Super Smash Bros.: Melee

The Good
Above all other things, this is quite possibly the greatest multiplayer game ever conceived. I have a group of friends that meet regularly for sessions, and we are always up until insane hours of the night, and have logged hundreds of hours. Between the huge number of characters and levels, and the sheer chaos of the game, it never grows stale. (Even as we've burned out on other "party" games within a couple days)

The play dynamics, as invented in the original Smash Bros, are still highly unique. Instead of simply playing "last man standing," the point is to knock as many players out of the ring as many times as possible. No one is removed from gameplay at any point for more than a few seconds, and last second comebacks are quite plausible. Furthermore, the game seems to almost equally reward skill and button-mashing - unless you're up against a Grand Master player, even newcomers will be able to hold their own while learning the ropes.

The one-player games are nearly as good. There are a multitude of different adventures, tournaments, and various challenges you can engage in. The "adventure" mode turns into an odd homage to side-scrolling adventures, with your character of choice running through levels inspired by all the games represented, along with certain important battles that come along. And there's always the option of simply playing battles against the computer - whose AI is quite good at the high levels.

The graphics, while not the best the Gamecube has seen, are pretty much as good as this sort of game would allow. Some of the levels are QUITE huge, and all the character animations are spot on. There's never any slowdown no matter how much is happening. Sound is similarly great - around half of the soundtrack is comprised of orchestral arrangements or classic game themes, performed by a full orchestra. And the various sound effects for the characters are spot-on as well. (I take great demented glee in the pathetic "Piikkkkaaaaaaaaaaaaa" when Pikachu sails into the sunset)

The Bad
My one big complaint is how they make you jump through hoops to unlock the hidden characters and levels. I hate that, and some of the trials they put you through are nearly impossible. You will be made to log a lot of hours with the game, some of them very frustrating (cough15 minute battlecough) to open up all the secrets.

Also, the game can be unforgiving to players with smaller TV sets. Some of the battlegrounds are so large that, if the camera pulls back all the way, it's virtually impossible to tell what's going on, or even who is who. (this effect is especially bad on the Hyrule castle level, leading to the occasional called truce as we move back to the center of the field)

The Bottom Line
In terms of entertainment and hours spent relative to cost, this is quite possibly the best game purchase I've ever made. Cannot be recommended strongly enough.

The Good
Did you think that SSB was an awesome game? Well, just wait until you play this, because this will blow your freakin' mind!!!

The gameplay for SSBM is basically like SSB: fight as and against your favorite Nintendo characters. Simple, but very well pulled off. What is different in this game, though, is there is twice as much in it. Not just more characters and stages, but new modes such as "Adventure", which is basically Classic but a scripted version. You know, like an action movie. lol But there is much more than that, such as "Multi-man Melee" and "Homerun Contest".

The music in the game is, in one word, good. When I say that, I mean that some tracks are freakin' awesome (such as the Fire Emblem track) and some I don't really care for (such as Green Greens). But over all, the sound track in this game is something I would definitely buy, a feat that most games can't make me want to do.

The graphics, I have to say, are amazing. What makes them even better is that SSBM was one of the first GC games (I think). I love how detailed some stages are. For instance, in the background of Rainbow Cruise, you can see a small town on the cliff. It even has a dirt path in it! Now THAT is attention to detail in my book.

The Bad
Despite how awesome this game is, there are a few problems. For example, in the camera mode, if you use NPC's, you will NOT get a good picture!

Also, on a small note, I don't like the announcer in SSBM as much as the SSB one. And I don't like how the match is started with "Ready? GO!" instead of "3...2...1...GO!". But these is only a small complaint.

Finally, something kind "personal" I guess is the fact that this game isn't as creative as the first title in the series (IMO). When I say that, I don't mean the graphics. They're excellent. What I mean is how "unique" the original was compared to this. Think about it for a sec:

SSB: The characters were literately stuffed dolls from a toy chest. The stages were supposedly made from common house hold objects (cardboard, pencil holders, blocks). Almost every stage is supposed to be taking place in the sky and/or is floating. Also, if you completed the 1-player mode, when the camera blacks out, you here a door slam, implying that the whole time, the fighting and violence was controlled by a child! And Master Hand was the child's hand!

The main point is that the original showed a child playing with their toys from their point of view. But in SSBM, they are clearly trophies coming to life. Even the intros of the characters are kind of lame. To me, it all seems slightly lazy.

The Bottom Line
Despite the fact that I think this game heavily lacks in creativity, this is a great addition to your GameCube collection.

The Good
The GameCube has proven to be one of the best consoles in the world graphically, and Nintendo has developed more than enough excellent games to make it sell like a huge sized burger! SSB:M is actually one of the best games I've ever played, you have characters ranging from Pikachu to Mario, from Donkey Kong to Link. Of course the classic mode might prove a bit too tough at the end when you reach "the hand" which is quite a pain to defeat. But the adventure mode is just too good to believe, you go through levels ranging from The Mushroom World, playing a Mario type game, to a Pokemon world! This game is great, and Nintendo seems to never stop making the best games.

The Bad
Well, this game is actually spick & span with absolutely no flaws whatsoever! Except the difficulty in classic mode that I already mentioned.

The Bottom Line
Nintendo has proven over the ages to be my favorite game developer, and they surprised again with this game, I wonder, will Nintendo actually make a bad game?