Retro Corner: 'Super Smash Bros'

First Released: N64 (1999)
Now Available On: Virtual Console (1000 Nintendo Points)

Nintendo has always had one of the strongest character rosters in the world of video gaming, so the first time they joined forces was something of a big deal. Super Smash Bros actually began life as a low-key affair intended for release in Japan only, but its phenomenal success in the territory led to a worldwide launch and the start of what would go on to become a tradition for the gaming giant.

Super Smash Bros was a four-player fighting gaming for Nintendo 64 that brought together characters from Nintendo's bestselling properties. The combatants were Mario, Donkey Kong, Fox McCloud, Kirby, Yoshi, Link, Samus, Pikachu. Four additional characters could be unlocked by completing the game on the higher difficultly settings - Luigi, F-Zero's Captain Falcon, Earthbound's Ness, and Jigglypuff of Pokemon fame.

Gameplay marked a departure from traditional fighting games. Characters had no health bars, so the object wasn't to achieve a knock out. Instead, players had to knock their opponents off the stage, and this grew easier as they took more damage. Levels were usually a series of suspended platforms, and dropping off either side spelt a lost life.

All of the characters were aerodynamic to some degree, so leaping back to safety when another fighter had thrown you from the stage was possible providing you hadn't taken too much damage. Some characters were more efficient at this than others. For instance, Kirby and Jigglypuff could hover for short time, while Donkey Kong's sheer bulk didn't exactly work in his favour.

The absence of complex special moves also distanced Super Smash Bros from its counterparts in the fighting genre. Virtually all of your character's attacks could be pulled off using a singled button in combination with a direction on the controller. It was also possible to pull off blocks, throws, and special powers, though these were also activated with a single button tap.

Single player mode was a gauntlet run against a specific set of opponents, some of them non-playable characters, including Metal Mario, Giant Donkey Kong and the Master Hand. There were also some bonus games thrown in for variety. Target breaking and platform hopping were the order of the day here, and player had to call on their character's powers to rack up a high score.

Multiplayer offered just as many kicks, particularly if you had four controllers and enough friends to take advantage of them. There were a range of victory conditions to choose from. Players could either choose between a time limit or a finite amount of lives, and take part in team battles or one-on-one. For many fans and critics, the multiplayer portion of the game was its greatest triumph.

Super Smash Bros was a commercial success, selling 4.9 million copies worldwide, but it almost didn't make it outside of Japan. The project came about when HAL Laboratory's Masahiro Sakurai approached Nintendo's Satoru Iwata with a concept for an original fighter. He created a prototype for the game without authorisation, but didn't present it to developers until he was certain it was balanced.

Super Smash Bros had a modest budget and little promotion, yet still managed to move 1.97 million copies in Japan. It success in the territory let to its release in other regions, where it was equally popular. In North America the game sold more than 2.93 million units

The crossover fighter has become something of a tradition for Nintendo in much the same way as its Mario Kart and Mario Party series. Sequel Smash Brother Melee was released for the GameCube in 2001, and this was followed by Smash Bros Brawl for the Wii in 2008. The Big N is expected to dish out additional helpings of Smash Bros on both the 3DS and Wii U, though specifics are yet to be confirmed.

Seeing such memorable characters knock the stuffing out of each other using their iconic abilities is what made the original Super Smash Bros something special, and it hasn't lost its novelty over the years. While its sequels offer a more polished experience, they can't match the original for nostalgia.

Do you have any fond memories of Super Smash Bros? Write a comment below.