Super Smash Bros.
System: Nintendo 64
Publisher & Developer: Nintendo
Released: 1999
Capabilities: Controller Pak Compatible, Rumble Pak Compatible, 1-4 players

The Game

12 of your favorite Nintendo characters are here to beat the living crap out of each other. But since this fighter is by Nintendo, there’s no blood or gore or fatalities stuff like that. So will it live up to such other famous fighters like Street Fighter, Tekken, Soul Calibur, and Dead or Alive? Let’s get onto the review and find out.

Graphics

Remember the 2 ½-D games like Mischief Makeres and Yoshi’s Story? Where they had 2-D game play, but 3-D backgrounds? Well, that’s the case here, and everything looks great, from the character design to the backgrounds. You can see just about every detail on all the characters, from the suspenders on Mario and Luigi to Yoshi’s tongue.

Each character has there own background for the game. For example, Mario and Luigi got pipes and trees from that look like they came from the first Mario Bros. game on the NES. Plus, Pikachu and Jigglypuff got some weird background with a really unique tunnel sticking out of it that has Pokemon pop out if during a battle, so in a way, you can say it’s an interactive background, there are also some other one’s like the background for Samus, where you fight on that sinking planet, that sinks in lava, and whenver you touch the lava you go flying!

I am also so amazed with all the action they can fit on the game at once with no slowdown. With 4 players battling on the screen at once, using weapons, plus interactive backgrounds all at the same time, with absolutely barely any slowdown at all. Plus what’s really amazing is when in single player and you’re facing the Yoshi or Kirby team where they have 5 of them on screen at once plus you all bouncing around, and there’s still no slowdown.

Sound

For each character background you got a different tune for each one. Like for the Mario stage you got the classic Mario background music from the original Mario Bros. and for Link’s stage you got the classic background music from the first Zelda game on the NES. All these tunes are updated so they don’t sound 8-bit, but still got the same rhythm as the original. All the sound effects are well done, like you can hear Pikachu yelling “Pika!” when ever he does a Thunder shock attack, and all the bonks and whacks are done well.

Game play

The fighting system for this game is innovative and different from others. Each fighter starts off with a percentage meter which always starts off at 0%. As players get hit there percentage meter goes up, the higher it foes up, the farther they get blasted away from the platform, they can always try to fly back or hop back onto the platform, but it gets harder once their meter gets past 100%, once they get blasted off a platform completely the they lose a life. There are power ups throughout the stages that pop up that restore your life, or weapons like a sledge hammer or master sword that does a lot of damage. You can do team battles, handicap matches, and even a free for all with up to 4 players going at it out at once. All the fighters have there own special patented attacks, Like Pikachu's thunder shock and Kirby engulfing a fighter and stealing there moves. There are 8 fighters in the game: Mario, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Kriby, Pickachu, Link, Samus, and Fox McCloud, plus 4 secret characters: Ness, Luigi, Jigglypuff, and Captain Falcon, each player has there own stage. 1-player mode is a real challenge as well, where you gotta beat a series on matches one-on-one, or tag team, or even a handicap match, plus there’s bonus levels too, and the final bosses(Metal Mario and Master Hand) are really tough to beat.

Replay Value

This is one of the first 4-player fighting games in a very long time.(Any body remember the Peace Keepers for the Super Nintendo?) And the fighting system is so unique, and is so fun to play, you’ll be having parties forever playing this game with your friends. Heck, even the single player game is great and a real challenge. Plus the game even tallies up all your scores for all the battles in the game.

In Brief

+: Awesome new fighting engine, all your Nintendo favorites are here, 4 characters battling at once!

-: I wish those dumb Pokemon weren’t in the game, and I wish there was at least a little gore

The Final Ratings Rundown

Graphics: 9.1
Sound: 9.5
Game play: 9.8
Replay Value: 9.7

Overall: 9.5

Rounded to fit GameFAQs Score: 10

Final Analysis

I guess the saying finally comes true that blood and guts isn’t what makes a game, and this game sure does show it! The multi player game is the best on the system since Goldeneye 007! You must add this to your N64 collection! Even if it appears like a kids game with the Pokemon in it and no blood or gore, if you’re to have just 5 games in for your N64 collection, get this! Trust me, it won’t disappoint!