Damn, that's a confident woman. I could never wear that, even if it were possible for me to have that figure.I wonder if I ever mentioned that I really never liked Smash Bros. Melee much. I prefer actual fighting games, where the gameplay is very logical and calculated. When I used to play Melee a bit here and there at friends' houses, I'd become quickly frustrated at the randomness of it all. Why did Kirby suddenly pick up a rocket launcher? Why does pressing a button sometimes do one thing and sometimes another? The stages often zoom out so far and with objects and characters and powerups flying all over the place, I can hardly ever even keep track of what's going on or which one is me. It just seems as if you button-mash in someone's general direction and pray you get lucky.
I thought I'd like Brawl why, now?
I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't hate it, or anything. A friend and I were playing against each other last night and just randomizing everything, and we ended up with Princess Peach in a white dress fighting Zelda in a black dress. It was pretty bad-ass. I love those accidental "cinematic moments" in games -- you know, when things just suddenly work out perfectly, either for sincere entertainment or unintentional hilarity. Another time, we were playing Bowser versus Mario in the Mushroomy Kingdom (we picked that by hand, not at random) and the time ran out just as both characters were slow-motion diving for the flag at the end of the level.
But in general, I really find Brawl much more frustrating than entertaining. I thank god I didn't have to review this game --just about everyone gave it a 9 and up, and some even gave it 10s. Even disregarding that I'm frustrated by the core gameplay (as that's pretty much personal taste), as you probably already know, the Wii version is insignificantly fancier than the GameCube version.
Especially given that the Classic Controller is hugely preferable to the Wii remote and or Nunchuk combo, it feels like they should have come out with this very same game like, four years ago. In other words, it gains nothing at all by being on Wii. The much-touted online, the only major difference, is a bit glitchy, and the UI could use some work. If I'd had to review it, I would have given it probably a 7, and I'd be boarding up my windows and hiding from the fanboy and fangirl mobs inside my apartment right now.
It's not an ambitious game and it never intended to be -- its main objective, of course, was to allow pals to play informal grudge matches against one another as their beloved Nintendo characters, and it does that with glee. But I always end up getting pissed when I play it; when I lose, I can't really understand why, and when I win, I can't really understand why.
Also, why are all the characters I really want to play as unlockables? Why can't I just play with them no-o-o-w? Why are some characters total suck and others completely cheap in their brutality (I'm looking at you, Meta Knight)?
I still forgot to get my pain-in-the-ass Friend Code off the damn Wii, and now that I'm all surly I don't know if I wanna play with anyone. But you guys can feel free to leave yours here if you want to connect with fellow SVGL readers; I'll go and get the foolish thing when I finish work today, and then update this post.
Oh, and obligatory: Who's not in Brawl that you wish was? Honestly, I really have nothing to complain about this time around, as you know I got the one I'd pick!
28 comments:
I not too sure who I'd like to be added to the roster, but I have a laundry list of characters that I wish weren't in Brawl. Like any character that doesn't look like they could kick my ass shouldn't be in a fighting game.
Seriously, Mario looks like hes a solid 60 pounds overweight for his height. I'm supposed to believe that he's some sort of badass?
I guess is I could add any character, it'd be Chun Li, Kyo (from KoF), or Axel from Streets of Rage.
Dannobot, I think that's what makes it fun -- they aren't really fighting characters. People like Marth and Link are the exception -- and even they are very mild in the ass-kicking department. I think not having serious fighting characters in it keeps the friendly vibe going.
That said, I'd love to see a new SNK vs. Capcom, or a new Ehrgeiz (oh, wait Square is doing something like that, which I will buy like a fangirl).
Mega Man. Without a doubt, he fits into the Smash Bros. universe in every way. His signature copy ability might step on Kirby's toes, but you can just as easily leave that out of the game like in his Marvel vs. Capcom outings.
Oddly enough, I prefer Smash Bros. over the majority of traditional fighting games because I find a lot more strategy involved. The chaotic action is extremely appealing to me, though, and I'm sure that's pretty key. I've thought matches to be unpredictable, surprising, and to that extent exciting, but rarely unreasonable.
I've also been a close fan of the series since the very first day of its N64 release, so it's also fair to say that - like most Nintendo games these days - Brawl can turn me from "like" to "love" through its exacting, even calculating, drams of nostalgia alone.
I wish Ridley was in Brawl.
I wouldn't say I prefer Brawl to a Capcom fighter or to Guilty Gear or Virtua Fighter, but I find it's fun to play. This is the point of view of someone who doesn't like most Nintendo games, FWIW.
I'd want Akuma in the game. Then, I could unleash the Raging Demon Final Smash on Pikachu or Mario and make little kids cry. I love to make little kids cry.
svgl:
Yeah, you're probably right. I shouldn't hate on Brawl too much because it's totally not my style.
I would have liked to see Phoenix Wright. Quite a few would.
I'd want the twins from Outfoxies, and their boat stage.
But that's if I played it, and I don't and honestly don't really want to. Like you it's just not my sort of game. I like my fight games to be more fighty, not more dropping down and holding onto the edge of the stage so your opponent can't grab the ledge.
So Leigh, thats three big Nintendo releases on the Wii (Zelda, Mario and Smash) and three mild disappointments that are hailed as genius! Besides all three not really being made for the Wii as such I wonder if there is something else going on. Nostalgia winning out? Gameplay changes maybe welcomed after a decade without any real improvemetns?
Yeah. I love Nintendo as much as anyone else, but maybe this is because I was raised a Sega girl, and therefore Nintendo isn't inexorably tied to my childhood. I will have to examine this fanboy-gloss concept further!
Also, this is why I love the readers of this site -- anywhere else you'd all be going FUCK NO OMG LEE UR STUPID, and here, you say, "hmm, you know what, maybe nostalgia does have something to do with why I like it so much. Oh well, I still like it!"
Like civil humans. Miracle.
Leigh: this is probably because your blog posts and articles appeal to the civil sane person, because they're usually deep and interesting.
I would have liked to see more diversity in the third party representation. Sonic and Snake are good an all, but where's Knuckles or Tales? Where's Revolver Ocelot or Psycho Mantis? I understand there are slight nuances between the StarFox guys, but for the most they play pretty much the same. Not to mention that the Mario franchise has FIVE characters (six if you include wario)? Knuckles alone would have played vastly different.
Sorry, started rambling. I like Brawl because there is more emphasis on movement strategy rather than fighting style memorization. Few 3D fighters emphasize aerial play, and even old 2D fighters treat it more as an extension of the ground battle. In Brawl, of course there are the obligatory air juggles and dodges/blocks, but maneuvering your opponent with dives and down-spikes is just as important as keeping yourself over solid ground.
Caveat: I suck at memorizing combos and by extension real fighting games.
I'm 26-years-old and have been playing video games since I was 2. Yes Smash Bros is a nostalgia trip, but it's a very well done nostalgia trip and I love it.
If you don't have a deep affection for Nintendo systems, I can see why the game wouldn't appeal to you as much as me, but I think the unstructured anything-can-happen chaos works to its benefit, not its detriment. It doesn't really matter if you win or lose, it's just great to have things exploding everywhere, and then the guy from Sim City shows up and hits you with a skyscraper.
I have to say, as one who also cannot memorize combos worth a damn, I've always really enjoyed the frantic pace of the fights. Smash Bros. is the only fighting series I've ever really spent time with.
I would have liked to have seen more gamecube characters: like Pious Augustus from Eternal Darkness, or Vyce from Skies of Arcadia. And yes, Phoenix Wright should indeed join the brawl, for I can just imagine his Final Smash would be a giant gavel crashing onto the field.
I'm interested to hear what your thoughts are on the notable lack of progression on Nintendo's part in including more female characters in Brawl. I assumed it would be a given, especially since most games with a host of playable characters tend to approach an evened-out gender ratio with every sequel. Brawl doesn't really offer any new female characters, unless you count Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Samus, and I was a little pissed about that. (Seriously, they missed the boat with Midna, Dixie, Krystal, Kumatora and relegated other potential contenders like Lyn and Jill to the role of assist trophies, which, for me, is something, but not nearly enough.) Did this strike you as a negative at all?
Also, I'm all with you on the idea of the series' charm lying in having non-fighters fighting. Anything that makes for the wacky.
I have to say I find Smash to be a lot LESS random than most fighting games, at least from the perspective of somebody who doesn't want to memorize a bunch of combo strings. In Smash, every character hits with A, does a regular combo with repeated A, smashes with direction+A, grabs with Z, etc., etc. Every character uses the exact same button configuration, which means as long as you know how everything is set up, it's a lot easier to learn a character's moveset. I button mash less in Smash than I do in any other fighting game, because I always know what I'm getting.
I often see people who criticize the game for being too random or unskilled, which I think is unfortunate because it misses the underlying elegance of the design that is what makes it so great to begin with.
Sure, there are lots of items, which are randomly generated, but the amount of customizability is staggering. You can turn pretty much anything on or off if you want.
As far as Brawl in particular, the amount of new same-screen party options is out of control--I attended a Smash get-together this weekend, and I don't think I've ever played a same-screen game in any genre or on any system that is as polished and well thought-through as Brawl.
Anyway, as you say, things like core gameplay preferences often come down to personal taste; to each his or her own!
When I bought my Gamecube in early 2002, the first game I actually purchased was Melee. My sole reason: to just enjoy something crazy. And finding out how difficult it was to actually enjoy it.
Now I'm a sucker for punishment sometimes, but Melee taught me a valuable lesson. Balance & pace yourself.
Even though I've been a mash-up genre fan for awhile, but this is just a bit extreme. There's so many characters, yet you can't play the ones you want to. *why is there a need for unlockable ones anymore?
Maybe its the nostalgia factor, but even some of the vet characters are in that class. I can understand the dev team wanting to deliver something extra, but not everyone has that much time or patience.
**I believe that FF game you brought up is Dissidia.
I just had to drop a line to say how right on I think you are. I remember enjoying Melee when I first got my Gamecube, but I was coming back to Nintendo after skipping it for a generation and the nostalgia felt like a nice trip down memory lane. But six years later it feels like the same game and nostalgia isn't working for me anymore. I need innovation and refinement and I don't feel like Nintendo is offering that anymore. It feels like they're offering me what they think everyone wants instead of making those decisions for themselves like they used to.
I understand their is a higher level of play but the game never attempts to teach me what that is. Even a game as complex as Virtua Fighter has made attempts to reveal its depth to players with some very comprehensive training modes. Like you, I never feel I understand how my input affects what happens.
Their is a lot of modes and a lot of things to unlock which is the hallmark of some of the best games, but I completely agree with you, 7 out of 10. I appreciate your courage because yours I feel is the first real review I've read.
Maybe it's my similar upbringing to you but my favorite Wii game so far is a little piece of Sega goodness called House of the Dead. Now I'm going to shoot some zombies because nothing improves a bad day at work like killing the undead...again.
"In other words, it gains nothing at all by being on Wii. The much-touted online, the only major difference, is a bit glitchy, and the UI could use some work."
Can't really agree that it gains nothing by being on the Wii, even if the classic controls are far better (which they are). Why should that matter? There are plenty of games on the DS that don't use the touchscreen and are still fantastic games. Not every game needs to use motion control just because the Wii has it, and indeed I think we would all agree that developers are better off giving us a control option that works than shoe-horning their game into one that doesn't. The classic controller and gamecube controller are there for a reason - for some games, they do work better.
But I digress. In addition to the online play (which, while it SORELY needs voice chat, has been pretty good in my experience with it), the game gained a LOT of polish compared to its Gamecube iteration, not to mention sheer size. People claim it hasn't gotten prettier... but it's not true. Take a look at Link in Melee and Link in Brawl. Sure, you don't see that close-up view much, but they did a ton of detail work. Not to mention the huge amount of stages, most of which are much more interactive than they were in Melee and have much more going on in the background. And the huge number of unlockables, and the easter eggs, and all the music, and and and... a game of this size wouldn't have fit on the Cube.
I'm not claiming it's a perfect game, it's not, but I think it's a justifiable Wii release, and I expect to be playing it a long time. I've never been much for the "serious" fighting games, but I do love Smash Brothers. To each their own. :)
Characters I would add: Mega Man, Simon Belmont, and Little Mac from Punch-Out.
I mostly agree with you that Brawl isn't as great as people make it out to be. But you said that it's unambitious, and I have a bone to pick with that.
Subjectively, Brawl is, in my eyes, a bloated love letter to Nintendo, by Nintendo. Objectively, it's the same thing, but in this case, that's not so bad. I mean, the story is rubbish, but it's still fun, and the soundtrack is heavenly. Point is, the game is ambitious in its scale. There's so much content that it's sickening, but that's no detriment; if Nintendo messed with the Smash Bros. formula, fans would've purchased it anyway -- but they'd have been pissed. This way, Nintendo is giving them the ultimate version of what they like.
Well golly gee Leigh, I don't know WHO I think should be in Smash Brothers..
In all seriousness, a few things:
1. Play it with a gamecube controller. SRSLY, UR DOIN' IT WRONG.
2. Unlocking is half the fun, and Snake takes all of 10 minutes to unlock so quit your belly aching.
3.We both know that Samus can only fit into that suit because the the Metroid spawn that saved her life in Super Metroid also sucked the cellulite out of her ass while he was at it, so stop trying to guilt yourself into imitating false idols. Real princesses have curves. And they are in another castle.
4. Smash Brothers is a platform, not a game, in the same sense that Rockband, Guitar Hero, and Goldeneye were all platforms and not games. They are system sellers in the purest sense: When a person refers to their Gamecube as "Smash Brothers" or their Xbox as "Rock Band", that means something. That's why smash is irreproachable. That's why it always will be.
Reviewing smash is like trying to review foosball: If you don't like it, then get more foul smelling beer and friends and you'll see what it's all about.
Golly Gee, I can't think of a SINGLE PERSON ::COUGH COUGH:: who should be in smash brothers.
Seriously though, here are a few reasons why you are wrong and should be quiet for, like, ever and never have an opinion.
1. SNAKE TAKES 5 MINUTES TO UNLOCK, GAWD WHY ARE YOU BITCHING?
2. Reviewing Smash Brothers is like reviewing foosball: It's a game that is a platform unto itself and is more fun when you are drunk with cheap, foul-smelling liquor and friends. It's a VERY SPECIFIC class: Goldeneye, SF2, Rockband and Guitar Hero. It's the kind of game that replaces the name of the system.
3. Honey, we both know that the only reason that Samus can fit into that suit is because the Metroid she saved in Super Metroid sucked the Celulite out of her ass while she was fucking around on Zebes. Don't try to pull that 90 pound Twiggy Zelda crap girlfriend, cuz Real Sprites have Curves. Sheet, just look at my girl Jigglypuff.
::double airsnap::
I never really understood the complaint about its randomness, considering that the game itself is very much the opposite of it in my experience. If you didn't like those items flying around everywhere, all you needed to do was simply to turn them off, for example. I think the amount of control you want in a game can easily be controlled by options in the game.
As for preference to "real" fighting games as opposed to Smash. that's simply personal preference. I hated memorizing combos and welcomed the idea that the same movesets are made for each character. I also liked the idea that you're not fighting with a health bar either, which is a unique twist upon the fighting genre as a whole. I do think, however, that the depths you see achieved are purely accidental, and thus this is why it's never shown in the tutorials.
The Melee to Brawl transition is somewhere between huge to massive, but this is speaking from the professional play levels. Though I don't agree with certain sentiments you have about certain characters (I'm looking at the Meta Knight that can't KO anybody until they're in the 200% range), I do understand that tiers will show up. Though then again, don't all fighting games have tiers?
Besides, I like my fighting games with a bit more cutesy in it (with sharp contrast to both you and many of the readers here). I like Immaterial and Missing Power, Eternal Fighter Zero, and Arcana Hearts over the traditional Melty Blood, KoF or SF3 games because they included something that makes them somewhat unique.
Characters I'd want to see inluded? The Blue Bomber. Ridley. Trucy Wright (yay magic!). Probably quite a few more. XD
Kevbo said...
Nice comments, I must be the only one who plays with the wiimote and nunchuck. Also I actually LIKE Melee because the buttons do exactly what I want ? I find it much better than SF where sometimes the combo works and other times it doesn't. I guess that is just me though :)
I miss your Destructoid posts :(
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