The summer before 3rd grade, my brother's gamecube had stopped working so my dad said he'd get me my own, we went to La Curacao [department store] and they had gamecubes, but their consoles always came bundled w/ stuff and the gamecube came bundled w/ super smash bros melee, I remember seeing the boxart and being off put by it due to its realism [I was into kiddy cartoony stuff at the time I guess], I even remember thinking if I can ask if I can just skip the game and only get the system but I decided not to ask, we went ahead and got it
when I first began to play it, I was really confused by all the menus, my brother directed me to events mode and then eventually classic mode, and for a long while that was all I ever did, I didn't know I can play standard melee matches w/ myself, I thought that was multiplayer only, so my first memories of the game revolve around me slowly figuring out how things work and eventually unlocking characters and stages, over the years I would play the game constantly and I'm SUPER glad I never asked if I can just skip the game back when I originally got it [I kinda don't think I would've been able to anyway but still]