Genre: Fighting
Platform: GameCube
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
This is the only Review I've done so
far of a game that did not receive a rating of E for Everyone from ESRB.
Now, I don't think it's really that violent to get a Teen rating. But,
then again, that's just me... for the record,
this is the ONLY game Mario has appeared
in that has not received an E for Everyone rating.
I wasn't certain if I should get this game for my new GameCube, but after various reassurances in Reviews (most especially Crazy Packers Fan's Review) I decided to make this one of my first GameCube games, with Super Mario Sunshine (which I have already reviewed) and Sonic Mega Collection.
This is a reproduction of Super Smash Bros. for the N64 (which I have unfortunately only played three times at the most, so I cannot give an accurate comparision). It is not a remake, they merely remade the idea of a fighting game with a bunch of important Nintendo characters, but added more characters, different levels, and more. Each character has strengths and weaknesses, and their own individualized attacks. There are also hidden characters, like Roy, Marth, Dr. Mario, Mr. Game & Watch, and others.
0-5 stars. Nothing more needs to be said.
Graphics: **** 1/2
Very good graphics. The characters look three-dimensional, even if it's a two-dimensional game.
Sound & Music: *****
I had difficulty deciding whether to
give this 4 1/2 or 5 stars. I finally decided on 5 because there was a
lot of
music I liked, and no music I really
disliked. I especially liked the Mushroom Kingdom and Dr. Mario music.
Difficulty: Medium
The difficulty here is, well, difficult to decide because of all the various modes of the game, which can range from insanely easy to insanely hard. Also, modes like Adventure or Classic can be set to fairly easy or very hard. It's just so diverse. To top it all off, in Vs. Mode you can choose the difficulty of the computer player(s) to high or low difficulties. So, I had to give the middle-range score to it.
Controls: **** 1/2
Who says the GameCube's controller is bad for fighting games? Not me, that's for sure. The controls are easy to use, mostly because I thought the GameCube's controller was good. The biggest problem I had was that sometimes I'd end up pressing left or right when I was trying to jump upwards, which caused whoever I was playing as to end up falling off and losing a life instead of getting back on the platform.
Levels: *****
Wow! There are so many different levels and modes of play, it's hard to NOT find something you'd like. And each of the levels has different kinds of obstacles, hazards, and so on.
Concept: ** 1/2
Well... it's concept was already used in the original Super Smash Bros. Don't get me wrong, I'm not insulting this game, just stating that its concept has already been used. Also, fighting games have been around for quite a while.
While this game is different and better than most, it's not to the point that it's really a new way of making fighting games. Sorry!
Replayability: *****
What, are you kidding me? This thing
has more replayability than every other game I've played, even
topping Advance Wars! I can always
come and enjoy it! It's just totally timeless, and I don't tire of it.
Secrets: *****
Secret characters, secret levels, secret modes of play, secret music... shall I go on?
Now I'm going to rate various modes of play.
Vs. Mode: *****
This is a weird mode, but a great one. You could play against real players, computer players, or combinations of each. There are a lot of different combinations to try out. Hey, this sounds quite a bit like Advance Wars! I think this mode is the best of all of them.
Classic: ** 1/2
In this you have to fight enemies in succession, however sometimes there will be a twist, such as your teaming up with some people to fight others (for example, in one level you are teamed up with a random character to fight two other characters). It's not TOO great, but granted it is better than...
Adventure: **
Sorry to say, I didn't really like this
mode. True, it's not just a bunch of simple fighting matches, but I didn't
have too much fun with it. I thought
it got boring fast. The first or second time it was fun, but after that
it
declines. I barely ever play it anymore.
It's not horrible, but just not too great.
Event Match: *** 1/2
Well, some of these are pretty fun,
but some seem to be really, really hard (and I'm not just talking about
the
final matches in this). Some are super-frustrating,
and it took me forever to beat them. That brought this category's score
down some.
All-Star: *** 1/2
Well, it's pretty hard, but fun. Basically, you have to fight all of the characters in Super Smash Bros Melee. At first, it's just one at a time, but later on you have to fight two of them at once, then three. Also, your damage is saved, so if you have 25% damage after one match, it carries on to the next. However, between levels you DO have three Heart Containers, and if you use one of them your health is completely replenished. Unfortunately, once you use one, it's gone... you won't be able to use it for the rest of the match.
Gameplay: *****
Okay, now THIS is where the game really rules. Superb, amazing gameplay... each of the characters has their own individual attacks, strengths, and weaknesses. It just seems like it's tuned so perfectly, it's hard to describe them.
Fun Factor!: *** 1/2
Sadly, this is where part of the game falls. I just don't enjoy it as much as many people. Maybe that's because it seems like everyone beats me (then again, there are only two people I play on a regular basis). It just takes away from the fun of it, and on top of that I usually don't like fighting games. Still, considering that, this IS a good score.
OVERALL: **** 1/2
I wasn't certain whether to give this
a perfect score or not. In the end, I decided on an almost perfect score.
While I liked it, I just am not too
great at it. People I know keep beating me, and it's annoying. Sometimes
I'll try out a new character, and it seems like I've got it made, only
to find a few matches later I'm not better with them than another character.
However, this is a good score. I usually
hate fighting games. This had what many didn't: great music, a very
enjoyable experience, a variety of
characters, and also you couldn't usually end the match with a few quick
moves.
This is a great game, and probably a must-have for GameCube owners! Once again, I cannot compare it to the original, other to say that this had better graphics. Nintendo really came through on this one... if only they would put the same effort into their some of other products!
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