Long post is long, so here are a few quick summaries of what these next few paragraphs discuss. My impressions of the game can be found in the third section, while the first two is just random typing.

Summary of these next paragraphs: IGN gives Brawl a 9.5, internet shitstorm, I just ask why people take it so personally.

Another day, another random Jaren Face blog, and another one that pertains to the upcoming release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For those who haven’t seen (I’m assuming almost everyone), yesterday I posted a blog containing a few screen shots my friends and I have taken using the in-game’s snapshot feature. Within the post, I stated that I wasn’t going to review the game, and gave a fairly quick opinion about it. Before I get the ball rolling, this is not a review either. This is more so me just throwing my two cents out there in regards to what is arguably the Wii's biggest title right now, and has the masses nerdgasming in their pants for Sunday to arrive.

What brings this up was a conversation I had with a friend today, as we sat waiting for our AST201 lecture to start. He brought up the fact that gaming website IGN had recently gave the game a score of 9.5 and the reader response was nothing pretty. Just a quick search of 'IGN' on the GameFAQs Brawl board makes me facepalm so much that it makes me wonder how I've been a member since 2002. Sure, that outcry is more than expected when a Triple-A title is released, but even so it still bewilders me to see how so many people can take a review so personally, like as if they've had something to do with the game themselves.

Countless people criticizing the reviewer about his lack of ability to play the game, the numerous posts dealing with "You can't spell ignorant without IGN", the list of anti-reviewer clichés goes on. 9.5 seems to be the new 8.8 today, and it just aggravates me to see people up in arms about this. 9.5 is a damn fine score to be given, but of course the hype machine has apparently built the game up so high on a pedestal, that anything less than a 10 would do. But of course the masses haven't played it yet and are just going on pure loyalty-instinct that it hasn't occurred to them that this game might actually deserve that score?

Summary of these next paragraphs: Everyone loves Smash, and my history with it..

After a month of playing an imported version, even I can't bring myself to give it something that high. Don't get me wrong, Smash Bros. is a fun game, and why wouldn't it be? The concept as we know is pretty genius. Take beloved video game franchise characters and make them duke it out with each other. What's not to love? Going through highschool, Melee became a staple. It had a pretty hardcore following, people would play it backstage during school presentations/plays, the video game club was essentially the Melee club, hell, even kids would bring in portable DVD players/Gamecubes and get a few rounds in before class.

As I'm coming to the end of my first year at University, it isn't surprising at how many people love the game as well. Staring at random laptop screens and seeing people watching videos of Brawl on youtube or checking up on the Dojo updates proves that. Now, you can see how much of Melee I was exposed to.

9/10 times when my friends and I would hang out, we'd end up playing some Smash. We're all pretty avid players, so of course we were excited about Brawl. Hopefully a few of you can relate to where I'm coming from based on this. Melee was huge, so the look on our faces when we got our hands on Brawl was nothing less than a kid during Christmas (Before he opened up his Xbox to only find clothes).

Summary of these next paragraphs: My impressions - It's a prettier Melee. What more can I say. It's fun, but it's not as LOLSHITMYPANTSINAWESOMENESS as you'd expect.

I'll be honest. Brawl is a solid game. If you liked Melee, you'll definitely fall in love with Brawl. After the first time we played it, the general consensus between my friends was that we could never bring up Melee again. The variety of characters, stages and items are amazing. Each and every one of them is all fun to use. The joy of playing numerous versus matches and suddenly being given the chance to unlock a new character is something to be experienced yourself. And once that character is unlocked? Even more reason to throw away another hour or two away with it.

Hell, even the little trinkets the game has are pretty fun too. I've thrown away at least an hour with the coin blaster mini-game, and the stage builder is decent enough to recreate what seems to be Hyrule Castle for the 64 version or what seems to be a game of Tetris in progress (Also, cocks.)

You are given this wide variety of characters, stages, items and music. You are given that sense of wonder in seeing what Assist trophy will come out that capsule, who will nab that floating Smash Ball, what song that new music CD has unlocked, if a new challenger is coming after this round. That excitement for trying that new character, that new stage, that new item is fantastic, and will definitely bring a smile to your face.

But once that excitement fades, once the novelty of finally playing Brawl is gone, you're left with a prettier Melee. This is still essentially the same game we've been playing for the past four, five years or so, with just a bit more of added flavour. Once you've tried every character, once you've played every stage, once you've seen every assist trophy, every final smash... well, you get the picture.

I know, I know. If it's not broken, don't fix it. And I'm happy Nintendo did just that. People wanted more characters and levels, and we've been given just that. But to me, it seems we were just given that. In no way does that make it a bad game, just a more familiar one.

Maybe my tastes as a gamer have changed, but I was honestly sick of Brawl two weeks in. After almost two years of waiting, staying up for Dojo Updates, discussing who will make the roster cut, after all that... Smash is as it always was.

Call that the problem of sequels, or the result of Ungodly hype created for it. Whatever you call it, I personally didn't find it the second coming of Nintendo Christ. I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't think IGN was wrong in giving it a 9.5, it sure deserves it. But once you get over all the new additions and have finally settled in with the game, there is a certain "been there, done that" aspect to it (which you can say about a lot of sequels out there).

Well, if you've stuck with my post for this long, you've successfully killed some time and the release of Brawl is that much closer. If you do plan on picking it up this Sunday, hopefully you'll enjoy it much more than I did. For those not looking forward to the title/not fans of the series, don't fret. You're not really missing that much.

Summary of these last paragraphs: LOL I R A FGGT AND DON'T FIND SMASH THAT GREAT ANYMORE.