Ness


 * ''For Melee fighter info, see Ness (SSBM).

Ness (ネス) is the main character of the cult classic Super Nintendo Entertainment System Role Playing Adventure EarthBound, the most popular and successful game in the MOTHER franchise. He appears as the sole representative of both the game and the series in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee. He appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl alongside fellow MOTHER representative, Lucas, who hails from MOTHER 3.

Character description
In EarthBound, Ness is a courageous boy, as well as a silent protagonist from the fictional town of Onett located in north-western country of Eagleland. He possesses strong psychic powers called Psychokinesis (hence the abbreviation PK, called PSI in the American adaption), and in the year 199X, utilizes his abilities to defeat a vengeful alien known as Giygas (although Giygas's motivation for revenge is only known from playing MOTHER). He is the successor of Ninten, the star of the original MOTHER (sometimes called "EarthBound Zero"), the game in the MOTHER series before EarthBound and the first out of the trilogy. Some say Ninten and Ness are identical; however, the games take place in different settings, and there are several differences between the two boys. (Ninten knows no offensive PSI attacks, for example.)

Among many weapons, Ness wields slingshots, yo-yos, and most famous of all, Ness' signature baseball bat. Ness is also a master of the psychic powers called PSI, and knows PSI attacks like PK Flash, PK Rockin', PSI Shield, Lifeup, Healing, Hypnosis, Paralysis and Teleport. Paula and Poo's moves (PK Fire, PK Thunder PSI Magnet, and PK Starstorm) would be borrowed by Ness for combat in the Super Smash Bros. series.

In Super Smash Bros.
Ness was a bit of surprise addition to the roster for the original Super Smash Bros. Many players had never expected such an obscure character to turn up in the game, which seems to be reflected in-game, as he is a secret character, unlocked by completing the 1P Game on a difficulty of Normal or higher, with three lives or less and using no continues. Strangely, none of Ness' his Special Moves are his own; the PSI Magnet, PK Fire and PK Thunder, (B + Down, B and B + Up, respectively), were originally used by his ally Paula in EarthBound. A possible explanation for this discrepancy is offered in the sequel to this game, Super Smash Bros. Melee, which states that Paula may have taught him these techniques to use in battles.

In-game description:
 * Ness was a seemingly-average kid from Onett, but in truth, he was destined for much more. When a strange meteorite landed near his hometown, the little boy with psychic powers set out to save the world. Little has been said of Ness' character, and much remains hidden.


 * Works:
 * EarthBound (SNES)

In Super Smash Bros. Melee
Ness returns in Super Smash Bros. Melee as a default character this time around. He keeps all of his old special moves and, as all other veterans, gains a fourth and new one: PK Flash, which is assigned as his neutral B attack. PK Flash is Ness' first "true" special attack, as his other two offensive moves were not used by him in EarthBound. PK Fire was also changed to Ness' B + Forward.

Unlike Captain Falcon, who also made the transition from unlockable to default without being affected much, Ness appears to have been "nerfed"; that is, his fighting ability has been decreased, making him a much lower-quality character, much to the dismay of Ness fans.

Trophy Description

 * Ness is a young boy who's mastered the psychic power known as PSI. Ness was living a normal life in the suburbs of Onett until a meteor crashed into a nearby mountain and sent him on a wild adventure. Believing in the ultimate powers of wisdom, courage, and friendship, Ness proves that some heroes come in small packages.
 * EarthBound (06/95)

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
On January 20, 2008, Edible, a GameFAQs member, made a topic in the site's Brawl message board about an official trailer on the Japanese Wii website that apparently confirmed Ness (as well as Lucario and Jigglypuff) as playable characters in the game. In this screenshot taken of the video, a Ness icon can clearly be seen in the lower right hand corner when the Claus sticker is selected, suggesting that Ness was returning in playable form. The video in question can be viewed here.

The intro for Brawl features Ness, reaffirming the fact that he is playable in-game. He is a default character in Melee, but back as an unlockable in Brawl. Ness was revealed to be a confirmed playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl on February 1st, 2008, the day after Brawl came out in Japan.

Trophy Description

 * An average boy whose life changed when he found a meteor and an alien on a nearby mountain. The alien warned him of a future threat, and adventure ensued. He can use energy known as PSI and also wields a bat and yo-yo. This brave youth gives his all to defeat the evil Giygas.
 * EarthBound (Super Nintendo Entertainment System)
 * Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo 64)

Trivia

 * Ness's name may be a pun on the NES, or an anagram of the letters in its successor, the SNES.
 * Oddly, Ness's trophy in Brawl has Super Smash Bros. listed as one of the games he appears in.
 * Ness is the only secret character to appear in the opening of every Super Smash Bros. game.
 * The blush circles on Ness's face have been slightly faded in Brawl.
 * Although Ness's specials are called "PK (Name)" in the Super Smash Bros. series, they are called "PSI (Name)" in EarthBound; however, the "PK" prefix was used in the game's Japanese incarnation, MOTHER 2, and in all other EarthBound games in both English and Japanese (although this is partly because there is no official English version of MOTHER or MOTHER 3, the English version of MOTHER 3 is a fan translation and the English version of MOTHER is a leaked unreleased English copy that was edited slightly to surpass piracy checks)
 * In Brawl, his yo-yo has the words "Super Nintendo 2008, Mother" printed on it.
 * Ness and Captain Falcon are the only two characters to appear in every Super Smash Bros. title and have their unlockability status change between games.
 * If you take a close at Ness's eyes in Melee and Brawl, they have a bluish/purplish color in them.
 * He, along with Samus, made their only appearance on the N64 in the original Super Smash Brothers.
 * First Appearance: EarthBound

Year: 1994

Platform: SNES

Series: EarthBound (Mother)