Wednesday, Apr. 09, 2008

Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Worth The Wait?

By Bethany Lee

Nintendo fans have had about a month to get their game on with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, available exclusively for the Wii console since March 9, 2008. Fans were furious when the release date was pushed back last December...January...and February.

Now that it's here, players can now pick their favorite old school character and embark on a super fun adventure.

There are 35 characters, 14 of which players will have to eventually unlock - but in the meantime can enjoy the likes of Mario, Samus and Pikachu.

As for the veterans, it starts off with the likes of Link, Kirby, Zelda, and Yoshi. Newcomers include Solid Snake, Diddy Kong, those creepy Pikmin things. Causing some buzz is Sonic, from the Sega game series Sonic the Hedgehog.

In Classic Mode, players battle through 12 different stages, fighting either one CPU or several. In the last stage, the infamous giant white gloved hand appears for one final duel.

In SOLO mode, players embark on the Subspace Emissary, which is the story mode where characters band together to fight some sinister evil force that sort of resemble those evil beings in Kingdom Hearts.

It begins in a giant stadium where the player can choose to play as either Mario or Kirby, battling each other in a seemingly friendly competition. Afterwards, a menacing ship appears, dropping a mysterious time-bomb as well as its evil legions. Don't laugh too hard when the ship looks like it is laying fish eggs.

Not quite sure what's going on, the protagonists band together to fight off characters like Wario, King Dedede, and of course, Bowser. But as the story unfolds, some originally bad characters may not be as they seem...

The game teams up unlikely characters, such as Kirby with Fox, Pikachu with Samus, and Yoshi with Link. Some characters display heroism, such as when Kirby saves Princess Peach from an Akira-sized implosion. Others are somewhat cowardly, like when Lucas, of the Mother series, leaves Nell, from Earthbound, after Nell saves repeatedly saves him.

The plotline basically follows where the evil ship dumps its spawn and time-bombs and how it effects the characters in those areas. For instance, the big ship attacks Fox's aircraft, causing him to crash in the woods. Samus explores a spawn-infested ship where she discovers Pikachu being contained and tortured. Meanwhile, on another ship, viewers see an infamous cardboard box...

When the Subspace Emissary is completed, most of the hidden characters become unlocked. However, players must retract certain levels afterwards in order to get Cartoon Link or even Jigglypuff.

Similar to Melee, character's appearances may be altered before play. Link can be turned into a demon-like creature, while Snake and Ganondorf's clothing can be changed. Pikachu and Jigglypuff sport several different articles of head wear, including a dainty straw hat or green goggles.

The controls in Brawl are simple and effective. The main goal of "King of the Hill" is still present. Kick, uppercut or headbutt your opponent off the screen in order to claim first place. The taunts are hilarious and borderline-annoying as ever. Playing with either the Wii remote, Wii with nunchucks, or with a Gamecube controller, you're bound to master the character's moves in no time.

Throughout the game players unlock different stages for future Brawls. There's 41 total stages, 29 of which are already unlocked. You don't have to just worry about your opponents in some stages, but also about outside forces. Race cars will zoom through the characters, knocking them out of the way, while cannons will target players, blasting them into obscurity. Through many battles and gameplay, ten Melee stages can be unlocked as well.

There are a handful of side missions, such as target practice and mini missions-within-a-mission.

During Brawl matches, players have their pick of various items to use, such as the Poke Balls that allow a random pokemon to come to the player's aid, the Golden Hammer, the Cracker Launcher, Smart Bombs, or the coveted Smash Ball that allows characters to use their final ultimate smash.

If gamers feel they have mastered the game and are growing bored defeating the friends who still agree to battle them - they can try their luck with the Wi-Fi Play mode, where they battle opponents in other states and technically, in other countries. Just expect some lag time. Gamers can also customize their own stages, sending them to friends to battle on. Talk about finding a common ground.

Overall, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is nothing short of amazing and doesn't get old no matter how long you play it. Although some complain there wasn't much changed from it's predecessors, most will argue "If it ain't broken..."