Yay! If you can't tell, the website has been updated, meaning that there should be no more of the high-contrast from the last version. I hope you enjoy it.

Anyway, I thought that I should celebrate the occasion by writing a review of the game that has been taking up most of my time recently... Super Smash Bros. Brawl! The sequel to Super Smash Bros. Melee,  this Wii game is another one of the reasons why the Wii is the only console that matters in the current console wars. It brings back almost everything from the previous game, and then adds more... more items, more characters, more stages, a bigger, better single player mode, and online play!

The graphics, while definitely an improvement over Melee, are one of the game's two weak points. While they still look great, some of the newest games on the 360 or the PS3 blow them out of the water. But, overall, it really isn't that bad of a problem. The graphics are never so terribly bad that it bothers me, and I enjoyed them. The cutscenes for the single-player campaign do look especially nice, and the character models all seem better than in Melee.

The music in this game is EXCELLENT... there are a bunch of old nintendo game tunes, as well as some new versions of old classics. You can choose how often you want which songs to be played on which stages, which is nice. Also, throughout the game, you unlock additional songs to add to your selection.

One of the new features is a stage editor which allows you to make your own stages to brawl on. Although the selectable stage-pieces are rather limited, and no stage you make will ever be as complex or unique as the pre-made stages, you can still have quite a bit of fun with this thing. I've particularly enjoyed messing around with the moving platforms, and making stages where almost all of the fighting takes place on a rolling, sine-wave-shaped series of moving platforms.

The single player campaign is very very fun... This is nothing like the old single player mode, where you basically fought through a few battles, one or two moving stages, and target practices. The new campaign has an RPG feel to it, since you can select which characters in your party to use on each mission, increase their stats with "stickers," which are found in-game, etc. The story, while not as fleshed-out as the story on most adventure games, is a little hap-hazard. But, then again, it manages to include almost every character in the game, and spans a variety of environments ranging from icy mountain tops to dense jungles to rolling plains to cloudy skies. Definitely give the single-player mode a play-through, it will be worth it.

There are a bunch of other single-player modes, including the event matches, all-star mode, target tests, and the stadium challenges, like in Melee. However, there is also a boss-battle mode, where you fight through each of the campaign's bosses with a limited number of lives. While not quite as fun as a normal brawl or campaign mode, these extra modes do provide a bit of variety and add some additional challenges.

And now for the multiplayer mode. Ahh, this is where the game really shines. Melee was the best selling Gamecube game, and for a good reason. The Super Smash Bros. series have always made great party games, and Brawl is no exception. The madness gets truly intense with four players jumping around, using items and special attacks, avoiding natural obstacles, and trying to use their final smash.  Some of the new items, such as the golden hammer, assist trophy, and smash ball, have added a new level of chaos to the mix. While some people may find the constant explosions, uber-strong attacks, and random special effects annoying and cheap, it does add a new level of strategy, and I personally love it. There is nothing like being down by a life or two, grabbing a smash ball, and then KOing all of your opponents with your final smash. Basically, THIS GAME ROCKS!!!

The "special brawl" mode is now more complex... instead of choosing from several pre-made special brawls, you can now turn on and off various effects such as light-weightedness, giant characters, 2X speed, invisible characters, HP, or 300% stamina. By using certain combinations of these options, you can create some very interesting brawls...

I haven't really gotten to try the online play yet, but from what I understand, it is the game's weakest point. Nintendo must have something against online play, because you are still forced to use their ridiculous "friend code" system to play against someone you know. In addition, there is no server browser, no form of communication, and very few options. While this may sound horrible to those of you addicted to xbox live, the truth is, I really don't care about it all that much. Sure, it might be fun to play someone online, but there is nothing like being able to shout, taunt, and see the look of pure agony on your opponent's face as you smash them off the edge of the stage.