You might be a new player who has just been introduced to the world of competitive Smash. You might be a veteran competitor who needs some fresh insight on the game. You might be someone who has no idea what I'm talking about (what the heck is a Melee?). Whoever you are, I'm here to tell you my thoughts about picking the right character for Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo Gamecube.

Playstyle

First and foremost, think about what your playstyle is like. Melee is a beautiful 2.5D pseudo-platforming-fighting game with unique and intricate combo and movement systems, as well as a diverse cast of 26 characters, each offering a fascinating way to experience the game. Some characters move faster than others. Do you want to use someone that can rush down your opponents and chase them all over the map? Some characters are slower and rely on their defensive options to win the game. Do you want to use someone that requires more patience and discipline, playing the long game? What about characters that fly through the air? Slip and slide all over the stage? There are simply way too many different characters to play, so I'll break it down. Because I've been playing A LOT of Overwatch lately, I was inspired to separate characters into their fundamental archetypes based on how they are played in the competitive scene.

*Note*: This is not the entire character list. This is a list of the most viable and successful characters in the competitive scene.

Offense

1. Fox
2. Falco
3. Captain Falcon

These are the characters that you should play if you want to abuse your superior speed and mobility. With their insane combo potential and 1 frame shine (that has invincibility!!!), Fox and Falco (the Spacies/Space Animals) are the epitome of offense and pressure. They have all the tools to hunt down and attack your opponent, as well as the speed to retreat and maintain advantageous positioning. Pick these characters if you want to WIN. Captain Falcon is the fastest character on the ground, capable of running circles around your opponent. He's hindered by his lack of a projectile, but his killer long legs and infamous Knee of Justice make up for it (not to mention his famous Falcon Punch!).

Defense

1. Marth
2. Sheik
3. Jigglypuff
4. Ice Climbers

These are the characters that you should play if you want to play the slower game and capitalize on your opponent's poor decision-making. Marth has one of the best dashdances in the game; one of his main strategies is dashing back and forth, using his speed to deceive his opponent. His sword, long grab range, and mobility make him a strong zoning character who can patiently control large areas of the stage and force his opponents to make mistakes that he can punish. While Marth is strong on the ground, Sheik excels on the platforms, using her needles, aerials, and tilts to zone and control space. Discipline and clever baits will net you devastating grabs and combos. Jigglypuff has become one of the most annoying defensive characters to play against due to her extremely disjointed b-air (back aerial), her 1HKO move Rest, and her "floaty" quality that makes her hard to combo. If you like not having to approach your opponents and enjoy using your b-air to poke at your opponent and think it's funny when they run into it: play Jigglypuff. The Ice Climbers are one of the most despised characters to play against in the entire community due to their infamous "wobbling" technique: a guaranteed loss of your stock if you get grabbed. They rely on desyncs, using blizzard walls and ice blocks, and other defensive options to mess up your approach and grab you.

Tank

1. Peach
2. Samus

These characters are all a bit on the slow side, but don't let that fool you into thinking they're easy targets. Peach and Samus are notoriously difficult to kill in the right hands, and their counterattacks are extremely painful if you hit them in the wrong way (Peach and Samus are what I call the "devastating down-smashers"). Don't be surprised if you see these characters living past 200%; they possess the ability to recover and make it back to the stage from almost anywhere. These characters will whittle your health down with projectiles and counterattacks while surviving way past the normal threshold for a character's stock.

Before you jump to any conclusions: yes, I do think it's a little silly to put characters in certain categories when they can fit in perfectly fine in other roles (especially Fox). Fox can be played just as defensively as he can offensively because the way he is designed and the tools he has allow him to do so. Just like in Overwatch, the category that a character is placed in doesn't define the way they are played. It is their toolkit, the way they are designed, the players themselves that define the character. For all intents and purposes, Hanzo is a Defense character that is supposed to be awful on the Attacking side. Yet, the truly skilled find a way to make it work... somehow. A better example would be D.va, who can play the role of an offensive tank.

After you decide what character archetype fits your personality and playstyle best, experiment with it. Play the characters belonging to that category and see how it feels to you. Some will feel naturally smooth and easy for you. Some will be very difficult and straining. Play a variety of characters in as many different scenarios as you can, and see which ones you get good vibes from.

Last but not least, pick the character that you have the most fun with. This is an oft forgotten aspect of the game, especially in the competitive scene. Your goal might not to be to win every tournament; you might just want to troll all your friends and that role is filled best with Kirby. Play the character that makes your heart feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

This character breakdown is a really basic and elementary guide for new players who are searching for the right character that would fit them best. If you want a more nuanced analysis of specific characters, don't worry, it's coming. I have A LOT to say, especially about our friend (frenemy?) Fox.