My fourth favorite multiplayer video game of all time:
Super Smash Brothers Melee (GC)
As I enter the top four, things get really hard to call. Every game from here on out could easily have taken first place, and separating them out came down to small details.
Smash Brothers is another great party game. Nintendo crammed all their franchise characters into this one: Mario, Luigi, Samus Aran, Kirby, Pikachu, and many more. Dump them into a level, and try to beat the cartoony goodness out of them. This is kid-friendly, blood and cruelty-free game.
One reason I love the game is variety. There’s tons of characters and levels to pick from in your battles, many unique moves for every one, and dozens of items to add some spice to the battles. There’s always something new in each round.
SSBM can also be picked up on a basic level by near anybody. Only slightly more complex than Monkey Ball, most moves can be accomplished by a combination of the directional stick and two buttons.
The only thing that keeps it from a higher spot on the list is the ease of fighting cheap. A number of characters have one move that is nigh-unbeatable. Repeating it over and over can guarantee victory even in the most unskilled of hands. Not that I’m innocent of these tactics on occasion, but thankfully a group of friends can agree to avoid the situation.
A sequel has been announced as a launch title for Nintendo’s next console, the Revolution. But this time, with online play! Nintendo would have to try pretty hard to screw that up.