If you hype yourself up enough for a game, then almost anything can seem good when you sit down and start playing it. I couldn't make myself argue that Brawl wasn't a fun game, but I also eagerly ate up two years of pre-release hype.
So Mitch Krpata's belated review of Super Smash Bros. Brawl at the Boston Phoenix is rather interesting. Most newspaper reviews of Brawl were breathlessly enthusiastic, but Krpata is roundly unimpressed. This isn't a case of a reviewer "not getting it", as Krpata clearly knows what he's talking about when it comes to gaming.
Nostalgia isn't a bad thing. The problem with Super Smash Bros. Brawl is that it doesn't give us any fresh insight or perspective on the worlds it depicts. It doesn't expand the Nintendo universe; it exploits it. Instead of using our built-in love for gaming history as a jumping-off point from which to create new memories, it siphons them. Looking at the massive roster, you may find yourself wondering how long it's been since Nintendo launched a successful new franchise.
Is he right? Are we all suckers when it comes to Brawl? I'm not sure I think so... then again, I'm not sure I could bring myself to agree.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Mission Bay Community Church prides itself on making worship fun and inviting, and... well, this is the result. Nothing else I say can add, or detract, from this image's splendor in any way. If I lived in San Francisco, I would so be there.
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