January 29, 2008

Waiting for Super Smash Bros. Brawl

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/SSBB_Cover.jpgWii owners are currently rioting, people are arguing in Wikipedia, and the news come trickling in everyday. Yes, it's the much ballyhooed Super Smash Bros. Brawl. So what the hell is this game about anyway?

The more you hit, the harder they fall.
Known best for its multiplayer, SSBB is a fighting game that has a different system from traditional fighters. Instead of the conventional life bar that you have to empty, the game utilizes damage percentages. The more you damage an opponent, the more likely they get to fall down the stage and lose a life. And also unlike traditional fighting games, you don't need to memorize unique control schemes for every character, you can unlock each one's potential with the same controls, and hell, at least you don't need to memorize, what? almost 40 controls?!

Big Depth
Delays were made in its release many times due to the "unprecedented game depth". Hell, if it's penned by its creator and a Final Fantasy writer, why complain, right?

It's all about something called The Subspace Emissary in which you go through several unique (!) storylines and features a group of antagonists as well as bosses. Not everyone knows about how it will go yet, but judging from Famitsu's perfect 40 rating of the game, it's gonna be huge.

More Playable... Pokemon?!
Yes, you can now summon different Pokemon and play them by way of selecting the Pokemon Trainer who summons them. Actually, you can only fully control 3 (plus Pikachu, Jigglypuff and Lucario as confirmed standalone characters) Pokemon- Charizard, Squirtle and Ivysaur. They may be the oldest Pokemon, but they're still fan favorites. Plus, it helps that their ultimate attack is a combination of Solarbeam, Hydro Pump and Fire Blast. Complete with text box.

Other indirectly controllable Pokemon include Rayquaza (as a boss), along with a slew of random Pokemon that go out of the Pokeball items in the stages. They're practically invincible and they will aid you to victory.

The match 20 years in the making

It's old news (along with everything in this post), but third-party characters such as Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog and Konami's Solid Snake join the fray. They get their own moves, and Snake even gets to decapitate Mario, which is quite funny because Mario's head... is big!

As for Sonic, well, Mario and the blue speed demon was already paired in an Olympic competition, but it disappointed. So to make up for that, SSBB is getting him into the roster, and the 20-year old debate would finally end!

Getting relevant
Japan-only Nintendo characters existed in its predecessor Melee, and they come back here for more. The developers actually wanted to get them (Japan-only characters) out of the game, but when Radiant Dawn, a former Japan-only franchise that made it to North America, met success, they decided to put them there anyway. And for North American gamers to know more about them, they decided to put up a so-called "Masterpieces" section that would utilize the Wii's emulation software and enable a player to experience a part of the game of an unknown character. That was a smart move, because they could potentially generate more revenue if they import more Japan-only games and make them English.

The online experienceDon't get me started with this picture.

The game takes advantage of Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection so you can brawl with players around the world, share your best moments (by capturing video or taking a pic and even putting it on an SD memory card) and even build your own stage! Of course, you can download the stages and pics and videos of others, of course! "Chatting" is also present.

Do I waggle?
Actually, there are four kinds of control. 1) Wiimote sideways, 2) Wiimote + Nunchuk, 3) Classic controller and 4) GameCube controller. And yes you can set it to your preference and, for the Wiimote, send it for on-the-go convenience.

There is actually mild waggling for the so-called "Smash Moves", but other than that, it's all button-based "for the full SSBB experience".

Mysterious Aura
Even if the game is almost gettingImage:SolidSnakeandMarioinBrawl.jpg released in Japan (Jan. 31) and a bit longer in the English language (March 9), the game is still subject to a hell of a lot of dispute... Just looking at the discussion forum in Wikipedia is making me nauseous already! What character is this, which is going here, are they reprising their roles? LEAKERS ARE RELIABLE! and stuff like that. Well, at least all this will end when the cat gets out of the bag in just 2 days (on Friday as of this writing) albeit in Japanese.

Closing Remarks
My God is the game going to be epic. It is the seventh game to receive a perfect rating in Famitsu ever (a sure sign of things to come), it features a lot of fan service, its trademark gameplay has remained intact, and the campaign is even written by someone working with the Final Fantasy staff. With all this and a lot more, what. can. go. wrong?!

SOURCE: Wikipedia, Smash Bros. DOJO!!

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