Super Smash Bros. Brawl
I just ordered mine today. No telling when I'll get it, but I'm really excited. I've always been a fan of the Smash Bros. series since N64.
This release features loads of new characters. Some of the choices are different. I would have never expected Snake of the Metal Gear. "Pokemon Trainer" is an interesting choice. No name, just Pokemon Trainer. Maybe Professor [insert plant here] will ask you who you are when you choose this character. You can finally play as King Dedede and Pit now. No Ridley yet, of course. Ridley is a boss in this version at least.
The stages are apparently going to be much more interactive in this release, including destructable terrain and time-based events. You can create your own stages now for the first time as well.
Last really new feature is the online play. It includes the familiar battle modes and a few other new contests. The ability to spectate and bet coins on matches is also available.
I'll post a followup once I get my hands on the game.
You can find more information at Wikipedia.
Apparently, SSBB is now the fast selling Nintendo game. source
Of course, I ordered it one day before launch and got it on time. :-)
Also, Toon Link is the biggest pain in the ass to get. He's about as powerful as regular link, but fast and small. It took me a few tries to get the little sucker. I recommend using Sonic against him.
I have also played this game at a freinds house. my initial impressions of multiplayer were that it's pretty much the same as SSBM, not exactly a bad thing. I've yet to play the story mode, although i plan on picking it up this week sometime.
I've played the game about a week now and I'm very impressed.
The level design for each brawl stage is incredibly creative. I especially like the WarioWare, Inc. stage, which features WarioWare games amongst the combat. The Pictochat is another fun one. Drawings appear on the screen and interact with the characters in various ways, such as large spikes that send you flying and giant heads that attempt to blow you off the stage.
The new characters are tons of fun too. Wario, my new favorite character, is quite unusual to play as. He pulls a lot of personality from the WarioWare series in Brawl. His exaggerated attacks make me smile in addition to foes flying. A word on pokemon trainer also. You play as his pokemon, squirtle, ivysaur, and charizard, instead of him. It gives the player a wide range of options depending on the opponent because squirtle is fast, charizard is tough, and ivysaur is in between.
The new final smash moves make brawl gameplay intense. Soon as a smash ball pops into existence, everyone scrambles. Every volley of blows to the smash ball incites suspense and angst ensues when it escapes into the clutches of the opponent. Of course, as soon as someone busts the ball everyone else is in trouble. Most of the final smash moves will take out at least one opponent and some, like that of Samus, Mario, and Wario, will allow the user to take out several opponents, including the same one multiple times. The addition of the final smash makes Brawl Brawl instead of just a better Melee.
Now for the final big addition, the Subspace Emissary. It's a much more interesting adventure/story mode than that of Melee. The stages are much, much, much longer. Where in Melee, they were intermissions to the fights, in Brawl, the fights are interruptions in the stages. The adventure mode plays more like platform game than a fighting one, even with the bosses.
I'm looking forward to seeing how Nintendo will top this game.
I played it today at my friends, I'm pretty much in love with being Pit, Lucario is pretty cool too cause I liked Mewtwo but couldn't ever get the hold of his jumping style.