Super Smash Bros.

A Different Kind of Fighter

The core of Super Smash Bros. is a radical departure from traditional fighting games like Street Fighter and Tekken. Instead of whittling down an opponent's health bar, the goal is to knock them off the stage entirely. Each character has a damage percentage that increases when they are hit. The higher the percentage, the farther they fly from attacks, making them easier to launch into the void. Characters can attempt to recover by using their jumps and special moves to get back to the stage, adding a critical layer of aerial strategy and platforming skill not found in other fighters. The game also implements blocking, dodging, and grabbing mechanics for defensive and offensive play.

Controls are simplified across the entire cast. Every character uses the same basic button combinations for their attacks, removing the need to memorize complex command inputs. This design philosophy makes the game immediately accessible. The stages themselves are dynamic arenas rendered in 3D but played on a 2D plane, not simple flat platforms. They are inspired by various Nintendo franchises like Metroid and Star Fox and feature moving parts, hazards, and dramatic alterations of the entire layout, making the chosen environment a key strategic factor in every fight.

Items, Modes, and Multiplayer

Various weapons and power-ups appear randomly during battles, falling onto the stage as items from Nintendo franchises. These include Koopa shells, hammers, and Poké Balls, which can be used to inflict damage, recover health, or create other effects. The game offers structured single-player and chaotic multiplayer experiences. The primary single-player mode, later known as Classic Mode, tasks players with defeating a fixed series of computer opponents with a limited number of lives within a time limit. Players can adjust the difficulty and life count. If they lose, they can continue at the cost of overall points. This mode also includes the minigames Break the Targets and Board the Platforms, which test a character's specific movement and attack capabilities. A Training Mode allows for unrestricted practice against computer opponents.

Multiplayer is the game's defining feature, supporting up to four players simultaneously. Matches can be set as stock matches, where each player has a set number of lives, or timed matches, where the player with the most knockouts when time runs out wins. Players can battle in free-for-all or team formats. A winner is declared once time runs out or all players on a team lose their lives. If a timed match ends in a tie, it triggers a sudden death round where all fighters start with 300% damage, ensuring a quick and decisive final clash. The game also included support for the Nintendo 64 Rumble Pak for enhanced feedback.

The Nintendo All-Star Cast and Presentation

Super Smash Bros. established the series' signature crossover appeal by featuring twelve playable characters from major Nintendo franchises like Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Metroid, F-Zero, Mother, Kirby and Pokémon. Eight characters are available from the start, with four more unlocked by meeting specific in-game criteria. Each fighter has a symbol from their home series appearing behind their damage meter and a moveset inspired by their original games, such as Samus's charged blasters and Link's arsenal of dungeon items.

The original promotional art and instruction manual depicted the characters as comic book-style toy dolls coming to life to battle, a stylistic choice that was later replaced by trophies and in-game 3D models in sequels. During development, several planned characters were cut, including Marth, King Dedede, Bowser, and Mewtwo, all of whom were added to later games. Clefairy was also considered as an alternative to Jigglypuff.

Development and Creative Origins

The game was conceived by HAL Laboratory's Masahiro Sakurai, who was interested in making a four-player fighting game. He initially developed a prototype in September 1997 called Dragon King: The Fighting Game using generic placeholder character models. Understanding that many fighting games did not sell well, Sakurai sought an original concept. His key idea was to include famous Nintendo characters. Knowing he might not receive permission if he asked first, he developed the prototype in secret without informing Nintendo, only showing it when it was well-balanced. This prototype featured Mario, Donkey Kong, Samus and Fox.

After presenting the polished prototype to Nintendo at the end of 1997, the project was approved. The title Super Smash Bros. was suggested by Satoru Iwata, who joined to help on the project. Iwata suggested Bros. to imply the characters were friends settling a little disagreement, not simply fighting. The soundtrack, composed by Hirokazu Ando, features newly arranged music and some pieces taken directly from their source Nintendo franchises. A complete soundtrack was released on CD in Japan in 2000.

Launch Promotion and Event

To promote the game's North American launch, Nintendo of America staged an event called Slamfest '99 at the MGM Grand Adventures theme park in Las Vegas on April 24, 1999. The event featured a real-life wrestling match between costumed performers dressed as Mario, Yoshi, Pikachu, and Donkey Kong. These costumes were reused from the game's television commercial, which was set to The Turtles song Happy Together. The event also had stations for attendees to preview the game. Notably, the wrestling match was live-streamed on the web via RealPlayer and was available to re-watch for months afterward via a downloadable file from the event's official website.

Critical and Commercial Reception

Upon release, Super Smash Bros. received generally favorable reviews. Critics widely praised its inventive and accessible multiplayer mode, music, original fighting style, and simple learning curve. IGN called it an excellent choice for a worthy multiplayer smash 'em up and gave it an Editors' Choice award for Best Fighting Game. GameSpot noted the game was extremely simple to learn and easy to master, with its real charm coming out in four-player mode. Famitsu rated it 31 out of 40.

Some criticism was directed at the limited single-player experience and battle stage offerings. IGN found the single-player routine, and GameSpot noted it would not last a long time. Despite this, the novel concept was widely seen as a major strength. The game was a massive commercial success, selling over five million copies worldwide by 2001, with 2.93 million sold in the United States and 1.97 million in Japan. It became a Nintendo 64 Player's Choice title and was a finalist for Console Action Game of the Year and Console Fighting Game of the Year at the 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, confirming its importance and directly leading to the successful sequel, Super Smash Bros. Melee.