With the announcement that Super Smash Brothers Brawl was pushed back until February 10th 2008, most gamers were left to ponder why Nintendo would do such a thing? As February 10th gets closer and closer, gamer’s anticipation for this game is escalating. So far things are shaping up rather nicely for Smash Brothers, as most aspects of the game seem to be looking solid.
Visually, the game looks great. The quintessential Super Smash Brothers art style is all there and intact. It is a Wii game, so there is only so much one can expect visually. However, with the abundance of Wii games that look like PS1 games, Brawl stands tall above the rest. The game is also still in development, and much of the graphical polish usually comes in the final steps of the cycle, so there is still time for Brawl to come out looking better than it already does.
The controls for Brawl are where things start to get interesting. The game will offer 4 different control modes to cater to the tastes of every kind of gamer. The first—and the one that will likely be the most used—is with the GameCube controller. This will play the same as Super Smash Brothers Melee for the GameCube. Most avid fans of the series will probably opt for this control scheme; the next way to play the game is with the classic controller. Playing this way will be very similar to the GameCube controller, except that the controller is shaped a little bit differently and there is no rumble. There is also the sideways Wii-mote method of control. This is the configuration most of gamers will probably stay away from because of how awkward it feels. With blocking mapped to the “B” trigger on the back of the Wii-mote, it becomes very uncomfortable for the player to get their finger back there to hit block. The last included control method is the Wii-mote and Nunchuck method. It is slightly less awkward than the sideways Wii-mote method, but it might feel a little alien to long time fans of the series.
The characters in Brawl are mostly what you would expect if you have ever played a Smash Brothers game before. There are, however, a few notable additions including Sonic, Solid Snake and the star of Kid Icarus, Pit. Mario and the rest of the crew will all be there to pulverize each other, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Smash Brothers Brawl comes with an abundance of game modes that are sure to keep the hardcore and casual fan happy. The first of these is your basic “classic” mode, in which is you pick your character and fight multiple enemies until you finish. The big new addition is going to be the revamped adventure mode. It plays like a platformer, with side-scrolling levels and bosses at the end. They also included a “Special Brawl Mode” which allows the user to tweak pretty much every aspect of the fight, and duke it out locally or on Nintendo Wi-Fi. Since it’s a Wii game, and no Wii game is complete without mini games, they are there too.
Nintendo has also added a new level editor mode. There is still not a ton of details about how it’s going to work, but they have revealed that you can change backgrounds, location sizes and many other aspects about the level. Gamers will also be able to upload their creations to the WiiConnect24 service, and Nintendo will pick one winner a day whose map will be available to the whole Brawl community.
There are some changes in the game the casual player will most likely not be aware of, but those familiar to the series will take notice of. “Wave dashing” will most likely not be in the game, which will affect the way many professionals play. Also, certain professional players of Smash Bros. Melee have also noted that that Fox has been weakened considerably for this installment. Professional Smash Players also noted Mario has been improved. Some characters, such as Pit, will be able to “fly,” which will be similar to Peach’s floating in the last game. The addition of the “final smash” will be sure to change game play significantly. Final smashes are achieved by hitting an item that spawns on the level, and whichever player is able to break open this Piñata-style item will be granted a powerful move that will be tailored to each characters play style.
Super Smash Brothers Brawl is shaping up to be a great game, and with February around the corner, the last few details about the game should be available soon—such as some more characters and stages. Keep your eyes locked on MyGamer for any new details as they come out.
