I'm reviewing this at 2006. But even though I got this game in 2002 and reviewing it in 2006, it's still a great game.
The Bad:...um...
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Super Smash Bros. Melee is a great game. I know I'm reviewing this game in 2006 and it released way, way before, but if I never played this game before, or even heard of it, and a person told me this game just came out, when I would play it, I would believe them. This is because everything this game has is what a lot of current generation games today are lacking. I will break everything up and explain.
Gameplay-The gameplay here is perfect. It has 25 playable characters in all. You start off with 11 basic ones at first but you'll have to play through the game doing the required stuff to unlock every other character. Most of the time, fighting games aren't about how many playable characters, but how they play. The way it plays is most important. Well this game manages to pull off both. 25 characters is a lot and the gameplay with them is great. Let me explain. Every character plays the same. They all have the same button pressing requirements. Though the difference is that there are many moves for one character and each has a completely different fighting style and moveset. You can do stuff like throw your opponent in 1 of 4 directions. Each direction has a different throw and each character has a different set of throws. You can also use Smash Attacks which are very powerful moves that you will always use. You can also use Special Attacks. Each character has 4 special moves and off course each character has their own moveset. There are 25 characters so that's a lot of special moves to try out in all. Special attacks can be used in many ways including surving from a fall. There are many different types of gameplay so you never get bored. The reason I said it takes so long to get used to is because u have to get used to all the buttons but after that you'll feel like a master.
Graphics-The graphics here are unbelieveable. It has better graphics then a lot of games now. It's graphics look so real and it's a surprise that the graphics still match up to others today. The stages are great and well done. They're all different and have their own type of enviorment. Each character is made to look perfect. Everything in graphics is perfect.
Sound-The sound is great. The music matches the stages perfectly. They have the songs from the actual games so that's what makes it so cool. Also, a lot of levels are able to have another sound when you hold L and R right before you start a stage level or battle. This adds even more fun especially since there's sound test.
Replay Value-The replay value in this game is unlimited. You'll never stop playing. Trust me. I'm still playing it now and it really keeps me entertained. The many different modes, characters, stages, moves, etc. make this game impossible to resist. When I chose to sell my games for new ones, this was one of the 2 I didn't sell. It will alway keep you entertained. I really don't know how to explain it but really what I'm trying to say is that it's impossible to stop playing this game. If you start playing for the first time and think it sucks, give it some time to get used to the controls cause no, it doesn't suck.
Tilt-Well, there isn't really any story so I'm going to count it as gameplay modes. It has many gameplay modes for 1 player. It has classic mode in which you play the original Super Smash Bros. 1 player mode, but you can use and sometimes even fight unlocked characters. And the graphics are improved of course. There's also a new adventure mode. Which is where you have to pass a level while fighting any challenges in the way until you get to the final boss. There's also an unlockable mode but I'll let you figure it out. There are also other modes like event match. It's kind of like mission mode in other games and it is really fun. There's also home run contest, multi-man melee, etc. There are too many modes too list. Believe me. There's also a vs. mode where you can do 2-4 player or fight against 1-3 computers. It's really fun and I spend most of my time there.
Overall, this game is great and deserves to be in the collection of any Gamecube owner. No wait, let me rephrase that. This game must be in the collection of any Gamecube owner. This game is worth the money and is cheap now anyway. You'll be playing it for a long, long time. I know I still will. Thanks for reading my review and please recommend it on your way out.