Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the third installment to the Super Smash Bros. fighting game series for Nintendo. Growing up on the 64 original and Melee, I was over excited hearing about a new SSB. However, upon gameplay, my views changed quickly.
Gameplay: 4/10
Online mode; one of the few things I have to give a thumbs up to. It's fun when your basic brawling and fighting with friends, but overall it's still kinda boring because you have no way to contact them except for a small comment box that can only like very very limited amount of characters. Many of the returning characters have lots more palette swaps to choose from along with the newcomers. Most of the new arriving characters are great.
Brawl basically decreased the falling speed and increased the grab-the-ledge sweetspot; a Pro during your view but an overall Con; recovering is too easy now. Unlocking characters is WAY too simply; find them during story mode and BOOM, you have them on your roster. A majority of the reappearing characters attacks have weakened so your 64 and Melee strategies might not work anymore in this game. Sorry.
Snake and Sonic? What's the point of these characters? I'm pretty sure this is a Nintendo game, not and International Console game. Why not Toad or Roy? Roy was good in Melee and Toad would've been a good speedy character. I guess Nintendo is starting to lack.
Graphics: 4/10
What Nintendo does nowadays is focus on the graphics first. I guess they thought it would support the gameplay. WRONG. It just added a feature that didn't appear in the first two games: IT'S TOO FREAKIN' SLOW!!!
Features: 6/10
Taking pictures during a fight was improvement over the predecessors. Also, more features and variety was added to the Special Brawl. Replays, great idea, nothing bad to say except for the 3-minute limitation but I can live with that. Subspace Emissary is the successor to Adventure Mode from Melee. The CGI cutscenes are masterpieces. The plot line is great. The Climax is exciting too. And a 2 player option. Creating stages and naming them was exciting to me. Also having the choice to send them to friends is pretty sweet too.
I personally think that the unlockable Masterpieces were fun, but kind of a waste and unnecessary. Those are great games but they are just another reason why the game is as slow as it is. The Subspace Emissary is too easy for unlocking characters.
A lot of the Pokemon in this game (from the pokeballs) are weaker and kinda useless so it's not as exciting finding a pokeball during a battle anymore.
Music: 3/10
Some of the music brings back that nostalgic feeling like Famicom Medley and Skyworld (Kid Icarus). Also the orchestra is beautiful on Ike's Theme and Mario Bros.
Most of the music is junk. A lot of the songs are repetitive and short, especially the online mode waiting room; and some are just annoying like Target Test and Home-Run Contest. The signature tune for Brawl is overused. Most of the returning Melee tunes are slightly remixed and it's garbage though some are still great.
I personally despise all the victory fanfares for the returning characters especially Cpt. Falcon's and Donkey Kong's.
Stages: 4/10
A majority of the stages a very small with small variety differences. The best thing about these small stages are the graphics and music, and I personally don't like either of those in this game. However, Mute City, Spear Pillar, Snake's Stage, Hanenbow, and Green Hill Zone have decent amount of space and lots of variety so I'm not disappointed in these.
I don't recommend this game to 64 and Melee lovers, however this is my opinion so buy the game and rate it yourself.
Gameplay: 4/10
Online mode; one of the few things I have to give a thumbs up to. It's fun when your basic brawling and fighting with friends, but overall it's still kinda boring because you have no way to contact them except for a small comment box that can only like very very limited amount of characters. Many of the returning characters have lots more palette swaps to choose from along with the newcomers. Most of the new arriving characters are great.
Brawl basically decreased the falling speed and increased the grab-the-ledge sweetspot; a Pro during your view but an overall Con; recovering is too easy now. Unlocking characters is WAY too simply; find them during story mode and BOOM, you have them on your roster. A majority of the reappearing characters attacks have weakened so your 64 and Melee strategies might not work anymore in this game. Sorry.
Snake and Sonic? What's the point of these characters? I'm pretty sure this is a Nintendo game, not and International Console game. Why not Toad or Roy? Roy was good in Melee and Toad would've been a good speedy character. I guess Nintendo is starting to lack.
Graphics: 4/10
What Nintendo does nowadays is focus on the graphics first. I guess they thought it would support the gameplay. WRONG. It just added a feature that didn't appear in the first two games: IT'S TOO FREAKIN' SLOW!!!
Features: 6/10
Taking pictures during a fight was improvement over the predecessors. Also, more features and variety was added to the Special Brawl. Replays, great idea, nothing bad to say except for the 3-minute limitation but I can live with that. Subspace Emissary is the successor to Adventure Mode from Melee. The CGI cutscenes are masterpieces. The plot line is great. The Climax is exciting too. And a 2 player option. Creating stages and naming them was exciting to me. Also having the choice to send them to friends is pretty sweet too.
I personally think that the unlockable Masterpieces were fun, but kind of a waste and unnecessary. Those are great games but they are just another reason why the game is as slow as it is. The Subspace Emissary is too easy for unlocking characters.
A lot of the Pokemon in this game (from the pokeballs) are weaker and kinda useless so it's not as exciting finding a pokeball during a battle anymore.
Music: 3/10
Some of the music brings back that nostalgic feeling like Famicom Medley and Skyworld (Kid Icarus). Also the orchestra is beautiful on Ike's Theme and Mario Bros.
Most of the music is junk. A lot of the songs are repetitive and short, especially the online mode waiting room; and some are just annoying like Target Test and Home-Run Contest. The signature tune for Brawl is overused. Most of the returning Melee tunes are slightly remixed and it's garbage though some are still great.
I personally despise all the victory fanfares for the returning characters especially Cpt. Falcon's and Donkey Kong's.
Stages: 4/10
A majority of the stages a very small with small variety differences. The best thing about these small stages are the graphics and music, and I personally don't like either of those in this game. However, Mute City, Spear Pillar, Snake's Stage, Hanenbow, and Green Hill Zone have decent amount of space and lots of variety so I'm not disappointed in these.
I don't recommend this game to 64 and Melee lovers, however this is my opinion so buy the game and rate it yourself.