System: Nintendo Wii

Publisher: Nintendo

Reviewer’s rating: ****

ESRB rating: Teen

Game type: Fighting

Kind of like: Fighting games are a lot alike, but this one includes a side-scrolling adventure a la “Mario.”

Best feature: The game is gigantic, and filled with a ton of features.

Worst feature: Fighting means you can’t necessarily play with the little ones.

The bottom line: “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” lives up to its tremendous buildup, and is a must-own if you have a Nintendo Wii.

“Smash Bros.” is a fighting game, but it’s also so much more. There’s an enormous adventure mode, with hours of side-scrolling action. There’s a crazy event mode with wacky challenges. And the game is a who’s who of Nintendo characters.

Most of the game is, of course, devoted to fighting. Up to four people can fight as Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, Samus and others in a variety of arenas. The number of battlefields is staggering, and, amazingly, you can create your own. The sheer number of characters and arenas would by themselves be impressive, but it’s only the beginning.

The controls here are easier than in most fighting games. You can use the Wiimote and Nunchuk, or you can play with the Wiimote held sideways. However, you can also use a GameCube controller, or even the classic controller. Attacks are made with one button, special moves done with another and blocking done with a third button. Four-player mayhem with these simple controls is a lot of fun.

“Brawl” is also incredibly customizable. For example, items that appear in arenas can be individually turned on and off, and players can be handicapped to keep the fights challenging for everyone.