Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

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Description

Super Smash Bros.: Brawl is the third game in the Super Smash Brothers series of brawling games. It is a crossover fighting pitching well-known characters from Nintendo franchises, along with characters from other series, against each other. The battles take place in 41 stages with up to four players fighting at the same time. New stages can be designed using the included Stage Builder. Unlike other fighting games, players do not need to drain the opponent's health. Instead, the game is won when a player manages to knock the opponent off the stage, although some games modes only award a point to the victorious player, continuing the fight. The fighting itself does have an influence however. The character's vitality is represented by a percentage. Starting at zero, the higher it becomes, the further the character flies away when hit, improving the chances to have him disappear off the stage. Characters have certain recovery moves to get back, but each stage has a certain boundary from where no return is possible.

Each character has basic and advanced attacks (smash attacks), as well as character-specific special moves. They can also make use of items, projectiles, custom weapons and other items. This edition introduces super attacks referred to as final smashes. Activated by destroying smash balls, these feature powerful and often unstoppable attacks, regularly introducing a major transformation of the character. Other help is introduced through assist trophies (a computer-controlled character temporarily helping out) and Poké balls (a character from the Pokémon universe joins the fight).

The single-player mode is called The Subspace Emissary and features cut-scenes with all playable characters. It is team-based, and new characters will temporarily join or leave the team for which the player can determine the battle order. Other modes include Classic (a series of matches), Events with pre-determined battle conditions - also for co-op, and the Stadium mode with mini-games such as Home-Run Contest and Target Smash!

There are 35 playable characters in total (both old and new, with some removed from previous iterations), and certain characters can acquire alternate fighting styles or transformations making a total of 37 selectable. There are 23 characters available right away:

• Bowser (Mario games)
• Diddy Kong (Donkey Kong games)
• Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong games)
• Fox (Star Fox series)
• Ice Climbers (Ice Climber)
• Ike (Fire Emblem series)
• King Dedede (Kirby games)
• Kirby (Kirby games)
• Link (Legend of Zelda series)
• Lucas (Mother/EarthBound series)
• Mario (Mario games)
• Meta Knight (Kirby games)
• Olimar (Pikmin series)
• Princess Peach (Mario games)
• Pikachu (Pokémon universe)
• Pit (Kid Icarus)
• Pokémon Trainer (Pokémon universe)
• Samus (Metroid series)
• Sheik (Legend of Zelda series)
• Wario (Wario series)
• Yoshi (Yoshi series)
• Zelda (Legend of Zelda series)
• Zero Suit Samus (Metroid series)

Additionally, 14 characters can be unlocked:

• Captain Falcon (F-Zero series)
• Falco (Star Fox series)
• Ganondorf (Legend of Zelda series)
• Jigglypuff (Pokémon universe)
• Lucario (Pokémon universe)
• Luigi (Mario games)
• Marth (Fire Emblem series)
• Mr. Game & Watch (Game & Watch series)
• Ness (Mother/EarthBound series)
• R.O.B. (R.O.B. peripheral)
• Snake (Metal Gear series)
• Sonic (Sonic the Hedgehog universe)
• Toon Link (Legend of Zelda series)
• Wolf (Star Fox series)

The multiplayer mode features online play. Game types include the regular Brawl, along with a number of Group types: Special Brawl (previously known as Special Melee) with a large amount of customization options, Tourney mode (elimination-based tournaments) and Rotation (select a cast of characters for up to 16 players to switch winners and losers).

Screenshots

Promo Images

Trailer

Alternate Titles

• "大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズX" -- Japanese spelling
• "대난투 스매시브라더스 X" -- Korean spelling
• "SSB:B" -- Common abbreviated name
• "Great Melee Smash Brothers X" -- Literal Japanese title
• "Dairantou Smash Brothers X" -- Japanese title

Part of the Following Groups

• Console Generation Exclusives: Wii
• Franchise crossovers
• Game feature: BGM / music player
• Game feature: FMV / cutscene player
• Game feature: Free camera photo mode
• Game feature: Original theme song
• Gameplay feature: Arena fighting
• Gameplay feature: In-game achievements
• Gameplay feature: Recordable replays
• Nintendo Selects releases
• Physics Engine: Havok
• Super Smash Brothers series

User Reviews

Brawl is by far the most complete Smash Bros to date, though long-time fans might find the experience a little too familliar.	The Cliffe (1708)
More of the same good, but without the polish	Asinine (1006)

Critic Reviews

AceGamez	2008	10 out of 10	100
Gamernode	Mar 02, 2008	10 out of 10	100
Thunderbolt Games	Feb 04, 2008	10 out of 10	100
Gamers' Temple, The	Mar 27, 2008	96 out of 100	96
gameZine (UK)	Jun 27, 2008	9.5 out of 10	95
ZTGameDomain	Mar 17, 2008	9.5 out of 10	95
Gamezoom	Aug 06, 2008	92 out of 100	92
Avid Gamer	Jul 11, 2008	9 out of 10	90
Computer Bild Spiele	Jun 04, 2008	1.48 out of 6	90
GameSpy	Mar 07, 2008		90

Forums

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Trivia

1001 Video Games

Super Smash Bros. Brawl appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Assist Trophies

The assist trophies provide even more characters from well-known franchises. These cannot be controlled by the player however and some need certain requirements to be met before they appear in the game.

• Andross (Star Fox series)
• Barbara (Daigasso! Band Brothers series/Master of Illusion/English Training)
• Devil (Devil World)
• Dr. Wright (SimCity SNES)
• Excitebike (Excite series)
• Gray Fox (Metal Gear series)
• Hammer Bro (Mario series)
• Helirin (Kuru Kuru Kururin)
• Infantry and Tanks (Famicom Wars series)
• Isaac (Golden Sun series)
• Jeff (EarthBound)
• Jill & Drill Dozer (Drill Dozer)
• Kat & Ana (WarioWare series)
• Knuckle Joe (Kirby games)
• Lakitu (Mario Series)
• Little Mac (Punch-Out!!)
• Lyn (Fire Emblem GBA)
• Metroid (Metroid series)
• Mr. Resetti (Animal Crossing series)
• Nintendogs (Nintendogs)
• Ray Mk III (Custom Robo Arena)
• Saki Amamiya (Sin & Punishment)
• Samurai Goroh (F-Zero series)
• Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog universe)
• Stafi (Densetsu no Stafi / Legend of Stafi series)
• Tingle (Legend of Zelda series)
• Waluigi (Mario series)

Sales

According to publisher Nintendo, Super Smash Bros.: Brawl sold 12.93 million copies worldwide (as of September 30, 2015).

Snake

Snake from the Metal Gear series makes an appearance in this game because Hideo Kojima asked Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai to add him to the roster when Snake didn't make it into Super Smash Bros.: Melee.

Project M

Project M is an unauthorized game mod that makes changes to this game's physics system and gameplay mechanics to make it play more similarly to Super Smash Bros. Melee, which had developed a large and dedicated community of tournament players in the years prior to Brawl's release. The mod also features changes to characters and stages to facilitate game balance, and restores characters and stages from earlier entries in the series. Though Project M was initially featured at several large fighting game tournaments, many of them later dropped the mod due to the possibility of legal action from Nintendo.

Awards

• GameSpy
  • 2008 – Wii Game of the Year (Readers' Vote)
  • 2008 – #3 Wii Game of the Year
  • 2008 – #8 Multiplayer Game of the Year
  • 2008 – Wii Fighting Game of the Year
• Golden Joystick Awards
  • 2008 - Nintendo Game of the Year

Information was also contributed by gamewarrior and piltdown man.

Related Web Sites

• Iwata Asks - Super Smash Bros. Brawl (NCL president Satoru Iwata interviews Masahiro Sakurai of Sora Ltd.)
• Smash Bros. DOJO!! (Official game web site by the game designer Masahiro Sakurai.)
• Wikipedia: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Article in the open encyclopedia)