Super Smash Bros. Brawl has been out for a few days and after having played it plenty of times, I'd have to say this is the best Super Smash Bros. yet. However, that doesn't mean everything feels improved over previous versions but almost everything is. I'm referring to the characters especially. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way about the characters they like to use. There is always some kind of change to your favorite character going from one installment to the next. It may be better and it may be worse.
One of my favorite characters from previous installments is Donkey Kong. He seems slower now and less effective than before. On the other hand, his charged up power punch can be released sooner like how it was in N64. Mario's water spraying fludd pack also seems useless to me for now until I figure out how to use it better. Bowser is now faster than in Melee and is actually fun to use. I'm sure there are a lot of character changes that you like or dislike, but I think we just have to get used to them again and we'll discover the new advantages that were added to each character.
A gameplay change that affected me in a major way is the lack of the ability to easily drop down from a platform while running. I enjoyed using this ability to drop down real quick to deceive the opponent into believing that I'm actually going down, but then I'll jump back up and attack. Throws are not as strong as before, so the focus wouldn't be on trying to grab all the time like I did with Melee. These changes may be to balance gameplay, but I sure do miss them.
There are now tons of items you can use to your advantage. We all know about the final smash ball that gives you a tremendous advantage over your opponents. Depending on who you use, the final smash can be fatal. Link can take care of you quickly if you get caught in his triforce attack. The fun part is when everyone is fighting for the ball and you are the one that gets it. If someone else gets it though, it's cheating and not so fun. There is also a clock that slows down time, an assist trophy that spawns a helper to fight for you and a whole lot more items to affect gameplay.
Characters are abundant now so you can always find someone you like to play as. There are many to choose from in the beginning and many to unlock. The new characters are balanced and fit well into the game and the veteran fighters went through some changes for better or worse like I mentioned. Each character is different and have their ups and downs. You'll have to get used to the characters' moves and find out the advantages and disadvantages of each move so you'll know when to execute and when and what your opponent will execute.
The graphics are better of course, but not by much. Sometimes the game will even remind you of Melee especially if you play in a Melee level. The stages and the characters are more detailed and you'll see cool effects that's not possible in Gamecube during a final smash. Super Smash Bros. Brawl will definitely remind you of Melee, but there are enough changes and enhancements in graphics and gameplay that you'll know you're playing Brawl.
Multiplayer is a feature that wasn't available in previous Smash Bros versions and is a blast to play in Brawl. You can now test your skills against the world and see how good you really are. There are plenty of good players out there that can humble you. You can easily find friend codes on the internet if you don't have many friends. Lag can sometimes be a problem when someone has a slow connection and that's when you're not able to play at your best. The positive is that if you lose, you can blame the lag.
Besides playing with your friends through friend codes, you can also let the system search out a match for you. This is great for people with no friends or for older folks who are too embarrassed to ask friends for friend codes. One feature I wish they would have added is online tournaments. This feature would make it easier for friends to set up tournaments without leaving their homes. Tournament is available in offline mode however, but who goes out these days when you can easily communicate over the internet? I'm joking, but tournament on Nintendo WFC would be icing on the cake.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a great game and one of the best on the Wii. It can be a great party game or even to play alone with all the unlockables and Nintendo WFC. It's not a dramatic upgrade over Melee but it's enough to warrant a purchase. The Nintendo WiFi mode alone automatically makes this game a must have. Add in all the cool new characters, levels and items, plus enhanced graphics and this game will be a solid fighter that will last for several years just like the previous Super Smash Bros. games. Melee was already great and you can't go wrong building on that and you can't go wrong buying Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
By Eric Ha at nHotspot.net, a Nintendo WiFi Games Site
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