Playstation All-Stars Is No Super Smash Bros. Brawl, It’s Better

Long time Smash player and DualShockers writer Paul LaCen talks about what PASBR brings to the table. Sony may not have Mario and Link in its roster, but it does have a strong combat system, spectacular netcode, and a caring development team.

[Donnieboi]

Agreed. It may be missing Nintendo's charm, and presentation...but the gameplay is more hardcore. I see all my pro fighting game friends addicted to this game. It makes u want to stick with it and improve your skill.

[live2play]

Haha adorable
no man ..no

Dualshocker.com....yea yea totally unbiased

[Blastoise]

You haven't played it. So before you (of all people) start talking about being biased and unbiased. Why not give the game a chance?

Heaven forbid you might actually prefer it to Smash Bro's

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

@Blastoise

No point in trying to reason with all of the PS All Star trolls.
They seem to be incapable of actually trying something else that they might enjoy instead of constantly bashing the game saying duhhhh it a Smash Bro clone duhhhh.
People can be so pathetic it's obviously taken things from Smash Bros but it's also taken things from many fighting games, mashed them altogether and come up with something VERY different but instead of trying it out they just whine about it and post their hate all over EVERY PS All Stars article over the internet.

[Temporary]

While the haters hate from afar, lets just continue to beat the shit out of eachother and keep having fun with this game.

Theyre only missing out on another awesome playstation experience, cause chances are the people hating on All Stars are the same people who hate on every exclusive game released on the console.

Theyre not gamers, they just pretend to be.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

Oh boy.

People look. PSA and Smash Bros play completely differently and require different skill sets it's as simple as that.

As far as "better" goes if you're talking about overall presentation and polish or game as a whole I'd give Smash Bros the nod, but in terms of gameplay it comes down to preference. I personally like the gameplay for both. I don't prefer anyone over the other. These games require different thought process in order to succeed in their respective games. Which is why I give SuperBot ton of credit because the game doesn't play like Smash at all for a supposed "clone."

But most people can't accept that. It's either play like Smash or it's trash. Wish people were more open minded.

[Army_of_Darkness]

Switch it the other way around and say ps all stars came before super smash brawl. I can guarantee you that ps all stars will rate much higher than ssbb, since ssbb will be the one considered the clone. So yeah, I would say the media is biased.

[Mykky]

It would probably be rated a bit higher but SSBB would most probably get the same 10/10 scores it got because it had 500% more content, did a lot of things that were new and made some things better.

[mcstorm]

I agree this game is not as good as Smash Bros but that dose not mean it is a poor game and it is by far a poor game.

I am loving the game and really impressed on how it works on the PSV.

[TheTwelve]

Couldn't agree more.

As far as the fighting is concerned; I'm an oldschool guy who grew up on the SF and Tekken franchise. Let me assure anybody concerned --- this game is true, deep fighting. Technique, strategy, countering, dodging, close range and long range, levels that change as you fight --- this game is very, very addicting.

12

[vickers500]

Based on what I've played of the beta, I disagree. I've only played Super Smash Bros Brawl at a friends house (I myself don't even have a Wii, so I am not biased towards SSB), but based on what I've played, SSB is a hell of a lot more fun to play than playstation all stars.

Not to say PSAS isn't fun, because it is, but in my opinion, SSB just seems much smoother and faster. Most of it is probably because I prefer the acrobatic stage death type gameplay though.

[TheTwelve]

Let me just assure you that the beta for this game was just that --- a beta. In this gen, betas seem to be just hype for the real game --- little is changed. When it comes to PSAS, the beta was truly no indication of the final product. I was turned off by the beta too and wasn't planning on buying the gaming. I bought it because of a video I saw. This game is as fast and as smooth as it gets. --- 12

[vickers500]

That's good to know, I had similar thoughts about the beta. And what you said is true, betas very rarely tend to be different from the final product. If you say it's pretty different then that gives me hope.

Well, I'm currently awaiting the free Vita version I got with my Black Friday AC3:L Vita Bundle. I'll get to see for myself whether or not I'll like it.

edit:
@kopicha

Yeah, I am comparing a beta to a full game, because more than 90% of the betas/demos I've ever played always end up being representative of the controls that are in the final game, they are almost never different.

And I like Smash Bros because it doesn't require you to be a fighting vet. I'm not a fan of fighting games, but something as fun, fast paced and easy as Smash Bros I do like, and since PSAR seems to be very similar to Smash Bros, I might like that as well.

[kopicha]

lol you compare a Beta to a full game? Give me a break. Having play both games (full games not some demo or beta, lol) I would say both are equally fun games. But PSAR did one thing more than SSB that is having a much deeper game play. It is much more tactical in PSAR and characters understanding is much more impt that one need to in SSB. Fun aspect honestly no one win, unless you are specific fanboy to a certain mascot is where makes you think its more fun. Both games can be pick up play by anyone. But PSAR does have one step forward in deeper learning curve to actually master the game which is something essential for a fighting game vet.

[Heisenburger]

I'm gonna have to agree with Mr. Twelve on this one.

I was NOT impressed with the beta.

I bought it on impulse, and I honestly love it. I'm always playing shooters, whether in the first or third person, with my roommate and it's great to have something so different than the norm.

I'm really impressed with how they made each *character's move set.

My personal favorite is Jak. Every little detail just feels perfect. Unfortunately, he is not my best character haha.

Anyway, I did not like the beta but I love the final product.

[taz8080]

Parapa is my crack in that game. Lol

[soundslike]

Toro main checkin' in.

Nothing feels better than beating a bunch of kratos and raiden noobs with toro. I can only imagine how they feel.

[garos82]

this game is incredible. all the characters, with the exception of the coles, are unique and differ greatly. each character plays and feels completely different from each other. with so many quirks and nuances to discover with them. the game has slight balancing issues imo but not enough to make it feel cheap. the gameplay is fast and frantic and requires alot of strategic thinking.
my only problem with the game is not having option to have 1 vs 1 games online without inviting a friend to a versus match as well as lacklustre unlockables and presentation. going solely on gameplay it gets a 9.5 from me.

and ps it feels VERY different to smash bros

[PygmelionHunter]

Does anyone know if a demo will eventually be available on the PSN store?

[garos82]

good question. i dont think so to be honest cause they had the public beta for a while. although no harm in them putting a demo for people to try out.

[Hanso]

i like ps allstars more than smashbros
in ps you actually need to think and in smashbros you just spam attack very boring

[Tonester925]

Falcon Punch!

[andrewer]

Sorry, but if you think SSB is just spam attack, then you're not good at SSB, and don't use everything it has.

[towelie1288]

argeed if u think ssb or ssm is spamming attacks lol
u dont know what ur talking about

[garos82]

look lets not get ahead of ourselves. the smash series are brilliant. there is enough depth and fun in them to rightfully put it ahead of the competition. you can get by by spamming attacks but against a good player you will get your ass handed to you if you a button masher. both games are incredibly fun in their own rights and there is no reason why both cant exist side by side. its not as if there is a huge amount of these 4 player brawlers available. unlike another genre of shooting people in the face which spawns unholy clones every other month

those who doubt PSABR just give it a go. have a laugh invite some mates over and try the 2 vs 2 stock matches. im telling you now its the most local co-op fun you will have all year

[Tonester925]

Just watch this.

[Ddouble]

That was Sick.
I can't wait to see more competitive play of this game.
WNF had a tournament but I want to see more.

[FunAndGun]

Wait, wait. I thought this game took no skill?! /s

[Rai]

My biggest complaint with the game is that I don't feel the tension when I play. There is really only one way to die, but with SSMB I have to worry about dying to any normal attack or from falling off the stage. I don't get the feeling of fighting to stay alive.

I like the gameplay it makes more sense to me since I like playing action games and I like how all the stages changes in time.

[Rykoshet]

Right now you don't feel the tension because most players havent yet gotten to the point where they can convert a stray landed hit into a kill setup. My dante can turn any grounded hit into a kill at this point, so tension is directly tied to your opponent's skill.

[krazykombatant]

ummm sorry but to kill anyone you have to have your bar filled up.... So no.

[TuxedoMoon]

I think he means that there's no real death tension in the game. The lower your HP, the more options the other person has to kill you. Smash bros and every other fighting game with a damage indicator have this risk factor.

With PSASBR, you can get hit with an entire combo, but as long as the final hit (the special attack) misses, you're good. As long as your not tagged with the special attack, you're good. With any other game, any attack has a higher chance of killing you the lower your HP is.

[stylishjerk]

What are you talking about. This is the most tension I have felt in a fighting game since street fighter. For example, I was in a game one on one with a friend playing stock. I had one life left and he had three. Your strategy has to change so much in these situations, do you save up a level 2 or level 3 to make sure you get a kill? Do you keep saving up level ones and trying to get kills that way. Also you have to be able to defend because you only have one life left. Yeah this game has no strategy at all /s

[LiViNgLeGaCY]

Both games are awesome. I do like it better than Brawl, but maybe not Melee. It's really a toss up for me. I just LOVE the dynamic stages in the game. Really something awesome.

[Bimkoblerutso]

Same with me. Better than Brawl, not quite as good as Melee. Brawl really turned the series into a straight up party game, so it's nice to play a game that involves some actual skill again.

[LiViNgLeGaCY]

Yep, definitely. 100 percent agree. :)

Only thing that sucks is I'm kind of having an identity crisis with the game right now, lol. I don't know who to main. >_<

I'm kinda good with Kratos, getting good with Spike, really liking Raiden. I just don't know! xD

[majiebeast]

Psasbr is a actual fighting game cant say the same for smash brawl especially with the horrid controls and control over your character. But melee never had that issue must have had to do with the wii controller.

[Simon_Brezhnev]

I hate how he says
"Note: Before anyone says it, the name of the site has nothing to do with my opinion. PASBR is literally the only time I have played my PS3 aside from the Uncharted games. Aside from those two titles, Sony barely ever registers as a blip on my radar"

Like anybody needs to know what titles you only play on PS3.

[Rykoshet]

The typical reply to any sony-related article from our site is that our name somehow implies bias toward Sony. If someone wants to take issue with my article for its content, then I would be happy to discuss it with them, but I chose to preempt the most common reply.

[izumo_lee]

There is no denying that SSB is a great game but the thing with PSAS is that i can see it be represented at something like EVO cause of its depth.

The 1v1 aspect of the game is really quite nerve-racking like a EVO match can be. Throw in something like the 2v2 matches & seeing these team matches can be pretty exciting to see at EVO or fighting game tournaments.

PSAS is a 2D fighting game disquised as a party game, which is what SSB is considered. SSB is an easy to pick up & play at parties just for the fun of it & that is absolutely great. For PSAS it is also easy to pick up but takes more time to master than SSB, just like what a fighting game should be.

That is wha i believe Seth Killian meant when he thinks that PSAS will be a 'gateway' to hardcore fighting games.

[d3nworth1]

All Stars and Brawl are to completely different games. You cant play All stars the the same way you play Brawl and vice versa. I personally cant say which one I like better cuz they both fun. The one the I give All Stars over Brawl is the online cuz it doesnt lag as much.

[Mikito11]

Duelshockers.com... That says it all.

Smash bros blows it out the water..

[Smashbro29]

There is no room for comparison because if anyone actually PLAYED both they'd know the games are far far far too different to be compared. The only similarities aee that its 4 player and that its a crossover. The comparisons end there.

[DigitalRaptor]

I don't think anything has made me question journalistic integrity and bias more than the people who claim to be professionals reviewing this game and coming to the conclusion that it can not be more than average because "it's a Super Smash Bros clone".

How is it journalists can continue to have jobs when they spread misinformation around like wildfire? Why can fanboys have jobs as journalists?

Like you said, the similarities end at it being a 4P crossover fighting game. It has it's own depth and immense strategy to it, different active and end goals, it's much faster paced and much more frantic, mash-up levels, has a solid online component that includes cross-play performance with the PlayStation Vita. The game isn't broken, nor is it lacking in content, style or fun to be had. The game is great, but not near perfect. It's certainly not average. It's NOT a clone, so how is it that I knew this already before even playing the game, when a "journalist" playing it for review cannot see past their nostalgic love for a rival series? I have the game. It's about as similar to Smash Bros, as Tekken is to Street Fighter.

How can it be that a reviewer bases almost their entire review bringing up a game and saying that "it's not that game, so therefore it's not worth so much". That's pretty much how all the average/negative reviews go. The writing is on the wall and someone in this industry needs to answer for this constant lack of true representation of certain games due to existing bias.

I'm going to be looking at these same journalists expecting them to review the next Tekken and see them rip it because it's not Street Fighter. That is how ridiculous these people are.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

Well said. Best comment on here by FAR.

Both games require completely different mentalities, skill sets, and strategies. If anyone played both thoroughly they'd know that. But people are letting their brand loyalty come in the way of forming an objective opinion.

[GraveLord]

Just someones opinion, don't take it personally Nintendrones.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

The problem with opinions is, the readers such as us take that opinion and spin it as facts.

For example and the most popular example. "Xbox Live Sucks. Author: Xbox Destroyer

"Xbox Live Sucks and is nothing compared to PSN."

Then everybody jumps in the comment section writing mini paragraphs about how it sucks and not worth it.

Trying to spin it as facts and disagree squad comes along to smash disagrees at anybody that tries to give there opinion saying other wise. All you have to do is look at the disagree and Agree count, the high agree count is someone bashing Live, and the high diagree count is someone simply defending it. Yeah, its not right.

Same applies here, some website says its better than Super Smash then everyone jumps in and tries to spin it as fact and say "yes it is better then Super Smash Bros because PSAS has so and so over Super Smash and this and that over Smash therefor, its better."

Happens every week on this site its not hard to miss.

[strigoi814]

both games shouldnt be compared. Coz both games have their plus and minus..and they are both console exclusive...and if you played both you will know the difference just stop making fun of yourself and pretending that the other one is better than the other one...

..if you cant afford to play and buy both then make a wish to santa he might give you paper cut dolls to play with...lolz

[MasterCornholio]

They both play so differently that its really hard to compare the two. But its nice that Superbot did a good job with the game and hopefully in the future reviewers will stop bashing it because they believe that Nintendo are the only ones allowed to make a brawler.

P.S Just deal with it kids its OK if someone likes All Stars better than Smash Brothers and same goes if someone enjoys Smash more than All Stars. But if you haven't played both then your opinion isn't valid.

Motorola RAZR i

[Kennytaur]

Why can't people like both? It's like fighting over CoD and BF. It is.

[Gamesgbkiller]

Stop hating
This game is total fun
Better then or not ... one of the best fighting games this year!

[ALLWRONG]

lol

[YourGreatUncle]

I got to play PSARB in closed beta back in August. I didn't have one good thing to say about. I just got the game free with the Black Friday Vita Amazon deal. Decided to give it another go and I fell in love with it. 1000x's better than the beta I played. I enjoyed Brawl for like 2 days. It just felt like a backstep from Melee which I loved. So in my opinion it's miles better than Brawl.

[Deku-Johnny]

Of course it's better. They literally took everything that made Brawl awesome and built on it.

[TXIDarkAvenger]

This is a stupid debate between these 2 games. I own both and honestly All-Stars doesn't play anything like Super Smash Bros. All-Stars feels more like Battle Stadium D.O.N

[ghostrider32]

They're both fun games.