Super Smash Bros.

"Insanely fun"

You know a game really doesn't take itself seriously with words like ''Biff'' and ''Zap'' on the box. That's probably because Super Smash Bros. really isn't a serious game. But that isn't a bad thing. It's not bad at all. It is in fact because SMB doesn't play like a real fighting game that its so much fun.

SMB is like an all-star bash bash featuring many characters from the Nintendo universe like Mario, Link, Kirby, Samus, and Ness of Earthbound fame. There really isn't a story to the game. All you know is that the Nintendo characters have come to kick some rear. Each fighter battles with their trademark abilities. Mario uses fireballs, Link Uses bombs, Kirby can absorb the powers of others, and so on. Each fighter basically has the same button commands for moves. For Example, when fighting with Mario, press B and he throws a fireball. Press B with Link and he throws a boomerang. Fans of fighting games may complain about SMB using the same control scheme for each and every character, but it makes the game very user friendly since no one has to remember a multitude of moves for all of the characters. That doesn't mean that each character is automatically a butt-kicking machine though. Some characters like Mario and Ness are powerhouses while Jiggly Puff is just plain weak. No matter who you are, you're bound to find a character you like in SMB.

As mentioned before, SMB doesn't play like a regular fighting game and that's why SMB is such a blast. Instead of having a health bar, each character has a percentage meter that starts out at zero when the fight begins. Its not enough to simply beat your opponent senseless, but you have to knock them out of the fighting arena. You basically want to build up your opponent's percentage meter by inflicting as much damage as you possibly can to them. The percentage meter can go much higher than 100 % and everyone is capable of returning to the arena. The higher the percentage meter, the further your opponents fly when they are hit. SMB also combines platforming elements through the use of double and triple jumps. If you're in danger of being booted out of the ring, depending on what you were struck with and your percentage meter, you'll be able to save yourself from flying through the sky by mastering the jumps which can be linked together.

SMB also makes use of a ton of items that appear at random through crates, eggs, barrels, and capsules. A good item can change the outcome of combat at any time. The items consist of Poke Balls, Ray Guns, turtle shells, Home Run Bats, Hammers and many other items. Many of the items can be thrown at opponents to inflict damage, or to send them flying out of the ring.

The one player mode is unlike any other fighter out there. Going through stages, sometimes you'll face one opponent and other times you'll face 18 to 30 foes in one single stage. To break up the fighting action there are special stages that consist of breaking targets and lighting up platforms by jumping on them, and you'll have to use your special moves and jump techniques to complete these special stages. A nice touch in a wacky, but unique fighting game.

Single player is fun, but its the muliplayer melees that make SMB a great fighting game. SMB is a reminder of why the N64 is the king when it comes to multiplayer gaming. You don't even have to have three pals to play the mutliplayer mode. However, the more friends you have the more fun you'll have. Multiplayer comes with a few tweakable options that let you play the game to your liking, be it lives or minutes or infinite.

SMB has some unique fighting stages that reflect the persona of the characters and the games they've come from. Kirby has the Dream Land Stage, Link has Hyrule, etc. Each stage has its own dangerous that diserning fighters can use to their advantage. A good SMB player knows that kicking an opponent in the direction of the blowing wind in the Dream Land stage will make them fly even further, or knocking someone into the acid on Samus' stage is a good cheap shot.
The stages also come with tunes from the character's other games. The Mario Bros. stage has the traditional theme music, Hyrule Castle has the favorite Zelda tune and so on.
The audio works well, for this game, but Yoshi's tune just has to go. The sound effects are a treat for the ears. When you grab the hammer, you hear the exact same tune you heard when you picked it up in the NES and arcade classic Donkey Kong. Mario and Luigi's fireballs have the same sound effect in Super Mario Bros. ... it's enough to bring back nostalgic memories.

Like any other fighter, SMB has a host of hidden characters and other extra options for you to unlock, but even without the hidden characters and extras, SMB would still be a fine game. The game is down right hilarious and with one to three other pals playing with you, a great time is a sure thing. SMB is a must-have game for all N64 owners.

VISUALS: 8
AUDIO: 7
FUN: 8

FINAL SCORE: 8

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/21/01, Updated 06/21/01