Living on the edge: Super Smash Bros. Wii U review | Technobubble

Bowser was mad.

Correction, the guy controlling Bowser was mad after being on the receiving end of all sorts of abuse from three other players during an extended bout in my living room of "Super Smash Bros." for the Wii U.

What followed was one of the most awesome things I've ever seen in couch co-op gaming ever. With no regard for victory, Bowser proceeded to sacrifice his life to kamikaze piledrive player after player after player until he could kamikaze piledrive no more. That's what happens when you get sucked in by Nintendo's dysfunctional family and friends in the latest iteration of the Super Smash Bros. series.

Marketed as a fun fighting game that can be enjoyed by casual and hardcore players alike, Super Smash Bros. is more like a social psychology experiment wrapped in cute, cartoony graphics. It's as if every gameplay element built into it is designed to push people's buttons and bring out the hidden troll from the bridge within. Forget sportsmanship and fair play. Based on my own experience, 90 percent of deals and agreements made by players in this game invariably get broken in a seething pool of betrayal and backstabbing.

And I love it.

Think of it as a lesson in the harsh realities of life in video game form.

It doesn't hurt that the gameplay for Super Smash Bros. Wii U is tight and polished. It may look like a cute, kid's game on the surface but the game has competitive chops built into it's DNA. These include an assortment of normal attacks, special moves and hard-hitting smashes to alternate with. You also have blocking, evasion and, for certain characters, counters to help mix things up when things gets hot and hectic. Edge tactics also remain a big part of the game that impacts strategy. Do you go with a landlocked powerhouse such as Little Mac who isn't quite as hot when airborne or someone like the Villager who suffers from some slow developing specials and movement but has great survivability off the edge? In fact, picking characters is all about weighing pros and cons for things like reach, speed, recovery, effectiveness in the air and their propensity to be launched. Strategy changes when fighting groups or in a one-on-one setting as well. For those who own the 3DS game, you can import custom characters into the Wii U version. You also can use compatible Amiibo toys to import that character into the game to raise and level it up.

Changes from Brawl include faster speed overall though not quite at the level of Melee. The removal of random tripping, meanwhile, improves pacing and eliminates an element of chance that was annoying for casuals and competitive players alike. Then you have the return of hit stuns, which improves the ability to combo. Although these changes also were true for the 3DS version of the game, the portable version — while solid — now feels like an appetizer to the console version's main course. Graphics look stellar on the Wii U, which boasts crisper details and better production values overall.

Naturally, the game features several modes as well. These range anywhere from a board game-style contest where you stock up characters for a final battle to an assortment of mini games to help change things up. There's also a level editor that allows you to create your own stages, complete with various gimmicks. For even more craziness, an eight-player mode allows you to use a mix of various controllers, including 3DS systems. This sounds good in theory but also can get too hectic, making it tough to keep track of the action. I also wish the game had a more involved campaign mode.

Overall, though, Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U is an excellent addition to the series. It's solid when played by your lonesome but really shines when played against other people whether it be online or on your couch. Personally, I recommend gathering up as many people as you can and squeezing them in your living room for the best Smash experience. Just be warned that they might not want to leave so get ready to kick them out.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5

Cost: $60, Wii U