ANTICIPATION: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Welcome to ANTICIPATION, our weekly feature on games soon to come...


Okay, so I'm probably teeing-off both Bane and Boombalad by posting a feature on this particular upcoming title, but hey, it's MY blog, after all, and I can't think of a game I am anticipating more right now!

All three of us were among the privileged few(thousand) who were able to attend E-for-All in October, and believe you me, the first game we made a beeline for upon entry was Brawl. I can safely say that we were all very impressed, and are thirsting for more playtime with this excellent upcoming, er, brawler (sorry).

So, a little backstory is in order, I think. See, I'm from the Atari generation (yeah, I'm that old), and I was already post-college age when I got an N64. I loved the system, despite its flaws, outrageously expensive cartridges and incredibly slow release schedule, but few games would prove my loyalty worthwhile like Super Smash Bros. I mean, the game had it ALL! Mario, Donkey Kong, Pikachu, Samus, Link and more, all duking it out for dominance in a no-holds-barred, knock-down-drag-out fight for supremacy. Throwing and/or using items, playing in environs from many of my favorite classics... And I had never played a fighting game like THIS! My past fighter experience was mostly tied up in Street Fighter II and its various iterations on the SNES, so this frantic, don't-you-dare-blink style brawl was unprecedented!

But, when you really boil it down, Smash Bros. was little more than a crazy beat-em-up with no story to speak of, average graphic presentation and little depth. Why did it catch on so well? Why did so many guys (and girls) become completely and utterly engrossed in it for months (years, really) after its release?

I believe it simply comes down to two things: an all-star cast and simple control scheme.

Smash Bros. was not your run-of-the-mill fighter, let alone your average Nintendo game! The mere thought of pitting guys like Mario and Link against each other in the same game was every fanboy's dream come true, and in this title we had a parade of characters from all kinds of heavy-hitting franchises. And Nintendo was smart about it, too, because every one of them played just differently enough to keep consistent with their diverse game backgrounds. Samus with her speed, weaponry and maneuverability, Pikachu with his small size, charged attacks and obnoxious teleportation and Kirby... oooh, Kirby! That guy could really make me mad.

And gone was the Down-Right-Up-PUNCH! complexity of trying to pull off combos and special moves! Instead, flick the analog stick in a direction, along with a tap or press of the A or B button, and you've pulled off one of several unique attacks. Really, Smash Bros. proved something that Nintendo has more recently been demonstrating on a larger scale with the Wii: simple controls can be really fun if they are done right!

So, with all this going for it, no one was surprised that the sequel, Smash Bros. Melee, became Gamecube's number one hit. Once again we were treated to a cavalcade of Nintendo characters, only more of them came to the party this time. More locales, more items, improved graphics and sound, and even some new play modes for single player. Melee took everything great about the original and turned it up several awesome notches.

Now, we are mere weeks away from release of Brawl. It looks to surpass its predecessors in every way with the addition of online play, tons of modes, custom level editing, new characters (SONIC! OMG, SONIC!) and who knows what else! Let me just say that if you are a Wii owner and you are not yet a Smash Bros. Brawl fan (or worse, if you are still staring at the screen and saying, 'What is this guy raving about?), do yourself a favor and check it out here.