Super Smash Bros. (video game)
| Super Smash Bros. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | HAL Laboratory, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Masahiro Sakurai |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64, Nintendo iQue |
| Release |  January 21, 1999 April 27, 1999 November 19, 1999 |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer (2-4) |
Super Smash Bros., known in Japan as Nintendo All-Star! Dairantō Smash Brothers (ニンテンドウオールスター! 大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズ, Nintendō Ōrusutā! Dairantō Sumasshu Burazāzu, lit. "Nintendo All-Star! Great Fray Smash Brothers"), is a crossover fighting video game developed by HAL Laboratory, Inc. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was first released in Japan on January 21, 1999, in North America on April 27, 1999, and in Europe on November 19, 1999.
Players are able to choose from up to twelve characters (four of whom need to be unlocked) from various games in Nintendo's history, such as Mario, Link, Pikachu, and Kirby.
Super Smash Bros. is the first game in the Super Smash Bros. series. It was followed by the very successful Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube and the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii.
Gameplay
Super Smash Bros. is different from most traditional fighting games in several ways. In normal play, winning requires that the opponent be flung out of the stage's boundaries, similar to a ring out. Attacks damage the enemy and knock him or her back a certain distance; inflicted damage increases said distance, hence, generally, sufficient damage should be accumulated before attempting a KO, or the opposing player may be able to jump back onto the stage and resume fighting. When certain boundaries on the edges of the screen are reached, the player is automatically KO'ed, represented by a colorful explosion and a cry.
In Super Smash Bros. almost every move in the game can be accessed with one button press and a joystick tilt. The game takes advantage of the Nintendo 64 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, such as Mortal Kombat, which require the player to memorize button sequences. [1]
Another unique aspect of Super Smash Bros. gameplay is its various items, which fall into the arena during the match and add a certain element of chance to the game. Usable items often come inside of crates, barrels, or capsules, though containers occasionally explode instead of containing something inside. The item selection originates from a number of Nintendo games, such as the hammer from Donkey Kong, and Poké Ball from the Pokémon series but some items make their debut in Super Smash Bros., such as Bumpers and Laser Guns.
Single Player
Single Player mode plays nearly identical to the multiplayer mode. The player choses a character and proceeds to go through a series of fights against the other characters in the game, usually including a Mirror Match against himself. The final fight is against the non-playable Master Hand, which is the only character in the game with a finite ammount of stamina. There are also 3 Bonus stages for the player to test their skills in.
Multiplayer
In Multiplayer mode, up to 4 people can play simultaniously. The rules of the match are also determined at this time. These modes are:
- Time, where the person with the most KO's at the end of the set time wins.
- Stock, where each person has a set amount of Lives, and when they are gone, the player is eliminated.
Also selectable are Team versions of the modes, which are identical with the exception of Team Stock; when all your lives are gone you may take 1 from your partner.
Development
Super Smash Bros. 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 saw the game released worldwide.[2]
There are a few differences between the Japanese version and the North American version, most notably, in the Japanese version, "Jigglypuff" is named "Purin", the "Beam Sword" weapon sounds like a lightsaber from Star Wars, and the sound effects are significantly different for most attacks.[3]
Characters
There are 12 playable characters in Super Smash Bros., all drawn from games developed by Nintendo. Eight characters are available at the beginning of the game, and four other characters can be unlocked by achieving certain goals within the game.
Characters available from the start of the game
- Mario (from the Mario series) is a well-rounded character with no particular weaknesses. Mario uses several techniques taken from the Mario series such as the ability to throw fireballs. His symbol is a Super Mushroom.
- Donkey Kong (from the Donkey Kong series) is a heavyweight: slow, but with powerful physical attacks. Donkey Kong is the only character that can walk while carrying a character, crate or barrel. His symbol is the "DK" insignia.
- Link (from The Legend of Zelda series) uses some of his common weapons found throughout The Legend of Zelda series. Link's primary weapon is the Master Sword, but he also utilizes a boomerang, hookshot, and bombs. His symbol is the Triforce.
- Samus Aran (from the Metroid series) uses most of the weapons she uses in the Metroid series, including Power Bombs, the Screw Attack, and the Charge Beam. Her symbol is the Screw Attack insignia.
- Yoshi (from the Mario series and Yoshi series) has many egg-themed attacks; he throws explosive eggs and he can swallow enemies and turn them into eggs. Yoshi has no third jump, but can flutter going a huge distance. His symbol is a Yoshi egg.
- Kirby (from the Kirby series) is a light character that can use multiple jumps. Kirby has the unique ability to inhale and swallow opponents, thus acquiring one of their special abilities. His symbol is a Warpstar.
- Fox McCloud (from the Star Fox series) has physical attacks that are centered in kicks. His special attacks include a blaster, a reflector that reflects projectile attacks, and the "Fire Fox" attack. His symbol is the Star Fox insignia.
- Pikachu (from the Pokémon series) is small, very agile, and has three kinds of electric attacks. Its symbol is a Poké Ball.
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 is forced to use whichever character he or she 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) has abilities similar to those of his brother Mario. Luigi uses the same special abilities Mario does, though the effects they have on the enemy are different from Mario. His symbol is a Super Mushroom.
- Ness (from Earthbound) uses a yo-yo and a baseball bat, along with many psychokinetic powers such as a healing shield (PSI Magnet), floating, and two attacks Ness didn't use in EarthBound: PK Fire and PK Thunder (used by Paula and Poo), the only controllable projectile in the game. His symbol is the Earth as in the Mother logo.
- Jigglypuff (from Pokémon) is a light character and can use multiple jumps, like Kirby. Jigglypuff has a Sing attack that can put enemies to sleep as well as a zero-range Rest attack that can be very deadly if performed correctly. Jigglypuff, like Yoshi, has no recovery attack, though it can propel itself horizontally with its Pound attack. Its symbol is a Pokeball.
- Captain Falcon (from the F-Zero series) is the fastest character in the game. He has no projectiles, but packs a punch with his devastating melee attacks, such as his Falcon Punch and Falcon Kick attacks. His symbol is the Falcon insignia.
Stages
There are 37 different stages in Super Smash Bros.. In the regular game, there are nine stages playable in Versus mode - eight based on each of the starting characters (such as Princess Peach's Castle for Mario, Zebes for Samus and Sector Z for Fox) and the unlockable Mushroom Kingdom - and four stages playable only in Single Player mode. There are also 12 "Break the Targets" stages and 12 "Board the Platforms" stages, one for each character. There are also "Race to the Finish" stages.
In "Race to the Finish," the player must move past a series of obstacles and Fighting Polygon Team characters, to get to the exit in the shortest amount of time possible. In "Break the Targets," the player must utilize their chosen characters various skills to hit ten targets as quickly as possible. In "Board the Platforms," players must land on ten platforms as quickly as possible.
Reception
| Compilations of multiple reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Game Rankings | 80% (based on 20 reviews)[4] | |
| Metacritic | 79% (based on 11 reviews)[5] | |
| Publication | Response | |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8.62/10 | |
| Famitsu | 31/40[6] | |
| GameSpot | 9.1/10[7] | |
| Nintendo Power | 7.7/10 | |
| IGN | 9.6/10[8] | |
Critical reception
Reviews for Super Smash Bros. were mixed, but usually positive.[4] with praise to the multiplayer.[8] There were, however, a few criticisms, such as the removal of the traditional health bars.[9] In addition, the single-player mode was criticized for its perceived difficulty and lack of features.[7] However, both of these criticisms are addressed in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Consumer reception
The game was very popular and quickly became a Player's Choice title. 1.9 million copies were sold in Japan[10] and 2.7 million in the US.[11]
Voice talent
- Jeff Manning: Announcer [12]
- Charles Martinet: Mario, Luigi[12]
- Nobuyuki Hiyama: Link[12]
- Makiko Ōmoto: Kirby, Ness[12]
- Ikue Ōtani: Pikachu, Samus[12]
- Kazumi Totaka: Yoshi[12]
- Shinobu Satouchi: Fox McCloud[12]
- Ryo Horikawa: Captain Falcon[12]
- Rachael Lillis: Jigglypuff[12]
- Mika Kanai: Purin[12]
References
- ^ Weir, Dale (1999-07-05). "Super Smash Brothers". gamecritics.com. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
- ^ "Super Smash Bros. Melee". n-Sider.
- ^ "Super Smash Bros. preview". IGN64.
- ^ a b "Super Smash Bros. reviews". Game Rankings.
- ^ Metacritic staff. "Super Smash Bros Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ IGN staff (2001-14-11). "Famitsu Scores Smash Bros". IGN. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Gamespot Super Smash Bros. review". GameSpot. 1999-18-02. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|name=ignored (help) - ^ a b "Super Smash Bros. review". IGN. 1999-27-04. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|name=ignored (help) - ^ "Came Critics Review". gamecritics.com.
- ^ "Japan Platinum Game Chart". MagicBox.com.
- ^ "US Platinum Game Chart". MagicBox.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Super Smash Bros Voice Cast". IMDB.
External links
- Super Smash Bros. official site
- Smashboards, The Largest Smash Bros. Community
- Template:Nintendo.com
- Extensive Super Smash Bros. site at Nintendo.co.jp
- Extensive "Super Smash Bros." site at Nintendo.co.jp in English
