All characters have a symbol that appears behind their damage meter during a fight this symbol represents what series they belong to, such as a Triforce symbol behind Link's damage meter and a Poké Ball behind Pokémon species. Every character featured in the game derives from a popular Nintendo franchise. Fifteen are available initially, with the other characters requiring the completion of specific tasks to become available. Melee features 26 characters, 14 more than its predecessor. One more trophy is in the Japanese version of the game. had a similar system of plush dolls (Biographies) however, it only included the 12 playable characters. The trophies gained from the Adventure and All-Star Modes tell about the moves of the character and his/her strengths and weaknesses. The trophies gained from beating Classic Mode usually tell about the character and his/her role in his/her respective game franchise, and the trophy itself looks different from the character's Super Smash Bros. Each playable character has three unique trophies. Some of the trophies include a description of the particular subject and detail the year and the game in which the subject first appeared. The trophies range from the well-known to the obscure, and even characters or elements that were only released in Japan. These trophies include figures of playable characters, accessories, and items associated with them as well as secondary characters not otherwise included in the game.
Trophies (known as "Figures" in the Japanese version) of various Nintendo characters and objects can be collected throughout the game. Other options are available, updating from Super Smash Bros., such as determining the number and type of items that appear during the battle. The traditional mode is "Stock mode", a solo or team-based battle in which the last player to lose their lives wins, but this can be changed to less conventional modes like "Coin mode", which rewards the richest player as the victor they must collect coins created by hitting enemies and try not to lose them by falling off the stage. There are five ways in which the victor can be determined, depending on the game type. The CPU characters' AI difficulty is ranked from one to nine in ascending order of difficulty. In the multiplayer mode, up to four players or computer controlled characters may fight, either in a free-for-all or in teams. If the player's character losses a single life, he/she will receive an immediate game over. "All-Star mode" is an unlockable feature of the game, requiring the player to defeat every character in the game while having health supplements between battles. Melee introduced "Adventure mode", which takes the player to several predefined universes of characters in the Nintendo franchise. These areas may include references to that particular character's past and legacy. Some of these modes are personalized for the character for example, the "Target Test" sets out a specialized area for a character in which they aim to destroy ten targets in the least amount of time they can. The applicable modes range from the "Classic mode", which involves the player battling against opponents in multiple stages until he or she reaches the boss character, to the "Home Run Contest", which is a minigame involving the player trying to launch a sandbag as far as possible with a Home Run Bat. Single-player mode provides the player with a variety of side-scrolling fighting challenges. Not all stages are available immediately some stages must be "unlocked" by achieving particular requirements. Although the stages are rendered in three dimensions, players can only move on a two-dimensional plane. Additionally, most stages have a theme relating to a Nintendo franchise or a specific Nintendo game and are interactive to the player. These items have purposes ranging from inflicting damage on the opponent to restoring health to the player. Melee can be accessed via one-button presses and a joystick direction.ĭuring battles, items related to Nintendo games or merchandise fall onto the game field. Unlike other games of the same genre, in which moves are entered by button-input combinations, most moves in Super Smash Bros. The higher the percentage value, the farther the player gets knocked back, and the easier they are to knock off the stage. Each character's health is measured by a meter that represents the damage received as a percentage. Most attacks inflict damage and can, if enough damage is dealt, knock back the enemy. Instead, opposing players must force their opponents beyond the boundaries of the stage. Melee differs from traditional fighting games in that inflicting the most damage does not guarantee victory.