christiangamer

Wii is king console of the party games; and this game is just one of the many reasons why. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is an excellent game for people of all ages. I haven’t really played the previous games in the series – but I’ve heard no complaints from the Nintendo devotees in my youth group that have – they even remember some of the moves and it’s usually impossible to beat them!

The basic core of the gameplay has not changed much at all. Up to four players, using a variety of controls (the Wiimote alone, the Wiimote and Nunchuck, a classic gamepad, or a Gamecube controller) can jump around crazy interactive maps with cute and cool Nintendo characters (including some fun cameos from other game-worlds), trying to knock opponents out into the heavens. That’s it – and it’s simple – but oh so fun! It’s easy to pick up and play, but tough to master – which most people say is the best thing about the best games. Tons of characters to unlock and different moves for each means that when you do master one character you have 30+ more to explore.

Options are plentiful! There is a very fun single player mode with a co-op option that works great, and you can unlock all of the characters by playing through this silent-film of a story. You can take the smashing online if you’d like. You can make your own levels and download other people’s custom levels. You can tweak the gameplay rules and settings in vs. matches in a dizzying number of ways. There are so many options to choose from that you will likely never get bored. The kids in my youth group love the game and play it often (they’ve unlocked lots of the characters for me – hehe).

On the content side of things there is lots of “smashing” going on in various silly and cartoony ways. There is no blood, but the action is relentless. If you have kids that might be inspired to carry on beating each other up after the game is over then you might want to be wary of the game’s influence – but it’s so zany and light-hearted that it shouldn’t be a problem for most. There is no language or sexual content that I’ve seen. There is the descriptor of crude humor. All I’ve seen in that regard is that some characters fart and smack others with their tails. The game is rated T for Teen for cartoon violence and crude humor by the ESRB.

I’m giving the game 5 stars even though I’m not the world’s biggest NIntendo fan. I can’t really find anything wrong with the game to complain about. The game is funny and fun and the gameplay is flawless. Maybe I’ll see you for some online smashing once I get my friend code sorted out! For content I’m going to give it a green light for being a very family-friendly game; but I’ll add a caution to parents that their kids may be inspired to start a pillow, food, or sock fight if the power goes out!

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