Classic Mode

Classic Mode is a game mode featured in every Super Smash Bros. installment.

Game appearances
In Classic Mode, the player selects a character and has to complete multiple stages, consisting largely of fighting against other Super Smash Bros. characters and culminating in a boss fight (usually against Master Hand) during the final stage. Completing Classic Mode awards the player with a unique image for each character, accompanied by the announcer saying "Congratulations!" In the original game, Melee, and Brawl, completing the mode will result in the player character, depicted as a doll, either going limp on a desk as the camera pans out of the room with a door closing sound-effect (original game), or feature the character reverting back into a trophy, and then panning out to show the character's trophy as well as any trophies the player had collected by that time (Melee and Brawl).

Super Smash Bros.
In Super Smash Bros., it is named 1P Game, and is largely the same for all characters on every playthrough. The player has to complete ten stages, plus three Bonus Stages (Break the Targets, Board the Platforms, and Race to the Finish) and one Final Stage where Master Hand is fought. The player may also select difficulty level and stock number. When each stage is cleared, the player's score receives special bonuses for conditions such the time retaining and damage taken. Timer, Damage, and any Special Bonuses.

Stage 7 is a battle against a Kirby Team. The fourth Kirby is wearing Samus' helmet and has access to her Charge Shot.

Stage 8 is a battle against Samus Aran on Planet Zebes. Samus has one stock, and the player only needs to defeat her within a time limit of five minutes. If the player is playing 1P Mode with Samus in her default Varia Suit costume, then the CPU Samus appears with her Super Metroid Gravity Suit alternate costume.

Stage 10 is a battle against the Fighting Polygon Team. One of the Fighting Polygons is internally named NSamus.

The first two Bonus Stages (Break the Targets and Board the Platforms) are unique to each character. For Samus, her stages are comprised of gray blocks, resembling the aesthetics of elevator rooms in the Metroid franchise.

Samus's congratulations screen depicts her helmet against a black background. Samus Unmasked can be seen in the reflection on the visor.

When 1P Game is completed in under 20 minutes without any continues, it is followed by a one-on-one match against Captain Falcon if he is not already unlocked. Since F-Zero does not have any stages in Super Smash Bros., this fight takes place on Planet Zebes.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Classic consists of 11 stages. Stages 3, 6, and 9 are Bonus Stages (Target Test, Snag the Trophies, and Race to the Finish), and Stage 11 is a fight against Master Hand that may also be joined by Crazy Hand if the stage is reached in less than 5:50 on Normal (or higher) difficulty.

Unlike 1P Mode, the Melee Classic Mode is no longer standardized for every playthrough. Instead, each fighting stage randomly selects from a pool of applicable opponents for a type of match, which is determined based upon the current stage. If the player has selected Samus as their character, then she will not appear as an CPU during Classic Mode.

In Stages 1, 4, and 7, Samus is one of the possible opponents in a one-on-one match. She appears on Brinstar or, if it is already unlocked, Brinstar Depths. If played on Very Hard Difficulty, Samus will use her Green Samus alternate costume if she appears in Stage 1.

Stage 2 is a two-on-two team battle. If she appears as an opponent, Samus may be teamed up with Captain Falcon on Big Blue, or with Fox on Brinstar; in both scenarios, she will also use her Green Samus costume if fought on Very Hard Difficulty. Alternatively, Samus can appear as the player's CPU ally, using her Super Metroid Gravity Suit costume.

In Stage 5, the player is joined by two CPU allies in a battle against a giant character. Samus may appear as one of the allies, using either her Super Metroid Gravity Suit costume or her black costume.

In Stage 10, Samus is one of the possible opponents in a one-on-one match. She appears on Battlefield and is permanently under the effects of a Metal Box.

Target Test is once again unique to each character. Samus's stage uses metallic tiles and tubes, once again evocative of the elevator rooms in her home series.

Samus's congratulations screen depicts her firing a Missile on Brinstar. Completing Classic Mode with Samus for the first time will unlock the classic Samus Aran Trophy.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Classic Mode consists of twelve stages. There are two Target Smash!! Bonus Stages (no longer unique to each character, now determined by the mode's difficulty), and Stage 12 is a fight against Master Hand that may be joined by Crazy Hand if the stage is reached in less than nine minutes on Hard (or higher) difficulty.

The Brawl Classic Mode chooses its opponents based upon the current stage, with a randomized match type (normal, giant, metal, or horde).

Stage 6 features either Metroid or Pikmin. Samus or Zero Suit Samus are possible opponents on this stage, and they may be fought on Norfair or Frigate Orpheon. Although Brinstar returns as a stage, it is not an available option. If the player is using Samus (or Zero Suit Samus) in her default costume, the opponent Samus uses her Fusion Suit costume and Zero Suit Samus uses her dark blue costume; any alternate costume may be seen if the Samus Team or Zero Suit Samus Team is battled.

Stage 11 is a Free-for-All battle on Final Destination against three opponents, which are selected from characters who have not yet appeared in a previous stage. Therefore, if Olimar is fought instead of Samus on Stage 6, then she may appear on this stage instead.

Samus's congratulations screen depicts her pointing her Arm Cannon on Shadow Moses Island. Completing Classic Mode with Samus for the first time will unlock the Samus Trophy. If Classic Mode is completed as Zero Suit Samus, then the Zero Suit Samus Trophy will be unlocked instead. Therefore, it is required to play through Classic Mode twice as Samus to unlock all Trophies.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Classic Mode consists of only six stages. There are several major changes to the formula, such as no more Bonus Stages. Stock number can no longer be selected, and is defaulted at two. Similar to Kid Icarus: Uprising, players must spend gold to adjust the intensity higher or lower than 2.0 (with 9.0 as the maximum), and getting a game over drops the difficulty.

The player's character makes their way across a map with diverging paths. Each path is labeled with a color (red, green, or blue) denoting difficulty and a series symbol indicating which character will be fought. Therefore, any path marked with the Screw Attack symbol will lead to a battle against Samus or Zero Suit Samus on Brinstar. Either version of Samus may also appear in Free-for-All battles on other paths.

Stage 6 is the battle against Master Hand. If played on at least 3.0 intensity, an alternative path to Stage 6 provides a battle against both Master Hand and Crazy Hand; at 8.0 intensity or higher, this is the only path available. When the intensity is at least 5.1 after defeating Master Hand and Crazy Hand, the player faces off against Master Core in a multi-phase battle with the penultimate phase being Master Shadow, a large black copy of the player's character; therefore, if playing as Samus or Zero Suit Samus, Master Shadow will imitate her form. Master Shadow will also copy any of the player's equipment and custom moves.

Samus's congratulations screen depicts her posing with her Gunship on Brinstar. Zero Suit Samus's congratulations screen depicts her posing with her Gunship on Prism Tower. Completing Classic Mode with Samus or Zero Suit Samus for the first time will unlock their respective Trophy.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Classic Mode consists of seven rounds. Just like in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, there are no Bonus Stages, only two stock, and intensity akin to that in Kid Icarus: Uprising.

The player's character appears as a Trophy on a battlefield, with a random assortment of other Trophies gathered on images displaying stages. Unlike previous Classic Modes, characters and stages of the same series are no longer tied together, meaning any character can appear on a Metroid stage, and Samus or Zero Suit Samus can appear on any stage. During Team Battles, the player can choose up to two previously-defeated fighters as their CPU allies.

By the end of Round 3, all other Trophies have been eliminated, causing a new set to replace them. These Trophies are based on the Alt. Trophies, and therefore Samus appears with her Dark Samus costume and Zero Suit Samus appears with her white costume.

Round 7 is the battle against Master Hand. Crazy Hand is always fought if played on at least 3.0 intensity, and Master Core is always fought if played on at least 5.1 intensity. If the intensity is between 5.1 and 7.9, Master Shadow is once again the penultimate stage. If the intensity is at least 8.0, then a new phase is added to the battle: Master Fortress, a large maze populated by Swarm imitations of certain Smash Run enemies, including Geemers.

Samus's congratulations screen depicts her battling Ridley on Pyrosphere. Zero Suit Samus's congratulations screen depicts her staring down her suited self on Final Destination. Completing Classic Mode with Samus or Zero Suit Samus for the first time will unlock their respective Trophy.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Classic Mode consists of eight rounds. One round is a Bonus Game where the player character collects golden orbs to boost their score while running from a vortex; for all Metroid characters, this Bonus Game is the penultimate round. The Final Round is a boss fight; for the first time in the Super Smash Bros. series, Master Hand is not always the boss fought during Classic Mode, although he is still the boss for all four Metroid fighters and will be joined by Crazy Hand at intensities of at least 7.0. Intensity works like it did in 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, but now displays a banner of artwork that can only be viewed in its entirety by playing harder intensities; doing well during each round will also automatically raises the intensity.

Each character has a completely unique version of Classic Mode. Each route is themed to that character in a certain way, even featuring a unique title. As such, it is no longer randomized like previous games, nor is it the same for every character like in the original 1P Mode.

Samus's Classic Mode route is Another Planet, Another Bounty. Each round is a match against monsters or robots on Metroid stages. Round 1 is a battle against Wolf on Brinstar, with Title Theme as the background music. Round 2 is a battle against Giant King K. Rool on Brinstar (Omega Form), with Brinstar Depths as the background music. Round 3 is a Horde Battle against six R.O.B. on Brinstar Depths, with Brinstar (Melee) as the background music. Round 4 is a battle against Giant Ridley on Norfair, with Vs. Ridley as the background music. Round 5 is a battle against Mewtwo, Bowser, and Charizard on Norfair (Omega Form), with Multiplayer as the background music. Round 6 is a battle against Dark Samus on Frigate Orpheon, with Vs. Parasite Queen as the background music. Round 7 is the Bonus Game, and the Final Round is the Master Hand boss battle. Ending (Metroid) is the staff credits music.

Zero Suit Samus's Classic Mode route is '''Grapplers! Whips! Chains!''' Each round is a match against fighters with tether recoveries. Round 1 is a battle against Young Link and Toon Link on Skyloft, with Dark World (for 3DS/Wii U) as the background music. Round 2 is a battle against Ivysaur on Spear Pillar, with Pokémon Gym/Evolution as the background music. Round 3 is a battle against Dark Samus on Brinstar Depths, with Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior as the background music. Round 4 is a battle against Yoshi on Peach's Castle, with Super Mario World Medley as the background music. Round 5 is a battle against Simon and Richter on Dracula's Castle, with Simon Belmont Theme (The Arcade) as the background music. Round 6 is a Horde Battle against six Wireframe Little Macs on 75M (Battlefield Form), with Tunnel Scene as the background music. Round 7 is the Bonus Game, and the Final Round is the Master Hand boss battle. Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior is the staff credits music.

Ridley's Classic Mode route is '''It Can't Be! Space Pirates!', which partially references the cutscene before the battle with Ridley's clone in Metroid: Other M''; during Samus's PTSD episode, she exclaims "No! It can't be!" Each round is a match against other fighters who pilot spaceships. Round 1 is a battle against Samus on Norfair, with Title Theme as the background music. Round 2 is a battle against Fox and Falco on Venom, with Break: Through the Ice as the background music. Round 3 is a battle against Olimar on Distant Planet, with Fragment of Hope as the background music. Round 4 is a battle against Rosalina & Luma, Mario, and Peach on Mario Galaxy, with Fated Battle as the background music. Round 5 is a battle against Meta Knight on Halberd, with Dangerous Dinner as the background music. Round 6 is a battle against Zero Suit Samus on Frigate Orpheon, with Vs. Ridley as the background music. Round 7 is the Bonus Game, and the Final Round is the Master Hand boss battle. Vs. Ridley (Brawl) is the staff credits music.

Dark Samus's Classic Mode route is The Great Poison Given Form, referencing the Chozo's name for Phazon. Each of the first five rounds is a Team Battle, in which Dark Samus is teamed up with an ally CPU using an alternate costumes representing "evil" or "corrupted" versions of themselves. Round 1 is a battle against Link on Hyrule Castle, with Hyrule Castle (Outside) as the background music; Zelda (in her black/purple costume) is Dark Samus's teammate. Round 2 is a battle against Chrom and Lucina on Arena Ferox, with Power-Hungry Fool as the background music; Robin (in his white costume) is Dark Samus's teammate. Round 3 is a battle against Ryu on Suzako Castle, with M. Bison Stage Type B as the background music; Ken (in his black/red costume) is Dark Samus's teammate. Round 4 is a battle against Squirtle, Charizard, and Pikachu on Saffron City, with Battle! (Team Galactic) as the background music; Ivysaur (in its blue-skinned green-budded costume) is Dark Samus's teammate. Round 5 is a battle against Mario, Peach, and Daisy on Princess Peach's Castle, with Luigi's Mansion (Brawl) as the background music; Luigi (in his purple costume) is Dark Samus's teammate. Round 6 is a Free-for-All against Samus and Ridley on Norfair, with Vs. Ridley (Brawl) as the background music. Round 7 is the Bonus Game, and the Final Round is the Master Hand boss battle. Multiplayer is the staff credits music.

Other characters feature Metroid characters in their respective Classic Modes:
 * In Bayonetta's route, The Requiem of Fallen Wings, the opponents are winged characters. Round 3 is a battle against Meta Ridley (in his Mecha Ridley costume) on Reset Bomb Forest, with Riders Of The Light as the background music.
 * In Bowser's route, The Red One, Every Red One!, the opponents are characters with red prominently featured in their color schemes. Round 3 is a battle against Samus on Norfair, with Brinstar (Melee) as the background music.
 * In Corrin's route, Between Black and White, the opponents are characters with black or white prominently featured in their color schemes. Round 2 is a battle against Dark Samus on Brinstar Depths, with Lockdown Battle Theme as the background music.
 * In Dark Pit's route, Created Warriors, the opponents are characters who are not natural lifeforms. Round 2 is a battle against Dark Samus on Frigate Orpheon, with Opening/Menu as the background music.
 * In Diddy Kong's route, Hey, Little Buddy!, each round is a Team Battle. Round 2 is a battle against Meta Ridley and Dark Samus on Norfair, with Nemesis Ridley as the background music; Zero Suit Samus is Diddy Kong's teammate.
 * In Falco's route, Soar Above the Darkness, the opponents are evil versions of other characters. Round 1 is a battle against Dark Samus on Frigate Orpheon, with Multiplayer as the background music.
 * In Fox's route, Spaceborne Smash, the opponents are space travelers. Round 1 is a battle against Samus on Brinstar, with Title Theme as the background music. Round 4 is a Team Battle against Giant Dark Samus on Frigate Orpheon, with Star Fox Medley as the background music; Zero Suit Samus is Fox's teammate.
 * In Greninja's route, Your Turn, Greninja!, each round is themed around a particular Pokémon type. Round 2 is a battle against Pikachu, Pichu, and Zero Suit Samus on Pokémon Stadium, with Battle! (Steven) as the background music.
 * In Isabelle's route, Best in Show, the opponents are female. Round 4 is a Team Battle against Zero Suit Samus, Bayonetta, and Samus on Moray Towers, with Split & Splat as the background music; Isabelle's teammates are Inkling and Ice Climbers (using the red alternate costume that makes Nana the lead fighter).
 * In Jigglypuff's route, All Original, All 64, the opponents consist of the series's "perfect attendance crew". Round 3 is a battle against Samus and Yoshi on Super Happy Tree, with Yoshi's Story (64) as the background music.
 * In Ken's route, Red-Hot Rivaley, the opponents are rivals of another character. Round 3 is a fight against Dark Samus on Frigate Orpheon, with Multiplayer as the background music.
 * In King K. Rool's route, Super Heavyweight Class, the opponents are heavyweights. Round 4 is a battle against Ridley on Brinstar Depths (Battlefield Form), with Vs. Ridley as the background music.
 * In Link's route, A Quest to Seal the Darkness, the opponents are characters associated with darkness. Round 2 is a battle against Giant Ridley on Norfair, with Vs. Ridley as the background music. Round 4 is a battle against Dark Samus on Frigate Orpheon, with Boss Battle 4 as the background music.
 * In Luigi's route, Luigi's Nightmares, the opponents are scary characters. Round 2 is a battle against Giant Ridley on Brinstar, with Sector 1 as the background music.
 * In Marth's route, A Kingdom of Dragons, the opponents are dragons. Round 5 is a battle against Giant Ridley on Gerudo Valley, with Lords-Showdown as the background music.
 * In Mega Man's route, Variable Weapons System: Online!, each fight is reminiscent of bosses from the Mega Man series. Round 2 is a battle against Samus on Coliseum (Omega Form), with Metal Man Stage as the background music.
 * In Meta Knight's route, Two Sides of the Same Coin, each round is against two opponents who are opposite versions of one another. Round 5 is a Free-for-All against Samus and Dark Samus on Frigate Orpheon, with Multiplayer as the background music.
 * In Olimar's route, Planetary Explorer, the opponents are characters from different planets. Round 4 is a fight against Zero Suit Samus on Brinstar, with Brinstar (Melee) as the background music.
 * In Pac-Man's route, Ageless Classic, the opponents are grouped based on year of debut, similar to All-Star Mode in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Round 4 is a battle against Young Link, Samus, Simon, and Pit (who all debuted in 1986) on Hyrule Castle, with Overworld Theme as the background music.
 * In Piranha Plant's route, New Bloom, the opponents are newcomers in Ultimate. Round 2 is a fight against Ridley and Dark Samus on Norfair, with Vs. Ridley as the background music.
 * In Pit's route, Fighting for the Goddess!, the opponents are mostly villains or dark characters. Round 1 is a fight against Dark Samus on Brinstar, with Underworld as the background music.
 * In Richter's route, Smash Echoes, the opponents are Echo Fighters. Round 1 is a fight against Dark Samus on Norfair, with Multiplayer as the background music.
 * In R.O.B.'s route, Unreadable Expressions, the opponents are masked or lack facial expressions. Round 2 is a fight against Dark Samus on Frigate Orpheon, with Psycho Bits as the background music.
 * In Robin's route, Thunder and Flames, the opponents use electric and fire attacks. Round 2 is a fight against Zero Suit Samus and Roy on Coliseum, with Wining Road - Roy's Hope as the background music.
 * In Rosalina & Luma's route, One Star after Another, the opponents are from space. Round 3 is a fight against Samus on Brinstar, with Title Theme as the background music. Round 4 is a battle against Ridley on Brinstar Depths, with Brinstar Depths (Melee) as the background music.
 * In Ryu's route, Seeking a Challenge, each fight is a one-on-one stamina battle reminiscent of the Street Fighter series. Zero Suit Samus is fought in Round 2 in her dark blue costume on Onett (Omega Form); with Chun-Li Stage Type A as the background music, this match is a reference to the Street Fighter character Chun-Li.
 * In Sheik's route, Masquerade, the opponents wear masks or helmets. Round 3 is a battle against Samus on Norfair, with Opening/Menu as the background music.
 * In Simon's route, Smash-vania, the opponents are evocative of the Castlevania series. Round 2 is a battle against Giant Ridley on Luigi's Mansion (Omega Form), with Out of Time as the background music.
 * In Snake's route, Weapons and Equipment OSP, the opponents use projectile weapons. Round 5 is a Horde Battle against Samus (in her Varia and Fusion Suits) and R.O.B. (in his NES and FDS costumes) on Norfair, with Main Theme - METAL GEAR SOLID PEACE WALKER as the background music.
 * In Yoshi's route, Jurassic Journey!, the opponents are reptilian. Round 2 is a fight against Giant Ridley on Great Bay, with Yoshi's Tale as the background music.
 * In Zelda's route, Wisdom Prevails, the opponents are villains. Round 5 is a fight against Dark Samus on Gerudo Valley, with Hidden Mountain & Forest as the background music.

Samus's congratulations screen depicts her aiming her Arm Cannon on Umbra Clock Tower. Zero Suit Samus's congratulations screen depicts her posing on Final Destination. Ridley's congratulations screen depicts him at giant size roaring at Rathalos on Eldin Bridge, with a much smaller Yoshi standing between them. Dark Samus's congratulations screen depicts her posing with Ridley and Kraid on Brinstar Depths.

Since Trophies are not included in Ultimate, beating Classic Mode will no longer unlock the character's respective Trophy. Instead, the character's corresponding Fighter Spirit is unlocked. However, Ridley's route only unlocks the main Ridley Fighter Spirit; the Meta Ridley Fighter Spirit must be unlocked through Challenges.

Trivia

 * While Samus Aran is usually only referred to by her first name in the Super Smash Bros. series, 1P Mode presents her CPU's full name on the "VS" screen before Stage 8.
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the only game where Samus and Zero Suit Samus share the same congratulations screen.