Ness

Lore & Background

Ness first appeared in the 1994 Super NES game EarthBound (known as Mother 2 in Japan), where he serves as the main protagonist and playable character. He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigesato Itoi. In EarthBound, Ness teams up with Paula, Jeff, and Poo to battle Giygas, the main antagonist. During his journey, Ness visits eight sanctuaries to absorb their psychic energies, then enters Magicant, a realm within his mind, where he vanquishes a personification of his evil thoughts. After this, the four characters use the Phase Distorter to travel directly to the past to battle Giygas and Pokey. Giygas is defeated, and Pokey escapes, though after everyone returns home, Pokey sends Ness a letter challenging him. Though EarthBound sold poorly in the United States, Ness became popular through his addition to the Super Smash Bros. fighting game series roster.

Reader's Guide

Ness is a playable fighter in the Super Smash Bros. series. He attacks with a baseball bat and a yo-yo, and his strengths revolve around his psychic abilities. One ability allows Ness to hit himself and propel himself forward or upward, resulting in both recovery and offense. Ness was originally going to be replaced by Lucas in Super Smash Bros. They both later appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U (though Lucas was initially excluded and added through DLC), and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Did You Know?

• Lucas was originally planned to replace Ness in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but both were kept in the final roster.
• In Brawl, Ness gained a 'Final Smash' move based on Poo's 'PK Starstorm' from EarthBound.

Ness's Competitive Controversy and Balance

In the early days of competitive play for Super Smash Bros., Ness emerged as a dominant force that sparked significant debate regarding game balance. Masahiro Sakurai, the series creator, acknowledged feedback from tournament players who felt both Kirby and Ness possessed overwhelming strength compared to other fighters on the roster. While balancing the Nintendo 64 title proved difficult due to varying effectiveness in one-on-one versus four-player scenarios, Ness specifically required intervention to ensure fair competition. Consequently, a specific attack move was nerfed in overseas versions of the game to reduce his overall power level. This adjustment highlighted the delicate nature of character design in fighting games, where a single ability could tip the scales too far. Despite these modifications, Ness remained a notable figure in the competitive landscape, illustrating how player perception and developer response interacted to shape the meta-game during the franchise's formative years.

Roster Development and the Mother Series

The inclusion of characters from Nintendo's classic franchises was often a complex negotiation involving strict image supervision. Sakurai noted that securing permission for Pokémon characters was particularly challenging, yet he successfully advocated for including sword users like Marth to provide Link with an opponent capable of crossing blades. Similarly, Roy was fought for and retained in international versions despite concerns about his game not being released yet. However, the Mother series faced a different hurdle; while Ness secured a spot, his sequel counterpart Lucas was considered as a replacement during Melee's development. Ultimately, Lucas was omitted from the roster solely because the Nintendo 64 version of Mother 3 had been cancelled at that time. This decision underscored how external factors, such as game cancellations and release schedules, directly influenced which characters could represent their franchises in the crossover event.