Super Smash Bros. Melee is enjoyable as both a single and multiplayer game.
Super Smash Bros. can really be considered a multiplayer game as its single player mode was very limited. The developers of Super Smash Bros. Melee vastly improves on the single player mode, offering various challenges that are to be met to complete the game. Firstly there is the classic mode of defeating the character to advance the boss. Then there is the new Adventure mode, which as the title suggests is a mini adventure. You complete the levels not just by simply defeating your opponent, you may have to escape from Brinstar Depths or reach the end of the level as if you were playing classic Mario. One level even has you running to the finish line as quickly as possible while avoiding the super fast racers from F-Zero. This new mode gives the single player section more enjoyable. Another new single player mode that is introduced is the event matches. You must complete tasks to advance to the next event. The tasks vary and even are difficult to complete. One task has the rule where you must defeat Shiek instead of Zelda to advance. There are also smaller single player games such as the Home run contest, multi-man melee and the target test. So even though your friends aren't over to duke it out, there are plenty of tasks to be completed on your own.
Super Smash Bros. Melee follows the same path of its predecessor, however with several major improvements. One of the main differences is the vast amount of characters to choose from. This includes the likes of Mario, Link and Pikachu, also with a few new characters such as Peach, Ice Climbers and Zelda. As you progress through the game, more characters are unlocked to add to a total of 25. There are many exciting and unexpected characters that make their debut on Super Smash Bros. Melee and do not disappoint. The battle stages have been improved immensely to the point where the stage itself becomes your enemy. Items have too been rennovated displaying different types of advantages for holding an item. Classics such as the Hammer, Home Run Bat and those helpful (or not) pokeballs. A few new items include Lipstick, which implants a flower on your opponents head constantly doing damage until it falls off, the Super Mushroom, allowing for your character to grow larger for a period of time and the Screw Ball which allows you to perform Samus's Screw Attack when you jump.
Graphically, the game has been improved greatly due to the Gamecube's capabilities. Even little things can stand out such as Mario's stitches in his overall's or the perfect replica of Link's Hylian shield. Many of the little changes convey the improvements of its predecessor and show the capabilities of the Gamecube. The battle stages have also been improved immensely. Hyrule Temple has taken a dramatic change, making it even larger than before, allowing for more attacks. The previous Pokemon stage has also been changed completely, where the whole will change at different time intervals from the elements of fire, water and earth.
Sound from both the characters and stages are better and fit perfectly when played. Music background for Mute City from F-Zero is fast paced as is the stage and classics such as Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule Temple have their background music from past games and sound even better for Melee than what they did from their original games. Also, characters have been given more various use of their voices even though they're just grunts of yelps. There are even differences between Link's sword swings, even though they are subtle.
All in all, Super Smash Bros. Melee is probably the best multiplayer game available on the Gamecube and probably everyone who has a Gamecube owns this game because of the improvements from its predecessor and the plain, enjoyable fun of pounding your friends with Nintendo characters into oblivion.