Super Duper - Super Smash Bros Brawl (2008)
Anyone who remembers the early 1990s will probably remember the various different feuds that were going on at the time: we had Oasis versus Blur, we had Pogs versus Monsters In My Pocket and, of course, we had Nintendo versus Sega. Now, in 2008, those feuds have long since been and gone, but in case there’s some part of you that always wanted to know who would win if Nintendo’s Mario went toe-to-toe with Sega’s Sonic, then Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the game for you.
For those unfamiliar with Nintendo’s Smash Bros. franchise, it’s basically the company’s take on a fighting game, using their own characters, with the not-so-serious gameplay you might expect from a Nintendo game (much like Mario Kart, Mario Tennis, or Mario Party.) Apparently, the world of our Nintendo characters is under attack, and by playing through the Subspace Emissary story-mode, you can unlock other Nintendo characters such as Link (from The Legend of Zelda), Samus (from Metroid), Kirby and a smattering of Pokémon (as well as Sonic and Snake from the Metal Gear Solid franchise) to aid you in your quest. And then you can take them into Brawl mode and fight against your friends…or the CPU if you don’t have any.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a little bit different from your usual fighting game: as with its predecessors, the action plays out in a more platform-game style, with up to four players appearing on screen at the same time (even in single-player) than the close-up arena-style standards of Tekken, Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. We’re also treated to more than a handful of items that you can pick up and enhance the fight, including lasers, rocket launchers and a mushroom that increases your player’s size to stomp on the enemies.
As with all fighting games, and many recent Nintendo offerings, Brawl is at its best in multiplayer mode, but the game is still enjoyable on your own (although the story-mode may be a little too explanatory for some, in its attempts to make sense of what should be a nonsensical, but incredibly fun, game.) While not pushing any huge boundaries in terms of graphics, the characters are immaculately and beautifully rendered (I honestly have to say I never realised that Mario’s overalls were meant to be denim!) Some players might find the basic control set a little tricky, especially in trying to press the A and B buttons on a Wii-remote simultaneously, but Super Smash Bros. Brawl also supports the nunchuck attachment, the classic controller and even the Gamecube controller meaning that you’ll find something to suit your tastes (and, if you have some spares lying around, you’re not at a loss for playing against a friend just because you don’t have a spare nunchuck.)
Overall though, Super Smash Bros. Brawl has something in there for most gamers, casual and hardcore alike: there’s enough platforming in there to keep the kids happy, but there’s also all the fun of watching Pikachu beat up a plumber…if you’re into that kind of thing.
Verdict:
A must for any Nintendo fan. Or someone who wants to relive the heyday of their youth. Or anyone who owns a Wii.
Originally published on FrankTheMonkey.com.