Super Smash Bros. Brawl | 
| From: Nintendo
List Price: $49.99
Buy New: $29.95
You Save: $20.04 (40%)
New (85) Used (28) from $29.95
Rating:  235 reviews
Sales Rank: 19
Format: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Genre: fighting_action_games
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Operating System: Nintendo Wii
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: WI-RVLPRSBE
UPC: 045496901103
EAN: 0045496900397
ASIN: B000FQ9R4E
Release Date: March 9, 2008
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Availability: Usually ships in 4-5 business days
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| Features:
| • | See your favorite Smash Bros. character, redesigned from their most recent games, brawl onto your screen once again! | | • | A host of new characters to fight with, including Sonic, Pit from Kid Icarus, Wario and Diddy Kong | | • | More than a dozen gorgeously-rendered stages | | • | New special moves and attacks, including the groundbreaking Final Smash | | • | New items and assist trophies |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Engage the rage with Super Smash Bros. Brawl! The third installment of the incredibly successful Super Smash Bros. series is now on the Wii, The roster is longer than ever, but that just means more butt to kick across over a dozen different, graphic-rich stages with original moves, new modified moves, and a brand-new super attack called Final Smash! Old favorites like Mario, Link, Peach and Kirby are now joined by such exciting newcomers as Wario, Solid Snake and Sonic the Hedgehog. With a variety of new modes, an absolutely epic soundtrack and the ability to play with distant friends through online multiplayer, this is a game you'll have to break your own fingers to put down. Original soundtrack from 36 different artists Online Multiplayer ESRB Rated RP for Rating Pending
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| Customer Reviews: Read 230 more reviews...
 Mega-Title lives up the the Mega-Hype March 9, 2008
Kevin J. Loria (New Orleans, LA USA)
58 out of 67 found this review helpful
Even though I was Nintendo label die-hard and fan of their coin-op franchise from the beginning, Super Smash Bros or brawl titles in general haven't interested me too much.
So the most anticipated title of 2008 wasn't guaranteed to strike my electric fancy. But, when you add WI-FI play for free online brawling and custom controls in order to configure anything from the Wii controllers to the old school (4 variations on play) you've got me curious. Add to that the longest list of cross-title cross-era characters ever produced (Thirtysomethings: remember "Battle of the Network Stars" ). Characters from `87s' Kid Icarus (Pit) and Metal Gear's Snake, Pikachu and various Pokemon. Loads of Mario characters including the man himself: Diddy and Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong dating from Mario's 1981 coin-op premiere of the title of the same name), Wario, Yoshi, Princess Peach, Bowser, and more. Other melee cameos include the Ice Climbers, Metroids' Zero Suit Samus, Kirby, King Dedede and his Meta Knight, Sonic, LINK & Zelda (from '86 and on), Star Fox, Lucas & friends from Mother 3... and lots of other unlockables. Some noteable, but Non-playable, assist trophies include Devil from Devil World, Star Fox's Andross, Mr. Resetti from Animal Crossing, Little Mac from Tyson's Punch-Out and even Excitebike ('85) is on the scene. What is particularly cool about these appearances is the consistency of style for each character regardless of genre or era of the characters. Nintendo has outdone itself on graphics on this one, even when they are "dumbing" down the graphics for cross-game effect. The sound effects are true to this as well, with as many retro SFXs as cool new ones.
Options for play include Solo vs. PC, Multiplayer play vs. 3 friends or on-line options. Other options include the Classic game (you beat `em you advance) or a storyplay campaign which is surprisingly worthwhile. The variety of Brawl locations and is amazingly broad as are the detailing of each location gimmicks. From Yoshi's Island to a stadium to the exterior of a StarFox ship sailing the stratosphere, this alone will extend the life of BRAWL's replay longevity. Characters move satisfyingly fluid, and their variety per character is exciting.
The Mini-games are fun and nice samplings of other titles, both new and old. If fact, many of these made me ready to seek out some games I hadn't looked at before. If anything BRAWL is a great sampler title.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is going to be top of the "4 player fighting" genre for some time to come, I think. Well worth the release push-back.
Smashing Good Time March 9, 2008
Michael Kerner (Brooklyn, New York U.S.A.)
50 out of 63 found this review helpful
During the past year, Nintendo really showed what it takes with the success of the Wii. Dominant games like The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess and the definitive Super Mario Galaxy, really proved the Wii with its ultimate gameplay. But, that success has also been as a dominant question with Super Smash Brothers Brawl. While its prequel, Smash Brothers Melee was the biggest-selling title from Nintendo's last home console, the Gamecube, many still had wondered if Nintendo was going to be able to top that outrageous game of madness and excitement. Well, Nintendo has done it, and taken the brawl to a whole new level of fierceness. Its time to brawl!!
Super Smash Brothers Brawl for the Nintendo Wii, is one of the most anticipated games to be released this year, and it absolutely dominates the competition. The gameplay is very addictive as you play with all your favorite classics characters like Mario, the adorable Yoshi, Link, the fierce Bowser and many others. There are also a lot of new characters here to unlock too like Sonic The Hedgehog, Wario, King Dedede from Kirby's Dream Land, Diddy Kong and Olimar from the overlooked Pikmin series. There are also secondary characters which have been added as well, that come and assist you to the depth of the gameplay like the Nintendogs, which block the screen so you can't see where your opponents are during the game, and Andross from the Star Fox series. The graphics look great, and appeal to each and every level you can challenge on from the abstractism of Warioware, to the madness of racing along the Mario Raceway from Mario Kart. Each level is packed with excitement for gamers of all ages.
The control is also new to some gamers, and traditional for veterans too, as you can manuver your favorite characters 4 different ways: the Wii Remote alone, the Wii and Nunchuck controller, the Wii's classic controller and even the Nintendo Gamecube controller. The Wii controller and nunchuck take awhile to get used to, but the classic and Gamecube controllers work very well, making it simple and addictive gameplay. On top of that, you also can now challenge against others not just in the living room, but you can now also play against other Brawlers online through Nintendo's Wi-Fi connection, which makes the gameplay even more addictive for anyone who wants to brawl farther than they've ever done before.
All in all, Super Smash Brothers Brawl is a must buy for anyone who owns the Nintendo Wii. It is just great from start to finish and brings in every depth of excitment and gameplay for a super smash for anyone who has the need to smash the competition. It is definitely a great game all around and a great addition to your Wii video game library.
Graphics: A-
Sound: A-
Control: A for Gamecube and Classic Controller; B for Wii Remote & Nunchuck
Fun & Enjoyment: B+ for solo gamers; A for multiplayer action
Overall: A-
Spectacular, lives up to every bit of the hype March 9, 2008
N. Durham (Philadelphia, PA)
46 out of 60 found this review helpful
The highly anticipated Super Smash Bros. Brawl is here, and it lives up to every single ounce of the hype that has been surrounding it. Make no mistake, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is one of the best games ever made for the Wii at this time, and the absolute best multiplayer game available for the system as well. Starting off with a massive roster of fighters (some of whom have to be unlocked) including stalwarts like Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, Samus, Kirby, Pikachu, and Star Fox's Fox McCloud; to new characters to the series like Kid Icarus' Pit, Meta-Knight, Zero-Suit Samus, Fire Emblem's Ike, and to top it all off, Sega mascot Sonic the Hedgehog (!) and even Metal Gear Solid icon Solid Snake (double !). Even with such an unorthodox roster of fighters, Super Smash Bros. Brawl manages to have a wonderfully balanced roster, no matter how ridiculous the game can get. Graphically, the game has some flaws in terms of the details of the characters and environments, but these aren't all that noticeable thanks to the fact that the game is so insanely fun. No matter if you play Super Smash Bros. Brawl online or offline, this is one of the most fun video games you will play on the Wii, or possibly any other system to boot. Four-player mode is where the game really shines, as things just get even crazier. Not to mention that you can also share game replays, screenshots, and even customized levels with others, which is a great little bonus feature in itself. The only real other flaws here are that the game's Subspace Emissary stages, while fun, could have been better, and there are some long loading times to be found too. Small flaws aside though, you simply can't go wrong with Super Smash Bros. Brawl. There is a reason you got in a Wii in the first place, and it's because of nearly flawless, first party games like this. If you own a Wii, you need to own Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it's just that simple.
 Solid title, but not the masterpiece it's been made out to be March 12, 2008
M. A Jenkins (West Lafayette, IN)
43 out of 75 found this review helpful
Let me preface this by saying that I like "Smash Brothers." I don't love it, but the multiplayer goodness makes this one better than it otherwise would have been.
The Good:
1) I love the graphics in this. I mean, they are solid stuff. The attention is evident in every phase of the game, from the delightfully detailed main characters to the excellent backdrops. This is a joy to behold.
2) The mechanics you know and love are back, which makes for some excellent multiplayer madness. It remains very easy to pull off big moves, and with the handicapping, you can get balanced gaming every time. I really like the "final smashes" - while not necessary, it is incredibly satisfying to pummel your cohorts by throwing them in a giant pot and cooking them.
3) I really enjoyed the timeline and masterpiece sections. Of course, giving people trials of all the old NES and SNES games is just cheap advertising, but that's fine with me. I can't wait to get "Super Metroid" from the Wii shop channel.
4) Trophy collecting is back, and I love it. Moreover, you can now collect stickers as well. Finally, you collect either of them by blasting them in a silly asteroids-like shooter. Good stuff.
The bad:
1) Subspace emissary stinks. I had high hopes for this after hearing the hype, but it is vastly inferior to the adventure mode in "Melee". Why, you ask? Because it's just as pointless, but now takes an incredibly long time. Very unenjoyable, IMHO.
2) Control. The Wii has one of the most innovative controllers out there, and a game of this magnitude should utilize it to the fullest, right? Right?!? Wrong. In fact, this game is actually easier to play with the old GC controllers than the Wii nunchuk. I'm stunned that the developers didn't make an effort to incorporate the Wii goodness into the game. Well, stunned and disappointed. What a letdown.
3) What is all this "friend code" stuff? Do people really like this? Not me (although i do think that the Wifi has been underrated in these reviews - I like it a lot).
4) I agree with an early reviewer that there is something very fishy about Nintendo's insistence that the game read errors are the product of a "soiled lens". In any case, lenses get soiled. It shouldn't cause fatal errors in reading software. Thumbs down to Nintendo, who usually builds the most reliable product out there.
In short, this is not the game it could have been, which is a surprise, considering the number of delays in its production. I think it is an unfair criticism for the game that it hasn't changed the formula in all these years - if I wanted "Final Fantasy," I wouldn't buy "Smash". However, it is perfectly legitimate to ask why the gameplay hasn't improved since the original "Smash Brothers" for the N64 (which still remains my favorite of the bunch). As far as Wii games go, this one falls well short of the standard set my "Mario Galaxy" and "Metroid Prime 3". It's still fun, but it just isn't the game it could have been.
Addendum: Let's not forget
The ugly:
1) Reviewers who insist that any criticism of a Wii game is obviously an attempt by PS3 "fanboys" to subvert the Wii. If your life worth depends on someone liking or disliking a game you purchased, you should get out more.
 Super Smash Bros. Brawl is more aptly named Melee 1.1 March 9, 2008
M. Eriksson (LUELand, USA)
36 out of 75 found this review helpful
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, also known as Dairantou Smash Brothers X in Japan (which this review is based off of) is one of the most anticipated titles ever in the history of video games. It is often glorified to be Nintendo's representative game, the one masterpiece where all of its flagship characters and rich history all come together in one ultimate package. Unfortunately, beyond the shiny cover and massive hype, Brawl is a title that has evolved minimally in the past seven years, stripped away many good features, and taken several steps backwards from its predecessors.
The core of the game is what you've come to expect: a four-player brawl featuring your favorite Nintendo characters, as well as two third-party newcomers, Snake and Sonic. Each character has an array of regular attacks, B-button Smashes, and a special move known as a Final Smash. The Final Smash is, essentially, almost an assured one-hit K.O. to one's opponents. The only catch is that in order to use it, one must break a rainbow-colored item called the Smash Ball. The Smash Ball flies around the arena, is hard to capture, and takes quite a few beatings before its effects can be applied to a character. In most cases, the Final Smash is a cheap, extremely overpowered item, except it takes even less skill to use than, for example, the Hammer in the original Smash. It's almost impossible to dodge a Pokemon Trainer's Triple Finish on a flat stage, whereas with a hammer, one actually has to chase after his opponents and make contact with them to take advantage of it. Final Smashes aside, the game plays largely identically to its two predecessors, with minor differences due to the new physics engine. While some E for All game show attendees have expressed concerns about the game feeling slower-paced than Melee, players will get used to it, and this should not be a major issue to non-competitive players.
The Brawl character lineup features a total of 35 fighters, 21 of which are available from the start and 14 which need to be unlocked. The 20 veteran fighters have largely retained their original movesets, and clones still have not been done away with. While the lineup (which will not be spoiled here) has drawn massive criticism for its character selection, I will not dwell on that. My obsession over the lineup is actually quite limited, as I care more about what they have to bring to the table in terms of gameplay. Of these 35 fighters, only three have actually added any new strategic elements to the franchise: Zero Suit Samus, whose transformation adds a speed vs. power, long-range vs. short-range tradeoff; Pokemon Trainer, whose three rotating Pokemon, each with their own limited stamina, require thinking ahead to use effectively; and Captain Olimar, whose multicolored Pikmin all have their individual strengths and weaknesses. The rest, especially ones such as Sonic, were included in Brawl largely for fanservice and add little to the gameplay.
There are 41 arenas to fight on, ten of which were taken directly from Melee. Disappointingly, they are nothing you wouldn't have come to expect: there are vertically-scrolling stages; there are horizontally-scrolling stages; there are stages with environmental hazards; and there are stages that move around various spots in a larger area. All of these ideas have been done before. Rumble Falls feels like Icicle Mountain redux. There's Norfair with its rising and falling lava, similar to Brinstar in Melee. The Mute City stage in Melee that takes you on around a giant F-Zero racetrack with several stops is now back again in the form of Port City. While there is a stage editor, it is quite restrictive and does not allow you to make elaborate arenas like the official ones: you're limited to a static 10x12 grid with limited interactive elements.
The Wi-Fi battle options are far from flawless: searching for players can take up to minutes (though there is a Sandbag you can perform your moves on to alleviate the waiting time); tedious friend code-entering is required to battle your friends (though this is a global complaint for Nintendo's Wi-Fi titles, not just Brawl); and there is sometimes a bit of lag during battle.
Subspace Emissary, the highlight of Brawl's single-player modes, is little more than a glorified, extended Adventure Mode. The gameplay still consists of long, sidescrolling sections interleaved with occasional brawls and, at the end of each world, a boss battle. These boss battles are taken directly from the characters' representative franchises and include favorites such as Petey Piranha from Mario and Rayquaza from Pokemon. These boss battles are the high point of SSE, but outside of these battles, the gameplay is still very limited and similar to that of its predecessors. You defeat enemies in your way, jump over obstacles, and collect fallen items along your path. The plot, written by Nojima Kazushige of Final Fantasy fame, relies on cutscenes instead of dialogue and is often times confusing and ambiguous, especially the resolution (which, again, won't be spoiled here.) Subspace can take up to 6-10 hours for a first playthrough, depending on the difficulty level, and doing so unlocks most of the hidden characters. After beating it once to 100% completion, there is little incentive to play through it again, unless you want maximize your high score or fight against CPUs with more hit points.
Classic Mode may as well have been ported over directly from Melee. Once again, you have about 12 stages with bonus levels scattered once every few matches and culminating with the Master Hand's showdown. As you'd have come to expect, the stages are nothing new, consisting of the same old objectives: 1 vs. 1, 2 vs. 2, 1 vs. multiple, 1 vs. metal, and multiple vs. 1 giant character. Master Hand uses the exact same attacks as in Melee and even has the same hit points for each difficulty setting.
This time, the only bonus level is Target Smash. Snag the Trophies, Race to the Finish, and Board the Platforms are nowhere to be seen, and the few Target Smash stages are now shared amongst all characters, instead of each character having his/her own unique stage as in 64 and Melee. The varied, sometimes wacky bonuses that appear upon clearing each stage in Melee (and whose collection led to unlocking the most prized trophy, the Diskun) have also been removed: one's score is now entirely dependent on the time remaining and damage dealt.
Events are still largely the same old, with two notable changes. First, there are now 60 or so events, a third of which are designated as multiplayer "coop" events, which you complete with the assistance of your friend. Second, the events now have difficulty settings. Objectives include simply defeating one or more CPUs, defeating CPU(s) within a certain time, and racing to the end of a side-scrolling stage: in other words, nothing we haven't seen before. The coop seems tacked-on and unnecessary, and many of these 2P events could have easily been 1P events if you didn't care to do more fighting on your own.
Similarly, the Home Run Contest and Multi-Man Brawl options are the same as in Melee, except now with coop. While coop in Home Run Contest has allowed for strategic combos and even greater records, the coop in Multi-Man does not really add much to the gameplay for similar reasons as with Events. Multi-Man consists of the same modes: 10-man and 100-man, speed tests in which the player tries to defeat a set number of CPUs in the fastest time possible; 3-minute, 15-minute, and Endless Brawl, endurance tests in which the player tries to defeat as many CPUs as possible in the allotted time limit; and Cruel Brawl, a mode that features CPUs at the highest difficulty.
The rest of the Vault's features feel extremely tacked on. If you recall the weird trophy-unlocking requirements in Melee that no one would ever have thought of, they're now in their own Challenges section. The game now outlines the exact objectives you need to complete to unlock a certain trophy or collectible. Masterpieces, which are time-limited demos of Nintendo classics like Super Mario Bros. and Star Fox 64, serve little purpose except to advertise the Wii's Virtual Console. Chronicle is little more than a laundry list of titles Nintendo has released in its almost 30 year game-making history; you may as well head directly to Nintendo.com's game list for the most up-to-date and comprehensive database.
The quality of Brawl's soundtrack is quite varied. There is the main theme, complete with vocals, which truly gives the game an epic feel. It appears on the menu and at least a dozen remixes of it exist, including a dark, sinister version of it on Final Destination. While there are a lot of selections in My Music to choose from, about half are just taken directly from old games, while the other half consists of remixes of dubious quality. Simply put, many of the remixes, while arranged by famed composers, do not really do their originals justice. The fast-paced, cheery-sounding Ocarina of Time medley would have sounded out of place in the original game. The Song of Time in the medley lacks the ethereal, somewhat sorrowful mood within the Temple of Time. Saria's Song, which should evoke a melancholy feeling of a lost friend, is strikingly unfitting when played at such a fast tempo. In addition, the transitions between the various ocarina songs seem forced and do not flow well. The slow, sinister castle theme from Super Mario World was converted into an upbeat techno track. Nearly all of the music appears to be synthesized, not recorded by a live orchestra, as was the case in Super Mario Galaxy. Brawl's soundtrack is a prime example where nostalgia or quantity does not imply quality.
At the end of the day, it all boils down to one verdict: too much rehashing, and too little "new" content, filler aside. Of course, there's the old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," but personally, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment. Franchises are meant to evolve, especially a 10-year-old one like Smash Bros. For those who wanted a Melee 1.1, that's great, but I'd rather have stuck to the original instead of shelling out another $50 for a limited upgrade.
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