Super Smash Bros. Melee Hands-on E3 Preview By Scott Hoag (eduD edisnooM) GameHero@worldnet.att.net Contents 1: Side-Scrolling 1 Player Mode 2: The Controller 3: Overall Game Feel 4: The New Levels 5: Pokemon 6: Trophies 7: New Items 8: Fighting System Changes 9: Misc. Info ---------- 1: Side-Scrolling 1 Player Mode The side-scrolling stages WERE playable, but there were way too many people playing to even try to get to the 1 player options. I realy wanted to try some, too, especialy Mario's. In one of the intros, there's a scene where Mario jumps on Yoshi's back and rides him through a re-furbished Super Mario World level, complete with goombas, koopa troopas, note blocks, etc. ---------- 2: The controller I know what you're thinking. You're asking yourself "how does that scary looking controller work?" Trust me, it's almost perfect. The characters are controlled with the analog thumb pad on the right hand side of the controller. The large button on the center of the left hand side (The A button) is used for physical attacks, and the small button to it's left (the B button) is used to perform each character's special attacks. The two buttons above A (X and y) are used to jump. You may use up on the analog pad to jump as well, but some find it a bit more convienient to use X & Y. The L button is used to taunt your opponent. The R button is used to activate the shield. I could not find a use for the Z button (Located in front of R). The analog pad on the bottom right side (Called the C-stick) may be used to view the menus and select screens at different angles or while tilted. As far as comfort go's, it's unmatched. If you hold it for even a few seconds, it feels like it was custom made to fit your hand exclusivly. You will not want to put it down. All the buttons are easily accessable (Even the C-stick without any stretching of the fingers whatsoever). There is a bit of a curve to get used to the controller, but anyone who is a serious gamer will catch on quickly. My only complaint with this controller is the B button. It seems like it is too small when compared with the A button. I often got the two mixed up while playing. I just hope they will even out the size of the two when the final product is released. ---------- 3: Overall Game Feel The feel is a little different this time around. It's not because of control (Which is excellent) or the controller (Which feels wonderful when you hold it), it's because the characters are larger and the playing fields are smaller. All of the levels feel about the size of Kirby's level. Even the Great Fox (Which now flys through Corneria) is only as long as Castle Hyrule on SSB1. ---------- 4: The New Levels Remember, the game is still in development, so these could change a lot! Also note that there were 8 stages that were represented with a ? symbol and were not selectable yet. ***** Onnet (EB, duh!) This stage was okay, but it seems too small (They all seem too small, though) and it gets realy crowded realy quick on 4 players. If you jump on the awnings to much, the Drug Store sign falls down and takes away the awnings for a while. Every now and then, a ! appears on the screen. When it does, make sure you are not on the ground or you will get hit by a Mad Taxi, or the Runaway 5 bus. Those things are more powerful then the hurricanes from Castle Hyrule SSB1. Also, if you walk all the way to the right, you can see a sign with Mayor Pirkle's face on it. ***** Mute City (F-Zero X) This was the coolist stage selectable. You played on a very small platform that moved through an exact replica of Mute City on F-Zero X. If you fell off, it was like touching the lava on Plannet Zebbs in SSB1. Every now and then the platform disappeared and forced the players to fight on the race track. This was risky beacause ALL 30 of the F-Zero racers were racing on the course at the same time! If one collided with you, you got the same treatment as getting hit by a car in Onnet. Funny and fun! ***** Pokemon Stadium (...Uhh, Pokemon Stadium? Could be...) Saffron City was replaced by this (Although it may return as a secret course) This is almost the exact same thing as Kirby's Well of Wishing/Dream Fountain/whatever, but pokeballs seem to be a bit more frequent. You play on a platform high above the center of the stadium from Pokemon Stadium. No special traits for this course. ***** Congo River (Donkey Kong Country Series) This stage is the same as the DK level in SSB1, except that the background is now a waterfall. Also, there is a portion of rock protruding on the lower right hand side which you can stand on so you don't have to rely on that barrel as often. Speaking of the barrel, it spins a lot faster and inconsistantly now. Beautiful water effects. ***** Metroid (Metroid series) I don't remember the full name of the level (Although the level is very similar to Zebes, it had a different name), but the background has a huge Metroid that very well may be the Mother Brain. It's a lot like the Metroid level from SSB1, but it is A LOT smaller. The moving platform on the right has been removed. Falling into the lava before it starts to rise results in instant death. Also, the far right and left platforms are held up by 2 wierd collums. If they take too much damage, they will break and tilt very steeply towards the lava. If left alone, however, they will quickly heal the damage done to them. The bottom platform now has a weak spot on the right side. If it gets broken, the playing field splits in 2 and they drit to oppisite sides of the screen. The lava still rises every now and then. ***** Peach's Castle (Mario64) It's about the length of Hyrule Castle from SSB1 with a big tower in the middle. Just imagine playing on the roof of the castle from Mario64 (Only a lot smaller). every now and then, a button will appear on the ground somwhere. Jump on it, and the matching colored ! block lights up. There are three different ! blocks in the stage (Far right & left and one in the middle). Bop it from below and it spews out an item. Not much else special. ***** Corneria (Starfox series) This is the exact same thing as Sector Z from SSB1, except it seems like the Great Fox has shrunk a bit and the background is Corneria, not Sector Z. Also, the arwings have been replaced by the newer style ones from Starfox Adventures (If you didn't know yet, the N64 game Rare was developing, Dinosaur Plannet, was renamed and the characters were switched around with Starfox characters. The game, now called StarFox Adventures: Dinosaur Plannet is now headed for GameCube). Also, the Great Fox fires it's main lasers from time to time to look like it's doing somthing other then just flying. ***** Great/Zora Bay (The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask) This stage takes place right next to the prof.'s house in the Great Bay from Majora's Mask. Tingle even floats in the air. He acts as an airborne platform. If he get's shot down he'll stay on the ground for awhile before getting back in the air. In the background, the moon slowly falls closer and closer to the clock tower. After it get's too close, the gaurdian giants come and throw it back into space. ***** Kirby's Dream Fountain (Kirby series) Almost the same as the Whispy Woods level from SSB1, but no wind. Very beautiful. Deffinitly shows of the graphics capabilities of the Game Cube. Just wish it was larger (I wish they were ALL larger). That's all the courses I remember. ---------- 5: Pokemon Pokeballs are still around, but most of the original monsters are gone. The ones in the game are now full 3D and not cardboard cut-outs. ***** Chikorita: Same as Venusaur from SSB1. ***** Scizor: The red evolution of scyther. It travels straight accross the playing field until it hits the edge while hacking and slashing. Touching it has the same effect as the Hitmonlee from SSB1. ***** Unown: I think there are as many different Unown in SSB2 as there are letters in the English alphabet. Each one triggers a different effect. One of them is like the Beedrills from SSB1. ***** ?: I don't remember it's name, but it's a big blue thing, it's facial expression makes him look like he's constipated, and it acts like a punching bag. Hit it and it will bounce back and fourth. If it bounces against somthing, it deals big damage. ***** Wheezing: Same as Koffing from SSB1. ***** Charizard, Blastiose, Snorlax, and Goldeen are unchanged except that they look cooler. That's all the Pokemon I remember seeing. ---------- 6: Trophies There seems to be a new option where you can collect little action figure-like tropies. These were shown in between the intros. I'll state the one's I remember. Mario in fighting position. Mario with cape. (One of Mario's A button moves uses his yellow cape from Mario World. It's a decent attack, but it's real plus is that it deflects projectiles.) Andross from Starfox. (The polygon head) Andross from Starfox 64. (There is also an arwing floating near it shooting blue lasers at his eyes) Waddle Dee. (w & w/out parasols) Misty doing that little jump thing where her shirt nearly flys off. The wierd vehicle from Pokemon Snap. The F-Zero cars (With their respective drivers leaning against the sides. They are no longer midgets compared to the cars. The one shown at E3 was Jody Summers). Slippy. Kid Icaris. The guy from balloon fight. Mario's Kart (No driver, just the kart). Small Metroid. Mother Brain. Meta Knight (With his sword and oversized cape). King Dedede (Preparing to swing his hammer). I'll post more as I remember them. I'm hoping for some from the old TV shows. ---------- 7: New Items There wern't many new items yet, but there are sure to be a lot more in the final game. ***** Super Scope 6 This is the same gun/bazooka that was used with the SNES and used as the De-evolution (Devo) gun in the Super Mario Bros Movie. If you press the A button rapidly, you shoot out a lot of small quick bullets that do decent damage. It comes with a LOT of ammo too. You can also charge it up by holding the A button (Like Samus Aran). It will shoot the charged blast after you release A or autmaticaly after it is fully charged. ***** Fan It's not new, but it's a little bit better this time around. It takes off a little more damage and it's about 3 times as fast as it was before. You could hit your opponent 20 times before he has a chance to jump away or counter. It's actualy worth using due to it's insane speed. ***** Prize balloons Pick one up and toss it in the air. It will hover a few feet above where it is thrown for a few seconds, and then split in half and release tons (about 10-20) of items. They are mostly food items like ice cream cones, hamburgers, or pizza slices that restore 1-10 points of damage, but there are also some mega tomatoes, hearts, and attack items that fall out. ***** Mr. Saturn Yes, he is an item. After he pops out of an item crate, he'll walk around until someone picks him up. You can pick him up and throw him at people, but that's it. He might serve a bigger purpose later in the game's development, or be a slightly more effective item, but for right now, it's kind of pointless. ***** Bumper This item has also been changed for the better. It was originaly a pinball bumper that sat flat on the ground. Now, it's more of like an anti-gravity pin-wheel. Throw it with the A button and it will travel a few feet then stop. Even if you throw it in the air, it will just hover there. Anyone who touches it will be sent in the oppisite direction with a strong force, no matter how much damage they have. ***** Parasol A good weapon. Has decent range and does decent damage. It's handy when you are trying to get back to the platforms because holding up allows you to float slowly downwords. ---------- 8: Fighting System Changes ->+B now triggers a move, so each character now has 4 B button moves. I didn't get to try them all, but I did get a few. ***** Ness Ness's PK Fire attack has been moved to ->B. Holding B is a new move. It's a more powerful (Yet slower) version of PK Thunder. The longer you hold B, the stronger it gets. ***** Link I can't remember exactly, but I think the boomerang was moved to ->B. Any way, his fourth move are the bow and arrows. The longer you hold B, the further and faster they fly. ***** Fox ->B is a fast move. He stops to charge for a second, then he teleports a few feet foreword damaging everyone he rams through. Not very strong though. ***** Bowser Bowser slashes his claws a few feet in front of him. If he hits someone, he grabs them, slashes them a few times, and tosses them over his shoulder. Short range, but POWERFUL! ---------- 10: Misc. Info ***** You can no longer grab opponents with R. R now triggers the defense shield. However, some throw moves (Like Link's hookshot) have been moved to new button locations. I unfortunatly did not learn how to use them at E3. ***** To throw an item, you have to tap foreword on the analog pad and R. You can not merely let go of it with R alone. ***** While you can still taunt players with L, the characters no longer do their signature poses after winning a multiplayer match. Instead, you get a screen where each player can check their individual statistics for that round. You can check how many times you ko'ed each character or how many times each character ko'ed you. You can also see the total amount of damage you dealt to each individual player.