First Posted: 12/15/2014
My most anticipated game of the year is finally here, and it’s time to “Settle it in Smash!” in “Super Smash Bros” on the Wii U. I am one of the biggest Nintendo fans out there and there is no game on the market that is filled with as much Nintendo fan service as “Smash Bros.”
If you are unfamiliar with the series, the concept is simple, take every notable Nintendo character and have them fight it out in large scale battles. This iteration of “Smash Bros” has more than 40 fighters and introduces some new favorites such as Little Mac from “Punchout”, “Pacman”, Villager from “Animal Crossing”, the “Duck Hunt” Dog, and my personal favorite from the NES the blue bomber himself “Mega Man.”
“Smash Bros” is back after about 6 years and it’s jam packed with more features, fighters, collectibles and fan service then ever before, now with stunning new HD graphics and new customization options. The look and feel of the game is bright and colorful and family friendly even though it is a fighting game. Just like it’s predecessors the action is fast and frantic. There are all sorts of things going on during the match. There are items scattered around the board which can be used. Pokeballs, swords, guns, bombs and tools of destruction.
For the first time, there are several levels that have interactive environments, such as moving game levels, and bad guys who can interfere such as “Metroid’s” Ridly and yellow devil in the Dr. Wily “Mega Man” level. The Yellow Devil takes up a big chunk of the screen and can harm anyone around, the first one to take him out triggers a big explosion that will take out all the fighters around him. It is possible to turn off dynamic elements in the level if you want to have a more classic experience.
“Smash Bros” has always been a great reason to cram your friends and family into the living room, but you will have to make more room because now you can play with eight players. These matches are chaotic, yet incredibly fun, even for those who never played because the controls are conducive to people who just mash on the buttons. For people who love fighting games there is more complex moves available and now you can even customize any fighter and pick and choose which special moves you want to have.
If you don’t have eight friends, the single player modes are fun. There is classic smash, this mode lets you take on a series of fights and unlock movie scenes. Another new addition is the Smash Tour, a board game where you move pieces around and collect fighters you can use in matches. There are some fun mini games, one is similar to “Angry Birds” where you hit a bag and make it fly into a group of targets to rack up a big score. There is also a similar mode called home run where you have to hit the bag as far as you can. Another thing that will keep you playing for a long time are the challenge modes, there is a ton of things to unlock. Challenges include winning with a certain fighter, or finishing different game modes or mini games.
Even though there is so much to do and unlock you will probably spend most of your time fighting in smash matches. Not only can you play on your couch you can also play with up to four people online. The online multiplayer is a lot of fun but the quality is dependant on the internet connection. If you are on Wi-Fi or a slower connection your experience might not be as good. The online fights are good, but it’s a real bummer when you have a dropped connection.
“Smash Bros” makes use of a new Nintendo product called “Amibos,” 3D plastic figures of your favorite characters. Put them on display, on your Wii U gamepad and import into the game, unlocking new outfits. You can even save your custom fighter stats to the Amibo for use later.
If you like fighting games or you are a Nintendo fan “Smash Bros” on the Wii U might actually be the reason to buy the system. If you ever wanted to know who would win a fight between Mega Man and Mario, now you can.
