Space World 2001: Hands-OnSuper Smash Bros. Melee

From what we've seen of Super Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube, Nintendo isn't changing much of the original's gameplay. Aside from additional characters and backgrounds and obvious graphical boost, the game has many of the same moves, as well as an almost identical control scheme when compared to the Nintendo 64 original.

What stands out about Smash Bros. Melee is its variety of stages. The levels we saw have a little more interactivity this time around, leaning more toward the lava-filled level of the original over more static stages. This time around, there's a stage that takes place in the middle of a huge waterfall, and you must endeavor to not fall into the water. A stage based on F-Zero takes place on platforms that hover just above a track, and a pack of vehicles occasionally streak out of the background and knock around any fighters unlucky enough to be fighting on the bottom floor. A Mario-esque castle background looks pretty straightforward, but it is occasionally attacked by gigantic Bullet Bills. The game's new characters have moves that fit well with the rest of the game--Bowser has a Gamera-style spinning shell move, and the Ice Climber team fights as a duo. You control one of them, and the other tags along behind you, executing moves as you execute them. Most of their moves involve their hammers, such as spinning hammer moves and jumping hammer attacks. Ice Climber can also execute an ice breath attack, as well as a projectile attack that throws a small block of ice at your opponents.

We'll have more on Smash Bros. Melee as Space World 2001 progresses. The game is currently scheduled to hit the US in December.