Nobody—and I mean nobody—does fan service like Nintendo.
The Big N may take a ridiculously long time to get the job done—in the case of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we’re talking seven whopping years since our Pikachu-pummeling hearts were thrilled by the Gamecube’s Smash Bros. Melee—but the wait’s been more than worth it. Think Hillary Clinton’s got the market cornered on the kitchen sink strategy? Nintendo totally outdoes her, like a Princess Peach umbrella upside the head.
The newcomer brawler list is both tight and interesting, including Kirby nemeses King Dedede and Meta Knight and, for a hugely refreshing change, characters from other gaming companies (Konami’s Solid Snake and Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog). This is the sort of thing that makes Brawl feel even more like a major gaming event.
And make no mistake, this is a huge deal. Brawl’s biggest draw has always been its ease of use. Where punch-’em-up series like Tekken and Ninja Gaiden often leave rooks slapping buttons in futility after a few rounds, even a total newbie can grasp Brawl’s simple-yet-complex two-button attack system.
Four-player throwdowns are the obvious and appealing draw here—well, that and unleashing Kirby’s kettle smash—but Brawl goes one better, throwing in “Subspace Emissary,” a sizable single-player mode that can be tackled cooperatively, incorporating almost everyone from the game’s character roster. The gameplay is mostly standard-issue platform- and side-scrolling stuff, but it’s still a blast to have something else to do when you’re in need of a break from the arena clashes.
If navigating Nintendo’s clunky online interface were even moderately graceful, you’d have a game for the ages. As it is, taking advantage of the series’ first-ever online brawling capabilities requires either quickmatching with strangers through the Wii Network or—scream “AARGH!” with me—deploying the Wii’s accursed friend codes. Yes, sharing your custom-created arenas online is a good thing, but only if it’s easy. Try imagining Brawl as an Xbox Live experience, and you’ll get the picture.
Unlike some of Nintendo’s Wii titles (and for that matter, the Dallas Cowboys), Brawl welcomes more than one control option. (Classic Controller, Wavebird, Wiimote with nunchuk, wiimote solo/held sideways). While all of them function, they don’t feel like they’re quite created equal. Maybe it’s just a question of comfort and familiarity, but the sideways remote frankly doesn’t feel all that intuitive.
Best bet? Score yourself a Classic Controller, and play like it’s 2001 and 2008 at the same time.