Mario | Ness | Pikachu | Princess Peach | Princess Zelda | Samus Aran | Sheik | Yoshi
| Learning Curve: | **** | | Power: | *** | | Speed: | *** | | Recovery: | **** | | Grab: | **** | | Offense: | *** | | Defense: | ***** | | Comeback: | ** | | Overall: | **** |
|  |
| Comments: | What would a Nintendo game be without this little Italian plumber? And like all other games with multiple Nintendo characters, Mario is the all around average character. At least at first glance. In Melee, Mario has been given the ability to deflect almost any attack. Projectiles, the homerun bat, Smash Attacks, he can deflect it all. The Cape Counter has given Mario new life in the Smash series. New players and veterans alike should be able to dominate over most characters with Mario's newfound skills. |
| Special Moves |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Fireball | B | air, bounces, stun |
| Mario Tornado | Down + B | air, behind, clear out, ground, juggle, power hit |
| Super Jump Punch | Up + B | air, behind, comeback, ground |
| Cape Counter | Forward + B | air, behind |
| Regular Attacks |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Quick Jab | A | . |
| Quick 1,2 Punch | A, A | . |
| 1,2 Punch, Boot | A, A, A | . |
| Plumber Sweep | Down + A | behind, clear out, ground, smash attack |
| Fire Palm | Forward + A | smash attack |
| Mario Smash | Up + A | behind, juggle, smash attack |
| Punch Uppercut | Hold Up, A | juggle |
| Kick Sweep | Hold Down, A | ground |
| Spin Kick | Hold Forward, A | . |
| Flip Kick | Hold Up, A | AIR, behind |
| Spinning Heel Kick | Hold Down, A | AIR, ground, juggle |
| Aerial Plumber's Smash | Hold Forward, A | AIR |
| Aerial Back Kick | Hold Back, A | AIR, behind |
| Learning Curve: | ***** | | Power: | **** | | Speed: | * | | Recovery: | ** | | Grab: | **** | | Offense: | **** | | Defense: | *** | | Comeback: | ***** | | Overall: | **** |
|  |
| Comments: | Making only his second appearance since Earthbound (Mother 2 in Japan), Ness is one of the hardest characters to master. He's got several powerful special moves that have a variety of uses, plus his air jump is one of the highest in the game. If used correctly, Ness' PK Fire attack has the ability to stun an opponent, setting them up for a throw or Smash Attack. His other projectiles can be manually controlled, and either propel Ness out of danger while attacking other players, or attack characters from a safe distance. Once mastered, Ness is extremely deadly. |
| Special Moves |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| PK Flash | B | air, charge, directional, distance, ground, juggle, platform, power hit, stun |
| PK Fire | Forward + B | air, ground, juggle, stun |
| PK Thunder | Up + B | air, behind, comeback, clear out, directional, ground, power hit, stun |
| PSI Magnet | Down + B | air |
| Regular Attacks |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Jab, Step Kick | A | . |
| 1,2 Punch, Step Kick | A, A | behind |
| Punch/Kick Combo | A, A, A | behind |
| Vertical Yo-Yo | Up + A | behind, clear out, ground, juggle, smash attack, stun |
| Horizontal Yo-Yo | Down + A | behind, clear out, ground, smash attack |
| Bat | Forward + A | ground, smash attack |
| Double Palm | Hold Up, A | behind, ground, juggle |
| Low Kick | Hold Down, A | ground |
| Side Kick | Hold Forward, A | . |
| Aerial Spin | A | AIR |
| Head Butt | Hold Up, A | AIR, juggle |
| Downward Kick | Hold Down, A | AIR, ground, juggle |
| Dive Shock | Hold Forward, A | AIR, stun |
| Shock Kick | Hold Back, A | AIR, behind, stun |
| Learning Curve: | **** | | Power: | **** | | Speed: | **** | | Recovery: | **** | | Grab: | *** | | Offense: | **** | | Defense: | * | | Comeback: | **** | | Overall: | **** |
|  |
| Comments: | How popular can one little Pokemon get? This guy gets into everything, and he's a pretty good fighter too. Pikachu's special moves have a uniqueness to them that separates him from all of the other characters (except Pichu). His projectile attack will keep going until it hits a wall or gap in the ground. The Electric Strike will hit any opponent above or around him depending on the situation, and can even act as a clear out attack. He's also one of the fastest and smallest characters in the game. His comeback attack is fast, has limited invincibility and can catch opponents off guard, while doing damage as well. His learning curve is a bit higher than some of the other characters, but it's well worth the extra time. He is lacking in the area of defense, but if you play mostly offensive you won't have a problem. You will need to watch your damage though. Pikachu can get KO'd at relatively low damage percentages. |
| Special Moves |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Thunder | B | air, bounces, stun |
| Thunder Jolt | Down + B | air, clear out, power hit |
| Teleport | Up + B | air, directional, comeback, stun |
| Double Teleport | Any Direction | after Teleport, air, directional, comeback, stun |
| Skull Bash | Forward + B | air, charge, comeback, distance, ground, power hit |
| Regular Attacks |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Head Butt | A | . |
| Super Head Butt | Up + A | behind, ground, juggle, smash attack |
| Pikachu Shock Spin | Down + A | behind, ground, juggle, smash attack, stun |
| Electric Spit | Forward + A | ground, smash attack |
| Tail Flip | Hold Up, A | behind, ground, juggle |
| Tail Spin | Hold Down, A | ground |
| Double Kick | Hold Forward, A | ground |
| Pikachu Flip | A | AIR, behind |
| Flip Kick | Hold Up, A | AIR, juggle |
| Downward Electric Head Butt | Hold Down, A | AIR, ground, stun |
| Electric Spin | Hold Forward, A | AIR, stun |
| Back Spin | Hold Back, A | AIR, behind |
| Learning Curve: | ***** | | Power: | *** | | Speed: | *** | | Recovery: | **** | | Grab: | ** | | Offense: | *** | | Defense: | ***** | | Comeback: | ***** | | Overall: | ***** |
|  |
| Comments: | Smash Brothers Melee features the Mushroom Kingdom in full force. Mario, Luigi and Yoshi have now been joined by Peach and Bowser. To get a grasp on Peach’s capabilities, think of how she played in Super Mario Brothers 2. She’s retained many of her abilities from that game, as well as a very useful umbrella. While the princess may not dish out a great deal of damage, she is extremely skilled at juggling her opponents. She can also link several moves together to assist her in coming back after getting knocked out of the playing field. This results in giving her the best comeback ability in the game. Spend some time in Training Mode figuring out what moves you can juggle and link together, then you’ll be a force to reckon with. |
| Special Moves |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Toad Counter | B | air, stun |
| Vegetable Pull | Down + B | . |
| Vegetable Toss | Down + B | after Vegetable Pull |
| Parasol Uppercut | Up + B | after Teleport, air, comeback, juggle, platform |
| Parasol Float | . | air, juggle, automatically occurs after Parasol Uppercut |
| Parasol Float Cancel | Down | during Parasol Float/Parasol Re-Float |
| Parasol Re-Float | Up | after Parasol Float Cancel |
| Peach Bomber | Forward + B | air, clear out, power hit, stun |
| Float | Hold Up/X/Y | AIR, comeback, directional |
| Regular Attacks |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Slap | A | . |
| Double Slap | A, A | . |
| Dress Spin | Down + A | behind, ground, smash attack |
| Random Smash | Forward + A | behind, ground, smash attack |
| Ballerina Spin | Up + A | behind, ground, juggle, smash attack |
| Princess Head Butt | Hold Up, A | behind, ground, juggle |
| Low Slap | Hold Down, A | ground, juggle |
| Vertical Kick | Hold Forward, A | behind, ground, juggle |
| Aerial Spin | A | AIR, behind |
| Aerial Vertical Kick | Hold Up, A | AIR |
| Aerial Multi-Stomp | Hold Down, A | AIR, behind |
| Aerial Slap | Hold Forward, A | AIR |
| Aerial Rear Slam | Hold Back, A | AIR, behind |
| Learning Curve: | **** | | Power: | *** | | Speed: | *** | | Recovery: | **** | | Grab: | *** | | Offense: | *** | | Defense: | *** | | Comeback: | **** | | Overall: | *** |
|  |
| Comments: | A second princess has joined the ranks of Melee, only this time she's from the Hyrule gang. With the ability to change back and forth between Zelda and Sheik, the princess is a formidable opponent. Unlike some of the other characters in Melee, Zelda and Sheik are very different characters. Zelda's strategy should revolve around proper setups for her attacks. You can't jump right in with Smash Attacks and special moves. Everything will have to be planned out and setup. Her two different play styles should be used to completely change your playing strategy mid-match. |
| Special Moves |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Nayru's Love | B | air, behind, ground |
| Farore's Wind | Up + B | air, behind, directional, comeback |
| Din's Fire | Forward + B | air, directional, distance, stun |
| Sheik Transformation | Down + B | air |
| Regular Attacks |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Mystic Shock | A | stun |
| Spin Kick | Down + A | behind, ground, smash attack |
| Mystic Smash Shock | Forward + A | ground, smash attack |
| Mystic Circle | Up + A | behind, ground, juggle, smash attack |
| Mystic Wave | Hold Up, A | behind, juggle |
| Low Kick | Hold Down, A | . |
| Mystic Swing | Hold Forward, A | juggle |
| Mystic Spin | A | AIR, behind, juggle |
| Flaming Smash | Hold Up, A | AIR, platform, stun |
| Downward Multi-Kick | Hold Down, A | AIR, behind |
| Flying Kick | Hold Forward, A | AIR |
| Flying Back Kick | Hold Back, A | AIR, behind |
| Learning Curve: | ** | | Power: | **** | | Speed: | **** | | Recovery: | **** | | Grab: | ** | | Offense: | **** | | Defense: | *** | | Comeback: | *** | | Overall: | *** |
|  |
| Comments: | Making her first appearance on the Nintendo GAMECUBE, Samus will become an instant crowd favorite for new players. In fact, along with Link, she's one of the easiest characters to master. Her projectile can be charged up and used as a power hit. Like Donkey Kong, while the attack is charging, you can press forward or back to roll and dodge any incoming attack. By rolling up into a ball and dropping bombs, she becomes hard to hit and the bombs will briefly stun an opponent if laid correctly. Her throw has a longer range than Link's but seems to be a little slower. All in all, Samus makes a great starting character and a formidable opponent once mastered. |
| Special Moves |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Blast Charge | B | . |
| Blast | B | after/during Blast Charge, air, power hit at full charge |
| Screw Attack | Up + B | air, comeback, platform, stun |
| Bomb | Down + B | air, stun |
| Straight Missile | Forward + B | air, stun |
| Homing Missile | Hold Forward + B | air, stun |
| Regular Attacks |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Jab | A | . |
| Jab, Overhead | A, A | . |
| Gun Thrust | Forward + A | ground, smash attack |
| Upward Flame | Up + A | behind, juggle, smash attack, stun |
| Spin Sweep | Down + A | behind, ground, juggle, smash attack |
| Spin Kick | Hold Forward, A | directional, ground |
| Double Kick | Hold Up, A | ground, juggle |
| Front Kick | A | AIR, behind |
| Gun Smash | Down + A | AIR, juggle, power hit |
| Downward Flame | Hold Forward, A | AIR, juggle, stun |
| Reverse Kick | Hold Back, A | AIR, behind |
| Learning Curve: | ***** | | Power: | *** | | Speed: | **** | | Recovery: | **** | | Grab: | ** | | Offense: | **** | | Defense: | ** | | Comeback: | *** | | Overall: | **** |
|  |
| Comments: | A second princess has joined the ranks of Melee, only this time she's from the Hyrule gang. With the ability to change back and forth between Zelda and Sheik, the princess is a formidable opponent. Unlike some of the other characters in Melee, Zelda and Sheik are very different characters. Sheik's strategy should be very offensive. Many of her attacks can be chained together to form juggles and combos. Use this to rack up the damage, then send your opponents flying with a Smash Attack. |
| Special Moves |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Needle Throw | B | air |
| Needle Storm | Hold B | air, charge for up to six needles |
| Vanish | Up + B | air, behind, comeback, directional, juggle |
| Chain | Forward + B | air, behind, ground |
| Custom Chain | Forward + Hold B | behind, directional, ground, juggle, platform |
| Zelda Transformation | Down + B | air |
| Regular Attacks |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Sheik Slap | A | . |
| Double Sheik Slap | A, A | . |
| Rapid Slap Combo | A, A, A | . |
| Continuous Slapping | Rapidly Tap A | during Rapid Slap Combo |
| Spinning Sheik Kick | Down + A | behind, ground, smash attack |
| Double Sheik Kick | Forward + A | ground, smash attack |
| Sheik Palm Thrust | Up + A | behind, ground, juggle, smash attack |
| Reverse Vertical Kick | Hold Up, A | behind, juggle |
| Low Sheik Spin | Hold Down, A | ground, juggle |
| Forward Sheik Spin | Hold Forward, A | juggle |
| Aerial Simple Kick | A | AIR |
| Inverted Sheik Spin | Hold Up, A | AIR, behind |
| Slanted Sheik Kick | Hold Down, A | AIR, behind, ground, juggle |
| Aerial Sheik Slap | Hold Forward, A | AIR |
| Reverse Kick | Hold Back, A | AIR, behind |
| Learning Curve: | ***** | | Power: | *** | | Speed: | *** | | Recovery: | *** | | Grab: | * | | Offense: | *** | | Defense: | *** | | Comeback: | *** | | Overall: | *** |
|  |
| Comments: | What's Mario without Yoshi? Unfortunately, they don't work very well once they've been separated. Yoshi's projectile takes some getting used to. The harder you push on the controller the higher or farther it goes. His air jump is one of the best in the game, which gives him great comeback ability if you still have your air jump. However, he has no real comeback move. His throw has longer range than most characters, but it's shorter than Link and Samus making it difficult to avoid. Yoshi has potential, but his learning curve is extremely steep and his moves somewhat limit his overall fighting ability. |
| Special Moves |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Egg Lay | B | air, stun |
| Egg Throw | Up + B | air, directional, distance, ground |
| Yoshi Bomb | Down + B | air, ground, juggle |
| Egg Roll | Forward + B | air, directional, ground |
| Egg Roll Cancel | Back, B | during Egg Roll |
| Regular Attacks |
|---|
| Move | Button Press | Notes |
|---|
| Yoshi Boot | A | . |
| Double Yoshi Boot | A, A | . |
| Head Butt | Up + A | behind, juggle, smash attack |
| Double Tail Whip | Down + A | behind, clear out, ground, smash attack |
| Horizontal Head Butt | Forward + A | ground, smash attack |
| Vertical Tail Whip | Hold Up, A | behind, ground, juggle |
| Tail Spin | Hold Down, A | ground |
| Side Kick | Hold Forward, A | juggle, ground |
| Aerial Tap Kick | A | AIR, behind |
| Tail Flip | Hold Up, A | AIR, behind |
| Aerial Run | Hold Down, A | AIR, behind, ground |
| Head Smash | Hold Forward, A | AIR, juggle |
| Reverse Multi-Kick | Hold Back, A | AIR |
