I don't lose to button mashers in Smash and I'm hardly a top tier player. If you get the Smash Ball or the Hammer or whatever, I can still make a fair shot at dodging you out. Only on levels like that SMB3 one or Warioware is victory completely random.

(Incidentally, those are my two favourite levels)

Naelok

Is it bad to be that guy? I don't think it is, it's like saying I enjoy the game and you enjoy the game but because you play it more and are good at it your a bad guy.

Atleast I took it they were saying that guy was uncool in some way. Still it's just a player who's better than you cos they put the time into it.

Llost

Haha. Look, Brawl is indeed fun, but I completely agree with him on the character unlock thing. You can't take the game anywhere and it be the maximum amount of fun.
Also, references to 'that guy' depressingly accurate, too.

Muffin_Man

@Kyle81: Well, I'm sorry, it's just never happened to me.

I play a lot of fighting games from SFII to Virtua Fighter and in my very honest opinion, Brawl is a damn fine fighter because greatness isn't limited to memorizing combo strings.

Torusan

I still want Mother 3... I'm dying for the fan translation. I really wanted the Mother/Mother 2 pack for the GBA too... :(

ZildjianKX

@Kyle81: i find that FD gets boring after a while. it's got no variety. i'm all for a skill-based match, but geez, do it on something not PURPLE and EVIL and DOOMY.

frank0127

That has to be the best review EVER. My boyfriend is totally "that guy", with guitar hero he plays on expert and doesn't even look at the screen with some songs... I fail at life compared to that.

Gotta say though, Smash Bros was my first wii purchase and I was sorely disappointed.

breakblossom

@Red_Rob: then again, that would make as much sense as having a Mortal Kombat/DC game without fatalities. oh wait..

frank0127

@Torusan: You have to unlock about 20% of the fighters in Dead or Alive.

As for experts never losing to button mashers, lol get out. The game is so full of randomness that its very possible. Only time you got actual pure skill involved is when playing the stupid final destination tourny-tard setup.

Kyle81

Spot on once again, and like the SMG review I expect to see a flurry of Nintendo fanboys saying he's "lost his funneh". Obviously after last time he's specifically pointing this out. =P

Overlord44

he's right you know....

Mother 3 would outsell pretty much everything nintendo has out right now.

frank0127

@Admonisher: I know, clearly he fails as a reviewer cause SUPER SMASH BROS BRAWL IS TEH ROX0RS AND HE IS TEH SUX0RS!!!!1!!1!111!

He only says it sucks, cause he's joking, it's a late April fools joke. Haha, get it. He loves it like conformity on the inside.

I mean he couldn't be pointing out the multitude of inherent flaws cause they genuinely exist. Oh I guess he wasn't really pointing out the flaws, he made no mention about online play...

Not_Matt

@Korey:

Spot on. I just can't understand the hype around it. Replace the Nintendo characters with Disney for example and no-one outside of pre-teens would give a toss about it.

Red_Rob

Hilarious review but it is wrong on a couple of key points....

All characters...ALL characters are unlockable in multiplayer. I unlocked Snake in about 5 minutes.

SSBB is not a button masher. Sure, you can get far by button mashing, but if anyone here has played an actual PRO Super Smash player they will know just how ungodly good someone can be at a game.

Konman72

OUTSTANDING. i love nintendo, but i lost interest in brawl waaaaaaaay too fast. i played melee for YEARS STRAIGHT. wowza.

i love zero.

MushroomBoy1022

@Ichidou: He didn't play the game online. Most of his reviews are based on single player or local multiplayer.

qbix

@Ichidou: Nah I didn't laugh either, I find it partly true but sometimes yahtzee's exagerations aren't funny and seem genuinely insulting. I don't own a Wii or care about SSBB but I do think he was oddly harsh.

It's a quite cool game at the end of the day and can be fun, it just isn't my kind of game.

Llost

I guess he doesn't know that the hours required to unlock a character in multiplayer is the combined total of all human players... If you have 4 human players it only takes 2.5 hours.

Really though, I know some people don't like brawl but none of his points are really valid. Unlocking stuff is what makes the game worth playing on your own. The starting roster isn't big enough for you? Games like Virtua Fighter and Dead or Alive where all fighters are available from the beginning are great and all, but yeah... what can you accomplish on your own? And Marth is THE original FE protagonist.

Also, in brawl, experts don't lose to button mashers. Ever.

Well whatever, its his opinion and he's right about the game not needing a review. If you like Smash you'll like Brawl.

Torusan

People who say that the game isn't "deep" obviously haven't played much. Go play someone who is good at the game, and then come back and tell me it's not deep.

I consider the SSB series to be the best fighting game series ever and probably the best multiplayer game ever because it has an awesome balance of skill-based gameplay, but also being fun enough for people who aren't as good to play.

rbelmont000

People who think button-mashing is the key to victory in fighting games are usually stupid. Yahtzee is the only exception. The end.

Ghede

Smash was fun, for about 3 days. when my roommate got it we played it for 3 days straight. then one of my douche bag roommates unlocked marth, then we found him practicing at 3 am while we were asleep. now he's "That Guy" and we don't play anymore!

SSBB correlates to the Wii exactly... it's fun if you and 3 of your friends are drunk, otherwise it's boring!

Godluvsugly

@Admonisher: Actually no he hated it from the start and just happened to be a reviewer so stated his opinion when lots of people requested it as he said.

Must suck to hate this guy so much just cos he disliked one game you like.

Llost

I must be the only one here that didn't laugh. I tried accepting it as a joke, and everything's all good, but... well, maybe it's because Smash Bros is too closely tied to my childhood.

I love how he didn't mention ANYTHING about the shitty online or, you know, the OTHER stuff in the game besides single player and multiplayer.

The thing with Smash Bros is that you HAVE to have a history with it to really appreciate it. I suppose to anyone else, it DOES resemble something similar to a clusterfuck, but that's the appeal, isn't it?

Ah well, I'm just a sour puss :(

Ichidou

Oh well, I still liked the game.

Captain_Canada

@Kanik: god is australian? HELL YEAH! that's the kind of religion i could get into!

frank0127

@Rebel Without Applause: Possibly because "N64" is a code that will reveal the secret to life itself?

Or because "N64" does not resemble an actual word. Type in: H47q0397. There's no spelling error either.

peAr_nectAr

Wow!.. this total fun, and I don't even understand english!.

There are even political incorrects jokes :D ( I suppose ).

Seems Brawl as put Yahtzee angry for some reason...

Tei

I suppose Booya! seems appropriate. Thanks Mr. Yahtzee. Also Ouch!, not on my behalf, but I actually felt a little sorry (for one second) for the Nintendo folk.

jasoncourt

@Admonisher: Defend the choice of the name Wii much?

SPni

The people who disagree with this video review and suddenly hate Yahtzee are probably the same ones who loved him and his review of Halo 3.

Great review, except for the advertising.

qbix

Fuck that was satisfying.

Tulkamir

the n64 version was the best!

ideon

@Admonisher: Wow... all because he didn't like a game.

Balance_In_Life (PSN)

LOLOLOL
it's pretty true. The single player blows, but the multiplayer is sweet.

SO TRUE THO. FRICKIN 10!! HOURS!!!
This game is overrated, but not as overrated as Halo(That's the most overrated game ever)

azurai

Lol at the "Most overrated game of all time" comments, irony much?

Pretty good review, the defending the wii name was the only lollercoaster moment though.

creepwood

This guy is so played out....I cant imagine hating everything as much as this douche......It must suck not enjoying ANYTHING in life and wasting your time searching for things to hate....what a waste of energy.

Admonisher

Wow. Absolutely owned.
And the guest chars are locked? And hard-locked at that? He's right, there should be a law considering they'd be the biggest selling point for someone who's already burned out on Mario Party/Kart/Dr./Paint/Teaches Typing/isn't in his own game again.

But I steered clear because it looked like Power Stone... and another Nintendo game to be so "balanced" as to negate skill and punish good players. After playing some Mario Parties, and seeing reviews for the new Mario Kart, I just want to steer clear of any Mario game that isn't "Super Mario Bros [number]"

fuchikoma

The whole "that guy" philosophy is why I don't play Halo anymore. Everyone else I play with is "that guy" and I don't find it very fun.

That being said, I've only been able to play SSBB for a short time and did enjoy it for the time I did get to play. He's right on another point to as I had no idea what the fuck was going on half the time.

SilentPredator

SSBB: so much hype, decent delivery but it is boring after a dozen rounds. I guess I'm used to deeper fighting games (Guilty gear XX, street fighter alpha 3, Street fighter 3 etc...). I was more hyped about Arcana Heart.

kingmanic

@El Patricko: Agrred. So overrated.

superHOOKIE

this is probably the first one i'v disagreed with. I personally enjoyed unlocking all the extra characters. 10 hours to get sonic goes by pretty fast if you play for like 3 or 4 drunk nights.

But this game has provided me with so many laughs and memories that i cannot bash it at all. except that single player adventure thing blows hard

ArmyofJuan

@Derigor: He's why I keep sitting in front of my PC every Wednesday at 6PM (local time, of course) and hit F5 frantically, no matter if I'm at work or at home. I really love his reviews and this one was not only spot on, but one his best as well.

@Xerxes 8933A: Repetition can be used as a form of comedy, and that's what he did by doing the over the top pronounciation of the shop's name. He even bashed the town of Robina a few moments afterwards, so this will probably a one time situation. Hopefully. ;)

Al Bino

I burst out laughing at the "embrace the spectacle" picture. That was priceless.

His review is actually right on this time. I HATE having to unlock shit in single player for MP fun.

KillerBee

I disagree with him, but I enjoyed his review. It was hilarious!

Lighten up. :)

Benjamin Linus

Sonic is a bit hard to unlock, but you can unlock Snake by playing 15 games in Shadow Moses Isle. That can be accomplished in less than 5 minutes if you just set it up so that you're fighting a lvl 1 comp at 300% handicap.

I don't listen to Yahtzee's reviews for his insights, but rather for the funny and this one was fairly funny. So go Yahtzee.

Naelok

I disagree with him, but still loved this review. It was hilarious.

Lighten up. :)

Benjamin Linus

Dead on as always - SSBB is such a joke of a game. It's been said here a hundred times, now, but if this game was released with unknown characters it wouldn't score over a 5.5 - the gameplay is sooo shallow.

LongDarkBlues

Spot on I say!!!!!

dead_red_eyes

I kind of agree with him. This game is pretty OK.

AsauPrime

My first time on the SSBB (not owning a Wii myself so not getting much practice with the controller) I beat my girlfriend about 50% of the time even though she has played the previous one and does [play the wii quite a bit). The button mashing is correct but you don't have to be a button masher to win as there is only one two buttons (plus a direction) for attacks anyway.

Good review, disagree with the whole should have everything right away thing though. Then there's nothing to unlock or do apart from experience the story which wasn't much of a story.

Llost

@M: That's if you're playing the game by yourself. But if you buy it new and bring it to a party, LIKE IT'S INTENDED TO BE PLAYED, you'll hear alot of "boo" and "hiss".

Ashurahori

@Elderwulf: While i agree with you, Technically, all the characters are unlockable in multi player mode. It just takes many hundred matches, and matches on certain stages, etc.

stephenzerotwo

I disagree. I find it more satisfying to unlock characters rather than having them all available from the get-go.

M

Oh I seriously laughed my ass off.

CanaryWundaboy

Yahtzee is so dead on this one. Games that you play with friends should let you all play together to unlock. It sucks to have to play by yourself, then after you have unlocked goodies for your friends, it is no longer fun playing with them because you are some sort of demi-god that gets bored with the nuances of life and rather just go eat pie.

Elderwulf

Good review, as always. But what was up with that game store advertisement? I've never seen that before in his reviews, and if it keeps showing up I will loose all respect for the man. Keep ads at the start, or end of the review, don't toss it in the middle like an ass.
Of course, it's possible it's supposed to be amazingly funny or something, and I'm just not getting it. In which case I apologize and will beat myself with a metal pipe for an hour.

Xerxes 8933A

Beano namecheck FTW!

Yahtzee is pretty much spot on with most of his reviews. Unlockable content in mainly multiplayer games is foolish. Does my head in no end.

SPni

@Cchrist: that is right, only way i had to play earthbound is through emulation, damn you nintendo, if we loved the character so much in smash games why not release the original source!

Mr.DuckSauce

yeah i definetly turned into "that guy"
damned 1-player adventure mode i will never play through again..

evilralphwiggum

W00T, I'm "that guy" at certain games :D

Flawless101

I liked Smash bros on the N64 and that's where it ended. I didn't like the Gamecube version so I have no need to play the Wii version.
________
On a side note, why is "Gamecube" & "Wii" a spelling error but "N64" isn't?

Rebel Without Applause

"when you heard Nintendo 'Wii' and you defended it..."

HAHA...so true

boilermaker11

The only review of his that I can agree with.

ohhello

He is the only reason I love Wednesdays well and new Bleach episodes, but mainly for him.

Derigor

Interesting how I just got Brawl yesterday.. and I agree with him, the game is fun, I like it, but it's really fanboy oriented..

CockroachMan

Yahtzee is great. He also points out something very important: REALEASE MOTHER 3 TO THE REST OF THE WORLD ALREADY! Selfish gits.

Cchrist

I thought it was on point.

Admittedly I don't own a Wii and the Brothers, and it all might be awesome, but unless you care about any of the characters, the game is just... average. Take them out or one's enthusiasm about controlling them in a fight and really... who cares?

BlackDove

Again with the tempting video that I can't watch at work.

I actually want to see this more than the GTAIV footage.

karasu is my homeboy

@El Patricko:
HALO 3!?

kinggorillajack

But seriously though, Yahtzee is spot on, on all points. Brawl is the most overrated game of all time and I'm glad everyone's coming out to agree now. Horrible execution on nearly every aspect of the game other than the most basic foundation already set by the previous two.

Korey

@thatguyjr: Indeed you are thatguy, indeed you are.

nintend0nick

Spot on, Yahtzee always gets it spot on.

yojimbo32

HAHAHHAHAH!

He pwnd all you Wii fanbois!

Tarmac

This review is hilarious, and I LOVE smash brothers.

Though I would like to point out that me and my friends unlocked Sonic in maybe 3 hours of random deathmatching whilst drunk off of our asses. But I totally agree with the whole unlockables thing, I hate having to prep the hell out of a game before I bring it over to a friends house. *stares menacingly at Tekken*

Dauragon C. Mikado

@Korey: He's the only one to point out the obvious of games with hilarious humor that is britsh added with a dash of flash pics, hes says more without being bias.

Mr.DuckSauce

I do believe that's game, set, and match.

dan

Great Review! I hope he's payed really well... he deserves it!

EGBTMagus

Ha, I'm "that guy."

thatguyjr

*echo*GAMETRADERS ROBINA*Echo*

TheTimeRanger

Yahtzee got it spot on in my opinion.

Fallible

very nice review! i love SSBB, but i personally do not own it and just go to other people's houses and play it, get owned, and just have fun.

mentalboy11

Best one yet.
By far the most overrated game of all time.

El Patricko

I just finished watching this before Kotaku posted it. x3
Well I have to say it's pretty funny, even if I love Smash Bros :3

Zho

This man speaks the truff!

Losbullitt

That was by far his best one and it characterizes the game pretty well.

nikolajz1

BEST ONE YET.

WatershipDown

I thought it was good and I have to agree with most of it.

SkutSkut

GOD I haven't laughed this hard at a ZP review in a while...

YAHTZEE FTW!

Furiursa

I was watching them before Kotaku reminded me, but I love the reminders for a good laugh :D

aveneyer

@Korey: He is the mouth of god.

Kanik

Ohhhh Baby!

terrydwj

While I enjoyed SSBB for a while, I'd still prefer to see some new franchises instead of the same sequels from Nintendo.

Icharius

Who cares about what Yahtzee thinks? He's not a real reviewer anyway!

Korey

I <3 Zero Punctuation.

dnzperson

Oh wow. I read a few of the comments and I must say I am disappointed.

Yahtzee is not a serious reviewer. He uses exaggeration and repetition to entertain, and the reason he never has anything nice to say about a game is because it's not funny to say nice things!

TempestOblivion

I really did Laugh Out Loud that was awesome.

StealthMaster86

Awesome review.

JonC

Kudos for mentioning Mother 3, or, as we have come to know it: "Nintendo of America hates you and loves money."

ncsbert

The review was funny as usual, but I disagree with everyone who says this game is overrated. For the amount of content that can be unlocked and the online play, i dont see whats overrated about that....

TheeAhaMoment

Aaaaah.

I love Yahtzee.

TempestOblivion

@Ping5000: The fighting mechanics are simple, but there is depth.

Comparing SSB to half-baked series like Tekken and DoA, perhaps one might make such a claim. But compared to the depth of an SF or VF, SSB is terribly shallow, even on the tournament circuit.

Now, certainly most of those who bash SSB as being "a button masher" cannot distinguish between shallow and deep in the arena of fighting games (except by nonsensical measures such as number of moves/buttons), but that is irrelevant.

emag

Epic review..

Spot on about Mother 3, as well. Nintendo, stop being such twats and release the damn game here.

Buttah

I don't agree, at all, in any way, but I do like his humour. my blood is simmering, but I'll let it pass, for now.

dunnace

SHOCK!!! First time I have disagreed with Yahtzee.

Hellcom

@Korey: ROFL...I love the game and I still find this review funny as shit. There comes a time in every mans life when he should stop being such a douche fanboy and just enjoy games for what they are...who gives a shit what your friends think or what system it is on. Yahtzee you are hilarious and I look forward to your reviews always.

Seiven

@frank0127:

Second.

Scruffy_the_Janitor

@mrplow8: quite easily I would have to say SSB>any other version of the game

d-guy

Another great video, but I disagree with what he has to say.

The fighting mechanics are simple, but there is depth. SSBB constantly asks you to make split-second decisions. There's nothing methodical about it, you have to constantly think on the fly. Sure, button mashing works, but thinking ahead gets you further.

As far as Nintendo's characters are concerned, I literally had no clue who the hell Captain Falcon was when I first played Melee, but he became my favorite. Who the hell was Marth? Roy? Are they original creations? Fire... Emblem? I honestly didn't know. It was the fighting mechanics that drew me into game, not because it had Nintendo characters I knew about.

A lot of the Nintendo characters are hardly relevant to me. However, they give the game a defining charm, even if I don't have any attachments to the character. Pit's Kid Icarus means nothing to me, but there's a certain charm and hilarity to it when I Falcawn Paunch his sorry face.

Ping5000

@Icharius: Heh, then tell people to quit buying, cause as long as people purchase things like this, Nintendo will keep making them.

Ashkihyena

I don't know why, but his last 5-6 reviews have paled in comparison to his early stuff. I guess his humor's just fading away.

HaydenTenno

I like Brawl if for nothing but for the level creator. You don't know fun until you've trapped 8 ice climbers in a small enclosed box with dozens of bumpers and explosions raining down on them with the gravity set on low.

It's like a very sadistic/satisfying hamster cage.

Xagest

Kanik & Mr.DuckSauce - That whooshing sound you heard was Korey's joke (referencing the Yahtzee video we all just watched) zipping mercilessly over your heads.

Mansteak

The best part about this review is there isn't even really a review in the video.

Kojjiro

@mrplow8: its not that he hates every game, why should someone pay $50 for CRAP when devs could easily be putting otu a better game for the amount of money they spend. the hype the create and so on.

SSBB could have been waaaaaaaay better. better characters, better online, less crappy single player, no disc problems, no friend codes, but no none of that is getting better, it has 0 replay value for 90% of the people who bought it as far as single player goes BECAUSE THE ONLINE MULTIPLAYER SUCKS.

take a step back from "omging" every little thing nintendo related (this is for everyone no one in particular) and realize that nintendo is worse than EA for regurgitating stuff. I mean nintendo and sega have got to be the worst companies around for that :(

sonic tennis
sega stars tennis
sonic
sonic 2
sonic goes shopping
sonic is a furry
furry shopping
furry tennis

catch the drift?

I wanted to like SSBB like a fat kid like it(cake) but it made itself to hard to like and to justify spending money on a gamecube 1.5 game.

Zaos

Haha, I don't have a Wii so in extension, I don't have Brawl. I do go to a friend's apartment on occasion to play it though, and it's a lot of fun, even with him being "that guy". Seriously, after 5 hours play time, I have yet to win one game against him. Regardless, I still find it to be highly enjoyable.

Yahtzee kinda contradicts himself on this one though. There wouldn't be a "that guy" if the game was as button mashy as he makes it out to be.

Lancehead

@mrplow8:

You're dangerously close to finding yourself the truth my friend.

Gordon_Shumway

@mrplow8: Too many people keep trying to take his reviews as serious journalism. They're not. They're published as entertainment. They're made specifically for that proportion of the general populace that...

a). likes video games
b). has a sense of humour

As a consequence, he just gets stuck into the most obvious flaws and, if you like video games, you see the points he's making and, if you have a sense of humour, you laugh at them because they're amusing.

Maybe it's slightly easy to 'get' if you're English like he is (and I am). I think his angle gets totally lost on people like Admonisher.

Pizzicato

@kinggorillajack: Perhaps, but at least it added some new features such as the forge, customizable armor, Theater, HD, etc. All that Smash Bros brought to the table was final smash and chat-less online which to me personally is pointless since I like to talk to the people I play with. Especially considering many people still use a gamecube controller.
Don't get me wrong, I still think it's a fun party game, but Rabid Nintendo Fanboys need to get a grip a realize that all games have flaws.

P.S. Friend codes FTL!

LowNemesis

Awesome review as always :D

Xshinobi

@Kyle81: Lol at not knowing anything about the Smash tournament scene.

CreateTheTruth

When he talked about "that guy" it reminded me of the n64 days, where I kept on playing WWF No Mercy, when all my friends moved on to PS2. One time I brought the game over and owned them all, since they hadn't played the game in forever. Anyways, I did his perspective on SSBB, cause it's a love or meh experience most of the time, and I fell into the meh category after a couple weeks against my friend, who played the game nonstop for like forever...

SpearXXI

Honest review. I feel the same was, seriously let down by SSBB. So let down that when i beat the AWESOME fan fiction SSE i played it for 3 more matches to get my secret characters and have only played it once since then, at a friends house.

and of course its nintendo and there is no bloody freakin way to transfer your game data from wii to wii so we sat there 1 not enjoying the game because as Yahtzee said only fanbois really dig this game no one there liked it (i like it a little bit, enough to own it and never play it) and 2 with 0 fun characters to play.

and whats with all the "old" characters getting more and more crappy ie yoshi.

Zaos

@Admonisher: He hates things for our enjoyment. I bet you he likes games he bashes, but its his thing, if he wasn't rude, and didn't bash everything, no one would watch him.

Kaemon

spot on.

TokeYo

@Rebel Without Applause:
You mean it's actually possible to like the 64 Smash Bros. better than the Gamecube one? How?

Have you guys noticed that Yahtzee hates every game? Seriously, what games does he like? The only game I've ever heard him say was good is Portal, and that's only because it's against the law to not like Portal.

mrplow8

@Admonisher: "I cant imagine hating everything as much as this douche......It must suck not enjoying ANYTHING in life and wasting your time searching for things to hate....what a waste of energy."

I couldn't resist clicking on your profile... it was fascinating to scan through your previous comments. Such unbridled positivity!

Almost on topic... the fake Brian Crecente review was also brilliant.

Muckley

@Zaos: I dont' really like SSBB but Zaos, meet mr. SD card. Mr SD card Zaos. Now transfer those wii saves...

kingmanic

He says exactly what I want to say, but can't *tear*

He gets my respeck. And yes that's respect with a "k", that's how badass he is.

egghead329

This review was great and perfectly summed up why I don't really like any of the Smash Bros games. Nintendo really need to give those dead horses break once a generation or so...

manicfoot

Eh.

I understand that the Zero Punctuation reviews aren't all that serious, but this was a disappointing review.

Not infuriating, or irritating. Just disappointing.

So you took a game you didn't want to review (both because of the popular hype and the fact that you're not much of a fighting game fan by your admission), plunked it down in front of other people who didn't have much interest in it, and put it down because it didn't change your life? Whoop de do. I don't like wrestling much, but I don't go to matches just so I can yell "You should be reading Shakespeare!" at the fans. Then you're also "that guy," who can't understand why everyone doesn't have your same interests and who obviously knows so much about the world that NEEDS to be shared, if only people would open their ears and listen! "That guy" knows the Way and the Light of Utopia, but no one cares, which makes "that guy" even more assured that he's right and the rest of us are just practicing yoga to see how far our heads will go up our anuses first thing in the morning.

Of course, I am annoyed at his continued harping on Nintendo for using their existing franchises. Konami is releasing Metal Gear Solid 4 (and doing a beta for Metal Gear Solid online) and probably working on 2 new Castlevania games, Rock Star is about to release Grand Theft Auto 4, Call of Duty 5 is in the works, we're approaching Final Fantasy XIII (and looking at a remake of Final Fantasy IV for the DS)-but only Nintendo tries to ride the coattails of its franchises, apparently, because they also make a console. We'll conveniently ignore Halo and Microsoft making out in the corner.

And then there's the Mother Three rage. I didn't know who Marth was when I played Super Smash Brothers Melee, but he was fun to play. Then this little game called "Fire Emblem" came out for the GBA. I picked it up, gave it a shot-really enjoyed it. How did that series come over here? Well, it started when people met these guys named Marth and Roy in SSBM, and got curious. Perhaps that's why there's a character from Mother Three in Brawl? No, couldn't be. Oh, and let's be honest with ourselves, Mother fans-if Mother Three does get released in the US, it will not suddenly sell 70 million copies. Don't be "that guy."

I wouldn't say Yatzhee is slipping, but this was still a disappointing review. It wasn't that funny for me, and that's before we factor in the "FANBOY SMASH!" reaction. Compared to his Condemned 2 ripping, I was left cold.

Quick, let me offer a pre-made rebuttal before I go- "Wii Fanboy!"

There, cut and paste that to save some time, so you don't get caught by your boss on Kotaku at work. Cheers!

Altuenar

I was starting to grow tired of Yahtzee, until this review came along. Brilliant and hilarious! <3 The Mother 3 love thrown in for good measure.

antialias02

Yeah, I can only really stand to play this game is with the wonderful tournament rule set. That's pretty much the only time skill really gets involved I'd have to say. 4 player free for all on Mushroomy Kingdom (or any other annoying obstacle ridden level) with items is far too random for anyone to play seriously or competently. The depth really comes out in 1v1 itemlesses on sane levels like Animal Crossing, Final Destination, Lylat Cruise etc. I really wish they'd try to expand that area of the game rather than adding more random crap that you know no one who plays this game on a daily/weekly bassus for the next 5+ years'll give a crap about. They did do some cool things to the core gameplay. Personally, while I didn't hate wavedashing, I think it's refreshing to see it leave so the game feels a bit different so we're not just playing Melee again. Overall, I really like Brawl when played the "correct" way, but absolutely hate it with default crack settings. Not to say that fun can't be had outside of the "tournament" style play, because mini supersonics with fire curry on a huge custom level is amazing.

Pickens

@Ping5000: Exactly my point. I dont see how people think Brawl is a fanservice to Nintendo fanboys. Well it is, but that's not the whole reason why people think it's awesome. If you replace the characters with totally new characters it would still be awesome.

9a3eedi

As somebody who owns Brawl, played through it and all that stuff...I completely agree. Nothing really makes me want to go back to the game, not even multiplayer, because it still feels more of the same. New characters pasted into old system with a few tweaks to physics and what moves you can do when. Even with the movesets, most of them feel stale after having used them so much in Melee already.

GyrFal

@Antiterra: Yes its crazy repetitive. I usually end up playing free for all with the cpu on 9 or with friends.

TheeAhaMoment

I agree it's annoying when you get a (primarily) multiplayer game and a lot of stuff is locked.
That's the only time I would use a cheatcode..

Harteex

That was pretty much one review where I agreed on every point he made. Brawl really isn't that amazing...

sporkhead

@qbix: he doesn't like online games, he likes to play it next to friends. Do you read anything about him before you state something obvious about his likes on games, he hates online games.

Mr.DuckSauce

I loved melee but brawl just seemed like the same thing. I was able to jump right in and play most of the characters the exact same way. This game got an easy pass critically because the second one was near perfect for its time.

MarcusZin

@kingmanic: I agree with you about brawl becoming boring after a while. There's very few things I enjoy more than pwning a random button masher in Guilty Gear XX Reload.

Loved the review and am already waiting for the next one. I hope it's GT5 prologue

captain_laxpants

Possible solution to the whole "need to unlock everything before you can take game to a party" thing: download a complete save file, slap it on a SD card and use that? Still haven't played it yet though so I don't know if that's possible like it it with most other Wii games.

Gagaman

For those who own the game, is the single player as repetitive as Yahtzee says? After completing all of FFVII - Crisis Core's über-repetitive missions, I really don't feel like plowing through near-identical levels, especially in a gameworld that doesn't appeal to me nearly as much as FFVII's.
Well, I won't play SSBB any time soon anyway - I'm waiting for a black Wii to replace the one that most likely ended up under the Christmas tree of an Easyjet baggage handler... Hurry up, Nintendo, I want to play No More Heroes, damnit!

Antiterra

"You misable Fanboy Twat" I think that lines wins.

That Girl Hates You

You too, Seiven and Americo

XD

Genocyde

@Kanik, Mr.DuckSauce, and Red_Rob:
Good job missing the joke.

*hint: it's at the end of the video*

Genocyde

@Korey: Fanboy alert?

Americo

@Admonisher: Almost every time Kotaku posts a new Zero Punctuation, you're here to say how crap you think Yahtzee's reviews are. No explanation, just complaining. Protip: Don't watch them if you think they're that bad.

On topic: I love me some Smash Bros. But it is blatantly gratuitous fanboy pandering at its worst. However, if you like Nintendo, it's awesome!

WalkOnWater

His review actually made me interested in buying the game. I mostly play single player.

D00mM4r1n3

Yeah I'm trading it in for Mario Kart. I don't know what I was thinking buying it.

planetidiot

"ROFL IMO made of awesome epic win good sir"
It reminded me of how much I wish I could set up a kill-filter that hides all internet comments with any of the above... That, and references to bases belonging to whomever, cats suffering from various degrees of speech impediments, and cakes being lies.

Antiterra

@TempestOblivion: Yahtzee can say nice things, but not without insulting the audience to make up for it.

Syril

Wow, there was alot of hate in there. I guess the only game he'll ever love is Psychonauts.

Couldn't stop laughing when he brought up "that" guy.

Tepoz

Wow, thats the best one yet! I didn't get the whole thing about the store he got it from but the actual stuff about Brawl and the Wii was priceless.

Gray665

@mrplow8:

He likes quite a few games, he but he only loves very few. He thought Crysis and Assassin's Creed were alright, as I recall.

Pantsman

Finally, a decently honest review of this game. I now know I probably won't be buying it.

Petezah

I'm surprised. He was entirely too nice regarding the Adventure mode. SSE is mediocrity at its finest.

Arteen

@El Patricko: *cough* Halo 3 *cough*

Aahh, I smiled when he starting talking about "that guy" because it's so me. I don't know what it is but I'm better than my friends at almost every game we play. Natural ability I suppose?! Ha!

Dopeski

Truth, all of it..

Katorok

I approve of this review or rant or whatever you want to call it. He makes good points, regardless of his affinity for penis, gay, and nerd jokes. It's immature, but I guess it's his "thing".

vanderblade

I am clapping so hard.

MrZ33

I've played a lot of Brawl in the past weeks, and apparently I came to the same conclusion. No matter how much I play, I can't seem to get really, really good at it. I'm competitive but I'd still place myself under the 3rd to 2nd place IF my friends ever get together again, *sigh*.

I am also am considered "That Guy" but in a whole new light. Now I'm "that guy" who picked up the drums in Rock Band for the first time on New Years Eve and kick all out ass. Everyone was raving, which led me to believe that I was more that average at in for a first timer.

Oh, and I didn't know who Marth was either, something about Fire Emblem? But then I did the secret Codec trick with Snake and went through half the cast. I must say, *omg*, that was one of the saddest things I've ever heard. Just like the MGS3 ending, SotC or a story where the hero goes on an epic quest only to end with everyone losing memory of their achievements and they all become distant (ending in a scene where they all walk by each other, blah blah blah). Seriously, poor guy. That's why I try to play with Marth exclusively (love the Fully Charged Shield Breaker) :)

AntiZERØ

I find it absolutely hilarious that every time a new Zero Punctuation comes up, instead of people talking about how FUNNY it is (because they are) the first 50 commenters or so all talk about how perfect his review is or how he's the word of god or how much they regret buying this game. Cause Yahtzee's never said anything you would ever disagree with, right? Right? That's cattle excrement, my friends.

Fact of the matter is, Yahtzee may dislike some things about a game, but then he'll EXAGGERATE them for COMEDIC EFFECT. He's stated as such before. And he's done a good few dozen reviews by now, it is impossible that in those reviews he has not ONCE said something you disagree with. Because you are not him, you have opinions of your own, and sometimes people just don't see eye to eye, no matter how much else they agree on.

On the matter of the review, he's as hilarious as ever, but still exaggerates a few of the game's aspects to a certain extent. The campaign mode isn't as repetitive as he makes it out to be, and actually mixes things up sufficiently. It's true that the campaign mode is the easiest way to unlock characters, but you can do the same simply by playing multiplayer. Yes, the game was designed to appeal directly to fanboys, but how is that a bad thing? How many times have you seen someone play something like Gran Tourismo who didn't already have an interest in car racing, or Halo when they weren't already into shooting things? Yes, button mashing is a problem in fighting games, but it's like a basketball player who will simply push over any other player near him in an attempt to get to the ball; it's irritating, but any half-decent player will know how to get around that and still win.

However, the one thing I'm with him on is the "that guy" syndrome. It's common in most games, and half of "that guy"s will remember that it's all about having fun and won't use their l33t skills to wipe the floors with their friends mercilessly, and the other half just get their kicks out of winning and pwning n00bs. If you are "that guy" like I am, try to be like the former and not the latter. Everyone will thank you for it.

So the moral of the story? Folks, don't be such sheep that you can't formulate your own opinions. You don't have to agree with him to find Yahztee funny, especially since, odds are, he's not being completely honest with you. Remember that gaming is supposed to be for everyone's enjoyment, so if you find yourself to be "that guy" don't hold it over peoples' heads. And last but not least, don't let yourself get sucked in by the hype, because there might be the chance that you're not the intended audience.

GhostWhoWalks

I think I'm seeing a pattern here...

The amusement I get out of watching one of Yahtzee's reviews is directly proportional to his enthusiasm. And as he himself said, he wasn't very enthusiastic about reviewing Brawl.

I really wish people would just let him review what HE wants (or what The Escapist tells him to...)

Paviel

@Altuenar: Jesus, you'd think Yahtzee insulted your mother! ... Wait, scratch that, he insults everyone's mother in every other review, and doesn't get so much rebuke for it.

C'mon, what he does with SSBB is no different from what he did with Halo 3, BioShock, DMC4 and other massively hyped titles, regardless of whether they deserved the hype or not (hint: they never do - no game ever does, but such is the name of the game in entertainment).

The day he starts publishing "serious" reviews with "honest" arguments is the day I'll stop watching Zero Punctuation. Yes, he sometimes blatantly ignores the qualities of games he's set out to destroy. Yes, he blows certain flaws out of proportion. But that is, by and large, how all comedy works.

Do I laugh out loud at every ZP review? No, but even at their worst, they're still damn enjoyable, and a far cry from the usual humdrum of modular VG reviews.

Antiterra

lol brilliant review once again. Havent played the game yet (as i live in the UK) however i know he is right

mbeck

spot on yahtzee!

kjcwashere

@Zaos:
Why not reinvigorate the games industry by making one yourself. A game so awesome and cool that everyone will look up to it. Even a neat fleshed out idea that is possible would be nice. Maybe that you will notice in the process that it is quite a lot harder than the idea brewing in your head.
Most of the time it is: Awesome idea -> [production] + restrictions ->watered down version everyone will try to shit on.

Now on topic:
I liked the review, as everyone else. But it doesn't end after the video stops. The reading of the comments on theescapist, kotaku and /v/ are at least the same amount of entertainment.

As some others pointed out. He is a comedian, not a games reviewer. Learn the difference :D

marlblank

Best review ever. The extra vitriol aimed at the fanboys was icing on the cake.

Highlander Wolf

Yea the game was pretty boring. I fear Mario Kart will be the same, fun for a few weeks and then what?

PlasmaMachine

Heads are going to roll... lol. I agree with Yahtzee.

artofwar420

THIS JUST IN: NINTENDO FANBOYS ARE SECLUDED RETARDS. PEOPLE WHO HATE NINTENDO FANBOYS ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY COOL PEOPLE. FILM AT 11.

I forget - are people play Nintendo games the total nerds who never get out and see anyone else, or are the people who play Nintendo games the "non-gamers" who actually have lives and like watching soap operas and already have 2.3 kids and 1.2 spouses?

I dunno. The Guitar Hero analogy was actually insightful, that it is true to love a game and yet want to play it with your friends who don't love it as much as you do, but he barely talks about the game at all here. He just kinda whines about it. The camera can zoom out on big maps, and you have to unlock the brawlers - that was about all I got out of it involving the game's actual flaws, and if there was anything he actually kinda liked, he didn't get to it, and the whole "Who the fuck is Marth?" thing just sounded like he was digging for material.

He just wasn't funny or interesting in this one, really. He's reviewed plenty of games that he doesn't like in which he's actually entertaining (see: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune review), but it felt like he just kinda phoned this one in.

dreamshade

@Altuenar: "Konami is releasing Metal Gear Solid 4..."

Yes, because that is totally the same as:

Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 3
Dr. Mario
Super Mario World
Mario Teaches Typing
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario 64
Mario Kart 64
Mario Party
Mario Golf
Super Smash Bros.
Mario Party 2
Mario Tennis
Mario Party 3
Paper Mario
Mario Kart Super Circuit
Luigi's Mansion
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Dr. Mario 64
Super Mario Sunshine
Mario Party 4
Mario Party 5
Mario Kart: Double Dash!
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Mario Golf: Advance Tour
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Mario Pinball Land
Mario Power Tennis
Super Mario 64 DS
Mario Party 6
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Mario Party Advance
Dr. Mario & Puzzle League
Mario Superstar Baseball
Super Princess Peach
Mario Party 7
Mario Kart DS
Mario Tennis: Power Tour
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Super Mario Strikers
Yoshi Touch & Go
New Super Mario Bros.
Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Yoshi's Island DS
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
Super Paper Mario
Mario Party 8
Mario Strikers Charged
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Mario Kart Wii
Mario Super Sluggers

And I'm sure I missed a few, not to mention all the various spinoffs from characters in the Mario universe. It's only a matter of time before green pipes and 8 bit mario background graphics are more annoying than nostalgic.

Korey

Great review, found it to be funny, even though I love Brawl. Also, best music selection thus far, "Eye of the Tiger" and "Minority," nice!

corner

Sorry Fahey, Yahtzee's review was 10x funnier than Fake Crecente. And it was the only review on the entire Web with enough balls to call out the game's true flaws. Brilliant as usual.

Luv2Hate

His quip about Mother 3 made me cheer out loud.

GrapenutsRobot

I'd really like to play Mother 3, and the other two for that matter. (looks down and sighs deeply.)

Dmartin001

Wonderful Truely great...
Now lets all play some real fighters, fancy some guilty gear?

Flibble

who the fuck is marth

Ruzi

@Altuenar: ...for God's sake. Yahtzee is PAID to be bitchy about games. People, learn to understand the simple rule:

Yahtzee = Comedian.

Yahtzee =/= Reviewer.

They pay him to be FUNNY.

Ashurahori

@Llost: Lighten up, it's satire.

TOWER_JUNKIE

The whole part about being 'that guy', particularly with guitar hero controllers, was painfully accurate.

Imma go cry myself to sleep now.

In all seriousness, that was a kickass review. lol

aphex242

I love the hell out of SSBB, but, as usual, completely agree with Yahtzee.

What can I say? I dig spastic, no-skill-required fighting game chaos.

j00s

There is something wrong with a game that takes 11 hours to unlock Jigglypuff

Len Bias Cocaine Surplus

As much as I loved SSBB, Yahtzee is, as usual, 100% correct in everything he says. Especially the part about Mother 3.

DaveKap

I've been a reader of Kotaku for a while now and only once had an urge to post, til now:

Yahtzee gets this review exact-fucking-ly right. My recent first experience with SSBB happened just as he described.
And my friends (and visiting brother) ridiculed "that guy" for being a loser and a prick for not telling anyone how the game worked.
*and Lucas kicks ass*
~ Anti

[www.videogamesblogger.com]

Ragnarok_Comes

You know, to be fair, Yahtzee is not a fan of multiplayer games in general. He mentioned that specifically in his Halo 3 review (whose solo campaign he derided), and he referenced it in his Call of Duty 4 review (whose solo campaign he loved). Expecting him to enjoy the Smash series would be like expecting someone allergic to nuts to find enjoyment in your new pecan pie recipe.

megaStryke

Depth in fighting games is difficult to experience. If you're not attempting to predict your opponents moves and act on those predictions, then you're not really at the deep part yet. In order to make a decision like that you have know little nuances... In a 2D fighter sense, things like hitboxes, recovery, priority, startup, invincibility frames, etc.

Point is, that stuff takes work, AND is only rewarding if you're a person who wants to make a name for yourself by winning tournaments. You have to be a competitive person who is intrinsically motivated to beat other people. If not, learning the game is only useful for your personal enjoyment, and that's cool... Just never say "I'm good and I can beat you" unless your GOAL is to be the very best.

Statistics

Depth in fighting games is difficult to experience. If you're not attempting to predict your opponents moves and act on those predictions, then you're not really at the deep part yet. In order to make a decision like that you have know little nuances... In a 2D fighter sense, things like hitboxes, recovery, priority, startup, invincibility frames, etc.

Point is, that stuff takes work, AND is only rewarding if you're a person who wants to make a name for yourself by winning tournaments. You have to be a competitive person who is intrinsically motivated to beat other people. If not, learning the game is only useful for your personal enjoyment, and that's cool... Just never say "I'm good and I can beat you" unless your GOAL is to be the very best.

Brawl has these things, but with only three buttons (attack, special move, defend) as opposed to Street Fighter's six, it's a little harder to figure out how to get to the meat of this game, as the controls are deceptively complex.

Yahtzee is correct on everything else, though. Objectively, this game sucks. But if you like any nintendo games at all, you'll probably find something to like in this game.

Statistics

This game is pretty much a "for-the-fans" game... So as Yahtzee rightly realized it's pretty pointless to review it as you'll either like it or you won't. It's like trying to review FF7 Advent Children's story (which you can't, unless you're a fan of FF7).

That said, this game gets a crap score when reviewed objectively, but a high score if you've ever liked a nintendo game with these characters and/or you REALLY enjoy 2D fighters (like me).

It's a shame that no one really gets to the deep part of a fighting game, though. Most people who pick up a fighting game start focusing on the wrong things to learn, and as such have to be personally and intrinsically motivated to want to master such a game properly. That is, to the extent in which you can defeat other, highly-skilled human players consistently.

But Yahtzee is a reviewer, and doesn't really have the time or motivation, so that's cool.

Statistics

I agree with Yahtzee on this one. Fighters never made sense to me. It seems more of a combat of button mashing than a sweet science. Unless it's Marvel vs. Capcom. Then you just need to learn the unbreakable combos and know how to yell:
"IT'S MAHVEL BAYBEE!!!!!"

Alexander-The-Great

Yeah, I have no idea who Marth is.

But Game & Watch guy is awesome.

tk.

Funny review as always.. but I felt exactly the same way about Mother 3. However you have to remember that Nintendo did do a fair deal of marketing hype for Earthbound and it was pretty much a failure here from what I hear.

I didn't even know the game existed until a friend told me about it several years after it came out.. so, honestly, you can't say it would outsell anything Nintendo has out right now. Certainly I'd buy the shit out of it and play it to death but it is a rather obscure title.

I am a Nintendo fanboy and even I'm getting sick of Mario Kart being released over and over again, for fucks sake.. it's the same game as it was on the SNES as far as I'm concerned.

glemmstengal

SSBB is really just an inside joke that you NEED to get to truly enjoy the game to its fullest. I've grown up with the Metal Gear series and Nintendo characters and I love them, but I assure you that I'm not blind to SSBB's flaws. Its a fun game(more fun if you have friends over) but if you're looking for a serious fighting game, might as well look somewhere else.

Unlocking some characters was an unnecessary hassle(I honestly cannot picture an 8 year old doing it), and the Space Emissary is way too long, tedious and repetitive.

Pancho_Villasan

I disagree with this review on so many points.

but i still like yahtzee

Hion

Hilarious. Its not a real review anyways so I dont care. It was good comedy though.

Para