Super Smash Bros./Characters

There are 12 playable characters in Super Smash Brothers; eight that are available at the start, and four that can be unlocked in single player mode through completion of certain challenges. They all have certain advantages and disadvantages.

Although this game is very well balanced, certain characters tend to be better than others are. However, Super Smash Brothers 64 character tiers are VERY subjective, so characters will not be listed in order from best to worst, as any character can be good in the hands of a master. I give a basic summary of characters, and go can go to the In-Depth Guides for more specific info, but you will have to figure out character rankings for yourself.

Captain Falcon

Captain Falcon, of the F-Zero series of racing games, is one of Super Smash Brothers' hidden characters. To unlock him, you must beat the game on any difficulty level in under 20 minutes, and then defeat him. Captain Falcon is a very offensive character. He is the fastest (in terms of running speed) character in the game, and this can be used to string together combos that would be impossible with other characters. However, his recovery time is not the best, and his B-up is predictable, so once his combos are interrupted, he's relatively easy to combo and edgeguard into a KO.

For an in-depth Captain Falcon guide, click on the link.

Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong is a big gorilla from Donkey Kong Country, and was Mario's first archenemy. He is the only character that can move and jump with crates and barrels held on his back, and has the best throw in the game. As would be expected, he has very strong, punishing attacks, and is very heavy (i.e., hard to KO off of the top) but is the slowest character in the game. Don't let that discourage you, though, as he can rack up the damage quickly if properly handled.

For an in-depth Donkey Kong guide, click on the link.

Fox

Taken out of the cockpit of his trademark Arwing fighter, Fox McCloud is the protagonist of Star Fox 64 and later games in the series. He is easily one of the nimblest characters in the game, with some of the best comboing ability. Second in speed only to Captain Falcon, Fox can easily control the speed and momentum of the battle. His up-B recovery is relatively slow, but there are no real glaring drawbacks to this character. He is a good choice if you like a quick, agile character.

For an in-depth Fox guide, click on the link.

Jigglypuff

Jigglypuff, all the way from Pokemon, is a very good character, though many doubt her abilities. To unlock her, simply beat the game on any difficulty. She has ridiculous aerial priority, a devastating back-throw, and quite a few hard-to-escape combos. She also has a finisher, her B-down sleep move. If you don't know, falling asleep while touching your opponent sends them into oblivion. She is a floaty puffball, and runs out of steam near the end of her 5 jumps, and has no B-up recovery with which to return to the stage, but you still should give her plenty of practice time. Seriously, what's better than beating your friends with Jigglypuff?

For an in-depth Jigglypuff guide, click on the link.

Kirby

For an in-depth Kirby guide, click on the link.

Link

For an in-depth Link guide, click on the link.

Luigi

For an in-depth Luigi guide, click on the link.

Mario

When one thinks "Nintendo", this guy comes to mind. A plumber with a moustache and a penchant for jumping who happens to be in love with a perpetually kidnapped princess (I mean, what the heck, Nintendo?), he and his games fill many of the spots for top-selling games of all time. In Super Smash Brothers 64, this red-capped and blue-overall wearing Italian is a good all-around character. He has fantastic aerial recovery time, a great u-air juggle, and very annoying fireballs, but isn't quick enough to keep up with the likes of Fox or Captain Falcon.

For an in-depth Mario guide, click on the link.

Ness

For an in-depth Ness guide, click on the link.

Pikachu

An electric Pokémon from the game series of the same name, Pikachu is very powerful and agile. He is SO powerful and agile, in fact, that he has been considered "cheap" by the unenlightened. I myself find few disadvantages to the little guy, but then again, he's my main. He has one of the best recoveries, if not THE best, in the game and has a simply unavoidable edgeguard. So although suffers from short range on the ground, is relatively light, and takes a good level of skill to play well, but this electric rat could very well be your route to victory.

For an in-depth Pikachu guide, click on the link.

Samus

For an in-depth Samus guide, click on the link.

Yoshi

For an in-depth Yoshi guide, click on the link.