Super Smash Bros. Brawl...

...is it really that good?!

Yes!!!

Super Smash Bros.: Brawl is good old fashioned fun. It is in every way an improvement on the previous games. The graphics are crisp and reasonably well detailed without causing the framerate to bog down in the most frantic fights. These fights are ridiculously fun and get downright manic when for characters get involved. There are, of course tons of powerups and special weapons for players to use, and if you really don't like one, you can turn it off in some cases.

It includes all kinds of "collectables" and things to do, so many that I honestly haven't done everything there is to do. The solo modes include the "classic" mode and the new Adventure Mode called "Subspace Emmisary". The classic mode pits players against a series of battles against one or more opponents, throwing in special conditions like battleing a giant version of a foe or "teams" where a swarm of weaker versions of a given character attack the player. This is good old fashioned single player SSB at its best.

The Subspace Emmissary is an attempt to infuse the game with a story and a little mild platforming. To be honest, SE isn't much to get excited about. The story is a little obtuse. The play is kind of boring for streches and the characteristics of certain characters make them, at best, awkward to use in this platforming style of play. Its not so bad that it takes away from the game (it can be ignored entirely if you want), its just very obviously not the focus.

The focus is on the "multiplayer" options, and boy does Brawl deliver on this count. Why quotes? Well, this is for two reasons. First, the multiplayer set of selections is where you go to set up a standalone brawl and this can be done with only one player against computer opponents. Second, you don't need multiple players to play against other players. Yes, SSB has joined the internet age and its done so in a big way. With an exchange of friend codes, you can play against all your friends whether they're on the other side of town or the other side of the planet. Bigger than this (in my humble opinion) is the ability to jump in and play against annonymous opponents on an ad hoc basis. No friend codes, no obnoxious pre play chatting, just brawling. You pick a character, a stage, and then go to a training area where you can practice against a punching bag until the network pairs you up with your opponents then you have a delightful time beating the crap out of eachother. I've never been a big fan of online games, but I think Brawl has made a converter out of me. It is a ball to playing with other folks, all without the fuss that so often takes the fun out of it for me.

As I alluded to, there's all kind of things to collect including the familar trophies and new "stickers". There's also a whole slew of hidden characters and stages. You can unlock new music and other stuff as well. I won't get into all these mechanics, just understand that its fun and a "completionists" dream. There is also a stage builder included that allows the player to make their own stages. I haven't played with this yet but it looks like it could add a lot to the long term replayability.

Public Libraries (because this is a Librarian's blog) with teen gaming programs would be well advised to get ahold of this game as it is sure to "pack 'em in". Just be sure you have enough consoles and TVs for your probable attendance because noone's going to want to be on the sidelines for to long with this one.

Enjoy the intro movie: