Still a great game!

Also, the controls feel really loose and icky after spending a lot of time with Melee and/or Brawl, IMO. I played a little Smash at a local game geek store recently, and it really has NOT aged well. With rose-tinted goggles firmly in place, however, I think the 1000 Nintendo Points could be a justified purchace. I just hope it hits NA soon before a riot breaks out or something.

Edit: Why not give it an 8 or a 9? Because the reviewer didn't feel it deserved such high praise, and based on the text of his review and my above-mentioned impressions, I'm inclined to agree! 7 almost seems generous, IMO.

7 is definitely generous, IMO. I'm not a big fan of the original.

In context and comparison to the other Smash Bros games a 7/10 is fair. But compared to the other fighting games on the Virtual Console, Super Smash Bros. is the best one!

My top 5 fighting games on the VC:

1. Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo 64)
2. Samurai Shodown 2 (Neo Geo)
3. Super Street Fighter II (Super NES)
4. International Karate + (Commodore 64)
5. Street Gangs (NES) and Punch-Out!! (NES)

I do agree with you, SKTTR, though I think that either speaks poorly of the selection of fighting games on VC (which doesn't seem right as there are quite a few, really) or strongly showcases my general distaste for fighting games that aren't Smash Bros. The latter is more likely, methinks.

I would level the same arguements at Super Mario Kart...but it'd still be a worthy download. I don't think it should be a 9, but 8 at least surely.

Did you even play the VC version? Because if so, I'm rather intrigued as to why you didn't mention the awful controls on the classic controller? Since that's the main downfall of this game, I feel inclined to say that this is just a review of the N64 original.

What did they do to the controls on the Classic Controller, keeping in mind that I am of the opinon that this game's controls are pretty bad by modern series standards to begin with?

Before the flood of angry fanboys come in here and bash this review; let me bash it first... no offence to the reviewer; but it seems to Edit SP: cliche & simplistic!

I hate to curse up a storm & call this review what it is; which I'm not saying that either! And without using a lot of words in CAPS letters; (this will be the only two words)... COME ON?!!!

If there is someone with a more high athority on NintendoLife; this for the love of god just please redo this review & just be generous to those fans who don't have to get angry!

Also I don't care if I get hated for this; but after all its just my opinion!

So as I end his; this review should've been at least a 9... or obvious a 10 since we got a lot of those from the best first party N64 & SNES games!

Or just on the fair side; it should be just an 8! So just put it one score higher & people will be happy!

@Captain Jack - When it comes to VC reviews on Nintendo Life there is no one with a higher authority than Drake or Corbie. It's not like we have just drafted in some noob to cover this review. Drake knows his carrots as I am sure many will agree who are familar with his writings.

My ONLY reply comment I'm going to say once so get it through your heads so I don't have to repeat it people:

If its an instant classic & the best in first party Nintendo games; it needs to be a high review score end of story; that's the way it is and that's the way it should be forever more!

I was looking forward to seeing a review on SSB64; & was considering at least a 9... hopefully a 10?! But nooo... it had to be waaayy to simplistic just because it seems outdated to the reviewer!
If people praise classic; then praise then & give them decent scores that are well worth it!

Also just going into it, about the 7 review this got as of now; it seems like a waay too obvious score that only we've all seen a bunch of! Yes there are over a million 7 review jokes but I'm not going to name names; you figure who the one is who does that... btw I'm sure you already know?!
In other words it should've been reviewd by Corbie; without the whole 7 thing btw... get the point!

But yet again this is just my opinion; this review is instulting & downright dissapointing to me! It needs to be an 8 or 9 end of story to make fanboys happier & not angry!

Okay maybe I'm just overreating before I think but just reading that last 2 paragraphs here:

"There aren't that many things to do in the game either. Melee and Brawl feature a "Classic" mode, an adventure mode, multiplayer, minigames such as target tests and a homerun contest, collectable trophies and more. In the original, however, you'll only find a multiplayer mode and a single player mode, in which you tackle a bunch of computer-controlled opponents, beat some minigames and defeat Master Hand, the game's final boss.

Melee and Brawl both have you unlocking things weeks or months after you first play them: here, however, you're likely to have everything in a day or two. While that's nice for the game's multiplayer aspect, meaning you and your friends can quickly use whichever character they want, it does feel like you're "done" with the game rather fast."

Well they do make sense; but it no need to give the game a 7?! Just for those who love the game for nostalgic reasons it needs to be an 8 for heavens sake; make those fans happy!

But maybe I was wrong to shoot my mouth off at first; like I said I'm give iout my opinions way too fast & have to find the bad in them right away! I'm very tempermental & judge things way to quickly before saying anything worthwhile that needs to be said! That's just my personallity; I have aspbergers... don't tease me!

Since when has this been a site about making the fanboys happy? And I think there are more 8s on this site than 7s

@Captain Jack: Do you realize that you're insulting the reviewer by calling his review insulting? I stand behind the score that was given this game. It does not deserve more if viewed level-headedly (can't say "subjectively," because there's no such thing as a subjective review, since reviews are, at the end of the day, opinions) and seen for what it IS, not what it USED to be.

I used to love this game, too. I agree that it's a classic in a certain sense, but not the sense that gives it 9's and 10's 10 years after original release!

Edit: More posting while I typed. Aspbergers, you say? My brother has that, so I now understand where you're coming from PERFECTLY (years of experience dealing with such, you know, not to sound offensive or anything...)!

Honestly, the game's fanboys are going to download this even if it's given a 2, so I don't see how arguing 7 vs 8 really matters. I see how YOU think that, but it simply isn't so. Sorry, dude. :/

@#14 Prosody:
First of all what really frightens me is you saying kind of stuff like that; which was bound to happen because I knew you were going to say that!
You see I'm smart; & know what's coming... but I shoot my mouth off anyways!

Also clearly you're not seeing the logic to reading my posts after I finish them completely; & that the person who is typing this here is a person with real feelings & I hate it when people judge/yell/ban whatever to me anyway!

all right people; I shoot my mouth off & then appologize... & yet you don't even read my posts clearly & to the point?!

I'm a tempermental person; & I just like classic games that should be more worthy of better scores?! For instance I hate bloody IGN for the same thing... not to mention sometimes NintendoLife just for that!

I missed the classic SSB64 for many reasons; but mainly because I don't have it & not a N64 anymore... my VC is my N64 haven for all first party Nintendo games!
Also I still wish NOA just stop making us wait for the game... glad I got Zelda MM because I'm more of a Zelda gamer!
The only thing I loved about SSB64 was playing as Link & playing/listening to the Hyrule Castle stage music... good times!
And clearly why I want a higher score is because the other SSB games are just good & better... but once I've stopped playing & collected everything; does't mean I go back to it every now & then!
Ex: my copy of Melee hasn't been touch in years... & I quit Brawl afer the month of March 08 since I got it!

@Prosody: Yeah, that. Whatever. I tried to quote something my manager told me recently, and misremembered a bit.

Quick question: When do the opinions of other people on things you like really matter?
Quick answer: Never!

@ Prosody: We're talking about Smash Bros.. In this case, we can invent an infinite amount of numbers for the review (same goes for the seven Mario RPGs). Therefore, I vote the game be given a rating of Pi.

Pi? Seeing as that's a lousy 3.14etc., I would have to take offence at that score myself! A bit TOO low, y'know?

@Stuffgamer: The number may actually be very small, but have you seen how long that thing is? With that many numbers, no one should complain.

Now your thinking, Prosody!

I think I would be happier with pineapple than pi, actually. Glad we got THAT settled!

My last reply people; I'm officially done & going to bed... not mad enough as it is but just calmly trying not to get dissapointed!

Also still not hoping but doubting it could be possible for SSB64 to come out this Monday on June 15th... but I'll hate NOA more if they don't; & shrug it off & still wait another blessed week to spend my Wii Points I just got several hours ago this Friday June 12th!

I'm just last replying to @Stuffgamer1's post #17:
Edit: More posting while I typed. Aspbergers, you say? My brother has that, so I now understand where you're coming from PERFECTLY (years of experience dealing with such, you know, not to sound offensive or anything...)!

Yes I'm a very happy to hear you say that; & that someone on NintendoLife who has a heart & soul understands me for once FINALLY!!
You just maybe be my new best friend @Stuffgamer1! Maybe!

With the no saving feature this dissapoints

i just really want to know why do people hold the smash bros games in duch high regard?
there`s no real skill involved, and just seems to be a simpistic button beshing game.
games like street fighter, tekken and soul calibur are by far, much better beat `em ups.

aahhh memories=D

It's still a good game, it just feels incredibly basic after its two jam-packed sequels.

Shouldn't the same have been said for Mario Kart 64 as well?

Not to step on anybody's toes, but why should anyone get upset about a score given to a VC game? If you disagree, so what? Just download the game and enjoy it and get on with your life. Everyone has different opinions on everything.

yeah. i don't like Mario Kart 64 anymore; it is quite dated now. I only play it to keep myself familar with the old courses. I do quite enjoy playing the retro tracks in the recent games.

And as for Super Smash Bros., I won't be downloading it. I did quite enjoy the game ten years ago but I have gone off the series recently. I'll probably get shot by fans for this but I do believe that the series has gone as far as it can in its current form and that a sequel to Brawl should be free-roaming; something similar to the original Power Stone I think (which also featured four player battles).

What have I started!?

32.my_point_is: First of all i hate those fighting games you mentioned (In fact i hate pretty much all fighting games) second its not really supposed to be a skill fighting game, it supposed to be a SIMPLE party game, for people who don't want to play those games you mentioned.
33.Corbie: So the SSB series isn't a real fighting game just because it doesn't have health bars, button combos, and are actually DIFFERENT from other fighting games? The reason people like the series is because it is unique. (No offense Corbie you still rock! i just disagree.)
@BassX0: Yeah i donwloaded it a while back and noticed it didn't age well. :/

Screw it. I'm still getting this, if only for nostalgia.

@45.Corbie: Nevermind then (Hope i didn't offend you.)
The only reason i can see my self getting this game now is because of the old stages. (Saffron City etc.)

Sorry i kinda snapped at you, but Get well soon BTW!

I'm just happy it stands at 7, but the real concern is that this should've been on the VC before Brawl was as it would have gave it more legs (so to speak). Releasing it this late after Brawl is the real reason why this doesn't stand up so well IMO.

It's a pity really since it is a good game, it's just that Melee and Brawl stand out more now.

It's a respectable game, but REALLY nostalgic and that's why I like it!

I never liked this entry all that well.

I think this is a brilliant game, but you can't say it requires no skill as it does. In fact this game is still played competitively by many gamers today.

I agree with the reviewer. When this first came out, I had a blast playing with my mates. The single player content is a bit lacking and basic compared to its sequel which is why I won't buy this, plus I have this on the N64 anyway.

If people want to experience the first game, then go ahead an buy this but it is more fun to play the multi player mode than the single player content. Plus to play some of the N64 only stages that didn't make it to Melee or Brawl.

7/10 is a fair score. Don't get hung up on the number the review mentions that Melee and Brawl and packed with more features and if you like those features you won't find them here. Just think of this as SSB Brawl: lite.

And this game does require a level of skill to win. Sure button mashers will win a few from time to time. But seasoned player almost always win.

I am surprised a DS version was never made. It would sell on name alone even if it wasn't quite up to Melee in terms of content and obviously gameplay wouldn't quite be the same due to lack of analogue controls.

I'll be getting this on VC for two reasons. I never owned the original and to have all three games. Sure it's pretty basic but so is the original super Mario bros. I still play that all the time.

Well, I guess I'll skip this one then. I must say I find this review very crappy, I could've written this review without even playing this game so I'm a bit doubtful how much I should trust this one.

I wonder what score this game would've got if the sequels weren't considered.

It still is an awesome game in my eyes,even though it is basic compared to the sequels.

I loved this game on the N64. I played it to death, and then the sequel and then the sequel for the Wii. This is the kind of series in which there is a basic formula and each instance just improves on it. I don't own this game anymore, nor Melee (my kids broke the disc) but I don't miss them much because I have brawl...

That said, I'd be tempted to buy this game if it wasn't for the seemingly bad controls with the classic controller... Is it so bad? I remember loving the way the controls worked originally and I was a bit disappointed they seemed to have been "dumbed down" on the sequels... (but it's been quite a while...)

I'll be getting this because of nostalgia. Back in the day, this game was the best ever for me.

Good review, glad it didn't get a 9 or something because it does fail in comparison to the sequels. Still though, it is a great game, one of the best on the VC, and if your comparing this to other VC games, it certainly deserves an 8.

And come on, it has Hyrule Castle

Corbie: "Actually, I have to agree with the 7."

Why am I not surprised?

@Wiiloveit: I started the whole "Corbie gives 7s" joke thing, it makes me warm and fuzzy inside to know it became so popular. It's so beautiful

I agree with the 7; this is a fun game, yet rather bare-bones. I would still like to see the day in which I can play all 3 in a marathon.

I hate how everybody acts like all of the other smash games before brawl were obsolete, I still play melee every other day. The last time I played brawl was a few months ago

Although I love Drake's reviews for the most part, I have to say that this one was quite underwhelming. There's a lot more to this game than meets the eye and besides the timeless appeal this one has is truly great. Instantly has massive replayability. People knock this game too much but AFAIC, this game is stellar.

I downloaded it! 3 more secret characters to go. I'd say that it is a nostalgic demo of the 2 later Smash Bros games, and its still great!!

I am very Jealous of you Europe!

Its a fine score. I don't think there's anything wrong with the fighting in this edition, it's just a little different than Melee and Brawl. However, there are only a few modes and unlockables in this first installlment.

I think that the score is reasonable when compared to Brawl.
It's hard to score games on an even level- it's not as good as the later games but does it deserve the same score as Cocoto Platform Jumper? Anyway I got it straight away for nostalgia value and I don't own Melee. I bought a Wii when Brawl came out and I joined Nintendo Life when 64 came to the VC!

I think the score is spot on.
Though the score itself is irelevant, it is actually the written text that means anything. I feel that the review is right. I have been holding off this investment for some of the very reasons of the review.

I would buy it, IF i had someone to play it with, but my friends want to play brawl. The game itself hasn't aged well at all. I mean it is fun just as most 64 games still are. If i bought it, i would probably enjoy it. But if the game was launched under the title Dragon King, on Wiiware, as it is today, it would probably get this very review.

I think this is the important thing to remember when it comes to VC review. To ask this type of question, and i feel the reviewer here do that well.

I agree with the score. Definately lacking compared to Melee and Brawl. But a great game nontheless. Instant download for me.

In my opion this game is a 8/10, because a 7 is average and this game is not just average.

It's probably my favorite in the series. Sometimes limitations are good. The other games, especially Brawl, are really unbalanced due to having too many characters to test and not much time since they were rushed in an attempt (though failed for Brawl, of course) to be launch titles. Playing with friends at the same skill level is no problem, but playing Brawl online can be frustrating when someone is practically a god with Meta Knight or Snake.

I also like the slower speed. Makes it feel more strategic and less about instincts. It tends to make the game easier for newcomers, especially. And it has some of the best stages, which have oddly been neglected since the 64. Why Saffron City hasn't reappeared in each sequel, I'll never know!

Couldn't care less about the score, though. If a video and a review are not enough for you to make your decision, a random number between 1 and 10 isn't going to do much either.

"Actually, I have to agree with the 7."

This isn't surprising coming from Corbie.

Actually, as much as I love this game and will download it even though I have the original, I agree with the 7. :]

I would have given it 6.76(3SF)x10^-15.

To be honest, it baffles me that everyone is so hung up about the score; I feel sorry for reviewers who have to find a way to convert their opinion into a numerical figure; it's a bizzare system that's never going to be 100% reliable and should therefore not be taken so seriously.

I actually think Melee and Brawl have deproved the gameplay which the original SSB had. It was and still is the most awesome one out of the three.

@ tkubas1: What does it say in the scoring policy?

"This game will sport a few areas where the game is blatantly let down to the detriment of its overall quality and enjoyment, but it is NOT average."

How anyone could presume that a 7 would be average in the first place baffles my mind. A 7 is an indicator for a good game on just about any site and magazine I've seen so far in my entire life.

The rating would've been 8 or 9 if Nintendo thought about having more female characters in the N64 version, since Samus was the only character that is female.

I think the original has the best levels. Not too complicated. Hyrule castle and the massive star fox level are the best out of all of the smash games i've played. Also, It's funny when people get all offended when a game they like gets a low score. If they like it so much, it should't matter what somebody else rates it.

I'd give it around a 6. Although, I must say, the original had Goldeneye's motion sensor bombs which are waaay cooler than those random purple ones in Brawl.

@jhuhn: That makes NO sense whatsoever.

It IS interesting how people continue to get so hung up on scores, isn't it? May be for the best that Play magazine dropped the scoring system entirely. Devion212 NEVER used one, either.

This game IS still worth the relatively low price (sure beats the $30 Power Gamer would charge me for an N64 cart), and I'll almost definitely download it when it hits NA.

Also, people who think the Smash series requires and offers no chance to gain skiil are idiots. Just because it isn't ridiculously hard to memorize a character's move set like it is in most fighters doesn't mean you don't have to learn when and how to USE them in-game! Just trying winning as Ganondorf on an auto-scrolling level against Zelda, Samus, and Sonic. Proof of true skill indeed.

I agree with the above comments. This was a good game for its time, but both Melee and Brawl have a much greater variety of content and alternate modes. I'm not dissing the game, but as an owner of the later games there's no reason I can think of for me to purchase the VC version.

IMO, I'd rather see a game such as Sonic and Knuckles that has been highly anticipated for a while now than Super Smash Bros. come Monday.

I agree with the score. No way it deserves anything higher. We better get Final Fantasy Monday instead of this. Not buying this. I was originally but Melee and Brawl are much better games.

the one concern I have is that on the n64, the jump button was any of the c-buttons and they were above the a and b buttons. now, the c-stick is bellow the a and b buttons, so unless they changed it to the y and x buttons like melee and brawl did for the gamecube/ classic controller, it will feel incredibly awkward.

To be honest, I perfer that the game gets at least an 8/10, but I can live with it. There's no reason to argue over that, it's still a good game and I will download it when it hits the North American Virtual Console. Is it me, or could it do two things:

1. Increase the possibility of Earthbound coming to the Virtual Console.

Or

2. Become responsible for an muti-game week for the Virtual Console.

As ususal, good review and I'll be looking forward to an release.

A seven?
A seven!?

It doesn't matter if it has fewer characters and stages than Melee and Brawl. The physics give it entirely different gameplay. It has much more combos than Melee or Brawl, which really makes it fun.

In terms of VS. battles,
64 > Melee > Brawl

No matter what the score, the review is what people should pay attention to, because the score is always going to be debateable, but the information given in the review is (almost) always solid information that others can use to make their own opinion. That's why I like this site... by the way, great review, Drake.

I've heard that there is bad controls on the VC version, can anyone tell me why the controls are bad. I'm just curious. : DDDD

Let me put in my 2 cents... The original WAS an excellent game. It has not dated well at. If you download this it has to be for nostalgia or curiosity. But curiosity killed the cat. 7 seems to generous. All though this one has the best stages IMO. Hyrule castle all time favorite

@ #94: Probably because the C buttons were used to jump most of the time.

And again, who cares how it aged? I happen to like the dated graphics and controls. It'll be a very nice piece to add to my collection. And being able to play the entire series on one system is like a true gamer's greatest fantasy realized.

I guess i may download it for the stages.

I'm glad that this got released as it's still a better game than Brawl...Melee's the best out of the bunch, though.

@97- Yay, someone else who thinks this is better than Brawl.

IMO,
Music: Brawl > Melee > SSB
Graphics: Brawl > SSB > Melee (I really didn't like Melee's graphics)
Character balance: SSB > Brawl > Melee
VS Battles: SSB > Melee> Brawl

I would give this an 8 also. The other games improved the formula, but this was still a trendsetter and is one of the most memorable N64 titles.

Seems like a fair score. This is still a decent game and all, but it hasn't aged that well, and it's completely inferior to the rest of the series. Still give it a download when it hits shop over here though. I can then play the whole series on my Wii!

Super Mario Bros 1 must be awful then!

Makes me wonder why they don't just add the user ratings again, it would solve all the debates.

I can't believe some of you guys think this is better than brawl. I played this after both. IMO this is NOT nearly as fun as the other two and why I'm not buying it.

"I can't believe some of you guys think this is better than brawl."

Well. I can't believe how anybody can say Brawl was better than the original.

brawl matches are better, ssb isn't all that great.

Poor review.

One paragraph actually explained the game a bit, while the rest was an explantation of the series origin and status, and then a silly rant on how this has less stuff than the sequels...

Super Mario Bros. is bare-boned too.

@94 It is not curiosity killed the Cat.

It is like Mother always said Curiosity killed the Dog. Just for a bit of a correction.

Any way this review is just right.It is not a 10 by today's standards by any means whatsoever. It had like 12 characters at the most.

I like it only for all the fun it gave us and the other stuff that never made a return like Hyrule Castle SSB 64 version and the movesets were not copied/clones of each other like in Melee. Brawl fixed that a bit as well.

I am going to get it review score or not.I don't need a review score to make my judgement of wheither to buy this on VC or not when USA gets it then i will get it too.

SMRPG had 5 characters, tis not a fighting game but still; masses of characters means squat.

I think a seven is perfectly fair. It was awesome when it came out, but it really doesn't stand up when compared with its sequels (please don't kill me), which just built on SSB without changing it too wildly. I'm going to get it, but only out of pure nostalgia.

Now the old commercial for this game I would give an 11. That may be my favorite commercial ever.

I dont remember the controls being this bad, and I owned the original 64 cartridge (albeit I bought it after I did Melee so the stepdown isnt anything new to me). They really dont feel as sharp as I remember

The graphics havent aged well understandably, music is awesome as always (I actually prefer the more chiptune like sound of the BGM in this game as opposed to the Orchestral sound of Brawl)

Overall a very worthwhile purchase, I didnt even hesitate to download it even though I still own the original. Nostalgia at its finest

Oh another thing. Will Nintendo EVER allow for online VC gameplay one day? It's like meant to be man

Bad Review....people don't buy VC games looking for a new experience...they buy them to re-live the experiences they've already had.

8 or 9 out of 10 easily

@carson: That's not always true. VC games I've downloaded that I'd never played beforehand:
Kid Icarus
Punch-Out!!
Super Punch-Out!!
Do Re Mi Fantasy (thanks to Corbie's gifting it to me )
Excitebike
Neutopia
Neutopia 2

I THINK that's it for me. My brother has downloaded many more Turbographix and Genesis games than I, too (we grew up in a Nintendo/Atari household).

If I had Brawl and had never played this game, I'd probably consider downloading it anyway, which makes this review valuable. I'm sure I'm not the only person who uses the VC in this fashion.

Once this gem comes out here, it will be my first instant buy

@Stuffgamer1

you're right. I bought Sin and Punishment and let me tell you, that is a GREAT game.
What im trying to say is the only reason this game got a 7/10 is because of SSB Melee and SSB Brawl. That's not fair and gives this game a bad rep for someone who has never played any Super Smash. It's just hard to see games like 1080 Snowboarding and Alien Soldier get better review scores than a game that is OBVIOUSLY better!

If you're looking to re-live an experience you've already had, why do you care about the review? You KNOW what the game is like.
Meanwhile, this review informs those who haven't plaed it that it might not be as awesome as the game's fanboys probably gave the the impression of.

7/10? Are you kidding?! This deserves at LEAST a 9!

This game was my favorite one by far 10 years ago. Not for the singleplayer game, but for the awesome multiplayer game it is. Sure, it's aged, as do we all, but it still retains a lot of what it had. In some respects I even find it to be better than its sequels, although I am quite content with the direction the series has been taking, and overall the games have improved with each new installment.

I instantly downloaded this for my VC, and it was like I expected. It took a match or two to get used to the game's physics, and then it was like reliving the past (sort of). I first played using my GC controller, which works like it does in Melee and Brawl, so that's just fine. I think I would've preferred the original N64 controller still, if only for nostalgic reasons, but for anyone who's played Melee and Brawl, it won't make a difference to use the GC one.

The classic controller though, I felt just ripped out the game's soul or something. I just could not get into it, and it just felt weird, and it doesn't feel like it was designed for the CC at all because of the button layout and controller design. It still works, sure, but I'd pick any of the other controllers over the CC anyday.

It's just unfortunate that unlike 10 years ago with SSB or SSBM 7 years ago, friends are no longer as available, much less for an outdated game. 97% of SSB's value was in the multiplayer experience you had with friends sitting around a TV and playing together. Shame that it's harder to have gettogethers like that nowadays.

@#113, that's not true, I am only sixteen and I haven't played many important games while I was younger and want to experience them now. I actually haven't downloaded a single game that I have already played, (once is enough for me) so when ssb comes out in America, it will be my first time.

If I were to rate each game in order, I'd say Super Smash Bros. Melee would come out on top.

The Melee battle system is faster, more intuitive and for a fighting game, it is important that each well-timed button press be followed by a prompt response. It is much more engaging.

Although Brawl has incredible content, and an all-out better one-player mode, the battle system is much slower. An actions takes nearly an entire second to occur after you press the button. Although some players don't notice, players that were good in Melee notice how severe this lag has become. Brawl also houses many annoying features that cannot be turned off; for instances, tripping on the floor randomly and lack of decent short jumps and fast-falling. Because I beleive a battle system is more important than the content of a fighting game, I rate Brawl as the worse of all three.

Smash 64 is slow, but dodging is fast enough to be of good use, unlike in Brawl where dodging could actually get you in trouble because the balance of dodging speed was not much faster in relations to how fast you could recover from an attack. Also, I take into acxcount the N64's processing capabilities, which made it impossible for it to handle a game as fast-paced as Melee. Back in the N64 days, it could be considered speedy.

The original has the best level design; simple and fun (even without a flat Final destination for multilpayer). To me, it comes second to Melee.

So:

1st: Melee, for superior battle system.
2nd: Original, for better level design.
Last: Brawl: For random occurrences and poor battle system (But good content).

Those are my personal rankings.

Agrees with you.

I prefer SSB battle system to Melee's simply because Melee is a lot harder to get great at, so even though I can beat all there is to do in Melee, there is still a huge amount of skill to gain (I don't even l-cancel consistently :sweat:) If I was awesome at Melee though I'd most definitely love it.

I agree 100% with Maxime.

this game´s not bad, but i would take the GC/Wii game

I think ONM gave it an 85%. I'd give it around 80% but I can understand where they were coming from. Same goes for this review tbh.

Brawl is the definative for me. Hands down.

I have downloaded it. 4 Gamecube Controllers are needed for a 10/10 experience. Classic Controller just feels awkward and uncomfortable.

I don't like the idea that 10 year old 10€ VC games are compared to brand-new 50€ retail games.

There's no better fighting game available on the VC. And there will never be! On top of that, it's the only 4-player-fighting game to ever grace the VC.

And to all the folks who say it's simple and you win by button mashing: you are liars.
Super Smash Bros. (and it's two sequels) is one of the most tactical fighting games ever. There will never be a random win against an experienced player.

@93: I disagree. to me, the controls are kinda good i do have both Classic Controller and the GameCube Controller. i don't use the GameCube Controller because it goes wrong. i prefer using the Classic Controller.

Honestly, what it comes down to is a matter of preference in terms of which is the best version.....

What I have a problem with is the fact of how much different the 64 game is from the following two. When Melee came out, me and a few of my friends had to change our favorite characters because they behaved differently and their movements were faster or slower (usually slower), and the game seemed to be less focused on quick reflexes/strategies and more on timing. Not that there's a problem with that but it makes for a different experience altogether. No there's not much of a 1 player experience once you unlock the few unlockables but as a multiplayer game, it was super addicting, and amazingly groundbreaking. The reason it was so successful and spawned two great sequels is because the original had the formula of an instant classic. The same could also be said for games like Mario Kart 64, which IMO shows its age way worse than SSB compared to its sequels yet somehow still scored 2 points higher than SSB. I probably played SSB more than melee, and melee more than Brawl, and yes, perhaps that has something to do with me getting bored with the franchise, getting too good at it, and not spending as much time with video games in general lately, but if I got together with some friends and wanted to play a ssb game, chances are we'd decide on the original.

Either way, simple logic says, you can't compare the first ssb game to the other two because they have different physics and gameplay, not to mention that when you have a game with infinite replay value in multiplayer, nobody really cares if the single player mode is impressive. Considering the N64's library of shovelware, and how successful and groundbreaking the successful SSB was, I feel that it was judged pretty harshly, more harshly than other classic nintendo games that didn't really hold up well. An 8 would be harsh/fair, but a 9 would be deserving.

i agree with redflicky

at the top

I wish that the game would come out in the US already... and just my luck that my family comes from Europe...

I still don't recall any Ike from my library of game tapes.

Super Mario Bros 1 and 3 must be awful then eh?

@Redflicky. I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic...

@LEGEND MARIOID. Don't EVEN compare this game to SMB3.

@Maxime. In terms of play control, I totally agree with you. Melee's controls were simply perfect. The combat was fast-paced and every move could be pulled off without a hitch. SSB64, as limited and dated as it is, had pretty good control too, even if it had to be played with that annoying N64 controller. I haven't played it much though, so I can't critique it any further. Brawl's combat sucks though, with floaty, touchy controls (very noticeable when you're getting butchered in online matches), a single jump was pretty much worthless, many moves could only be useful with perfect timing (Falcon's turbo knee being a fine example), and then there's the aforementioned tripping. What were they thinking when they put that in? If other fighters like Street Fighter II had tripping, there'd be a lot more pissed-off fighting fans in the world.

One thing i didn't like about Melee was the lack of consecutive air dodging. You could only air-dodge once before your character became immobile and dropped to the ground, and you couldn't dodge an enemy's multiple attacks, so if you're facing someone who's really good, they could annihalate you with a string of strong attacks. Other than that, they were flawless.

In terms of stage design, I'd have to say Brawl gets the top spot. It's stages were very well-designed and had a ton of action going on in them, which I liked. I know some people hate that, but it added a new layer of excitement to the combat. The original's were just drab and boring.

@Ricardo91: yeah..

I have this for N64, but I'd buy it again. Like I did for Super Mario 64.

Can anyone give a bit more detail about the classic controller controls? What each button does etc?

I have never played any of the Smash games and thought 1000 Wii Points (£7) would be a good entry to the series to see how I like it, thing is I don't have a GC controller so will have to use my Classic, if the button layout really sucks then I will just save the extra cash and pick up a cheap copy of Brawl.

this compared to brawl... just think if you put today's brawl into the time everyone had a n64 wow!

i think this is a pretty fair score

I can see the score as fair, but I feel the need to defend against the implied "you can get anything found in this game in its sequels, so its obsolete now," talk about this game (not just from this site).

Undeniably, the sequels eclipse the original in sheer content. But gameplay "improvements" are entirely debatable. Now, I accidently to a Shoryuken half the time I'm trying to do a Hadouken, so I'm no frame-counting, fighting game expert. But all three Smashes have very distinct nuances in their gameplay that really set them apart.

Namely, the original is an offensive-minded game. No air-dodging or sidestepping, and hitstun lasts quite a while, especially in midair. This makes way for some real comboing that you can't simply steer yourself out of if you're the victim, yet takes some real skill to maintain as the aggressor. Oh, did I mention that throws are ridiculously powerful and you can't block them? Another reason to stay on the offensive (or actually DODGE attacks, as in "move your character out of the way," not "hit a button and be invincible for a second").

I'm not going to call it deeper or superior to the sequels (though I'll make it no secret that it's my favorite engine of the three, hands down). But it is DIFFERENT, not "the same as Melee/Brawl, but worse." If you buy Smash for Nintendo nostalgia (nothing wrong with that...it's the only reason I bought Melee, which I'm quite terrible at and don't especially like to play), then there's no way Smash 64 can stand up to Melee and Brawl's legions of characters and trophies, and you can probably skip it.

But if you buy them to PLAY, Smash 64 is at least a unique experience, that I think is well worth 10 bucks so you can decide for yourself if it's better or worse. For a ridiculously powerful Kirby, for DK's throws of doom, for warp pipes, for a truly gigantic Great Fox, for a Hitmonlee yelling an incomprehensible noise, for Yoshi eggs that an opponent may consider threatening, for a wild Venusaur erupting out of the Silph building to annihilate you, for Board the Platforms... You CAN'T find everything in this game in Melee and Brawl, and more people need to realize that.

Reed is spot on about the original Smash being offensive-minded and offering unique elements to people who buy these titles for gameplay rather than characters. Brawl is primarily a mental game of spacing due to the lack of hit stun; Melee is a technical game of crazy speed and dexterity requirements (and is my favorite even though I'm pretty awful at it); SSB64 is a somewhat mixed game of truly ludicrous combos.

I swear some people have to criticize games and nit pick at them for so many reasons because they they think they are out of date; and their sequels are better than the origonal classics?! That's why some people don't realize a good game if it fell on their freaking heads!! I still dissagree with this freaking review, like Captain Jack Sparrow did; (even if he insulted the review way too much and got banned for it for no freaking reason)!

And I still don't understand why NOA is making wait & wait some more for SSB64 in NA?! It's been about 7 & a half months now since Japan has had it; & almost 2 months since Europe has had it!

So if not by August 24; then Nintendo is clearly wantint us to wait until we get more POed & we'll have to wait until September & possibly labor day like we all keep predicting!! Remember our SMRPG situation... so please NOA don't make it just like that & release it September! More like release it NOW!!

Someone (119) above me said that the value has been diminished because friends are no longer as available. I can see that, but I really think that that is a big generalization. The thing is, I played Super Smash Bros. with my brother, and then with a friend when he was over and vice versa. I didn’t play or have the game when it originally came out, but ‘getting together’ is still possible – Maybe I’m just lucky?

“For a ridiculously powerful Kirby, for DK's throws of doom, for warp pipes, for a truly gigantic Great Fox, for a Hitmonlee yelling an incomprehensible noise, for Yoshi eggs that an opponent may consider threatening, for a wild Venusaur erupting out of the Silph building to annihilate you, for Board the Platforms...”
I forgot -- I didn’t think of that.

I also really think that people should stop comparing (at least “hard-core” seriously) the game-play of the Super Smash Bros. games as ‘worse’ than another. I believe each of the three games had a different style – or speed if you will, on purpose. I like Melee a lot, but Super Smash Bros. Brawl is fun like the others, and shouldn’t be called worse just because of a different playing style.

im downloading this right away i got my 1000 wii points ready for wenever

people should stop complaining?! hahaha yeah right!
Waiting 8 long freaking months is enough to drive you mad!

You guys don't understand just how complex and difficult the orginal smash bros is compared to the latest version. Both 64 and melee offer cancelling; an advanced tactic that increases the speed of gameplay. In brawl they got rid of all these advanced moves. IMO melee played way too fast and overkilled some of these. Just youtube a video of some of the melee championships and see for yourself the moves they pull.

I prefer 64 because it is simpler and slower than melee, yet still offers worlds of complexity compared to brawl. Again I invite you to youtube some of the best smash64 matches and advanced techniques. There is a whole community of players online who are nasty. Every character in 64 really does take a minute to learn but a lifetime to master. Shine-cancelling with Fox, double jump cancelling with Ness and Yoshi, uppercut combos with Luigi, resting with Jigglypuff, and more. And all characters can take advantage of regular canceling and direction influence, where you can affect which way your character will fly after being hit.

In my opinion Smash 64 has the best balance of speed, timing, spacing, and complexity of all three games. Yet despite being so complex it still has such a simple base to it that a child could pick it up and play.

I have yet to play a better fighting game.

ummm, are we supposed to be able to download and play theese games?