EXCLUSIVE: Cloud Strife to join the Brawl via DLC!

That's right, you heard it here first! I got exclusive word from Square-Enix that Cloud Strife will be making a long-awaited appearance in Nintendo's blockbuster hit, Super Smash Bros. Brawl! I am incredibly privileged to have been made privy to this top-secret information, and it is my honour to reveal this to you all.

As of now, no art or screenshots of Cloud in Super Smash Bros. Brawl exist, as this is still at the very early stages of production. The above image was sloppily made up by me in a hurry as I quivered with excitement. Not only is the one and only Cloud Strife confirmed to be appearing in Brawl, but Square-Enix chose me to announce it to the world! I still can't believe this. It's too good to be true!

Included in this e-mail from Square-Enix (They requested I keep the contact's name confidential) is a planned moveset for Cloud. It goes as follows:

Standard Attack: Slash
Running Standard Attack: Charge
Down Standard Attack: Drill Slash
Up Standard Attack: Thrust
Special Attack: Firaga
Side Special: Thundaga
Down Special: Blizzaga
Up Special: Aero
Smash Attack: Double Cut
Final Smash: Meteor

Those are all the details I was given. I still can't believe this is really happening! But don't get too excited yet, folks. This is still far from hitting the Shop Channel. My contact told me that the earliest possible release would be this time next year. The company already has it's fair share of projects in development as of now, and they seem to be considering Cloud Strife to be somewhat low priority. One quote from the e-mail (I've been told partial replication is okay) is as follows:

We're very excited to be bringing our legendary Cloud Strife to the world of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. But not as excited as we are about Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, The World Ends With You and Final Fantasy VII: The Quest for More Money. As of now we have at least one man working on Cloud at every moment, unless we decide the programmer is more needed elsewhere, in which case development of Cloud Strife screeches to a halt.

We're not worried about getting striking while the iron's still hot. We prefer to bludgeon the iron once it's cooled, squeezing every last valuable asset out of it. That's a saying we have around here. It's the Square-Enix way.

So when we do finally finish developing Cloud Strife for use in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we'll be sure to make him as affordable as possible to the casual consumer. We're thinking a base cost of 2000 Wii Points, with an extra charge to make him compatible with the other control schemes. Oh, did I forget to mention? The basic Cloud Strife download will only function when the player is using the sideways Wii remote controller configuration. Also, he will be incredibly weak before players download the "Level Up" package from the Wii Shop Channel, at a mere charge of 1500 Wii Points.

This may sound a little overpriced, but rest assured that this will be well worth the buyer's money. After all, this is a Square-Enix product. You just know it's gotta be good! So start saving your pennies now, consumer.

I can't wait!

Talk about this absolutely amazing development in the comment section, or in this forum thread.

The Duck Has Spoken.

Random Babbling 3

Well, my brain is totally tapped out for any real article ideas. So, I guess it's babbling time.

-I'm surprised to see so few other game companies trying out a Smash Bros. type game. Square-Enix's version would be awesome, with so many Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest characters totally beating on each other. I'd buy it for sure!
-I've been reading a lot of Mario Kart Wii previews, and I have a terrible feeling that it's going to be one of the franchise's worst entries yet... Tricks? What the heck, people? I thought this was Mario Kart, not Super Mario's Pro Skater.
-Augh, I noticed two big nicks on my DS today... I really gotta get a new one someday soon. The hinge-crack mocks me day and night, the top screen doesn't line up properly with the bottom half, and now there's small chunks of the lid missing. How did that last one even happen?
-GMod doesn't seem to have any way to change the graphical quality. This really sucks, since my PC can't handle the resolution it puts out without lag. I'll never be able to blow up a mattress fort now...
-Ah, dammit, the interference I'm getting on these speakers is driving me nuts. It sounds like pissed-off wasps are buzzing around inside them. At least turning on the music drowns it out a bit...
-My cat kept going nuts today. Screaming, running up and down the stairs... And her dad keeps jumping on the kitchen table for no reason. They're all insane. And to make matters worse, one of them just went into heat. Oh boy. At least the other two are somewhat calm.
-I still enjoy Nintendo Power, but it doesn't seem like quite the same magazine with Future at the helm. The previews, reviews and editorials are still good, but something else just doesn't quite fit right.
-Forum traffic seems to have nosedived lately... If any former posters are reading this, remember that the forums are always open!
-Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto. Domo. Domo...
-I'm really surprised at how much I like playing as Sonic in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I was always positive he was a terrible fit for the game, but he just works so well. And his Final Smash... Wow. Can't get enough of that! (Sorry, Europeans!)
-One of my former favourite television channels has totally turned to crap as of late. All the good shows are getting pulled, and they're being replaced by some of the worst programming I've ever seen. Bring back the good stuff, dammit!
-So, they announced a Spectrobes sequel. Good thing, because it has a crapload of potential that the first game missed. I hope they get it right this time.
-They're making a Drawn to Life spin-off with Spongebob in it. Wicked stuff, man. I wonder what else Mr. Squarepants would be a good fit with? A Katamari-style game, with a huge, round Bob rolling up a bunch of stuff? Toss in some unique gameplay twists and witty writing, and I'm in!
-I think we've seen enough Brawl reviews now, people. I sort of felt bad writing my review, knowing how over-populated the topic is nowadays. Oh well, I had to do it. And now it's over.
-There's an empty unit in a plaza near my place that's been vacant for over a year. The lights always seem to be on, and there's paper covering all the windows. What the heck is going on?
-I find myself wondering a lot if some of the people I pass on the street know of my online persona. I could pass by a good online friend and not even know it! Does anyone else ever wonder this, or is it just me?

Well, that's that, I guess. Sorry for the crappy little articles lately, but the Brawl review totally drained me of... Um... Stuff. I can't even think of the word...

Talk about this in the comment section or this forum thread, yadda yadda. You know the drill.

The Duck Has Spoken.

Poll #31: "What control scheme in Brawl do you use most?" results. banner, news

Make sure to look below this post for a bonus article I wrote yesterday!

"Sideways Wiimote" 0 votes (0%)
"Wiimote and Nunchuk" 7 votes (20%)
"Classic Controller" 4 votes (11%)
"Good Ol' Gamecube controller" 12 votes (35%)
"I haven't decided on one yet" 1 vote (2%)
"I don't have Brawl." 10 votes (29%)

Can't say I'm surprised. Sticking to the most familiar method just makes sense, really. I seem to favour the Wiimote and Nunchuk configuration though... I guess I'm just weird.

So then, this week's banner comes courtesy of forum member WJUK. The theme: Wii Fit. The relevance? I dunno, Wii Fit isn't due out for a couple months yet. But it's nicely done, so thar she blows.



Alrighty. This week's poll is "Are you a 'Snaker'?". This refers to the speed-boosting technique in the Mario Kart games, most infamously Mario Kart DS (Due to online racing). Personally, I'm not a snaker, and you can see my stance on this in the below article. But how about you?

As for tonight's article, there may or may not be one. First of all, I just got Garry's Mod, so I'll be messing with that for a while. Second, I wrote something last night. I know, I said on the forums I'd write tonight, too, but... Garry's Mod, dammit. I'm gonna go make Dr. Breen do a hula dance.

If I do write, it'll be a mini-article at most. Back in full force Wednesday.

The Duck Has Spoken.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl review Part 3: Side Attractions and The Final Score

Alright, the third and final part of the review. Here we go.



There is so much more to Brawl than what I've gone over so far. Seriously, I've had the game since Sunday, and there's still parts of it I've barely experienced. There's a whole bunch to say, and so little time to say it in. I might as well get started.

Stage Builder

This was probably the biggest surprise to me when it came to what was present in Brawl. Finally, the freedom to create our own stages to fight on! Unlike many level editors in games of the past, the one present in Brawl is insanely in depth, with a amazingly high limit for what goes in it. It's never too much of a stretch to fill out even the largest of stage sizes!

At first, the tools you have available to you are quite basic. You can put down solid platforms, pass-through platforms, ramps, ladders and a few unique structures that don't really do anything special. But later on you can unlock even more props, from conveyor belts to springboards to a rotating, ferris wheel-like feature. You can even choose the level's theme (Mountain, technology or spooky) and background music! There's barely any limits here but your own creativity!

And don't worry about filling up your Wii memory. Know why Brawl takes up so many memory blocks? About 100 of those blocks are actually reserved spaces for saved stages and at least one other thing (See "Album"). Each level, no matter what the size, takes up only one block, so you'd need to do a lot of building to run out of space! And if you do run out of space, just copy your data to an SD card. It's as simple as that, really.

Album

A fun feature of Super Smash Bros. Melee was the picture-taking mode. In it, you'd find a way to make your character get into a funny, bizarre, or otherwise interesting pose, take a snapshot of it, and save it to your memory card. This was nice, but a little limited. Brawl fixes all this by allowing players to take pictures at almost any time, be it during Brawls, local multiplayer, or even the Subspace Emissary! And they can save it to the same reserved 100 blocks used by the Stage Builder, with each picture again taking up a paltry 1 block.

Okay, so you took some funny pics. Where do you go from there? First of all, you can send your pics to all your Brawl pals! Without even leaving the Disc Channel, you can go right to the Album and send out some screens to your friends. You can also save the pics to an SD card, and take them to your friends house and show it off on their Wii.

There's one other way to distribute your pics, but this is a little bit more out there. Using a certain program available online, you can take the .bin files and turn them into .JPGs with ease! Now you can host them onlineand show them off to the whole world! And that's exactly what I'm about to do:

Oh jeez!

He's faaaaaaaaalliiiiiiiiiiing....

Princess Peach gracefully drops into the fray

Metal Sonic shines beautifully in the sunrise

This particular method involves a slight drop in image quality, but the awesomeness still shines brightly!

Collectibles

There are three main categories for collectible items in Super Smash Bros. Brawl: CDs, stickers and trophies. They each serve a different purpose, and there's at least a hundred of each to collect. First, the CDs.

When you first play Super Smash Bros. Brawl, you'll have a somewhat small library of music to listen to while brawling. That's where the CDs come into play. By picking up these items scattered across The Subspace Emissary, Classic Mode and even in standard Brawls, you can add one song apiece to your audio library. Don't worry about collecting doubles, it won't happen. And once you get them all, they'll stop appearing. That's really all there is to know about CDs.

Stickers are probably the most complex of the three collectibles. Like CDs, they appear in all sorts of places. When picked up, they immediately float off to your collection in the Subspace Emissary. What's the point of stickers? You can use them to power up your characters by sticking them to the bottom of their trophy. By going to the menu in The Subspace Emissary, you can choose any one of the characters you have on your team and apply a sticker to their trophy base. Whatever effect the sticker has will go into effect immediately. Stickers can do anything from boost your characters kicking attacks to increasing resistance to electrical hazards. Careful application of stickers is key to strengthening your character for the long road ahead.

These stickers only work on the character who's base they are applied to, so if you have thirty-something team members, it's going to take quite a while to outfit them all with their appropriate stickers. Also, you can't seem to apply stickers in any orientation other than upright. Sometimes I see a space where a sticker would fit, but only if I could turn it by 90 or so degrees. But no such luck there. And finally, you can only apply one sticker per stat. For example, if you have two electrical attack-boosting stickers applied to a character's base, only the strongest sticker will have an effect, with the other doing nothing more than take up space.

Anyone who's played Super Smash Bros. Melee should be well acquainted with trophies, but if for some bizarre chance you haven't played Melee, here's the run-down. Everyone else, feel free to skip this part. Trophies are virtual statues of video game characters, items and more from Nintendo's long history of gaming. They serve no purpose but to be collected, but it's actually getting some of them that can be a problem. Some trophies can only be acquired by getting a certain amount of points in one of Brawl's many Side Attractions, or sometimes from beating an entire mode. Trophies serve as a player's proof of their skill and dedication to the game, and a large collection is a true prize to have.

Stadium Modes

From the start, there are three modes available to play in the Stadium menu: Home-Run Contest, Multi-Man Brawl and Target Smash. There's also at least one more mode you can unlock later on, but I won't spoil it for you.

The Home-Run Contest is almost exactly as you remember it from Super Smash Bros. Melee. Poor ol' Sandbag is still there, and you still gotta beat the crap out of him and give him a good whack with the Home-Run Bat. There are a few minor changes, though. First, there is a weak barrier surrounding the platform where you lay the smack down on Mr. Sandbag. This way you can knock him into the walls a few times without worrying about him falling off the platform and ending your attempt. Second, there are several multiplayer options. You can play with a pal, working together to get that damage meter good and full. You can also play against your friend, competing to knock the Sandbag further. And you can also take both multiplayer modes online, playing against or with your internet buddies.

Multi-Man Brawl is still basically the same as it was in Melee. You still fight against a whole buttload of faceless enemies, aiming to kill as many of them as possible in a small time frame. Luckily, they just fly off the screen if you sneeze at them in most modes. However, there is one positively brutal mode contained here, and that is called Cruel Brawl. In this mode, the enemies do obscene amounts of damage to you, and can send you flying even if you're at perfect health. It's pure insanity, and you're lucky if you can down even two of them before you bite the dust. Hell, I find it hard to even make a dent in one of them, let alone actually defeat one. But it's damn fun to try.

Again, Target Smash is a mode that has undergone very few changes since it's last appearance. You still play as whichever character you please and break all the targets as fast as possible without falling off the stage. There's been a bit of scaling back, though. There are only five stages between the game's 35 fighters, instead of each character having one level to themselves. But that would mean making nearly three dozen different stages, and holy crap would that take up a lot of space. But it's still really fun to go nuts and try to break them all at light speed. Just don't expect much variety.

Events

Also returning from Melee are the events. Event Mode consists entirely of several challenges that the player must overcome. From fighting Link's doppleganger to taking on Bowser and Dedede as Mario, the events are both insane and skill-testing. There's really nothing more to be said about events, other than they serve to unlock many things, such as trophies, stages and music. But then again, so does everything in Brawl!

Online Brawling

Of course, one of the biggest sources of hype surrounding Brawl is the inclusion of online battling. Players can finally take the Brawl to the internet and play against up to three random people from around the world, proving their skills in a battle of global proportions. The rules are the same as usual, with time limits locked at two minutes and stages chosen by the combatants. Players choose their characters, and get the chance to practice their moves on Sandbag while waiting to connect.

I can't accurately judge the quality of the internet play in Brawl, considering I've only fought online about four times. And although every battle was incredibly laggy, I cannot blame that on Nintendo. The blame lies entirely on my crap-tacular wireless internet, which I hate. But in the rare instances when the wireless was working well and things were moving at a good speed, battling online was smooth and problem-free. It's fun, but I'd like it a whole lot more if I could play it more steadily.

And finally the review comes to an end...

The Final Score

Gameplay: 10/10
Without a doubt, Brawl gets a perfect score for it's gameplay. With so many characters to choose from, so many modes to play in, and so many things to unlock, Brawl is sure to keep any Smash fan busy for ages. I've played this game for a week, and I still feel like there's so much for me to find. I'll be unlocking things for weeks to come, and I doubt it will grow any less exciting any time soon.

Graphics: 10/10
Really, no other score could do these graphics justice. It's an amazingly beautiful game, right down to the texture on Mario's overalls. Everything moves so smoothly, and each and every facet is rendered with the utmost care. Definitely one of the Wii's best looking games yet.

Audio: 10/10
Again, any score less than this would be wrong. Mario's "Yahoo"s, Snake's "Show time!"s and Sonic's "Come on, step it up!"s are all acted out amazingly, with crystal-clear clarity. The sound effects are also brilliant, with classic sounds mixed in here and there with the high-end audio of today. And the music is simply stunning. I should expect no less from Nobuo Oematsu of Final Fantasy fame. His works have never let me down yet. An amazing game to both see and hear.

Multiplayer: 10/10
Almost everything in Brawl is multiplayer-ready. Home-Run Contest, Multi-Man Brawl, The Subspace Emissary... Unless it has "Solo" written above it, there's a multiplayer option! And from what I've seen of the online Brawls, even those without friends who Smash are sure to find opponents readily and fairly easily.

Longevity: 10/10
No question about it, Brawl is a game that will last any gamer for weeks at least. After about a month you may make another game your currently-played focus, but you'll be going back to Brawl for seconds, thirds and fourths for quite some time to come. With unlockables coming out the wazoo, there's plenty of reason to play this game over and over again.

OVERALL SCORE: 10/10
I feel somewhat bad giving the a ten out of ten score. It really deserves an eleven! With breathtaking graphics, engaging gameplay and dozens of different play modes, it's a game for the history books. But that's not to say everyone will like it. There are those out there who don't get the charm of Smash Bros., and this will not change their minds. But those of us who love the series are sure to be extremely pleased by this latest offering.

So that's it. Brawl Week has come to a close. The review is done, and my verdict has been rendered. Feel free to sound off on this in the comment section, or in this forum thread. I look forward to hearing from you!

The Duck Has Spoken.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl review Part 2: The Main Attractions

Slight change of plans! I'm gonna write about the core of the game tonight, with the bonus features and such on Friday. Not only does this make more sense (Bonus features before the main game? What?), but I have more experience with Adventure, VS and Classic than anything else so far. So today we'll have The Subspace Emissary, Brawl and Classic Mode.



This part of the review is all about the real core aspects of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The parts that people are most likely to head to first thing after opening the game case. These are the main attractions of Brawl.



Perhaps the biggest and most unexpected addition to the Smash Bros. franchise is an in-depth adventure mode. Unlike Melee's stream of boss battles separated by platforming segments and no story holding it together, The Subspace Emissary is a true, fully in-depth adventure mode with a storyline.

The storyline? Basic. Happy world gets overtaken by evil force with no apparent motivation other than disrupting the content citizens. But really, story means little in any fighting game, so why should Brawl buck the trend? It serves it's purpose as a means of intertwining the universes of the characters within it, and that's all it really needs to do. Snake's presence is somewhat odd, though. He doesn't appear to be on any mission from the colonel or anything. He just seems to feel like fighting this bizarre force for whatever reason. And Sonic's entrance could have been a bit more explained, but eh, he's in Brawl, and that's what really matters.

The platforming segments in The Subspace Emissary are actually quite enjoyable, surprisingly. The stages are constructed well, and the original enemies created just for Brawl are all really interesting to fight. Each foe requires a different approach, but there'll all defeatable no matter which character you play as.

Speaking of characters, the first time you play any stage in The Subspace Emissary, your choice of fighters is limited to whoever is present at that point in the story. For example, in the first stage you can only play as Mario or Kirby. Whenever you lose a life, your current character is switched with the next one in line. So if you chose to play as Link, Pit, Meta Knight and Sonic in that order, Pit would become your fighter after Link's death, followed by Meta Knight, and finally Sonic. If you manage to pick up extra lives within the mission, the cycle will begin again, with Link taking Sonic's place.

The second time you play any stage, the character you play as can be anyone you've met up with so far in the Subspace Emissary. Say you've met up with twelve characters in story mode so far. You'd be able to choose a maximum of six fighters from the twelve to take with you into the level (Actual party sizes vary from level to level). If you've unlocked a character for standard play, but not had him or her join your team in the Subspace Emissary, they will not be selectable for use in and level until you get them to join your team. For example, even though 21 fighters are available for free play when first starting up Super Smash Bros. Brawl, only the ones you've met in story mode will be playable in The Subspace Emissary.

And of course, you can't play as a character you've unlocked in one save file if you're playing in another. The Subspace Emissary has literally dozens of save files for you to choose from. Finding it hard to keep track of which save file of the 30 saves is the one you wish to play? No prob, as each file can be named at the start of a new adventure. However, files cannot be renamed later on, so choose a good title! I've learned the hard way that leaving it blank is not a good idea. So name your files, folks, lest you lose them in the sea of gamesaves!

Having trouble fighting your way through the story mode on your own? Well, call over a friend and have him or her grab a controller! Every single level in The Subspace Emissary is prepped for cooperative action! When a second player joins in, they take the role of the next character in line. What if it's a stage with only one character? The second player plays as the same fighter as the first player, but with a different colour scheme. Sure, this raises even further questions as to what the heck's going on in The Subspace Emissary, but plotholes like this tend to develop when co-op play in integrated, so I guess we just have to deal with it. And besides, it's not like there's a whole bunch of storyline there to be corrupted.

The Subspace Emissary also brings with it a new way of collecting trophies. Want your own personal trophy of an enemy you see running around? Well, that's where the trophy stand comes in!

Gasp! A trophy stand!

Trophy stands are somewhat unique items. When thrown at an enemy, they can change them into a trophy for your collection! Certain weaker enemies are vulnerable to this item when at full health, but other more stubborn foes need to be weakened first. Think of it like using a Pokéball, but with the prize being a bit more foreign.

For some enemies, this is the only way to get them in trophy form. So you'll have to be diligent in order to catch 'em all!

Overall, I'm surprised at how enjoyable The Subspace Emissary turned out to be. You're first run through will likely clock in at about 10 to 15 hours, which is pretty amazing for a story mode that isn't even the main focus of the game! There are several difficulty levels and many unlockables begging you to come back, and I've found myself answering the call. The Subspace Emissary should keep any Brawl fan busy for quite a while.


Ah yes, here's the one mode people really get hyped about: Brawl! Yep, that's it's name, don't wear it out! The mode is exactly what is sounds like: A huge freaking fight. This is where you and three of your pals come to lay it all down and beat each other's brains out without having to call an ambulance.

You have plenty of arenas right from the get-go, with 23 new stages, 6 returning levels from Melee, and 3 demo levels from the Stage Builder (More on that Friday). Among these stages are brand new arenas with destructible environments, bizarre effects and insane premises. A little bit from every fighter's heritage is present in these stages, so they feel right at home in Brawl.

Speaking of playable characters, a whopping 21 are available to fight right off the bat, featuring brawlers hailing from everywhere between Pikmin and Pokémon, and even games beyond those! An additional 14 fighters can be unlocked through many methods, from reaching a certain point in The Subspace Emissary to playing through Classic Mode as a particular character. There's so many people to choose from in Brawl, it's hard to decide which one you like best!

You have a real good friend that you can't bring yourself to fight, but still feel like playing together? Team Matches sound just like what the doctor ordered! With you and your pal fighting together, you can face off against immensely tough computer enemies, or even another team filled with human players! It'd probably be neat for two gaming couples to face-off against each other. Love can conquer all, but can it defeat even more love? Tune in to find out!



And here's a game mode all long-time fans should be familiar with: Classic! Present in every Brawl game since the series began on the Nintendo 64, Classic Mode couldn't be any more aptly named. The premise is simple: Players fight their way through a gauntlet of foes from all the furthest reaches of the character roster. While the order may seem random at first, it does follow a loose guideline. For example, the first round will always be against a Zelda character, and round three will always feature a foe from the Pokémon series. The specific enemies from the franchise that you fight are random, though, and that's where the predictability gets tossed out the window. Oh, and the stage is random, too. I guess there really isn't anything to expect at all.

As was the case with The Subspace Emissary, Classic Mode also comes with several difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, Hard, Very Hard and Intense. So choose whichever flavour suits your skill level, and off you go. A dozen battles await you, and you've only got a maximum of five lives to carry you through them all. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Also scattered in with the Brawl barrage is the occasional Break the Targets! stage. I'll go more into detail on this on Friday, but basically, you have to break all the on-screen targets as fast as possible without dying. Well, okay, so that's basically all there is. There's a few tiny little aspects left to go over, but I'll leave that until Part 3.

There's certainly no shortage of content here from the Brawl fans. From The Subspace Emissary to Brawl to Classic Mode, there's tonnes of things to do here. But wait, there's more! Super Smash Bros. Brawl still has plenty more where that came from, and I'll review the rest of it Friday in Part 3! Until then, Brawl long and prosper!

Like what you see? Want to complain? Just feel like yakking? Feel free to blather on in the comments section, or in this forum thread.

The Duck Has Spoken.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl review Part 1: The controls

It's finally here. Super Smash Bros. Brawl has at last hit North American store shelves. Due to the sheer size of this game, I have declared Brawl Week. Every post from now until Friday will be one part of a massive Brawl review, with Friday's article being the biggest of all. In this first installment, I will be reviewing the many control schemes available to be used in the game.



In total, there are four different control schemes available to the player: The Wiimote turned on its side, the standard Wiimote and Nunchuk combo, the Classic Controller, and the tried-and-true Gamecube controller. Here's how they all fare.

The Sideways Wiimote

This is the most basic of all available layouts. All basic moves are easily available to even the least experienced of gamers, with every advanced move only a few button combos away.

Smash Attacks can be triggered in one of two ways: By pressing 1 and 2 at the same time (As listed above), or by tapping either left or right on the D-Pad (Depending on where you want the attack to go), quickly followed by pressing the 2 button. Most new players will likely stick to the simpler 1+2 method, but the flick and press execution is sure to appeal to the veterans.

A great control scheme for both new and old. Everything is right there in the open, ready to be used. The "one taunt only" part kinda sucks, though.

Wiimote and Nunchuk

Next up on the scale of basic is the Wiimote and Nunchuk combo. By now every Wii owner should be good and familiar with this one, so it's great for the newcomers ready to take the next step.

Purists can rest, as the motion controls for this game are virtually non-existent. I say "virtually", because players can choose to assign motion controls if they wish. Not sure why they'd want to, though. They don't exactly sound like a good idea.

This is actually a pretty solid configuration, with a few minor shortcomings. First of all, none of the places that look like good candidates for pointer support actually work with the infra-red. In fact, there's no IR support at all, not even on the menus! That's a real pain.

The Classic Controller

Next we have the Classic Controller, which sits above the Wiimote and Nunchuk on yet another notch away from basic. Great for intermediate players and pros alike.

The Classic Controller layout is incredibly similar to that of the traditional Gamecube controller, with the only two differences being the placement of the Z buttons and the relocated D-Pad.

There are a few problems with this control scheme. First of all, reaching the Z buttons between the L and R triggers can be a bit of a pain. Second, having the X and Y buttons serve as nothing more than secondary jumps is pretty, well, stupid. Why they didn't offer them as alternate grab buttons is beyond me. But besides this, it's a solid control scheme.

The Gamecube Controller

As you can tell from the above diagram, the Gamecube controller is surely the most complex of the four available control schemes. I would suggest it only to the advanced and veteran players. Everyone else would be better off sticking to one of the other three.

The Gamecube layout is likely the most solidly laid out of all four control methods. After all, if worked wonders back in Melee, and the other three control schemes are modeled after that. Often imitated and never duplicated, the Gamecube controller is the peak of performance.

There's no two ways about it, folks. When it comes to doing the job, the Gamecube controller is unmatched. It's the controller the game's been built around, and the seven year familiarity is a huge bonus to hardcore players.

While everyone of the controls schemes is great, the Gamecube controller is certainly the best. While I prefer the Wiimote and Nunchuk combo (Wireless is a huge factor for me. I need some Wavebirds...), I can tell for sure that the good ol' 'Cubes lumpy gamepad is the way to go for the advanced gamer.

And that's part one of Super Smash Bros. Brawl's three part review. Don't forget to come back on Wednesday for the next installment! Until then, keep on gaming!

Feel free to discuss this article in either the comments section or this forum thread. Or even both, whatever floats your boat.

The Duck Has Spoken.

Poll #30: "Will you be getting Brawl on day one?" results, banner, news

"Hell yes!" 32 (82%)
"Perhaps" 0 (0%)
"Nope" 4 (10%)
"Already imported it!" 2 (5%)
"Other" 1 (2%)

Well, damned if those results weren't expected! When I stood in line on Sunday, it was the biggest grouping of gamers I've seen yet! Possibly even bigger than the Wii launch itself! I'm lucky I got there when I did, or else my place in third would have been a far-off dream.

So, in keeping with the Brawl madness, this week's banner is based around the game of the hour. Yeah, the trimming around Sonic blows chunks. At least I tried.



Okay then, here's this week's poll: "What control scheme in Brawl do you use most?" Kotaku rip-off? Sorta, but this is a pretty different audience here, so I'm curious to see how different the results turn out. Plus, everyone's doing something Brawl related as a poll, so oh well.

...and I kinda though up this poll before I saw the Kotaku one, but time travel has yet to be perfected.

Anyways, I prefer the Wiimote and Nunchuk. I started off with the Gamecube controller, but after trying out the others, the two-handed method really worked for me. Classic controller is pretty cool, and I'm surprised how much they managed to cram into the sideways Wiimote. But I'll leave anything more to the review...

Speaking of the review, it's going to be a little different this week. Every post from now until Friday is going to be part of a Brawl review. Tonight will be about the controls, Wednesday will be about the non-Brawl modes, and Friday will be about the main events. It's such a huge game that cramming it all into one review just doesn't seem right to me. So three parts it is!

Let Brawl Week begin!

The Duck Has Spoken.

Poll #22: "Who's your favourite newcomer to Super Smash Bros. Brawl so far?" results, banner, news

"Sonic" 10 votes (20%)
"Pit" 8 votes (16%)
"Diddy Kong" 0 votes (0%)
"Pokémon Trainer" 6 votes (12%)
"Lucas" 1 vote (2%)
"Wario" 0 votes (0%)
"Ike" 1 vote (2%)
"Zero Suit Samus" 3 votes (6%)
"Snake" 6 votes (12%)
"Meta Knight" 6 votes (12%)
"King Dedede" 3 votes (6%)
"I don't know!" 2 votes (4%)
"They all rock equally!" 4 votes (8%)

A pretty fair spread, with a slight lean towards Sonic. Not unexpected, really. We've been waiting for this battle for over 15 years! Also, I voted Snake. He's just too awesome to ignore!

There will be no new poll here this week. Polls will resume on the 6th of January. Also, the next article will be posted Friday, December 28th. After that, no more posts until Friday, January 4th. I do have to take a vacation, you know!

Finally, there's a new, holiday themed banner up top. As you can see, I only included Christmas-related images. I didn't due this to exclude other religions, it's just I don't know much about Hanukkah or the other events occurring around this time. So rather than offend somebody by misusing an image in an inappropriate way, I stuck to what I knew. However, I did say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. I still want to wish everyone a good time!

Okay then, folks. I'll see you again on Friday. Until then, have a Merry Christmas (If you celebrate it)! I'll wish you a happy new year on the 28th!

The Duck Has Spoken.

A huge idea for a Smash Bros. Brawl stage

Many badly-drawn Paint images ahead. You've been warned...



Look at the so-far-unveiled Super Smash Bros. Brawl stages: There's something from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Shadow Moses Island from Metal Gear Solid, and even New Pork City from Mother 3. But as of yet, we've yet to see anything from the main man's latest adventure, Super Mario Galaxy. Delfino Island's nice, but how about something a little more cosmic?

How about a level based on the Good Egg Galaxy? Think of the gravity-bending possibilities! Following are some (Incredibly badly drawn) examples of just how this could be pulled off.

Yoshi Egg Planet

Of course, the Galaxy's namesake egg planet would have to be there! The arrows represent the gravitational pull, by the way. As you can see, the gravity on the Yoshi Egg Planet draws all fighters to the oblong body. Due to the fact that the planet is round, all sides can be walked on, even those of which seem to be impossible to walk on by standard Super Smash Bros. logic.

Basically, you can stand on any surface of this planet. Thusly it's impossible to fall off. How will you defeat your enemies, then? You'll just have to get their damage count so high that they break the gravitational pull of the Egg. Then, they'll simply fly off the edges of the screen and die with the traditional Smash Bros. explosion. It's really a lot more simple than it may sound.

Hole-Filled Planet

Again, like the Yoshi Egg Planet, this is based on a real celestial body of the Good Egg Galaxy. It's shaped like a doughnut, and the green, grassy areas can be stood on. As you can see, there's a black hole in the center of the planet, and that'll be the main method of defeating your enemies. Just knock 'em into one of the planet's holes, and, barring a miraculous tether recovery, they'll get sucked into the vacuum and be destroyed.

Again, it'll be possible to kick your enemies out of the gravitational pull by damaging them enough, but with all these holes to fall into, it's somewhat less likely to happen.

Split Planet

Okay, this one isn't actually based on a planet in the Good Egg Galaxy, but still, it fits the theme. Strangely enough, there is no black hole in the center of this planet. Instead, every surface can be walked on. There is a bit of trickery going on with the gravity, however.

See those arrows with the lines through them? Those lines show where the gravity switches directions. For example, if you're standing in the lower half of the inner circle and jump past the line, you'll be pulled up to the upper half of the inside of the planet, and commence walking upside down. Neat!

Of course, there's one other possibility, and that's...

The entire Good Egg Galaxy

Again, as you can see, plenty of gravitational arrows and shifting polarity. I added a few planets to fill things out, but since none of them are really anything special, why bother describing them?

Basically, you can move from planet to planet by passing the gravitational barriers between each one. It's all set up in a big circle, so don't worry about ever ending up too far from your opponent(s).

Also, it could work something like the Rainbow Ride stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee, with each planet scrolling by as you fight. Either way, this would make for some intense battles.

Also, trajectories can be affected by how close something or someone passes by a planet. Take a look at the following example:



As you can see, the black dot represents the attacker, while the line shows the trajectory of the victim. After leaving the gravitational pull of the Hole-Filled Planet, the victim soon comes close to the Yoshi Egg Planet, giving a curve to his/her trajectory. However, the victim's velocity is too great, and he/she breaks free of the Yoshi Egg Planet's gravitational pull, and flies off the edge of the screen. Nuts, huh? Of course, the Egg and Hole-Filled planets are nowhere near each other in the above stage map, but hey, this is just an example.

So that's how I think a Super Mario Galaxy stage should be done in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. What are your thoughts on my ideas? Also, how would you have pulled it off?

The Duck Has Spoken.

Poll #14: "How do you feel about Super Smash Bros. Brawl being delayed?" results, banner, news

Sorry for it being a day late! Anywho, the poll results are in!

"NOOOO!!!" 4 votes (13%)
"Darn..." 4 votes (13%)
"Meh, I don't really care" 1 vote (3%)
"Whatever it takes to make Brawl great is fine by me" 20 votes (66%)
"It was delayed?" 1 vote (3%)

I'm glad so many people think so. Added time is just what's needed to make this game great. Without this delay, I doubt we'd be seeing much of an level editor in the final product, if at all!

This week's banner is by... Well, whaddya know, it's by me! Behind Smash, Mario Kart is probably my most anticipated title of 2008! Wanna submit a banner? Send it to my e-mail listed in the sidebar! Just make sure it's EXACTLY 760 pixels wide, and no taller than 300 pixels! And please, make sure it's appropriate.

There will be no article tomorrow. It's Halloween, and I'll be too busy snarfing down candy and watching movies to write. Back on Thursday!

Finally, make sure to vote in this week's poll, "How would you rate the Wii's current software library out of ten?"! Personally, I'd say it's an eight. There's a lot of great titles out there, but it's not amazing, yet. And some of the multi-platform games hitting the Wii are just pitiful... Hopefully third parties will clean up their act next year!

The Duck Has Spoken.

Mini-article: Duck to the Future

Sorry, cheesy title. I couldn't resist! Also, this will be all for tonight. Gotta hit the sack soon...

Also, article #150! Yay!



I've done a lot of predicting in the past. A LOT of it. Of course, many of my predictions have been, well, WRONG (Star Fox Wii at E3 2007? Nope!). But I have been right a few times. Here are some instances when I managed to see the future (Not really).

Ike's presence in Brawl

Way back on the first of June, I wrote an article called "My thoughts on new Smash Bros. characters". In it, I predicted the presence of none other than Ike from Fire Emblem. And two months later, Ike joins the Brawl. Pretty cool, huh? Okay, so I really just overheard somebody else suggest Ike, but hey, I ran with it! To whomever I overheard: Good call, dude.

Mario Kart Wii to be shown at E3 2007

Okay, I totally hit the nail on the head with this one! Withing 24 hours of E3 2007's beginning, I predicted that Mario Kart Wii would be shown at the conference. And guess what? I was right, baby! Okay, so I was wrong about everything else in that article, but hey! I predicted Mario Kart Wii perfectly!

Also, I just noticed that Mario and Luigi are driving invisible karts in that picture posted above. How cool is that? Neato.

Dedede's presence in Brawl

Okay, I'll admit I was a little bit off with this one. I predicted that Dedede would be a boss, not a playable character. Close enough! He's in Brawl, so I nearly saw this one coming. I was this close, man! Also, this was all my idea. No help, no overhearing, no consultation firm of highly imaginative business men. All me!

So then, I can kind of predict things maybe! Sure, my accuracy is about 8%*, but still, it's something! Have you ever guessed something would happen, only to find your prediction come true? Let's hear some stories from you seers and clairvoyants, hmm?

*An entirely made up number. Math is totally lost on me!

The Duck Has Spoken.

More ideas for Smash Bros. characters

Sequel to this article. Yeah, it's another sequel. I go with what works, alright? Also, the first two characters are entirely serious. The third? Yeah... Not so much...



As it stands now, there are two different third party characters in Brawl, each from a different developer. Konami brought us Solid Snake and SEGA gave us the long-awaited Sonic the Hedgehog. What other companies will be lending their characters to the Brawl? What other fighters can we expect come February 10th? Here are a few I've been pondering.


Capcom has given Nintendo many an amazing game, from Phoenix Wright to Resident Evil 4 to Mega man. I already covered the anime lawyer in the first volume of this article, rumblings of Leon Kennedy and such are already too common, and people just won't shut up about the Blue Bomber, so I've thought up one other possible newcomer.

This is such an obvious choice, it's a wonder that nobody else has mentioned it: Street Fighter's Ryu. Having originated in a fighting game, Ryu's attacks would be really quite natural. Punch, kick, jump, whatever, it's all there, and it's all so fitting for the Brawl. He would go well with other more realistic characters such as Solid Snake and Ike, and the contrast with more cartoony fighters such as Pikachu and Sonic is bound to be hilarious! His trademark stage could resemble that of a typical Street Fighter level, and as for his Final Smash? One word: HADOKEN!!! Ryu is a natural fit for Brawl, and I'm very excited at the possibilities! If he makes it in, I'll be one hell of a happy duck!


I touched on the possibility of a Square-Enix character back in the first iteration of my character articles. But now, I've thought up another!

Okay, maybe some other people have mentioned this as a possibility. In fact, I'd be surprised if they haven't! But I personally have never heard anything of the sort, so this idea is ALL MINE!! Anyways, Sora would also work very well in Brawl. Also, having appeared in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, he's eligible to appear in Brawl since he's been on a Nintendo system before. Sora would, of course, fight using his Keyblade and some low-level magic. His fighting style would be comparable to that of Roy from Melee, making a good replacement for the unlikely-to-return veteran. His Final Smash would probably involve a sort of "Friendship" move with Donald and Goofy, possibly summoning iconic Disney characters such as Simba, Genie and Stitch. Yeah, licensed material isn't exactly welcomed in the Smash universe, but hey, about a year and a half ago, neither were third-party characters, so who knows what might happen?


The name Atlus has become synonymous with import titles as of late. From Luminous Arc to Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja to Contact, Atlus has localized many games in North America. A console which seems to get a lot of their games is the Nintendo DS, and the Wii is starting to see the same trend. Thusly, there's a distinct possibility of an Atlus character making it into Brawl! Here's one you may or may not have thought of...

"Paging doctor Stiles! You're requested in Smash Bros. Brawl STAT!" Derek Stiles would certainly be one hell of a unique character! Instead of fighting with fists or kicks, he'd use exaggerated and over-sized medical tools to do his bidding! Scalpels, surgical lasers, forceps... In the hospital these tools are for saving lives, but in Brawl their purpose would be to send victims to the emergency room! I can just imagine Dr. Stiles taking a run at Link wielding and waving around a giant syringe like a raving mad man! The hilarity writes itself! And as for his Final Smash? Well, it's only natural that it be the Healing Touch! Despite it's name, the Healing Touch really slows down time to a near stop, allowing Derek to perform delicate and precise procedures in the blink of an eye. In Brawl? I'm seeing the Healing Touch freezing all who stand on the battlefield, and Derek going into an uncontrolled rage, heavily damaging all who get in his way! And you thought doctors were supposed to be level-headed! Ha! Not this one! He's got a PHD in PAIN!!!

So there you have it, three characters who would be sure to really mix things up in Brawl! Now, I'm not asking that all of these characters be added, of course. That would take away from the greatness that is Nintendo character beating the crap out of each other! But hey, a little Ryu here, a touch of Dr. Stiles there, and WHAM! Things get even more out of control than ever before!

What do you think of my choices? Also, who would you like to see join the Brawl?

The Duck Has Spoken.

Mini-article: Why the Brawl delay is a good thing

As every gamer on the face of the Earth now knows, Super Smash Bros. Brawl has been delayed in both North America and Japan until early 2008. I'm really not all that concerned. In fact, I'm glad Brawl was delayed.

Now, before you go calling me a madman, hear me out. First of all, look at Holiday 2007. Between now and the end of the year, we'll see the release of Super Mario Galaxy, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, Battalion Wars 2, Zack & Wiki, Trauma Center: New Blood, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Medal of Honor Heroes 2, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. And that's just for Wii! Don't you think there's enough on the way these next two months?

Second of all, and undoubtedly most important, this extra time will let Nintendo makes Brawl the absolute best it could be. More development time means more characters, more items, more stages and more modes, as well as an overall increase in quality of the whole package.

So then, would you rather have Brawl this December, or would you rather wait a while and get it when it's bigger, better and badder than ever before? I feel the answer is quite obvious.

My ideas for other Smash Bros. Brawl bosses

Well then, I guess this is post 101? Where are the dalmatians? I WAS PROMISED DALMATIANS!



Today on Smash Bros. Dojo! it was revealed that Petey Piranha will be a boss in the Subspace Emissary story mode. That got me thinking: What other baddies could we see return as bosses? Here are a few I thought up.

Medusa (Kid Icarus)

This is just a natural choice, really. If Pit is going to be around, there's no doubt that the main enemy of the first Kid Icarus game, Medusa, will be there as well. As seen in the screenshot above, Medusa could fire snakes at the player, as well as perhaps temporary paralysis. She is Medusa, after all. I think that she'll probably appear as a normal humanoid, though, and not a wall-sized monstrosity as she was in Kid Icarus (Although that would kick ass!).
Probability: 1:3

Giovanni (Pokemon)

In Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow (As well as Firered and Leafgreen), Giovanni is the head of the Team Rocket crime syndicate, as well as the eighth gym leader. Seeing as the Pokemon Trainer is from Firered or Leafgreen (Evidenced by his clothing), it would only make sense for somebody like Giovanni to be in Smash Bros. Brawl. He would work much like the Pokemon Trainer, but would instead use Pokemon such as Rhydon, Sandslash and, of course, his trademark Persian. It would certainly be an interesting battle to watch and play, with six Pokemon cycling on and off the field constantly. Add in some Pokeballs as items, and we've got ourselves one heck of a battle!
Probability: 1:5

King Dedede (Kirby games)

King Dedede has long been a staple of the Kirby franchise as a main enemy. His large hammer (As shown above) would be his weapon of choice, naturally. He could probably also use the inflating skill he showed off in Kirby's Adventure (NES) as a stage recovery move, as well as a way to launch aerial attacks. Sadly, I don't think that Dedede will make an appearance in Smash Bros. Brawl, as there is already Meta Knight. It would be kinda weird to cram so many Kirby characters in there, wouldn't it? But then again, we're not sure if Meta Knight is good or evil, so perhaps Dedede does have a chance as a boss. We won't know until we get there!
Probability: 1:8

Dark Samus (Metroid Prime)

Really, Dark Samus is pretty much a given as a boss in Brawl. She's the main villain of the Metroid Prime games, which will soon be coming to a conclusion with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. With that considered, Dark Samus will still be in the minds of the core gamers, and one last hurrah in Brawl would only be right. I'm fairly sure Dark Samus will be there, even if not a boss. She WILL be there, Phazon and all.
Probability: 1:2 (Just to be safe)

So then, those are a few of my guesses as to what bosses we may see in Smash Bros. Brawl. Of the four posted, I feel Giovanni sounds the most interesting. What do you think? Also, what bad guys would you like to see as bosses in Brawl?

The Duck Has Spoken.

Is an in-depth single player mode good for Super Smash Bros. Brawl?

I really wanted to get cracking on this article earlier, but my PC was being all buggy and crap, so I had to do a virus scan and delete a whole bunch of suspicious files. Suffice to say, it took me quite a while, but now my PC seems to be running well. Even if it does go all buggy again, I should be getting a brand new comp this month anyways, so no biggie.



So today on the official Super Smash Bros. Brawl website, we learned of the Subspace Emissary single player adventure mode. Of course, everybody online went totally nuts when they saw this. But, is such an in-depth single player mode good for the game?

Those of you who've been reading my blog for a while probably remember my article about Metroid Prime 3's lack of online and how it's probably a good thing, since the focus should be on the game's strong point, single player. Well, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is facing an opposite situation here, where an in-depth single-player mode is being introduced against it's flagship multiplayer mode. In contrast to my previous article, I feel this is a good thing.

First of all, every game should have a single-player mode. Not everyone has internet or close friends to play multiplayer with. The recently released Playstation 3 game, Warhawk, features nothing but multiplayer. Right on the box (Pictured below), it says (And I quote): "Multiplayer Only". This is a terrible idea, in my opinion. With the game being exclusively multiplayer, where does that leave the people in small towns without internet or a multitude of gamers? Well, frankly, they're shit outta luck there.

You read it right, folks: "Multiplayer Only"

So then, Super Smash Bros. Brawl needs single-player, for those unlucky enough to not have internet or gaming friends. Of course, single-player is nothing new to the Smash Bros. franchise, which brings me to my second point: There has always been a single-player mode of sorts in every game in the series. In the first, there was a tournament style mode, where the player was tasked with beating a series of enemies and fighting their way up to the Master Hand. Melee added the Adventure Mode, in which players had to make their way through several side-scrolling stages, as well as fight bosses and enemies. And with Brawl, there shall be the Subspace Emissary Mode. Sure, you can always just fight bots in Versus Mode, but I'm sure we'd all rather a fleshed out, story-driven single-player mode.

What about my biggest complaint about multiplayer in the Metroid games: Lack of space on the disc and development deadlines? This is evidently not a factor in Brawl, as Masahiro Sakurai (Developer of Super Smash Bros. Brawl) reportedly played a near-finished multiplayer match with Hideo Kojima (Famous for the Metal Gear series of games) months ago, and Kojima said "We could release this now and it would be great" (Proving development deadlines aren't an issue), and Sakurai said in today's Smash Bros. update that "this is all included in the same Game Disc", making the worry of space restrictions invalid. After all, they've promised several more stages and characters than ever before, so I'm sure they've reserved plenty of space on the disc for the essentials.

So then, I don't think there's any reason to worry about such an in-depth single-player mode being added. Nothing will be compromised. Super Smash Bros. Brawl will be the biggest and best game in the franchise yet, and it will do nothing but benefit from the addition of the Subspace Emissary mode.

The Duck Has Spoken.