Super Smash Bros Melee...Finally

I said I'll do it and I did. Now leave me alone for a while. I need some sleep. ZZZzzzzz....
Oh here's the review btw:

So what's it about?
I doubt that there are many people that don't know what Smash Bros is. But I know how annoying it can be to try a get information about some things so I'm going to set a little background down about the game.
The game itself is the third installment of the smash bros series and was the most anticipated releases for the Wii this year. Boasting more characters, bigger stages and even on-line game play. It was going to raise the bar set by its predecessor.
The basics of the game are simple.
Take a Nintendo charter. You have a long list to chose from. But worth while going thought. With classic such as Mario and Pickachu. To classics such as Pit from Kid Iccurus or Mr Game & Watch.


Now as with all fighting games there are clones. Clones meaning different character, same moves. The best example I can think of off the top of head is Ryu and Ken from the original Street Fighter games. It was so bad that not only did they have the same moves their bodies where the same as well. You could only tell them apart from there heads and the colour of their clothes. The worst culprit for this in Smash Bros is the Star Fox team. Fox, Flaco and Wolf. They are all the same. Why waste space with Wolf when you could of put someone like Kystle in? That way you are keeping someone from the game but is likely to have a different move set. Just a thought.

Now all this talk about the moves leads nicely on to how to pull them off. And in true Nintendo style it's kept really simple. Now each charter has 8 basic moves that you can pull off. This involves the use of the A and B button and what direction you tap on the control stick.
The A is used for what are called smashes. In other words punching, kicking, clawing and biting. The B button are the special moves which are unique to each character. Well them and their clone. For example Mario basic B move (standing still and tapping B) is a fire ball where Yoshi's is to stick his toung out and shallow the enemy. Oh Yoshi you saucy thing you.

Now not wanting to have just another fighting game, Nintendo have thrown in another feature to make things interesting. You don't lose the match based on having a set bar health depleted. This doesn't mean that you can let your self get hit. Oh no no no. The more you get hit the higher your health % goes up and the further you get sent flying. Up until you're sent sailing off the screen. To which you then lose a life. But this opens up a whole new set up. How embarrassing would it be if you managed to get your friends damage up to 200% (Most people get knock out of the arena at around 150%) only to have them pull a reversal and wham bam straight to the moon. I would say it would be very.

What I expect.
Now as you can guess from all these words I'm very into Smash Bros. I've been counting every second for Brawl to be released in the U.K. Every unantagonizing second. I wanted to know how they have improved on and added to a game, that in my eyes is a very polished. Now the biggest feature I've been looking forward to is of course the on-line gameplay. If you where to ask me a couple of years ago if this was important then I would have said "No". But back then I lived close to all my friends and we would all have free time and be able to go around to each others houses. Now we work. Oh how it sucks. Can't buy games with no money. Need to work to get money. Can't play games because we're at work all the time. The cycle is vicious. Anyway back to the point. Now on-line gameplay is essential for any multi-player game. Now with Smash Bros you can play the single player game but it is predominately a Multi-player affair.
If Nintendo nail on-line play on the head then will have a contender for Game of the year. If they don't then we'll be looking at Super Smash Bros Melee 1.5. Better graphics, better sound but all in all the same game.

Graphics and Sound
Now the graphics are far superior to the originals. At first I didn't notice, but on one of my friend's request (Yeah I'm talk about you J), I went and played Malee right after Brawl. Damn. You don't realize how your brain make a happy memory even better. Just so you can see heres some comparisons I found on the net.
The most noticeable thing is Link's (the dude in green) hair. Well at least to me it is.
The sound, even though it is not orchestrated is great. You will hear the some tunes and you stop humming them for days. I know this is a fact because every one at work gives my evils the moment I start any type of humming now. Over all the Music and Graphics are crisp and clear. What more could you want?

On-Line
Now you might of noticed that I left this part till last. I felt that it was necessary because Brawl is a good game...Well. It is if you can get your friends around to play it that is.
It rested on the on-line functionally of the game to prove that Nintendo can hold it's own in the gaming world at present. Sadly, as you can properly tell from my previous comment, it didn't.
(You will have to trust me one this. It actually hurts to say it. Being a Nintendo fanboy and all.)
The first reason (there is more then one) why on-line sucks do-do is the lag. A 90 year old granny, that has arthisits in all her joints and has riggo-bloody-mortis setting in because she is so close to death is quicker then this game on-line.
Take this as an example of the lag. One of my friends live on the other side of London from me. I would say it just about 10 miles or so. We couldn't connect. Another problem we had was those blasted Friend Codes. And that's the second reason why the game fails in the on-line market.
Its not easy trading codes. There's no guaranty hat both parties will add each other. And they are so long as well. Why can't Nintendo make set User Names?
Now I've have competed in 3 matches that were bearable. I try to play on-line 40 times. That means that I have a 7.5% of getting a decent Brawl going. =0(
And before any one tries to say my connection must have aids or something. It doesn't. My 360 plays perfectly well online, even while my mum is surfing using the wi-fi connection.

Overall
I was expecting so much but received so little for a game that had such a delayed release. You would think all the bugs would have been iron out. But it seems that they have been left in. After the brilliant Super Mario Galaxy, I belived that Nintendo were going to look after there own brands. However after playing Mario Kart and Brawl I doubt that very much. The fan boy in me wants to give in and say "Yeah this game Kick Arse" 10 out of 10!" But I can't lie. Not even on Nintendo behalf. Sadly it's more "Dude. This game Sucks Ass. 6 out of 10."
If you have the money to spare then it's a ok addition to your collection. Other wise save it for a rainy day.

Gameplay	4/5	Simple and easy to learn. But can get repetitive in signal player. And clones don’t do it for me.
Multi-player	4/5	You won’t be able to get a better multi-player game. Would be 5/5 if it weren’t for the…
On-line	0/5	L…A…G
Graphics & Sound	4/5	Beautifully renderer and clear as a summer’s morning (well as a summer morning somewhere other then England). It’s a shame the music wasn’t orchestrated.
Overall	60%	Just so you understand 0 is “Crap”, 5 is “Average” and 10 is “Wow”. Only a dew games deserve a “Wow” and this game is definitely not one of them.