I will be reviewing the game Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo Gamecube, rated T for Teen (who knows why). I will be reviewing on a scale of 0-10, 0 being the worst, with half-points.

Graphics: 9.0

Well, these are probably the best actual game graphics the GameCube can handle. Look at the texture on Mario’s overalls! The individual rivets on Samus’ Power Suit! The roundness on the capsules! By the way, when I say actual game graphics, I mean the graphics when you’re playing the game, not the cinema scenes. The cinema scenes always look great, but these graphics look like some games’ cinema scenes. However, if you pause the game, certain attacks look polygonal, especially the cartoon “pow” explosions.

Sound: 7.5

The sound effects are all very realistic, at least for the special attacks, and they sound like they do in the actual games they’re from. Points off for the sound that is made when you hit somebody with an A attack, which always sounds the same, and for the annoying “Falcon Punch” from Captain Falcon.

Music: 8.0

The music in this game varies, since it’s from all the games the characters are from. As a whole, the Metroid music is rather good, the Mario music is fine, the Kirby music is lively, and the Zelda music has the right theme. There aren’t really any bad tunes per se, but some are better than others.

Controls: 8.0

The controls are fine, despite my friend’s comments that the combos are too short compared to Street Fighter. I myself prefer combos like B + Up, not A + C + quarter circle forward twice +… You get the idea. Still, it makes for a limited number of moves, although it was apparently too much for Nintendo, as there are at least five characters that are exactly the same as other characters, right down to the moves. Extra points for the B + direction moves, which weren’t in the N64 version, and points off for the dodge thing. I mean, it looks so cool in the demo movies where they dodge a missile or whatever, but I can’t pull it off.

Gameplay: 7.5

The gameplay is simple: unlike other fighters, where you reduce your opponents’ HP, in this you simply beat them up to raise their damage percentage, which starts at zero and goes up to 999, and then knock them off the stage. The higher their percentage, the farther they fly and the easier it is to knock them off. Because you have to knock them off, it makes for a frantic and fun-filled fight, a real blast for multiplayer.

Single Player Mode: 6.5

In single player mode, there are two modes: Classic Mode, where you fight about eight random enemies and then the Master Hand at the end, or Adventure Mode, where you fight the same enemies in the same order, but you get exploration stages. Classic Mode is the same old thing in the N64 version, just randomized, and it’s pretty boring, since all you’re doing is fighting opponents. The Adventure Mode, on the other hand, is extremely fun, especially in the exploration levels. They range from a Mushroom Kingdom stage, where Goombas that die after one stomp abound and breakable bricks are everywhere, to a Metroid stage, where you must jump on platforms out of the exploding planet. In addition, the fights have little oddities to them, like Arwings going nuts on the Fox stage. Basically, Adventure Mode is the better half of this mode. Still, even that gets a little boring after a while, and you’ll soon be yearning for a friend to play…

Multiplayer: 10.0

The Multiplayer is the best part of the game. Period. No other multiplayer game can come close to this mode that I’ve played. Grab about three friends (any more and they start fighting over who gets to play) and engage in an all-out brawl-fest. Team battles can be fun too, especially if you gang up on a ringer. For those of you not familiar with sports terminology, a ringer is a person who is too good for the league he’s in. Put on the Special Melee modes, with Giant Melee, Tiny Melee, and Single Button Melee, and see who lasts the longest. Mess around with the Item Select. It’s all within reach on SSBM.

Items: 9.0

Okay, so I’m going out of order here, but who cares? Anyway, the items in this game are extremely clever and useful. The Baseball Bat can get people out of the arena in one hit, the fan is fast and useful for annoying people, and the ray gun is good for “juggling” opponents in the air. The biggest complaint I have is the Pokemon. Since I hate Pokemon, I try not to use them, but in Single-Player I’ll get killed if I don’t. If I do use them, I hate it. In Multiplayer, the only saving grace is that you can turn them off. Also, couldn’t we have more items from the characters' games? I mean, the Super Scope, come on.

Characters: 6.5

The characters in this game were good… to a point. They’re supposed to represent Nintendo as a company and show all of their most famous games. Several Mario characters have to be in there, and were, as well as Zelda characters, and Pokemon of course. Kirby, well, I can understand, and the rest of the beginning characters are understandable as well. The problem comes with the unlockable characters, especially what I call the repeats. These are Falco, Ganondorf, Young Link, Pichu, Dr. Mario, and Roy (from Fire Emblem, not the Koopaling). All of these characters are really just repeats of other characters, with the same moves, just different jumping abilities. That’s a whole six characters that could have been left out. Six characters… almost enough for the Koopalings…

Event Matches: 7.5

In the event matches, you must fight certain enemies under unusual conditions. They’re usually pretty interesting. Still, they get extremely hard. A hint: anything where you must fight over four enemies, use DK’s B + Down move over and over. Anyway, they keep me occupied once Adventure Mode loses its charm. They get too hard, though.

Overall: 8.5

This is an extremely fun game, and if you have friends over, this is all you’ll ever play. Don’t get it for Single Player, however. If you have a GameCube and are not a loner, get this game! You won’t regret it.

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