GAMES Review: Super Smash Bros.

Review: ‘Super Smash Bros. for Wii U’ Is a Beautiful Beatdown

Ben Silverman

 Games Editor

 December 4, 2014

yahoo

 

Expert dinosaur dodger Jeff Goldblum might have some compelling theories about chaos, but fire up Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and his spiel about unpredictability and water droplets and butterflies sounds positively quaint.

If you want to watch chaos in action, try an eight-player Smash Bros. brawl. Mascot limbs everywhere! Is that a hat? Punch it! Look out, fireball! Duck that Donkey Kong uppercut, open a Pokeball, kick Kirby in his fat face, grab a laser gun, carom off the Wii Fit Trainer, roundhouse for the win. No butterflies were harmed in the making of this chaotic masterpiece.

Nintendo pinned a lot of hope — and hype — on the big brother to its successful 3DS Super Smash Bros., and for good reason: This is a system-selling, laugh-out-loud riot of a fighting game, and one that anyone can enjoy.

(Note: The following gameplay review has been adapted from our Super Smash Bros. for 3DS review.)

Super Smash Bros. got its start 15 years ago on the N64, and while it’s evolved a bit over the years, the basics remain unchanged: Famous video-game characters duke it out on hilarious, game-themed levels using their fists, feet, and all sorts of crazy weapons. But where most fighting games require complicated inputs and ridiculous reflexes, Super Smash Bros. boils it all down to a couple of buttons and a few directions. The result is a manic, fast-paced slugfest that doesn’t require an advanced degree in Street Fighter II to get into.

Like its kid brother on the 3DS, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U stars a whopping 49 playable characters, the largest roster in franchise history. It’s a who’s who of famous faces, from Nintendo icons like Mario, Link, and Donkey Kong to Pac-Man, Mega Man, and even longtime Mario rival Sonic the Hedgehog. Heck, the dog from Duck Hunt is in here. The character list is staggeringly cool, particularly if you’re a fan of Nintendo’s past.

Just like the 3DS version, you can also create your own fighter using a Wii U “Mii” avatar. You’ll choose one of three archetypes (brawler, swordsman, or gunner), but that’s just the start. Over the course of playing through the game’s many modes, you’ll earn items and abilities that will turn your bobble-headed familiar into a lethal kung-fu madman. It’s a role-playing game crammed into a fighter.