The classic mode seen in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Before a battle, these portraits are used for the character that the player is playing as...
...and the opponent that the player must defeat to advance forward.

Classic Mode is a 1-player mode in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Following a structure similar to that of the 1P Game mode from the original game, the player chooses a single character, stock, and difficulty level, then battles through 11 different stages, culminating in a final battle with Master Hand (and, depending on the situation, Crazy Hand). In addition to standard battles, three bonus rounds are also included, allowing for players to further increase their score and potentially gain other rewards from the mode. If the player loses all of their stock, they can potentially continue, assuming their supply of gold allows for it.

While Classic Mode does have a fixed order concerning the themes of battles and the presence of bonus rounds, the characters the player may fight against or fight alongside of are randomized from a pool of characters. Furthermore, the player's selected character will be excluded from inclusion as an opponent or ally, thus making mirror matches impossible.

Completing Classic Mode can yield a variety of rewards for the player, alongside all gold awarded for completing the various stages. The player's score is also recorded, assuming it has surpassed the previous high score for the character.

Classic Mode stagesEdit

Stage 1Edit

This stage is a regular 1 vs. 1 battle. There is a 5 minute time limit. On Very Hard difficulty, the opponent will wear the 4th costume.

Foe Level Knockback given Knockback taken
  0 0.60x 1.75x
  2 0.85x 1.20x
  4 1.00x 1.00x
  7 1.00x 1.00x
  9 1.20x 0.90x

Stage 2Edit

This stage is a 2 vs. 2 team battle. There is a 5 minute time limit. On Very Hard difficulty, the first opponent will wear the 4th costume.

Ally Level Knockback given Knockback taken
  8 0.80x 0.90x
  7 0.80x 1.00x
  6 0.80x 1.15x
  4 0.80x 1.30x
  3 0.80x 1.50x
P3 foe Level Knockback given Knockback taken
  1 0.70x 1.60x
  3 0.85x 1.20x
  5 1.00x 1.00x
  6 1.00x 0.90x
  8 1.15x 0.80x
P4 foe Level Knockback given Knockback taken
  2 0.70x 1.60x
  3 0.85x 1.20x
  4 1.00x 1.00x
  6 1.00x 0.90x
  8 1.15x 0.80x

Stage 3Edit

The first bonus stage is Target Test, where the player is tasked with breaking all ten targets in their character's target test within two minutes. Failing to break all ten targets will not cost the player any stock, though they will lose out on potential end-of-game bonuses.

Stage 4Edit

This stage is a regular 1 vs. 1 battle. There is a 5 minute time limit.

Foe Level Knockback given Knockback taken
  2 0.75x 1.40x
  5 0.90x 1.10x
  8 1.00x 1.00x
  9 1.15x 0.85x
  9 1.34x 0.70x

Stage 5Edit

This stage is a 3 vs. 1 battle against a giant opponent. There is a 5 minute time limit.

Both allies Level Knockback given Knockback taken
  6 1.00x 1.00x
  5 1.00x 0.90x
  2 1.00x 0.80x
  1 1.00x 0.80x
  0 1.00x 0.80x
Giant foe Level Knockback given Knockback taken
  2 0.70x 3.60x
  3 0.80x 2.40x
  5 0.90x 1.80x
  7 1.00x 1.40x
  8 1.20x 1.00x

Stage 6Edit

The second bonus stage is Snag the Trophies, where players are tasked with preventing three trophies from falling off the stage. The player is awarded any trophy they rescue, and getting all three yields an end-of-game bonus. The stage ends in failure if none of the trophies are saved, if players fall of the stage, or if the two minute time limit expires.

Stage 7Edit

This stage is a regular 1 vs. 1 battle. There is a 5 minute time limit.

Foe Level Knockback given Knockback taken
  3 0.85x 1.30x
  6 1.00x 1.10x
  5 0.90x 1.30x
  6 1.00x 1.10x
  8 1.10x 0.90x

Stage 8Edit

This stage is a 1 vs. 10 multi-character battle, where all opponents are the same character. There is a 5 minute time limit.

Foes Level Knockback given Knockback taken
  1 0.60x 4.00x
  3 0.70x 2.60x
  4 0.80x 2.00x
  5 0.90x 1.55x
  7 1.10x 1.20x

Stage 9Edit

The final bonus stage is Race to the Finish, where players have to race through an obstacle course within a varied time limit. The farther the player makes it through Race to the Finish, the more points and coins they receive; getting KO'd at any point or running out of time, however, forfeits both.

Stage 10Edit

This stage is a 1 vs. 1 battle against a metal opponent. There is a 5 minute time limit.

Metal Foe Level Knockback given Knockback taken
  1 0.80x 1.80x
  3 0.90x 1.30x
  5 1.00x 1.00x
  8 1.10x 0.85x
  9 1.25x 0.68x

The battle always takes place on Battlefield, and no items appear in this stage. Due to this, the player will always receive receive the "Item-less" bonus.

Stage 11Edit

Classic Mode's final battle takes place on Final Destination, against Master Hand.

Master Hand Level Knockback given Knockback taken
  5 0.50x
  6 0.75x
  7 1.00x
  8 1.50x
  9 2.00x
Crazy Hand Level Knockback given Knockback taken
 
 
  7 1.00x
  8 1.50x
  9 2.00x

Unlike all other foes previously fought, the player has to defeat Master Hand by lowering his HP to 0, instead of knocking him off the ledge of the stage.

Master Hand's HP varies on the difficulty selected by the player, with higher difficulties causing him to have higher HP values.

Difficulty level Master Hand's HP
  150 HP
  250 HP
  300 HP
  330 HP
  360 HP

If the player is playing on Normal difficulty or higher and has made it to the final stage within 5 minutes and 50 seconds, then Crazy Hand will spawn when half of Master Hand's HP has been depleted. Crazy Hand's starting HP also depends with the difficulty (Normal, Hard, or Very Hard), matching to the HP that Master Hand started with from the beginning.

Beating Master Hand and, if applicable, Crazy Hand, finishes the mode. After the screen fades to white and the final results screen is shown to the player, a small cinematic plays, showing their selected character dropping into the Collection room turning into a trophy and displaying all other character trophies they have attained in the mode. The credits then play, followed by a small cinematic and Congratulations image for the player's selected character.

Types of battlesEdit

Regular battleEdit

All characters except Ganondorf, Roy, and Mr. Game & Watch are eligible to battle the player throughout the mode's three 1-on-1 battles, with their home stages listed below. In this mode, neither Poké Floats nor any Past Stages are used. In Stage 1 on Very Hard Difficulty, the opponent will wear its third alternative costume. In Stage 7 on Hard or Very Hard, the computer will usually try to avoid the player at all costs, sometimes by walking off the screen.

Some fights have unique music: Mewtwo's battle will play Poké Floats, Marth's battle will play Fire Emblem, Dr. Mario's battle will play Dr. Mario, and Young Link's battle will play Saria's Theme. The battle with Yoshi has a chance of playing Yoshi's Island N64 as its alternate music.

Character Stage(s)
 
Bowser
 
Princess Peach's Castle
 
Battlefield (if unlocked)
 
Captain Falcon
 
Mute City
 
Big Blue (if unlocked)
 
Donkey Kong
 
Kongo Jungle
 
Jungle Japes
 
Dr. Mario
 
Mushroom Kingdom
 
Falco
 
Corneria
 
Venom
 
Fox
 
Ice Climbers
 
Icicle Mountain
 
Jigglypuff
 
Pokémon Stadium
 
Kirby
 
Fountain of Dreams
 
Green Greens
 
Link
 
Great Bay
 
Temple
 
Luigi
 
Mushroom Kingdom
 
Mushroom Kingdom II (if unlocked)
 
Mario
 
Princess Peach's Castle
 
Rainbow Cruise
 
Marth
 
Great Bay
 
Mewtwo
 
Pokémon Stadium
 
Final Destination (if unlocked)
 
Ness
 
Onett
 
Fourside (if unlocked)
 
Peach
 
Princess Peach's Castle
 
Mushroom Kingdom II (if unlocked)
 
Pichu
 
Pokémon Stadium
 
Pikachu
 
Pokémon Stadium
 
Samus
 
Brinstar
 
Brinstar Depths (if unlocked)
 
Yoshi
 
Yoshi's Story
 
Yoshi's Island
 
Young Link
 
Great Bay
 
Temple
  
Zelda / Sheik
 
Temple

2 vs. 2 teamsEdit

Below is the list of all the teams the player can fight in Classic Mode, each of which have a loose theme. For instance, the Kirby/Ice Climbers team is a likely reference to Kirby's Hammer Ability and the Ness/Peach team is a likely reference to Paula Polestar, a party member and Ness' love interest in EarthBound. Both the characters for each team and the stage fought on is listed. There are a total of 29 teams. All playable characters aside from Zelda/Sheik and Roy can fight alongside the player. Allies all use their first alternate costume. On Very Hard Difficulty, the first opponent wears its third alternative costume. When fighting a team of Mario and Bowser on Battlefield, Princess Peach's Castle will play.

Stage Teams
 
Battlefield
  
Bowser + Mewtwo
  
Bowser + Peach
  
Bowser + Zelda
  
Mario + Bowser
 
Big Blue
  
Captain Falcon + Falco
  
Samus + Captain Falcon
 
Brinstar
  
Samus + Fox
 
Corneria
  
Fox + Falco
 
Fountain of Dreams
  
Kirby + Pichu
 
Fourside
  
Ness + Mewtwo
 
Great Bay
  
Link + Young Link
  
Marth + Link
  
Zelda + Young Link
 
Green Greens
  
Kirby + Jigglypuff
  
Kirby + Pikachu
 
Icicle Mountain
  
Kirby + Ice Climbers
 
Kongo Jungle
  
Donkey Kong + Fox
 
Mushroom Kingdom
  
Link + Luigi
  
Luigi + Dr. Mario
 
Mushroom Kingdom II
  
Mario + Peach
 
Mute City
  
Fox + Captain Falcon
 
Onett
  
Ness + Peach
 
Pokémon Stadium
  
Pikachu + Jigglypuff
  
Pikachu + Pichu
 
Temple
  
Link + Zelda
  
Peach + Zelda
  
Zelda + Marth
 
Yoshi's Island
  
Yoshi + Ness
 
Yoshi's Story
  
Yoshi + Luigi

Giant battleEdit

Just like the teams, the giant characters the player fights are picked randomly from a group that has already been predetermined by the game. All playable characters aside from Zelda/Sheik and Roy can fight alongside the player. The first ally uses the second alternate costume, while the second uses the first alternate costume. During the battle against Giant Young Link, Saria's Theme will play, and during battle against Giant Dr. Mario, the track Dr. Mario will play.

Giant Character Stage
 
Bowser
 
Fountain of Dreams
 
Captain Falcon
 
Mute City
 
Donkey Kong
 
Kongo Jungle
 
Dr. Mario
 
Mushroom Kingdom
 
Jigglypuff
 
Pokémon Stadium
 
Link
 
Great Bay
 
Luigi
 
Mushroom Kingdom II
 
Mario
 
Princess Peach's Castle
 
Yoshi
 
Yoshi's Story
 
Young Link
 
Temple

Multi-character battleEdit

Just like the teams, and the giant characters the player fights, the multiple-character fight is picked randomly from a group that has already been predetermined by the game. This level consists of ten multiples of one of nine different characters. During the battle against ten Donkey Kongs at Jungle Japes, Kongo Jungle will play.

Character (×10) Stage
 
Donkey Kong
 
Jungle Japes
 
Mario
 
Rainbow Cruise
 
Luigi
 
Mushroom Kingdom II
 
Captain Falcon
 
Mute City
 
Jigglypuff
 
Pokémon Stadium
 
Pichu
 
Pokémon Stadium
 
Kirby
 
Fountain of Dreams
 
Mr. Game & Watch
 
Flat Zone
 
Ness
 
Onett

Metal battleEdit

All characters except Ganondorf, Roy, and Mr. Game & Watch are eligible to appear as a metal character in this 1-on-1 battle against the player. The stage will always be Battlefield, with the track Metal Battle playing.

RewardsEdit

  • Clearing as Mario without using any continues will challenge the player to defeat Dr. Mario, and beating him will unlock him.
  • Clearing with any character on any difficulty will challenge the player to defeat Jigglypuff, and beating it results in unlocking it.
  • Clearing with 10 characters will challenge the player to defeat Young Link, and beating him will unlock him.
  • Playing with all starter characters - failing counts towards the progress - will challenge the player to defeat Marth, and beating him will unlock him.
  • Clearing as Marth without using any continues will challenge the player to defeat Roy, and beating him will unlock him.
  • Clearing with all 24 other characters will challenge the player to defeat Mr. Game & Watch, and beating him will unlock him.
  • Clearing with Mr. Game & Watch will unlock the Flat Zone stage.
  • Clearing with all characters gives the player the Donkey Kong Junior Trophy.
  • Clearing on Hard or Very Hard without using any continues gives the player a trophy of Master Hand.
  • Clearing on any difficulty with any character will give the player a trophy of the character used based on their appearance in one of their games. Both Zelda and Sheik's trophies are obtained simultaneously.

TriviaEdit

  • Unusually, some characters do not appear in Classic Mode, despite having the required poses in the game's data.
    • Ganondorf can never appear as an enemy fighter, though he can potentially be an ally.
    • Mr. Game & Watch can only appear as an enemy in the multi-character fight for stage 8, though he can potentially be an ally.
    • Sheik never initially appears, and can only appear if Zelda transforms into her.
    • Zelda herself cannot appear as an ally.
    • Roy is completely absent and neither spawns as an enemy nor an ally.
  • If the player connects to port 3, then the CPU ally's series symbol will turn into a grayish-yellow shade for yellow team, despite yellow is not a selectable team color in the game.

See alsoEdit