NIDZUMI+

For those who are old enough to remember the original Super Smash Bros for the N64 will remember how much of an instant success it was. Classic characters from all over the Nintendo universe were pitted against each other to do battle and who can argue with that concept? The sequel Super Smash Bros Melee, saw a larger collection of characters from classic Nintendo games such as Mario Bros, Zelda, Pokémon and much more joining in on the fight. Although there have only been two games in the Smash Bros series it has been a worldwide smash hit. Will this third instalment of the game live up to it predecessors?

Obviously with Nintendo franchises the most important aspect will be how it transitions to the Wii. Even though it’s a platform style game, reverting back to using the D pad rather than a joystick is quite difficult to get back into. You can use the Nun-chuck joystick to move but it still makes it more difficult play than it needs to be. If your used to using these controls then you should be fine, but otherwise I’d recommend a classic or Gamecube controller

Luckily though, the game has lost none of that Smash Bros charm. The format has stayed loyal to the previous games and unlike previous games its new features do not subtract from this. Mainly the Stage Builder, this allows you to create your own arena to battle on. Although you can unlock more items to add to your custom stages, it still has a limited selection of what you can use. It’s a bit disappointing considering what it could have offered but its a nice distraction from the main game.

For people who have played the previous game Super Smash Bros Melee, you will remember the introduction of Adventure Mode. This is where you can travel through random stages like in the classic platform games and reach the end of the course. They have kept this feature which has been called “The Subspace Emissary”, but the big difference now is that Nintendo have actually given it a plot line. That’s right it finally has a story line and it makes sense which is always a bonus. It plays the same as Melee but now you can watch the plot unfold with various cut scenes, as all the fighters stumble across each other and team up. This new adventure mode will defiantly keep you busy and entertained for a long time especially if your up to the challenge of the higher difficulty.

Super Smash Bros sees the inclusion of mainly long awaited characters. Personally in a move that has been a long time coming, Super Smash Bros sees Sonic finally entering the fray and is ready to fight with some speedy footwork. Some of the other new characters to join such as Wario, King Dedede from the Kirby series and Snake from the Metal Gear Solid franchise are defiantly welcome additions.

One of the more unique characters to join is the Pokémon Trainer. You don’t actually play as him but you control and swap between his three creatures Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard with each of them having their own moves and abilities. This is really just more of an excuse to push the Pokémon franchise further which is completely unnecessary. This does drag the game down with it’s over indulgence with Pokémon fighters, unless you’re a big fan of those games you may find this a bit frustrating due to the amount of times you’ll have to face Pokémon based characters.

You have a nice selection of stages to battle on in multiplayer mode with friends and this also includes some classic stages from Melee. Disappointingly no arenas from the original game have been added but can be poorly replicated in the stage builder. All features and functions for multi and single player have been kept from the previous game. So if you’ve played the other two games you should be able to find your way round easily. The single player Classic Mode is just that……Classic. It’s the old favourite mode spanning through all three games where you battle characters and eventually end up fighting against a large, over sized yet menacing white glove. This can get repetitive having to play this mode over and over again to unlock some of the secrets in the game. But this mode is what made the game what it is today and still has that N64 classic feel to it.

This game has truly reached new heights for the Smash Bros genre. It keeps true to the classics whilst adding new features to improve it further. Despite the controls and the choice of a few certain characters that are very questionable, Super Smash Bros Brawl delivers a decent nostalgic experience that lives up to it’s predecessors.