There comes a time in the history of game design where a company decides to pull out the stops to create a memorable magnum opus but few of these projects succeed with most falling around the crowd of Star Wars episodes one and two. But Nintendo with its infinite budget has attempted with their newest game that's riding off the cultist fumes that the last Smash game caused. So when I got a chance to play the well hyped game, I simply expected a much better version of melee and that's exactly what I got. A better version of melee with smoother animations, a new co op singleplayer mode, and a surprisingly good balance with all the characters, new and old.

Don't get me wrong, the game delivers in every way it promised but there is nothing new to revolutionize the genre. You're still trying to knock people off platforms while toying around with new items, weapons, and other goodies including "final smashes" which can turn a smirking opponent into a simmering bubble of slag, I mean, make them faint.

One major complaint that seems to be spewing off the lips of other reviewers deal around the loading times of the game. While the loading times have noticeably increased from earlier games in the Smash franchise, complaining about them would be on par to crossing paths with a pop star you don't like and the only insult you spew is "your pants are crinkly". Personally, I spent this time raiding my refrigerator for booze so I could take a drink every time I saw something fly off the screen like a chipmunk attached to an M-80. If you're going to try and complain about something, be sure that it's about a solid core element of the game and not a frivolous detail that happens to crawl under your skin (not literally). Now if the loading times were as old as my grandmothers drawers, then that would be another story involving a few centuries of varnish and prozac.

The only question I have about the game is why was Solid Snake included? A man who shanks alligators and strangles hapless guards frolicking with the likes of Pikachu and a plush green dinosaur? Something there doesn't seem right as Snake probably has more constructive things to do with his time which probably includes strangling such hapless soldiers and sexing up equally constructive women (not really).

Overall, Brawl is a game in which you get what you expected. There are no surprises or awe-inspiring shocks to rock you off your gaming chair, just an overall well developed project that will continue the legacy of Smash for another few years. It's like going to a concert hosted by God where after you hear a couple of songs, you already know the rest of the concert's going to be brilliant so you leave the concert out of boredom while royally waving to anyone that walks by you. But be sure you aren't too smug about the game though or lightning shall strike you whether by God or a rabid fanboy. Be afraid.