Who ever thought we would see the day when Mario gets the chance to take on Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog in a fighting ring? Well, Nintendo brings gamers just that opportunity with its immensely anticipated Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Just like its famous predecessors, SSB Brawl lets players duke it out against each other with some of Nintendo’s best-known characters. The game maintains its acclaimed method of winning the battle—knock the opponent off the stage and out of the screen. The players fly farther and knock around easier as you increase their damage percentage, and players can utilize an array of moves, items and stage conditions to accomplish this.

SSB Brawl brings the Smash Bros. franchise to new levels with the sheer number of options that players are afforded. Gamers can battle each other in the flesh or across the globe in the classic multi-player brawl mode, or just fight on their own all the way up to Master Hand.

A player can also go solo with SSB Brawl’s new adventure mode, “The Subspace Emissary.” In this mode, you get to follow dazzling cinemas involving all the Nintendo characters as you complete missions in a side-scrolling gameplay setting.

The best part about SSB Brawl is simply the ability to play a game that brings together all of your favorite Nintendo memories. Where else can you participate in a battle between Princess Peach and Donkey Kong in Link’s castle while listening to a remix of the age-old Mario theme?

Whether or not you’re playing to reminisce, SSB Brawl is also a stand-alone great fighting game. There are tons of characters you can choose from, the moves are simple to learn, and it’s downright fun to play.

By Joe Legato