Give "Brawl" a fighting chance

The Greeks and Romans had their transcendent lineup of gods and goddesses. In Sparta, they worshipped Ares, the god of war and son of Zeus. Luckily we modern folks have our own digital equivalent: the Nintendo heroes found in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" (about $50, Wii only, rated T for Teen).

In 2,000 years, people might be reading the equivalent of "Bulfinch's Mythology" about "Brawl." In this legendary compilation, it will say, every one of the popular characters of the Nintendo universe came together for the mighty entertainment of us all.

Manna for fans

Mario, Donkey Kong and Link from "The Legend of Zelda" are the headliners among the dozens of playable characters in "Brawl." This formula was introduced in two previous best-selling "Super Smash" games, but "Brawl" is the first for the Wii. Having been christened the fastest-selling game in Nintendo's history, it's also likely to wind up on many reviewers' best-of-the-year lists.

As the name indicates, "Brawl" is a melee fighting game. In solo mode, up to two players jump into an adventure/platformer story line called "Subspace Emissary," scrolling side to side and battling through many maps.

In group mode, up to four players head to the ring and slug it out. The object is to eject your competitor from the ring while protecting your character from damage.

"Brawl" improves on the "Smash Bros." formula, most notably by including non-Nintendo characters as playable characters, including Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake from the "Metal Gear" series. Most "Smash Bros." fans have already loudly expressed their approval of these additions.

First impressions

I have to be honest: At first, I found the sheer number of things going on on the screen inexplicable. By including every Nintendo character and stylistic theme, "Brawl" is a deeply odd mash-up, where Yoshi the green dragon battles Zelda, the queen of Hyrule, with her articulated, human-scale movements. If you're new to the "Smash Bros." series, the hyper-frenetic combination can be an overwhelming goulash.

Also worth noting to fighting-game fans who may not be worshipping at the Nintendo altar: If you're looking for a realistic fighting game that allows for complex keystroke combinations, "Brawl" isn't that game. While it presents plenty of customization possibilities, combat basically comes down to smashing two buttons.

Sometimes, I enjoy hack-and-slash games ("Dynasty Warriors," for example). But the simplicity of the fighting — like the clever Nintendo in-jokes that are stock in trade for "Brawl" — is a big part of the draw for "Super Smash Bros." fans. Frankly, "Brawl" didn't hold my interest for long.

Another big negative was that "Brawl" doesn't capitalize on the Wii's greatest strength: its motion-sensitive controllers. While the game allows for four different controller configurations (Wii Remote and Nunchuk, Wii Remote on its side, Classic Controller and GameCube Controller), the game's controls still didn't seem to be thoughtfully translated to the Wii.

Solid "Brawl" advice

Visiting my local video-game shop to chat with the guys behind the counter, I asked what they were playing while waiting for "Grand Theft Auto" to come out later this month. "Brawl!" they shouted in unison. They proceeded to talk over each other about its glories, testifying about its merits. "Give it another shot," they told me. Since I never ignore the advice of my friendly neighborhood game shop, I took a second look to see if I had missed anything.

I had. The first time one of the hammers from "Donkey Kong" landed in a seemingly arbitrary spot in a fight, I got it. The way to appreciate "Brawl" is to accept it unquestioningly for what it is. Random and incomprehensible. In short, a holy hot mess.

Gangs of attackers will jump you. You will see short cinematics with stunning graphics, but they will contain no dialogue. A deep plot thread will elude you. But that's the game. Recognize it for what it is and "Brawl" is wildly fun.

This must have been what those ancient Romans realized, too. At some point, you stop asking if it makes sense that Athena was born out of the split head of Zeus after he ate her mother. You just relax and go with it.

If it occurs to you that fighting a giant fanged piranha using Kirby, a smiling pink puffball, is a little weird, so what? It's no stranger than any of the other mishmashes we accept as part of daily life, like flipping through the channels and seeing Priscilla Presley do a tango. And by appreciating the game for what it has to offer — unrepentant, button-mashing fun — "Brawl" proves its own quirky merit.

Jennifer Buckendorff is a frequent contributor to The Seattle Times.