Super Smash Bros. Melee

UPC: 045496960070

Platform: Nintendo GameCube

Publisher: Nintendo of America, Inc.

Developer: HAL Laboratory Inc.

Category: Fighting

Style(s): 3D Fighting

Synopsis: The sequel to the surprise hit Super Smash Bros. on the N64, Super Smash Bros. Melee introduces more characters, stages, and moves to the mix. Returning to the fold is the entire cast of the original, along with a host of new combatants, including such popular Nintendo icons as Bowser, Zelda, Ice Climber, and Peach. In addition to the initially selectable cast, 11 other characters can be unlocked. These characters will challenge the player to a duel, and if defeated become unlocked for future play. Eighteen stages are primarily selectable, with a number of hidden ones becoming available throughout the course of the game. Classic and Adventure modes make up the bulk of the single player experience. The former is set up in essentially the same format as the original N64 version, while the latter is more like a platform title and includes famous locales, such as the Mushroom Kingdom (replete with Goombas) and Brinstar. Interspersed between stages, and sometimes during the stages, are matches against various enemies, ranging from giant characters to team battles to one-on-one match-ups. Event matches provide the player with various situations that need to be completed within a predetermined set of parameters, such as rescuing Peach from Bowser, without either Mario or Peach getting knocked out of the stage. The Stadium mode includes Target Test, Home Run Derby, and Multi-Man Melee events, each of which provides rudimentary tests for the player. Multiplayer matches can be made up of any combination of four human or CPU opponents, and feature a variety of gameplay modifiers ranging from invisible characters to instant kills. Newly added Coin Battle and Point modes complement the original's Time and Stock modes. Players can enter their names in order to keep track of such statistics as games won and lost, number of kills and deaths, time played, and characters used, among others. Coins earned in any of the game's modes can be used to gamble for trophies of game characters, items, and power-ups from Nintendo's vast library of titles. The trophies include obscure mascots and long-forgotten characters; each of which can be inspected in real-time by the player using such functions as rotate and zoom to get a better view. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

Package Contents: Precautions Booklet

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

Explains the various facets of the title well enough. Solid stuff. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

Beautiful environments, fantastic character models and attention to detail the likes of which are seldom seen. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

More akin to an expansion pack than a full-blown sequel, Super Smash Bros. Melee provides a wealth of new characters, modes, stages, and options for people to choose from. Save for a few minor tweaks here and there, gameplay is much the same as the original title, which of course is a very good thing. The focus remains primarily on multiplayer battles, but unlike the woefully inadequate single-player experience in Super Smash Bros., lone players will find plenty to do, whether it be plowing through the Adventure mode or competing for scores and times in the Stadium mode. Consisting of 11 different stages, the Adventure mode will see players running on an F-Zero racetrack, searching for the Triforce in Hyrule and fighting atop the Great Fox while a squadron of fighters strafes the playing field. During the course of this mode, players can collect trophies strewn about the stages, and as long as they can afford continues (each costs three coins), they can progress onward. At the end of each stage, bonuses are awarded for achievements, such as knocking three opponents out of the arena with a single hit, or collecting all the items dropped into the arena. The list of awards is as long as it is strange. The Classic mode is just that -- the single-player mode from the original title. It even culminates in a battle against that dastardly white glove. Each stage is only made up of a single battle, though the battle parameters and stages vary greatly. Bonus stages appear between certain stages, and require the player to collect trophies, destroy targets and attempt to reach the farthest door possible; with a bonus awarded based upon how far the player manages to run in the allotted time. The Event and Stadium mode round out an impressive collection of single-player activities. As enjoyable as the game is by yourself, multiplayer matches raise the fun factor exponentially. Not only are four-player matches heated, well-contested affairs, but the addition of statistic tracking adds yet another layer of strategy to the title. Whereas before you'd be inclined to jump into the midst of a fight with little regard for anything but getting a KO or two, now you're always thinking about how a particular action will affect your stats, as well as your standing on the game's many Top 5 lists; which rank players according to knockouts, self-destructs, and so forth. Using only 11 blocks of memory card space, one can save all of the unlockable stages, characters, and statistics for up to 24 players. Speaking of which, the game features an almost unprecedented number of secrets. Aside from the 18 initially selectable stages, there are at least five others hidden within the game, excluding exact reproductions of some of the original game's stages. Over 20 characters are available, 11 of which must be unlocked, and includes such delightful, not to mention obscure, mascots as Mr. Game and Watch, Marth (of Fire Emblem fame), Roy, and a host of others, such as Mewtwo and Ganondorf. These are unlocked by meeting certain objectives in both, the single- and multiplayer gaming disciplines. Despite many of the secret characters sharing moves with their better halves (Dr. Mario and Mario, for instance), each differs just enough to make them worthwhile additions. Dr. Mario for example, has a stronger uppercut than Mario does, but his projectile (a pill) does not go as far as Mario's fireball. So while aesthetics may be a factor in choosing your favorite pugilist, consideration must be given to their different abilities. While the Time and Stock modes will be familiar to fans of the first title, the Coin and Point modes will not be. The former is a timed battle, requiring players to beat as many coins out of their opponents as possible. Gold coins are worth ten points, while silver and bronze are worth significantly less. The person with the highest tally of coins at the end of the round is declared the winner. While knockouts don't count toward the final placing, getting knocked out will cut your total coins held in half. The Point mode awards points for kills, moves and other notable events during a match, and even subtracts points for deaths and other non-events. The person with the most points at the end of the round wins, but because player's have no idea about the scores until the end of the round, they cannot sit back and relax for a second. A variety of other modes are present, and allow players to fight in slow motion, win with one-hit kills, fight as giant or tiny versions of their characters, and many more. While an enjoyable distraction, most will stick to the game's primary multiplayer modes. One addition worth noting is the inclusion of a Tournament mode. This allows up to 64 players to compete in a ladder-style knockout tournament, great for those days when there are plenty of people willing to play. Visually, Super Smash Bros. Melee is stunning. The character models sport an astounding level of detail, with blinking eyes, clothing that moves, and animations true to their respective franchises. Added to that are a variety of interactive levels, with rotating platforms, moving levels, rising acid lakes and gorgeous special effects -- all of this without dropping a single frame. Combine this with some of the best Nintendo tunes orchestrated to near perfection, and you have one of the greatest audio presentations ever found within a video game. Fans of Nintendo's franchises will no doubt be in heaven, thanks to the myriad of high-quality melodies. Super Smash Bros. Melee is, for all intents and purposes, the perfect sequel. It gives us more of what we want while not changing the heart of the gameplay too much. Sure, the addition of the new "air-evade" moves and the ability to catch items changes the gameplay, but they're such subtle differences that they become an integral part of one's fighting strategy almost immediately. Insignificant load times, great presentation and a horde of unlockable extras ensures that this is one game that won't be collecting dust for years to come. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

A massive trophy collection and hard-to-find secrets are only the beginning. Multiplayer matches will keep you engrossed for hours at a time. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

Perfect. Classic tunes, reworked with amazing finesse. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

One of the best multiplayer games available on the market. Fun for novice and experienced gamers alike. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.