Classic Mode is a mode in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl that serves as the successor to the 1P Game in Super Smash Bros. The two modes are virtually identical in order; however, certain changes have been made. In the original, the player fought in a predetermined order: the player would always fight a specific character at a certain stage in a fixed order under static conditions). In Melee, randomization elements were introduced - the battles and the order in which they are take place are, for the most part, completely random (other than the basic layout, which is elaborated upon in the below section). Additionally, the Board the Platforms bonus game has been removed, instead replaced by Snag the Trophies.
Interestingly, Classic Mode (in Melee) is actually shorter than the 1P Game in the original.
Battle types
Classic Mode introduces different types of battles as the player progresses. In Melee, there are is one type of each battle in a set stage while in Brawl there are multiple special battles fought randomly in each stage.
Regular battle
In a regular battle, the player engages in a one on one battle with another character. These type of battles are the most common type of battle in Melee and Brawl. The opponent is usually chosen at random and is battled on their home stage.
Team battle
In a team battle, the player pairs up with a computer ally and battles two other computer opponents. The opponents and ally are chosen at random in Melee, while characters of the same series usually team up in Brawl. The battle is usually fought on one of the opposing characters home stage. The higher the difficulty, the less reliable the ally will be.
Giant battle
In a giant battle, the player pairs up with at least two allies and battles a giant character. The giant character will have the same attributes as a character with under the effects of a Super Mushroom, however the enlarged size will last the whole battle. The giant character can usually sustain more damage and has more powerful attacks, but their jump is distance is reduced and they become a bigger target. The higher the difficulty is, the less reliable the computer allies will be. In Brawl, the player may have one computer ally or none at all.
Multi-man battle
In a multi-man battle, the player fights ten copies of another character. The opponent team will attack in groups of three, but their weight is lighter than their normal version.
Metal battle
In a metal battle, the player faces an opposing computer player under the effects that are similar to the Metal Box. A metal character can sustain more damage and are less likely to flinch with more powerful attacks. However, their falling speed is increased and running speed reduced. In Melee, a metal battle is always fought on the Battlefield stage with no items appearing at all. In Brawl, however, the metal battles are chosen at random by series and items are present.
In Super Smash Bros. Melee
Classic Mode Layout
- Stage 1: 1 vs 1 (Opponent chosen at random from a list of characters)
- Stage 2: 2 vs 2 (Ally is chosen at random from a list of allies while the team you are fighting is picked out of a list of 29 teams randomly)
- Stage 3: Target Test
- Stage 4: 1 vs 1 (Opponent chosen at random from a list of characters)
- Stage 5: 3 vs 1 Giant Character (Allies chosen at random from a list of allies while a giant character is chosen out of a list of giant characters randomly)
- Stage 6: Snag the Trophies
- Stage 7: 1 vs 1 (Opponent chosen at random from a list of characters)
- Stage 8: 1 vs 10 of the same character (Teams are chosen at random out of a list)
- Stage 9: Race to the Finish
- Stage 10: 1 vs 1 Metal character (Opponent chosen at random from a list of metal characters)
- Stage 11: 1 vs Master Hand and sometimes Crazy Hand
Note: Ganondorf is not your opponent in this mode, he is your ally instead and Roy neither appears as an opponent nor an ally, he only appears in this mode when the player is playing as him.
Regular Battle
There is a list of characters you will fight in 3 1-on-1 battles below. However, the Poké Floats stage don't appear in the stage list when you're fighting Pikachu, Pichu, Jigglypuff, or Mewtwo. When fighting Mewtwo, the Poké Floats music is played on the Pokémon Stadium and Final Destination stages instead and the Past Stages don't appear in the stage list next to the character list.
Allies
This is a list of characters who will fight alongside you in Team and Giant battles.
2 vs. 2 Teams
Below is the list of all the teams you can fight in Classic Mode. Both the characters for each team and the stage fought on is listed. There are a total of 29 teams.
Giant Character Battle
Just like the teams, the giant characters you fight are picked randomly from a group that has already been predetermined by the game.
| Giant Character Battles | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Character | Stage | ||||
| Donkey Kong | Kongo Jungle | ||||
| Mario | Princess Peach's Castle | ||||
| Doctor Mario | Mushroom Kingdom | ||||
| Luigi | Mushroom Kingdom II | ||||
| Bowser | Fountain of Dreams | ||||
| Captain Falcon | Mute City | ||||
| Jigglypuff | Pokemon Stadium | ||||
| Link | Great Bay | ||||
| Yoshi | Yoshi's Story | ||||
| Young Link | Temple | ||||
Multi-Character Battle
Just like the teams, and the giant characters you fight, the multiple-character fight is picked randomly from a group that has already been predetermined by the game. This level consists of 15 characters consisting of a group of each other.
Metal Battle
Unlike in regular battles, this is a list of metal characters that you will fight on the Battlefield stage.
| Metal | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Character | |||||
| Bowser | |||||
| Captain Falcon | |||||
| Donkey Kong | |||||
| Dr. Mario | |||||
| Falco | |||||
| Fox | |||||
| Ice Climbers | |||||
| Jigglypuff | |||||
| Kirby | |||||
| Link | |||||
| Luigi | |||||
| Mario | |||||
| Marth | |||||
| Mewtwo | |||||
| Ness | |||||
| Peach | |||||
| Pichu | |||||
| Pikachu | |||||
| Samus | |||||
| Yoshi | |||||
| Young Link | |||||
| Zelda | |||||
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Classic Mode Layout
- Level 1 - The Legend of Zelda (Link, Zelda/Sheik, Ganondorf, and Toon Link (Team or Normal)
- Level 2 - Yoshi (Yoshi) or DK (Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong) (Minor Mario Characters) (Giant (2 allies), Team (order of opponents: CPU 1: Diddy Kong and CPU 2: Donkey Kong, or Normal)
- Level 3 - Pokémon (Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Pokémon Trainer, and Lucario) (Giant (1 ally, Team, or Normal)
- Level 4 - Fire Emblem (Ike and Marth) or EarthBound (Lucas and Ness (Games known in Japan) (Giant (1 ally), Team, Multi, or Normal)
Target Smash!! (same level as the chosen difficulty)
- Level 5 - Kirby series (Kirby, King Dedede, and Meta Knight) (Giant (1 ally), Team, Multi, or Normal)
- Level 6 - Metroid (Samus/Zero Suit Samus) or Pikmin (Olimar) (Gamecube hits) (Giant (no allies), Multi, Metal, or Normal)
- Level 7 - Star Fox (Fox, Falco, Wolf) or F-Zero (Captain Falcon) (N64 hits) (Giant (no allies), Team (Star Fox only), Multi, Metal, or Normal)
- Level 8 - Mario series (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser) (Giant (no allies), Team, Multi, Metal, or Normal)
- Level 9 - Game & Watch (Mr. Game and Watch), Kid Icarus (Pit), Ice Climber (Ice Climbers) or Robot series (R.O.B.) (Classic, more obscure characters) (Giant (no allies), Multi, Metal, or Normal)
- Level 10 - WarioWare (Wario) Metal Gear (Snake) or Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic) (requested/anticipated characters) (Giant (no allies), Multi, Metal or Normal)
Target Smash!! (1 level higher, if played on Intense, level 5 again)
- Level 11 - Free for All (1 vs. 3 with Friendly Fire turned on) (Characters Random)
- Level 12 - Master Hand/Crazy Hand Battle
There are -
- 2 Target Test
- 3 Single
- 2 Team
- 2 Multi-Man
- 2 Giant
- 1 Metal
- 1 3-on-1
- 1 Final
Note: In levels 11 and 12, the 1 vs. 3 and Master Hand/Crazy Hand battles take place on Final Destination. The two songs played on this stage are: Opening (Super Smash Bros. Melee) and Final Destination respectively.