse if you have experienced how well Mario Kart Wii Online has hand this.
To sum up, the game is excellent, Subspace Emissary is a dull missed opertunatey, the fantastic multiplayer still isn't broke and the online equivalent is, unless Nintendo see fit to sort it out, which maybe unlikely since they knowingly sold it in this state after having the very same problem in Japan and the US.
I know there will be fans who won't like this when I say it, heck I'm suprised I'm saying it, but this game really is the definition of flawed genious. This game and it's publisher come from a good pedigree, but don't take everyone's word for it that it's a classic, the hype was definately a step beyond a product that European gamers were made to wait for, which is why I scored it 2 stars overall.
Rating:
- Grab and SmashYou've got to hand it to Nintendo when it comes to taking an old game format (some would say `tired' while others would say `classic') and turning it into something new and wonderful. They did it with the racing game (Mario Kart), the platform game (Super Mario Galaxy), and now they've done it with the fighting game with SSBB.
It seems that Nintendo follow a few simple rules when developing games: simple on paper that is, but not implemented by every game developer by any means. Their rules appear to be (1) keep it simple, (2) keep it varied, (3) keep `em coming back, and (4) make it beautiful.
First off, this is a very simple game to describe and to play. A brawl has up to four combatants. The aim is to knock them off the screen, and avoid being knocked off the screen yourself. With every hit, your damage goes up. The higher your damage, the easier it becomes for your opponents to knock you perilously off the screen. If you've been knocked off the screen, you lose a point, and the player who KO'd you gains a point. Repeat until the time is up. Game over. Dead easy, right? Well yes, but this makes for some very subtle strategic play. For example, just because you are the fighter that inflicts the most damage on another doesn't count for anything: only KOing an opponent gains you points. That means that another fighter can wear down an opponent, and you nip in at the last moment to deliver the killer strike and get the points! This makes for very competitive and vigilant play, where you keep your eye on everyone's damage and all end up picking on the same guy, or beating away anyone else who tries to get to your quarry. The controls are also very simple. There are twelve attack types: four basics corresponding to the four compass points of the joystick, four special attacks, and four smash attacks. There are no block manoeuvres to remember, just a single block and dodge function that puts a shield around you or allows you to roll out of the way. This has a limited lifespan and is depleted by damage. All moves are accessed very simply with single button presses or joystick manoeuvres on the Game Cube controller at least: other control methods are less satisfactory. All the moves are modified by your position on the screen, such as moving or standing still, in the air or on the ground, facing towards or away from an opponent. Fortunately the controls are always the same. This is not a game where you have to remember great lists of button combos for different characters. The strategy in using the different attack types is in deciding whether you want a quick attack that causes little damage, or one of the super or smash moves that takes a little longer, and is therefore easier to dodge, but inflicts more damage.
Despite the simple gameplay, SSBB is incredibly varied. You already know that there are umpteen characters that you can play as, and almost as many stages that you can play on. The characters have various strengths and weaknesses in terms of their power, manoeuvrability, speed, handling, and their ability to recover from being smashed off-screen. The stages too vary in their size, shape, number of platforms and dynamics. That is, some stages are fairly simple and static, while others morph, move and change as you play, meaning that you have to change your position to avoid being transported off the screen by the stage itself. Additionally, there are dozens of usable items (power-ups and pick-ups) that can change the course of a fight. The most dangerous of these is the glowing `Smash Ball' which, when collected and used correctly, will deliver a fatal blow to every other fighter on the screen. Standard pick-ups range from the usual weapons and health bonuses, to the more unusual `assists' which place additional fighters in the game that defend you and attack your opponents. One of the most hilarious of these is the Nintendogs puppy who... no, I won't spoil it for you! There are also loads and loads of game modes. The one I've described here is `Brawl', which can be played alone or in multiplayer. But there is also `classic' mode (defeat fighters in a sequence of battles), event modes (complete a number of specific challenges), boss battles, `stadium' minigames, not to mention the Subspace Emissary adventure mode. The last one is where you unlock most of the additional content, and combines fighting with platforming, boss battles and exploration, and is great fun. If this isn't enough variety, nearly every player-selectable aspect of the game can be tweaked, such as time limits, frequency of assists and other pick-ups, CPU difficulty, etc., etc. Basically, the game is endlessly tweakable.
The main things that keep you coming to SSBB are the simple but addictive fun it offers, and the vast variability of the game that stops it becoming predictable. On top of this though, the game is stuffed with unlockable content. The most useful stuff is obviously fighters and stages, but there are also trophies (3D artwork and descriptions of various characters and features of Nintendo's back catalogue), stickers (which can be stuck on Subspace Emissary fighters to improve their stats), music soundtracks, new game modes and difficulty levels, new challenges... Oh, and then there's the replays, photos... Enough! There's loads of stuff in this game, just take my word for it!
Finally, Nintendo have not only made SSBB beautiful, they've made it sublime. It may be a 2D fighter at heart, but it's got beautiful 3D graphics, fantastic music and sound effects, perfect gameplay and controls, speed and ease of game selection - all the basics are covered. What it also has that most other games do not, however, is a complete infusion of humour, nostalgia and love. How many games have you got where you enjoy looking at the `extras' like videos, development artwork and the like? Not many I bet. The trophies in SSBB on the other hand are genuinely funny and interesting to look at and read. The soundtracks are a pleasure to listen to as background music when you're just mimbing around (I particularly loved listening to the Sonic music again). The characters HAVE character. Who could fail to smile at seeing Mr Game and Watch, in all his two-frame animated flatness, beeping and buzzing seven shades out of Solid Snake?
Faults? Er... hmmm. Really, this is a game with no serious faults, and that can't be said for many games. I know. It'll consume your life, eat up you time and make your hands and eyes ache. They're not really proper faults though, are they? Please buy this: your Wii will love you for it.
PS: not played this online, but this might be THE game to get me to take the plunge and take my Wii online.
Rating:
- Super Smash Bros. BrawlThis game, like many, has both positive and negative aspects. Once again the subtle combat system is both fun and a challenge - those who claim it is mere button-mashing are missing the finer points of combat, and should look again at how they play. Yes, this method will get you by, but to become a great fighter you have to master the art of blocking, dodging and grappling, as well as hitting your opponents in the face with a baseball bat. The sheer range of characters will mean there is a fighter to suit anyone, from the pace of Sonic to the awkwardness of Olimar and Game and Watch, though yet again the Nintendo mascots Mario and Luigi are grossly overpowered. With a group of friends Smash Bros provides an unrivaled multiplayer experience.
Playing the game alone is where the problems start. The Subspace Emissary is a good idea, but the style of play simply does not lend itself to a side-scrolling beat-em-up, and many times you will find your character running off a ledge or being beaten up by what look like the Microsoft Office Paperclip's children from hell. Playing a standard brawl on one's own can also lead to frustration, as the computer controlled players will appear to make it their mission to hunt only you, leaving you watching miffed as you're knocked out and the computer proceeds to put on a display of childish incompetence without you. Like Mario Kart Wii, this game suffers from the Nintendo curse - in order to make the game more difficult, the AI actively cheats. But this is not how to make a game more challenging, it simply makes it frustrating and definitely not fun - like children's games on the old consoles.
These negatives may seem weighty, but they are relatively small given the scale of the game, and thus only prevent me from giving the game 5 stars.
Rating:
- SmashingThis one isn't as immediate as say Mario Kart, but after a while of gaming it's just as satisfying. Brilliant, bold gaming and online mode means you'll be playing well into the night.
