By George Holmes
As an avid devotee to the fighting game genre, no game can get my gears going like “Super Smash Bros. Since Brawl’s” release, we’ve seen varied mods such as “Brawl Minus” and “Project M” as well as the revival of Melee at Evolution Championship (most renowned fighting game tournament in the states).
However, after years of waiting, the much anticipated fourth iteration finally opened up its hand to us (its Master Hand).
To those unfamiliar to the series, it’s basically a mash up of Nintendo’s greatest all stars forced to do battle across various stages from your favorite games.
This is achieved by knocking them off of it as opposed to draining a health bar. This recent title posed a lot of worry to players due to the dispute regarding the speed of “Brawl” (especially when compared to “Melee”).
The weight immediately left my shoulders from picking up the demo alone. The game feels more like the original “Super Smash Bros.” for the N64 just with more polished graphics and fluid movement. All and all gameplay is still as fast paced without the needto break your circle pad.
The character roster so far has been deemed the hottest yet. The range goes from classics such as Pac Man, Mario, and Sonic all the way to the newest additions to Nintendo such as Shulk and Robin (from “Xenoblade Chronicles” and “Fire Emblem Awakening”). I can honestly say I’m one of the 7 people in Troy who has picked up Little Mac for a main.
The customization mode is a godsend for some and an annoyance to others. You get the option to mix and match moves and attributes to suit your play style.
I find it a great feature for those who have the person they want to use but come with a few bothersome ticks here and there as a result of change (R.I.P. Captain Falcon’s post kick double jump). So far I’ve seen only Mii Fighters that suit that category.
I’m sure as players get more unlocks, it’ll start becoming more common.
The modes bring back all the joys and curiosity in attempting to complete a game.
The Home Run Contest and Multi-Man Smash always keep me wanting to beat my record as well as grant some more trophies and move variations.
If that doesn’t suit you, there’s always Classic and All Star Modes. Nothing gets more satisfying than laying that final hit to Master Hand or showing your moves by clearing All Star without health items.
There’s also Smash Run, which takes a nod from Melee’s Adventure Mode and features new enemies and goals as you travel through side-scrolling dungeons/caves/etc.
Online mode is better than what I expected but still leaves more to be desired. It doesn’t lag often (for most) but all that glitters is not gold.
I do however like the option to join in on your friend’s game if they have room open in their lobby. To my understanding, the ban system has a bit of issues.
If you’re caught “targeting a certain player”, then that’s grounds for a temporary ban. Initially made to keep “gang ups” and “double/triple teams” from happening, it’s been happening to players simply trying to keep other smashers off of them or holding separate 1 v. 1s in the case of a 4-player match.
To finish off though, this Smash title has been everything I’ve wanted in a Smash Bros. game (sans the weird control scheme). Every step has been made to make this game enjoyable regardless of how hard you go in the ring.
An amazing mesh of all the familiarity from the Super Smash Bros. series along with some new features. If you feel yourself unable to wait till November 21st, this will certainly keep you going until then.
However if you’re having to choose between the two, I feel that the best has yet to come.
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