Online multiplayer gaming has really come into its own on the current generation of video-game consoles, with millions of people logging in every day to play "Call of Duty 4" or "Halo 3."

Still, some of us still prefer our multiplayer action offline — that is, with everyone in the same room.

Nintendo's Wii, with its newbie-friendly controllers, has been credited with a revival in "social gaming." And its most popular multiplayer fighting franchise has just arrived on the new system.

• "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" (Nintendo, for the Wii, $49.99): For nearly a decade, Nintendo fanatics have been using "Super Smash Bros." to settle such burning debates as: Who'd win a fight between Mario and Donkey Kong? Is Kirby wimpier than Pikachu? Which princess, Peach or Zelda, deserves the throne?

"Brawl," the first game in the series since 2001, throws in more than a dozen new characters, including non-Nintendo favorites like Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog and Konami's Snake (from "Metal Gear Solid"). They're all nicely balanced, so an apparent lightweight like Yoshi can take down a killing machine like Samus (from "Metroid") by trapping her in an egg.

Three-and-a-half stars out of four.

• "The Club" (Sega, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, $59.99): Bizarre Creations, the developer of "The Club," is best known for "Project Gotham Racing." Its newest production takes elements from "PGR" — in particular, speed and stunts — and applies them to the shooter genre.

You play a contestant in a "most dangerous game," kill-or-be-killed competition organized by some venal rich guys. In some levels you need to run from one end of a maze to another; in others, you're trapped in a confined area and have to survive dozens of would-be assassins. The goal is to rack up as many consecutive kills as possible. "The Club" does get the adrenaline pumping, but doesn't have much depth.

Two-and-a-half stars.

• "Ninja Reflex" (Electronic Arts, for the Wii, $39.99): Any true ninja can tell you that mastery involves more than violence. Accuracy, coordination and quickness are just as important, and "Ninja Reflex" aims to help you develop them all.

It consists of six minigames: You can fight off assaults with a sword, nunchucks or throwing stars; test your agility by catching flies or fish; or match reflexes against the flashes of fireflies. Each challenge has a multiplayer option, either simultaneously or in turns, and it's fun to test your reflexes against those of your friends.

Unfortunately, six minigames just aren't enough to justify a $40.

Two stars.