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Super Smash Bros.: Brawl (Wii)
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93
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100 point score based on reviews from various critics.
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4.1
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5 point score based on user ratings.
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Description

Super Smash Bros.: Brawl is the third game in the Super Smash Brothers series of brawling games. It is a crossover fighting pitching well-known characters from Nintendo franchises, along with characters from other series, against each other. The battles take place in 41 stages with up to four players fighting at the same time. New stages can be designed using the included Stage Builder. Unlike other fighting games, players do not need to drain the opponent's health. Instead, the game is won when a player manages to knock the opponent off the stage, although some games modes only award a point to the victorious player, continuing the fight. The fighting itself does have an influence however. The character's vitality is represented by a percentage. Starting at zero, the higher it becomes, the further the character flies away when hit, improving the chances to have him disappear off the stage. Characters have certain recovery moves to get back, but each stage has a certain boundary from where no return is possible.

Each character has basic and advanced attacks (smash attacks), as well as character-specific special moves. They can also make use of items, projectiles, custom weapons and other items. This edition introduces super attacks referred to as final smashes. Activated by destroying smash balls, these feature powerful and often unstoppable attacks, regularly introducing a major transformation of the character. Other help is introduced through assist trophies (a computer-controlled character temporarily helping out) and Poké balls (a character from the Pokémon universe joins the fight).

The single-player mode is called The Subspace Emissary and features cut-scenes with all playable characters. It is team-based, and new characters will temporarily join or leave the team for which the player can determine the battle order. Other modes include Classic (a series of matches), Events with pre-determined battle conditions - also for co-op, and the Stadium mode with mini-games such as Home-Run Contest and Target Smash!

There are 35 playable characters in total (both old and new, with some removed from previous iterations), and certain characters can acquire alternate fighting styles or transformations making a total of 37 selectable. There are 23 characters available right away:Additionally, 14 characters can be unlocked:The multiplayer mode features online play. Game types include the regular Brawl, along with a number of Group types: Special Brawl (previously known as Special Melee) with a large amount of customization options, Tourney mode (elimination-based tournaments) and Rotation (select a cast of characters for up to 16 players to switch winners and losers).
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Screenshots

Super Smash Bros.: Brawl Wii The "Special" option allows for a bit of match customization...
Super Smash Bros.: Brawl Wii The Dragoon, the shop seen knocking the competition out of the ring, is assembled by picking up three separate items.
Super Smash Bros.: Brawl Wii "Homerun" contest
Super Smash Bros.: Brawl Wii This giant screen lists unlockables and challenges.
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Alternate Titles

  • "大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズX" -- Japanese spelling
  • "대난투 스매시브라더스 X" -- Korean spelling
  • "SSB:B" -- Common abbreviated name
  • "Great Melee Smash Brothers X" -- Literal Japanese title
  • "Dairantou Smash Brothers X" -- Japanese title
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Part of the Following Groups

User Reviews

Brawl is by far the most complete Smash Bros to date, though long-time fans might find the experience a little too familliar. The Cliffe (1586) 4.29 Stars4.29 Stars4.29 Stars4.29 Stars4.29 Stars
More of the same good, but without the polish Pixelspeech (955) 4.29 Stars4.29 Stars4.29 Stars4.29 Stars4.29 Stars
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The Press Says

Snackbar-Games.com Mar 12, 2008 5 out of 5 100
GameLemon May 22, 2008 9.7 out of 10 97
411mania.com Mar 01, 2008 9.6 out of 10 96
GameCola.net May, 2008 9.5 out of 10 95
gameZine (UK) Jun 27, 2008 9.5 out of 10 95
GNT - Generation Nouvelles Technologies Jul 03, 2008 9 out of 10 90
Jeuxvideo.com Jun 07, 2008 18 out of 20 90
4Players.de Mar 19, 2008 88 out of 100 88
Green Pixels Oct 01, 2008 4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars4 Stars 80
Co-Optimus May 07, 2008 4 out of 5 80
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Trivia

1001 Video Games

Super Smash Bros. Brawl appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Assist Trophies

The assist trophies provide even more characters from well-known franchises. These cannot be controlled by the player however and some need certain requirements to be met before they appear in the game.

Snake

Snake from the Metal Gear series makes an appearance in this game because Hideo Kojima asked Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai to add him to the roster when Snake didn't make it into Super Smash Bros.: Melee.

Awards

  • GameSpy
    • 2008 – Wii Game of the Year (Readers' Vote)
    • 2008 – #3 Wii Game of the Year
    • 2008 – #8 Multiplayer Game of the Year
    • 2008 – Wii Fighting Game of the Year
  • Golden Joystick Awards
    • 2008 - Nintendo Game of the Year
Information was also contributed by gamewarrior and piltdown man.
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Related Web Sites

Sciere (255534) added Super Smash Bros.: Brawl (Wii) on Mar 30, 2008

Credits

Director:
Planning & Level Design:
Programming:
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