Number 33: Super Smash Bros. Melee, Nintendo 2001
Intro:
Something about this intro moves me to tears of joy. Maybe it's because the orchestral theme is so powerful, or the characters are rendered in such lush textures and movements, but this intro gets to me every time. It does a good job ripping off of Soul Calibur's montage intro, which it breaks from momentarily at the end to show some actual game footage. The Title screen is just a title graphic over some geometric distortion patterns, and the menus are hugely similar to the N64 precursor. Character and map selection are exactly the same, though the cast has changed.
Getting Going:
The only tutorial in the game is hidden in the "Data" option, so only players who REALLY want to know the controls without touching the manual are likely to find it. The controls are decievingly simple at first, with two attacks, a gaurd, movement, and jumping buttons, but the normal button setting hides some of the abilities and players will need to read up on how these abilities are deployed (or watch the training video).
Fun:
Thanks to easy controls, a highly memorable cast, intense action, with great color and animation, this game is a joy from the first bout to the final, achey, sleepy showdown. Having three (or four-ish) opponents to grapple with can get a little overwhelming, but a little time investment will prepare the player's mind to deal with the frantic action. Items are a great source of unexpected change, and unless the round is Bowser vs. Bowser the speed of play is mind-bending.
Visuals:
The visuals aren't particularly special. The models are smooth and the motion is fluid, with colorful everything and diverse locations.
Intelligence:
Enemies have the usual problem fighter AI has: at easy levels, it's brain dead, while at high levels, it's cruel and mathematic.
Immersion:
Load times are non-existant! The orchestral score is incredible and powerful from the beginning to the end, and it really helps. The only times the game lags in its intensity is when the music lets up. The rest of the time, the players are plugged in and stressing to keep their character out of harm's way. Control idiosyncracies are a bit distracting, but dedicated practice will iron that out a lot.
Cameras:
The camera does a good job of keeping in on the action, and only has trouble on big maps where players may be far apart, causing the camera to zoom WAY out and obscure players into tiny figures on distant ends of the playing field.
Controls:
The controls are a little weak, compared to the highly simplified and gut-based controls of the N64 version. Movement is very sensitive, and the timing of special moves, throwing items, and grabbing enemies is very difficult on the "normal" control setting. The Versus control setting is a lot easier to manage, since grabbing is handled by the Z button and throwing items can be done with a much greater degree of ease with the C stick. Aside from that strange division in the controls, the game plays very well and new-comers to the fighting genre who were raised on campfire stories about 10-hit combos and nigh-impossible ultra-super-moves will glow with relief.
Ideas:
Items add a sort of chaos factor, since at any time the game can turn from tight and intimate to "run like hell, luigi's got that damned hammer again" at the drop of a hat. For example: I'm a poke'ball kinda guy, so when one drops in I'm quick to grab it, since it throws fast and can lead to big damage with the right degree of luck. Trophies are great fun to collect and read for the sorts of fan nerds who would pursue them in the first place, and all of the extra stages one can unlock are another wonderful bonus. The Stealth item seems like it was a lot of fun for the designers who had more command of their characters, since most everywhere I go the item is turned off for the sake of everyone's safety, since the player using the item ALSO cannot tell where they are.
Memory:
A fun slap-stick affair that skips all that combinations and super-depth of games like Soul Calibur and Tekken and gets right to the ass-kicking. Throw in some randomly appearing items and award the player with heaps of unlockables, and you've got a wacky winner of a partygame that tests a player's skill more than their ability to memorize 10-hit combinations.
Something about this intro moves me to tears of joy. Maybe it's because the orchestral theme is so powerful, or the characters are rendered in such lush textures and movements, but this intro gets to me every time. It does a good job ripping off of Soul Calibur's montage intro, which it breaks from momentarily at the end to show some actual game footage. The Title screen is just a title graphic over some geometric distortion patterns, and the menus are hugely similar to the N64 precursor. Character and map selection are exactly the same, though the cast has changed.
Getting Going:
The only tutorial in the game is hidden in the "Data" option, so only players who REALLY want to know the controls without touching the manual are likely to find it. The controls are decievingly simple at first, with two attacks, a gaurd, movement, and jumping buttons, but the normal button setting hides some of the abilities and players will need to read up on how these abilities are deployed (or watch the training video).
Fun:
Thanks to easy controls, a highly memorable cast, intense action, with great color and animation, this game is a joy from the first bout to the final, achey, sleepy showdown. Having three (or four-ish) opponents to grapple with can get a little overwhelming, but a little time investment will prepare the player's mind to deal with the frantic action. Items are a great source of unexpected change, and unless the round is Bowser vs. Bowser the speed of play is mind-bending.
Visuals:
The visuals aren't particularly special. The models are smooth and the motion is fluid, with colorful everything and diverse locations.
Intelligence:
Enemies have the usual problem fighter AI has: at easy levels, it's brain dead, while at high levels, it's cruel and mathematic.
Immersion:
Load times are non-existant! The orchestral score is incredible and powerful from the beginning to the end, and it really helps. The only times the game lags in its intensity is when the music lets up. The rest of the time, the players are plugged in and stressing to keep their character out of harm's way. Control idiosyncracies are a bit distracting, but dedicated practice will iron that out a lot.
Cameras:
The camera does a good job of keeping in on the action, and only has trouble on big maps where players may be far apart, causing the camera to zoom WAY out and obscure players into tiny figures on distant ends of the playing field.
Controls:
The controls are a little weak, compared to the highly simplified and gut-based controls of the N64 version. Movement is very sensitive, and the timing of special moves, throwing items, and grabbing enemies is very difficult on the "normal" control setting. The Versus control setting is a lot easier to manage, since grabbing is handled by the Z button and throwing items can be done with a much greater degree of ease with the C stick. Aside from that strange division in the controls, the game plays very well and new-comers to the fighting genre who were raised on campfire stories about 10-hit combos and nigh-impossible ultra-super-moves will glow with relief.
Ideas:
Items add a sort of chaos factor, since at any time the game can turn from tight and intimate to "run like hell, luigi's got that damned hammer again" at the drop of a hat. For example: I'm a poke'ball kinda guy, so when one drops in I'm quick to grab it, since it throws fast and can lead to big damage with the right degree of luck. Trophies are great fun to collect and read for the sorts of fan nerds who would pursue them in the first place, and all of the extra stages one can unlock are another wonderful bonus. The Stealth item seems like it was a lot of fun for the designers who had more command of their characters, since most everywhere I go the item is turned off for the sake of everyone's safety, since the player using the item ALSO cannot tell where they are.
Memory:
A fun slap-stick affair that skips all that combinations and super-depth of games like Soul Calibur and Tekken and gets right to the ass-kicking. Throw in some randomly appearing items and award the player with heaps of unlockables, and you've got a wacky winner of a partygame that tests a player's skill more than their ability to memorize 10-hit combinations.