N-Philes

Off the Record, Vol. 2 - Super Smash Bros. Melee

Posted August 8th 2005 by James Ondrey.

Page 6

The developers at HAL probably had no idea just how deep their fighting system was when they completed Melee. Gamers have discovered tiny flaws in the gameplay mechanics, greatly deepening the strategy, skill and depth of the game. Minute glitches, which may at first seem like insignificant tactics, are prerequisites to tackle the highest level of competition in Smash tournaments.

We could probably waste a whole day cataloging the dozens and dozens of gameplay glitches found in Melee. Those lucky (or unlucky) enough to own the very first version of the game are apt to run into more glitches than newer versions of the game. With that said, we chose to only display the coolest ones.

All glitches listed below were tested and confirmed using Super Smash Bros. Melee version "00."

If you don't know which Melee version you own, check the underside of your game disc. A code printed on the back reads "DOL-GALE-0-xx." The "xx" indicates the version of the game ("00" is the earliest).

Quick Recovery

The "L-Cancel" technique is the most critical of all gameplay glitches for those seeking to be the best. It's no wonder then that it's the most exploited glitch in SSBM.

The "L-Cancel" tactic essentially allows your fighter to land and recover very quickly after an airborne attack. Under normal circumstances, a fighter will undergo several frames of animation when landing on the ground after an aerial attack. But, with precise timing with the "L" or "R" buttons, those frames of animation are eliminated all together.

To perform an "L-Cancel," you must press the "L" or "R" button just as your fighter hits the ground. It can be tricky and it does take practice to master. Even though we're talking about saving a mere half of a second, any Melee gamer can tell you that even a millisecond can decide a match (the results can be best seen using Link's down-thrust attack).

The very best will pull the move off with extreme ease and tremendous speed. Because many of the characters possess valuable aerial assaults, the "L-Cancel" allows a fighter to perform them one after another in rapid succession. It can be exceptionally lethal when mastered. The move has become such a fixture in Melee strategy that some have begun to wonder whether or not it was intentionally programmed into the mechanics of the game.

Speedy Shuffle

An even more difficult maneuver to execute is the "wave dash" technique. Just like the "L-Cancel," it can be ludicrously deadly for opponents if perfected.

The "wave dash" allows your fighter to travel a small amount of distance exceptionally fast. It's performed by timing a jump and air-dodge at nearly the exact same time. To execute a "wave dash," jump first and then before you have visibly left the ground, air-dodge diagonally into the ground. You should see your character slide across the ground, often times leaving a trail of smoke (the results can be best seen with Luigi).

It's amazing to see Smash experts constantly "wave-dashing" back and forth across a stage. But it's no wonder why they do it so much — combos can more easily strung together and danger can be effortlessly evaded.

With almost complete certainty, the "wave dash" was never purposely intended to be in the game. It's exact reasons like this why fans and journalists alike proclaim Melee to be the deepest fighter ever created.

Link always gets the cool moves...

This one has to be seen to be believed.

Play as Link and go to stage where his grappling hook will attach to a wall (works best in Final Destination and Fountain of Dreams). Next, have Link throw his boomerang over an edge. Turn around and leap off the edge, using the grappling hook to latch onto the wall. If the timing was right, the boomerang will fly back to Link hanging from his hook and catapult him to the top of the screen! From there, most players like to wreak havoc by hurling Link's bombs from the sky until he falls back to the ground.

Luigi Heaven

This isn't particularly a glitch per se, but it's a fun secret to share with friends. Go into either training mode or versus mode. Have you and a friend both choose Luigi as your fighters of choice. Position both Luigi's so they're facing each other.

Step 1: Make one Luigi jump straight up.

Step 2: With the same Luigi, execute the Up + B attack.

Step 3: Have the other Luigi execute the Up + B attack.

Step 4: Go to step 2 and repeat until you're done laughing.

If done correctly, both Luigi's will continually increase in height until one of them reaches "Heaven" (knocked out of the stage).

Teleport glitch

It's not uncommon for Melee addicts to run across this glitch. There are specific moments in gameplay when Dr. Mario's and Mario's cape attack will teleport an opponent across a stage. Strange as it may sound, it does happen and can cause a riot if not understood. Apparently their cape attack (forward + B) is a bit buggy in early versions of the game. To duplicate this phenomenon, follow the steps.

Step 1: Choose Sheik and Mario as characters and choose Final Destination as your stage.

Step 2: Have Sheik grab one of the edges and position Mario close to that edge.

Step 3: Make Sheik perform her spiraling, recovery kick (simply press A).

Step 4: Facing Sheik, press forward + B with Mario to cape Sheik's attack. Timing is critical.

Step 5: Watch with glee as Sheik magically teleports to the other side of the stage!

Trophy surprises

Go into the trophy gallery and if you're lucky enough, you'll have the Princess Daisy trophy. In the viewing mode, zoom into in so you position the camera slightly inside her face. If you're angled correctly you'll notice that Daisy has a third eye inside her head.

This next one is speculation more than anything else. Go to the Metal Mario trophy. Zoom in closely to inspect the reflection casting off the metal surface. If you look carefully you can make out a few trees and unknown objects. Rumors specify the "scene" is captured from an image of Miyamoto's front lawn. I'm going on record as saying that it's clearly Reggie Fils-Aime's front lawn.

Editor's Note: It's not a glitch, but select Ness a split second after someone else selects Pichu, so that "Ness" overrides the "chu". Trust me it's hilarious. -- Jared

Nooooo, that's it?

It's almost overwhelming how many intentional secrets, bonuses and Easter eggs are in Melee. From stages to characters to trophies, the game is full of them, so it's probably fitting that Melee has an equally overwhelming amount of unintentional secrets, bonuses, glitches and bugs. From hidden stages to hidden playable characters, Super Smash Bros. Melee may go down in history as the best secret developers have ever had to keep.

For even more exclusive, secret content that didn't make the cut, visit the N-Philes forums. For a look at the codes used in this article, it's all there for you on the next page.

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