Gateway

Issue date: 3/11/08 Section: Arts & Leisure

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The time has come. "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" is upon us and many of you probably already have your disc in hand. After the game's initial delay from December to March, gamers have been waiting patiently for its arrival. New characters, items and gameplay promise to take "Brawl" to the next level. But what exactly did Nintendo add to an already popular series?



Characters

The character roster has been shaken up quite a bit for this rendition. A few combatants have been dropped, such as Mewtwo, Roy and Dr. Mario. To offset this, tons of new fighters have been added. On the bill are Diddy Kong, ROB, Pokemon Trainer, Lucas, Lucario, Captain Olimar, Solid Snake and Sonic the Hedgehog.

Yes that's right, following their heated competition at the "Olympic Games," the gloves are off as Mario and Sonic tackle each other in fierce combat at long last. If you're anything like me, this is a childhood dream come true. Solid Snake makes for an interesting appearance, proving that "Metal Gear" creator Hideo Kojima still has some love for Nintendo.



Stages

New stages are a given with the game's new characters. In addition to this, many of the best levels from previous installments are included, giving players a plethora of choices. Delfino Plaza from "Super Mario Sunshine" travels between locations, reminiscent of Melee's F-Zero stage. Rumble Falls, a setting from "Donkey Kong," scrolls upward as players fight it out.

Smashville, from the game "Animal Crossing," features a relatively flat stage, while the lighting and setting changes with the Wii's internal clock - and just as in the game, players playing Saturday night at 8 p.m.. will be treated to a performance by K.K. Slider, a famous singing dog.

Some other fan-favorites will include the Bridge of Elden from Zelda's "Twilight Princess" game, "Luigi's Mansion," a stage from "Mario Kart" with fighting occurring on the track in the middle of a race and a scrolling recreation from the first level of the original NES version of Mario Bros.

Some of the more interesting levels come from DS games, including "Warioware," which features random bursts of scene change, and "Pictochat," during which drawings appear on the stage, such as platforms and whales.

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