Super Smash Bros: Brawl Wii

Released on 27/06/2008

• Super Smash Bros. Brawl Review

  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.

  Like its forebears, Super Smash Bros. Brawl's gameplay is an amalgamation of platforming, fighting and power-ups.

  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.

  As fast, frenetic and fun-filled as the first two titles, as well as being considerably better looking.

  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

  Published: 13/06/2008

• Wii U confirmed for European release before Christmas

  Speaking to investors, Nintendo has offered its first confirmation that its new Wii U console will launch in all major markets - including the UK - for Christmas 2012. The console, first revealed at E3 last year, was already pencilled in for a 2012 release, but it was unclear if that only referred to Japan.

  The console is an evolution of the existing Wii, with far more graphical power, HD graphics and an innovative new tablet controller which works together with the Wii remote. The console was shown off again at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month, and will be the centrepiece of Nintendo's presence at E3 in June.

  As for software, a new Super Smash Bros game is known to be in development while Legend of Zelda has been used for some demonstrations. Exclusive Wii U versions of smash hits such as Batman: Arkham City, Ghost Recon, Battlefield, Assassin's Creed and Darksiders also feature in the console's confirmed line up.

  So that's the Christmas shopping sorted nice and early then.
  

• The Beat 'Em Up Resurgence

  
  

  

  Round 1 - Storied Reputation

  Fighting games like Tekken and SoulCalibur have enjoyed an unprecedented resurgence over the last two years. But before Mitsurugi's katana skills and Paul Phoenix's extreme hairstyle came into style, old-school gamers were playing The Way of the Exploding Fist and Yie Ar Kung-Fu on their humble ZX Spectrums and Commodore 64s. These early fighters - which were inspired by martial-arts films - then paved the way for the most important fighting game of all time.

  Street Fighter II: The World Warrior kick-started the golden era of fighting games in the early nineties. It achieved this with a cast of eight international fighters and an epic (and allegedly accidental) combo system. Street Fighter then matured into a globally adored series and inspired everything from Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct to Virtua Fighter and Dead or Alive. But when the genre fell into decline in the years following the turn of the millennium, it seemed like the honeymoon period was finally over.

  

  Round 2 - Re-enter the Dragon Punch

  This all changed when Capcom pulled the pin on a grenade labelled Street Fighter IV in 2008 - because not only did the ensuing explosion revive the genre in spectacular style, it made it the strongest it's ever been. SFIV kept all the iconic characters and special moves from Street Fighter II, and by reworking the classic 2D controls with the new Focus and Ultra systems, it offered accessibility and depth in equal measure. But while Street Fighter IV set the benchmark, its 2010 follow-up, Super Street Fighter IV, smoothed out the kinks and offered unrivalled diversity.

  SSFIV could have been a lazy update. Instead it offered ten new faces and a choice of two Ultra Combos. This allowed each fighter to be played in two distinct styles. But Super isn't the end of the story, as it was ported onto Nintendo 3DS as Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, and on June 7th, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition will be released. The inclusion of Yun, Yang, Evil Ryu and Oni will bring the roster up to 39, making Arcade Edition the definitive Street Fighter.

  

  Round 3 - The New (and Old) Challengers

  Street Fighter IV was the game that led the charge, and in its wake, other fighting games followed. A particular highlight was BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger in 2009. This beautiful 2D fighter was the spiritual successor to the intense Guilty Gear series, and much like its eccentric forbearer, BlazBlue was brimming with innovation. It featured a rapid tempo and an ingenuous Drive system which made each fighter unique. Then, when BlazBlue: Continuum Shift tightened up the gameplay in 2010, BlazBlue established itself as the hardcore fighter of choice. An accomplished port of Calamity Trigger is also available for the PSP.

  But the award for “most accessible fighting game” goes to the long running Vs. Series. This Capcom-developed series began in 1996 with X-Men vs. Street Fighter. After a long hiatus, it returned to Europe last year with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars on the Wii. But while Tatsunoko is massively popular in Japan, it only has a niche following in the West. So when Marvel vs. Capcom 3 launched earlier this year with its familiar cast of celestial wolves, bionic commandos, thunder gods and less-than-jolly green giants, it stole the show in style. Its rabid tag-team combat and X-Factor system also allowed for many astonishing combos.

  

  Round 4 - Fatal Fantasy

  Another classic that made a comeback this year is Mortal Kombat. This brutal fighter was on a slippery slope after switching haphazardly to 3D, but with a series reboot having just been released on the 360 and PS3, Mortal Kombat is back in the realm of 2D gameplay where it belongs. We get the classic Raiden torpedo dive and Liu Kang bicycle kick, as well as a new super gauge that allows for gory X-Ray attacks. But Mortal Kombat's crowning achievement is the variety of content it offers, because even after finishing the seven-hour Story Mode, a Tower of 300 challenges awaits.

  If a fully fledged narrative isn't surreal enough, how about a PSP fighting game based on Final Fantasy? Dissidia Final Fantasy is a 3D fighter that brought together the heroes and villains from Final Fantasy I through to Final Fantasy X. This allowed RPG fans to fight battles between Sephiroth and Squall using a unique combat system that centred on HP and Bravery attacks. The recent sequel, Dissidia 012 Duodecim Final Fantasy, included more characters - including Tifa and Yuna from Final Fantasy VII and X - as well as a significantly expanded single-player mode.

  

  Round 5 - Fight for the Future

  When you add all these excellent games to the likes of Tekken 6, The King of Fighters XII, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny, it's clear that fighting game fans are being spoilt for choice. But what's next for the genre?

  In the coming months we'll see the release of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus on the Wii and PSP (May 6th), the manga-inspired Arcana Heart 3 on the PS3 and 360 (June 24th) and Dead or Alive Dimensions joining Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition on the new Nintendo 3DS (May 20th).

  After that, we have the Capcom-developed Street Fighter X Tekken to look forward to next year, as well as the long awaited Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and the Namco Bandai-developed Tekken X Street Fighter. All in all, there's never been a better time to own an arcade stick!

  Published: 01/04/2012

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