This game is one of those 'easy to pick up, hard to master' type games. There's a good amount of moves for each character, but don't expect to have to be learning complicated combos to do them. Powerful moves are as easy as pressing a direction and a button.

The fights will have anywhere from two to four players on screen, but occasionally more depending on the mode. Usually four will be the maximum however. It's nice to have a fighting game on the Wii that allows four players at the same time.

Not only that, but players aren't stuck into gimmicky motion controls ruining what can be a great game. Players can choose from a Gamecube controller, Wii Remote, Remote and Nunchuck, or classic controller. All of them are competitive against one another, but I personally prefer the classic controller.

Once you pick how many players there are, and what controller you want to use, then there's a lot more to pick. There are rules that can be changed concerning the fight and items, even the speed of things. These will only be available in Brawl mode, however.

The amount that can be changed is amazing; every weapon can be selected on an individual basis to be turned on and off. The rate of item drops can be changed, speed of the match, you can even put it so the characters are metal with rabbit ears if you so wish, there's just a ton of ways to brawl.

If you choose to play through the story mode then things will go a bit different. The gameplay will sometimes be standard fights, but you'll also get a good amount of platformer action in the mix. You also won't be able to choose specifically which character for each level, but just pick from a small selection.

It doesn't matter if you brawl, classic mode, or play through the story, you'll unlock quite a few characters along the way. Expect to see some favorites like Sonic the Hedgehog making an appearance, or perhaps Mario's brother Luigi. I really like the many different ways to unlock each character, so you don't feel like it's a grind to unlock who you want.

You won't be forced to play as certain people just to unlock who you want, which is good, because you'll want certain favorites from old games, I know I did. I really like the addition of characters like Pit from Kid Icarus, or Solid Snake from the Metal Gear games. Being able to put characters like these against each other is one thing that makes this game so great.

Regardless of what mode you play, you'll want to keep an eye on that damage meter. Your character does not simply die at 100% damage, I've seen people take over 400 damage before losing. What damage means is how far a smash will knock you back.

With almost no damage, you'll only fly a few feet. Take too much and risk getting knocked clean off the map. If you don't get knocked off though, you might fall. Get used to that triple jump technique to save yourself when knocked too far off the edge.

No Super Smash Bros title would be complete without the smash moves, and Brawl takes it to the next level. During brawls, an item will start hovering around the screen. It is very easy to pick out, as it glows and stands out. The first player to damage this item enough to collect it will get a Super Smash. Use this to annihilate your opponent with an ultra powerful attack. Some characters will have better Super Smashes than others, so play around and find your favorite.