On this day 15 years ago, Super Smash Bros. Brawl found its way onto store shelves in Japan, giving the Wii one of its most beloved titles. North America would have to wait until March 2008 to get the game, while Europe had it even worse – Brawl didn't arrive there until June.
The third entry in a series which began life on the N64 before getting a sequel on the GameCube in the form of Smash Bros. Melee, Brawl was notable for being the first outing in the series to feature characters that weren't from Nintendo franchises.
Sonic and Solid Snake (of Metal Gear Solid fame) joined the roster, which also included Nintendo newcomers Kid Icarus, Olimar (Pikmin), Lucario (Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl) and Wario in his Wario Ware guise.
At the time of release, our pals over at Nintendo Life had this to say about the game:
"Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a well-rounded experience that excels in all aspects: presentation, audio, gameplay, features, and replay value... Sakurai and the rest of the team at Sora did exceptional work, drowning us in extras and the same, fun gameplay that kept us entertained for the past nine years."
The game would go on to sell 13.32 million units worldwide. Were you one of the many people who bought this one back in the day? How do you feel it shapes up in 2023? Let us know with a comment.