Super Smash Bros. Melee

Oh and i cant forget to talk about the characters. There is 25 in all. Regular include-Pikachu,DK,Starfox,Zelda(also Sheik),Ness,Mario,Peach,Link,Bowser,Captain Falcon,Yoshi,Kirby,The ice climbers,and Samus. The hidden include-Mewtwo,Roy,Marth,Gijjlypuff,Young Link,Falco,Dr.Mario,Mr.Game&Watch,Pichu,and Luigi.All of Nintendo's all stars in one giant brawl.

To tell you the truth i got rid of mine about a month ago but remembering how much fun I had I am getting another one in a couple of days.

Thats pretty much it about this game all you need to know so my recomendation is get this game before any other game first when you get it you will see what i mean so get it I also recomend pokemon coloseum for pokemon fans it rocks. And on september 7 pokemon leaf green and fire red is coming out i also recomend that it will revolutionize pokemon as we know i have already got mine on pre-order so till next time See ya.

*The best 20 bucks you've ever spent on a video game is the aforementioned Final Fantasy VII. Get that too, if possible.

For those who haven't been clued in to the "Smash Bros." Premise: you get to pick one of your favorite Nintendo heroes or heroines and tangle with the computer or your buddies in a very loose fighter setting. The only way to actually be knocked out is to be thrown out of the arena, whether downward, to the sides, or to the sky. Your character accumulates a percentage of damage as they sustain attacks, and as this percentage gets higher, your risk of flying out of the ring rises.

But to be so preachy about a game that has such a huge fan following and runs on such a simple game engine seems very un-gamer-like of me. Forgive me. SSBM is a great party game, have no doubt--you and your friends could spend hours knocking each other around, figuring out each character's attacks, and unlocking the horde of trophies in the gallery.

The one thing I can assure you of is that you WILL enjoy this title, whether you enjoy fighting games or not. As long as you have friends who like to taunt you after beating you in a high-risk video gaming battle, this game's staying power will astound you.

Every character's attacks are performed the same way: B for a basic special move, Up + B for a different move, Down + B, and Forward + B. Each one produces a different move, unique to your character.

And the character list is huge. I think every major character from the "Mario" series has top honors, including Bowser and the mustachioed plumber himself. The character list is as follows: Mario, Peach, Bowser, Pikachu (from "Pokémon"), Samus (from "Metroid"), Yoshi, Zelda, Link, Captain Falcon (from "F-Zero"), Kirby, Donkey Kong, Fox McCloud (from "Starfox"), Ness (from "Earthbound"), and the Ice Climbers (Nana and Popo, from "Ice Climber"). There are many more fighters, but they are only useable after you have unlocked them by completing various tasks in the game. These fighters are: Jigglypuff ("Pokémon"), Roy (from "Fire Emblem"), Marth ("Fire Emblem"), Luigi, Young Link, Ganondorf, Dr. Mario, Mr. Game & Watch (from Nintendo's early electronic-gaming series, "Game & Watch"), Mewtwo ("Pokémon"), Pichu ("Pokémon"), and Falco Lombardi ("Starfox").

During battles, there is also a plethora of different items that randomly drop in to spice up the action, including Pokéballs, laser pistols, and Bob-ombs. These can be used for their special action, or simply chucked at your opponents as a makeshift projectile.

The stages which you play on are also numerous and varied, ranging from a cold platform out in space, to an F-Zero race taking place at hundreds of miles an hour, all the way back to Mario and Luigi's beloved Mushroom Kingdom. And, as with the items that drop during battles, these stages also have their gimmicks to try and mix things up.

The single-player mode, while not nearly as meaty and robust as the multiplayer, is at least interesting, and the tasks to unlock special characters are sometimes required to take place in this mode. The Adventure mode is a new direction for the series, taking whichever character you choose and putting them in classic Nintendo environments, then having them wriggle their ways out through good old-fashioned fisticuffs.

While this is simple, stupid fun, and even quite violent at times, it's still meant in a strictly non-hurtful way, so most parents can disregard that Teen rating. With no blood, no suggestive themes, and nothing but straight fun for anyone in the family, "Super Smash Bros. Melee" is a hit, no doubt about it.

Inventiveness: 10 (out of 10)
Having Nintendo's otherwise-wholesome mascots duke it out for your amusement is a great idea, and it says a lot about Nintendo's reputation when they can make fun of themselves.

Sound: 10
Any sound effect from a previous Nintendo game is reproduced faithfully, and the new ones fit in well, considering the surroundings. Also, older Nintendo tracks have gotten squeaky-clean new orchestrations and put into these grudge matches as background music. Nostalgia? You bet.

Graphics: 9.5
Okay, okay, so it's not the absolute prettiest game in the world, but it manages to capture a rubbery, flexible version of all characters involved, even those as evil as the shifty thief Ganondorf. It looks comical and well done, and it manages to convey the theme of the game even better than photo-realism would have.

Control: 9.5
The placement of the Jump buttons may turn out to be something of a shock to first-timers, but you'll pick it up easily, no doubt (the X and Y buttons jump, as does the joystick). When in the fray against your friends, you'll adapt quickly and get to learn every nuance of your favorite character's repertoire of moves. (I own anyone as Ness!)

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Overall Score: 10
The bottom line: While the single-player mode is lacking--well, let's be honest, you didn't buy this for the single-player game, did you? This game rocks. If you own a GameCube and more than one controller, you must buy this game. If you don't own more than one controller, buy another one and this game. Seriously.