Super Smash Bros. Melee: Difference between revisions
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==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
*Using an Action Replay code, it is possible to access the debug menu. There, characters such as Master Hand or Giga Bowser can be used (while using Master Hand or Crazy Hand it is not possible to move on side scrolling areas, to be defeated and to be P1 or P2). It is also possible to play in side scrolling levels, the health regain area in all-star mode, and a test level. | *Using an Action Replay code, it is possible to access the debug menu. There, characters such as Master Hand or Giga Bowser can be used (while using Master Hand or Crazy Hand it is not possible to move on side scrolling areas, to be defeated and to be P1 or P2). It is also possible to play in side scrolling levels, the health regain area in all-star mode, and a test level. | ||
*[[Masahiro Sakurai]], the game's lead designer, had originally wanted [[Snake (character)|Snake]] to appear in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', but did not have enough time to put him in in, as the game was so near production. [[Lucas]], from ''Mother 3'' (''Earthbound 64'') at that time, was supposed to replace [[Ness]] as a playable character, but Ness was kept in, due to the mass delay of ''Mother 3'', which was then transferred to the [[GameBoy Advance]]. [[Marth]] and [[Roy]] were meant to be in the Japanese version only, due to ''Fire Emblem'' being Japan-only. However, they were kept in the English version, which made American fans interested in ''Fire Emblem'', thus, bringing the series to the Western World. [[Meta Knight, Balloon Fighter, Mach Rider, [[Wolf]], and [[King Dedede]] were originally going to be in the game, but were removed. Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Wolf became playable in its sequel, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. | *[[Masahiro Sakurai]], the game's lead designer, had originally wanted [[Snake (character)|Snake]] to appear in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', but did not have enough time to put him in in, as the game was so near production. [[Lucas]], from ''Mother 3'' (''Earthbound 64'') at that time, was supposed to replace [[Ness]] as a playable character, but Ness was kept in, due to the mass delay of ''Mother 3'', which was then transferred to the [[GameBoy Advance]]. [[Marth]] and [[Roy]] were meant to be in the Japanese version only, due to ''Fire Emblem'' being Japan-only. However, they were kept in the English version, which made American fans interested in ''Fire Emblem'', thus, bringing the series to the Western World. [[Meta Knight]], Balloon Fighter, Mach Rider, [[Wolf]], and [[King Dedede]] were originally going to be in the game, but were removed. Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Wolf became playable in its sequel, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. | ||
*A rumor named "Sonic & Tails Rumor" was proven false. It would happen that if you beat 20 or more Wire Frames in Cruel Melee, you would unlock Sonic & Tails. But was later proven false, and Sonic was meant to be in the game. | *A rumor named "Sonic & Tails Rumor" was proven false. It would happen that if you beat 20 or more Wire Frames in Cruel Melee, you would unlock Sonic & Tails. But was later proven false, and Sonic was meant to be in the game. | ||
Revision as of 21:47, February 26, 2008
Template:Infobox Super Smash Bros. Melee is a fighting game for the Nintendo GameCube. It is the sequel to Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64 and the predecessor to Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. Super Smash Bros. Melee is the best selling game for the GameCube. It is a fighting game where various characters from Nintendo's popular franchises battle on different courses, also taken from Nintendo franchises. Many of the major characters of the Mario series make an apperance. The game has its major focus on the multiplayer mode, while still offering a number of single-player modes.
Gameplay
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, up to four characters fight on a side-view stage with invisible boundaries on each side. When a player hits these boundaries, he or she is knocked out. Unlike other fighting games, the Super Smash Bros. series thus does not rely on hit points for each character which have to be brought down to zero, but on damage percentage. Whenever a player is hit, he or she gets a certain amount of percent damage. This damage can exceed 100%, and has its maximum at 999%. The higher the damage percentage is, the easier can the player be knocked of the stage and knocked out this way.
General Actions
Players move around on the stages using the GameCube Controller's control stick, and can jump by pulling the control stick up or pressing the X or Y button. It is possible to jump again in the air a single time. Some characters also have the ability to multi-jump in the air. By moving the control stick down, the player can crouch or move a layer down on the stage.
A basic attack is performed with the A button. When moving the control stick into a direction, the player can attack upwards and downwards or to either side. These attacks are usually weak and do not do very much damage. When the A button is pressed repeatedly, the character performs a standard combo, a fast sequence of weak attacks. When the control stick is titled fast and the A button is pressed in time, the player can perform a Smash Attack. These are very powerful, chargeable attacks which cause a lot of damage. Each character's moves for the side, up and down Smash Attacks are different.
Character Special Moves
![Super Jump Punch](https://mario.wiki.gallery/images/thumb/7/76/SuperJumpPunch.jpg/200px-SuperJumpPunch.jpg)
Each character has his or her own set of special moves, which are performed with the B button. When moving the control stick in a certain direction, or not moving it at all, a different special move is performed. The special moves are influenced by the character's individual personality, and have various effects, from doing more damage than with a normal attack, attacking from a distance or repelling projectiles. Most characters' Up + B moves involve jumping, which makes it possible to perform a third jump in the air to prevent the character from falling down. The sideways special move was a new addition to the series.
Item Use
Items appear on the stage at random and can be used by the players. Items have various effects, and some trigger by themselves. They can grant the character special abilities for a short time, like becoming invisible, contain a number of items themselves, explode when hitting or can be used as a weapon. When a player is standing next to an item, he or she can use the A button to pick the item up. Some items have effects that are activated when the item is picked up or touched, such as reducing the character's damage percentage or turning the character into a giant version of him- or herself. Other items can be used as weapons. A held weapon can be used with the A button. With the Z button, or L or R in combination with A, the weapon can the thrown away. This thrown item can also hurt other characters when it hits them.
Shielding
When pressing the L or R triggers, the character's shield is activated. Shields can be used to prevent any kind of attack from a character or an item, only grabbing cannot be prevented. The shield has the form of a bubble (except for Yoshi, where it is a Yoshi Egg). The shield's power decreases every time it is used, and when the shield breaks, the character is unable to move for a longer period of time. Light characters may even be knocked out by the shield break. The character can also to do a roll to the side to protect him- or herself by moving the control stick while pressing L or R.
Grabbing and Throwing
Players are able to grab other characters and hold them. This allows the player to hit the character while he is not able to protect himself or fight back. The player can also throw the character in any direction, or smash them to the ground. A thrown character can hit other characters and damage them this way, too. When not holding item and standing next to a character, the player can press Z, or L and R in combination with A, to grab the character. The player can now attack the grabbed character by using the Z or A buttons, and can also throw the other character in a direction by tilting the control stick.
Other Actions
In single-player mode, the player can use the C-Stick to zoom the camera in or out. In VS mode, the player can move the C-Stick in any direction, allowing him or her to perform uncharged smash attacks easily. By pressing Up on the D-Pad, the player can use the Taunt.
Fighting Modes
There are four standard fighting modes in Super Smash Bros. Melee. These can be freely chosen in VS mode. The Regular Matches in Single-Player mode only feature Stock matches, but different rules appear in the Event Matches. In all modes, it is possible that there is a tie between one or more players. When this happens,there will be a Sudden Death. It is a quick battle, where each of the players who are tied will fight. They each start with 300% damage, and the last player standing wins. The winner of the Sudden Death wins the entire battle.
Time
Players gain points by knocking out other players, and lose points by going knocked out. When the time limit has run out, the player with the most points wins. It can be set by the player whether self-destructs cause players to lose 0, 1 or 2 points. A special function that displays the players' points during battle can also be unlocked. This mode is used by default in the VS Mode, though it is rarely used in the Single-Player events.
Stock
Players have a set number of lives. They lose lives when they are knocked out. The last player standing wins. Optionally, a time limit can be specified. When the time has run out, the player with the most lives wins. This mode is featured throughout the Classic and All-Star Mode, and there is always a set time limit in these modes.
Coin
Players have to collect Smash Coins. Coins appear by hitting an opponent. Up to 999 coins can be collected by a player. When a player gets knocked out, he will lose half of his coins. When the time limit has run out, the player with the most coins wins. This fighting mode is rarely used in the Event Matches of the single-player mode, but is also avaiable in VS matches.
Bonus
Players get points for their fighting style. There are 249 different kinds of bonus points. Bonus points can be simply for knock outs, for jumping a lot, for looking in the same direction all the time, for getting a rare Pokémon out of a Pokéball, etc. They often have humorous names. When the time limit has run out, the player with the most points wins.
Playable Characters
There are twenty-five playable characters in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Seven of them are from the Mario series.
Legend:
Special Moves |
---|
B move |
Smash B move |
Up & B move |
Down & B move |
Default Characters
Name | Series | Description | Special Moves | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mario | Mario series | Mario is the most balanced character of the game. He has average speed and weight, but above average jumping abilities. | Fireball | |
Cape | ||||
Super Jump Punch | ||||
Mario Tornado | ||||
Donkey Kong | Donkey Kong series | Donkey Kong is one of the strongest characters, and has a heavy weight. When he picks up a character, he can carry them for a short distance. | Giant Punch | |
Headbutt | ||||
Spinning Kong | ||||
Hand Slap | ||||
Link | Legend of Zelda series | Link is a character with medium weight, strength and speed. He uses his sword to attack. | Bow | |
Boomerang | ||||
Spin Attack | ||||
Bomb | ||||
Samus Aran | Metroid series | Samus is a slow and heavy character with powerful attacks. Her Grappling Beam allows her to grab characters from farther away. | Charge Shot | |
Missile | ||||
Screw Attack | ||||
Bomb | ||||
Yoshi | Yoshi series | Yoshi is a fast and heavy fighter with strong smash attacks. Unlike other fighters, Yoshi's shield is not an energy bubble but a green-spotted Yoshi Egg. He does not have a third jump. | Egg Lay | |
Egg Roll | ||||
Egg Throw | ||||
Yoshi Bomb | ||||
Kirby | Kirby series | Kirby is a light and fast character with weak attacks. He can multi-jump in the air. His special Swallow move allows him to copy other characters' B abilities. | Swallow | |
Hammer | ||||
Final Cutter | ||||
Stone | ||||
Fox McCloud | Star Fox series | Fox is a fast and light character with average strength. His Blaster has the unique ability to do damage to an enemy without stopping them. | Blaster | |
Fox Illusion | ||||
Fire Fox | ||||
Reflector | ||||
Pikachu | Pokémon series | Pikachu is fast and light. It uses its electric attacks to damage other enemies. | Thunder Jolt | |
Skull Bash | ||||
Quick Attack | ||||
Thunder | ||||
Ness | Earthbound series | Ness is a fast and light character. In his Smash Attacks, he uses a homerun bat and a yo-yo. For his recovery move, he has to shoot himself into his rear end to catapult himself upwards. | PK Flash | |
PK Fire | ||||
PK Thunder | ||||
PSI Magnet | ||||
Captain Falcon | F-Zero series | Captain Falcon is the fastest character in the game. However, he lacks jumping abilities. His attacks are strong. | Falcon Punch | |
Raptor Boost | ||||
Falcon Dive | ||||
Falcon Kick | ||||
Bowser | Mario series | Bowser is the heaviest and slowest character, but has powerful attacks and is hard to hit off of the stage. He can use his weight to crush characters he is currently grabbing. | Fire Breath | |
Koopa Klaw | ||||
Whirling Fortress | ||||
Bowser Bomb | ||||
Peach | Mario series | Peach has a special ability to float above the ground for a short amount of time. In her Smash Attacks, she hits the other player with either a golf club, a tennis racket or a frying pan. | Toad | |
Peach Bomber | ||||
Peach Parasol | ||||
Vegetable | ||||
Ice Climbers | Ice Climber | The Ice Climbers fight in a pair of two. The player only controls one Ice Climber, and a CPU plays his partner, who follows the player's move as far as possible. The Ice Climbers are light, but slow. By changing colors, the player can choose between controlling Popo or Nana. | Ice Shot | |
Squall Hammer | ||||
Belay | ||||
Blizzard | ||||
Zelda | Legend of Zelda series | Zelda is a light, but slow character. Her attacks do much damage, but do not hit the enemy easily. She has the ability to transform herself into Sheik, giving her a wide range of different special moves. | Nayru's Love | |
Din's Fire | ||||
Farore's Wind | ||||
Transform | ||||
Sheik | Legend of Zelda series | Sheik is a form which Zelda can transform into. She is fast and light. Her attacks do not do very much damage, but she can attack much faster than other characters. Zelda can become Sheik at the start of the battle when the player holds down A. | Needle Storm | |
Chain | ||||
Vanish | ||||
Transform |
Unlockable Characters
Name | Series | Description | Special Moves | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Luigi | Mario series | Luigi is a character with average weight and speed but with above average strength. He has many similarities to Mario in his move set. Despite jumping slower than Mario, he does have the highest triple jump of all. | Fireball | |
Green Missile | ||||
Super Jump Punch | ||||
Luigi Cyclone | ||||
Jigglypuff | Pokémon series | Jigglypuff is weak and light. It has the ability to multi-jump in the air. | Rollout | |
Pound | ||||
Sing | ||||
Rest | ||||
Mewtwo | Pokémon series | Mewtwo is a strong and slow character, but easy to kick off because it is hovering above the ground constantly. | Shadow Ball | |
Confusion | ||||
Teleport | ||||
Disable | ||||
Marth | Fire Emblem series | Marth is a character with average strength and weight, though he is a bit faster than average. He uses a sword to attack. | Shield Breaker | |
Dancing Blade | ||||
Dolphin Slash | ||||
Counter | ||||
Mr. Game & Watch | Game & Watch series | Mr. Game & Watch has average speed, weight and strength, but can be kicked off easier than average characters. His special Judgment attack has an effect at random. | Chef | |
Judgment | ||||
Fire | ||||
Oil Panic |
Clone Characters
Super Smash Bros. Melee introduces a range of characters who are "clones" of other characters, meaning they have a similar move set, however look different. All of these are unlockable characters.
Name | Series | Description | Special Moves | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dr. Mario | Mario series | Dr. Mario is a clone of Mario. His attacks look different, but act the same way as Mario's. | Megavitamins | |
Super Sheet | ||||
Super Jump Punch | ||||
Dr. Tornado | ||||
Ganondorf | Legend of Zelda series | Ganondorf is a clone of Captain Falcon. However, he is not fast, but slow and heavy. He also has a special attack when pressing A and moving the control stick upwards, different from a Smash Attack. | Warlock Punch | |
Gerudo Dragon | ||||
Dark Dive | ||||
Wizard's Foot | ||||
Falco Lombardi | Star Fox series | Falco is a clone of Fox. He is not as fast as Fox, but better in jumping. His Blaster also stops enemies, unlike Fox's, although he cannot fire as fast. | Blaster | |
Falco Phantasm | ||||
Fire Bird | ||||
Reflector | ||||
Young Link | Legend of Zelda series | Young Link is a clone of Link. However, he is considerably weaker, lighter and faster and can Wall Jump. | Fire Bow | |
Boomerang | ||||
Spin Attack | ||||
Bomb | ||||
Pichu | Pokémon series | Pichu is a clone of Pikachu. Pichu is the lightest character of the game, and considerably fast. Whenever it uses an electric attack, however, it does damage to itself. | Thunder Jolt | |
Skull Bash | ||||
Agility | ||||
Thunder | ||||
Roy | Fire Emblem series | Roy is a clone of Marth. He is not as fast as Marth, but has stronger attacks which involve fire. However, his Flare Blade can backfire when charged to its maximum, doing 10 damage to Roy himself. | Flare Blade | |
Double-Edge Dance | ||||
Blazer | ||||
Counter |
Stages
There are 29 selectable stages in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Default Stages
Stage | Description | |
---|---|---|
Infinite Glacier: Icicle Mountain |
Icicle Mountain is a stage that scrolls up and down at different speeds. It has many different small platforms to jump on, similar to the classical platforming game Ice Climber. | |
Mushroom Kingdom: Princess Peach's Castle |
In this stage, the battle takes place on the roof of Princess Peach's Castle from Super Mario 64. There are some hovering platforms at either side of the small tower. Switches can be activated, making ? Blocks appear. From time to time, a Banzai Bill is shot into the castle, causing an explosion. | |
DK Island: Kongo Jungle |
The Kongo Jungle stage is set on logs over a waterfall. A small platform also appears to the right, and sometimes logs are falling down the waterfall, creating temporary platforms. Below the stage is a Barrel Cannon which shoots out characters in a random direction when they fall into it. | |
Termina: Great Bay |
The Great Bay stage, based on The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, has two platforms which stand fixed in the water, and a swimming stone. Sometimes, a turtle rises from the water, creating additional platforms. Tingle is also seen on the stage with a giant balloon, and is forming another platform. | |
Yoshi's Island: Yoshi's Story |
Yoshi's Story features elements of the game Yoshi's Story. In the center is Yoshi's Island, and three smaller platforms are hovering above it. It also has a cloud moving below it to catch falling characters. Flying Shy Guys fly by occasionally, carrying Food. | |
Dream Land: Fountain of Dreams |
On the Fountain of Dreams stage from the Kirby series, the fountain itself forms a big platform in the middle with three smaller hovering platforms above it, whose height varies. | |
Lylat System: Corneria |
In the Corneria stage from the Star Fox series, the battle is held on the Great Fox, a spaceship. From time to time, Arwings fly by and shoot at the combatants. | |
Mushroom Kingdom: Rainbow Cruise |
Rainbow Cruise is a moving stage with different environments based on Rainbow Ride from Super Mario 64. It starts on a floating ship, which falls down after a certain time, and players have to move on over the various platforms. | |
DK Island: Jungle Japes |
The Jungle Japes stage from the Donkey Kong series is set on a river, with three ledges made of wood with a house and a toilet house found on them. The players fight on these platforms. Occasionally, Klap Traps jump out of the water, trying to drag characters downwards into the water. | |
Hyrule: Temple |
The Temple is the biggest stage of the game, designed after several games from the Legend of Zelda series. It features many different platforms and a tunnel system. Despite its size, it does not have any side effects. | |
Yoshi's Island: Yoshi's Island |
The Yoshi's Island stage is set in a scene from Super Mario World. The area is enclosed by a slope on the one side and a Warp Pipe on the other. In the middle, there is a hole with Turning Blocks above it. There are also two groups of turning blocks floating on the stage serving as additional platforms. | |
Dream Land: Green Greens |
Green Greens from the Kirby series is consisting of three separated grass platforms. The huge tree, Whispy Woods, blows the characters away. Sometimes, apples fall from him. Also, blocks and bomb blocks fall from the sky in between the platforms. | |
Lylat System: Venom |
Much like Corneria, Venom is featuring the Great Fox flying over the surface. But unlike Corneria, the battle is fought on the Great Fox's four wings, the ship is seen from the front. Arwings also appear and shoot at the players. | |
Planet Zebes: Brinstar |
Brinstar from Metroid is consisting of several platforms which are held together by organic material or other objects. These connections can be destroyed, causing some of the platforms to hover in the air. Sometimes, acid rises from below burning the characters, but also restoring broken connections. | |
Eagleland: Onett |
In Onett from EarthBound, the battle takes place on a few houses in the village and a nearby tree. Cars drive by and hit characters when they do not avoid them. There are warning signs announcing the cars. The platforms of the drug store in the middle can collapse, but restore themselves after a certain time. | |
F-Zero Grand Prix: Mute City |
Mute City takes place on a large F-Zero race track with a small platform hovering in the middle of it. Occasionally, this platform will go down, exposing the road. F-Zero gliders will sometimes race into the players, but can also be destroyed. | |
Kanto: Pokémon Stadium |
The Pokémon Stadium looks like a simple stage with two floating platforms, but every once in a while the stage will change into one of four different terrains: Water, Fire, Rock, and Grass, which all have different features obstacles. | |
Mushroom: Kingdom |
The Mushroom Kingdom stage features many objects from classical Super Mario Bros. games, such as Brick Blocks and ? Blocks, which contain items, as well as falling platforms above two gaps. |
Unlockable Stages
Stage | Description | |
---|---|---|
Superflat World: Flat Zone |
The Flat Zone modelled after a Game & Watch system. From time to time, wrenches, buckets, and other tools fall from the top. Oil can also be spilled over the ground, making it hard for the players to move. Some platforms vanish and appear at different places. | |
Planet Zebes: Brinstar Depths |
Brinstar Depths from Metroid features a large rock platform. There are few floating rocks, which players can jump at times. When Kraid hits it, the large rock is rotating in any direction, exposing a different side of it. | |
Eagleland: Fourside |
This EarthBound stage is set high on the skyscrapers of Fourside. Players have to be carefully not to fall into the gaps between the buildings. It has a giant UFO that occasionally shows up on the screen and can be used as a platform. | |
F-Zero Grand Prix: Big Blue |
Big Blue is side-scrolling, and the fight takes place on top of the F-Zero gliders. Players have to be cautious not to hit the track, as they would stay behind and, because of the high speed of the gliders, would hit the barrier at the left end of the stage, knocking them out. There are also numerous platforms that pass by. | |
Kanto Skies: Poké Floats |
The Poké Floats stage takes place in the skies of Kanto, where giant floating Pokémon balloons are found. To survive on this stage, the player must jump from one Pokémon balloon to the next. | |
Mushroom: Kingdom II |
Mushroom Kingdom II, actually featuring Super Mario Bros. 2, has a generic scene from the game with several platforms and a waterfall that forms gorges between them. Occasionally, logs will fall down the waterfall, creating temporary platforms. A Pidgit will also occasionally fly in, creating another platform, and a Birdo appears from time to time, spitting Birdo Eggs at the characters. | |
Special Stages: Battlefield |
Battlefield is a floating stage consisting of a big platform in the middle and three smaller platforms hovering above it. The stage does not have any side effects, which allows players to solely concentrate on the fight. | |
Special Stages: Final Destination |
Final Destination has absolutely no features, so the combatants are not bothered by the stage in any way. | |
Past Stages: Dream Land |
The Dream Land is a stage returning from Super Smash Bros. The only feature is Whispy Woods who occasionally blows a harsh wind in a random direction. | |
Past Stages: Yoshi's Island |
Yoshi's Island is a stage returning from Super Smash Bros. It is consisting of a big platform with the Super Happy Tree in the background, three other smaller floating platforms above, and three clouds at the edges of the stage, which vanish when a character stands on them too long. | |
Past Stages: Kongo Jungle |
The Kongo Jungle is a stage returning from Super Smash Bros. The stage is made out of a large wooden platform with several smaller, sometimes floating ones around it. There is also a Barrel Cannon underneath the arena. |
Items
Name | Series | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
Barrel | Super Smash Bros. series | The Barrel contains a single random item, which can be released by smashing the barrel or throwing it against a wall. When thrown to the ground, it will roll onwards and hit players. | |
Barrel Cannon | Donkey Kong series | The Barrel Cannon is used to trap a character inside. Then the barrel rotates, and depending when the trapped character presses a button, he or she will be fired out in a certain angle. However, the Barrel Cannon vanishes quite quickly after appearing on the stage. | |
Beam Sword | Super Smash Bros. series | The Beam Sword can be used to hit other characters. It is powerful, but the hits are rather slow. | |
Bob-omb | Mario series | The Bob-omb can be thrown at another character to cause an explosion. If left on the ground for a few seconds, it starts walking around. It then explodes after a certain amount of time or if it walks into a character. | |
Bunny Hood | Legend of Zelda series | The character wearing the Bunny Hood is faster and can jump higher. | |
Capsule | Super Smash Bros. series | The Capsule contains a single random item that is small. It can be easily thrown and sometimes explodes when hitting the wall or a character. | |
Cloaking Device | Perfect Dark | The Cloaking Device makes the player invisible. The player also takes no damage from attacks, but is thrown away by them nevertheless. | |
Crate | Super Smash Bros. series | The Create contains three different random items. Sometimes, it explodes when hit. | |
Egg | Super Smash Bros. series | The Egg contains a single item and is very similar to the Capsule. Whether it is a weapon or Food depends on the current stage. | |
Fan | Super Smash Bros. series | The Fan is used to smack other characters. It is difficult to escape the Fan's fast hits, though they do no do much damage per hit. | |
Flipper | Balloon Fight | When thrown, the Flipper stops hovering in the air, creating an obstacle for players. It can also repell projectiles. | |
Fire Flower | Mario series | The Fire Flower is used to shoot fire at other characters. It is not, like in the Mario series, similar to the Fireball attack, but to Bowser's Fire Breath. | |
Food | Super Smash Bros. series | The player's damage meter is reduced by a small amount. The actual amount varies from food to food. | |
Freezie | Mario series | The Freezie glides along the stage and can fall off edges. It can be destroyed before it has been picked up. It can be used to freeze other players in an ice block when throwing it at them. Using fiery attacks will make them normal again. | |
Green Shell | Mario series | The Green Shell can be thrown, and then slides along the ground, being able to hit multiple characters. | |
Hammer | Mario series | A massive hammer from Donkey Kong. If picked up, it can do great damage, but the player cannot double jump, nor can he or she drop the item. The head may fall off and be picked up and thrown. | |
Heart Container | Legend of Zelda series | The Heart Container reduces the player's damage meter by 100%. | |
Home-Run Bat | Super Smash Bros. series | When a Smash Attack is performed with a Home-Run Bat, the hit character is knocked out instantly. It is also featured in the Homerun Contest. | |
Lip's Stick | Panel de Pon | The character hit by Lip's Stick gets a flower on their head, which is doing continuous little damage. The more often a character is hit, the bigger the flower grows, and the more damage it will do. | |
Maxim Tomato | Kirby series | The player's damage meter is reduced by 50%. | |
Metal Box | Mario series | Hitting the Metal Box makes the player metal. They weigh a lot and cannot be thrown off the stage easily, but if he or she get thrown off, they cannot jump easily and it is harder to survive for them. | |
Motion-Sensor Bomb | GoldenEye 007 | When placed on the ground or on the side of a ledge, the Motion-Sensor Bomb stays on the ground and explodes when someone comes nearby. | |
Mr. Saturn | Earthbound series | They are used to throw it at other characters. When they are caught by the player again, they do not vanish, and can hit the other character many times. | |
Parasol | Kirby series | The Parasol can be used to hit other characters. When falling, the character holding the parasol glides down slowly. | |
Party Ball | Super Smash Bros. series | When the Party Ball opens, items appear at random. There is a high chance that the items will be Food or Bob-ombs. | |
Poison Mushroom | Mario series | The opposite of Super Mushrooms. The player shrinks in size, gets easier to K.O., gets weaker but runs faster. He or she also gets more flexible and easier to miss. | |
Poké Ball | Pokémon series | When the Poké Ball is opened, a Pokémon appears. The effect of the Pokémon varies, but they mostly involve attacking the players' enemies without hurting their owner. However, some Pokémon hurt all players within their range. See the List of Pokémon in Super Smash Bros. Melee. | |
Ray Gun | Super Smash Bros. series | The Ray Gun can shoot out laser beams. | |
Red Shell | Mario series | The Red Shell is much like the Green Shell, but does less damage and homes in on characters. | |
Screw Attack | Metroid series | As long as a character is holding the Screw Attack in their hand, their jump is in the form of Samus's Screw Attack move. When another character is hit by it, they also do that jump. | |
Starman | Mario series | The Starman makes the player invincible for a moment. They do not take damage from their enemies and cannot be hit or grabbed, but they can still fall off the stage and get knocked out this way. | |
Star Rod | Kirby series | When the Star Rod is used, stars come flying out of it, hitting other characters. | |
Super Mushroom | Mario series | It makes the player double in size, and thus become stronger, harder to K.O., and slower, but easier to hit (due to the size) and less flexible. | |
Super Scope | Super Nintendo peripheral | The Super Scope shoots out many small energy balls, or, when charged up, up to three big energy balls. | |
Warp Star | Kirby series | The character who picks the Warp Star up will fly up into the air, and then crash right back down, causing an explosion that damages other players. By tilting the control stick while in the air, the player can take influence on the landing point. |
Single-Player Mode
Classic Mode
The Classic Mode is based on the single-player mode of the game's predecessor. However, it is no longer set what opponents will be fought where. They are chosen randomly. Still, there is a set pattern for the battles. For setup, the player chooses the difficulty (very easy - easy - normal - hard - very hard) and the number of lives (1 - 5) he will have for the whole mode.
All battles are in stock mode, with the opponents having one life, and a 3 minutes time limit. The arena is one of the opponent's home arenas. There are also three bonus stages. When failing in one of them, the player does not lose a life for his upcoming battles.
When the player runs out of stock lives during the mode's progress, they can use a continue to gain all lives again, but they lose points for that, and at any setting except for Very Easy, they will have to pay coins for the Continue. Those coins are won in any regular battle by performing Smash Attacks, or in the Bonus Stages of the Classic Mode. They can also be used to pay for the Continue in the Adventure and All-Star mode and in the Trophy Lottery mode.
Classic Mode | |
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Stage 1 | The player fights a single opponent. |
Stage 2 | A team of the player and an ally fight against a team of two opponents. |
Bonus Stage 1: Break the Targets! | The player has to hit all the targets within a time limit of 2 minutes. Each character has their own arena for the target test. |
Stage 3 | The player fights a single opponent. |
Stage 4 | A team of the player and two allies fight a single opponent. However, the opponent appears in his or her giant form, just if he or she had a Super Mushroom. |
Bonus Stage 2: Collect the Trophies! | The player has to collect the Trophies falling from above. To do this, he has to hit them so that they fall into his collection spot. |
Stage 5 | The player fights a single opponent. When the player plays on the Hard setting or above, the opponent's CPU will be changed. The opponent will always escape to the borders of the stage after hitting the player. |
Stage 6 | The player has to fight 10 opponents, all being the same character. He fights three at a time. When one gets knocked out, another takes its place. |
Bonus Stage 3: Race to the Finish! | The player runs along a tunnel with many doors. He can take any available door to complete the level, but the farther the door he takes is from the beginning, the more coins he earns. The time he has for this varies from character to character, but it is usually around 45 seconds. |
Stage 7 | The player has to fight an opponent in his metal version. The battle is held on the Battlefield stage. |
Stage 8 | The player has to fight the Master Hand on the Final Destination stage. Unlike the player, the Master Hand has hit points instead of percentage of damage. The number of hit points varies between the difficulty settings, and are around 300. Additionally, when the player is fighting on the normal or a higher difficulty setting and has finished the other stages of the classic mode in a time lower than 10 minutes, Crazy Hand will appear when Master Hand's HP hits its half. Then the player has to fight both hands at the same time. Crazy Hand starts with the same number of HP as Master Hand did. |
The player's scores are saved after every stage. The player gets awarded points for the time remaining when a battle ends, as well as for the damage he dealt. He also gets Bonus Points, just as in the Bonus mode. In the Bonus Stages, the player gets points for how many targets he has hit, or how far he made it in Race to the Finish!. Special Bonus points are awarded in the end for hitting all targets in the Break the Targets! stage, collecting all trophies in the Collect the Trophies! stage, beating Crazy Hand, beating the mode on the Very Hard setting, or beating the mode without losing a life. The scores are saved separately for each character, and there is also a total score for all characters combined.
Adventure Mode
The Adventure Mode is a mode taking place in most of the worlds of the games featured in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It features some special side-scrolling stages only available in adventure mode. As in the Classic Mode, the player chooses the difficulty (very easy - easy - normal - hard - very hard) and the number of lives (1 - 5) he will have for the whole mode.
When the player runs out of stock lives during the mode's progress, they can use a continue to gain all lives again, but they lose points for that, and will have to pay coins. Those coins are won in any regular battle by performing Smash Attacks, or in the Bonus Stages of the Classic Mode. They can also be used to pay for the Continue in the Classic and All-Star mode and in the Trophy Lottery mode.
Adventure Mode | |
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Stage 1 | Mushroom Kingdom |
Stage 1-1 | This side-scrolling level is completely influenced by the Mushroom Kingdom's appearance in Mario games. It features classical Mario enemies, namely Goombas, Koopa Troopas and Paratroopas, as well as Warp Pipes and Brick Blocks. Toads and golf courses are seen in the background. Near the end of the stage, the player has to battle 10 Yoshis, three at a time. |
Stage 1-2 | When the player has completed the side-scrolling stage, he gets to Princess Peach's Castle. There, he has to fight Mario and Peach, who are in a team.
Template:Spoiler When the player has completed the first part of the Mushroom Kingdom stage with a 2 in the seconds place (XX:X2:XX) on his time counter, Luigi will kick Mario off the castle before the battle begins. Then, the player will have to fight Luigi and Peach instead. When the player then completes the rest of the Adventure Mode, he will get to unlock Luigi in the end. Template:Endspoiler |
Stage 2 | Kongo Jungle |
Stage 2-1 | In the first part of the DK stage, the player has to fight two mini-versions of Donkey Kong at the same time. The battle is in the Kongo Jungle stage. |
Stage 2-2 | After defeating the mini DKs, the player will fight Giant DK in the Jungle Japes stage. |
Stage 3 | Hyrule |
Stage 3-1 | This side-scrolling level takes place in the Underground Maze. The player has to fight ReDeads and other enemies from the Legend of Zelda series. There are six special places in the dungeon. One is containing the finish, the Triforce. In the other five places with the Master Sword in the room, Link will appear and battle the player. He has a different color each time. |
Stage 3-2 | When the player has completed the Dungeon, he gets to Hyrule Temple, where he has to fight Princess Zelda. |
Stage 4 | Brinstar |
Stage 4-1 | In the first part of the stage, the player has to fight Samus in Brinstar. When Samus is defeated, a self-destruction mechanism will be activated. |
Stage 4-2 | The player then gets to a small side-scrolling level, where he has to jump upwards to escape the exploding planet. When he fails to do it in time, he will lose a life. |
Stage 5 | Green Greens |
Stage 5-1 | The player has to fight a single Kirby in the Green Greens stage. |
Stage 5-2 | When it is defeated, a team of 18 Kirbys, all having copied abilities from other characters, will fight the player. He fights three Kirbys at a time. |
Stage 5-3 | When the player has defeated the Kirby team within 30 seconds, Giant Kirby will appear and also fight him. |
Stage 6 | Corneria |
Stage 6-1 | The player has to fight Fox on the Corneria stage. In this battle, no Arwings can be seen. In this battle Fox just avoids the player and attacks sometimes. |
Stage 6-2 | When Fox is defeated, the Arwings will arrive and intervene in the battle on the Star Fox by heavily bombing it. In the meanwhile, the player has to fight Fox again. If Falco is unlocked, he might be there instead of Fox in the second battle. |
Stage 7 | Pokémon Stadium |
Stage 7-1 | The player has to fight a team of 12 Pokémon in the Pokémon Stadium. The team mainly consists of Pikachus. When they are unlocked, Jigglypuffs and Pichus can also be seen. Additionally, the only item in this battle is the Pokéball. |
Stage 8 | F-Zero Grand Prix |
Stage 8-1 | The stage begins with yet another special side-scrolling level. It is a part of the track of a GP race. The player has to complete it by foot. Occasionally, the F-Zero drivers will pass the player. He then has to hide on one of the platforms hovering above the track. Else, he is knocked out by them. |
Stage 8-2 | After completing the race, the player has to fight Captain Falcon in Mute City. |
Stage 9 | Onett |
Stage 9-1 | The player has to fight three Nesses in the Onett stage. The only item found here is Mr. Saturn. |
Stage 10 | Icicle Mountain |
Stage 10-1 | As Icicle Mountain is a scrolling stage regularly, is acts like that here, too. In the beginning, the player has to reach a certain height of the level. On his way are a lot of Topis, Polar Bears and Freezies. When he has reached the certain height, the player will fight two pairs of Ice Climbers at the same time. |
Stage 11 | Battlefield |
Stage 11-1 | The player has to fight 20 Fighting Wire Frames, five at a time. |
Stage 11-2 | When the player has defeated the Wire Frames, the player has to fight Metal Mario. When Luigi is unlocked, the player will have to fight Metal Luigi at the same time as well. |
Stage 12 | Final Destination |
Stage 12-1 | The player has to fight Giant Bowser on the Final Destination stage. |
Stage 12-2 | When the player plays on a difficulty setting of normal or higher and has completed the past stages of the Adventure Mode in a time lower than 18 minutes, he will have to fight Giga Bowser as well. |
The player's scores are saved after every stage. The player gets awarded points for the time remaining when a battle ends, as well as for the damage he dealt. He also gets Bonus Points, just as in the Bonus mode. Special Bonus points are awarded for collecting a trophy that randomly appears in a stage, fighting Luigi, Giant Kirby, the Metal Bros. or Giga Bowser, as well as beating the mode on the Very Hard setting, or beating the mode without losing a life. The scores are saved separately for each character, and there is also a total score for all characters combined.
All-Star Mode
The All-Star mode can be unlocked by unlocking all secret characters. Unlike other modes, the player only has one life for the whole mode, and his percentage of damage is not set back after a battle. However, he can use up to three Heart Containers to restore his health. For setup, the player chooses the difficulty setting (very easy - easy - normal - hard - very hard).
In the All-Star mode, the player has to fight all 25 characters of the game. All battles are in the stock system, with each combatant having one life. When the player is defeated in a battle, they can use a continue to continue playing, but they lose points for that, and will have to pay coins. Those coins are won in any regular battle by performing Smash Attacks, or in the Bonus Stages of the Classic Mode. They can also be used to pay for the Continue in the Classic and Adventure mode and in the Trophy Lottery mode.
In the first four rounds, the player will fight a single opponent in their home stage. In round five to eight, he has to fight two opponents at a time, and in round nine to twelve three opponents. In the 13th round, he has to fight 30 Mr. Game & Watches in the Flat Zone, five at a time. After each battle, he returns to a stage in-between, with his remaining Heart Containers, showing which characters he has already beaten and which he will fight in the next battle. Occasionally, a trophy can be collected here.
The player's scores are saved after every stage. The player gets awarded points for the time remaining when a battle ends, as well as for the damage he dealt. He also gets Bonus Points, just as in the Bonus mode. Special Bonus points are awarded for not taking any of the Heart Containers, beating the mode on the Very Hard setting, or beating the mode without losing a life. The scores are saved separately for each character, and there is also a total score for all characters combined.
Event Match
Event matches are specially designed missions. They have a certain goal to be achieved. All the player can choose is his character, though even that is pre-defined sometimes. Event matches can break the rules of a normal battle in Super Smash Bros. Melee. The following table provides a rules summary of each of the 51 event matches.
Event matches | ||||
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# | Name | Character | Stage | Description |
1 | Trouble King | Mario | Battlefield | The player has to fight Bowser in a simple stock match, each starting with two lives. |
2 | Lord of the Jungle | Giant DK | Kongo Jungle | The player has to fight a Tiny DK in a stock match of two lives each. |
3 | Bomb-fest | Selectable | Princess Peach's Castle | The player has to fight Link and Samus in a stock match of one life each. Link and Samus only use their bomb attacks. The only items appearing are Bob-ombs, Motion Sensor Bombs, and Pokéballs containing Electrodes. Upon winning the event match, the player obtains a trophy of the Motion Sensor Bomb. |
4 | Dino-wrangling | Selectable | Yoshi's Story | The player has to fight Super Giant Yoshi in a stock match, him-/herself starting with three lives and Giant Yoshi with a single one. |
5 | Spare Change | Ness | Onett | The player has to obtain 200 smash coins before Captain Falcon does so. |
6 | Kirbys on Parade | Selectable | Fountain of Dreams | The player has to fight 3 tiny Kirbys, each having two lives. |
7 | Pokémon Battle | Selectable | Pokémon Stadium | The player has to fight Pikachu in a stock battle with each having two lives. However, regular attacks to not damage the opponent. The only way of doing so is using Pokéballs, the only items appearing in this Event Match. |
8 | Hot Date on Brinstar | Selectable | Brinstar | The player has to fight Samus in a stock match with each having two lives. The player's character enters battle with 102% of damage, Samus enters it with 130%. |
9 | Hide 'n' Sheik | Selectable | Great Bay | The player has to fight two Zeldas, each having a single life. However, if Zelda is in her Zelda form, she will respawn when KOed. The player has to KO her in her Sheik form in order to defeat her. |
10 | All-Star Match 1 | Selectable | Yoshi's Island, Jungle Japes, Yoshi's Story, Peach's Castle, Rainbow Cruise | The player, starting with two lives, has to fight Mario, DK, Yoshi, Peach and Bowser in a row, battling each in a different stage. |
11 | King of the Mountain | Selectable | Icicle Mountain | The player has to fight two pairs of Ice Climbers. All he has to do is survive in battle for 1 minute. |
12 | Seconds, Anyone? | Selectable | Mute City | The player has to KO Captain Falcon in the short time limit of seven seconds. Both he and the player start with 100% of damage. |
13 | Yoshi's Egg | Yoshi | Rainbow Cruise | The player has to protect the Yoshi Egg, a special item that can take damage, from the opponents Pikachu, Fox and DK for a time of 55 seconds. |
14 | Trophy Tussle 1 | Selectable | Goomba Trophy | The player has to fight three randomly chosen opponents, each combatant having two lives. Upon winning the event match, the player obtains the Goomba trophy. |
15 | Girl Power | Selectable | Fountain of Dreams | The player has to fight Peach, Zelda and Samus, who are all bigger than the player's own character, with each having two lives. |
16 | Kirby's Air-raid | Kirby | Corneria | The player has to KO 10 Kirbys in 38 seconds. The only way to damage them is using the Warp Stars appearing from time to time. |
17 | Bounty Hunters | Samus | Jungle Japes | The player has to KO Bowser before Captain Falcon does the same. However, it is not possible for the player to damage Captain Falcon. |
18 | Link's Adventure | Link | Temple | The player has to fight Dark Link in a stock match with each having two lives. |
19 | Peach's Peril | Mario | Final Destination | The player has to protect Peach from Bowser for one minute. When Bowser is defeated, he will respawn instantly. |
20 | All-Star Match 2 | Selectable | Brinstar, Great Bay, Temple, Mute City, Corneria | The player, starting with two lives, has to fight Samus, Link, Zelda, Captain Falcon and Fox in a row, battling each in a different stage. |
21 | Ice Breaker | Selectable | Princess Peach's Castle | The player has to fight two pairs of Ice Climbers. The goal is to defeat both Nanas. When a Popo is defeated, the Event Match is failed. |
22 | Super Mario 128 | Selectable | Mushroom Kingdom II | The player has to fight 128 tiny Marios. Five appear on the stage at a time. |
23 | Slippy's Invention | Selectable | Venom | The player has to fight Fox and Falco, each having two lives, and Falco and Fox being invisible. |
24 | The Yoshi Herd | Selectable | Yoshi's Island | The player has to defeat 30 Yoshis in 2 minutes. The last one of the Yoshis is a Giant Yoshi. |
25 | Gargantuans | Giant Bowser | Fourside | The player has to fight Giant DK, each combatant having two lives. Additionally, a tiny Mario and tiny Peach appear on the stage. However, they are defeated by Giant DK seconds after the Event Match begins. |
26 | Trophy Tussle 2 | Selectable | Entei Trophy | The player has to fight three randomly chosen opponents, each combatant having two lives. Upon winning the event match, the player obtains the Entei trophy. |
27 | Cold Armor | Samus | Brinstar Depths | The player has to fight three Metal Samuses, with each combatant having two lives. |
28 | Puffballs Unite! | Selectable | Green Greens | The player has to defeat 14 Kirbys, each having a different copied character ability. There is a time limit of two minutes. |
29 | Triforce Gathering | Link | Temple | The player has to fight Ganondorf, and is helped by Zelda. The player and Zelda have one live, Ganondorf has two. If Zelda is defeated, the Event Match is failed. Upon winning the event match, the player gets the possibility to unlock Ganondorf as a playable character by fighting him one-on-one. |
30 | All-Star Match 3 | Selectable | Fountain of Dreams, Pokémon Stadium, Onett, Icicle Mountain | The player, starting with two lives, has to fight Kirby, Pikachu, Ness and the Ice Climbers in a row, battling each in a different stage. |
31 | Mario Bros. Madness | Selectable | Mushroom Kingdom | The player has to fight Mario and Luigi in a regular time match. He has to earn more points than the other two in a time of two minutes. |
32 | Target Aquired | Falco | Corneria | The player has 1 minute to KO Jigglypuff as often as possible. He has to defeat it more often than the Arwings. Jigglypuff starts and reappears each time with 70% damage. |
33 | Lethal Marathon | Captain Falcon | F-Zero Grand Prix (from Adventure mode) | The player has to reach the finish of the stage in a time of 45 seconds. However, the speed of the game is raised by far, making it difficult to control, and the player is KOed instantly when touching the F-Zero racers. |
34 | Seven Years | Young Link | Great Bay | The player has to fight Link in a stock match with each having three lives. |
35 | Time for a Checkup | Luigi | Yoshi's Story | The player has to defeat Dr. Mario and Peach, who are in a team, which each having a single life. |
36 | Space Travelers | Ness | Fourside, Battlefield | The player, starting with a single life, has to defeat Samus, Kirby, Fox, Captain Falcon and Falco in a row. The first three are fought on Fourside, the others on the Battlefield stage. |
37 | Legendary Pokémon | Selectable | Battlefield | The player, with one life, has to defeat four giant Fighting Wire Frames, as well as Jigglypuff, who all have two lives. The only way doing to is using the Pokéballs around the stage, which all contain powerful legendary Pokémon. Upon winning the event match, the player gets the possibility to unlock Pichu as a playable character. |
38 | Super Mario Bros. 2 | Selectable | Mushroom Kingdom II | The player has to fight Mario, Luigi and Peach in a stock battle, with each having two lives. |
39 | Jigglypuff Live! | Jigglypuff | Pokémon Stadium | The player has to fight three Jigglypuffs, with each combatant having two lives. |
40 | All-Star Match 4 | Selectable | Temple, Mushroom Kingdom II, Poké Floats, Final Destination, Flat Zone | The player, starting with two lives, has to fight Marth, Luigi, Jigglpuff, Mewtwo and Mr. Game & Watch in a row, battling each in a different stage. |
41 | En Garde! | Marth | Temple | The player has to fight Link in a stock match with each having two lives. |
42 | Trouble King 2 | Luigi | Poké Floats | The player has to fight Super Giant Bowser in a stock match, with each having two lives. |
43 | Birds of Prey | Fox | Big Blue | The player has to fight Captain Falcon and Falco, who are in a team, in a stock match, with each combatant having two lives. |
44 | Mewtwo Strikes! | Selectable | Battlefield | The player has to fight Zelda in a stock battle. After a time of 15 seconds, Mewtwo appears and fights on Zelda's side. The player's goal is to KO Mewtwo. KOing Zelda will cause the Event Match to fail. |
45 | Game & Watch Forever! | Mr. Game & Watch | Flat Zone | The player, starting with three lives, has to fight 25 Mr. Game & Watches. Five of them are on the stage at a time. Upon winning the event match, the player obtains the Game & Watch trophy. |
46 | Fire Emblem Pride | Selectable | Temple | The player has to fight Marth and Roy, who are in a team, in a stock match, with each having three lives. |
47 | Trophy Tussle 3 | Selectable | Majora's Mask Trophy | The player has to fight three randomly chosen opponents, each combatant having two lives. Upon winning the event match, the player obtains the Majora's Mask trophy. |
48 | Pikachu and Pichu | Selectable | Dream Land (Past Stage) | The player, starting with two lives, has to defeat the two Pichus. They are defended by a Pikachu which respawns when defeated. |
49 | All-Star Match Deluxe | Selectable | Mushroom Kingdom, Venom, Pokémon Stadium, Great Bay, Temple, Final Destination | The player, starting with two lives, has to fight Dr. Mario, Falco, Pichu, Young Link, Roy and Ganondorf in a row, battling each in a different stage. |
50 | Final Destination Match | Selectable | Final Destination | The player, having a single life, has to battle Master Hand and Crazy Hand at the same time, each having 300 HP. |
51 | The Showdown | Selectable | Final Destination | The player has to fight Mewtwo, Ganondorf and Giga Bowser in a stock match, with each combatant having three lives. Upon winning the event match, the player unlocks Final Destination as a selectable stage for the VS mode, as well as the Final Destination trophy. |
To unlock more event matches, the player has to win a certain number of the previous ones, and sometimes unlock additional characters.
Events # | Unlocked By |
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11 - 15 | Winning at least 6 of the event machtes #1 - 10 |
16 - 20 | Winning at least 10 of the event matches #1 - 15 |
21 - 25 | Winning at least 16 of the event matches #1 - 20 |
26 - 29 | Winning at least 22 of the event matches #1 - 25 |
30 | Winning at least 27 of the event matches #1 - 29 |
31 - 39 | Unlocking Luigi, Falco, Dr. Mario, Jigglypuff and Young Link, and winning all of the event matches #1 - 30 |
40 - 50 | Unlocking all unlockable characters |
51 | Winning all event matches #1 - 50 |
By playing in event matches, the player's record for each event is saved. Most events are stock matches, and in those the time the player needs to clear the event is saved as a record. For the few events in the Time setting, e. g. Event #31: Mario Bros. Madness and #32: Target Aquired, the number of KOs the player achieves is stored instead.
Stadium
In the Stadium, special mini-games are available. Each mini-game opens the way to unlock one of the Past Stages from the original Super Smash Bros.
- Target Test: Here the player can play the Break the Targets! test, as it appears in Classic mode, separately. There is no time limit in this mode, as compared to the one in Classic mode.
- Home-Run Contest: The goal of the Home-Run Contest is to throw the Sandbag as far as possible. The player gets a Home-Run Bat to do this. He has a limited amout of time to damage the Sandbag before hitting it, so that it will fly farther away.
- Multi-Man Melee: In this special mode the goal is to fight Fighting Wire Frames.
- 10-Man Melee: The player has to fight 10 Wire Frames in the fastest time possible.
- 100-Man Melee: The player has to fight 100 Wire Frames in the fastest time possible. When winning, he can unlock Falco.
- 3-Minute Melee: The player has 3 minutes to kick out as many Wire Frames as possible.
- 15-Minute Melee: The player has 15 minutes to kick out as many Wire Frames as possible. When winning, he can unlock the Past Kongo Jungle stage.
- Endless Melee: The player has an unlimited amount of time to kick out as many Wire Frames as possible.
- Cruel Melee: As in Endless Melee, there is an unlimited amount of time. However, the Wire Frames are a lot harder to beat and there are no items.
Training Mode
The player can practice here. There are no rules such as Stock or Time, and the opponent can be controlled either by the Training menu, and set to actions such as walking and standing, or by a human player. Items can be created to practice with them specially. When the player performs standard combos here, the maximun number of combos is saved for each playable character, and the player can unlock several Trophies when getting a high number of them.
VS Mode
Melee
Melee mode allows the player to set up the battles entirely for themselves. They can freely choose their characters, the stage and have a variety of modes to play in. When using names, records are saved for the Melee mode which can be viewed in the Data menu. Up to four players can join the fight, either human or CPU-controlled players. It is possible to only let CPU players fight against each other.
Players chose their characters from the selection screen and human players can set names for their characters to be displayed above the characters' heads during battle, and also recognizing the battle for their individual Melee Records rating. It should be noted that multiple players can choose the same character to play as, and the characters then come in alternate outfits for each player. Each character has at least three alternate outfits for the team color red, blue and green, but there can be up to six different costumes. Some costumes feature gimmicks; for example, one of Peach's costumes looks like Daisy, and Mario has an outfit in Wario's colors. When the same characters are on a team, they appear in different shadings.
The CPU levels range from 1 to 9, with 9 being the most advanced AI. An optional handicap mode also ranges from 1 to 9. The handicap determines how fast a character is knocked out. The average handicap is 5. The higher the handicap, the harder the character flies of the screen, the lower, the easier. When set to Auto mode, the handicap decreases after the match's end for the match's winner and increases for the loser.
In the optional team battle mode, players can set up to three teams. The characters in the team work together and win or lose the match together. In Coin, Bonus and Time mode, the points of each team are added and compared. In Stock mode, after a player of the team has been defeated, he or she can press Start to rejoin the battle, but taking away a life from one of their teammates. Optionally, the Friendly Fire option can be set, which makes it possible for teammates to accidently hurt each other with their attacks.
The battle mode can be set to Time, Stock, Coin and Bonus. For Time, Coin and Bonus, the time limit can be set, and is 2 minutes by default. It can range from 1 minute to 99 minutes, or no time limit at all. The default Stock level is 3, the maximum number of lives is 99. Optionally, a time limit can be set for the Stock mode, too. After it has run out, the player with the most lives remaining wins. For the Time mode, it can be determined how many points a player loses when doing a self-destruct. It can either be 1 (default), 2 or 0 points.
A special score display can be unlocked by reaching a total of 5000 KOs in VS mode. It displays the players' current score in Time Mode during the battle, which they would only know after the battle's end otherwise. Another optional setting is the Damage ratio, ranging from 0.5 to 2, default being 1. The higher it is, the faster do all players fly from the screen when hit. Lastly, it can be decided whether players are allowed to pause the battle by hitting Start. Turning this off also prevents players from resetting the battle while it is paused by pressing L+R+A+Start.
On the item switch, the player can turn off specific items, change the chance of items appearing, or turn off items entirely. It can also be set which player is to select a stage for the next battle. By default, everyone can move the cursor and select a stage. It is also possible to allow only the loser of the last match to select, or to let the players select stages in turns, or to make the stage selected by the computer, either in a set order, or completely at random. When the player has unlocked all stages except for the Past Stages, he can alter the random stage selection to exclude certain stages from the random routine.
After all preferences have been set, the players get onto the stage selection screen, which once again allows players to choose a random stage to play on. When all competing human players hold L+R when a stage is selected, the stage's alternate music track will play during battle, if it is available. When a player is playing as Zelda and holding A after a stage has been selected, he or she will start the battle as Sheik.
As the battle ends, the players get to the battle results screen, where they can view their KO scores, a list of their bonus points and special statistics about their movements. These lists are available regardless of the mode played in battle.
Tournament Mode
Tournament: In this mode, played as a single-elimination tournament, the winner of a battle passes on to the next round CPU-only matches can be skipped. The number of combatants per battle ranges from 2 to 4. The number of entrants is selected and can be up to 64. It is selected how many humans are among the competing players. The stage selection mode is selected; "Single Random" chooses a stage at random on that every match of the tournament is played, "Always Different" chooses a new random stage for each battle, "Choose First" lets the player select the stage for the tournament in the beginning and "Choose All" lets the player choose a new stage for each match of the tournament. The level of additional computer opponents can be set from 1 to 9, applied to all, or to a random value applied to each CPU player. The rules settings for the battles have the same choices as the VS mode. Each player chooses their character and the tournament begins.
Winner out/Loser out: This mode is for human players only. A number of players fight against each other. The winner or the loser of the match, depending on the setting, gives his controller to the next player waiting for his turn to come. This continues endlessly, until the mode is cancelled. Players are free to change their characters while the tournament is ongoing. When they hold down L and R, their character image changes to a Ditto, the placeholder for a random character. Here, too, the number of combatants per battle ranges from 2 to 4, and the number of entrants can be up to 64. The stage selection mode has the same options as in the regular tournament.
Special Melee
This mode offers a couple of different rules settings for the Melee mode.
Special Melee modes | |
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Name | Description |
Camera Mode | In this mode, the players can take screenshots. These screenshots are saved on the memory card. The number of blocks a screenshot takes is defined by how many objects are visible on it. |
Stamina Mode | As it is seen at the Master Hand in Classic mode, players have 150 HP instead of percentage of damage. When a player's HP hits 0, he dies. The amount of HP the players start with, however, cannot be changed. |
Super Sudden Death | All players start with 300% damage. This will cause them to be knocked out instantly when hit. |
Giant Melee | All players are giant, as if they had taken Super Mushrooms. |
Tiny Melee | All players are tiny, as if they had taken Poison Mushrooms. |
Invisible Melee | All players are invisible, as if they had Cloaking Devices. |
Fixed Camera Mode | The camera is zoomed out as far as possible, showing the whole stage. It does not move in the battle. This may cause that players do not see their characters. |
Single-Button Mode | Only the control stick and the A button work in this mode, allowing only basic attacks. This mode is designed for beginners. |
Lightning Melee | In this mode, the game plays a lot faster, making it hard for players to react on attacks. |
Slo-Mo Melee | The opposite of Lightning Melee. The game is a lot slower, making it easier to react on attacks. |
Trophies
- Main article: Trophy
Trophies can be collected in single-player mode, won in the special lottery mode, or acquired on special events, such as playing a certain number of matches in VS mode. There are 290 trophies in the game (293 in the Japanese version), with an enormous percentage being Marioverse characters, items, locations, and concept. Each of the playable characters has three trophies, and two of them explain their Super Smash Bros. Melee background. They can be collected by completing the Adventure or All-Star mode with them.
Unlockable Features
When unlocking any of the secret characters, the player first has to beat them in a stock battle with one life each. When the player loses, several characters will appear again after the player has played the next VS match. Other characters require the player to achieve the task again. In addition to their special method of unlocking, all characters can alternately be unlocked by playing a certain number of matches in the VS mode.
Character | First unlock method | # of VS matches |
---|---|---|
Jigglypuff | Completing the Classic Mode with any character | 50 |
Dr. Mario | Completing the Classic Mode with Mario | 100 |
Pichu | Beating Event Match #37 or completing the Classic Mode with Mewtwo | 200 |
Falco | Completing the 100-Man Melee | 300 |
Marth | Completing the Classic Mode with all default characters or playing as every default character in Vs. Mode. | 400 |
Young Link | Completing the Classic Mode with 10 different characters | 500 |
Ganondorf | Completing Event Match #29 | 600 |
Mewtwo | Playing in the VS mode for 20 hours with one controller, 10 hours with two controllers, 7 hours with three controllers or 5 hours with four controllers | 700 |
Luigi | Finishing the first stage of the Adventure Mode with a XX:X2:XX on the countdown timer, then defeating Luigi in the battle on Princess Peach's Castle, and fighting Luigi at the end of the Adventure Mode again | 800 |
Roy | Completing the Classic Mode with Marth | 900 |
Mr. Game & Watch | Completing the Classic Mode with all other 24 characters | 1000 |
There is only one method to unlock the stages, and the player does not have to unlock them by an additional battle like the characters.
Stage | How to unlock |
---|---|
Battefield | Beating the All-Star mode |
Brinstar Depths | Playing 50 VS matches |
Fourside | Playing 100 VS matches |
Big Blue | Playing 150 VS matches |
Poké Floats | Playing 200 VS matches |
Dream Land | Beating the Target Test with all 25 characters |
Final Destination | Beating Event Match #51 |
Flat Zone | Beating the Classic Mode with Mr. Game & Watch |
Kongo Jungle | Beating the 15-Minute Melee |
Mushroom Kingdom II | Getting the Birdo Trophy |
Yoshi's Island | Getting the Sandbag over the 400 meter/1,325 feet mark at the Homerun Contest. |
Soundtrack (Media)
Each stage has a track from the game it is from, and some stages also have alternate music tracks which are not necessarily from the game the stage is from. The alternate music is heard more rarely than the regular one. However, the player can force the game to play a stage's alternate music by holding the L and R triggers when selecting a stage on the stage selection screen.
When all stages are unlocked, the player gains access to the Sound Test, where he can play all music tracks and voices from the game, and might occasionally hear an alternate music track in the menu.
An orchestrated version of the game's soundtrack was released as a special CD known as Super Smash Bros. Melee: Smashing...Live!.
Critical Reception
Super Smash Bros. Melee received very positive reviews from most critics. The game came in sixth for two GameFAQs events: the Best...Game...Ever contest and as a poll for the 100 best games ever. Nintendo Power named Super Smash Bros. Melee the 16th best game ever to appear on a Nintendo console, and "Game of the Year" in 2001. IGN gave Super Smash Bros. Melee a rating of 9.6 out of 10, and ranked it as the 3rd best Nintendo GameCube game, out of all GameCube games released to date. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game a 9.5 out of 10, and it was ranked 92nd on the Electronic Gaming Monthly's "Top 200 Games of Their Time" list. In fact, it was ranked as the 3rd best Video Game of all time during the 2001 Penny Arcade Award Ceremony.
It was praised for its increased number of modes and characters, as well as improved graphics. The inclusion of the Adventure Mode and Event Match was highly complimented. Overall, the game's critical reception was very positive, and the game still continues to be a gamer favourite.
Voice Actors
Character(s) | Voice Actor |
---|---|
Mario, Luigi, Dr. Mario | Charles Martinet |
Peach | Jen Taylor |
Link | Nobuyuki Hayami |
Kirby, Ness | Makiko Ohmoto |
Yoshi | Kazumi Totaka |
Fox McCloud | Shinobu Satouchi |
Fox McCloud (cutscene) | Steve Malpass |
Pikachu | Ikue Ohtani |
Captain Falcon | Ryo Horikawa |
Jigglypuff | Rachael Lillis |
Purin | Mika Kanai |
Donkey Kong, Ganondorf | Takashi Nagasako |
Popo, Nana | Sanae Kobayashi |
Zelda, Sheik | Jun Mizusawa |
Young Link | Fujiko Takimoto |
Falco Lombardi | Hisao Egawa |
Falco Lombardi (cutscene) | Ben Cullum |
Pichu | Satomi Koorogi |
Mewtwo | Masachika Ichimura |
Marth | Hikaru Midorikawa |
Roy | Jun Fukuyama |
Announcer | Dean Harrington |
Trivia
- Using an Action Replay code, it is possible to access the debug menu. There, characters such as Master Hand or Giga Bowser can be used (while using Master Hand or Crazy Hand it is not possible to move on side scrolling areas, to be defeated and to be P1 or P2). It is also possible to play in side scrolling levels, the health regain area in all-star mode, and a test level.
- Masahiro Sakurai, the game's lead designer, had originally wanted Snake to appear in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but did not have enough time to put him in in, as the game was so near production. Lucas, from Mother 3 (Earthbound 64) at that time, was supposed to replace Ness as a playable character, but Ness was kept in, due to the mass delay of Mother 3, which was then transferred to the GameBoy Advance. Marth and Roy were meant to be in the Japanese version only, due to Fire Emblem being Japan-only. However, they were kept in the English version, which made American fans interested in Fire Emblem, thus, bringing the series to the Western World. Meta Knight, Balloon Fighter, Mach Rider, Wolf, and King Dedede were originally going to be in the game, but were removed. Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Wolf became playable in its sequel, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
- A rumor named "Sonic & Tails Rumor" was proven false. It would happen that if you beat 20 or more Wire Frames in Cruel Melee, you would unlock Sonic & Tails. But was later proven false, and Sonic was meant to be in the game.