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Super Smash Bros. Brawl | 
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| From: Nintendo
Category: Video Games
List Price: $49.99
Buy Used: $25.75
You Save: $24.24 (48%)
New (91) Used (44) from $25.75
Rating:  294 reviews
Sales Rank: 24
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): 0 x 0 x 0
MPN: WI-RVLPRSBE
UPC: 045496901103
EAN: 0045496900397
ASIN: B000FQ9R4E
Release Date: March 9, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 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 45 more reviews...
 Mega-Title lives up the the Mega-Hype March 9, 2008
Kevin J. Loria (New Orleans, LA USA)
65 out of 75 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.)
56 out of 70 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)
49 out of 64 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, Fun, Enjoyable Game June 17, 2008
Lisa Shea
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Following in the footsteps of a game as widely acclaimed as Super Smash Brothers Melee for the Gamecube (with 7 million copies sold) isn't easy, even more so when there's a huge amount of hype surrounding the game as well. With that in mind, does Super Smash Brother Brawl live up to the legacy that Melee represents, or to the level that pre-launch material indicated? Short answer for both: reasonably so.
Super Smash Brothers is a Nintendo crossover fighting game series featuring characters from almost every Nintendo franchise. Favorites like Mario, Link, Kirby and Samus duke it out in battles of up to four people on stages that are also taken from Nintendo series. Rather than direct combat, SSB focuses on the more cartoonish option of beating up an enemy and then launching them out of the stage with a powerful attack. Plenty of items and stage events keep the game an incredibly fun party experience.
Brawl adds to the formula perfected in Melee by adding new characters, new items, and new stages, as well as some new features. There are a total of 26 characters; new additions to the cast include Pit from NES classic Kid Icarus, a Pokemon Trainer and three of his Pokemon, Pikmin's Captain Olimar, and the Mario series' villain/evil twin, Wario. Furthermore, two non-Nintendo characters are available, in a series first: Snake of Metal Gear fame and Sonic the Hedgehog both join the cast. In total, the cast additions include some pleasant surprises, but also some disappointing removals (characters like Roy and Mewtwo have been nixed, although they have been replaced with similar characters from newer installments of their respective series').
There are a bevy of new items in the game. Foremost among these is the Smash Ball; when attacked enough, it grants the attacking character a "Final Smash" - a devastating attack that varies between different characters. For example, Mario shoots a screen-wide barrage of fireballs, Link catches one opponent in a Triforce symbol and slashes away at them, and Kirby cooks all his enemies in a giant pot. Unfortunately, some Final Smashes are copied or reused; for example, one hidden Zelda character copies Link's Final Smash exactly, and every character from Star Fox (three in all) use the Landmaster Tank as their Final Smash. However, some are definitely really neat and welcome changes to the gameplay - a sort of temporary bonus minigame for whoever manages to get the Smash Ball.
Another new item is the Assist Trophy, which is similar to the Poke'ball item in that it summons an invincible helper to fight the enemies of whoever summoned them. For example, Samurai Goroh (from F-Zero) attacks enemies with a katana, as does Lyn from Fire Emblem (in a single swift cut). Kirby's friend Knuckle Joe delivers a barrage of blows and a mighty uppercut that KOs almost anything in its path. Little Mac from Punch-Out!! uses his speed and strength to deliver a startlingly fast jab. Jeff from Earthbound launches rockets at his enemies. Andross (in his Star Fox for the SNES incarnation) lurks in the background and shoots damaging 3d panels. Not all of them have good effects, though; The Nintendog covers the screen, making seeing the battle almost impossible. Mr. Resetti from Animal Crossing goes on one of his famous rants, the text of which blocks the upper half of the battle completely. All of them contribute greatly to the chaos and hilarity of Smash Bros fighting.
There are some new stages as well. The famous Bridge of Eldin from the Legend of Zelda serves as a long, flat stage occasionally broken by a bomb planted by a rampaging Moblin rider. The Frigate Orpheon from Metroid Prime occasionally flips upside down, causing the playing field to shift. Smashville is an Animal Crossing-themed level, and like its source will change depending on what time the level is played. Pictochat has the enemies fighting among the doodles and illustrations of the DS' built in chat program. Most of the new stages are good, but some of them (particularly Delfino Plaza from Super Mario Sunshine and Lylat Cruise from Star Fox Assault) are simply platforms on a moving background, and lack any real extra themes or effects. It's also possible to build your own stages with a variety of parts and backgrounds, which is a fairly intuitive process that can produce some insanely fun results.
Besides multiplayer, the game has a new single player mode as well: "Subspace Emissary", a story told through cutscenes and action stages. The former are well directed but unvoiced / unworded, relying heavily on body language to get their message across. The story involves an evil plot to destroy the world of Smash Brothers perpetuated by the game's villanous characters (Bowser, Wario, and so on). The Smash Bros cast must team up - splintered at first, but then united - to combat this menace. The interactions between characters have some real gems - for example, Lucas from Mother 3 using the Pokemon Trainer as a sort of big brother role model, or Diddy Kong dragging Fox and Falco off to help him rescue Donkey Kong. The story is difficult to make out, however (though it's explained in detail on the Smash Bros. site), and the final boss is nothing short of eye-roll material (hint: he's a new original character, not an established Nintendo character). The story is mostly enjoyable for the little tidbits, and those are good and plentiful, so they make it worth it.
The action stages are 2d side-scrolling classic platforming, with characters fighting against the mysterious and somewhat generic enemies unique to the game. The mechanics are similar to regular gameplay, but directed at a multitude of enemies rather than a small number of skilled opponents. Stages range from generic and boring to generic and frustrating - from "random jungle" to "random ruins" to "random flying space-lab". Other than the playable characters and some enemies from the Mario games, there's nothing "Nintendo" about the game mode - you feel like a Nintendo character playing in some other non-Smash Brothers game. So, in that way, this mode feels like it could've been done a lot better.
Other bonus parts of the game include the return of trophies from Melee, new unlockable tracks for stages, and a variety of new event matches and sub-games. Furthermore - perhaps most importantly - the Wii allows SSBB to be played online, either with friends (added by inputting their unique code) or with strangers. This mode is pretty well coordinated, and there are no real complaints about it. The option also exists to spectate matches and bet on the winner, adding to the stylish, crowd-pleasing dynamic that the game entails.
The gameplay as a whole is great, but it feels less sharp than Melee; some moves feel too slow, unresponsive, or just "wrong". The sense of controlled chaos that Melee evoked has been replaced by rampant and uncontrolled chaos, and a lot of the "art" of playing has gone out of it. The graphics are in general improved, with some good details on characters and stages, but for the most part everything's moving too fast to notice it. The sound is mostly improved - any poor changes in, say, the announcer's voice, or quality in general are offset by the sheer number of music tracks in the game.
As a whole SSBB is a solid, fun, enjoyable game, with some minor bugs and annoyances. There's a lot added, but the jump from Super Smash Bros. to Melee feels stronger than the jump from Melee to Brawl. However, by itself it is a good game with a wide variety of characters and stages from every part of Nintendo's history.
9/10.
Lets Get Ready To Brawl! March 9, 2008
Melanie Edwards (Commerce, MI)
13 out of 18 found this review helpful
I have always been a fan of the Smash Bros. series, ever since the first installment of the game (you know, the one with only 12 characters and eight stages?). And I became an even bigger fan with the release of Melee, which completly upt the antee on the whole series, with tons of playable characters and stages, even bizzarer items, and an upgraded story mode. So after that, I began to wonder, how will Nintendo top this?
And so, nearly seven years after Melee, the creative team comes out swinging with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, one of the most addictive and enjoyable games since Melee. Forget Mario Galaxy or Metroid or any other flagship games, if you truley want to enjoy your Wii experience, you really need only two games. Twilight Princess and Smash Bros., thats all yuo need for hours of fun.
Like before, the character count has been umped, with returning fighters like Mario, Link, Pikachu, and Samus along with new comers Ike, Pit, Lucas, and many more joining the fray, even third party players like Solid Snake and Sonic have been added to the already impressive roster. As for stages, we're given even more diverese terrain ranging from a castle battle to an upgraded Pokemon Stadium to the biazzare world of Pictochat. It shows Nintendo went all out for this game by trying to stuff as much characters into the game, which adds to an endless array of fighting.
Now, there are a couple of new features added to this installment, the first notable being the Smash Ball. Once you grab this glowing orb of power, watch out for a devistating attack that can turn the tables of even the most hopeless fight. Also added is a new story mode, called the Subspace Emmissary. This surprisingly meaty game has you play as many of the characters as they fight to stop an evil Minister from taking over their world. Along the way, you can pick up trophies and stickers and a whole bunch of other cool collectibles for your gallery. Oh, I nearly forgot about stickers! Well, this little do-hicky's are much like trophies but unlike trophies, you can do a whole bunch of stuff with them like power up your player, make a scrapbook, even get a few added bonuses if your lucky.
As for Wi-Fi, this game has a surprisingly good connection (as long as its within the continental US, mind you) and being able to play others from across the land can really add to the whole fun.
So after you have experienced Brawl, there really is only one question left. How can they top this one?
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