Super Smash Bros. - Nintendo 64

From Star Fox's laser pistol to Link's hook shot, each character's trademark special abilities are utilized to knock one another off the screen. The game does a great job balancing the characters' widely differing powers so that no one character has an insurmountable advantage. The sound and animations are also dead-on: Donkey Kong is a huge, cartoonish ape, while Link is much more detailed and realistic. And Pikachu's famous thunder shock attack is accompanied by a fearsome yell of "PIKA!"

Unlike most fighting games, Super Smash Bros. allows you to team up with a computer partner and take on other teams in both single and multiplayer modes. But the most fun is had when four human players play in a battle royale. The game quickly becomes a scene of incredibly fun chaos: picture Mario beating up on Luigi, while Donkey Kong is chased by a scampering, sledgehammer-wielding Pikachu. It's the perfect party game. --Hugh Arnold

Pros: Great characters: Mario, Luigi, Pikachu, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Link, Star Fox, Yoshi, and more Simple gameplay Computer partner option Colorful arenas Cons: Limited number of arenas