Wii Review: Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Nintendo has gone all out in their latest instalment of the Super Smash Bros. franchise with Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This much-anticipated title has finally reached our shores and the good news is that the Brawl roster boasts a remarkable 35 playable characters, of which 14 have to be unlocked. New characters that fans would love to see squaring off against each other are Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog, Metal Gear’s Solid Snake and Diddy Kong from Donkey Kong.
There are initially 29 stages available for play, with 12 more needing to be unlocked. The stages vary and may take place on floating islands, battleships and roofs. Playable stages are based on games like Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros and Mario Kart DS, which gives the player a sense of familiarity. Players have to make sure they don’t fall off the platform during battle, which will result in a KO or loss of a life.
During combat, items will be made available on the field for the first player who picks them up. These include containers, battering & shooting items, and performance & recovery items. Familiar items can be found, like the fire flower, which allows you to spit fire, and the super mushroom, which makes your character bigger.
Sticking to one character has its advantages as you become familiar with their strengths and weaknesses, while slowly building the character. This ultimately gives you an advantage if you play against your mates.
Fans will love the introduction of the ability to play online with friends, family or even strangers worldwide with up to four players via Nintendo’s Wi-Fi Connection.
Players are given the option to chat to each other and share screen shots or replays.
A Spectator mode is available and allows you to bet on an existing match using your coins earned from battle. The winner earns all coins wagered.
Once you’re familiar with the way the controls work, you are ready to play. The Wii remote is held horizontally, which may be confusing at first. Depending on your preference, the Nunchuck can also be used with the Wii remote. Playing extensively using the Wii remote (minus the Nunchuck) may result in very sore thumbs, which you will soon discover.
Who says gaming has to be anti-social? Invite your friends over for a competitive, action-packed, fun-filled evening of Nintendo goodness.
Written for Digital Life – Nov 2008
This new mobile version of the successful The Sims series will please Sims fans. You are one of a few castaways on an island in the middle of nowhere. You are left to explore the island, interacting with the other castaways to help achieve your goals and making sure your basic needs are taken care of. The simple, self-explanatory interface means even Sims “newbies” will find this game typically addictive, although the sedate nature of Castaway may not get serious gamers’ pulses racing.
The age-old classic is back, and EA could not have created a better mobile version. There are three game modes available to the user. In addition to the traditional “marathon” mode, there is an “ultra” mode, where you try to get the highest score in three minutes, as well as “40 lines”, where you attempt to reach 40 completed lines in as short a time as possible. The optional ghost feature will be quite useful to beginners and experienced Tetris players will be delighted that there are no annoying shape-shifting pieces. Sure to be a hit with Tetris fans.
The 2008 mobile adaptation of the famous Fifa series will challenge even experienced gamers and football addicts. The in-depth training mode is a must before taking on the tough season or club challenge modes. Players have a choice of one of five European leagues in season mode, including the English Premiership. A highlight is the challenge mode, with unique and difficult match situations. The controls may take a while to get used to, but the excellent gameplay should make Fifa 08 a firm favourite with fans.
Fight Night 3 starts off with a two-minute tutorial that encompasses all you will ever need to know to become the best boxer in the world. Gamers have an option of a quick fight or the lengthier career central version, where you get to create your own player and try to build him up into a future champion of the world. The graphics are unbelievable, with incredible attention to detail. Featured boxers include modern-day heroes like Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton. A superb version of the famous boxing series.
When you create a profile or your “Mii”, you will be prompted to add your date of birth and height. The Wii Balance Board will then determine your weight and and calculate your 
I also enjoyed Hula Hooping, which was quite fun. In the beginner mode, you hula and have to catch 4 hula’s which get thrown to you after you reach a certain score. You lean slightly to the left or right, depending which side it it gets thrown from; to catch it. If you have 2 hula’s, each spin gets you 2 points and with 3 hula’s; 3 points. If you score really well, you unlock “Super Hula”.
I found the Heading game quite tricky. You have to head footballs being thrown at you. They come either straight, left of right. You have to be quick. In the midst of it, you get a tog and panda bear being thrown at you and if it hits you, you get 1 and 3 points deducted respectively from your current score.
