Check your edition
Editions & platforms
| Edition | Platform | Differences & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Original | Nintendo GameCube | Japan/USA in 2001, Europe on 24 May 2002. Zelda and Sheik share a selection slot: 25 slots and 26 playable fighters/forms. |
| PAL / NTSC / Disc-Revisionen | Nintendo GameCube | European PAL and NTSC revisions contain balance differences. A specific combo or glitch demonstration must match your disc. Compatible older Wii models do not create a new Melee game. |
Controls, damage and safe recovery
Damage is not a health bar
Attacks increase damage percentage. The objective is to launch opponents beyond the blast zone. Build damage, then look for a strong hit near an edge. A high percentage does not end a stock by itself.
Separate normal, smash and special attacks
A with a gentle direction produces a directional normal attack; a fast direction with A performs a smash attack. B plus a direction selects special moves. Practise forward, up and down separately. Physical buttons depend on your controller.
Shield, grab and evade
Shield an expected attack, then act after it ends. Grabs defeat a normal shield. Repeated rolls and uncovered smash attacks make your next action predictable.
Save your jump
After a hit, drift toward the stage first. Spend your midair jump when it is needed, then aim your up special toward the ledge. Test each fighter separately: jump count and recovery moves differ.
Turn practice into a match plan
Practise ten recoveries without an opponent, then play short games with one learning goal. Track stocks lost to your own mistakes separately from enemy KOs. Winning one game does not establish reliable recovery.
Every fighter and a practice focus
This table lists every playable fighter or form in this game. Short plans are original training suggestions, not a tier list or guaranteed combos. German and English names are shown together.
| Fighter / form | Practical starting point |
|---|---|
| Mario | Use a fireball to approach; regain spacing after a safe landing. |
| Donkey Kong | Learn grab range; avoid lingering at the ledge after a miss. |
| Link | Combine projectiles with sword spacing; practise recovery before zoning. |
| Samus | Hold Charge Shot as a threat; avoid firing every projectile immediately. |
| Yoshi | Manage your midair jump carefully; use eggs from a safe distance. |
| Kirby | Use multiple jumps deliberately; avoid landing with Stone every time. |
| Fox | Control your speed; practise sideways and upward recovery separately. |
| Pikachu | Approach behind Thunder Jolt; practise Quick Attack directions deliberately. |
| Luigi | Set up close hits; use big specials after a confirmed opening. |
| Ness | Practise using PK Thunder for recovery without an opponent first. |
| Captain Falcon | Vary your movement; seek powerful hits after an opponent whiffs. |
| Pummeluff / Jigglypuff | Use aerial movement; attempt Rest only with a clear opening. |
| Peach | Use float for spacing and landings; avoid pulling turnips in close combat. |
| Bowser | Start with short punishes; cover slow powerful attacks. |
| Ice Climbers | Keep the partner close; reassess recovery and attacks when separated. |
| Zelda | Separate long and close range; test teleport distance without an opponent. |
| Sheik | Combine movement with quick hits; avoid overextending after every hit. |
| Dr. Mario | Approach with pills; plan your recovery conservatively. |
| Pichu | Account for self-damage and low survivability; choose attacks carefully. |
| Falco | Use lasers to control space; check recovery distance before chasing. |
| Marth | Space for sword-tip hits; avoid forcing point-blank combat. |
| Junger Link / Young Link | Layer projectiles, then catch a landing; avoid waiting only at the ledge. |
| Ganondorf | Punish mistakes hard; prioritise your vulnerable recovery. |
| Mewtu / Mewtwo | Vary Shadow Ball timing; mix aerial routes and avoid exposing your body. |
| Roy | Deliberately enter close range; do not equate your sword tip with Marth’s. |
| Mr. Game & Watch | Start with safe short actions; avoid building plans around risky random attacks. |
All twelve Adventure stages
| Stage | Route and hazard |
|---|---|
| 1. Mushroom Kingdom | Goombas, Yoshi group and team fight; for Luigi, finish with the seconds units digit at 2. |
| 2. Kongo Jungle | Kong groups and Giant Donkey Kong: avoid staying between multiple opponents. |
| 3. Underground Maze | Check exits; a wrong chamber leads to a Link fight. Remember junctions. |
| 4. Brinstar | Reach the escape exit after fighting; stop chasing damage during the climb. |
| 5. Green Greens | Kirby groups and changing hazards; secure footing before aerial chases. |
| 6. Corneria | Fox encounters with Arwing hazards; watch attacks from outside. |
| 7. Pokémon Stadium | Pokémon team and Poké Balls: keep clear of summoned helpers. |
| 8. F-Zero Grand Prix | Survive the raceway and defeat Captain Falcon; wait for gaps in traffic. |
| 9. Onett | Ness team; approach from one side and watch traffic. |
| 10. Icicle Mountain | Climb with the camera; avoid staying below for one more hit. |
| 11. Battlefield | Wire Frames and metal opponents; hold centre and avoid being surrounded. |
| 12. Final Destination | Defeat Bowser. An optional Giga Bowser follow-up belongs to a separate difficulty/time objective. |
Sources for this section
Shorter alternatives to VS quotas
| Goal | Concrete alternative |
|---|---|
| Falco | Clear 100-Man Melee, then defeat Falco. |
| Marth | Use all 14 starter selection characters in single-player or VS, then defeat Marth. |
| Roy | Clear Classic with Marth without continuing, then defeat Roy. |
| Ganondorf | Clear Event 29: Triforce Gathering, then defeat Ganondorf. |
| Pichu | Clear Event 37: Legendary Pokémon, then defeat Pichu. |
| Mewtu / Mewtwo | Reach 20 combined human VS player-hours; four human players contribute four hours per real hour of play. Then win the encounter. |
| Luigi | Finish Adventure stage 1 at XX:X2 on the timer, beat Luigi and Peach in under one minute, finish Adventure and defeat Luigi as challenger. |
Sources for this section
Hidden stages, events and All-Star
| Unlock | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Brinstar Depths / Fourside / Big Blue / Poké Floats | Complete 50 / 100 / 150 / 200 VS matches. |
| Mushroom Kingdom II | Obtain the Birdo trophy. |
| Dream Land (N64) | Clear Target Test with all 25 selection characters. |
| Kongo Jungle (N64) | Survive 15-Minute Melee. |
| Yoshi’s Island (N64) | Exceed 400 metres in Home-Run Contest. |
| Flat Zone | Clear Classic with Mr. Game & Watch. |
| All-Star / Battlefield | Unlock every fighter for All-Star; clear All-Star for Battlefield. |
| Final Destination | Clear Event 51, which requires the preceding events 1–50. |
Work through trophies and Stadium
Classic, Adventure and All-Star award character-related trophies. Save coins for the lottery, but do not confuse repeated trophies with a failed fighter unlock. These are not system-wide console achievements.
For 100-Man Melee, a safe repeatable attack is more useful than risky aerial chases. In Home-Run Contest, build damage on the sandbag before using the bat. Target Test requires a movement route that matches your attack angles.
The checklist separates the twelve Adventure stages, hidden fighters and extra mode goals. Completing a guide task does not mean every event at every difficulty or every trophy has been collected.
No section matches your search.
Unlocks & rewards
Pummeluff / Jigglypuff
Complete 50 VS matches, then defeat the challenger.
Dr. Mario
Complete 100 VS matches, then defeat the challenger.
Pichu
Complete 200 VS matches, then defeat the challenger.
Falco
Complete 300 VS matches, then defeat the challenger.
Marth
Complete 400 VS matches, then defeat the challenger.
Junger Link / Young Link
Complete 500 VS matches, then defeat the challenger.
Ganondorf
Complete 600 VS matches, then defeat the challenger.
Mewtu / Mewtwo
Complete 700 VS matches, then defeat the challenger.
Luigi
Complete 800 VS matches, then defeat the challenger.
Roy
Complete 900 VS matches, then defeat the challenger.
Mr. Game & Watch
Complete 1000 VS matches, then defeat the challenger.
All-Star
Unlock all hidden fighters.
Final Destination
Clear Event 51.
Battlefield
Clear All-Star with any fighter.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Your checklist
Ticks are saved on this device for each game and carry over when you change language. The counter measures guide tasks and does not alter your game save.
Optional techniques & glitches
Advanced techniques apply only to the named edition. These steps are training guidance.
L-CancelSuper Smash Bros. Melee
- Land a normal aerial attack.
- Press L, R or Z shortly before landing.
- Compare recovery with an uncanceled attempt before increasing speed.
Shortens normal aerial landing lag, not every special. Manual L-canceling is absent from Brawl, Smash 4 and Ultimate.
WavedashSuper Smash Bros. Melee
- Jump from a flat surface.
- Immediately air dodge diagonally down into the floor.
- Perform a grounded attack after the slide; practise without an opponent first.
Timing and slide distance vary by fighter. Ultimate has a substantially different, more limited version; this is not a universal movement rule across Smash games.
Sources & editorial date
Independently written game guidance. The following sources support quest routes, mechanics and edition notes. Editorial date: 31 October 2026.
- Nintendo: Super Smash Bros. Melee ↗www.nintendo.com
- SmashWiki: Melee-Freischaltungen ↗www.ssbwiki.com
- SmashWiki: Melee Adventure Mode ↗www.ssbwiki.com
- SmashWiki: L-Canceling und Versionsgrenzen ↗www.ssbwiki.com
- SmashWiki: Wavedash ↗www.ssbwiki.com
In-game names may differ between language versions. Report a correction.