This is one of the more stranger releases when it comes to PlayStation exclusives. I remember playing this when I was younger before I even knew about the Super Smash Bros. series if you can believe it. I remember really liking it because of the fact that I could play as some of my favorite PlayStation mascots. I remember the gameplay being pretty good, as well. Funnily enough, though, I never played it again after like 5 hours with it. I just lost interest, and I didn't know why at the time. But, after finally getting around to playing the SSB games, it's crystal clear why. This game is severely lackluster in a lot of ways. The roster is only mediocre. Not bad, but there isn't anyone one wouldn't expect, causing it to feel a bit stale. It doesn't help that it's also small. The stages are all somewhat boring. Again, not bad, but they're mostly flat with a few platforms thrown in there. There are also not a lot of them, either. The gameplay, while it isn't that bad, is a bit needlessly convoluted. There were times where I was mindlessly mashing buttons instead of using actual strategy. I didn't notice it when I was younger, but after playing the SSB games, which all control fantastically and invoke strategy, it's honestly staggering how much worse the gameplay is here. Again, it can be manageable, but it's just not optimal compared to the SSB games. That leads us to the modes. The story mode isn't that fun, as it drags on pretty long, and while the cutscenes and dialogue can be charming, that doesn't stop it from feeling a bit disappointing. The online community is close to non existent, thanks to this not only being a bit old, but for it just not being that fun compared to other fighting games. However, while it sounds like I've been bashing this game to death, this isn't necessarily bad. The visuals are great, the music is good, the locales of the stages are awesome, and the multiplayer can be fun, too. This also isn't that bad of an option for those who are strictly PlayStation fans, as it's an alright enough fighting for people in that group. But, this is close to impossible to recommend to anyone else, as this is a straight up rip-off of SSB, and it doesn't even have as much as content as SSB Melee, which, in 2012, is still kind of pathetic. This is nothing more than a decent effort that leaves me very torn. Sure, if you're a hardcore PlayStation fan. Save your money and pick up any of the SSB games instead if you're not.
