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Graphics:
One thing SSB had to cut back on was visuals, mainly due to
the hardware limitations of the N64, in order to keep a high,
rock solid framerate. SSBM not only has improved on visuals,
thanks to the GCN, but they look dazzling! The characters are
breathtakingly detailed and high-poly. Mario has realistic looking
denim overalls. Bowser has dozens of spikes protruding from
his shell. Link's hood flaps in the more breezy arenas. These
kinds of details will make you believe you're watching the fight
first-hand. Every arena has detail to suit the appropriate mood,
whether it be the city of Corneria you're flying around, a menacing
monster in the background of Brinstar Depths, or nostalgic NES
graphics of the Mushroom Kingdom levels, there's always something
that makes each arena look unique. Unfortunately, this game
is usually played while the camera is zoomed out, meaning many
details go unnoticed until the camera zooms in when the fighters
are close together.
Sound:
While the graphics are truly spectacular, the sounds are a mixed
bag. The fighting sounds are great, but sometimes certain spoken
lines don't sound clear. Most of the other sounds are standard.
The soundtracks aren't very innovative, but were taken directly
from their respective games, and most are remixed nicely. One
nice touch that wasn't left out from the original is the crowd
that cheers and gasps as the characters brawl, and occasionally
chants the name of the fighter who's making a huge comeback.
Replay
Value:SSBM is the ultimate party game, and has much
to offer in Single Player modes. The 1 player modes are fun
to play over and over again, the multiplayer is unmatched for
a fighting game with a boatload of options, and the Stadium
provides numerous minigames to compete against for records.
This is one game you and your friends won't put down for a while.
Controls:
Any veteran of SSB will feel right at home in SSBM, even if
this is your first time with a GCN controller, like me. The
basic layout is the same, with the addition of dodging abilities
and an extra special move for each character. A attacks, B special
attacks, Control Stick moves, X/Y jumps, L/R blocks, Z grabs
- what else do you need to know? The controls are simple, which
makes learning characters a breeze. Even special moves are simple
- Pressing B or B with the Control Stick executes 1 of 4 special
moves. 
Game
Play: Although this is the same ol' schtick that
we saw on the N64, it's been tweaked and balanced nearly to
perfection. The basic premise is to choose a famous Nintendo
character to fight as, attack your opponent until their damage
meter is high, then send them out of the arena with powerful
attacks. Highly damaged characters fly further, so you want
to start out with combos, then work your way to stronger attacks.
What really separates this from its N64 counterpart is the massive
number of fighters and arenas. Not only do you start off with
14 fighters and 18 arenas, but many, many more can be unlocked,
plus there are a few other secrets to unlock, and 290 trophies
to collect. Yes, very addictive indeed. 
The
fighting itself is pure genius. The GCN combines high poly counts,
high resolution, and a high, perfectly steady, fluid framerate
into a frantic and fun smashfest. The action is as fast as you
can imagine, and offers a lot of variety in the arenas and options.
Subtle balancing from its N64 predecessor is noticible. For
instance, the arenas, although being roughly the same in ground
size, have stricter invisible boundaries on the sides, meaning
certain dominant characters (*cough* Kirby *cough*) actually
have a disadvantage when it comes to being lightweight. The
characters are so balanced that it's next to impossible to find
one particular fighter to counter another one. This game is
truly a test of skill, not of knowledge of combos and counters.
Gather a few friends and see how countless nights can be wasted
just having "one more match".
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