Super Smash Bros. Brawl

 Wii
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2230 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,944 out of 2230
  2. Mixed: 161 out of 2230
  3. Negative: 125 out of 2230
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  1. TimothyF.
    Mar 14, 2008
    7
    Brawl doesn't impress the way Mario Galaxy and Zelda: Twilight do. SSE's bland level design makes the mode really tedious to go through, and the story seems thrown together. Coin Launcher is gimmicky and repetitive. The rest of the modes are largely the same old as in previous installments. I haven't gone online yet, but having played probably around 1000 Smash matches in Brawl doesn't impress the way Mario Galaxy and Zelda: Twilight do. SSE's bland level design makes the mode really tedious to go through, and the story seems thrown together. Coin Launcher is gimmicky and repetitive. The rest of the modes are largely the same old as in previous installments. I haven't gone online yet, but having played probably around 1000 Smash matches in Melee and 64, the concept just doesn't excite me that much any more.… Expand
  2. MartinW.
    Aug 22, 2008
    7
    A good game but fundamentally flawed in many areas. Online play and interface are absolutely awful and it's amazing that Nintendo actually released this game knowing full well that it would work so poorly online. Lots of options and if you like the Smash Bros series like myself, then you should enjoy this. Just don't expect anything new and innovative, this is a very good A good game but fundamentally flawed in many areas. Online play and interface are absolutely awful and it's amazing that Nintendo actually released this game knowing full well that it would work so poorly online. Lots of options and if you like the Smash Bros series like myself, then you should enjoy this. Just don't expect anything new and innovative, this is a very good expansion pack at best, as the characters, stages and game modes are more inventive and numerous. Music is absolutely excellent. Graphics are also very good but not as great as say Super Mario Galaxy, although the game is very fast and the frame rate very rarely dips. Cooperative play brings a refreshing change to some of the repetitive solo game modes. Great game nonetheless but as some people have said, you may feel that you probably bought this very game 5/6 years ago. A patch (if possible) by Nintendo could resolve many of the game's flaws.… Expand
  3. OwenM
    May 6, 2008
    7
    Brawl is a good game, but it doesn't bring anything really new to the table. While it has a vastly superior single player mode, the story itself is empty and really isn't worth the 7 hours or so to play through it. The speed of gameplay has been brought down. I don't think anyone is a fan of the random tripping either. It's a great game to buy if you don't already Brawl is a good game, but it doesn't bring anything really new to the table. While it has a vastly superior single player mode, the story itself is empty and really isn't worth the 7 hours or so to play through it. The speed of gameplay has been brought down. I don't think anyone is a fan of the random tripping either. It's a great game to buy if you don't already have Smash Bros Melee.… Expand
  4. MarkC.
    Mar 13, 2008
    7
    Typical Nintendo Rehash of an older game. It is however a fun game. Yes, i had fun with all the other Smash Brothers and I did with this one but in no way did it deserve all these 10/10's. Nostalgia isnt a reason to give a perfect score to a game thats been duplicated 2 times before. If people actually reviewed this game without saying "wow theres Mario and other childhood characters Typical Nintendo Rehash of an older game. It is however a fun game. Yes, i had fun with all the other Smash Brothers and I did with this one but in no way did it deserve all these 10/10's. Nostalgia isnt a reason to give a perfect score to a game thats been duplicated 2 times before. If people actually reviewed this game without saying "wow theres Mario and other childhood characters fighting" and see it for what it is, they'll see its a good party brawler but not perfect.… Expand
  5. Cazssbguy
    Jul 11, 2011
    7
    As an SSB Melee fanatic, Brawl was disappointing. At the same time, I can appreciate that Brawl was aimed at an audience who desired less complexity and more balance. However, character balance is arguably worse than it was in Melee. I've never seen such effort put into making characters either suck, or be overpowered. The gameplay itself is rather slow but does have its fun moments.As an SSB Melee fanatic, Brawl was disappointing. At the same time, I can appreciate that Brawl was aimed at an audience who desired less complexity and more balance. However, character balance is arguably worse than it was in Melee. I've never seen such effort put into making characters either suck, or be overpowered. The gameplay itself is rather slow but does have its fun moments. However, Brawl is only fun with items and with around 3 to 4 people. Overall, Brawl is indeed a decent game, but needed more effort put into different places.… Expand
  6. PillowChew
    Jul 2, 2012
    5
    Ill give this game a meh, the game is fun, I'd admit that, but there are too many characters that outclass others, Plus, there are final smashes that are useful, while other are useless as crap. Nintendo needs to do some huge balance changes.
  7. oblivion2011
    Jul 3, 2011
    7
    What killed this game was the Wi-Fi. It was the number one reason why I decided to buy the game (aside from what already made this game a great hit). And it just TOTALLY killed the score. Sorry SSB fans, but this one factor leaves me disappointed.
  8. EricBollinger
    Aug 23, 2009
    5
    This is a good game. I liked it when I rented it, but when I finally bought it, I just got bored too quickly. The story mode is nice and long, but the actual story is just to ridiculous to follow, and the maze level is plain stupid. I like the variety of characters, but some just seem to be complete fan service (I mean, seriously, Wolf?) The fighting is very fun, but if you aren'tThis is a good game. I liked it when I rented it, but when I finally bought it, I just got bored too quickly. The story mode is nice and long, but the actual story is just to ridiculous to follow, and the maze level is plain stupid. I like the variety of characters, but some just seem to be complete fan service (I mean, seriously, Wolf?) The fighting is very fun, but if you aren't playing local multiplayer, it just gets monotonous. Don't get me wrong, this is NOT a bad game, it's just I can't really recommend it.… Expand
  9. DylanR.
    Mar 22, 2008
    5
    An allright game, fun multiplayer, lame one player. But the problem is this is the EXACT same game I bought 7 years ago for the gamecube. Sure there are a few very minor improvements but these are truly just minor additions that could have neem added in a mod. For all the delays and hype I was expecting something amazing and new but received something mediocore and old
  10. RoyM.
    May 22, 2008
    6
    SO overrated. Most new features aren't good. Online is awful.
  11. GamerLucario101
    Jul 9, 2011
    5
    I have to say it's an astonishingly magnificent work of art, but I got bored almost as soon as I finished everything in about a month or less. I just don't feel it's any better than most other games released on the wii. Unless you have some friends over, this game is a total disappointment (and don't even try to compete online).
  12. noob_saibot
    May 3, 2013
    7
    Brawl or Melee?
    I pick this too some many people say that is a lot of CLONES on this game that I can understand like Fox, Falco, Wolf, Captain Falcon, Ganondorf, Lucas, Ness but the truth is they was clones on Melee too Brawl is just smooth to a crisp movement Melee was slow in this way.
    Ok the good parts: nice list of people I love it I use Wolf or random nice list of levels some    Brawl or Melee?
    I pick this too some many people say that is a lot of CLONES on this game that I can understand like Fox, Falco, Wolf, Captain Falcon, Ganondorf, Lucas, Ness but the truth is they was clones on Melee too Brawl is just smooth to a crisp movement Melee was slow in this way.

    Ok the good parts:
    nice list of people I love it I use Wolf or random
    nice list of levels some new some old ones from Melee game
    good controls for a gamecube one I never tired the will mote and stuff
    good story mode too I guess it's not perfect but it's a start
    great for muli-player sessions I take this to my friend's and we have a blast on it for hours

    Cons:
    is the online is crap at times I know many people say it so I SAY IT AGAIN, when on online playing with random people I was hoping it would find them quick, well it don't half the time due to possible of the LAG the lag in this game kills the game so badly that it is unplayable you have found people but then you lose connection at the last second then gonna need to get more players to join again this is tedius at times I had the problem a lot mostly when you find two people it will not search anymore or it will take a long time to do so and when you waiting I used to like the music in the background but now it drives me crazy it just repeats the same sounds over and over
    you can't change anything in Brawl too in online game with anyone only 2 minutes well I think that is really to short, you can't even add them too on friends list too

    Well I hoped you liked the review remember not all games is bad and if so it can improve every problem has a solution but to Brawl online they is non you can't stolve it simple a matter of waiting    … Expand
  13. INTERWEBUSER
    Mar 13, 2008
    5
    Super Smash Bros. Brawl, also known as Dairantou Smash Brothers X in Japan (which this review is based off of) is one of the most anticipated titles ever in the history of video games. It is often glorified to be Nintendo's representative game, the one masterpiece where all of its flagship characters and rich history all come together in one ultimate package. Unfortunately, beyond Super Smash Bros. Brawl, also known as Dairantou Smash Brothers X in Japan (which this review is based off of) is one of the most anticipated titles ever in the history of video games. It is often glorified to be Nintendo's representative game, the one masterpiece where all of its flagship characters and rich history all come together in one ultimate package. Unfortunately, beyond the shiny cover and massive hype, Brawl is a title that has evolved minimally in the past seven years, stripped away many good features, and taken several steps backwards from its predecessors. The core of the game is what you've come to expect: a four-player brawl featuring your favorite Nintendo characters, as well as two third-party newcomers, Snake and Sonic. Each character has an array of regular attacks, B-button Smashes, and a special move known as a Final Smash. The Final Smash is, essentially, almost an assured one-hit K.O. to one's opponents. The only catch is that in order to use it, one must break a rainbow-colored item called the Smash Ball. The Smash Ball flies around the arena, is hard to capture, and takes quite a few beatings before its effects can be applied to a character. In most cases, the Final Smash is a cheap, extremely overpowered item, except it takes even less skill to use than, for example, the Hammer in the original Smash. It's almost impossible to dodge a Pokemon Trainer's Triple Finish on a flat stage, whereas with a hammer, one actually has to chase after his opponents and make contact with them to take advantage of it. Final Smashes aside, the game plays largely identically to its two predecessors, with minor differences due to the new physics engine. While some E for All game show attendees have expressed concerns about the game feeling slower-paced than Melee, players will get used to it, and this should not be a major issue to non-competitive players. The Brawl character lineup features a total of 35 fighters, 21 of which are available from the start and 14 which need to be unlocked. The 20 veteran fighters have largely retained their original movesets, and clones still have not been done away with. While the lineup (which will not be spoiled here) has drawn massive criticism for its character selection, I will not dwell on that. My obsession over the lineup is actually quite limited, as I care more about what they have to bring to the table in terms of gameplay. Of these 35 fighters, only three have actually added any new strategic elements to the franchise: Zero Suit Samus, whose transformation adds a speed vs. power, long-range vs. short-range tradeoff; Pokemon Trainer, whose three rotating Pokemon, each with their own limited stamina, require thinking ahead to use effectively; and Captain Olimar, whose multicolored Pikmin all have their individual strengths and weaknesses. The rest, especially ones such as Sonic, were included in Brawl largely for fanservice and add little to the gameplay. There are 41 arenas to fight on, ten of which were taken directly from Melee. Disappointingly, they are nothing you wouldn't have come to expect: there are vertically-scrolling stages; there are horizontally-scrolling stages; there are stages with environmental hazards; and there are stages that move around various spots in a larger area. All of these ideas have been done before. Rumble Falls feels like Icicle Mountain redux. There's Norfair with its rising and falling lava, similar to Brinstar in Melee. The Mute City stage in Melee that takes you on around a giant F-Zero racetrack with several stops is now back again in the form of Port City. While there is a stage editor, it is quite restrictive and does not allow you to make elaborate arenas like the official ones: you're limited to a static 10x12 grid with limited interactive elements. The Wi-Fi battle options are far from flawless: searching for players can take up to minutes (though there is a Sandbag you can perform your moves on to alleviate the waiting time); tedious friend code-entering is required to battle your friends (though this is a global complaint for Nintendo's Wi-Fi titles, not just Brawl); and there is sometimes a bit of lag during battle. Subspace Emissary, the highlight of Brawl's single-player modes, is little more than a glorified, extended Adventure Mode. The gameplay still consists of long, sidescrolling sections interleaved with occasional brawls and, at the end of each world, a boss battle. These boss battles are taken directly from the characters' representative franchises and include favorites such as Petey Piranha from Mario and Rayquaza from Pokemon. These boss battles are the high point of SSE, but outside of these battles, the gameplay is still very limited and similar to that of its predecessors. You defeat enemies in your way, jump over obstacles, and collect fallen items along your path. The plot, written by Nojima Kazushige of Final Fantasy fame, relies on cutscenes instead of dialogue and is often times confusing and ambiguous, especially the resolution (which, again, won't be spoiled here.) Subspace can take up to 6-10 hours for a first playthrough, depending on the difficulty level, and doing so unlocks most of the hidden characters. After beating it once to 100% completion, there is little incentive to play through it again, unless you want maximize your high score or fight against CPUs with more hit points. Classic Mode may as well have been ported over directly from Melee. Once again, you have about 12 stages with bonus levels scattered once every few matches and culminating with the Master Hand's showdown. As you'd have come to expect, the stages are nothing new, consisting of the same old objectives: 1 vs. 1, 2 vs. 2, 1 vs. multiple, 1 vs. metal, and multiple vs. 1 giant character. Master Hand uses the exact same attacks as in Melee and even has the same hit points for each difficulty setting. This time, the only bonus level is Target Smash. Snag the Trophies, Race to the Finish, and Board the Platforms are nowhere to be seen, and the few Target Smash stages are now shared amongst all characters, instead of each character having his/her own unique stage as in 64 and Melee. The varied, sometimes wacky bonuses that appear upon clearing each stage in Melee (and whose collection led to unlocking the most prized trophy, the Diskun) have also been removed: one's score is now entirely dependent on the time remaining and damage dealt. Events are still largely the same old, with two notable changes. First, there are now 60 or so events, a third of which are designated as multiplayer "coop" events, which you complete with the assistance of your friend. Second, the events now have difficulty settings. Objectives include simply defeating one or more CPUs, defeating CPU(s) within a certain time, and racing to the end of a side-scrolling stage: in other words, nothing we haven't seen before. The coop seems tacked-on and unnecessary, and many of these 2P events could have easily been 1P events if you didn't care to do more fighting on your own. Similarly, the Home Run Contest and Multi-Man Brawl options are the same as in Melee, except now with coop. While coop in Home Run Contest has allowed for strategic combos and even greater records, the coop in Multi-Man does not really add much to the gameplay for similar reasons as with Events. Multi-Man consists of the same modes: 10-man and 100-man, speed tests in which the player tries to defeat a set number of CPUs in the fastest time possible; 3-minute, 15-minute, and Endless Brawl, endurance tests in which the player tries to defeat as many CPUs as possible in the allotted time limit; and Cruel Brawl, a mode that features CPUs at the highest difficulty. The rest of the Vault's features feel extremely tacked on. If you recall the weird trophy-unlocking requirements in Melee that no one would ever have thought of, they're now in their own Challenges section. The game now outlines the exact objectives you need to complete to unlock a certain trophy or collectible. Masterpieces, which are time-limited demos of Nintendo classics like Super Mario Bros. and Star Fox 64, serve little purpose except to advertise the Wii's Virtual Console. Chronicle is little more than a laundry list of titles Nintendo has released in its almost 30 year game-making history; you may as well head directly to Nintendo.com's game list for the most up-to-date and comprehensive database. The quality of Brawl's soundtrack is quite varied. There is the main theme, complete with vocals, which truly gives the game an epic feel. It appears on the menu and at least a dozen remixes of it exist, including a dark, sinister version of it on Final Destination. While there are a lot of selections in My Music to choose from, about half are just taken directly from old games, while the other half consists of remixes of dubious quality. Simply put, many of the remixes, while arranged by famed composers, do not really do their originals justice. The fast-paced, cheery-sounding Ocarina of Time medley would have sounded out of place in the original game. The Song of Time in the medley lacks the ethereal, somewhat sorrowful mood within the Temple of Time. Saria's Song, which should evoke a melancholy feeling of a lost friend, is strikingly unfitting when played at such a fast tempo. In addition, the transitions between the various ocarina songs seem forced and do not flow well. The slow, sinister castle theme from Super Mario World was converted into an upbeat techno track. Nearly all of the music appears to be synthesized, not recorded by a live orchestra, as was the case in Super Mario Galaxy. Brawl's soundtrack is a prime example where nostalgia or quantity does not imply quality. At the end of the day, it all boils down to one verdict: too much rehashing, and too little "new" content, filler aside. Of course, there's the old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," but personally, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment. Franchises are meant to evolve, especially a 10-year-old one like Smash Bros. For those who wanted a Melee 1.1, that's great, but I'd rather have stuck to the original instead of shelling out another $50 for a limited upgrade.… Expand
  14. RuneScapian
    Jan 29, 2012
    5
    Although this game is great for both casual and hardcore gamers, don't expect great things from this game. One of the major drawbacks is the incredibly inbalanced character roster. I'd take a balanced roster over a large roster anyday. The replay value is "meh". The music can be boring, and the stage creator isn't worth trying. Although there is some replay value, this game is not reallyAlthough this game is great for both casual and hardcore gamers, don't expect great things from this game. One of the major drawbacks is the incredibly inbalanced character roster. I'd take a balanced roster over a large roster anyday. The replay value is "meh". The music can be boring, and the stage creator isn't worth trying. Although there is some replay value, this game is not really worth your money at all unless you're a Nintendo/Smash Bros. fan.… Expand
  15. JRcade
    Nov 15, 2010
    6
    I believe the game is getting forgiven too easily. Fun game? Yes. Re-playability? Long. But how much of that time will you actually enjoy it? The addition of a story mode extends gameplay and is primary to anything else. However once completing the story your playtime will soon degrade into random matches, and challenges that can all be completed as well. This is TRULY a multiplayer title;I believe the game is getting forgiven too easily. Fun game? Yes. Re-playability? Long. But how much of that time will you actually enjoy it? The addition of a story mode extends gameplay and is primary to anything else. However once completing the story your playtime will soon degrade into random matches, and challenges that can all be completed as well. This is TRULY a multiplayer title; I cannot find myself playing this game unless friends are with me, so being a loner will cost you. If your one for repetition to a slight change, then by all means this is your game. Otherwise you'll eventually tire of singular like experience and choose something else.… Expand
  16. SteveR.
    Jun 27, 2008
    5
    I was looking forward to this, and was sucked in the hype. Its essentially a platform game, where you run back, forth and jump. It doesn't really utilize the Wii's #D, 360 degree play capability. There are better games out there.
  17. ChrisM.
    Mar 8, 2008
    5
    More casual pick-up-n-play trash from Ninty. They've abandoned the hardcore gamers who made them famous.
  18. RichG.
    Mar 9, 2008
    5
    Big upset for me, the controls for the Wii controller were average at best. Its just like melee just that it has some new characters and new stages. Even the players that were here before had the exact same moves, it wasn't what it sounded like in all the advertisements. Don't get the game until its price goes down or if you must get it get it used.
  19. BobC.
    Apr 7, 2008
    7
    A fun game, but doesn't make use of the Wii the way I was hoping. Still a lot of button mashing, and many have found the older controllers to be superior to the Wii-mote and nunchuck during play. If you're using the Wii-mote only, you don't have as many weapons or control. I enjoy this game, but there are other games I enjoy more (Mario Party 8, MLB Power Pros, Smarty A fun game, but doesn't make use of the Wii the way I was hoping. Still a lot of button mashing, and many have found the older controllers to be superior to the Wii-mote and nunchuck during play. If you're using the Wii-mote only, you don't have as many weapons or control. I enjoy this game, but there are other games I enjoy more (Mario Party 8, MLB Power Pros, Smarty Pants, to name a few).… Expand
  20. FedorE.
    Mar 18, 2008
    5
    i'll preface by saying smash bros melee is still my favortive game on the cube. but I'm not impressed w/ brawl. the graphics look more aliased than the gc version, but now there's load screens. i haven't yet found a lag free online game, and no wifi stats bothers me. the wiimote controls are terrible. you basically need to attach a gc controller to play properly. i'll preface by saying smash bros melee is still my favortive game on the cube. but I'm not impressed w/ brawl. the graphics look more aliased than the gc version, but now there's load screens. i haven't yet found a lag free online game, and no wifi stats bothers me. the wiimote controls are terrible. you basically need to attach a gc controller to play properly. i'm disappointed with all additions except for the new characters.… Expand
  21. SpartianGamer1342
    Mar 25, 2008
    5
    This game sucks. Halo has better fps controls, better graphics, better online, a larger selection of guns.
  22. JoeL.
    Apr 30, 2008
    6
    Not very fun. The game does not have the same feel as the older smash bros. I tried playing it for a while but lost interest.
  23. StrikeC.
    Apr 3, 2008
    7
    "This is a poor game. It was built 8 years ago, and is meant for 8 years ago. Nowadays there are lots of better games available, with much more realistic graphics, gameplay, and whatever you can imagine. In this game you can not only headshot someone without aiming with AWP, you can also shoot trough 99% of the walls. So if you want to win, just shoot against all walls. Graphics quality "This is a poor game. It was built 8 years ago, and is meant for 8 years ago. Nowadays there are lots of better games available, with much more realistic graphics, gameplay, and whatever you can imagine. In this game you can not only headshot someone without aiming with AWP, you can also shoot trough 99% of the walls. So if you want to win, just shoot against all walls. Graphics quality is as low as it can be, and gameplay sucks as much."… Expand
  24. DougL
    May 23, 2008
    7
    This game does not do anything very well the four player action is some what random. The one player mode is kinda cheesy and it doens't use the motion controls to heighten the experience, maybe i'm getting old but this game did not impress me.
  25. Requiem1160
    Sep 22, 2009
    5
    Overated. The SSE was crap, the character roster was a desperate failure - Sonic really enrages me for that freaking 'B' move, the Classic mode didn't have what SSBM had - for some strange reason, Stage Editor sucked - harshly, the mini-game concerning Coins and Trophies was a total failure, then there's the fact that whenever you sign-in to Wi-Fi, you get those Overated. The SSE was crap, the character roster was a desperate failure - Sonic really enrages me for that freaking 'B' move, the Classic mode didn't have what SSBM had - for some strange reason, Stage Editor sucked - harshly, the mini-game concerning Coins and Trophies was a total failure, then there's the fact that whenever you sign-in to Wi-Fi, you get those annoying failures of screenshots and maps and that it takes a good 5-10 minutes to find someone to play with, and when they're losing they quit. All the time. The only real good thing was the Music.… Expand
  26. StanleyW
    Dec 25, 2008
    6
    Fun until you realize that many characters are imbalanced. I've had the game for a year now, and there are ridiculous moves that cannot be countered. I hoped that they'd fix these, but there have been no changes to the game. The SSB series are dead, they are trying to add too many characters and there isn't enough balance.
  27. guhh
    Dec 26, 2008
    6
    The game basically felt like an expansion to melee with a worst fighting engine. I felt they downgraded the competitive nature of melee for the casuals. Melee had great technical aspects that were lacking from Brawl. The game is basically unplayable online too due to massive lag which is a huge disappointment being the first in the series to go online. The subspace emmisionary was very The game basically felt like an expansion to melee with a worst fighting engine. I felt they downgraded the competitive nature of melee for the casuals. Melee had great technical aspects that were lacking from Brawl. The game is basically unplayable online too due to massive lag which is a huge disappointment being the first in the series to go online. The subspace emmisionary was very shallow to the point where it was a chore to finish. The game does boast impressive CGI animation though. All in all, the game was alright but could have been so much more. The only reason to pick this up is to play with friends on one console.… Expand
  28. DylanM.
    Mar 11, 2008
    5
    Not even close to Melee in terms of fun, but production values are through the roof.
  29. William
    Jul 27, 2008
    7
    This game was not as well polished as Super Smash Bros. Melee. The stage backgrounds and flashy and distracting. The game mechanics are sometimes a bit unintuitive; it can be hard for a non-expert player to keep track of where their own character is, let alone everyone else's. The menu interface leaves a lot to be desired. There are also a couple of minor features that I miss from This game was not as well polished as Super Smash Bros. Melee. The stage backgrounds and flashy and distracting. The game mechanics are sometimes a bit unintuitive; it can be hard for a non-expert player to keep track of where their own character is, let alone everyone else's. The menu interface leaves a lot to be desired. There are also a couple of minor features that I miss from Melee. In its favour, Brawl has an strong cast of characters and an excellent two player co-op campaign. But all in all, I don't feel that this is a worthy successor to SSB:Melee.… Expand
  30. StephenS.
    Jul 31, 2008
    7
    I have logged over 3000 hours in Melee. This game has taken away from the series in my opinion with the unbalanced nature of the game. I have been beaten in the game with someone using a single move that hits above to both sides lasts for 3/4 sec does massive damage and is a kill move. That is not a move that should be in the game. Every character should have there advantage and I have logged over 3000 hours in Melee. This game has taken away from the series in my opinion with the unbalanced nature of the game. I have been beaten in the game with someone using a single move that hits above to both sides lasts for 3/4 sec does massive damage and is a kill move. That is not a move that should be in the game. Every character should have there advantage and disadvantage. But some have the best of everything and others can hardly get a single kill. Overall if you love the series buy it but if your on the fence make sure you rent it first and understand it is purely a party game.… Expand
  31. Review9
    Aug 23, 2010
    5
    Brawl to be me is just a crappy version of melee, i traded in brawl and i still have a crap load of fun playing the game cube classic. I give brawl a 5.8.
  32. AngryEddy
    Sep 22, 2010
    7
    I reviewed this game for gaminghunks.biz and I like the charac ters most but some of the levels are ok. I think there should be more competitibe online competitions so that players can win prizes like towels and dishwashers maybe then this game will really take off? I dont know how you feel about the inclusion of Solid Snake but I never like Devil May Cry anyway the game had too manyI reviewed this game for gaminghunks.biz and I like the charac ters most but some of the levels are ok. I think there should be more competitibe online competitions so that players can win prizes like towels and dishwashers maybe then this game will really take off? I dont know how you feel about the inclusion of Solid Snake but I never like Devil May Cry anyway the game had too many enemies and was difficult to win against. The worst bit on Devil May Cry was when you had to defeat the big spider, I never find his week spot. Oh well I guess they will remove him from the next game.

    Also the music is bad.    … Expand
  33. Ztride
    Jan 20, 2012
    6
    Apart from the fact that the game features lots of great nintendo & co characters, maps and music, there isn't really much that this game has to offer. Mediocre gameplay and combat, below average visuals (as with the majority of wii games) and a terrible singleplayer campaign.
  34. Zero2k
    Dec 25, 2011
    6
    The multi-player experience is undeniably one of the best you'll ever battle online opponents or friends with. The rest of the game, although challenging, does not prove to have the same level of enjoyment
  35. rubin
    Apr 5, 2012
    6
    This was my first Smash Bros. game and... I wasn't impressed. If you don't own a classic controller you're pretty much screwed, as the controls on Wiimote are some of the worst I have ever seen. The graphics and music are very nice, but the constant flashes and explosions HURT the eyes so much that I had to take a break every 1 hour of gameplay. Nevertheless, I played through the entireThis was my first Smash Bros. game and... I wasn't impressed. If you don't own a classic controller you're pretty much screwed, as the controls on Wiimote are some of the worst I have ever seen. The graphics and music are very nice, but the constant flashes and explosions HURT the eyes so much that I had to take a break every 1 hour of gameplay. Nevertheless, I played through the entire single player mode and it was rather average. It is a sort-off platformer game where you unlock different characters and collect stuff like stickers. Multiplayer *might* be better, but I personally didn't manage to get out much of it. Online has been completely empty every time I went on, while playing locally with my brother got old very fast (mostly due to the fact that one of us had to use the dreaded Wii Remote). Simply not worth the money, sorry.… Expand
  36. PringleDringus
    Dec 16, 2013
    7
    As a stand-alone game, Brawl is great. But as a sequel to Melee, the gameplay isn't nearly as fast or fun. Can be a fun party game with the right crowd. Worth buying, but not for 50 bucks.
  37. yennachan
    Mar 21, 2014
    7
    I'll keep it short and simple. I love the Single player mode and the new characters but, the mechanics in the game is kind of bad and feels rushed. Has flaws but not too bad.
  38. camperuno
    Sep 8, 2014
    7
    the game has a pretty good rooster besides the op Meta knight and Ike. Subspace is really good especially when played in coop mode. The game is considerably slower than Melee and it can be painful to watch slow 1 v 1 matches. Overall this game will not disappoint if you are a hardcore fan you should already have this game but if you aren't it is a pretty solid game
  39. FireRedRuby
    Sep 12, 2015
    7
    As the game that came after Melee, Brawl is an insult to the series *trips*
    -No directional air-dodging is by far the worst change from Melee in my opinion because not only does it take away wave-dashing, but even worse, it makes air-dodging spammable and it becomes way too easy to survive bad situations (especially with some characters having over-powered recoveries), which only further    As the game that came after Melee, Brawl is an insult to the series *trips*
    -No directional air-dodging is by far the worst change from Melee in my opinion because not only does it take away wave-dashing, but even worse, it makes air-dodging spammable and it becomes way too easy to survive bad situations (especially with some characters having over-powered recoveries), which only further drags out the shallow gameplay.
    -The characters are NOT balanced btw, the movesets on newer characters feel uninspired and boring.
    -I believe that the true geniuses behind the Smash Bros. series were the guys from HAL Laboratories and certainly NOT Sakurai. As just a generic fighter however, and NOT as a Smash Bros. game, this game is pretty fun.    … Expand
  40. Jollyjoe1000
    Nov 22, 2015
    7
    I will be honest, this game was great and enjoyable when I got it for my birthday, but looking back on it,the graphics are not good, and the character roster is not good in variety.
  41. GaryFaulkDoesIt
    Jul 31, 2016
    7
    This game was kind of up in the air compared to Melee, but it was still a very solid game overall. The new engine does wreak havoc on the usefulness of some characters and there are many ways in which this is the game where the series started losing its old "arcade charm", it is still an enjoyable game.

    The best part of the game, however, is the single player mode. The Subspace Emissary    This game was kind of up in the air compared to Melee, but it was still a very solid game overall. The new engine does wreak havoc on the usefulness of some characters and there are many ways in which this is the game where the series started losing its old "arcade charm", it is still an enjoyable game.

    The best part of the game, however, is the single player mode. The Subspace Emissary is an extremely ambitious and interesting concept and practically a fantasy of anyone who grew up with Nintendo games. There were some issues with the writing of the mode's story, however it still remained very fun and cool.    … Expand
  42. bellonman
    Mar 12, 2017
    6
    This game was a huge disappointment and a huge step down from it's predecessors. The game is slow and the controls are clunky. Character selection is vast, but lacks balance between the characters. Still fun with a group, but just doesn't give me the same feeling i got from melee and smash 64.
  43. ashketchum
    Feb 25, 2018
    7
    Brawl is a good game, but too often feels like some extra content added to melee. This should be played as a multiplayer game whenever possible. The single player, though it isn't bad, is a pain to trudge through at times, due to generic enemies, slow movement of characters, and a control scheme that doesn't feel right in the Subspace Emissary. However, it has updated graphics over melee,Brawl is a good game, but too often feels like some extra content added to melee. This should be played as a multiplayer game whenever possible. The single player, though it isn't bad, is a pain to trudge through at times, due to generic enemies, slow movement of characters, and a control scheme that doesn't feel right in the Subspace Emissary. However, it has updated graphics over melee, with some interesting character additions, like Pokemon Trainer and Sonic. A well-designed game, but it feels like it some areas could have been better.… Expand
  44. aditya1101
    Jan 26, 2018
    6
    I know it’s hip to hate on brawl, but the more I get into the other smash games, the more I realize how boring it is to play or watch brawl. It’s a game that rewards really formulaic and uninteresting play, and no matter how many subspace emissaries you add, that just really holds this game back.
  45. BeboFett
    Dec 19, 2018
    7
    A game that alone isn't so recommended, since its adventure mode is unattractive. The MultiPlayers will always be fun, it's a Smash, but it doesn't reach the quality of Melee.
  46. CalebTV
    Dec 21, 2018
    7
    This game has the worst gameplay of smash bros, other than the first one. But for that game it at least makes sense since it is the first in the franchise. It is slow and many mechanics in this game suck like tripping. Subspace emmisary is a boring slog, people only like it because of the cutscenes. The reason this has a 7 is because it, as always has great multiplayer. There is no pointThis game has the worst gameplay of smash bros, other than the first one. But for that game it at least makes sense since it is the first in the franchise. It is slow and many mechanics in this game suck like tripping. Subspace emmisary is a boring slog, people only like it because of the cutscenes. The reason this has a 7 is because it, as always has great multiplayer. There is no point in revisiting this game, although I would recommend it for younger kids. The roster was also great at the time.… Expand
  47. TheCraftingZomb
    Jun 22, 2019
    7
    To say it short, this is my least liked Smash Bros. game. It had an amazing graphic enhancement compared to melee and introduced characters that were unthinkable to join the smash roster such as Solid Snake and Sonic. A mechanic was added to only this game which was tripping. Tripping made the game less fun because you might be winning but then you trip and the other person gets a goodTo say it short, this is my least liked Smash Bros. game. It had an amazing graphic enhancement compared to melee and introduced characters that were unthinkable to join the smash roster such as Solid Snake and Sonic. A mechanic was added to only this game which was tripping. Tripping made the game less fun because you might be winning but then you trip and the other person gets a good combo making him/her take the lead. Overall Brawl felt slower than melee making competitive smash mostly still take place on Melee.… Expand
  48. Sonic12403
    Mar 29, 2021
    5
    It is the weakest in the Super Smash Bros. series, but Brawl has a ton of effort and fan service for not only Nintendo fans, but video game fans as a whole.
  49. VSLazer360
    Feb 15, 2023
    7
    Super Smash Bros Brawl was the first Smash game I played. it marked the beginning of my love for the Super Smash Bros series and piqued my interest into the competitive scene of which I am now a part of. It's nostalgic as all get out and I have fond memories of intense 1v1 fights between my brother to see who was better or blasting through the Subspace Emissary on a snow day when I wasSuper Smash Bros Brawl was the first Smash game I played. it marked the beginning of my love for the Super Smash Bros series and piqued my interest into the competitive scene of which I am now a part of. It's nostalgic as all get out and I have fond memories of intense 1v1 fights between my brother to see who was better or blasting through the Subspace Emissary on a snow day when I was home from school. I truly cannot thank this game enough for all the childhood memories I have with it and how it impacted my life, but man is this game flawed. Nintendo intentionally sabotaging the game's movement speed to discourage true competitive play also hurts casual play severely, I can never go back to the molasses slow gameplay of Brawl after playing games as smooth as Melee or Ultimate. Furthermore, while the story mode is really cool I think it's heavily carried by the cutscenes and the story it tells and not the actual gameplay of it. If I wanted to play a side scroller where every enemy that hits you does an insane amount of knockback and just are incredibly annoying to fight, I'd play a Mega-Man game. While Brawl was certainly revolutionary and a big part of my childhood, I can still see a lot of its flaws through my rose-tinted glasses.… Expand
  50. StavrosGR12
    May 15, 2023
    7
    The story mode is perfect but the game is an 7 because of Meta Knight and tripping
  51. turbo_dweeb
    Aug 24, 2023
    7
    this game is great for the soul purpouse of the extras like the coin shooting game, the giant roster of trophies, and the subspace emmisary. the only issue is that the balancing is off in numerous ways while also failing to follow up on the tight and swift combat of melee... i just think that this game gets worse with time while melee ages like gold.

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best Wii Game of 2008
1
#1 Most Discussed Wii Game of 2008
1
#1 Most Shared Wii Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 81 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 81
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 81
  3. Negative: 0 out of 81
  1. Thunderbolt
    100
    Brawl is easily the most fun I’ve had on a Wii, and could be the most fun I’ve had with a game in ages. It’s just that good. There is just so much to do, and so many different and refreshing things added that it would be a crime not to at least take a look.
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  2. Nintendo Power
    100
    Rarely has any title delivered so much amazing action, such a wide variety of modes, and so many hours of value. It doesn't get any better than this. [Mar 2008, p.82]
  3. Gameplayer
    100
    It’s obvious that developer Game Arts have put a painstaking amount of effort into creating this game and every time we play it we’re discovering new Nintendo references which bring back a rush of nostalgia. Brawl’s chaotic multiplayer sessions are some of the best to be had on the system, plus there are plenty of challenges and modes to amuse those ‘friend-impaired’ individuals out there as well. It’s a no-brainer, every serious Nintendo fan out there should score themselves a copy of this game, invite some friends/victims around, and have a smashing good time.
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