Frequently Asked Questions

When answering e-mails, the same questions pop up again and again. So, I've compiled this page of the questions that are asked most often. Take pity on the poor webmaster and see if any of your questions are answered here first...


How do I unlock Sonic and Tails?
Despite the rumors, Sonic and Tails are not hidden characters in Melee. Apparently, it was just an April Fool's joke by EGM. They're also the ones responsible for the infamous 'All Bonds' cheat in Goldeneye, telling players to complete Aztec in under 9 minutes with enemy difficulty settings at 100%. Read more about the Sonic and Tails debate.

Is there a way to tell Super Mushrooms from Poisonous Mushrooms? Both types of magical mushrooms look almost identical. They're both the same size, and have only a slight difference in color. The Super Mushrooms are a brighter shade of red, while the Poisonous ones are slightly darker.

Why does the hammer break when I pick it up?
Sometimes when you pick up the hammer, the head just decides to fall off. It's not a glitch though. The game has given the hammer a random chance of breaking. This just seems to be a way to make this powerful weapon just a bit less reliable. Almost makes you think twice about picking up the hammer, doesn't it?


How do I open up the rest of the Event Matches?
More Event Matches are unlocked once you've successfully completed a certain number of the available ones. Later on, you'll be required to unlock certain Hidden Characters before more Event Matches appear.


What is a Meteor Attack?
The definition of a Meteor Attack can be confusing. There are many strong attacks that will KO an opponent with less damage than a Meteor Attack requires. However, you can be awarded bonus points at the end of a match if you use your character's Meteor Attack to score a KO. For most Meteor Attacks, your opponent's damage must be considerably high. Keep in mind that Meteor Attacks are different for every character, and some characters have a few while others have none. A midair Down + A attack seems to be fairly common as a Meteor Attack. When testing Mario's Meteor Attack (Forward + A in midair), I found that he could KO Pichu at 190% damage. Captain Falcon on the other hand needed to be at 297% before being KOed by Mario's Meteor Attack.
Here are a few Meteor Attacks for individual characters:
Mario: Forward + A in midair
Captain Falcon: Down + A in midair
Falco: Grab + down
Samus: Down + A in midair
Link: Down + A (NOT smash down)

How do I release Mew or Celebi? Appearances by these two hidden Pokethings are certainly rare. Whenever you've unlocked every character, there will be a 1 in 251 chance that Mew will pop out of a Pokeball. As for Celebi, you must unlock all of the game's secrets. He'll also have a 1 in 251 chance of appearing. See details on Secrets page.

How do you get the 'Mario Maniac' bonus point?
I played a 2 minute match, with the Fire Flower, Super Mushroom, Star, Beam Sword, Star Rod, and Homerun bat as the weapons. I picked up and use at least one of each Mario weapon (mushroom, flower, and star), and DID NOT touch any of the barrels or capsules. If you pick up use a barrel/crate etc, you won't earn the point.

What is the 'Power Shielder' bonus point?
To perform a power shield, you must block at the very same time that an opponent is attacking you. This is best done in VS mode, against another human opponent. Take two controllers, and you must hit the block button on one controller at the exact moment that you're attacking with the other. You'll know that it works when you see a white flash following the blocked attack. You must perform this at least 3 times per minute to get the bonus.

Is it even possible to go through all the 1 player levels without taking damage for the 'No-Damage Clear' bonus point?
Possible? Yes. Easy? Hell no.
This is one of the most challenging bonus points to earn in the game. Just when you've made it really far without being hit, you always seem to suffer a small love tap from one of the game's weakest characters. Beware of all capsules, barrels, and crates. All of them have a chance of being explosive, so don't take chances when breaking them open.
The big debate is whether to attempt this on Classic mode or All-Star mode. Classic makes you fight fewer battles, but you'll have to deal with Master Hand at the end. All-Star is longer, but safer in some respects. It all depends on which you feel most comfortable with. Persistence pays off. When you take damage, just swear, throw something, and start over again. Your determination will get you to your goal eventually.