Welcome to Smash 64 vs Melee, the ultimate retro showdown. No Minecraft Steve, no laggy online, no patches every Tuesday, just two beautifully busted games from the early days of Smash.

Let’s see which one still hits hardest.

1. Which One Feels Faster?

Melee is supposed to be the fast one. Everyone says it. But if you’ve played Smash 64 long enough, Melee actually feels kinda… sluggish.

In 64, moves come out instantly. You press a button, your character just does the thing. In Melee, there’s a lot more startup and cooldown. It’s flashier, sure, but it doesn’t always feel snappy.

Melee is fast with rules
64 is fast with vibes

2. Movement, aka “Why Am I Tripping Over My Own Feet?”

Melee has cool movement. You can slide, bounce, cancel, and teleport around if you’re a hand gymnast. But it’s not exactly pick-up-and-play.

64 is simple. You move, you jump, you punch people. Nothing’s locking you out or saying, “Nope, you missed the frame window, enjoy falling off the stage.”

Melee: Looks like parkour, feels like taxes
64: Run, jump, hit, repeat

3. How Hard Is It To Actually Play?

Melee is hard. You gotta learn techniques just to stay alive. You’re constantly under pressure from both your opponent and your own controller.

64 is more forgiving. You don’t need a PhD in input timing to have fun. It’s still got depth, but it lets you focus on the fight, not your finger gymnastics.

Melee: High skill, high effort
64: Low barrier, still hype

4. What’s More Fun for Longer?

After an hour of Melee, your hands hurt and your brain is fried. You probably learned something, but you also aged 3 years.

64? You can play it all day. It’s chaotic, it’s silly, it’s full of weird moments. Even getting wrecked feels entertaining.

Melee: Tryhard heaven
64: Punch-fest with style

5. The Bias Is Real

Melee players love the precision. 64 players love the madness. And both of them think the other side is completely wrong.

Let’s be honest, both games are great, just in totally different ways. Melee is for people who want competition and frame-perfect movement. 64 is for people who want to dropkick Pikachu off the map and laugh about it.

Melee: Serious mode
64: Party mode with fists

Final Verdict

If you want a game that tests your reactions, execution, and maybe your sanity, play Melee.
If you want a game that tests your instincts, creativity, and ability to laugh at your own defeat, play Smash 64.

Either way, you’re not playing Brawl, so you’re already winning.