Brawl+ is a working project designed to make various aspects of Brawl more competitive. It is only available by modifying the Wii with specific software. More information can be found on the Brawl+ FAQ at Smash World Forums.
Currently available modifications include (but are not limited to):
Features
- No random tripping. Certain moves and bananas will still trip.
- A new character select screen with independent icons for Zelda, Sheik, Zero Suit Samus, and all Pokémon Trainer Pokémon.
- Decrease of hitlag in long hitlag moves, such as Captain Falcon's sweetspotted forward aerial and Marth tipped forward smash.
- Fully independent versions of Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard, though Pokemon Trainer can still be selected. For the stand-alone characters, Stamina has been removed, and the Pokemon will not cycle upon revival or via Pokemon Change. The Pokemon Trainer will not appear in the background or the victory screen if players choose to play an independent Pokemon.
- L-canceling (Auto-cancel) (otherwise known as ALR or Aerial Lag Reduction).
- Dash cancel. -Crouch to cancel a dash.
- No replay time limit. Replay icon still does not appear if the game is longer than three minutes, but if Z is pressed the replay may be saved normally.
- Shield during dash dance.
- Wizard's Foot gives another jump for recovery.
- No Stale Move Negation.
- Stage freezing. -Stops all stage movement, potentially allowing for more neutral stages. Only applies for:
- Luigi's Mansion - mansion is always destroyed and platforms never disappear
- WarioWare, Inc. - stage is always in original form
- Spear Pillar - Dialga, Palkia, and Cresselia stop appearing all together, removing stage hazards
- Pokemon Stadium 2 - Stage does not change forms
- No Auto sweetspot ledges.
- Lag-less edges.
- MAD (Melee air dodge), which enables Wavedashing. (This is not in the standard "Brawl Plussery," but can be added in using certain codes.)
- Incorporates the File Replacement Code used in downloading texture hacks, meaning Brawl+ users can easily download pre-made textures with no extra codes required.
- The Online Practice Stage is now loaded whenever New Pork City is selected. (Versus Mode only)
Gameplay Tweaks
- Character balancing. Captain Falcon, for example, has been significantly improved.
- Faster overall gameplay speed.
- Increased Falling Speed.
- Increased hitstun, allowing for truly inescapable combos.
- Tech window enlarged.
- Greater window to dash dance.
- Perfect shield window decreased.
- Increased Shield Stun, meaning a character hit while using their shield is forced to stay shielded for a longer amount of time.
- Many moves received slight alterations. For example, Bowser's forward smash now produces a fire effect on contact with the opponent.
"Melee 2.0" Claims
Despite constant disclaimers by the supporters of the Brawl+ project, many critics of the game (some of whom have not even played Brawl+) refer to Brawl+ as "Melee 2.0", stating that the hackers behind the making of the project are making nothing more than an attempt to "play Melee with Brawl characters and stages". This is entirely false, as stated on nearly every site supporting Brawl+. However, it is rather easy to jump to such a conclusion, as Brawl+ actually started out as a "Melee 2.0" project, which included basic codes for wavedashing and shield button-triggered L-Canceling (two features that were both in Melee, are critical to high-level play, and were removed from Brawl). Another trait that both Brawl+ and Melee share is the fact that they both have inescapable combos.
Calling Brawl+ "Melee 2.0" is generally taken as an insult to Brawl+ supporters as well as a sign of ignorance.