There is no denying that the Super Smash Bros. series is one of Nintendo's best; no matter which game one focuses on, it is apparent that they are all very entertaining to play. A Nintendo crossover of this magnitude had never been attempted before, and fans weren't quite sure what to expect when the original Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo 64 debuted back in 1999. Yet, it surely is a gamble that is still paying off even today, as there are installments from the series on every Nintendo console to date. It isn't going to end anytime soon, either. In fact, it is only going to keep growing.
However, this specific game works so well to this very day, as every character included in the game remains a staple in the series today. It may have a small roster size, but each character brings their own unique dynamic, so it never gets old. That said, while players will always be inclined to pick favorites, some characters are just better than others.
Yoshi
Yoshi is a character that definitely can be quite fun to use, as he is quick and jumps well. This mix definitely helps him in battle, but his overall power is very weak, and, as a result, using him can be a bit of a challenge.
He just does not possess any iconic smash moves, which definitely makes him struggle at times. Thankfully, he can save himself pretty easily if he falls off the map, but that does not give him much advantage when he can't dish out adequate amounts of damage.
Luigi
Luigi is a balanced character, but that does not help his case against some of the top talent on this roster. Sadly, much like Yoshi, he does not inflict much damage onto his opponents, as his smash moves are just too weak. It is rather disappointing, as he is a character that should be better than this. He just edges out Yoshi, though, as he is a bit stronger. However, the player will have trouble with him against tougher opponents.
Mario
Mario is not much better than Luigi, but he is a bit more effective when it comes to his ability to inflict damage. He surprisingly does have decent speed in the game, which does give him an advantage.
Yet, what keeps Mario from being among the best in this game is that his moves are just not as strong and entertaining as others. Since he is Nintendo's biggest character, it is strange that he is not better in the original installment.
Samus
Samus certainly has a lot of skill in this game. Her moves definitely permit her to do well against her competition, which meshes well with great throwing ability. However, what hurts her is that she is very slow compared to the rest. This definitely poses significant challenges to the player, especially when playing against quick characters. She definitely is a solid choice, but her negative attributes do make her susceptible to failure at times.
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong is an extremely satisfying character to use in this game. As one would expect, he is immensely powerful, which makes him elite when it comes to damaging opponents.
He definitely will do well in HP battles, but, much like Samus, his downfall comes from his very slow speed. It does impact the effectiveness of his attacks, but, when he connects, it tends to always be a home run.
Link
Link is a good choice in this game for a number of reasons. His sword definitely helps the damage of his attacks, while he also has decent speed to match. He is a balanced character but has far better moves up his sleeves compared to Mario and Luigi.
He is not the best of the bunch, but he definitely is a smart and popular choice with players. There is a bit of frustration with his jumping, but his array of solid attacks definitely make up for it.
Fox
Fox has the ability to be a truly dominant fighter in this game. He definitely ranks among the best because of this, as he is one of the quickest, yet he also has the ability to cause a lot of damage to his opponents. He is a bit weaker when it comes to throwing others, which is not ideal. However, when seeing as how he is elite in every other category in the game, he is an easy choice to make.
Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon has the most iconic attack in the Super Smash Bros. series with his signature Falcon Punch. If this move makes its mark, the impact can be devastating. That said, it has an absurdly long wind-up time, making it fairly difficult to use effectively.
He also has the Falcon Kick, which is underrated and almost as lethal. Perhaps the one thing that keeps him from being the all-time best is that he is a bit slow. This does impact him pretty significantly, but, even so, he remains a top-tier character.
Kirby
Kirby is among the top characters in the game, which works well with his outstanding jumping ability. This allows him to survive even when hit very far away from the map. This certainly helps his skill level immensely.
As for his attacks, they are definitely very strong too, especially for his small size. It is hard to find too many negative aspects of this character, so using him makes the game a whole lot easier for the player.
Pikachu
Pikachu is easily the top character in the game, as every single attribute of his is incredibly powerful. He is immensely quick, has a fantastic move set, and his throwing ability is essentially a completely overpowered when compared to every other character in the game.
His lightning attacks definitely cause a lot of damage and can be quite versatile, and he's an overall nuisance to go up against. Pikachu may not look like the toughest character, but, in the original Super Smash Bros., he absolutely is.