Super Smash Brothers: Brawl Review

Well it’s hard to think of Brawl without the word “delay” coming to mind. So I’m going to address Brawl’s only flaw right here and now – it missed a few release dates.

Now on to the good stuff.
Characters? Not only is there a lot of them (total count of 37 playable) but they each operate off individual strengths and weaknesses, making everyone worth a toss into the Brawl. And with third party additions of Solid Snake and Sonic the Hedgehog, how can you go wrong? Course the roster doesn’t give away all its secrets at the start, which lends itself to hours of replayability striving to unlock every last fighter.

Level Design? Faithful to their original themes, destructible and enjoyable. Not to mention more theme music than the most devout fan boy/girl should be able to name.

Now here’s where it gets even more interesting. Game Modes. Of course there’s your standard Brawl, but thanks to the addition of Brawl’s “The Subspace Emissary” Adventure set, players can tackle a set storyline and progress through the quest cooperatively. Can’t forget your Challenges and standard Versus, which add even more unlockables to the game through the familiar Trophy and brand-new Sticker system.

And in terms of appearance, it’s just as polished as one would expect after years in the HAL Laboratory. Animations and frame rate are solid as always, which leads me into another smooth topic – online. So how does Smash Brothers work online? The world of WiFi is something that Nintendo never seemingly put too much energy into, but with Smash Brothers, it truly shines. Smooth solid connections keep the fists swinging and the gamers happy as lag nightmares disappear.

So my overall perception of the game? If you don’t already own it, you’re wasting valuable time you could be spending pounding your favorite Nintendo characters in some of their famous locales. Whether it be on Yoshi’s Island or in the ever-changing WarioWare level, there’s plenty to see and hear, and endless options to keep this game in your Wii for months to come.

A definite five star, and even with the delays, I think I’m more satisfied with the final product than a possibly hurried and unfinished one delivered sooner. And I’m sure once you get wrapped up in the Brawl, you’ll feel the same way.