Super Smash Bros is a very intense battle series. After only having 3 games in the lineup, it has already attained a huge fan base. This game is what started it all. Melee finished the job that SSB had started, while Brawl helped to remind everyone why we love the game. With a new Smash Bros game coming out, it was time to check out the original.

The character roster is a lot smaller than the older games, but it can’t be helped. We still do have 8 characters right off the bat, plus 4 unlockables. Seeing that “Challenger Approaching” sign for the first time probably shocked and mystified just about everyone. It was such an epic moment in everyone’s life after all. Mario characters take up a decent chunk of the roster with 33% of the cast. (Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, DK) Pokemon gets 2 fighters, (Pikachu and Jigglypuff) so teaming up, the two series make up half of the cast. Metroid, LoZ, F Zero, Kirby, Earthbound, and Star Fox. Fox McCloud is still my favorite character to play as. but Link is also solid. His sword attack has a pretty good range.

The stage count isn’t huge, but considering that there aren’t many characters, I’d say that it’s enough. We have the classic Corneria, which is much bigger than in the sequels. The Pokemon stage was very fun to play on, while the LoZ stage is so nostalgic. There is also an unlockable stage that I recommend you try out. It’s a stage that every video game fan will likely remember. Final Destination is actually not available for multiplayer mode, but it’s the original, so they had to make some mistakes.

Classic Mode is a little different in this game. There is a set lineup, so you always fight the same characters. It’s actually a clever idea since it feels more like an Arcade Mode. It’s a very fun mode to play and who doesn’t remember taking on Metal Mario? The music is really cool and Metal Mario is pretty tough to knock out of the ring. I wish they had kept him in for the sequels, but maybe someday he will be back. During one of the events, we have a minigame where you need to get to the end of a 5 floor area. Several opponents will attempt to stop you, but it’s very epic. There’s a sense of urgency and the atmosphere gets pretty tense. In the 2nd final battle, you take on the Fighting Polygons! Those guys definitely mean business and they’re classic. My favorite villains of the Master Hand are still the Multiman (Melee), but these guys are a solid step up from the Multi Man. (Brawl) The idea behind them was definitely epic and they’re pretty cool to battle.

Master Hand is the final boss of course. He still strikes fear into the hearts of many, but with an intro like that, who wouldn’t be afraid!? The Master Hand is definitely awesome and he packs a punch. I’m not sure who thought of putting him in as the final boss, but it was definitely a good move. I still think that the Master Hand could be one of Mario’s gloves. It looks very similar after all.

Super Smash Bros had a cool mode that was called “Board The Platforms!”. It was pretty good and I dare say that it’s more fun than Target Test. The object of the game is to land on all of the platforms. Admittedly, it is pretty easy, but I’m sure that they could make it tougher in a future installment. We also have the usual Target Test mode, which was better than usual. Each character gets a unique Target Test course, which makes things a lot more interesting. The mode can be short at times, but it’s definitely exciting.

Of course, we have Vs. Mode, which is where you will probably spend most of your time. The gameplay is nice and fast. You’ll constantly be on the attack, unless you want to be attacked. The items are pretty fun to play with, and it’s nice to see the retro pokemon. The Ray Gun is a lot better than in the old games and it actually paralyzes the opponent. Not bad eh!? The C stick won’t work in this game, so we won’t have any spamage. It’s time to use pure skill to unveil your Smash Attacks.

Super Smash Bros was the start of a legendary series. When it first came out, I’m sure that everyone was in an uproar. It was unthinkable to crossover so many series and also give it such a great form of gameplay. When this first came out, I would have given it a 10. Things have changed and it has a lot of competition nowadays, so that is no longer an option. Still, it’s an incredibly fun game and I would still give it high marks. While it is a lot older than the other two Smash games, it is superior in some ways, while it can’t keep up in others. The music in the game is incredible and it still lives up to this day. I can’t think of a single “bad” song in the entire game. The animation is also pretty great and it’s definitely nostalgic. It reminds me of the N64, but maybe that’s because it started out on that console. It’s the best N64 game and also one of the best video games of all time. I don’t think we’ll ever forget Super Smash Bros.

Overall 9/10