Mark has a Smashing time...

Originally a surprise hit on N64, Smash Bros. became another bonafide classic Nintendo franchise with the release of the second in the series, 2001's Melee on GameCube. Still the console's best-selling game, Melee enhanced the platform-styled fighting with new moves and power-ups, upped the list of classic Nintendo characters from 12 to 26, expanded on the first game's singleplayer adventure mode, and introduced trophies which increased the game's longevity.

But Smash Bros. has always been most renowned for its multiplayer. With tons of gaming icons to pick from and up to four on-screen at once, the previous games were amongst the best same-screen party titles of the past two console generations.

More than before

Super Smash Bros. Brawl brings all of these conventions to Wii and expands them further – with 30+ characters from Nintendo and other friendly developers, themed backdrops, plus for the first time online play, making Super Smash Bros. Brawl one for fans to truly fall in love with.

Much like Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl boasts plenty of control options, including Nunchuk-Remote, Remote-only and gamepad play. Again like Mario Kart, it's really best played with a pad – meaning you won't need to splash out on expensive controllers to get four friends enjoying Super Smash Bros. Brawl together.

Like its forebears, Super Smash Bros. Brawl's gameplay is an amalgamation of platforming, fighting and power-ups – think Capcom's Powerstone in 2D with famous gaming characters, and you won't be far wrong. However, here the object is not to deplete your opponent's health, but to knock them off the screen, to a point they can't double-jump, hover and float their way back from – which gets easier to do the more you pummel them.

Subspace fisticuffs

To that end, Super Smash Bros. Brawl's typical fighting arcade mode, called Classic mode, presents a series of battles full of moving screens, multiple enemies and bonkers added weapons – finally culminating in a fight with Smash Bros. uber bad guy Master Hand.

But that's really only the icing on Super Smash Bros. Brawl's singleplayer cake. Its other option, The Subspace Emissary, proves an inventive, lengthy (8 hours plus) undertaking, spanning diverse challenges from straight one-on-one fights to great arena brawls, and imaginative side and vertical-scrolling platform sections containing the full quota of the game's characters; all tied together by well-produced cutscenes.

It's not gripping in narrative terms, but Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Subspace Emissary is compelling in its gameplay variety, and is the most enjoyable way to unlock new characters. It isn't the only way, though; with Smash Bros. Brawl drip-feeding its rewards through each mode, letting you play the way you want and still enjoy it to the full.

And enjoy you will, because Super Smash Bros. Brawl is as fast, frenetic and fun-filled as the first two titles, as well as being considerably better looking. At first it's confusing however, and you'll resort to button-bashing, with special attacks happening seemingly at random… but given time, the qualities of each fighter, power up and background are learned, and you'll come to covet your fave's special skills – employing these at opportune times, always looking out for the Final Smash power-up to appear to activate their special, bout-ending attack.

Fan Service

If that all wasn't enough, Super Smash bros. Brawl boasts a wealth of additional modes, minigames and content. The multiplayer Brawl mode, Tournament, 16-players-in-sequence Rotation mode, goal-oriented Event mode, the minigames-stacked Stadium, plus a brilliant Stage Builder and the trophy-viewing Vault. There's also that all-new Wi-Fi mode, which is highly playable, albeit lacking voice chat, and using Nintendo's rigid Friend Code system. Nontheless, it's yet another factor adding to Super Smash Bros. Brawl's immense replayability.

As a fan service, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is everything that it should be and more, with an easy to pick up approach that gets deeper the more you play it, and enough Nintendo goodness to have you grinning for a long, long time to come.

GAME's Verdict

• A true fan service, with that same old fast, frenetic fighting and more characters, modes and longevity than ever.
• Looks great, backgrounds feel like they have a life of their own.
• Same-screen multiplayer is as good as ever, while Smash Bros. fans finally get online play too.

• Newcomers will begin by button bashing, making it perhaps not the most skilful multiplayer game there's ever been.
• The Subspace Emissary's platforming isn't perhaps up to the standard it could have been for the amount of it you'll do.
• Won't appeal to hardcore fighting fans – Super Smash bros. Brawl doesn't have the depth of, say, a Virtua Fighter.

Review by: Mark 'Final Smash' Scott
Version Tested: Wii
Review Published: 13.06.08