Super Smash Bros.

"The best multiplayer game for the Nintendo 64"

This review is for the game Super Smash Bro. for the Nintendo 64 system. It was made in 1999 by Hal Laboratories. Licensed by Nintendo, it is one of the few action fighting games on the Nintendo 64. While it is considered a fighting game, it does not fit the characteristics of the traditional fighting game. Although it deferrers from the norm of the genre, it this game holds its own and was followed up with the sequel Super Smash Bro. Melee, the best selling game of the Nintendo Gamecube.

First off, I will discuss the gameplay of this game. Like all fighting games, there is action and Super Smash Bro. features a lot of it. First off, it is different from other typical fighters as the main goal of the game is to knock your opponent off the stage. Other fighting games might have a ring out victory system, but the primarily way to win is to take out all of your opponent's health. In Super Smash Bro., the only way to defeat your opponent is to knock him off the stage. From what I have seen, it is amazing that some players can still live to fight despite taking incredible amounts of damage. So, in this game, bashing your opponent sends him flying further and can eventually result in knocking him off the stage permanently.

For multiplayer action, Super Smash Bro. is inferior to none, at least compared to other fighting games. Most traditional fighters only feature two combatants which only allow two players to play at any one given time. The only fighting games that might support four player action are ones with a tag system, but you will never have four players playing at the same time. In Super Smash Bro., four can play simultaneously if all the controller sockets are filled. With four player compatibility, waiting for a turn in the game is decreased and it makes for good party fun.

So the gameplay is fun, but why the big fuss? Well in Super Smash Bro., all of your favourite Nintendo characters gather for a giant brawl in one game! Never in the history of Nintendo has popular characters from the best series gathered in one game. Now in Super Smash Bro., you can pit your favourite character against your best friend's character for some explosive action. As a result, this results in some interesting character interaction as they sport their signatures moves in the competition of the century.

Ok we have the characters, what about the stages? Super Smash Bro. features 11 stages, one hidden for a wide range of battlefields. Each stage is based on a character's game series and features familiar environments. As a result, you can battle on the gigantic Mother Fox from the Star Fox or float on the clouds of Yoshi's Story. All of the stages are fun to play on and provide an excellent battlefield to challenge your friends' skill.

Well in most games, there should be secrets or unlockables right? Super Smash Bro. features a decent amount of unlockable items ranging from four hidden characters and one hidden stage. Although I won't spoil the secrets, it is mostly a well known fact by now as all of the characters of this game are in Super Smash Bro. Melee. Super Smash Bro. also features other unlockables including a sound test and an item switch control in which you can choose what to bash your opponents with.

Next up, how are the graphics of this game? Well for the most part, they are superb. Each character is rendered quite well in three dimensional form and they look quite normal with no relatively no problems. Although they are not that smooth and are somewhat blocky, it is as a result of the Nintendo 64's technical limitations. For the stages, backgrounds are designed well with interesting detail. For the foreground, they are again three dimensional figures that sport nice detail and make up some good eye candy. Overall, Super Smash Bro. features one of the best graphics I have seen in a Nintendo 64 fighting game. The developers did a hell of a good job on this game.

Super Smash Bro. also features a great sound system. Featuring tunes from each Nintendo series, it makes an awesome collection of your favourite game music. Each stage has its own music based on the music from the game the character came from. Mario's stage features the classic Super Mario Bro. over world theme and that brings back fond memories of classic gaming. For the most part, the music of this game is selected perfectly from the different series and remastered to entertain gamers once more.

Ok so you played the game once and unlocked everything, should you play it again? Well hell yeah! Super Smash Bro. has one of the best replay value of any game and is certainly the best in fighting games for the Nintendo 64. With an awesome multiplayer system and an interesting one player mode, it is quite difficult to not get addicted to this game. Before the time of the Playstation 2, the Gamecube, and the Xbox, this was my game of choice when I had company over. The best part of this game is that it never ceases to amaze you whenever you are facing new human players in this game of endless action, endless multiplayer fun.

Overall, is this game worth it? Well hell yeah! For the Nintendo 64, this is THE BEST action fighting game for this platform. Featuring an innovative four player multiplayer system, this Super Smash Bro. is one of the best action orientated party games of its time. Although technically this game is not a party game like the Mario Party series, it still entertains the crowd and can lead to endless hours spent on this highly addicting game. As of today, it might be hard to get a copy as it is not in production anymore, but if you see it at a garage sale or something, it is definitely in your best interest to pick it up. The only shame of this game is that it came out near the end of the Nintendo 64's life so not many people got to enjoy its greatness.

The part of the numbers as everyone loves numbers:

Gameplay: 10/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 10/10
Replay value: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

10/10, and I do not give out high ratings easily. So go out and enjoy this awesome multiplayer game for the Nintendo 64, and remember that this game inspired the best selling game of the Nintendo Gamecube.

Submitted November 26, 2006

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/27/06