-[RM Review]-
Super Smash Brothers ----BMS
[Opening] Click Images to Enlarge
I was really looking forward to this game when I first heard about it last summer. A game with famous Nintendo characters pounding the crap out of each other is pure genius. How often I have dreamed of a game that allows you to pound the crap out of Pikachu and the snoozing Jiggly Puff. The fact that the characters (that have them) use their signiture moves is so great. Some games don't deserve a sequel, but I feel that this one does. I hope that we have a series on our hands. I wouldn't be surprised if other companies follow suit and create their own mascot brawlers.
[Graphics] 9/10
The graphics in Smash Brothers are quite simple, but they are well done. The arenas look good and as do the charcters. The screen is filled with loads of movement, but the framerate never falters. The characters look pretty good and attacks are impressive too. Characters that have been 3d before look like they did in their previous appearances. Pickachu (the devil), Donkey Kong, Kirby, and Jiggly puff made a seamless transition to 3d. Samus is a bit on the blocky side, but her animations are great and besides the blockiness she looks perfect in 3d, her attacks from her previous games are great too. The only problem with the graphics the confusion caused by the camera zooming out. I will not gripe because this is the only posible way to see all of the action and after awhile it isn't even noticeable. They should show the player number icons the whole time the camera is zoomed out though.
[Sound] 8/10
The sounds for the most part are taken from old games. It has the overworld music from The Legend of Zelda and music from the original Super Mario Brothers. I'm estatic that I can have all of this video game music all in one place. The sound effects taken from the old games are great, but the bowling ball hitting pins sound that is made every time someone is punched is kind of disapointing. In the import version has more realistic sounds. Think about a realistic smack when you kick the %^$@ out of the devil, Pikachu, and how much of a gaming induced high that you would experience. I'm thinking about it now, ahhhhhh....
[Control] 10/10
The control is great and the moves are fairly easy to pull off. The buttons are placed perfectly and pulling off moves is done easily. The simplicity may seem to be a bad thing, but it makes for some frantic matches. The double jumping makes the game even more frantic. I have no gripes about he controls whatsoever.
[Gameplay] 9/10
This game has really simplistic gameplay, but in this case simplistic gameplay is a good thing. The object of the game is not to deplete a life-bar, but to knock your opponent off of the platform. Unless you get a really good/cheap shot you will have to weaken them first. This may seem a little too easy, but this is not at all the case. You can knock someone an incredible distance off the platform and with the aid of the double jump and, in most characters, the upwards propelling attack (done by pressing B and up simontaniously). The battles can really get long a drawn out. The single player mode is mildly entertaining and really easy. After you acquire the extra characters and level you'll probably have more fun if you put the game on the highest difficulty setting. And since the only real reason to play the one player game is to train for battle with human players it's probably best to go to versus mode and get three computer players into the mix, with level nine AI of course. The multiplayer mode is where this game excells. When played with four players, this simple fighting game is pure multiplayer gaming goodness. The simpleness and crazyness of the engine make for some really insane matches. In multiplayer the gameplay is perfect, but it still seems like it needs a little more in the single player department. It would have been easy to make some variations in the order of and in the battles in the one player game. One of my ideas is "Pound the Crap Out of Pickachu" which has you and two allies beat down Pikachu. "Pound the Crap Out of Jiggly Puff" would be fun too. There should have been more matches like the team Kirby, Yoshi, and Polygon Matches, and where's my frickin playable Metal Mario d@mnit!!!
[Overall] 9/10
Super Smash Brothers probably ties Goldeneyes deathmatch for the best multiplayer on the Nintendo 64. It's flaws are small and really don't take away from my enjoyment of this game. If a sequel is released with more characters and a little more variety in the one player mode it will be perfect.
