Just a couple weeks after Nintendo released their GameCube system to kick off the fifth generation of video gaming, Nintendo had their killer app in the form of the sequel to 1999’s Super Smash Bros. – simply labeled “Melee“. The game was released in North America on December 3rd, 2001. To say the original fighting game was a huge success would be an understatement – coming out as the Nintendo 64 was entering its final couple years, it proved a massive multiplayer success that launched many a major tournament.
However, the sequel was something else entirely. The addition and balancing of new characters (Ice Climbers, Mewtwo, and many more) proved so popular that it still has a massive dedicated online community today. Notably, it even helped popularize the strategy RPG series Fire Emblem with the additions of Marth and Roy into the game, as those games hadn’t ever seen a North American launch to date – and now FE is one of Nintendo’s biggest cash cows. So it certainly had lasting effects beyond just being an influential and fun party game.
With the use of character like Samus and Pikachu having recognizable moves from their respective games and easy to learn, hard to master controls, Super Smash Bros. certainly helped the GameCube’s sales – even as Sony dominated with the Playstation 2 and Microsoft launched their Xbox. And despite having the series be updated on subsequent Nintendo systems, for many, Melee is the most popular way to play Smash even today.
