Zero Punctuation: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

[Joined to vote Valve]

The last three posts are incredibly ironic.

 

[ArchmageDale]

You know, this is almost slightly off topic here, but as someone who almost never actually posts in online forums, as an outsider looking in, I find the monkey see-monkey do reaction to be sociologically interesting. Good example: The Subspace Emissary. Quite fun adventure game, especially when considering the fact that the entire thing can be played co-op with a friend with a fun little story. Until I came here I had heard nothing but positive things about it, but Yahtzee said that he thought it was boring and same-y (as I've stated before, doubtless a judgment he made off of playing the first two levels of a 15-hour game) and suddenly everybody and their brother mysteriously agrees and is an expert on it, including people who by their own admission (like Yahtzee) haven't even played it.

I didn't like it before Yahtzee said he disliked it. In fact, I disagree with alot of the things he said in this review, but still agree with him there. It was just a frustrating experience. I don't think I ever would have finished if it weren't that I could get starwolf, and that's probably why I didn't enjoy it; I only played it to unlock him, jig, and Toon link. So playing through 15 hours of near identicle levels with characters who I had no idea how to play was pretty annoying.

It think it could have been more fun for me if I'd done it later, after I had played each character for a while and learned their basics, but I wanted to get the secret characters faster. So I guess I only ruined it for myself.

That's fair enough. I mean, if it's someone's opinion that the adventure mode wasn't great, that's fine. It just surprised me is all, because everyone else I know who's played Brawl has said that Emissary was one of their favorite parts, including several people who aren't as "hardcore" about the game as I am. Oh well, at least you've got the characters you like now, right?

MetaKnight- I decided I would play as him a year before Brawl came out because of Kirby Super Star and other stuff. He is not obscure.
Wario- The only games where I have played with him involved weren't warioware, and everybody at least knows who he is.
Lucario- Never heard of him, but everybody with a DS has.
Olimar- Nintendo makes an original game and character to shut up people who complain about rehashing and nobody cares. Sounds like some people need to shut up.
Ness- I only know him from this series, but that still means about ten years.
ROB- Shame on you.

You sir, are brilliant. *laugh* For me, Lucario was the most obscure character, and I know that's just because I haven't played a pokemon game almost 10 years. (Wow, that makes me feel old.) But I guess one of the fun things about Smash is the fact that it takes characters that may be unknown to some people and makes them famous. Somebody mentioned it earlier, but Marth and Roy appearing in Melee, are the -reason- why we have Fire Emblem games over in places outside of Japan now. Those characters were so popular that the folks in charge said, "Hey, maybe if we gave the Americans some Fire Emblem, that would actually make some money," which I for one appreciate because since then I've become a big Fire Emblem fan.

 

[Xenoveritas]

I think its safe to say that this game was made for teh japanese... and noone else... because otherwise they would put in more recognizable flipping characters!

If you want proof, look through the stickers (mostly useless unlockable pictures). Half of them are from games that were never released in the US.

 

[EittilDratsab]

To all the Nintendo fanboys, Yahtzee just doesn't like fighting games, get over it.

 

[theseven]

Hi Yahtzee, i usually like your reviews, and can usually relate to them to some extent, although this was no exception, as i could relate to my friends being "that guy" and myself not doing too well at the game, i dont own a wii, i have never owned a nintendo until i bought a DS, but i still see this as a good game. I cant help but think that the reason you dont particularly like this game is because of the severe beating you received at Yugs house after supanova in brisbane. as almost everyone should know now, you didnt only verse your friends there but other fellow game reviewers and the like. this review seems to highlight the fact that you were repeatedly beaten, and resembles the whining nature of someone who is just shit. "wha wha wha, i dont like this game, lets play another" cry some more...

 

[stompy]

"wha wha wha, i dont like this game, lets play another" cry some more...

Ouch dude, that's harsh. But, do you know what would get your point across more? Proper punctuation. Only Yahtzee can get away with 'Zero Punctuation'... See what I did there?

- A procrastinator

 

[Ultrajoe]

Hi Yahtzee, i usually like your reviews, and can usually relate to them to some extent, although this was no exception, as i could relate to my friends being "that guy" and myself not doing too well at the game, i dont own a wii, i have never owned a nintendo until i bought a DS, but i still see this as a good game. I cant help but think that the reason you dont particularly like this game is because of the severe beating you received at Yugs house after supanova in brisbane. as almost everyone should know now, you didnt only verse your friends there but other fellow game reviewers and the like. this review seems to highlight the fact that you were repeatedly beaten, and resembles the whining nature of someone who is just shit. "wha wha wha, i dont like this game, lets play another" cry some more...

for someone out to argue Yahtzee's opinions, you do support his attitude towards brawl fans... perfectly

Oh, and as far as people who "got offended by it being fucking idiots," well that was probably because he pretty much came right out and said "this game is stupid, and if you like it you are stupid." Actually, I think his exact wording was "jibbering fanboy twats," or something close to it. So, yes, I was mildly offended... because he was directly insulting me. That's kind of the textbook definition of being offended. Negative reviews are fine, but when you start directly stating that a person is stupid for their tastes in games (something that members of gaming culture are notoriously bad about) that's when you've crossed the line.

'Gibbering fanboy twats' = those legions of SSBB fans, who, when insulted, will generate almost 800 posts, hundreds more than when Yahtzee offends any other fanbase

yes, i think gibbering suits nicely, 'twats' perhaps to far

Well half of the posters here are people saying how much SSBB/Nintendo Sucks.

i though that was a given in any fan/hater 'debate'

also, i think great indicator of how far a thread has degenerated is the fact that now people are calling themselves fanboys and giving it no second thought... That said, watching the same 30 posts replay over and over again, with me filling one of the the 'pointlessly attempting to sound rational' slot in this particular cycle, is... fun.

 

[Ultrajoe]

blast

 

[Zhen Wilder]

I'm a fan of the Smash series, but the fact that Yahtzee doesn't like it is fine. I have only one major problem with the review. Brawl is not a button masher. I agree with Yahtzee on hating fighting games, but the Smash series are my favorite games and I must've played Melee far more than any other game I've ever played. The reason I like it (or one I suppose) is that button mashing absolutely doesn't work in this game. Button mashing against anyone even relatively decent ends in your character doing a stupid dance and then dying as your opponent attacks while you're open.

Other than that, I liked the review. Unlocking characters definitely sucks and the Mother 3 comment made me laugh. Keep it up, Yahtzee.

 

[Noolsey]

Regardless of what some other people have said in this thread I still think this 'review' sums it up perfectly. I love to argue with the fanboys about things like this and Wii Fit and they try to defend them. They don't seem to understand that it isn't a new game and on PC you wouldn't have this problem, it would be a £5 expansion pack.

From what I've played I know that these reviews are as accurate and as fair as they come. Yes. Seriously. I wouldn't buy a game that 'Yahtzee' reviews as bad because, well, it will be.

Regarding Grand Theft Auto 4; I think it looks a bit 'meh' to be honest. Nothing new, really, just updated graphics and what looks like a mess of multiplayer.

 

[Weimdog]

Now that I've read through this all the way (24 pages) I can't NOT comment! T_T

I agree that this was not the best review I've seen, and ArchmageDale summed up most of my thoughts on the review quite nicely on page 21. I don't know anything about the single player, on the other hand it didn't seem like Yahtzee was trying to hide his lack of playtime on this game.
My thoughts on the game? Seeing as how I AM 'that guy' for SSBM, I was severely disappointed to find out all of my favorite Advanced Techniques have been removed, and replaced (it seems) by two hit combos and really slow action. There is the arguement that it's too early to tell, "techniques in SSBM took years to find"... true, and to discuss that, you should go to www.smashboards.com, or just jump straight to this intelligent thread: http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=153322
I will buy this game when I get a chance, because I've played it as a party game, and enjoyed it as a party game. This is how Sakurai wanted the game to be.
http://www.n-sider.com/articleview.php?articleid=637

If you were wondering, I have also been to a Brawl Tournament to play competitively... but didn't like it so much. And Kirby's Final Smash is terrible-- or I failed with it.

ROB- Shame on you.

This made me laugh. I've played (and hated) R.O.B.'s game a very long time ago. Shame indeed, as I tell my friends.

Edit: Root, I don't think Yahtzee, or anyone for that matter, wants the panties of rabid internet fangirls...

No....nobody....Honest....

Also a good laugh here. Post 556, page 17, for those wondering.

And as a final note, Turbowombat is still currently my hero for a) knowing about competitive smash, AND b) Linking to perfect control. (page 6)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdUeaC7M3oo

Just because you don't know how to do anything that wasn't mentioned in the user manual doesn't mean you have any ground to say the game has no depth. In fact the depth would be determined by how far beyond the user manual or casual player the games eccentricities extend.

... win.

I can't help myself from linking to another one of SDM's vids--- this one is funny, and quality too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1nGBIGKnuU
And I never got why link disappears at 1:39 until JUST NOW... hahahahaha I'm slow.

 

[Doug]

I have no intension to read all 24 damned pages of fanboys vs haters vs ZP hates vs ZP lovers vs the sane, reasonable people. He didn't call people who like SSBB idiots, he called people who went into forums to defend the name 'Ninendo Wii' fanboy twats who'd spam hate into his inbox (looks like he was right).

Although after seeing all this, I have to wonder - after all, even his bashing of Halo 3 didn't get this much chatter.

 

[miller483]

Although after seeing all this, I have to wonder - after all, even his bashing of Halo 3 didn't get this much chatter.

My guess is that it's because Halo 3's fanbase is more mature. (not by much though, IMO)

 

[144_v1legacy]

No, he definitely had some justifying statements in the review; "maybe I'm approaching this the wrong way, maybe...etc." Granted, that led to his rant about Sonic, but that's what he does. There is some truth to the maturity statement, but not in the way it was read by most people I imagine. If Xbox targets the "beer-drinking frat boy demographic," then the players are too busy attempting to make themselves look manly in the face of their friends (and a good way to do that is to engage in a bloody shootout) than reading online forums about their favorite video games, which, frankly, decreases the manly/cool/whatever reputation significantly. Most of the Halo friends I have fall into the above category (nothing wrong with that, so don't hurt me), whereas most of the SSB friends I have aren't too heavy into the drinking and such, and can sit around arguing in nerdy forums like this one without hurting their reputation too much, if at all. I hope, for my sake.

 

[tobyornottoby]

Although after seeing all this, I have to wonder - after all, even his bashing of Halo 3 didn't get this much chatter.

My guess is that it's because Halo 3's fanbase is more mature. (not by much though, IMO)

might be true the smash fans I know are still somewhat kids. Don't know any real Halo fans, but the people who just play it are more mature

(comes from a smash fan)

but really, are we not going to reach 1k :'(

 

[Another Fan]

I'm sure we'll reach 1k. Let's just bash both sides and the ambiguous ones!

Heh. Funny how the debate doesn't really exist even. Just people keep coming in and stating their opinion.

Is anyone actually bothered by anyone's opinion here?

To me, it only sort of bugs me that people assume that the stuff fanboys like is only due to being fanboys. Like ROB. We like it cause we actually think it is cool. Not cause we breathe nintendo or anything.

 

[nightmare_gorilla]

my biggest problem with yahtzee's review was it seemed so forced, like he really didn't want to do it and honestly i don't think he should've been asked to, anyone who's seen even one ZP review could probably guess his opinion on this game and forcing him to review it is like making a republican watch brokeback mountain, sparks will fly and someone's head will inevitably explode.

the thing is smashbros is indeed intended for nintendo fans, and since... what maybe 10% (if i'm being generous) of the escapist readers actually tolerate nintendo much less like them. i think this was a fairly predictable outcome

but hey now i'm rooting for this thread maybe if we really turn up the flames we could make this the longest thread ever on the escapist.