Editorials > Smash Bros. Melee Mini-Review

Super Smash Bros. Melee Mini-Review by Troopa
6/08/2003

Super Smash Brothers Melee is the sequel to the popular Smash Brothers for the Nintendo 64. This game lets you take your favorite Nintendo characters and have grand battles with them. Ever want to see Luigi punch Mario? Or how about Princess Peach slap around Bowser for all the trouble he has given her? Well my friends, this game brings those wishes into reality.

The game has a pretty good one-player mode. You can battle against all different characters in the Classic Mode or go on a Super Mario type of quest in the Adventure Mode. Unfortunately, the Adventure Mode doesn't change depending on who you choose, but it's still fun. The extreme fun is when you play with your friends! Super Smash Brothers Melee is considered by many to be one of the best multiplayer games ever. There's also an Event Mode that has you do certain tasks and by beating them you can win hidden things in the game.

The graphics are very good and smooth. All of the characters and their special moves look great. The fighting arenas are huge, nicely detailed, and very interactive.

The fighting engine is pretty simple. If you don't like having to memorize long combos then this game is for you. Special moves only use one or two buttons at most. To beat your opponent you need to knock them off the ledge you fight on. When they fall far enough off the screen you score a point. You keep fighting until the match ends and whoever has the highest score wins. The weaker your opponent is from your attacks, the easier it is for you to knock them off the screen.

While fighting objects will appear that you can use to hurt your opponents or boost up your fighter. For example, you may sometimes get a hammer (the one from the original Donkey Kong) that you can use to hit people like crazy. Or you may get a tomato that heals you.

Super Smash Brothers Melee has loads of secret stuff. Hidden characters and tracks can be unlocked, plus there are around 300 trophies to collect. You win trophies by completing certain objectives, such as beating Adventure Mode, or playing 100 matches.

The music in every course is orchestrated beautifully. They could make a CD with the music on it, and in fact, they did! The character voices and sounds of the items are great also.

Conclusion
If your friends play video games with you often then you must own this game! Even if you're a single player you should pick it up. If you generally don't like fighting games, then rent it first. It's a classic that should be played at least once by everyone. There is a great amount of replay value with all of the hidden characters, fighting arenas, and the trophies!