“Super Smash Bros. Brawl”

$50 for Wii from Nintendo, Rated Teen

Though the Nintendo Gamecube was a forgotten console for many, it did have a few games that were must-haves for fans of the purple box. “Super Smash Bros. Melee” was at the top of that list. The 3-D fighter packed a lot of character combat fun onto a small disc.

History repeats itself with “Super Smash Bros. Brawl,” the third game in the series. The Wii’s newest fighter offers 35 characters, mostly pulled from famous Nintendo franchises. Gamers can battle with the familiar Mario, Luigi, Peach and Bowser, but there additionally are some fairly new faces.

Two fighters from outside Nintendo’s world — Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog and Konami’s Solid Snake — additionally invent the cut. The game provides an eight-hour single-player adventure, but the real reason to get that is to play not-so-nicely with others. It’s brilliant with a group of friends and cool to duel

online even whether there is no voice chat.

The controls are set up so both rookies and vets will have fun, although gamers who learn the characters’ strengths will have an advantage. The graphics are well done, whether simple. The emphasis here is on combat and characters, not detailed backgrounds. Gamers with a Nintendo fetish who want to see what would happen whether Mario and Sonic ever met in a dark alley will be playing that for a faraway day to come. It’s one of the Wii’s best titles.

“Pro Evolution Soccer 2008″

$60 for multiple systems from Konami (reviewed on Xbox 360), Rated Mature

The “Pro Evolution Soccer” franchise (formerly “Winning Eleven”) used to be the best soccer game on any platform. EA’s “FIFA” franchise kept tripping by itself and Konami’s game crushed it instance after day. That’s still true, but the competition is getting tighter. “Pro Evolution Soccer…

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