This Super Smash Bros Melee walkthrough is divided into 6 total pages.
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1 - Unlock All Characters
Ah, Super Smash Bros. Melee. A game still played by many even 12 years after its release. Ultimately, it's Melee's tight physics and complex gameplay combined with lovable Nintendo characters and a laid-back atmosphere which have made it such an enduring classic. Many are looking forward to Smash Bros. on Wii U, but there still exists a thriving competitive Melee community that holds hundreds of tournaments a year. This guide will go over how to unlock everything and complete all the main sections of the game as well as explain many of the advanced techniques used by competitive Melee players.
But, first things first: we need to unlock all the characters. Each secret character can unlocked by a unique method OR by playing a set number of total VS. matches (Special Melee matches seem to count, too). The unique method is usually faster, but keep in mind that 1000 total matches will unlock every character. One way to speed through that huge number is to set up each match as follows: 1-stock, 1 vs. 1, pick a fast character and just run off the stage immediately. You can basically hold left and mash Start every now and then while watching YouTube videos or something, and the time will fly by.
Marth: 400 VS. matches, or use each of the fourteen starting characters in at least one VS. battle, or complete Classic Mode with all of them. Definitely the easiest and fastest character to unlock. When a new character is revealed, you'll have to defeat them in a 1-stock match to get them, but that should be no trouble for someone as smart and attractive as you, random person reading this.
Jigglypuff: 50 VS. matches, or complete Classic or Adventure Mode in any capacity. A very silly and floaty character. See the "1-Player Modes" section for a detailed walkthrough of the Classic and Adventure Modes.
Dr. Mario: 100 VS. matches, or complete Classic or Adventure Mode with Mario without continuing (losing all your lives). Keep in mind that you can only unlock one character at a time, so doing this once won't simultaneously unlock Jigglypuff. You can choose Very Easy and 5 stocks to minimize the risk, but there isn't much risk in Classic Mode to begin with.
Luigi: 800 VS. matches, or beat stage 1 of Adventure Mode when the timer at the top reads "2" in the seconds digit. Luigi will replace Mario in the next area, then be unlocked if you beat both Luigi and Peach in under a minute (he'll appear after you finish Adventure Mode). Again, Very Easy difficulty is allowed, so you might as well pick it to save time.
Roy: 900 VS. matches, or beat Classic or Adventure Mode with Marth and without using a continue.
Young Link: 500 VS. matches, or complete Classic Mode with Link, Zelda, and any other 8 characters.
Falco: 300 VS. matches, or clear 100-Man Melee. 100-Man Melee can be beaten with a variety of very simple tactics. For instance, pick Fox, stand in one place, tilt the control stick up slightly and keep pressing A. The wireframes will all fall toward you and die instantly. They're very lightweight, so they'll fly off the top of the stage even at 0%. Many other attacks will also OHKO them. Alternatively, pick Donkey Kong, hold down, press B over and over.
Ganondorf: 600 VS. matches, or just complete Event Match #29 (see Event Matches section).
Pichu: 200 VS. matches, or complete Event Match #37 (see Event Matches section). Events 31-40 unlock once you finish the first 30 and have separately acquired Jigglypuff, Luigi, Dr. Mario, Falco, and Young Link.
Mewtwo: 700 VS. matches, or 20 total hours of VS. mode matches. This is definitely the largest time investment for unlocking a character, but the time is tallied for all human players--you only need 10 hours each for 2 players, and so on. Ideally, get 4 GameCube controllers, start a match with all of them, and go do something fun for 5 hours.
Mr. Game & Watch: Play 1000 VS. matches, or complete one of Classic Mode, Adventure Mode, or Target Test with all other characters, including the unlockable ones. In other words, Game & Watch is necessarily the last to be unlocked. Target Test is the easiest way, and conveniently, there's already a whole section devoted to it.
More Super Smash Bros Melee Walkthroughs
This Super Smash Bros Melee walkthrough is divided into 6 total pages.
