SUMMARY Can Link beat up Mario? Can Yoshi deck Donkey Kong? Can Kirby punch out Pikachu? These and other age-old questions can finally be answered, because the first-ever tournament fighter boasting an all-star cast of Nintendo heroes has hit store shelves with the impact of a Fox McCloud roundhouse.

FEATURES Crossing multiple universes and alternate dimensions, the most popular of Nintendo's characters grace this bare-knuckle Pak. The 12 superstars are Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox McCloud, Jigglypuff, Ness, Captain Falcon and Pikachu. This awesome lineup answers long-debated questions of the characters' comparative strengths, and the idea of a battle between Donkey Kong and Pikachu is downright hilarious. Each character has a specific 3D fighting arena, with power-ups and obstacles scattered throughout the areas. Two to four players can fight simultaneously on the same screen, or one player can battle through the tournament ladder to reach a secret boss at the summit. The goal is to knock your opponent out of the playing field as many times as possible within a specified time limit. If you dominate the competition, you can kick them so hard they fly into the sky and turn into a constellation. Link hacks away with his Master Sword, Yoshi slurps up enemies and turns them into eggs, and Fox McCloud is strapped with his trusty Blaster. If you get into trouble, any character can take advantage of classic special attack items like Fire Flowers and Bob-ombs. Super Smash Bros. is extremely easy to learn, but to become a true master takes many hours of practice. Subtle technique can mean the difference between victory and defeat, and each character has unique strengths and weaknesses to learn and put to use. Super Smash Bros. is full of surprises, like Pikachu's level where random Pok�mon are always popping up. It's strange to see two good guys like Mario and Fox McCloud butting heads. RATING: 8/10