Zero Punctuation: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

[KnightOfShaddai]

I always enjoy listening to Yahtzee's super fast satirical reviews. And, even though I'm a big fan of the Super Smash Bros Series, I still enjoyed his review.

Its true, if your not a Nintendo fan, then this game is going to be incredibly boring and pointless. However, if your are a fan, then 9 times out of 10 your going to be pleased. Its not a revolution in fighting games, its not ment to be taken seriously, and its no wonder why most Fighting game fan boys get irritated when Smash fan boys squeal "Its the best game EVER! Lets hold a tournament!" What it IS meant to be is a simple, crazy, random, fun fan-service game where you get to play your favorite character, fight against your other favorite characters, and enjoy kicking the snot out of your friends in a battle royal slugfest. Its meant to be fun for a particular nitch market. The only problem for SSB haters is that this nitch market is ginormous and can (and will) be heard everywhere.

I do have to agree though, spending absorbent amounts of time to unlock some of the best characters in the game is annoying... rewarding when you get it... but annoying in the beginning. I was so glad when I found out that you can unlock the majority of the characters just by playing adventure mode (which wasn't a feature in its predecessors). Even though that mode is long and slightly repetitious, it was still a lot of fun, and saved me a lot of time in the long run of unlocking each individual character.

As much as Yahtzee didn't want to review this game, I can understand why he did. Because if he didn't address the issue, it would just haunt him until he faced it. At least he has the satisfaction that he finally reviewed it and no one can say that he didn't. He can just tell them that if they didn't like his review that they can shut up, just as I'm sure he does with all his reviews that emailers don't like.

 

[Kinokiro]

Move wise, this is the most comprehensive SSB to date. (duh)

4 basic directional, 4 dash directional, 4 smash, 4 special, 1 smash ball, 4 grabs

Edit: 4 Aerial

 

[Emperor_Z]

Most of that review had sense behind it, but Smash Bros is not the type of fighting game where button mashing will beat skill. In fact, he contradicted himself by saying that when you've practiced by yourself you'll crush your friends, while he said about two minute ago that button mashing was just as good as skill.

However, this is one of the few games that I've played extensively that Yahztee's reviewed very negatively, so it's possible that he does this kind of thing with a lot of his reviews and we just don't catch it.

 

[Joined to vote Valve]

Did you guys see Yahtzee's to do list near the start of the review? It said he attempted suicide. This is a cry for help! Someone do something!

Also, Kinokiro, you forgot air moves.

 

[Kinokiro]

Oh, but I do give Yahtzee kudos for introducing me to Psychonauts... However spurned his opinions are, some games he gets dead on.

 

[KnightOfShaddai]

Actually, you really can be beaten by Button Mashers... which is sad for the pros who bother to play the game and work hard to get really good at it. I know some people who had that happen to them. Granted that they weren't a guru who's mastered every friggin' character. Those people can generally beat button mashers. But, its is a flaw in the control design. However, they were meant to be simplistic so anyone could pick it up. Again, its meant to be fun. Not meant for serious tournaments.

 

[SaintSinner]

One of the best reviews ever! Laughed out loud a few times, especially at the subtle "Groundhog Day" reference.

Awesome!

 

[Kinokiro]

melee is a button mashing game... It's speedy, so it serves that purpose well. Brawl has been slowed down (to much argument) leaving the option of strategy instead of ball-to-the-wall action.

 

[KnightOfShaddai]

Perhaps.... I would hope so at least. Its still designed to be a simplistically fun game, but it would be nice if it could cater less to the button mashers. I've only played Brawl a couple of times since it came out (because then I got Call of Duty 4 and fell in love all over again), so I haven't had a chance to fully test it out on some of my friends. It still seems a bit button mashy to me. But I could be wrong..... I would love to be wrong, lol.

 

[Kinokiro]

Like Melee, Brawl will take a few years to hash out a competitive scene. The REAL fanboys have already started exploiting inherent flaws of the gameplay, to bring back "Wavedash" and "Wavebounce" etc. It's innovative, but it can only cater to the newbies so much before the core competition migrates to more advanced strategies.

 

[Kinokiro]

Since it's impossible to link into the past,

Wrong! The Legend of Zelda did it, so it's not TOTALLY impossible,

(sorry for the double post... haha)

 

[the_carrot]

I agree.

 

[orangedude]

I can understand why Yahtzee doesn't like this game and the tons of fanboy email requests probably made him even more pissed at it, but there wasn't really much of a review here. From a purely objective standpoint as a game, SSBB is actually quite a superb game (as you can tell by reading reviews). Very well balanced characters, endless variety, fast paced, easy to learn yet impossible to master gameplay, etc.

Anyways, you either love it or you hate it. I guess this review wasn't meant to and won't change anyone's opinion about the game. But at least Yahtzee has tried it before forming an opinion. I bet most of the bashers posting here don't even have a Wii and have never even played SSBB before.

 

[Senaro]

That's not a very accurate method of answering my question. For all I know they just happened upon this site today and will now become faithful forum members.

Maybe they came to pick up chicks. Sorry, cuckoos.

Actually.

Out of curiosity, how many of you are new members of this forum all because someone linked you to this review

Since it's impossible to link into the past, anyone that is actually here today to do just what you asked would fit the bill, regardless of what they become.

Actually, I'm pretty sure they made a game about that...Sorry for the lame Zelda reference.

 

[Melty Blood]

Too bad you're wrong about me being a fanboy. Must have taken too many Black Keys to the head to jump to conclusions when you don't actually know anything.

WHY ISN'T SOMEONE CALLING THE HOSPITAL! THE BLOOOOOOD! (Glad you got the name reference, that brings the total up to three)

I don't think I'm too far off the mark when after the Sim City Societies review there was a fair deal of people replying in agreement with the allusion that manga = pedophiles, including several people who were clearly entirely ignorant of the subject.

I doubt that many people watch fox news (other then out of giggles), AND yahtzee.