Today I had the chance to try out Brawl. I might update this later as I'm tired and I'm at Fhatuik's house. Anyways I'll divide it in some sections for easier reading.
The physics: Ok, forget Melee, Brawl is totally different. Characters float in the air, and the game SEEMS slower, but is actually at the same game speed, it's just smoothier, that's why it seems slower. Characters take a lot more to be rocket off the stage. You rarely die below 150%. Most of the characters aotomatically latch on the edge with their up+B move, though you can just press away a little while and you won't just to catch the other offguard. Also the Airdodge system is different. You can't choose a direction of where you wanna airdodge like in Melee. No it continues your air movement. Like if you were jumping to the right, you'll airdodge up-right. And if you were falling, you'll airdodge down. Also, after an airdodge you can do attacks and other airdodges. This is really useful for you got more chances of coming back on the stage.
Characters: The characters are very-well balanced, although some seems way better than some others, like Toon Link and Zero Suit Samus. I'll get in details of what I've seen and personally tested below. You'll notice I picked more newcomer than veteran... xD
Sonic (Played): The very first character I tried. And honestly, he's WAY harder than I though to play. He got an enormous potential, but he requires time to master... lots of time. He is not a character for beginner, even intermediate player will have a hard time controlling him. He is super fast... when running. SpinDash is NOT meant to be fast, it is meant for starting combos with air attacks. But you gotta hit the other with it, and that's the problem. You gotta use it carefully. He is also very weak in damage, in knockback he's okay but to give damage, he's not good. I mean I hit 5-6 times someone, he hit me like 2-3 times and I had 50 damage while he had like 30? what the hell. But then I saw Damax's Sonic and he was owning people with him. Then I asked him how can you be so good with him? He answered: I played a LOT, because honestly, he is very hard to control.
Snake (Played): Snake is a BEAST. I mean it. If you play in Free-For-All or Teams Battle, watch out, as you'll probably be blast away a couple of times and you'll be like WTF happened. His projectiles are simply godly, and when mastered, you are unstoppable. Neutral B is used for grenade, where the strengh of the throw can be adjusted (don't know how, I just witnessed it) Side B is the nikita missile, where you can control it. It is really good for mindgames. Up B is the cypher, which is only a recovery move, but can be used with his down B, which is planting C4. And this is where the fun begins. Planting C4. I mean you can barely see it that it's a really good trap. You have to press down B again to activate it. What's even nicer is if someone is near you for some reason, you can STICK it to them! Just blow them in the air after an attack and they are dead! Also, his smash attackes are like other B move. I mean they're not normal. Down Smash is plating a mine in the ground. Of course people will notice it quite easily as it takes 1,5-2 seconds to do it, but put in combos it's really good. Front Smash is using your rocket launcher toward the ground in front of you. It's really powerful, but slow too, so people usually have time to put their shield. Up Smash is a missile that is thrown in the air and if the attack is charged, it'll go higher. And if it wasn't enough, it comes back on the ground. His aerials attack are very strong with really good knockback... but you gotta hit. Because if you don't, you'll get punish.
King Dedede (Played): Dedede is weird. But he is really good with his chaingrab capability. And his aerial attacks are by all mean really strong. The thing is, his smashs attacks are SLOW! and like hell. I haven't played him much, and I was the only one who really took him, and people liked my Dedede... or feared it (depends if they were actually playing). Side B is throwing waddle dee people around, and you gotta use it, as they are VERY useful. Some even attacks randomly with laser. And you can take them back while they are on grounds and throw them again. Down B is a killer move, but you have to charge it a bit and takes a bit of time to actually be launched. But it gots a GREAT range, so it is good. You gotta be awara though that is UP B move DON'T latch on edge, so use it with extra care.
Toon Link (Played): This character is probably and will stay a Top Tier. He is really good, with his aerial attacks and projectiles game. His down air is like Link, but he falls at GREAT SPEED! And if it wasn't enough, it's a METEOR STRIKE! (means it projects the other in the hole if it's used while the other is in the air). He is really fast and got a very good recovery ability. His UP+B cover a lot of distance in mid-air. Plus he got his grappling hook to latch on the edge, and if it fails, well you still got the UP+B
The bombs are VERY strong. I mean the knockback. I once killed myself upward with them at 160% o.o (which is like 100-105% for melee maybe?) The boomerang is nothing special, but it's useful for tricks and the bow is simply good, you simply tap B and it's gonna launch on a good distance. The grappling hook in mid-air is godly too, because you got no landing lag after. His best killing move is his front smash, that works exactly like Young Link's in Melee, But WAY MORE powerful. Of course, his aerials slash attacks (neutral, front and back air) are powerfull too and great for combos. All in all, he have a great future in my hands
Wolf (Played): I didn't play him enough to know his every moves easily, but I'll try to summarize anyways. His blaster is damm slow, but does pack a lot of damage and stun (about 6%). His dash attacks is weird, it's a upward kick, like Fox's Up Smash, but of course not as powerful. His reflector god a big range around him and is good for repel your adversary that's too sticky to your liking
Side B and Up B are very good and strong, but easily counterable. They're mostly used for coming back. By the way, his Side B doesn't go like Fox's or Falco's. It goes diagonally upward. He got some good killer move, like back air and up smash, but I haven't tried him much to say more. Guess that's it.
Pokémon Trainer (Played): It IS weird to play him. You gotta be good with ALL three pokémons or else you might be screwed. Because when you die, you automatically switch to the next one. And on another side note, don't change if your at high %, because the other one just have to go near you and charge a smash, and when you're coming back, BAM you're dead. And then you'll switch again. So I'll just summarize the pokemons, because talking of each of them will take forever. Squirtle got really fast attacks, but is god damm weak. I didn't found killer moves with him. Charizard is very strong, but is also hard to play with. His attacks are slow and laggy, so beware when using him. Ivysaur was my favorite. Not too slow and not too weak. It's like the Mario of Pokémon Trainer, all-around. His aerials attacks are good and Vine Whip is simply amazing(I don't remember which it was, UP B I think). All in all, he takes time to master, but is specially fun to play with.
Zero Suit Samus (Played and Witness): Funny fact: When I first took Samus, I forgot to hold the R button so I tried Samus by mistake in the same time XD (explained below). Alright so, Zero Suit Samus. She is quick, nimble, and her whip got a good range. Want more? She's fricking godly in good hands. I watched Vwins playing with her and I was like omfg. Her down smash and her neutral B (both use the gun, paralyzing, used with a tipper of the side B is a killer combo. Plus the Up B is very good for continuing combo when throwing people above you, because it brings them back at you! And her aerials are very good with almost no lag after hit. The thing though is that she got no resistance, so she get rocket off stage a bit easier than the rest of the cast. But she have an enormous potential.
Samus (Played): Samus is not Samus from Melee. She might have the same moveset, but she doesn't move quite the same, and her attacks seems to take longer to actually hit. Maybe with more practice and when you get used to it, she might turned out as a beast, but from what I played, she wasn't. The B Moves were overall not that good. Specially missiles, which is sad, because it was her best special moves in Melee. Her front smash still packs a good punch and is fast, it may be one of the few moves that didn't really change. Neutral air is weaker, which was one of her best killer moves in Melee. Her bombs are not as good for recovery as before. All in all, she needs more time to get used to, she's not the same even with the same moveset.
Ike (Played and Witness): Ike is so strong. If you fight him, use extra caution! His weakness is by far is lagging from landing after an attack, and this is where you gotta strike. Anyway. Ike's aerials are very strong and actually hit fast, the problem is after the hit part... in other words, you gotta make sure most of your attacks hit. His smash are god dam strong. The problem is like Dedede: SLOW! Specially the front smash. It takes so god damn time to hit that I could read a book. But his up smash his nice and strong though, so you might wanna use that instead. His side B can be sued for recovery and can be charged for a greater distance. Though if you hit someone you stop in mid air and fall... see where I'm getting at? But it's still a great recovery move, it's fast. His Up B is fricking good too. He launches his sword high in the air then jump to grab it and drop down on the floor a la Kirby. The thing is that he can't get rocket off when he's still on the ground. You can still receive damage though, but you won't flinch. Nice heh?
I've played others too (Fox, Falco, Pit, Meta Knight, Wario, Diddy Kong, Olimar & Pikmin), but I didn't play them well to fully describe them.
Smash Ball / Final Smash: Even if those are banned in tournaments, it is still a lots of fun. First time we played with them, we were in free-for-all, 4 players. It appeared, the Smash Ball. Everyone runs for it! I caught it! I used it and went on my Helicopter and shot everyone with my grenade launcher ^^ (yeah, I was Snake). Oh the joy. I killed everyone once and in the end, I still had all my stocks... they really can change the flow of battle. By the way, you can use them more than once per match. On another match, team battle, I was Falco, partner was Sheik. I don't remember them, think it was Pit and MetaKnight. I caught it, LandMaster (Made a funny kill going upward XD) then Sheik got it. He didn't know how to use it, so I told him to press neutral B when I'm not in front of you. But he didn't listen to me entirely, he immediately press B and killed me with Light Arrow XD (Friendly Fire on!) Then I caught it again and fell in the hole -_-' rofl anyways. It is really fun to play with, when it appears, it really does become a match for it.
Advanced Technique: I've tried some advanced technique from melee/ssb64 to see if they were still there.
UpSmash/Up B Out of shield: While holding the shield, do Up+B or an Up Smash and you'll do them. It still works and IT IS NOT a glitch. They are usually used for counterattacks.
Wavedashing: This is out, which is awesome by the way.
L-Cancel: Out too, could have stayed but oh well, it's still good.
DLX-Cancel (whatever name is): This is new and as far as I know only 3 characters can do it: Falco Sheik and Snake. When you do a dash attack, at the moment you hit, do an up Smash and youll do it immediately. Like you hit with the dash and up smash in a quarter for second. I haven't tried it, just saw it and I was like wtf is that.
Teching: Way harder to do in Brawl than in Melee since character float around, but it's still 1/4 seconds before hitting the ground and such.
Swim: Sucks. Lol. It just refrain you from dying in the hole, unless the other come to meteor strike you xD.
Guess that's it folks. SIX DAYS LEFT!
P.S.: I finished 4TH on the brawl tournament with 12 or so participant, all of them were playing for 2 weeks! I'm proud
Proof? : http://smashboards.com/showthread.php?p=4050675&posted=1#post4050675 ^^
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