The Great UK Brawl Build-off

Softland - Martin Robinson, UK Games Writer

"With Alex and Matt hell-bent on creating arenas of doom, I thought I'd tread a softer path and conjure up a gentle stage. With a bed of springs ready to catch anyone unfortunate enough to topple off one of the many ledges, it's a peaceful zone taking an oversized ferris wheel as its centrepiece – the perfect spot to take a loved one to consume the sights of Brawl, or to stop off for a gentle revolution. It's also a fairly good place to take the high ground in a scuffle should you tire of the more docile life and just want to chin someone.

A little platforming prowess is required to gain a purchase on one of the rotating ledges and those skilled enough to scale the heights will enjoy a small advantage. Should combatants plummet to the bottom, bedlam ensues as they bound up and down on the bed of springs, while the two-tiered stone platforms bring a tactical bent to the fighting. In fact, in trying to create a placid locale for the game's crew, I seem to have made a brutal arena - it seems there's no room for peace in the world of Super Smash Bros. Brawl."

[Download Softland]

Sonic Doom - Matt Wales, UK Deputy Editor

"I've always preferred the more interactive 'event' stages in the Smash Bros. series – the one's that keep you on your toes. Mainly, because they force everyone to explore their entire arsenal of moves a bit more, instead of relying on a handful of guaranteed bone-grinders. There's nothing worse than getting stuck in a fight with someone who insists on hogging the real estate with Donkey Kong's dual-palmed ground pounder or hiding in a corner rattling out Fox's non-diminishing laser blaster. So, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that I'd try and replicate that frantic run-around sensation using Brawl's Stage Editor tool set. Obviously, there are some fairly severe limitations to what you can and can't do with the provided tools but a bit of experimentation birthed my inaugural effort. Ladies and gentlemen, I present - Sonic Doom!

Essentially, it's as dynamic a level as Brawl allows, with most platforms vanishing from underfoot in seconds. In other words, success requires fast thinking, faster reflexes and, perhaps, a more thorough knowledge of your chosen character's moves than you might normally need. Actually, it's not as fiendishly unfair as it might first look – those two elevators are easily reached if you remember your double jumps. What's more, there are two areas where it's perfectly possible to carry out some more stationary assaults – the upper conveyor belt system and those trapdoors below. Admittedly, both are designed to make permanent loitering more difficult than usual but, hey, at least I'm not a complete bastard. Oh, and why did I choose Sonic Boom as the background music? Simple – it's awesome."

[Download Sonic Doom]

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