The next generation of video games is bland and drab.
I'm not referring to the annual torrent of horribly written games or the inevitable slew of sequels that come out every year, I actually mean that next-gen games are a mish-mash of browns and grays that end up looking like mud.
There are some games, however, that break this trend of cloudy color palates and overused settings and provide the rainbow not seen since the days of Super Nintendo when everything was colored so brightly your retinas were in danger of being seared. Super Smash Bros. Brawl takes us back to that time.
For those not familiar with the Smash Bros. series, imagine a fighting game such as Street Fighter, but instead of fighting as martial arts masters who fight for honor and glory you fight as people such as Mario, Luigi or Yoshi and use comical weapons to try to knock your opponents off of stages from classic Nintendo games.
As the third entry in the series, Brawl really pushes the envelope not only with the advanced power of the Wii, but also in the sheer scope and magnitude of this truly epic game.
The game has more characters, more stages, more unlocks and more mini-games than any game I've played in recent years that provide for hours and days of amazing gameplay.
The mainstay of any Smash Bros. game is the all-out insanity that comes with multiplayer battles.
Like the other games in the series, Brawl allows for four players to brawl with one another on a myriad of stages which usually devolves into shooting fireballs, using Pokemon, or even some of the more obscure attacks such as Kirby cooking all other players in a gigantic cauldron.
When it comes down to it, Brawl is a party game on par with all of the other Nintendo offerings such as Mario Kart that even the most inept video game players can enjoy.
Boyfriends, take note; you may even be able to con your girlfriends into playing this game with you.
Many of you may be wondering how the heck you control a fighting game with the Wii controller and I assure you that you won't be waving and waggling about trying to get Mario to throw a simple punch.
Controlling the game can be done with the Wiimote laid on its side as an old school Nintendo controller, with both the Wiimote and Nunchuck in tandem, with the "Classic Controller" that looks like a super Nintendo controller, or even with an original Gamecube controller.
Basically Brawl is one of the few games with so many choices for controlling the game that no one will be able to complain that they lost due to their controller ever again.
Another main draw of the game is all of the new characters who have been added to Brawl, the two most important ones being Sonic the Hedgehog, and Solid Snake of Metal Gear Solid fame.
Yes, Nintendo fans, finally you can end the age-old debate with all of the Sega Genesis kids over who would win in a fight between Mario and Sonic in a battle that is the nerd equivalent of an Ali vs. Frazier prize fight.
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I wrote a 1775 word diatribe of how this is the worst game for Wii owners and best game for PS and Xbox converts, but apparently I have to be more concise. In short, the menus are from 1992, doesn't use the controller potential, and moves are imprecise to execute, making it a button masher. Play tennis as a party game instead.
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