Super Smash Bros. Brawl – WII – Preview

E for All 2007 Preview

Every console has “the game.” The
game everyone wants but no one can have because it has yet to be released. Xbox
360 fans just got theirs – Halo 3. And in February 2008, Nintendo Wii fans will
get theirs – Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Join us as we take you on our first
hands-on impressions.

Remotely Smashing

Smash Bros. Brawl will use several
different control schemes when it’s released this February. You’ll be able to
use the Wii Classic Controller, a nunchuck/Wii remote combo, and (reportedly)
old GameCube controllers. At E for All, however, Nintendo stuck with the
single-remote control style which has you hold the remote like an NES
controller.

The results are effective and
certainly fun. If you’ve played the series before (which is pretty much
guaranteed), the game won’t feel that different from the rest. The jumpy,
pound-each-other-into-the-air gameplay is back. Mario, Luigi, Ike, Peach, Samus,
Fox, Pikachu, Bowser, Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong, Pit, and Meta Knight were on the
playable roster (more will be featured in the final game, including Metal Gear’s
Solid Snake). However, most of them have been seen and controlled before. The
most exciting character inclusion was Sonic, whose spin-based moves have been
added to the game for more action/adventure-style fighting.


As this is the first time Sonic and
Mario go head-to-head in a fighting game, it’s interesting to see that both the
plumber and the blue hedgehog are about the same size. Sonic looks great running
on Wii hardware. His spin attack, done automatically by pressing the 1 button,
is a great way to quickly launch an opponent into the air. His other, weaker
attack is executed with the 2 button, which can also be used to pick up items. 

New power-up attacks give your
character the ultimate edge in combat. I wasn’t able to snag one during either
of my two games, but one of my opponents did. He was controlling Fox, who is
best known for his space-y adventures in Star Fox. His power-up calls upon his
ship, which flies onto the screen and annihilates everyone around him.

Very Worldly

Brawl is instantly more dynamic than
its predecessors. Nintendo has learned a lot from Namco, Midway, and other
fighting game champions, who use multi-tiered and/or multi-area worlds to
immerse the players deeper into the game. Though there have not been any
multi-tiered stages thus far, the majority of Brawl’s stages are either enormous
in scope (the backgrounds are several times the size of Melee’s backgrounds),
feature color, seasonal and day/night changes, or feature several different
worlds that flash in and out as the clock ticks down.

It’s an amazing sight – the Fire
Emblem level is gorgeous. First you’re fighting outside the castle, battling on
pillars and other medieval structures. Next you’re inside, tearing down statues
(which hold up platforms – opponents that are on the platform when it falls will
take damage).


The Yoshi’s Island stage is a
colorful, semi-surreal mix of over-the-top shapes and larger-than-life
characters and backdrops. One of them, a large-mouthed chain chomper-type
creature, is a threat to any player who dears touch it. While the Fire Emblem
stage changed with entirely new worlds, this one changes in appearance while
keeping players in the same area. The backgrounds are drenched in more beauty
than your eyes will ever be able to take in. Add to that the plethora of special
effects – like realistic-looking fire from the flower power-up, which functions
like a flamethrower – and you’ve got one of the most visually appealing Wii
games yet.

More to Smash

The finished version of Brawl will
offer dozens of characters, at least 11 different stages (likely more), online
play, multiple control types, and an endless number of reasons to never put down
the controller. We’ll be keeping our eyes fixated on this one from now till its
February release, so stay tuned.