Best of the Decade: Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Sat, December 18, 2010 at 4:29 PM 
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Platform: Wii
Release Date: March 8, 2008
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo, Game Arts, Monolith Soft
Like many gamers of my generation who grew up on the NES, I have a soft spot for Nintendo. I’ve had plenty of criticisms of the company over the years, but no matter how many times they screw up, I can’t help be drawn back in by their charming titles. Nintendo seems to have a knack for delivering pure, unadulterated fun more consistently than just about any other studio.
That fun comes at a cost however, and that hasn’t ever been more evident than this latest generation of consoles. Nintendo has still managed to produce a steady string of quality games, but thanks to the success of the Wii, those games are now buried in minigame collections and cheap third party swill. Not only that, but Nintendo’s increased focus on the casual market means that the games true Nintendo fans crave are farther apart than ever before.
But, if you’re willing to persevere and hold out for the occasional gem Nintendo throws your way amongst the Wii Sports sequels and crappy party games, they’ve still got some fantastic stuff up their sleeves.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a celebration of all those good things Nintendo has managed to produce over the years. For a gamer like me, there is no other game that can produce the sheer amount of nostalgia and child-hearted glee that a Smash Bros. game can. After Melee I wondered how they could possibly top themselves and do it again. With Brawl I found out.