Super Smash Bros. Melee

$49.95, GameCube

Teaches: nominal educational value

CTR Review

The first line of the instruction booklet sums up this popular game nicely. "The object of Super Smash Bros. Melee is to attack your opponents and send them flying from the field of battle." Much like an animated version of The Three Stooges, kids bop, fly, hop and explode their way through battle after battle. The graphics are some of the best out there, as are the program's music and responsivity. While a real head-scratcher for adults, the program is a favorite with kids (ages 7 and up), and children are begging parents to buy it. Will mom and dad lay out the 50 bucks? That depends on their feelings about the animated violence. The excessive and pervasive slapstick fighting earned the game a TEEN rating, although the humor and characters are geared toward upper elementary and middle school kids. When asked if they would buy the game, two test families told us that they planned to buy it for their 7- to 13-year-old kids in spite of the ESRB rating. The third family responded with a simple "nope." If you're looking for fast paced two player action, you can't do better than Super Smash Brothers. Buy it. Note, see also Super Smash Brothers Brawl for the Wii.