Retro Review: Super Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros.

One of the most popular Nintendo fighting series was born in 1999 with the release of Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64. This game started the Super Smash Brother's series which currently has 3 game in total with a 4th one recently going into development. It's sequels are Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

The game gathers up 12 of Nintendo's finest and pits them against each other to prove which fighter is the strongest.



Roster

Character Select from 1-Player Mode
Note the "?" spaces

• Mario - Nintendo's mascot and most notable character. He sports his red hat and overalls and a series of moves from Super Mario Bros and Super Mario 64 along with new moves. 
• Yoshi - Updated with his voicing from Yoshi Story, Yoshi's moves consist of his eating, jumping, and egg throwing abilities.
• Link - In his Ocarina of Time design, Link sports his sword as his primary weapon.
• Kirby - Kirby's light weight gives him the ability for many multiple jumps. He also has his signature move of copying any character's standard special move.
• Donkey Kong - The largest character of the game, Donkey Kong has powerful physical attacks as both his standard and special attacks.
• Fox McCloud - The fastest character in the game, Fox sports a blaster and quick hand to hand combat skills. He also has his own reflecter.
• Samus Aran - The bounty hunter from the Metroid series, Samus has her powerful arm blaster and strong attacks enhanced by her powerful battle suit.
• Pikachu - The icon of the Pokémon universe, Pikachu is quick and has a very good set of jumps. He also has the ability to use his electrical attacks that he's famous for.

Plus 4 unlockable characters who I won't spoil for those who haven't played the game yet.

TV Commercial 

GAMEPLAY

Controls from the Instruction Booklet

The fighting style of Super Smash Bros has become a legacy and was totally new for its time. Rather than depleting your opponents health to win, the goal is to knock your foes off the stage and out of bounds which results in a K.O. Rather than HP, each character has a meter that shows a meter of the amount of damage he or she has taken and as the damage increases, characters can be hit father off the stage.

Each character has his or her own set of abilities and moves. However the basic controls are categorized as Standard Attacks and Special Attacks, shielding, throws, and jumps aside from moving.

Standard attacks, activated by the "A" button are your basic punches and kicks and can be used to rack up quick damage with combos. A directional input leads to stronger attacks.

Special attacks are more unique to each character and resemble signature moves that usually stem from that character's abilities in their own games. For example, Mario's regular special has him throw a fireball while Kirby's move has him inhale an opponent to copy the signature move of the victim.

See full Instruction Manual

How to Play Video

Items

Think Mario Kart. Items from across different series (and some original) are also part of the fighting system. Characters can pick up items and use them to turn the tide of battle. Items like Bob-ombs and Motion Sensor Bombs are to be thrown and explode while the BeamSword and the Homerun Bat are used to batter your opponents with each swing.


Multiplayer

Link VS Yoski

Super Smash Bros. has been considered to be one of the best multiplayer fighting games for the N64. Up to 4 players can fight it out in free-for-all and team battles on over 9 different stages. Players can also fight with CPU controlled fighters of varying levels. Amazing for the time, the game allows for 4 simultaneous fighters as well as battlefields with their own animations without slowing game play or causing lag.

Reception

The game was widely popular at its release and was one of the last major hits for the N64. It's available for the Wii's Virtural Console. It led to the explosion of the Super Smash Bros. Series and has 2 sequels with another in development. Aside from its concept and character roster, it's also famous for its inclusion for various music tracks (original or redone) from each character's respective game titles.

As a favorite of mine and an influential game, I give this game a 9 with the only thing lacking is it's short 1player mode.

Further Reading
http://www.ssbwiki.com/Ssb
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Smash_Bros.