Super Smash Bros.

Encyclopedia : S : SU : SUP : Super Smash Bros.

---

is a fighting game, released for the Nintendo 64 in , 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 Pikachu. It achieved wide popularity, in part due to a low number of unique fighting games on the N64, as well as its frantic multiplayer game.

Super Smash Bros. is the first game in the Super Smash Bros. series. It is followed by the massively successful Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube and the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Nintendo Wii.

Story

Super Smash Bros. features no clear story, but suggests that the game's characters may actually be toys. The introductory video depicts Master Hand pulling several lifeless characters from a toy chest (like rag dolls), and placing them on a desk. The items on the desk are then rearranged by Master Hand to form a battle arena. At the count of three, Nintendo's most famous characters suddenly spring to life and engage in the epic tournament.

Gameplay

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 the enemy and knock him back a certain distance; inflicted damage increases that distance, and so sufficient damage must be accumulated before attempting a KO, or the opposing player may be able to jump back onto the stage and resume fighting. Blast-Line is the main hazard in Super Smash Bros. When passed through, the player is automatically KO'd. The KO is accompanied by a violent explosion.

The controls for Super Smash Bros. are easy to learn, as almost every move in the game can be accessed with one button press and a joystick tilt. 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 randomly appear around the arena. They may be grabbed and used by anyone. The item selection originates from a number of Nintendo games, including: 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 all 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.

SSB is known for its frantic and entertaining gameplay, especially during multiplayer sessions in which up to four characters (which may be computer-controlled) can duke it out on a variety of stages. The game is easy to learn, but can be quite difficult to master, and contains nuances that, because they are not covered in the manual, can go totally unnoticed.

Characters

There are 12 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

• Mario (from the Mario series) - Mario is a well-rounded character with no particular strengths or weaknesses. Resembling the power he has with a Fire Flower, he can release fireballs.
• Donkey Kong (from the Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Country series) - Donkey Kong is a heavyweight: slow, but with powerful physical attacks. He is the only character that can pick up Crate or Barrel while walking.
• 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.
• 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, some of which include Bombs, Screw Attack, the Grapple Beam 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 particularly effective. He has no third jump, but can flutter going a huge distance.
• 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.
• Fox McCloud (from the Star Fox series) - Fox's physical attacks are centered in kicks. His special attacks include a blaster, reflector (deflects projectile attacks) and Firefox (a "rocket jump"). He's also lightweight and is very speedy.
• Pikachu (from the Pokémon series) - Pikachu is small, so it can walk under big enemies such as Donkey Kong. Pikachu is very agile and has 3 kinds of electric attacks. It also can use "Agility", which allows it to do an aerial dash to two different points when executed properly.

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. If the challenge is won, the secret character will be available in all modes, if not, the player will be challenged again the next time the goal is met.

• Luigi (from the Mario series) - Luigi has abilities similar to those of his brother Mario, only being lighter and faster. Luigi is the only character whose taunt can actually hurt an opponent, although it only damages the opponent about 1%.
• Captain Falcon (from the F-Zero series) - Captain Falcon is the fastest runner in the game. He has no ranged moves, but packs a punch with his devastating melee attacks, such as his Falcon Punch.
• Ness (from EarthBound/Mother 2) - Ness uses yo-yos and baseball bats along with many psychokinetic powers, such as a healing shield (PSI Magnet), floating and two attacks that he really doesn't own in EarthBound: PK Fire and PK Thunder (used by Paula and Poo).
• Jigglypuff (from the Pokémon series) - Jigglypuff is light and floats, just like Kirby, and has an attack that puts enemies to sleep. One limitation unique to Jigglypuff is when its shield breaks, it gets blasted into the sky.

Mini Bosses & Bosses

• 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 Super Smash Bros. Melee, the Super Mushroom item will make a character Giant, similar to Giant DK, although not quite as large. This will also make the character heavier.
• 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%. For most enemies, only about 50%-100% is required. 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.
• Fighting Polygons (Mini-Boss): 3D purple polygonal characters that resemble and mimic the 12 playable characters, obviously because the polygons are the bases for all the 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. The Fighting Polygon Team only use the moves accessed with the A button, but they deal far more damage. The offset of this is that it takes very little to send them flying. Analogous to the Fighting Wire Frames in SSBM.
• Master Hand: A giant floating glove, he is the final boss of the single-player mode. He is 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. He could be based off of Wham Bam Rock, both the final boss in The Great Cave Offensive game portion and the boss of Cavios in the Milky Way Wishes game portion from Kirby Super Star, who used similar attacks with his hands. Also he could be representative of the "hand" that controls these video game characters (in essence, that of the player).

Stages

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. This level is considered disappointing for Mario fans, as there are no actual Mario gimmicks in this stage. The Mushroom Kingdom stage, however, makes up for that in the eyes of many. You can also see Princess Peach's Castle from Super Mario 64 in the background of this stage.
• 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 in any direction, usually upwards.
• Hyrule Castle (from the The Legend of Zelda series) - Hyrule Castle is divided into 3 parts (including a gazebo). The stage features a climbable tower and occasional tornados.
• Planet Zebes (from the Metroid series) - A dark futuristic level featuring acid that can sometimes rise over all but the highest platform.
• Yoshi's Island (from the Yoshi series) - Yoshi's Island has inclined platforms and clouds on which one can stand, but they dissolve after a few seconds. The clouds are nonexistent in 1 player mode. The Super Happy Tree can be seen in the background.
• Dreamland (from the Kirby series) - A small level consisting of only 3 platforms and one hazard: Whispy Woods, who occasionally blows wind in a random direction.
• Sector Z (from the Star Fox series) - Many like this level because of its large size, which helps characters hide. An Arwing occasionally flies above the stage and fires at everything in its sight.
• Saffron City (from the Pokémon series) - Saffron is divided into 3 buildings (Silph Co., a heliport, and a moving platform). Pokémon will routinely pop out of a door (especially if a player is near when it opens); these pokémon include Charmander, Venusaur, Chansey, Electrode, and Porygon.

Secret stage

It is possible to unlock the Mushroom Kingdom stage, playable in multiplayer mode, by using all 8 original characters to clear Classic mode, and then play a Vs. Mode Match at all the original stages. This is a 3D-style level based on the original world Mario adventured through in Super Mario Bros. It features falling platforms, POW boxes and Piranha plants in Warp Pipes (which in turn can also be used by the players). Unwary players using the pipes can be caught off guard by an exit only warp pipe inside the wall of a pit, although characters only occasionally emerge from this pipe, and all characters can escape from the pit after exiting the pipe. The music is taken directly from the overworld music of the NES version, as well as the graphics. Some of the graphics were taken from the Super Mario All-Stars version.

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. It's based off the metal cave in Super Mario 64.
• Battlefield - The simple arena where the Fighting Polygons are fought. This stage is playable in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
• Final Destination - The simplest stage in the game, this is the stage where Master Hand is fought. The background scenery changes as you progress on lowering Master Hand's HP. However, this stage is playable in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
• 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 .
• Opening Movie Stage - When the game turns on and the opening movie starts, a table with a checkerboard and a pipe on it will have two dolls dropped on it, where they become characters. This is actually a variation of the Peach's Castle stage.

Bonus stages

These may also be played in Versus 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.

• Break the Targets! - Arenas that vary from each character. One must destroy all ten targets to win.
• Board the Platforms! - Also variable, this arena features 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.

Reaction

Reviews for Super Smash Bros. were almost universally positive. The game was very popular and became a Player's Choice game very quickly. There were, however, a few criticisms, such as the removal of the traditional health bars, though this has slowly come into acceptance and somewhat fixed in Melee with the addition of Stamina mode. In addition, the single-player mode was criticized for its lack of features.

Development

The game was developed by HAL Laboratory, Inc., a Nintendo second-party developer (of Kirby fame), through 1998. The game had small budget and promotion, and was originally a Japan-only release, but the huge success made the game be released in the US [Super Smash Bros. Melee] at N-sider. The game sold an excess of 5.55 million copies worldwide [Worldwide selling totals] , paving the way for the sequels.

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. #redirect

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 PAL 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. Furthermore, the sounds of "hitting" in the American and European versions of the game were changed from a slightly more violent "Whack" sound to a sound more similar to that of a bowling ball hitting pins. [Review] at IGN.
• 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 loud noise, but the computer's damage will keep going up and up (it will eventually unfreeze). This scenario can also be reached in versus mode. It is most likely to occur when several items (such as Meowth) that cause multiple hits on other characters are all centered in the same area. In this case, any of the players involved will almost immediately shoot up to 999%, but they will not necessarily die. Just as in the training mode, the game will freeze and after a period of what appears to be a frame by frame speed up, will return to normal conditions.
• The stages Dreamland, Kongo Jungle, and Yoshi's Island were placed in the sequel Super Smash Bros. Melee as unlockable classic stages, along with the same music.

See also

• List of Nintendo 64 games
• List of best-selling computer and video games
• List of characters in Super Smash Bros.
• Super Smash Bros. Melee
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl

References

External links

Official

• [Super Smash Bros. official site]
• [Super Smash Bros.] at Nintendo.com
• [Extensive Super Smash Bros. site at Nintendo.co.jp]

Unofficial

• [Super Smash Bros. wiki guide at StrategyWiki] (previously hosted by Wikibooks)
• [Super Smash Bros.] at MobyGames
• [}}} }] at the Internet Movie Database
• [IGN page]
• [GameFAQs entry for Super Smash Bros.]

 

---

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

Search Titles

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

?