There's no question that Nintendo is banking on Super Smash Bros. Brawl.being a mega-hit. As the company's marquee Wii title for the first half of 2008--arguably the entire year--it's an important release. Even more, the much-anticipated fighting game signals a renewed effort to court the hardcore elements of gaming. Game Developers Conference marked the final showing of the game before its launch early next month and we played it to see if it can truly propel Wii back into hardcore favor.
Take a smattering of characters from Nintendo games released over the last two decades, throw them into a more than a dozen stages mirroring levels from those games, and let them beat the crap out of each other--that's Super Smash Bros. Brawl in a nutshell. Four characters fight in self-contained stages packed with interactive objects and power-ups, all of which are pulled from Nintendo (and a few other third-party) franchises. Naturally, your goal is to win these battles. Unlike a traditional fighting game in which the objective lies in draining your opponent's health with attacks, here you must knock your competitors off the screen. The best way of doing this is to weaken them and then blast them to the edge of the screen with a solid blow. A damage percentage at the bottom of the screen lets you know how easy it will be to blast a character off.
The game carries the torch from GameCube to Wii with few real changes. The fighting mechanics largely remain intact and the feel of the game is exactly the same. Four player bouts in Nintendo's booth proved the latter to be particularly true. In many ways, this is a game intended to assuage the complaints of Nintendo apologists who have desired a title catered to their hardcore tastes. It promises an incredibly polished experience--the game controls marvelously and packs in a slew of characters, stages, and features. Only two things differentiate this version from the previous GameCube iteration: new controls and online play.
Four control schemes are offered, of which the three utilizing the Wii Remote were playable in Nintendo's booth. First, you can use just an individual Wii Remote turned on its side. This is the most basic means of control obviously, with movement dictated by the directional pad and attacks done with the 1 and 2 button. Connecting a nunchuk enables movement with the control stick and attacks on a vertically held Wii Remote. This second method of control is more familiar, but not as simple as just using a sideways Wii Remote. If you have a Wii Classic Controller, linking that up to your console enables you to fight that way. The control sticks feel awfully loose during matches, so it's not preferable. Finally, you're welcome to use a GameCube controller for battles.
Spot-on controls make all the difference between a lame fighter and an awesome one, but it isn't as exciting as promised support for Nintendo WiFi Connection battles. Inputting friends' codes allows you to connect with buddies and duke it out online; however, it is possible to enter fights without using codes. Linking up with strangers limits communication between players, masking names and prohibiting messaging. Voice chat--even among friends--is entirely absent. Nintendo hopes to curtail online abuse and licentious talk by restricting communication among its players. You do have the option of designating simple text messages to the points on the directional pad when playing with friends. A consolation prize, if you will. Other online features include the ability to record battles and share those videos, as well as a stage editor. Nintendo promises to name a favorite stage of the day, highlighting popular community designs.
Outside of online play, Brawl brings the same suite of offline modes as its predecessor. A story-driven campaign intends to make up for the pathetic one offered on GameCube and local multiplayer matches obviously return. Several stages have been recycled, such as fan-favorite Hyrule Castle; yet, a bunch of new ones are being added to the mix as well. A WarioWare-themed level and PictoChat stage feature evolving backdrops and obstacles that pop in and out during play. Of course, the stage editor opens up the possibility for countless new levels.
Virtually no changes have been made to the fighting system save for revamped Pokemon balls now referred to as Assist Trophies. Used in the same way as their Poke-counterparts, Assist Trophies randomly appear during a battle and can be thrown to summon a supporting character. Gray Fox from Konami's Metal Gear Solid stealth-action series, for instance, makes an appearance as an Assist Trophy. Throw the miniature ball and he comes out slashing his katana at your opponents.
