Me Do Big Smash!
Written: May 25 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Tons of characters and stages, wonderful musics and sounds, longevity galore
Cons: Graphics are worst than Nintendo Gamecube entry, Wii Remote and Nunchuck controllers surprisingly weaker
The Bottom Line: Graphical and slight controller scheme problems aside, this is simply one of the best fighters out there and the best iteration of the series.
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| weatherbee1982's Full Review: |
Gameplay (25%): 9
Graphics (15%): 5
Sound (10%): 10
Controls (25%): 8
Longevity (25%): 10
Overall: 85% (Above Average/4 stars)
The Super Smash Bros. series has now become a staple in the Nintendo library, getting its start on the Nintendo 64. Released in 1999, the game and its premise was not originally developed by Nintendo. Instead, it was shipped to a third party developer named HAL Laboratory (famous for Earthbound and Kirby intellectual properties). The thought was that a concept where Nintendo's first and second party characters duking it out would only marginally catch on and this would be a one time deal, though it was hoped that this would resonate with its fans. Once released to the fans, this game became a smash hit (pun intended) to the tune of well over a million copies in Japan and 3.7 million worldwide being sold. It was inevitable that a sequel would be made. Thus it came to pass that the Nintendo Gamecube got the 2nd iteration, selling nearly 6 million worldwide, and the Nintendo Wii, selling to date 5 million worldwide, got the 3rd iteration.
In earnest, what was it that made this game catch on? Normally you would find your favorite Nintendo character usually impassive and/or cuddly being friendly (even to their foes). Not in these situations, and to great effect. It was now conceivable for you to pit Mario vs. Kirby vs. Jigglypuff vs. Pikachu. For some, this was a stress reliever beyond belief. Who wouldn't want to smash around a few annoying characters and see how far they fly? Ok, maybe that is just me and my buddies.
So what would you think is quintessential in your standard fighting game? Lifebars? Perhaps some over the top super combos? Multi-tiered 3D stages that nearly immerse you in reality? I can grant you that the first two are there, with tweaks to the ideas, but the latter remains to be a 2D affair. How are lifebars different/tweaked, you ask? I am glad to report to you that this idea, held since the first iteration of the game, is probably one of the most refreshing, simple (and under utilized) systems to date.
Given a percentage number at the bottom of your screen, a player could (conceivably) get the living crap beaten out of him/her without dying once. Starting at 0%, your character will suffer damage that accumulates more percentage points. The higher the percentage is, the farther and faster your character will fly into the air. By the time you get to 100%, your character becomes increasingly vulnerable to even the less powerful blows. Get to 200% or even 300%, a powerful blow will all but nearly assure defeat for you or your opponent. If you somehow, by some stroke of luck, make it to 400% or even more... your character could be launched at speeds that would make the US Shuttle seem slow in comparison. By this point, even a slight touch (just touch your opponent or get touched) will send your character flying to heights that you inhumane. As simple as this sounds, the system makes for really interesting strategic scenarios.
How about those super combos that are becoming prevalent in your typical fighter today? Originally in the first two games, your character could perform moves that would be strung together into combos. What makes the methodology applied in this game so great is that you needn't push insane button combinations that could easily be fouled up if you are not multi-limbed. Quite simply, your character needs only to push a direction and a button... then watch your combos go. Now, a glowing symbol (interestingly the symbol O from the Bros. on the title screen or box) must be smashed to give your character a temporary window to cause some substantial pain. Simply make sure that your super move will be within range of your opponent and hit a button, then (if you don't miss) your opponents will suffer your wrath. Some moves will simply hit your opponent an obscene number of time and GUARANTEE that they will be launched from the screen and giving you a +1 (your opponent -1) or cost them a life (depending on your method of play). Just ensure that you avoid getting smacked just after acquiring the glowing orb and you will make sure that your opponents will feel your righteous judgment being bestowed upon them.
The graphical direction that the developers (Sora, founded by the former employees of HAL) took is rather disappointing. There is really no step forward in graphical prowess of the Wii that is visibly different than the Nintendo Gamecube. Even worst, there are two graphical settings that can be found under the options that are noted to have disadvantages to each. I would say that the Gamecube graphics are slightly better, due to this game having problems with being even remotely graphically clear. It seems like someone smeared the glasses or googles that you are wearing to view the action, whereas the Gamecube version did not suffer from this problem. It would be difficult for me to give this game even a passing score on graphics, given the substantially better and/or clearer vision that you receive from even Nintendo's prior or immediately subsequent releases (Mario Kart Wii anyone?).
The number of included characters and stages will astound your very senses and make you realize how great the Nintendo franchise (and subsequent 3rd party releases) has been for over the years. I can't help but feel like I've aged quite a bit, realizing that I can recognize all the characters going back decades into the Nintendo (and other) franchises. There are a total of 35 mascots spanning across even the 3rd party franchises such as Metal Gear and Sonic the Hedgehog... that is not a mistake on my typing or wishful thinking. Former rivals Nintendo and Sega teamed up their respected mascots, allowing for a fanboy favorite match to occur in the form of Mario vs. Sonic. Still have that secret fanboy in you, wondering if Mario could really beat the crap out of Sonic or vice versa? The stars have aligned properly to allow this to occur in ways you never dreamed. The ability to use various weapons from games of old (blasters, and is that a lightsaber I see?) to bash the skulls in between any character is even more exciting. The 41 selectable stages will make the fighting even better, though there is one stage that you really wish the camera would at least pan up slightly to give you more breathing room. You'll know which one I am talking about, if you have not experienced this stage already.
The choice of sound and music is superbly executed. Before I must admit that including the score from nearly every game that has a featured character will bring back memories and tunes that you may have hummed to in the past. Sure, there are some remixes or tweaks here and there, but the scores from the originals are mostly in tact. You may even listen to more tracks, depending upon the golden CD's that you collect during your happy times of singing "Cumb Bi Yah" with your favorite characters (even if the quotation marks means that you really meant "come bye yah").
The control schemes, to which there are many different controller set ups, are quite good if you use the classic controller or a Nintendo Gamecube controller. Where the game falls slightly short, oddly enough, is the responsiveness and application of the new control scheme with the Wii Remote (and Wii Nunchuck if you use that too). The controls are immediate and appropriately responsive when using controllers of yore, but the new Wii controllers have some delay when tilting or under heavy stress load. It is slightly advantageous for a person using the classic controllers than it is for one to use the Wii scheme (even if you are used to it), which is surprising given Nintendo's promotion of this scheme to begin with. Whether it is a matter of timing being off between the Wii Sensor or the fact that a player is trying to use two distinct controllers to control the actions of one player is hard to tell. However, the advantage leans in favor of the Nintendo classic controller (still one controller, despite being linked to a Wii Remote) or the Nintendo Gamecube controller. This is regardless of the experience level of the player, which is rather unfortunate and disheartening.
You will get a lot of time out of this game, period. The new Subspace Emissary does have an off the wall story, but did we expect anything less from Nintendo? The story itself really has a load of twists and turns, but the opponent in the end will come down to a character that you may have wanted to beat the crap out of anyway. I have to hand it to Nintendo that the end opponents show something ... which I leave you to find out. Either which way, this story mode will eat up between 10 to 20 hours of your time. As you travel along, this mode will allow you to unlock a majority of the character mascots. In addition, the way you beat your opponents one-on-one or 4 way free for all can help you unlock other items, stages or even the ability for you to create your own stages. So if you have been obsessing about one or two stages, wishing that there was a tweak here or there, you now have no excuse. Create your own, then share with your friends or even the Nintendo community at large. In addition, your ability to collect the trophies that this game has become known for will mean that your collect-it-all attitude may consume more of your time in this game than you wish. Also, don't forget about the WiFi online service provided for this game. Like most other games nowadays, this will permit you to show the world how good you really are, or suck.
If you have not obtained a copy of this game yet, then I would strongly encourage that you do. Aside from the graphics and some control issues, I would say that this is the best entry for the Super Smash Bros. series. If you do not have a Wii, well best of wishes in finding that. If you do have a Wii and not have this game, please get checked out for a serious mental problem.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
weatherbee1982
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Member: Stephen
Location: Tucson, AZ
Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 11 members
About Me:
Gaming enthusiast and starving graduate student.
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