Super Smash Bros. Brawl review (Wii)

I had a marginally heated discussion with my brother over the weekend about the importance of complexity and overall sincerity in fighting games. He is an avid fan of the Tekken series; hanging on its every combo, but I felt an obligation to liberate him from this, well, restricted viewpoint.

He's not entirely wrong, though. The Tekken games have been at the forefront of digital fisty cuffs for many years, and I'm sure the sixth outing due in September will have an equally commendable impact, but what seems illogical to me is that he's dismissive of any other type of beat 'em up. If the moves list isn't longer than the yellow pages, it's not a real fighter. Talk about pretension!

The beauty of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and, to be honest, all the previous incarnations of the series is its ability to strip away the crippling learning curves synonymous with so many “proper” fighting games. Naturally, this stripping away has ramifications: Though streamlining the fighting makes the game more accessible, it also ostracises those seeking a deep and engaging experience.

Then again, that's why games like Tekken and Soul Calibre exist. If you want something hardcore then they're your best bet, but for an easy going, pick-up-and-play beat-'em-up, it's rare to encounter one better than Super Smash Bros., and Brawl takes a reasonably small but distinctly pleasurable step up.

Original Pranksters

On a basic level, the entire purpose of the game is to knock the other player(s) out of the level with a multitude of moves based on any given character's videogame origin. For example, Mario can throw fireballs and spray water with FLUDD from Super Mario Sunshine; Kirby can, of course, hoover in his foes and absorb their powers; and Link from the Zelda games can throw bombs and shoot arrows. And many, many more.

The variety of moves between characters is vast, and if you're a newcomer to Smash Bros. or simply getting used to the Wii controls, they're often overwhelmingly confusing. Watching random videogame characters jump around a selection of small platforms at high speed overloads the brain, even with the characters' overhead status indicators, but it all adds to the experience. As tempting as it is to jump straight into the multiplayer action, your guaranteed button mashing won't get you far, so you're best off taking an hour or so at singleplayer before your mates get there.

What's most confusing is deciding which control method you want to use: The Wiimote (and/or nunchuck), Wii Classic controller and the Gamecube controller are all available for input, but it's really all down to preference. I would usually opt for the classic controller, but in this instance I found the Wiimote and nunchuck to be the greatest means of control as it divides your movement, jumping and shield (nunchuck) from your attacks. It made sense to me.

Just super!

Though you must all know Super Smash Bros. flourishes in multiplayer, the singleplayer campaign is a well-rounded addition for those home alone moments. You have the choice of either a straight-forward 'Classic' mode that sees you battle character after character in arcade style, or an Adventure mode: The Subspace Emissary. Both are understandably similar in gameplay, but the latter ties each face-off together with dialogue-free FMVs and cycles your playable character. The real incentive for either singleplayer mode is unlocking new characters for use in multiplayer. Unlocking them all is a substantial task, but then again so is learning each one's attacks, and so swapping back and forth from multiplayer and single player ensures you have a chance to taste the fruits of your labour and, consequently, want to keep tasting them.

In spite of the enjoyment you can get out of it, the singleplayer is still ultimately a stylised tutorial – something you'll realise when you count the hours you've played it in comparison to multiplayer. Fortunately, though, once you're proficient at the game's basic jumps, attacks and special moves you'll be ready to start trying out your new-found balance.

Born to Frag

If a paragraph or two could make the difference between a sale or not, let it be this: Super Smash Bros., specifically Brawl, is born for multiplayer. Whether you're battling your friends over the Wii's Internet, playing strangers or simply kicking off a tournament at home with your friends, it quickly becomes apparent how incredibly fitting the game is for a social event.

The thrill of being confident in your own character and your friends in theres instigates some healthy smack talk, and when everyone unites you can expect uproars tantamount to those of big league football games.

Smashing

From a graphical perspective, Brawl is... interesting. When you're not so deep into the action that you pay no attention to the presentation, you'll notice the game sports an array of historically significant levels, but your acknowledgement of them is fleeting; a passing glance to remember which game it is from.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing - unless you're the type that relies on graphical splendour – because, essentially, it works, and what more do you want? You'll be treated to higher resolution textures and greater animations than the Gamecube outing, but just the ability to distinguish your character from another makes a success of the game's presentation.

GAME

This is no contender for aesthetic superiority, but Brawl isn't about that. The amalgamation of famed Nintendo characters alongside some of the best of other developers is appeal alone, but to capture the essence of each character and throw them together in a progressive but accessible fighting game is a marvel.

The learning curve of Brawl is something I dare not comment on as it varies from person to person, and the initial disorientation is broad enough to deter some hoping for an instantly pick-up-and-play game, but if you can grin and bear your predictably initial lacklustre performance, you'll soon realise you're within the grasp of one of the greatest Wii games to date. Just make sure your brother likes it as well.