Super Smash!

If you're a longtime Nintendo fan, you will be amazed by the presentation of the story sequences in Brawl's unnecessary, but nevertheless lengthy (eight-plus hours) single-player mode, known as the Subspace Emissary. Colorful full-motion animation sequences tell the story of a ridiculously epic battle between dozens of Mushroom Kingdom characters. It's clear from the opening cinematic that the studio has put a lot of time and thought into crafting the action-packed snippets, which successfully bridge the gap between the traditional platformer challenges comprising the single-player affair. The storyline itself seems almost randomly compiled a pieced together jigsaw puzzle of different factions coming together. Only after you advance halfway through are you likely to grasp the tale's underlying purpose, but at least it looks and sounds great along the way.

9/10