Brawl Released At Last!

The delays have driven us mad, but at long last Super Smash Bros. Brawl is out. I had hoped to play it over spring break and even earlier, but with the delays I was not able to play it until this week.

I was fortunate enough to not only get to play it, but also to review it for my college's weekly newspaper. Since I don't own a Wii of my own, I had to set up a deal with a friend to borrow his Wii for a few days. After a couple of days playing through every mode of Brawl, I have to say, it was time well spent. This blockbuster does not dissapoint.

If you want the full run-down on the game, I've posted the comprehensive review in the Reviews section, or you can check out the published version in Articles.

But as an overview, this game is unbelievably packed with great content.

It has all of the old modes that the previous entry, Melee, had plus a lot of new ones. And all of the old ones have been improved. New modes like Rotation and the revamped Tourney mode make setting up matches easier. The brand-new solo campaign, Subpsace Emissary, is a god-send. Previous installments had nothing to offer for a campaign, but this retro-style 2d platforming adventure is awesome and enjoyable. The Event mode has been expanded, Classic mode has been updated, and the Stadium challenges retain their replay value.

The visuals and sounds have been vastly improved as well. I actually used certain moves just because they sounded so cool, rather than because they were effective. And though the character models all look the same as Melee, the special effects are far more impressive.

Of course, all of these modes, graphics and audio are all just extras: what gamers really care about are the characters and stages. These essentials do not dissapoint.

I played with most of the new characters, all of which were surprisingly-well balanced. I loved getting to play as Charizard instead of lame Pokemon like Pichu. I also enjoyed playing MetaKnight, who was much faster than his size leads you to believe. Solid Snake's ranged weapons were a lot of fun, although I didn't like getting beaten up while trying to guide my rockets.

Stages were pretty sweet too. I loved playing on Castle Siege with its multiple parts, my favorite was the underground hall. I also liked the innovative levels like Pictochat and WarioWare. But again, you can see more info on the stages in the full review.

So my advice to everyone out there, be you casual or hardcore gamers, play Brawl! If you've missed out on the smash bros phenomenon for the 5-10 years, this is the time to finally get to know one of the best series ever madel.

As I said in the review, this is one hell of a game.

- Scott