This is the ultimate stress-reliever! Picking up a baseball bat and knocking Jigglypuff into orbit is so very satisfying. Being able to do that is reason enough to buy this game! This is probably my favorite way to unwind after a stressful day of cramming for exams, going to class, going to work, or just if I feel like whacking something (or someone). I'm a big fan of Nintendo's characters, but beating them up is actually a lot of fun (if I'm starting to sound too sadistic, remember that it's only a game!). If you've ever wondered who would win in a fight between Link and Mario, here's your chance to find out.
The one-player game is boring, boring, boring! This game is SO much better when you collect a couple of friends and play together. You can actually play VS. mode alone against the computer, and that's much better if you have to play this game by yourself (which happens a lot in my case). The arenas aren't truly 3-D, but the side-scrolling style seems to work pretty well (when you pause the game, you can rotate the camera around your character in near 3-D). The camera zooms in and out during fights to keep everyone on the screen, and this can be a little annoying. But I think these are minor flaws in an otherwise great game.
However, I would've liked more moves. Each character has roughly four personal attacks and not much else. More character-specific moves would've added a lot more to this game and made it more difficult to master. I hope that if Nintendo makes a sequel (!), they add in more moves for Mario and the crew. Perhaps they could also stick in a few more Pokemon to smack around (or those stupid penguins from MK64 and SM64). Now, where'd Jigglypuff get to?