Super Smash Bros Brawl

For those that missed the Melee bus back in 2001, Super Smash Bros Melee was considered one of the best reasons to own a GameCube. Pulled from 13 different well known titles from various eras, 20 selectable fighters were made available for up to 4 players to have a unique opportunity in hand to hand and weapon based button mashing for the ultimate party game. Dozens of unlockables and a charm that will likely never date the title kept it a best seller for the life of the console. Now, the Wii has its version in Super Smash Bros Brawl and packs the new double-sided disc with enough action, content and unlockable bonuses to match its predecessors’ longevity.

Controls are simple, so learning the fighting techniques is quick, plus the control options with the Wii are so varied, anyone should be able to quickly adapt, particularly if you thought the GameCube control was the end-all-be-all stick for Smash. Simple up+button, down+button, left+button, right+button maneuvers eliminates the need for complicated stick and button combos found in most fighters. Players use the various punches, kicks and special moves to raise the damage percentage of their rivals. The higher the percentage, the liklier chance their next blow could send them rocketing off the stage and losing the match. New to the series, Brawl adds the Final Smash, a power finishing techniques rendering opponents battered and bruised. Fear not though because the simplicity of the maneuver makes it less about how many hours you’ve spent with the control and more about getting to the goal before your opponent does. During multiplayer matches, a specia Smash Ball appears. Whack at it until it cracks and the final person to hit it before it shatters receives its power. Simply hit one button and revel in 1 of 35 character-unique Final Smash moves. From Kirby’s “opponent stew” to giant Giga-Bowser, there’s more than enough to see and competition gets fierce as soon as the ball appears on the stage.

Did I say 35 characters? Yeah. Not quite 3 dozen game personas that might not normally inhabit the same universe come together to Brawl, 14 of which must be unlocked before they can begin-tuh-smashin. The most eagerly awaited being Mario’s old cross-platform nemesis, Sonic the Headgehog as well as Metal Gear’s gruff spec ops hero Solid Snake.

Arenas are just as plentiful and beautifully rendered. Each of the 21 games represented has a level of its own as well as a few unlockable surprises. Remember the original Donkey Kong arcade game? Ever wanted to battle on those familiar red girders while the big furball tosses objects down? Fight as DK in 20 rounds and you’ll get your shot. For a quick blast from the past, the Melee levels have made a return and look better than ever.

If you’re wondering about online play, it’s finally here, but this is where we hit the title below the belt. It’s certainly possibly to play, not only with friends, but complete strangers in online Brawl battles by loggin into WiiConnect 24. The matchmaking service will find the fastest local connections and start you up with up as many as 4 players, 3 of which can be on the same box while adding one remotely. Unfortunately, at launch, we’ve experienced connection problems one right after another. This writing comes 2 days post U.S. launch. We didn’t have the title a week before like many reviewers did, so unlike the big boys we tried online play at the same time everyone else did and connections failed at every turn. On day 2, my Arizona counterpart (I’m in L.A.) and I were able to connect, but lag turned a 2 minute match into 5. Certainly not playable. Nintendo seems to again be neglecting the importance of network play. Load balance testing this late in the cycle of a title is another inexcusable failure.

Trying to get a friend online to play is a hassle due largely in part to what seems like a lack of foresight and useability testing. Chances are, Wii owners that know other Wii owners already have each other’s friend codes to send messages, pictures and Mii characters to. It’s as if Brawl developers completely forgot and issue each player ANOTHER 12 digit non-sensical code to be swapped before play begins. Add to that the incredible frustration of entering the letters and numbers in various parts of the game (taunt message, player names, etc..) on a telephone-style entry pad instead of a full keyboard. There is ZERO excuse for this. Having to type out even short messages by clicking the ‘1’ key three times to get the letter ‘C’ (or 6 to get it lower case) is ridiculous, particularly on a console that already boasts a QWERTY keyboard in other games and its web browser.

Also under useability issues, the point and shoot flexibility the Wiimote is known for is completely lost from the menu’s of the game making it that much more difficult to navigate the slew of content packed into the disc.

Moving on, the series is clearly recognized for its multiplayer mayhem, but Brawl adds an additional game type to the returning cpu brawls and target destroying types. Dubbed The Subspace Emmissary, this adventure mode creates a storyline around the otherwise dimension-seperated characters. Stunningly rendered and animated cut-scenes bookend each single player or co-op stage that plays out both as a platformer and brawler across dozens of levels and forces the player to assume most of the character roles as their part of the story unfolds. It would almost stand as a game on its own, but each stage does tend to repeat just a bit, swapping out desert textures for cave, jungle or castle textures depending on the level. Still, completing the adventure is the only way to unlock certain brawlers (*cough Sonic *cough) and adds further replayability to the title. Collecting special sticker items allows you to add additional power and abilities to the characters who have joined your party, but don’t seem all that essential to playing through, just a slight bonus. An album lists off all your collected stickers and trophies for display. Take screen shots and send them off to other Brawl players for bragging rights.

As if that all weren’t enough (as is the length of this article), the big N has given players some creative control over their battlefields. A level editor puts dozens of platforms, traps and obstacles at the feet of the player to create whatever twisted arenas their bent minds can think up. Couple that with the ability to upload your maps and download new ones. The only thing missing from this equation, that’s more of a console limitation than a title limit is voice chat.

There is enough to love about Brawl that we can overlook the online and interface issues vastly long enough to feel the need to get back into the fight. Certainly the most enjoyable title on the Wii to date by my book and likely to become the iconic, must own software for the console. At least until we see how Mario Kart turns out.