Super Smash Bros. Brawl Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 27 March, 2008

Fantastic.

Version tested: Wii

The other week we joked that if OutRun 2 was fan service, SEGA Superstars Tennis was dinner, dancing, cocktails and fellatio. We'd lose our jobs if we tried to put Super Smash Bros. Brawl on that scale. It's so completely, bonkersly in love with Nintendo that it's hard to imagine how it will be topped. Perhaps if the next Mario game prints money out of the disc slot every time you find a star. And Princess Peach turns out to be Scarlett Johansson, who lives in the box, and needs a backrub.

Like the other Smash Bros. games, this is a side-on beat-'em-up with platform game elements, where the object is to knock the other player (or players) off the side of the arena. Doing lots of damage to the enemy - as indicated by a percentage - means they will be blasted further away, until it's impossible for them to jump back to safety. Depending on the game rules, players are rewarded for knockdowns and penalised for their own trips into the abyss, with the winner usually a logical synthesis of the two. And the winner is always a character from a Nintendo game, or a welcome intruder from a friendly competitor.

The cast is massive to begin with - Kirby, Mario, Link from Zelda, Zelda from Zelda, and lots of other much less obvious ones - but gradually deepens as you progress through the single-player adventure mode, Subspace Emissary, where you meet Ike from Fire Emblem, Pikachu, Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid and others. It's even got Sonic the Hedgehog, who has been welcomed into this orgiastic, Return of the Jedi Endor campfire scene of a game like Darth Vader pulled lovingly from the crumbling Death Star of the broken old-days SEGA, his past attempts to destroy Mario ignored as he dances gaily with Admiral Ackbar and the Ewoks.

'Super Smash Bros. Brawl' Screenshot 1

Sonic gets his own stage. It would be unfair to point out that it's better than half the actual 3D Sonic games.

That single-player mode encapsulates the fan service. You navigate side-scrolling platform game levels having fights with Game-And-Watch squiggles and armies of ROB the Robot, among dozens of others, as disparate Nintendo properties from incomprehensible alliances in the face of pantomime evil. So you have Link retrieving his sword, Excalibur-like from a rock in the forest before wandering past a sleeping Yoshi and getting into a fight with the Ancient Minister, while miles away Fox McCloud partners up reluctantly with Diddy Kong and Lucas from Earthbound inches through the ruins of a zoo with a bit of help from a Pokémon Trainer.

This is all summarised in occasionally brilliant dialogue-free cut-sequences that almost justify playing through Subspace Emissary alone, but the real incentives are unlocking all the characters you meet for use in competitive multiplayer. The option to play co-operatively with a friend adds a bit more depth, although there are some mild camera issues, and there's a neat sticker-based power-up system that lets you buff your characters between levels using collectibles derived from increasingly obscure Nintendo-related sources, like Electroplankton and Ouendan 2.

And yet Subspace Emissary is basically just extra hugs. Once you've cuddled enough, you can concentrate on the fighting modes, which is where Smash Bros. is strongest. Sometimes dismissed as a bit random and disorientating, it only really is for the first little while, after which the emphasis on special moves, power-ups, environmental awareness and smart movement around platforms establishes itself. KGB-speed reactions to twitching enemy biceps and combo memory aren't the necessities they typically are in beat-'em-ups, although there is room for advanced attack and defence. So it's more accessible than, say, Virtua Fighter, but there's also enough of a hook there if you're a bit hardcore, providing you can put up with all the hopping around.

Doing so, and double-jumping, are two basic but important actions, and you can also block, grab, attack and execute specials once you've found your way around the controls. Specials are usually derived from familiar traits, so Mario's uppercut bounces an enemy for coins, Link can throw bombs and shoot arrows, Pikachu electrocutes and Yoshi can throw eggs. New characters are the same - Pit from Kid Icarus can take off and flap around, for instance, and the Pokémon Trainer can switch between a trio of Pokémon - Charizard, Ivysaur and Squirtle. Olimar is particularly eye-catching, using an army of pikmin to engage.

Also prevalent in combat are power-ups, including the SNES Superscope, which can be fired like a gun, and more functional alternatives like baseball bats and health tomatoes. Others allow you to breathe fire, swing laser-swords, or run around madly with a hammer, and then there are assist-trophies that reinforce you with other non-playable characters like Tingle. Most potentially divisive of the new ones is the Smash Ball, which is basically a finishing move, called a Final Smash, wrapped up in a floating rainbow bubble. Everybody makes for this when it appears, and for good reason. Fox McCloud turns into a Landmaster tank and starts steamrollering everyone, Bowser turns into Giga Bowser, and Pikachu evolves into a floating ball of electric energy. Olimar's Final Smash is my favourite, and hence I won't spoil.

All of this Nintendonanism takes place on stages just as frequently engineered to compliment their source material: there's a WarioWare level where your surroundings rotate through configurations derived from the original game's short, sharp bursts of quirky and diverse gameplay; a PictoChat level where the platforms beneath your feet are ever-changing illustrations (oddly not a nest of penises); a volcanic Metroid level where you have to hide in shelters that pop up on random platforms so an occasional screen-filling wave of lava doesn't murder you; an F-Zero racetrack where you get knocked around by hovercars; and many others, including a few from the Cube Smash Bros. game, Melee.

'Super Smash Bros. Brawl' Screenshot 2

Not exactly an unusual sight, this sort of thing.

Moving platforms and stage-specific gimmicks are fewer than they were there, but initially the complexity and dynamism of all this still adds to that feeling of disorientation, especially for newcomers. But just as the strengths of the fight mechanics emerge after an hour of play, so like a good racing game you improve in your response to each stage as you learn its behaviour. This is particularly important in a game where keeping the ground beneath your feet is second only to separating the other players from the ground beneath theirs.

Balance is pretty much everything, and for the developers, too. Watching Ike perform an uppercut, release his sword, leap into the air and then grab it to slam back down into his still-dazed enemy's head surely has little place in a game where Lucas responds by directing a lightning ball around the level with the analogue stick, as Princess Peach floats by overhead and Meta Knight buzzes around, cute as a button, flapping his cape and trying to catch people in it. Except somehow it all fits. It's not the perfect blend, but it works consistently enough to produce fair battles in most cases. Indeed, if there's a flaw it's perhaps that there's a bit of uniformity among certain characters, although not many. Even Final Smashes are double-edged - Fox's Landmaster may be powerful, but it's also rather difficult to save if it tumbles off the edge, forcing caution, and other moves, like Meta Knight's, are only effective if they're used in specific ways.

Sheltering all this functionality and balance together like heart-patterned umbrellas are more than enough modes. There's Brawl, the basic two- to four-player fight mode; Special Brawl, the less basic alternative where you can apply various modifiers (speed, gravity, permanent hats, etc.); Tourney, an elimination-based tournament, startlingly; Rotation, where up to 16 people can fight in sequence; and the option to fight as teams within them. That's before we get on to the single-player/co-op stuff. Subspace Emissary may be the dominant bit, but Classic mode still lets you fight a sequence of enemies, punctuated by mini-games and culminating in the usual encounter with series badguy Master Hand; Events mode tasks you with completing specific goals, like collecting dragon pieces and fighting a metal Dedede; and Stadium mode lets you tackle the throwaway mini-games like Home-Run Contest individually.

What else? There's a Stage Builder, where you can design levels out of simple components, save them and share via WiiConnect24; the Vault, where all your trophies and unlockable objects (music! stickers! etc!) reside; and online multiplayer.

This is a first for Smash Bros., obviously. You can play against randomers, waiting for them in a warm-up room where you can mash Sandbag around; you can input Friends codes to play with people you actually know; and Spectator mode allows you to watch other people on the Internet and bet gold coins on the match outcome. With no contextual information, like performance records and names, it's basically guesswork, so you usually go for the guy with the character buried deepest in the game, but its inclusion - while ultimately pointless - does at least save you turning the game off while you eat your supper. We had no lag in any of this, playing on a usually robust DSL connection, and only the typical Wi-Fi Connection caveats apply: communication is limited to stock phrases and built-in d-pad taunts, and Friends codes are cumbersome.

'Super Smash Bros. Brawl' Screenshot 3

Zero Suit Samus (bottom-left) and regular Samus can switch to the other form with a Final Smash. Sexy.

There are other complaints. Subspace Emissary is longer than ideal, meaning you won't get to play as some of the biggest novelties for a good while, and the quality of the cut-scenes and level designs here is inconsistent - there are a few clever conceits, but levels also drag on unnecessarily, with doors as red herrings and other minor frustrations. Control is also a little imprecise overall - there are four schemes available, taking in Wiimote, Wiimote and nunchuk, Cube pad and Classic controller, but none is without minor grievances - and particularly in single-player, where performing big leaps and landing them is fine but small positional movements from standstill are fiddly.

However, control and structural quirks will struggle to compromise your long-term entertainment - and Brawl really does offer that. It's consistently satisfying over long periods, fulfilling its usual role of dominating a willing crowd's evening into the early hours, and now allowing you to sustain that after everyone's gone home using the Internet. Really the only reason you wouldn't feel that way would be if you didn't stick with it past the dizzying first quarter of an hour, or if you don't like Nintendo characters - and if you don't in either case then you probably aren't reading this anyway, and the prospect of Triforce-smashing your friends to death won't mean anything. Otherwise, persist, and enrich yourself, and wonder where on earth it all goes next.

9 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (168) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • L0cky #1 4 years ago

    I knew I shoulda kept that Wii.

  • asphaltcowboy #2 4 years ago

    So, release date?

  • hokuto_no_rob #3 4 years ago

    Do not want.

  • zsinj #4 4 years ago

    I imported this and got the amazingly-useful-sounding codejunkies Freeloader, which doesn't work for me (and a few others) despite having a new Wii and the same firmware and whatelse as others it does work for, so don't let that put you off. Just don't order from codejunkies directly would be my advice, abysmal service in my experience, and the returns process is taking a....... long..... time....

  • viper_h #5 4 years ago

    Zsinj, have you tried booting your freeloader into alternative boot mode? That's where you stick it in once, it does the funny screen wipe thing twice, then you eject it and put it back in for another two screen wipes, then try smash bros?

    Worth a try.

    As for Brawl - It's got a few minor annoyances but other than that, it gets a 10 from me!

  • ecureuil #6 4 years ago

    I've played nearly 40 hours of this already, and I haven't even touched Brawl mode. Beat that!

  • mkreku #7 4 years ago

    What? A Nintendo game featuring Mario? I'm so surprised.. zzz..

  • Carlo #8 4 years ago

    3 page review for a beat-em-up?

  • mingster #9 4 years ago

    Review out of the blue shocker...
    and Ellie was owed a good game to review for once on the wii..
    not much chance of that now.

  • decibel #10 4 years ago

    What? A mario game featuring mario? I'm so surprised .. zzz..

  • Dezm0nd #11 4 years ago

    Been loving this game since it's US release, Nintendo Europe need to sort their fucking lives out.

  • LeD #12 4 years ago

    9/10? Ouch!

    Can you hear the stampeding fanboys?

  • milko #13 4 years ago

    Permanent hats.

  • Eighthours #14 4 years ago

    It's really good, this.

  • Futaba #15 4 years ago

    "Also prevalent in combat are power-ups, including the NES Superscope"

    Sorry to be picky, but was that meant to be 'SNES'? :[

    Nice review tho.

  • Rash' #16 4 years ago

    I'm debating whether to get this. It's getting great reviews, but I just can't shake that kiddy feeling I get everytime I see it. I'm getting old now and I question the validity of content like this for my collection, regardless of how good it is.

  • Waffleaber #17 4 years ago

    Still waiting on my play-asia delivery

    Good to know it's good anyway.

  • peteb #18 4 years ago

    been playing away at the subspace emissary mode one this, man, its so much fun and a bit mental!

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #19 4 years ago

    "Sorry to be picky, but was that meant to be 'SNES'? :[ "

    Er, yes it is. Sorry. :(

  • monkie_king #20 4 years ago

    "What? A mario game featuring mario?"

    What? A retarded commenter making a retarded comment?

  • Killerbee #21 4 years ago

    I'm still not sure about this one. I mean, I love the Nintendo characters and all that; I just don't really like playing beat 'em ups that much. Soul Calibur II was the last one I bought and I pretty much went through the story mode once and haven't played it since.

    If I'm playing multi-player I'm far, far more likely to get out Wii Sports or (soon) Mario Kart. In a way, it's mainly the fact this has gone down so spectacularly well in the US and Japan that has me interested.

  • LeD #22 4 years ago

    @Rash'

    I know what you mean, given that I'm struggling to get into the excellent Mario Galaxy.

  • myiagros #23 4 years ago

    When will somebody make a brawl style game with a roster of non Nintendo characters.

    The headline characters are great, but a lot of the lesser ones feel like they are scraping the barrel. I would love to see a truely multiformat Brawl style game with charcters from all of Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, Namco, Capcom, Konami, Sega ect.

    i know it will never happen, but heres to dreaming

  • robg #24 4 years ago

    9? That's only one more than the crap score Mario Kart got...

    Back to my REAL next-gen console...

  • Rash' #25 4 years ago

    LeD, It eats me up. They're excellent games I know but when my girl or family walk in and see me playing them I feel so geeky. I know I shouldn't care, but you know what I do. I'm tired of defending gaming and me playing these games makes me feel like I have to.

  • DB2k #26 4 years ago

    how can a 3 page review of a 9/10 game only have 3 screen shots in it

  • gingerlink #27 4 years ago

    @zsinj

    I had the same problem, but listen to viper_h, because that worked for me, it gives the alternative method in the manual, I tried it (why would it make a difference inserting it twice I thought), then it worked fine.

    Well, when I say fine, I mean in black and white until I routed it through my DVD recorder to sort out the signal incompatability...

    Didn't have any control difficulties, especially if you edit it a bit for yourself (stupid tap jump that's been annoying me since melee), also, I have no idea what they mean about inconsistencies in the cutscenes...

    @myiagros

    Give is a few more years and there might be another smash bros. like that, just without the top sony and microsoft characters, unless they're really desperate.

  • monkie_king #28 4 years ago

    There's an img tag shortage at the moment, due to the credit crunch.

  • MoGamer2006 #29 4 years ago

    @Rash'

    I think you should man up and grow a pair. If 'your girl' and family find your hobby so juvenile (and you're so insecure that you let their comments affect you) then I doubt it matters whether your playing Mario or a space marine - to them, either way you're still 'playing games' (with all the juvenile connotations those words have).

  • ChrisS #30 4 years ago

    It doesn't say 'import review' so it must be due for a shock PAL release tomorrow. Amirite?

  • Waldo #31 4 years ago

    Didn't know this was released in the EU/UK. What a pleasant surprise.

  • GingerNathan #32 4 years ago

    Where's the Wii's Pro Evo review?, the game's out tomorrow. Reviewing that is far more important then the dateless Brawl, regardless how good it is.

  • Altrezia #33 4 years ago

    I think I must be the only person on earth who hated the first one..

    Silly little game!

  • thedaveeyres #34 4 years ago

    Is this review written in English?

    What, or indeed who, the hell is Subspace Emissary?

  • rhubarbandcustard #35 4 years ago

    In 2008 a 2D beat-em-up deserves no more than a 3 out of 10. Are people seriously going to spend Ł30 on this?!

  • speedjack #36 4 years ago

    Yes.

  • haowan #37 4 years ago

    moar liek super smash bros lawl, lolamirite?

  • Waldo #38 4 years ago

    9/10.

    So Halo 3 is better than this, then.

    LOL @ EG scoring

    I imagine it's a 9 when compared to other fighting games, not FPSes.

  • Muddtallica #39 4 years ago

    Rash': Whilst I wouldn't take MoGamer2006's slightly harsh tone, I think he's right; exactly which games do you have in mind as somehow looking more legitimate to non-gamers? Only in my experience, a person who fundamentally disapproves of videogame culture will perceive a testosterone-soaked alien-killing shooter or a tech-head racer as being every bit as sad and geeky as a cartoon platformer, just in a different way. Unless you're willing to forgo any and all "gamers' games" and stick exclusively to outsider-friendly fare like Wii Sports and Lost: The Videogame, then you should probably start forgetting what other people think and just buy games that actually interest you for their content, rather than their image.

    Anyways, good read, that review. I'm unlikely to bother waiting much longer for the UK release, so I might just bite the bullet, buy the Freeloader and import the US version, which I will then play and play forever, in the same way I've been playing Melee since I bought it with my Cube seven years ago. Best value-for-money series of games ever.

  • haowan #40 4 years ago

    I agree with groovemeister, this should have got a 10. Where's the justice????????????????

  • bitesize #41 4 years ago


    another nintendo game, another comments thread full of negativity about how it's 'kiddy' and 'not a real game'. why do you people bother? why not just ignore the threads?

    anyway, game looks amazing, would so love to play it... is it ever gonna get released over here?

  • haowan #42 4 years ago

    edit: wow, wrong thread
    Edited by 2 at 27/03/08 @ 15:19

  • thedaveeyres #43 4 years ago

    I've re-read the review and vast swathes of it still make little sense. Maybe it's because I've never played a SSB game before but that's no excuse for really poor writing. :(

  • miiiguel #44 4 years ago

    Not as good as Halo then...

  • haowan #45 4 years ago

    yep it's pretty close to brain training actually these days, gameplay-wise.

  • miiiguel #46 4 years ago

    Anyway, looks realy good, and I wish I had time to play it. Damn you 360 and your ultra-awesome games' library!

    Lost Odyssey is stealing my life..., and I'm still studying it
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/08 @ 15:22

  • Davemanz #47 4 years ago

    10/10 for me. Insane amounts of depth and replayability. There's no reason why any self-respecting Wii owner (or fan of the original) shouldn't get this.

  • Kaparen #48 4 years ago

    Who cares, if it's good then it's good. If it's crap then it's crap, no review can change that.

  • haowan #49 4 years ago

    Hey! Did you guys see that other 360 thread? OMG!

  • Rash' #50 4 years ago

    Muddtallica, The games that I think work better for my life style are games like Everyday Shooter, Ico, Shadow of the Colosuss, Rez, Portal and Killer 7. There's a maturity to these games that forgo the stereotypes that plague the image of an enthusiast gamer. The family and girl friend don't say anything. It's just I know the stereotypes that they have difficulties overcoming when they see me gaming, so I guess I now make a conscience decide to seek content that helps bridge the gap between their world and mine. It's not that I'm immature or insecure, it's that I want the different aspects of my life to make sense.
    Edited by 2 at 27/03/08 @ 15:29

  • haowan #51 4 years ago

    God bless the ultimate awesome 360 games library! Oh god bless you Microsoft and your amazing 360 console! Oh god bless you!

  • caligari #52 4 years ago

    LeD wrote:

    "9/10? Ouch!

    Can you hear the stampeding fanboys?"

    No...are you wearing slippers today?

  • RamblinSydRumpo #53 4 years ago

    3 pages for a game with no confirmed release date. Where's the Viking review? I want to know if it's worth toddling down to the shops TOMORROW and parting with my hard earned cash!!

  • penhalion #54 4 years ago

    Obvious question, though I'm sure someone must have already asked it.

    Why review this now if it has no european release date?

    It's not like ths review will be remembered when the game finally arrives now is it.

  • bitesize #55 4 years ago


    rash: you decide what games to play based on what people are going to think when they see you playing them??? that's the most bizarre thing i've ever heard.


    koopa trooper: ok, i'll bite. why is this a 'non-game'? what other titles do you think are actual games? what differentiates this from them?


  • Rash' #56 4 years ago

    Anyway, the game looks great! I want!!!

  • Razz #57 4 years ago

    Nintendo = Amazing

  • Rash' #58 4 years ago

    bitesize, well obviously not. I buy games that interest me, otherwise there wouldn't be any games worth getting. I have Mario Galaxy for example and that's brilliant!
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/08 @ 15:37

  • bitesize #59 4 years ago


    well that's what your previous post said - you only play these so-called 'mature' games cos you don't want your family to see you playing anything 'kiddy'. pretty strange to me...

  • gingerlink #60 4 years ago

    @Rash

    Why not get them involved? It's what I've always done and works a lot better...

    Well, apart from later when they want to keep playing as well...

  • Rash' #61 4 years ago

    bitesize, I don't know. I have a point but I've got to run so will have to get back to you later tonight (GMT). Apologies for highjacking the thread.
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/08 @ 15:40

  • zsinj #62 4 years ago

    @viper_h, gingerlink

    For me the Freeloader doesn't do the funny coloured bar wipe thing (I've seen how it should work) at all, no matter how many time i put the disc in consecutively. I'm just hoping that a replacement disc will sort it out, but nothing so far.

  • smelly #63 4 years ago

    @Rash:

    I can see where you're coming from.. ish. So i'll honor you a proper reply as opposed to just doing my usual slating.

    I get embarrassed being a gamer when i read some of the childish comments from kids (usually 360 owners) on these forums. I mean all this "not as good as halo" shit and going on about score being 9/10 not 10/10.. sigh. It's embarrassing!

    But I dont see why get embarrassed over a graphical style?

    I'm grown up. I have no problems going to the cinema to watch "little nemo" or "cars", or any other "kiddy" family pixar cartoon. And i certainly dont have a problem playing family friendly games. Especially stuff like this which requires a LOT of practice to get anywhere with it.

    Personally i'm more embarrassed as a gamer playing games with unnecessary violence (like the american version of killer7 or something like manhunt 2), as the ONLY people violent games like that are designed to appeal to are pre-pubecessant teenagers who get turned on by gore and think it's the best thing ever and somehow make an average game (or movie for that matter) great.

    Like it or lump it. Game are toys. A vast majority of gamers still SEEM to be children/teenagers (look at these forums). So the vast majority of them still get woodies over games which are nothing but grey and brown with lots of gore to make them feel like they're grown ups.

    Personally. I dont care about graphical style (apart from, as stated, when it's overtly "adult".. translation: Covered in red pixels to make the kids playing it feel grown up). Its the GAME that matters not the colour of the pixels.

    Being "cartoony" didnt stop "little nemo" from being a great movie. And indeed it would look weird with realistic graphics.

    Being cartoony doesnt stop smash bros from being a great game. And again.. It would look weird with realistic graphics. All that jumping around and stuff.. with "realistic" graphics? Nope.. Would look crap.

    The problem with realism.. is you're stuck with reality.. And reality is boring.

    The fun with games is that you're only limited by the designers imagination. And if all games were stuck in realism.. That's a very boring gaming world you're describing.

    If all games went "realistic" that'd be when i stop playing.. As all imagination would be gone from the worlds i'm playing in.

    Now watch some (usually 360 owning kid) show how "mature" they are by replying to this post with "haha smelly's an old far" or "smellys on a fanboy rant again" or something equally kiddy designed to try to upset me.. lol

  • JackyB #64 4 years ago

    Zsinj - sounds stinky. I hope mines OK. I have got my freeloader but am waiting on no more heroes and smash bros. Hope they work. Shoulda bought just one game to test but couldn't resist!

  • JackyB #65 4 years ago

    Smelly - the two best games I have played recently are Mario Galaxy and Call of Duty 4. Two things spring to mind. "Variety is the spice of life", and "Each to their own"
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/08 @ 15:57

  • Muddtallica #66 4 years ago

    Rash': Those are fair choices, and excellent illustrations of titles that break the traditional boundaries of videogame appeal; still, your implication that you've made a conscious decision to limit yourself to such titles in the name of compromise, at the expense of other games that under normal circumstances you'd be interested in. If that's because you feel that said non-traditional games are something your family can partipate in and enjoy with you, then fine, it's a fair compromise to make; if it's purely because you feel they'd judge you otherwise, then it isn't. That's my two cents...

    Koopa Trooper: You appear to have whole-heartedly bought into the myth that Smash Bros is popular for its "Nintendo museum" aspects, rather than its qualities as a fighting game. Whilst I imagine that there are some players for whom this is true, it's not something that rings true to me, or indeed according to any of the reviews I've read of this game. I invested well over 300 hours into Melee, and I would have done the same with or without Mario and co headlining it...
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/08 @ 16:01

  • MBar #67 4 years ago

    Wow, I'm getting more "ignore poster" clicks in this thread than the Call of Jihad one. Trolls galore in here.

  • smelly #68 4 years ago

    JackyB - the two best games I have played recently are Mario Galaxy and Call of Duty 4.

    I love those two games myself too... Which was kinda my point.. Grown ups can enjoy anything regardless of style.. And variety is good. As I said.. it's when EVERY game goes "realistic" it'll get boring and i'll stop playing (lack of variety = bad)

    Oh.. And just for the record.. when it goes the other way like it did in the 8/16 bit era where every game was a platformer.. that's bad too.


    (although cod4 is the ONLY fps i've really liked since halflife 2).
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/08 @ 16:15

  • smelly #69 4 years ago

    @MBar : "Trolls galore in here."

    You should see what it's like when a wii game gets a bad score...

  • Kryon #70 4 years ago

    I never liked Smash Bros, Powerstone pissed on it from a great height imo.
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/08 @ 16:16

  • Muddtallica #71 4 years ago

    Koopa: Sorry, perhaps I wasn't clear enough; I'm saying that it's a myth that the extensive fanservice is the main/only reason that Smash Bros is popular. Yes, it is a big part of the appeal, and I do suspect that there is a minority of people that actually get more out of that than they do out of the main game, but for the vast majority of critics and gameplayers, the core of Smash Bros' appeal is its outstanding gameplay and abundance of modes and options; that's something that's borne out by any review you might care to read, or the testimony of any of its fans, and I feel it's disingenuous to suggest otherwise.

  • haowan #72 4 years ago

    hehe outstanding gameplay

  • Waldo #73 4 years ago

    Ignore lists are for wimps.

  • Muddtallica #74 4 years ago

    haowan: Yep, that's what I said, you snarky little tool.

  • Futaba #75 4 years ago

    <a href="http://i32.tinypic .com/24kyy4l.jpg
    ">http://i32.tinypic .com/24kyy4l.jpg
    </a>

    http://ca che.kotaku.com/assets/resources...

    http://im g247.imageshack.us/img247/4801/...

    lol \o/
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/08 @ 16:35

  • greenthumb #76 4 years ago

    just checked amazon.co.uk and it has this down as a 30th April 2008 release date.... is this wrong? surely not mario kart, wii fit and smash brothers all in the same month

  • DrDamn #77 4 years ago

    I didn't like the GC version - though I accept that may be related to the limited chance I had to try multiplayer and the type of game it is. So I won't pick this up, it's not my bag. Just gonna jump in on the whole visual style thing though.

    For some people visual style is a big part of the game experience. If it is not a style they like then it does affect their enjoyment regardless of the underlying gameplay aspects. To lambast someone who feels this way is as bad as someone who lambast you for playing a "kiddie" game. Bit of understanding on both sides is needed.

  • bitesize #78 4 years ago


    dr. damn: that's missing the point a bit, no-one said anything about ppl not liking a cartoony style, that's fair enough, it's personal taste. were talking about being embarrassed to be seen playing cartoony games, which i can only put down to insecurity.

  • XdarXideX #79 4 years ago

    Holy shit! NintendoGamer didn't give this a 10/10!? Shocking!

    The game looks and sounds like nothing great, in my opinion.

  • asphaltcowboy #80 4 years ago

    smelly: why do you always cite 360 owners as some kind of devil worshiping hate mongers?

  • Les #81 4 years ago

    "Why review this now if it has no european release date?

    It's not like ths review will be remembered when the game finally arrives now is it."

    By then they'll do a EU review and subtract a point or two...

  • DrDamn #82 4 years ago

    @bitesize
    "no-one said anything about ppl not liking a cartoony style"

    groovemeister effectively did. I think Rash' has gone on to describe that he actually likes the style just feels a bit embaressed, which is wrong. If you like it then enjoy it.

  • bitesize #83 4 years ago


    ? surely groovemeister was lambasting (good word btw, i've decided to use it myself) rash for being embarrassed about playing cartoony games, that was my reading of his post anyway - he said yoshi's island is one of his top games ever...

    anyways, agree with yr last point, don't be embarrassed, play what you like!


    (unless of course, you're a teenager and it may stop you getting laid to be seen playing cartoony games, i guess it's acceptable then ;-)

  • gingerlink #84 4 years ago

    I'm intrigued as to how they had games without lag, we're in Europe, most people you play against are gonna be in America. Although I havn't had players drop out mid-game, I can't say the game speed is normally it's usual self online most of the time...

    @bitesize, so THAT'S it!

    meh *goes back to enjoying smash bros.*
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/08 @ 17:22

  • mandeep100 #85 4 years ago

    big deal some people are calling this GOTY? i dont think so, ill stick with my xbox 360 thank you its all about ninja gaiden 2 for me and nothing else

  • dryden555 #86 4 years ago

    nice review but I still cant find a wii system to buy

  • secombe #87 4 years ago

    Without wishing to sound like a stuck record, wouldn't it make more sense to actually review games coming out right about now that many of us want to know about, such as Pro Evo?

  • smelly #88 4 years ago

    "smelly: why do you always cite 360 owners as some kind of devil worshiping hate mongers?"

    I dont. That'd include myself in that category then wouldnt it?

    But.. Oh.. I dunno.. perhaps read the posts in this thread.. and notice all the negative "trolling ones" are from the same people as you see in the 360 threads... It's not 360 owners i have a problem with.. it's 360 trolls.

    Look for posts in this thread by: mandeep100, TraffordAvenger, XdarXideX, miiiguel

    And they're the ones i DONT have on ignore (there's another 15 posts i cant see without logging out)

    The ps3 owners seem to keep themselves to themselves though. :-)


    "Oh noes, 9! The fanboys are coming for you Tom. Run!"

    Notice not a single wii owner has mentioned the score though..
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/08 @ 17:53

  • haowan #89 4 years ago

    groovemeister, page one, Halo 3 review comparison

  • smelly #90 4 years ago

    @MrED209: But yet you made the effort to post?

  • Sl1pstream #91 4 years ago

    I bought this last week after receiving my freeloader, it's awesome. It really is. Too bad the demos are so short.

  • Santino #92 4 years ago

    melee still gets played regularly in our studio at uni, screw the haters who don't 'get' the game but can't seem to help coming into the thread to tell everyone their opinions, i can't wait for this to come out although we STILL NEED A RELEASE DATE :/

  • smelly #93 4 years ago

    "melee still gets played regularly in our studio at uni, screw the haters who don't 'get' the game but can't seem to help coming into the thread to tell everyone their opinions,"


    It does seem strange that most of them are doign that.. especially when they seem to know nothing about said game.

  • spazmo #94 4 years ago

    Not interested in this game. Just came in to say i prefer the PS3. Seeya.

  • J.C #95 4 years ago

    Another wii review, that doesn't mention the visuals of the game.

  • Scimarad #96 4 years ago

    Based on the Cube Super Smash Brothers game I think I just don't really 'get' these games. It was fun enough but I can't really imagine being fanatical about it.

  • smelly #97 4 years ago

    >Another wii review, that doesn't mention the visuals of the game.

    See .. when you review a great game like this.. Visuals dont matter - even when they're as great as this.

    But on a distinctly average game.. say *censored* for example.. Then you care about the gfx.

  • FooAtari #98 4 years ago

    @Santino
    "screw the haters who don't 'get'"

    Hope that doesn't mean anyone who doesn't like the game doesn't "get" it?

    Chances are I won't really like it much, but then as you know I'm not much of a fighting game fan (except for IK+). Of course that doesn't make it a bad game

    Im with you if by haters you mean fanboys/trolls of other systems. Tools.
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/08 @ 19:52

  • Santino #99 4 years ago

    Hey Foo, yeah i meant the trolls. its fine not 'getting' a certain game, it just gets boring how every comments thread no matter what the game gets shat on by iditos, usually because of what system it is on rather than the game itself i may add.

  • Muddtallica #100 4 years ago

    Foo, Santino: Well, that's just the crux of the whole issue, isn't it? I have no problem with anyone not liking any game; that's a subjective thing, and no-one has any cause to argue with that. The kicker is when people take that illogical extra step and decide that because they don't like it, then that means that it's a bad game worthy of censure, reviewers and other players be damned.

    ...then again, it's a somewhat futile point to make in the end, isn't it? After all, if it was part of human nature to realise that somebody else doesn't have to be wrong for you to be right, the world would be a much more pleasant place all round...

  • caligari #101 4 years ago

    /wants

    /checks bank balance

    /cries

    edit:

    /cheers up again after reading half of the 'weird and wonderful' comments in this thread
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/08 @ 21:28

  • Landmaster #102 4 years ago

    So its better than Galaxy but gets a whole mark less...


    Fuck off Tom.

  • dk_rare #103 4 years ago

    Easily one of the Games Of The Year ^_^ Best exclusive of this generation, a must own, everything we always wanted and all that. Now, if only we didn't have to wait until June :(

  • smelly #104 4 years ago

    >So its better than Galaxy but gets a whole mark less...

    Who cares?

    *shudders* to think what will happen if okami doesnt get 10/10 for the wii version..

  • Davemanz #105 4 years ago

    The game also includes lots of other characters. What's the problem?

    The only thing in this thread I take issue with is smelly's denunciation of Killer7's "unnecessary" violence and gore. I don't know if you played the game much, smelly, but the plot of Killer7 is probably the darkest thing imaginable. I mean, you play as a multiple-personality assassin going around murdering thousands of people after some kind of weird viral holocaust wipes out the world, and your targets are child rapists half the time. Yeah, there's going to be some gore in there.

  • Pooley #106 4 years ago

    What caused EG to drop a point with this game then? The text of the review seemed pretty much a 10/10 fanboi service all the way through.

    Definitely gonna get this as soon as it's available, better dig out four Cube controllers in readyness.

  • smelly #107 4 years ago

    @Davemanz: "Yeah, there's going to be some gore in there."


    Not on the euro version there isnt :-)

    And does it alter the game any? nope.

  • abdallah #108 4 years ago

    "smelly: why do you always cite 360 owners as some kind of devil worshiping hate mongers?"

    I dont. That'd include myself in that category then wouldnt it?

    But.. Oh.. I dunno.. perhaps read the posts in this thread.. and notice all the negative "trolling ones" are from the same people as you see in the 360 threads... It's not 360 owners i have a problem with.. it's 360 trolls.

    Look for posts in this thread by: mandeep100, TraffordAvenger, XdarXideX, miiiguel

    And they're the ones i DONT have on ignore (there's another 15 posts i cant see without logging out)

    The ps3 owners seem to keep themselves to themselves though. :-)


    "Oh noes, 9! The fanboys are coming for you Tom. Run!"

    Notice not a single wii owner has mentioned the score though.."
    ---
    Badabingbadabang.

  • rommy667 #109 4 years ago

    Beware ppl some wiis like mine REFUSE TO LOAD DVD9 yes im saying if you buy this on rls day IT MIGHT NOT WORK if so you are ment to send off ya wii to nin to fix which sucks..... it is however a GREAT game :)

  • smelly #110 4 years ago

    @abdallah:

    I dont get where you're coming from - so i'll put you on ignore until you make sense.

  • captainrentboy #111 4 years ago

    My girlfriend's mate came into our apartment the other day, pissed, and I was sat there playing Sega Superstars Tennis, then out of the blue after watching it for a few minutes she said '' Ohh my God, look how childish this game is, aren't you a bit too old for stuff like that?''
    To which I promptly replied ''Fuck off!''
    She said nothing else.

  • Kryon #112 4 years ago

    Lol, smelly must ignore at least 15 people per Wii article (usually for calling him a cock, which he is). The poor fool can probably only see a few posts, probably only his and Les'...

    /Smellys mentatility

    - Does person X love the Wii? This must include sexual contact!

    - Does person X worship Nintendo? No, I mean actually pray to them in the same way I do?

    If the answer to either question is no, I must ignore person X.

  • gingerlink #113 4 years ago

    anyone noticing a pattern that the mario kart review read like a 9, but got an eight and this one read like a 10, but got a 9

    maybe there's a compulsory mark taken off for the graphics not being able to be as good that they just don't mention
    , or something lame like that

  • XdarXideX #114 4 years ago

    Well I'm sorry that the SSBB fans' opinions are BETTER than mine but I just don't see why this game or any of the previous efforts deserve such high scores (or most Nintendo 1st party efforts for that matter) from Eurogamer. They're not THAT good... be honest.
    Edited by 2 at 28/03/08 @ 11:29

  • knocker #115 4 years ago

    "They're not THAT good... be honest."

    Well maybe, just maybe the enjoyment of games is subjective ? And different people like different things ? If you enjoy daft, chaotic, cartoony, fighty fun this is about as good as it gets.

    Clearly your "opinions are BETTER than mine"

  • BM #116 4 years ago

    @rdexter

    The thing is with Mario games, by and large the standard of them is extremely high. I honestly can't think of one Mario game I've personally played and gone "Meh, that's shit"

    Mario is an icon around the world that you could argue is guaranteed to sell games, whether they're good or bad. Kudos to nintendo for keeping them at such a high standard.

  • Futaba #117 4 years ago

    @BM I thought Mario Sunshine was awful, I guess you liked it then? Galaxy was brilliant though.

  • robertster #118 4 years ago

    But Sunshine isn't "awful" it just isn't as good as a Mario platformer should be.

  • Landmaster #119 4 years ago

    @ smelly

    I care, that's why i voiced my opinion.

  • smelly #120 4 years ago

    "anyone noticing a pattern that the mario kart review read like a 9, but got an eight and this one read like a 10, but got a 9"

    No game deserves a 10 imho.. not this .. and certainly not halo 3 .. (Which deserved more like a 7)

  • smelly #121 4 years ago

    >But Sunshine isn't "awful" it just isn't as good as a Mario platformer should b

    Sunshine is my favorite mario platformer (with galaxy a close second)

    The difficulty is what kept me playing right until 120 shines.. Galaxy was too easy imho




  • JackyB #122 4 years ago

    smelly, I thought the shines were a "rip off" in that one. If I remember rightly, finding the blue coins was a piss take, and not much fun

  • BM #123 4 years ago

    @Futaba

    It definitely wasn't on a par with Mario 64, but if it wasn't Mario you'd still say it was a pretty good game. It's just that in effect it didn't live up to the hype. I still got alot of enjoyment out of it though, in fact I started playing it again a month or two back when I found the disc. My girlfriends 6 year old daughter loves it ;)

  • evild_edd #124 4 years ago

    Super Smash Bros. franchise = MEH

    I understand the lure of fan-service; but to eek an entire franchise out of it is just plain dull.

    Nintendo, please stop making these games and release some original IP (that's not f*ckin' Brain Training)

  • Muddtallica #125 4 years ago

    evild_edd: Haven't you been paying any attention at all? Read any review of this game, such as the one that this comments page is attached to. There's a fighting game underneath the fan nods, and a hugely acclaimed and popular one, at that. To say that you don't like it is fine; to pretend that it doesn't exist is just contrary and stupid.

  • smelly #126 4 years ago

    "Super Smash Bros. franchise = MEH

    I understand the lure of fan-service; but to eek an entire franchise out of it is just plain dull.

    Nintendo, please stop making these games and release some original IP"



    You see... replace smash bros with "halo 3" and "nintendo" with "microsoft" and i'd say the exact ssame thing

  • blicko #127 4 years ago

    9? Nintendo really should do more advertising on this site.

  • BartonFink #128 4 years ago

    Smelly, now there is a surprise :D

  • abdallah #129 4 years ago

    Smelly you crazy monkey, I was agreeing with you.
    "Badabimbadabam!" is the same kind of sound as "ba-dam-kish!" i.e an audible highlight of a good point.

  • caligari #130 4 years ago

    It's not worth complaining - just put 'tards like "I have 3 Xbox 360s but my mother died so you can't laugh at me" Miiiguel on ignore.

    Look upon it as Eurogamer 'culling'. Everything begins to smell a lot nicer without them.

  • smelly #131 4 years ago

    >Nintendo really should do more advertising on this site.

    genuine LOL!

  • bdc #132 4 years ago

    Ahahah, it's not 10/10. Cry more nintendo freaks.

  • Landmaster #133 4 years ago

    Nah you're alright "bdc", we "nintendo freaks" don't need one guy on Eurogamer to tell us the game's worth a ten so we can wet our pants over how good it is.

    I just get your mum to scream to me how good it is when i'm finishing off on her obsurdly unattractive face :D

    Cheers!

  • smelly #134 4 years ago

    LOL

  • addyb #135 4 years ago

    LOL@ Landmasters comment!!

    I dont buy into all this fanboy bollox that always rears its head. I just like videogames regardless of platform. Wii,360, PS3, PC, PSP, DS all have quality games so i like to just pick and choose what i like. Just reminds me when i was a kid and there was the Speccy vs C64 debates, then NES vs Master System, Snes vs Megadrive etc.. YAWN!!

    I liked melee so will no doubt pick this one up as well!

  • chanderzz #136 4 years ago

    i got this on import about 2 months ago, this is no Melee. While i appreciate they wanna make the single player deeper they totally missed on this. Its just 10 hours of dull, what looks like proceduraly generated levels. The only reason you force yourself on is the character unlocks.

    Multiplayer on the other hand is amazing, get a group of people round (or online) and this becomes an energetic, adrenaline fest. The new smash finishers introduces a source of unpredictability that throws even veterans off. The clamber to get the smash throws all skill out the window in a scramble.

  • gaselite #137 4 years ago

    I stopped reading mid review to comment on this:

    "Nintendonanism"

    sublime.

  • IronCladChicken #138 4 years ago

    @addyb
    > Speccy vs C64 debates, then NES vs Master System, Snes vs Megadrive

    Dude, what country are you from? In the UK it was Speccy Vs. C64, Amiga Vs ST, SNES Vs. Megadrive, etc..
    NES Vs. Master system? Are you American?

  • LazyDan #139 4 years ago

    ^Pretty sure it's because you're looking at it the wrong way - try to think of the inclusion of Nintendo characters as an added bonus (or negative, depending on your views.)

    I'm almost completely sure I would love this game even if it were all original characters. It's a fun fighting game - one that trades highly technical controls for highly accessible controls. That's not to say it's not technical at all, or that it's not a deep fighter for those who want to play it that way.

    And of course I loooovvveee that the cast is made up of all Nintendo's key and not-so-key characters.

  • robson_wii #140 4 years ago

    My brother is not a gamer but he loved melee (so did I). Something about Princess Peach smashing Mario over the head with a mallet appealed to him. Can't argue with that.

  • Mudo #141 4 years ago

    Why's this back on the frontpage?

  • Koozer #142 4 years ago

    Because it's out tomorrow and EG probably want a few more views squeezed out of it :)
    Oh, and Kirby FTW, even if he is useless.
    Oh yeah, and this is a solid fighter first and foremost, the Nintendo characters are just a very nice bonus!

  • gooners2006 #143 4 years ago

    Captain Olimer is a bloody weak fighter...Link FTW!!!

  • AOFanboi #144 4 years ago

    Yeah, better stop playing "kiddy games". For me at 38 that would also include 18+ games. Can I please get a 36+ age rating where you, i dunno, get games where you murder children by stuffing kittens down their throats or something awful like that.

    Or:

    Grow the fuck up, you teenage "can't wait until I am 18" wankers. Age ratings do not mean "unsuitable for persons older". It just means there is nothing in the game that is considered harmful to persons of that age OR OLDER. I mean, "Waiting for Godot" is a play children can watch but will be bored to tears because it is suited for adults. And the SSB series are games that have a depth that make them more than simple button mashers.

    (It could be argued that "mature" brawlers like the MK and KI series are more "childish" in the sense that they target immature players who get a giggle out of the effects.)

  • bitesize #145 4 years ago


    i'm worried. i don't see a mention of jigglypuff being in this game - my favourite bit of SSBMelee was when you twat him out of the arena and he flies off shouting "jigglypuuuuuuuuuuffff!!!". tell me he's in SSBBrawl - won't be the same without him...

  • smelly #146 4 years ago

    Living in the states - i've had this for a while now.

    i'm a big nintendo fan.. but didnt like this.

    And it has NOTHING to do with it being "kiddy" or any of the other stuff the teenagers on here dont like.

  • bitesize #147 4 years ago


    ^ did you like the previous one on cube tho? if you did, what's gone wrong w/ this one to make you not like it?

    and, most importantly, is jigglypuff in it??

  • LazyDan #148 4 years ago

    Jigglypuff is indeed in.

    All SSB64 characters are in, and the only Melee ones which were cut are Mewtwo, Pichu, Dr. Mario and Roy.

  • Slipstream #149 4 years ago

    WHOO HOO! I'm going to buy my Wii-today and a copy of this game! In fact, I'm going RIGHT NOW! I'm SO EXCITED! xD

  • bitesize #150 4 years ago

    Jigglypuff is indeed in.

    sweeet! best bit of the previous game. never actually played using him, just really enjoyed the way he squealed as he left the screen at huge velocity...

  • spookyzombie #151 4 years ago

    Well I got it this morning and now I'm off to do the 'unwanted present' bit so I can exchange it for something else. It must be a bit of a 'Marmite' game with so many varied commments.

  • WinterSnowblind #152 4 years ago

    @abdallah

    Why just the 360 trolls then? The PS3 and Nintendo trolls are just as bad.
    And of course the elitest PC fanboys, those guys are the worst of all.

  • smelly #153 4 years ago

    "did you like the previous one on cube tho?"

    Never played it.



    "if you did, what's gone wrong w/ this one to make you not like it?"

    Oooh.. where to start..

    1. No tutorial - so for the first few hours you're winning/losing battles with no clear idea why
    2. You need to be good at the game before it becomes enjoyable - and stops being a button masher - so you need a LOT of practice..
    3. BUT single player sucks balls.
    4. So you either end up playing against people who also need lots of practice, or know what they're doing and pound your ass. Either way, your experience sucks.
    5. It ONLY begins to get good when YOU know what you're doing and are playing against others that know what they're doing.


    But going back to #3 getting to #5 is a fustratingly boring experience.


    The game needs TWO things in my opinion..

    1. A tutorial, teaching you the various moves, fighting styles, ways to win, etc.
    2. A decent single player mode

    Oh, and voice comms during online fights wouldnt go a miss either.


    EDIT : Oh, and dont bother trying to control it with anything other than the gamecube pad.. ESPECIALLY during online matches. If you use the wiimote during online matches you're gonna get yer ass kicked.

    Edited by 2 at 27/06/08 @ 17:58

  • smelly #154 4 years ago

    @WinterSnowblind: Nah, 360 trolls are the worst, as they tend also to be pc owning trolls who love their fps games.

  • smelly #155 4 years ago

    "Well I got it this morning and now I'm off to do the 'unwanted present' bit so I can exchange it for something else. It must be a bit of a 'Marmite' game with so many varied commments."


    Erm.. so your returning it based upon peoples comments without actually playing it yourself to form your own opinion?

    Do you EVER form your own opinion? Or do you let all the kids in the playground dictate to you what to do in your life?

  • bitesize #156 4 years ago


    yeah, to be honest, all those criticisms could probably apply to the cube version too - you really have to put some hours in + get to grips with the control system before it becomes a really good game. it's well worth the effort if you can get into it tho.

  • firefly #157 4 years ago

    @Smelly

    There's no tutorial as such but there is a training mode where you can get to grips with the controls.
    You can even spawn any item at will in case you want to try one out, no it doesn't talk you through the moves but combined with the manual you should be able to understand enough to do alright in the main game.

  • robson_wii #158 4 years ago

    @smelly and @firefly

    There's a video on both melee and brawl giving a quick overview of run, jump, punch, kick, dodge, smash etc. you have to watch it a couple of times to see what's going on as it is brief. As for the special character moves: they're covered in the instruction booklet. It's a light read honest ;)

  • djcool3005 #159 4 years ago

    This one of the very few games i would play if i had a wii.

  • smelly #160 4 years ago

    @trebell: Dummo.. probs because i own a 360 (when its not in repair) and not a ps3...

    @robson_wii: THE MANUAL!?!?? Are you serious?!? When was the LAST time a game made you read the manual to let you know what's going on? Most games TEACH you how to play through the game itself. Forcing players to go back to the manual is VERY 10 years ago! You can now even play something like civilisation without needing a 200 page book next to you to figure out what leads to what...

  • smelly #161 4 years ago

    "yeah, to be honest, all those criticisms could probably apply to the cube version too - you really have to put some hours in + get to grips with the control system before it becomes a really good game. it's well worth the effort if you can get into it tho. "


    Thats the point though..

    I shouldnt HAVE t o battle with the controls.. sure. i might need to battle with them to get good.. that's not an issue.. But to pick it up and play first time - i should be able to know what i'm doing at least basically straight away!

    A game SHOULD have a nice learning curve which eases you in and gradually works with you to make you better at it until you're a pro.. In this the game doesnt have a learning curve, more a learning mountain - or a learning brick wall to climb over!

    I never played earlier games - but that shouldnt stop me enjoying a later sequel..

    I honestly believe the people giving this game high scores were either:

    a) bought in with all the rediculous hype surrounding it
    b) paid a backhander
    c) fanboys of earlier games and were blinkered to the faults someone new to it would find.

    In this case i think it's a mix of a & c..

  • robson_wii #162 4 years ago

    @smelly

    It's Wimbledon season and yes I am. A manual is all part and parcel of the game presentation and includes back-story and some great art-work which adds to the atmosphere of the game. I travel abroad a lot so coming back to an epic game after a month sometimes requires the refresher. I don't always want to start at the beginning again so a quick peek at the booklet helps. Now I'm probably giving a bit more away about my age group :)

    As to the fanboy thing, I agree. There's a lot of people who don't like the game because of the learning curve but at work on a Friday afternoon Smash Bros, Mario Kart and Halo are the firm favourites for multi-player games.

  • bitesize #163 4 years ago


    @ smelly: yeah man, i wasn't trying to excuse it, it is a fault with the game really. it's also why many many people just write it off as a button-basher with no depth, cos it doesn't present itself to you immediately, you have to work at it to find the depth.

    as for why people were giving it high scores, maybe they just didn't have as much of a struggle with the controls as you, and liked it? no need to go round throwing accusations of being bribed or suckered by hype just cos you didn't get to grips with it properly - tho i know you always do that with scores you don't agree with...

  • gingerlink #164 4 years ago

    I introduced someone to it yesterday, who's pretty generally a non-gamer, they picked it very well in about 20 minutes...

    in conclusion, smelly, you suck :p
    Edited by 1 at 02/07/08 @ 15:24

  • smelly #165 4 years ago

    Did i say that i hadn't learned how to play it?

    No.

    I said that it would benefit from a tutorial that's all. Because without someone telling you what to do (as you probably did your friend), or going to the manual (ick! In this day and age?), you spend the first 20 minutes (and in some cases longer) button bashing winning/losing battles with no clear idea why.

    I'm sorry, but take away all the popular nintendo characters and this game STINKS of mediocrity. I've not seen such a highly rated mediocre game since halo 3.

  • smelly #166 4 years ago

    Next on my list of highly rated popular games which i think are a bit shit, and in saying i dont like will invoke the wrath of the fanboys..... GTA4 -

    Worst oine of the series, and a step back from Gta:Sa.

  • gingerlink #167 4 years ago

    I said jump, a for regular, b for special, even less than there is in the in game movie.

    As for GTA IV, havn't we already got a mega long comments thread for that? :D

    Out of interest, what game(s) have you liked recently?

  • qwerty1234 #168 2 years ago

    I'm still playing this ^_^ my 360 and ps3 lie mostly unused but this game gets a bit of playtime even now and i've had it since launch day