Super Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros. (ニンテンドウオールスター!大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズ Nintendo All-Star Dairantō Smash Brothers in Japan) is a fighting game released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, and contains many of Nintendo's flagship characters. Players are able to choose from up to twelve characters, of whom four are "secret", from various games in Nintendo's history, such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, and even Pikachu of Pokémon fame. It achieved wide popularity, in part due to a low number of unique fighting games on the N64, as well as its frantic multiplayer.

Super Smash Bros. is the first game in the Super Smash Bros. series. It is followed by Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube, and Super Smash Bros. Revolution is expected to be launched with the Nintendo Revolution.

Story
Super Smash Bros., features no clear story; the player is only given the vague idea that the many worlds of Nintendo have collided and their heroes must now battle each other. Much of this background comes from the introductory video seen when the game is started up. Master Hand (described under the menu Characters) magically animates several rag dolls that resemble Nintendo's most famous characters, who subsequently engage in epic combat.

Lingo
The game is credited with coining the term "a couple rounds?" which refers to the question one combatant asks to the other so that a battle may ensue.

General mechanics
Super Smash Bros. is different from most traditional fighting games in several ways. Beyond the vague storyline, Super Smash Bros. is also unique in that simply inflicting damage does not guarantee victory. In normal play, winning requires that the opponent be flung out of the stage's boundaries, similar to a ring out. Attacks both damage and knock the enemy a certain distance; inflicted damage increases that distance, and so sufficient damage must be accumulated before a KO. If a player is insufficiently propelled, he can "recover" and reach the stage using mid-air jumps, and then resume normal combat. The other player, however, can "edge-guard", preventing his enemy from reaching the stage.

Modes of play
Super Smash Bros. allows up to four human players to battle it out in teams or in a free-for-all match; a variety of stages are available. Alternately, a single player can play against computer characters of variable difficulty, or play one of two mini-games where the player must break targets or board platforms. The multiplayer play is frequently fast-paced and highly entertaining, especially since the game is quite easy to pick up.

Controls
The controls for Super Smash Bros. are easy to learn, and each move is activated by one button press. Some require the joystick to be tilted. Super Smash Bros. takes advantage of the N64's analog joystick by varying attacks based on whether the stick is slightly tilted or quickly tapped to one side. This contrasts with most other fighting games, which require the player to memorize long input sequences.

Items
Items randomly appear around the arena. You can change which items appear in vs. mode. They may be grabbed and used by anyone. The item selection originates in a number of Nintendo games, including, for example: the Star Rod from the Kirby series, which allows the player to fire stars at the opponent; the Heart Container from The Legend of Zelda series, which removes damage from the player's meter; Poké Balls, which release a variety of Pokémon that attack one's opponents; and even the Motion Sensor Bomb, clearly derivative of the Proximity Mines from GoldenEye 007, which sticks to surfaces it is thrown onto and explodes when approached.

Characters
There are twelve playable characters in Super Smash Bros., all drawn from Nintendo's most notable games. Eight characters are available at the beginning of the game. Four bonus ones can be unlocked with the achievement of certain goals.

Characters available from the start of the game

 * Donkey Kong (from the Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Country series) - Donkey Kong is a heavy-weight: slow, but with powerful physical attacks.
 * Fox McCloud (from the Star Fox series]]) - Fox's physical attacks are centered in kicks. His special attacks include a blaster, reflector (deflects attacks) and Firefox(a "rocket jump").
 * Kirby (from the Kirby series) - Kirby is a lightweight that can float like a balloon for a short time. He can turn into a rock, use a sword attack and suck up opponents to absorb their powers.
 * Link (from The Legend of Zelda series) - Link uses some of his common weapons throughout The Legend of Zelda series, primarily a sword but also a boomerang, hookshot, and bombs and his ablity to use a spin orange jump.
 * Mario (from the Mario series) - Mario, as his trademark, can perform powerful jumps. Also, resembling the power he has with a Fire Flower, he can release fireballs.
 * Pikachu (from the Pokémon series) - Pikachu is small, so he can walk under big enemies such as Donkey Kong. He is very agile and has 3 kinds of thunder attacks.
 * Samus Aran (from the Metroid series) - Samus, in her only N64 appearance, is suited toward aerial fighting. She uses most of her weapons from the series, including the Screw Attack, Bombs and the Charge Beam.
 * Yoshi (from the Yoshi series) - Yoshi has many egg-themed attacks: in his shield, he turns into an egg, throws explosive eggs and he can also swallow characters and turn them into eggs. Most of these attacks do not cause much damage. However, Yoshi's hip drop is particulary effective. He has no third jump, but can flutter going a huge distance.

Secret characters
Once the goal for a secret character is met, the player is "challenged" by that character in a one-on-one battle, in which the player uses whichever character he used last. From then on the secret character will be available in all modes.
 * Captain Falcon (from the F-Zero series) - Captain Falcon is the fastest fighter in the game. He has devastating short-ranged attacks like his Falcon Punch. (Unlocked by beating single-player mode in under 20 minutes.)
 * Jigglypuff (from the Pokémon series) - Jigglypuff is light and floats, just like Kirby, and has an attack that puts enemies to sleep. (Unlocked by beating single-player mode.)
 * Luigi (from the Mario series) - Luigi has similar abilities of his brother Mario, but some are stronger with a fire jump attack. (e.g. higher jump). (Unlocked by beating Bonus Stage 1 with all 8 original characters.)
 * Ness (from EarthBound/Mother 2) - Ness has many psychokinetic powers, such as a healing shield (PSI Magnet), and two attacks that he really doesn't own in EarthBound: PK Fire and PK Thunder(used by Paula and Poo). (Unlocked by beating the single-player game, without continues, on the Normal difficulty level with 3 lives.)

Non-playable Characters

 * Master Hand: A giant floating glove, he is the final boss of the single-player mode. Also seen in the introductory movie. Unlike all other characters, he has hit points instead of a damage counter. He cannot be thrown off; instead the player must erode all his health.
 * Fighting Polygons: 3-D purple polygonal characters that resemble and mimic the 12 playable characters. They have no special attacks or voices, and appear in the second-to-last stage of single player mode and the third bonus stage. Analogous to the Fighting Wire Frames in SSBM.
 * Metal Mario: A metallic version of Mario, he is the ninth-stage opponent of single-player mode. His attacks are identical to Mario's, but he is much heavier, has higher defense, and lacks a voice. Knocking him off the platform generally requires damage well above 300% (300% Damage is a respectable number, and takes some time and skill to do).In Super Smash Bros. Melee, the Metal Box item will make a character metallic, heavier, and harder to knock off, as well as remove any vocals.
 * Giant Donkey Kong: A larger and stronger version of DK, he is the sixth-stage opponent of single-player mode. In this stage, the player allies with two randomly selected computer players to defeat Giant Donkey Kong. In SSBM, the Super Mushroom item will make a character Giant, similar to Giant DK, although not quite as large.

Available from Start

 * Princess Peach's Castle (from the Super Mario series) - The castle of Princess Peach has moving platforms, ramps above the ground on the 2 sides and hovering bumpers.
 * Kongo Jungle (from the Donkey Kong Country series) - This stage features a DKC standard: a barrel cannon, that rotates under the ground, and can throw characters at any direction.
 * Hyrule Castle (from the Legend of Zelda series) - Hyrule Castle is divided in 3 parts (including a gazebo), features a climbable tower and occasional tornados.
 * Planet Zebes (from the Metroid series) - Players consider it the worst level, because of the rising acid that turns the ring-out complicated.
 * Yoshi's Island (from the Yoshi series) - Yoshi's Island has inclined platforms, and clouds in which one can stand.
 * Sector Z (from the Star Fox series) - Many like this level because of its large size, that helps characters hide. Arwings occasionally fly above the stage and fire everything in its sight.
 * Saffron City (from the Pokémon series) - Saffron is divided into 3 buildings (Silph Co., a heliport and a moving platform), and the space between the heliport and Silph defeats many people because it's too narrow to perform jumps. Pokémon will routinely pop out of a door (especially if a player is thrown there), such as Charmander, Venusaur, Chansey and Porygon.
 * Dream Land (from the Kirby series) - A small level, with only 3 platforms and one hazard: ]]Whispy Woods]], that occasionally blows wind in a random direction.

Secret stage

 * It is possible to unlock the Mushroom Kingdom as a playable level in multiplayer mode. This is a 3-D style level based on the original world Mario went through in Super Mario Bros., with falling platforms, POW boxes and Piranha plants popping out of Warp Pipes (which in turn can also be used by the players).

Non-Playable Stages
There are several stages that cannot be played in versus mode unless Debug Mode is activated.


 * Metal Arena - A very simple arena where Metal Mario is fought.
 * Battlefield - The simple arena where the Fighting Polygons are fought.
 * Final Destination - The simplest stage in the game, this is the stage where Master Hand is fought.
 * How To Play Stage (Seems to be based on the Kirby series) - Seen in the "How To Play" tutorial, with Mario and Luigi showing you the basics of the game. One must leave the game at the title screen for a few seconds to view this. This stage is actually the stage of Dreamland during its early development.

Bonus Stages
These may also be played is vs. mode with debug mode, but may not function properly. Achieving the goal in the stage (Destroying 10 Targets, Boarding 10 Platforms, or touching the Exit) will cause the game to end like normal.


 * Target Test - Arenas that vary from each character. One must destroy all ten targets to win.
 * Board The Platforms! - Also variable, this arenas feature 10 platforms for the characters to board.
 * Race To The Finish - A long raceway with three random Fighting Polygons in it, as well as numerous other hazards. Same for all characters.

Criticism
Super Smash Brothers received very little criticism, but that is not to say none. The game does away with health bars that fighting games have traditionally used, and special moves are simplified down to very easy button combinations. This has caused some people to claim Super Smash Brothers is not a real fighting game at all, but more of a party game. The graphics were also slightly outdated for their time, which created criticism as well.

Trivia

 * In the Japanese version of the game, the Beam Sword item sounds very much like a Star Wars lightsaber. The sound is different in the U.S. and European releases of the game, and in the sequel (Super Smash Bros. Melee). It is widely believed that George Lucas or his representatives requested this change, but it is equally possible that Nintendo of America requested the change preemptively.
 * There is a method (not a cheat, per se) in training mode that allows you to get the computer up to 999% damage in a few seconds. First, you get as many Green shells as you can onto the stage.  Then, you use Mario's Down-B.  The game will freeze, there will be a hideous noise, but the computer's damage will keep going up and up!  (It will eventually unfreeze)
 * In an interview, it was stated that both Bowser and Princess Peach were intended to appear as playable characters, but were omitted due to space constraints. Both appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee