Super Smash Bros. Melee is a 2001 fighting game created by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second game in the Super Smash Bros. series. The game includes characters from Nintendo video game series such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, Pokémon, and Donkey Kong, among others. The game’s stages and modes also use designs and ideas from these series.
Melee includes all the playable characters from the first Super Smash Bros. game and adds new characters from other series, such as Fire Emblem, which had not been released outside Japan at the time. It also introduces new stages and gameplay modes. Like other Smash Bros. games, Melee uses a unique fighting system. Instead of showing a health bar that decreases, the game uses a counter that tracks damage as a percentage. This percentage shows how much force a character will experience when hit, which affects how easily they are knocked away.
Melee was first released in Japan on November 21, 2001, in North America on December 3, 2001, in Europe on May 24, 2002, and in Australia on May 31, 2002. Critics praised the game for its visuals, easy-to-learn controls, gameplay, and music. It received many awards and is now considered one of the greatest video games ever made. The game sold over seven million copies by 2008, making it the best-selling GameCube title. Because of its fast and aggressive gameplay, Melee is one of the most competitive Smash Bros. games. Its gameplay strategies continue to change over time, keeping it popular in tournaments and among fans. A dedicated community of players has kept its competitive scene active long after its release. It was followed by Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii in 2008.
Gameplay
Super Smash Bros. Melee is a platform fighting game, similar to its earlier version. Unlike traditional fighting games, the goal is to push opponents off the edges of the stage. Attacks cause damage, and enough damage can knock an opponent away. Each character's health is shown as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the farther the character is knocked back, making it easier to push them off the stage. If a character is pushed off, they lose a life, called a "stock." Moves in the game are often activated by pressing one button and moving the joystick in a direction. For example, pressing the "B" button while tilting the joystick to the side triggers a "side special" attack. Tilting the joystick up, down, or not moving it while pressing "B" uses the "up special," "down special," or "neutral special" attack, respectively.
During battles, items from Nintendo games or merchandise appear on the playing field. These items have different effects, such as damaging opponents, healing the player, or instantly changing the player's abilities. Some items can be thrown to hit opponents from a distance, while others attack directly or have immediate effects.
Most stages are based on Nintendo games or franchises and include interactive elements. For example, the Mushroom Kingdom stage is from Super Mario Bros., and the Temple stage is from The Legend of Zelda. Although stages look three-dimensional, players move on a two-dimensional plane, creating a 2.5D experience. Not all stages are available at first; some require completing specific tasks to unlock. Some stages have moving platforms or hazards that harm players, while others do not.
In single-player mode, players face various challenges. Modes include "Classic Mode," where players battle multiple opponents and a boss, and "Home Run Contest," a mini-game where players hit a sandbag as far as possible with a bat. Some modes, like "Target Test," are tailored to specific characters and involve destroying targets quickly. "Adventure Mode" lets players explore different universes from Nintendo games, and "All-Star Mode" requires defeating all characters with only one life and limited health items.
In multiplayer mode, up to four players or computer-controlled characters can compete. Computer opponents have difficulty levels from 1 to 9. Players can also be set to different skill levels, with higher levels making them stronger. Victory depends on the game type. Common modes include "Time mode," where the team with the most knockouts and fewest falls wins after a set time, and "Stock mode," where the last remaining player or team wins. Other modes, like "Coin mode," reward the player with the most coins collected during the match. Coins are earned by hitting opponents, with harder hits producing more coins.
Trophies of Nintendo characters and objects can be collected throughout the game. These include figures of playable characters, their accessories, and items from other Nintendo series. Some trophies feature characters or elements only available in Japan. Earlier versions of the game included plush dolls of the 12 playable characters, but the trophy system in Melee includes a wider variety, with one trophy exclusive to the Japanese version.
Playable characters
Super Smash Bros. Melee includes 25 characters (26 if Zelda and Sheik are counted separately). This is 13 more characters (14 if Zelda and Sheik are separate) than the earlier version of the game. Fourteen characters are available at the start, while the other 11 become playable after completing certain tasks. Every character in the game comes from a well-known Nintendo series. Each character has a symbol that appears behind their damage meter, showing the series they belong to. For example, Link has a Triforce symbol, and Pokémon characters have a Poké Ball symbol. Some characters come from very popular franchises, while others were less known when the game was released. Marth and Roy are from the Fire Emblem series, which was not available outside Japan at that time. Their inclusion in the game helped increase the popularity of Fire Emblem, leading to its release in other countries. The game includes references to relationships between characters from the same universe. For example, in one Event Mode scenario, Mario must fight Bowser to save Princess Peach. Each character also uses moves from their original series, such as Samus’s weapons from the Metroid series and Link’s collection of tools.
Development and release
Super Smash Bros. Melee was created by HAL Laboratory, with Masahiro Sakurai as the head of production. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, worked as a co-producer. The game was one of the first released for the GameCube and showed better graphics than the Nintendo 64. The project proposal and initial design for the game were completed on July 5, 1999. Sakurai wanted to include an opening video clip to honor the GameCube’s debut. HAL and Sakurai worked with three graphic companies in Tokyo to create the sequence. On their official website, the developers shared screenshots and explained the game’s focus on physics and details, including changes from the previous version. The game was developed for 13 months, starting around autumn 2000. Sakurai described his lifestyle during this time as “destructive,” with no holidays and short weekends. Unlike the first Super Smash Bros., he felt strong pressure to create a high-quality sequel, calling it “the biggest project I had ever led up to that point.” In a 2010 interview, Sakurai said Melee was “the sharpest game in the series… it just felt really good to play,” even compared to its successor, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
On the game’s Japanese website, Sakurai and the developers explained why certain characters were playable and why others were not. Initially, the team wanted to replace Ness with Lucas, the main character of Mother 3, but kept Ness due to delays. Hideo Kojima, a game developer, asked Sakurai to include Solid Snake, and Yuji Naka from Sonic Team requested Sonic the Hedgehog. Neither character was added at first because the game was too far along in development. Later, more time allowed both characters to be included in Brawl. Marth and Roy were originally only playable in the Japanese version of Melee because Fire Emblem had little representation in the West. However, they gained popularity during the North American version’s localization, so they were added to the Western release.
Sakurai said the team suggested characters from four other games to represent the Famicom/NES era but eventually chose the Ice Climbers for this role. Ayumi Tachibana from Famicom Detective Club was considered as a playable character but was only included as a trophy. The developers noted characters with similar moves, which the media called “clones.”
Shogo Sakai became the composer of the game’s opening music in place of Hirokazu Ando on February 14, 2001. Voice recording began that month, with sessions involving the Japanese Star Fox cast and Masachika Ichimura, who voiced Mewtwo.
Nintendo showed the game at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2001 as a playable demonstration. A major event followed in August 2001 at Space World, where Nintendo displayed an updated playable demo. They also held a tournament for fans, offering a GameCube and a copy of Melee as prizes. Before the game’s release, the Japanese website included weekly updates with screenshots and character profiles. Nintendo continued this practice with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where updates were posted daily by Sakurai. Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu reported that Nintendo advertised Melee in movie theaters in Japan during showings of Pokémon 4Ever. In January 2003, Melee was re-released as part of the Player’s Choice program, a label for games that sold over a million copies. In August 2005, Nintendo bundled the game with the GameCube for $99.99.
Super Smash Bros. Melee includes new and rearranged music from many Nintendo franchises. In 2002, Enterbrain released a soundtrack in Japan titled Dairantou Smash Brothers DX Orchestra Concert. The same music was released in 2003 as Smashing… Live! as a bonus for subscribers of Nintendo Power magazine in North America and as a free gift in an issue of the British Official Nintendo Magazine. The soundtrack does not include music directly from the game but features live orchestral arrangements by the New Japan Philharmonic. The game also includes unlockable tracks that can be earned through in-game achievements. On the same website, the developers shared discussions about the game’s music and voice acting between Sakurai and the composers.
Reception
Super Smash Bros. Melee received praise from reviewers, many of whom said that Melee added new gameplay features compared to Super Smash Bros. GameSpy noted that "Melee really scores big in the 'we've added tons of great extra stuff' department." Reviewers compared the game positively to Super Smash Bros. IGN's Fran Mirabella III said it was "in an entirely different league than the N64 version." GameSpot's Miguel Lopez praised the game's more advanced "classic-mode" compared to its predecessor, while describing the Adventure Mode as "really a hit-or-miss experience." Even though some reviewers had mixed opinions about the single-player modes, many said the multiplayer mode was a strong part of the game. GameSpy stated that "you'll have a pretty hard time finding a more enjoyable multiplayer experience on any other console."
The game's visuals were well-received. GameSpot praised the character and background models, saying "the character models are pleasantly full-bodied, and the quality of their textures is amazing." IGN's Fran Mirabella III praised the game's use of physics, animation, and graphics, but his colleague Matt Casamassina said "some of the backgrounds lack the visual polish endowed upon the characters" in a second opinion.
Reviewers liked the game's soundtrack. GameSpot's Greg Kasavin said "it all sounds brilliant." GameSpy praised the music for its nostalgic effect, with soundtracks from multiple Nintendo series.
Reviewers welcomed the simple controls, but some said the "hyper-responsiveness" made the game challenging. GameSpot noted that characters could dash and move precisely, but this was hard to master. Bryn Williams of GameSpy said "movement and navigation seem slightly too sensitive." The game's gameplay involves battles between Nintendo characters, which some critics said was too fast-paced. N-Europe questioned if the gameplay was "too Frantic," even though they liked the variety of modes. Nintendo Spin's Clark Nielsen said "Melee was too fast for its own good," and "skill was more about just being able to wrap your head around what was happening as opposed to really getting into the combat." Edge said the game's speed made features like "blocking" unnecessary because players had little time to react.
Some reviews said the game lacked originality and was too similar to its predecessor, Super Smash Bros. Caleb Hale from GameCritics.com said the game was "every bit as good as its Nintendo 64 predecessor" but felt "the game doesn't expand much past that point." Edge said "it's not evolution; it's reproduction," referring to a lack of innovation. The game's nostalgic elements, stages, and items inspired by past Nintendo games were praised. Gaming journalists liked the roster of 26 Nintendo characters and the trophy system, which Nintendo Spin called "a great addition to this game."
When released in Japan, it became the fastest-selling GameCube game, selling 358,525 copies in the week ending November 25, 2001. The game sold over a million copies two months after its release, making it the first GameCube title to reach a million copies. It sold well in North America, with 250,000 copies sold in nine days. In the United States, it was the 19th best-selling video game in 2001 according to the NPD Group. By July 2006, it had sold 3.2 million copies and earned $125 million in the United States alone. Next Generation ranked it as the fifth highest-selling game for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country. Approximately 4.06 million units were sold in the country as of December 27, 2007. At one time, the GameCube had a software-to-hardware ratio of 3:4, and some linked the GameCube's sales increase to Melee. As of March 10, 2008, Super Smash Bros. Melee was the best-selling GameCube game, with over seven million copies sold worldwide. It is estimated that at one point, 70% of all GameCube owners also owned Melee.
Several publications recognized Super Smash Bros. Melee in competitions and awards. In their "Best of 2001" awards, GameSpy named it Best Fighting GameCube Game. IGN's readers chose it as Game of the Year. Electronic Gaming Monthly named it Best Multiplayer and Best GameCube Game. GameSpot called it the Best GameCube Game and tenth best game of the year. During the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated it for "Console Fighting Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Animation," which were awarded to Dead or Alive 3 and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, respectively. It also received nominations in GameSpot's "Best Music" and "Best Fighting Game" categories.
GameFAQs ranked it sixth in a poll of the 100 best games ever and it was in the final four of the "Best. Game. Ever." contest. In the 200th issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, editors selected Melee as the 92nd most influential game in their "Top 200 Games of Their Time" list, describing it as "Billions of things to unlock, plus Yoshi pummeling Pikachu with a bat." Nintendo Power named it the 16th best game ever on a Nintendo console and the 2001 "Game of the Year." IGN listed it as the third best GameCube game of all time in 2007, calling it "the grand stage of fighters, much like Mario Kart is for racing fans." GameSpy ranked it fourth in a similar list, saying it had "better graphics, better music, more characters, more gameplay modes, more secrets to discover" compared to its predecessor. The game was ranked 58th in Official Nintendo Magazine's "100 Greatest Nintendo Games Ever" feature. In 2019, Game Informer ranked it as the second best fighting game of all time. Edge ranked it 91st on their list of the 100 best video games in 2007.
Legacy
The inclusion of Marth and Roy in Super Smash Bros. Melee helped more people outside Japan learn about the Fire Emblem series. This, along with the success of Advance Wars, led to the next Fire Emblem game being translated for international audiences. The game, called Fire Emblem in Western countries, is a story that happens before Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, the game where Roy first appears. All Fire Emblem games since, except Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem, have been released outside Japan.
Super Smash Bros. Melee is a popular competitive video game that has been played in many large tournaments. Many people believe it is the best game in the Super Smash Bros. series for competition. Nintendo held the first official Melee tournament, called Premium Fight, likely from August 25 to August 27, 2001.
As tournaments grew in popularity, top players began to stand out in regions across the United States and Japan. Professional gaming groups started to support Melee players by paying them to compete. Some well-known players, such as Christopher "KillaOR" McKenzie, Isai Alvarado, and Ken, appeared in a 2005 episode of the MTV show True Life titled "I'm a Professional Gamer." Tournaments became larger, more televised, and more organized. More people watched, more players competed, and larger prize amounts were offered. From 2004 to 2007, Major League Gaming supported Melee on its professional competition circuit. Ken Hoang, known as "The King of Smash," was considered the best Melee player from 2003 to 2006 and earned over $50,000 in tournament prizes.
Melee was also part of the Evolution Championship Series (Evo) in 2007, a fighting game event in Las Vegas. In 2013, Melee was chosen to be included in Evo after a vote by fans. Because of its popularity, Melee was also part of Evo in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.
A 2013 documentary called The Smash Brothers showed the history of Melee competitions and interviewed seven top players, including Ken Hoang, Azen, Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman, Isai, PC Chris, KoreanDJ, and Joseph "Mang0" Marquez, who won Evo 2013 and 2014. A clip from a Melee tournament inspired the "Wombo combo" internet meme.
In 2020, Project Slippi, a version of the Dolphin emulator for Melee that adds features like replays and online play, was updated to support rollback netcode and matchmaking. This allowed players to compete online with low delays. That same year, Nintendo sent a cease and desist letter to an e-sports event called "The Big House" because it used Slippi.