BKaF – Brad Kovach and Friends

Being in college means I’ve got to be even more of a penny-pincher than I already am. I’d love to go out for coffee with my friends everyday, and there’s a whole lot of movies I’d like to buy–but I’ve got to restrain myself. But when one of my friends brought over his copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and three Wiimotes to play with, I was sold. Heck yes, I dropped a paycheck on the game (and an extra set of controllers so my roommate could play).

I’ve barely scratched the surface of the game, and it’s already been so worth it. The Smash Bros. franchise is ripe with replay value, and its unique combat system–increasing damage in order to knock an opponent off a stage, rather than emptying their health meter–makes it a little more unpredictable and fun. It’s a Grade-A party game, but just as fun to play on your own. The Wii version of the game (the third in the series) enhances the experience with beautifully-rendered visuals, a wide selection of new characters and items, and many more different ways to play.

Characters’ attacks have been upgraded as well. Instead of being cumbersome and annoying to handle (N64 version), Donkey Kong is now actually pretty fun to play. Yoshi now packs a bit more punch, and most other characters now have improved mid-air recovery moves to help them get back on the stage when they’re knocked off–very nice!

Another fun little addition: characters now have three different “taunts” (i.e., expressing your pride in kicking someone’s butt) instead of just one. Some of them are pretty funny. My personal favorite is Snake’s (Metal Gear Solid) taunt. While most of the other characters brag and celebrate, Snake just pulls out a cardboard box and hides under it for a few seconds … and then stands up. The end. … That’s just awesome.

Anyway, if you still find yourself enjoying the N64 of Gamecube versions of the game, you’ll probably want to pick this up. It’s one of those “if you own a Wii, you should own this game” kind of games.