Super Smash Bros.: Melee

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.