Editing Ness (SSBU)

In a first for the series, {{s|wikipedia|Makiko Ōmoto}} does not provide Ness with any new voice clips, instead all [[PK Freeze|but one]] of his voice lines from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' have been repurposed for ''Ultimate''.

 

 

 

As a result of his strengths and weaknesses, Ness is viewed as a strong but volatile character in competitive play. Players such as {{Sm|Gackt}}, {{Sm|Scend}}, and {{Sm|Syrup}} have seen consistent success with Ness in tournaments.

Ness is a versatile character with strong tools for a variety of situations. Although he has relatively poor ground movement — his [[walking speed]], [[initial dash]], and [[dash]] speed are below average, as well as his [[air speed]] — his aerial movement shines thanks to his excellent [[air acceleration]], above-average [[jump]] height, and unique [[double jump cancel]]ling ability. Further bolstering his aerial game, Ness' low [[gravity]] and low [[falling speed]] allow him to perform multiple aerials in one [[short hop]], and all of his aerial normals can be [[auto-canceling|auto-canceled]]. Ness has three projectiles with numerous applications, including [[juggling]], [[edgeguarding]], and even [[recovery]]. Despite his small stature, Ness is a middleweight, tied with {{SSBU|Lucas}}, {{SSBU|Mii Brawler}}, and {{SSBU|Inkling}}.

Ness' outstanding aerial movement is supported by one of the best sets of aerial normals in the entire game. His neutral aerial activates on frame 5 and functions well as a combo-breaker and out-of-shield option. It also sets up tech chase situations at middle percents and has decent knockback at high percents, making it a viable edgeguarding and KO option. His forward aerial has a large disjoint and is quite active, making it excellent for starting combos, edgeguarding, and approaching. Ness' new multi-hit up aerial is strong and great for juggling, and its drag-down properties allow Ness to set up grabs, combos, and KOs. Ness' back aerial is fast and very strong when sweetspotted, and his down aerial is a slow-but-powerful meteor smash useful for edgeguarding or starting vertical combos.

Ness' grab and throw game is also outstanding and among the best in the cast. His grab is relatively fast, and all of his throws have useful applications. Ness' down throw is a solid combo starter that will often lead into multiple forward airs, and his forward throw has very high base knockback, allowing Ness to reliably set up edgeguarding situations. Ness' up throw, while not as practical, is a solid mix-up that can set up juggling with PK Thunder or PK Flash. Most notorious, however, is Ness' back throw, which remains the most consistent kill throw in the game.

Ness' ground game, while limited by his poor ground mobility, features some powerful attacks. His forward tilt and dash attack are fast and strong enough to KO at high percents, and the latter has improved range. His up tilt is a good combo tool at low percents and can even KO at higher percents. His down tilt, which is very fast and highly spammable, can be used to two-frame, jab lock, pressure shields, confirm into a grab, or deal immense damage if the opponent is trapped at the ledge. His forward smash (baseball bat) has high start-up and ending lag, but deals very high damage and knockback, especially when sweetspotted with the tip of the bat. The bat is also a [[reflection|reflector]] with a damage multiplier of 2.0 and a speed multiplier of 2.5, giving it the second highest damage multiplier (after Kazuya's [[Left Splits Kick]]) and the single highest speed multiplier of any reflector in the game, excluding items. Ness' up and down smashes (yo-yo) have significantly improved knockback, deal damage while charging, and can hang below the stage, making them some of the best and easiest-to-use edgeguarding tools in the game.

Ness is perhaps best known for his special moves. His neutral special, [[PK Flash]], is a large projectile that travels in an arc from Ness' head, gaining strength and distance depending on how long the input is held for. Because it has low ending lag and freezes opponents briefly when successful, PK Flash has great utility as a combo starter and juggling tool. It also no longer sends Ness into [[helplessness]], making it useful for knocking opponents away from the ledge while Ness is offstage. Ness' side special, [[PK Fire]], is a tiny projectile that travels horizontally a short distance and bursts into a pillar of flames on contact with an opponent, dealing multiple hits. When used in the air, PK Fire has a diagonal trajectory and decreased landing lag, bolstering its safety in neutral, especially on platforms. The move is infamously spammable and can set up combos, condition opponents to jump, or simply rack up damage itself. Ness' up special, [[PK Thunder]], doubles as a versatile projectile and Ness' primary recovery option. The move sends a ball of electricity upward from Ness' head that can be guided with the control stick, costing Ness his mobility while active, but granting him the ability to pressure deep offstage, juggle opponents repeatedly, or at times KO an opponent into the upper blast zone. Ness can also send the lightning into himself at any angle, launching him in that direction for an extremely powerful [[PK Thunder 2]] attack which also allows Ness to recover from deep offstage. Ness' down special, [[PSI Magnet]], creates a psychic field around Ness that absorbs energy-based attacks and heals Ness a proportionate percent. PSI Magnet also has newfound offensive utility in ''Ultimate'', as it now features an active hitbox with set knockback. The aerial hitbox can confirm into several of Ness' normal aerials, while the grounded hitbox places opponents in perfect range for a sweetspotted forward smash, making it practical in [[jab lock]] situations. PSI Magnet also alters the momentum of Ness' [[double jump]], a form of [[double jump cancel]]ling that makes for a unique aerial burst option and a stylish way to start or extend combos.

Ness' strengths are balanced by notable weaknesses. Grounded PK Fire does good damage, but is punishable on shield and easily escapable with good [[DI]], making it generally less useful than its aerial counterpart. While Ness' hitboxes are large and powerful, he can still be stuffed out by characters with even larger disjoints. Moreover, Ness' below-average run speed and average air speed, as well as his projectiles being rather slow or short-ranged, render him slightly vulnerable to [[camping]], especially against opponents with non-energy projectiles. Ness is also vulnerable to [[juggling]] given his floatiness and lack of reliable landing options, as well as the removal of multiple air dodges. However, Ness' most glaring weakness remains his recovery. Despite traveling a good distance, his PK Thunder 2 is quite exploitable: if the attack makes contact with an opponent or projectile mid-flight, its distance will be halved, often resulting in a gimp. Furthermore, opponents with good timing can hit Ness with a powerful attack or fall into PK Thunder 1 before he can launch himself. Because of its enormous knockback, PK Thunder 2 is also susceptible to many [[counterattack|counters]], and opponents who time their counter correctly will almost always kill Ness. Conversely, opponents who mistime an edgeguard against Ness will often die for it.

Overall, Ness is somewhat of a "glass cannon" character who excels in most offensive aspects of the game, but suffers in certain defensive situations, especially when put offstage or high above his opponent. He also struggles against characters who can outrange his disjoints, though this is less of a problem than in previous games.

Ness has been significantly buffed in his transition from ''SSB4'' to ''Ultimate''. Various changes to his previous options and the addition of new ones have positively impacted his playstyle, and the changes to the game's engine strengthen his kit.

Ness' ground game is better compared to previous iterations; [[forward tilt]] is now a viable KO option, [[dash attack]] has increased knockback and range, [[up tilt]] has decreased ending lag and is useful for starting combos, and [[down tilt]] racks up damage much more effectively, especially near the ledge. Among his most significant buffs are the changes to his yo-yo smash attacks ([[up smash]] and [[down smash]]), which not only regained their charging hitboxes, but now hang below the ledge to very easily set up edgeguards against most characters; up smash has also lost its early hit and has dramatically higher knockback, making it a viable KO option for the first time.

Many of Ness' other tools are more effective as well. All of his aerials, save for neutral aerial, deal more damage, and he has gained a new [[up aerial]] that hits multiple times, allowing for drag-down combos and set-ups while retaining most of its standalone KO power. [[Down aerial]] has more range, can once again be autocanceled from a short hop, and has a much stronger [[meteor smash]] effect. In terms of special moves, [[PK Flash]] charges much more quickly and no longer causes [[helpless]]ness; [[PK Fire]] has reduced lag (especially landing lag, making it far more useful when used in the air) that improves its combo and set-up potential, and [[PK Thunder]] deals more damage. His most notable buff, however, comes from a significantly improved [[PSI Magnet]]; the move now has a hitbox (similarly to {{SSBU|Lucas}}, although during the move rather than when canceling the move) that possesses a rehit rate, which gives it offensive use for the first time in the series, as it helps Ness extend combos and gives him newfound KO confirms at high percentages.

 

 

Overall, the buffs to Ness' neutral game, punish game, edgeguarding, and recovery outweigh the few nerfs he received, and while his main weaknesses —such as lack of range and an exploitable recovery— are still present, they are generally to a lesser extent than in previous ''Smash'' games. Thus, despite his similar position among the roster, Ness performs better than in ''SSB4'', and his incarnation in ''Ultimate'' is widely considered his strongest in the ''Smash'' series to date.  

*Ness possesses a special jump. When jumping in midair, Ness will ascend in a floatier, curved trajectory. The upward momentum of Ness' double jump can be [[double jump cancel|canceled]] by inputting a special move or throwing an item. This trait is shared with {{SSBU|Mewtwo}}, {{SSBU|Lucas}}, {{SSBU|Kazuya}}, and {{SSBU|Sora}}.

|pummeldesc=A point-blank blast of PSI energy. Average power and speed.

SSBUNessIdle1.gif|Ness' first idle pose.

SSBUNessIdle2.gif|Ness' second idle pose.

==In [[competitive play]]==

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''See also: [[:Category:Ness players (SSBU)]]''

*{{Sm|ATATA|USA}} - One of the best Ness players in the United States. He began attending more out-of-region events in 2022 and has seen strong showings such as 13th at {{Trn|Low Tide City 2022}} and 17th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2022}}. He is ranked 91st on the [[UltRank 2022]] for the second half of 2022.

*{{Sm|Gackt|Japan}} - The best Ness player of all time, having placed top 8 at more majors than any other Ness player. He finished 3rd at {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}}, {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 12}} and {{Trn|S Factor 11}}, the highest placements for a Ness player at a major.

*{{Sm|PeW|France}} - The best Ness player in Europe since the end of the online era, and was also the second-best Ness player in Europe in the early metagame. He placed top 32 at several majors, including 13th at {{Trn|VCA 2022}} and 25th at both {{Trn|Albion 4}} and {{Trn|COLOSSEL 2022}}. Since late-2022, he has been playing Ness as a secondary alongside {{SSBU|Min Min}}.

*{{Sm|S1|Netherlands}} - The best Ness player in Europe in the early metagame and was also a top 10 player in Europe during that time. Consistently placed top 8 at European tournaments, including placing 7th at the major {{Trn|Albion 4}} and 5th at the superregional {{Trn|Valhalla III}}. He has been mostly inactive since early-2020, occasionally entering tournaments while using secondaries.

*{{Sm|Syrup|USA}} - Came to prominence in the online metagame, placing 2nd at the {{Trn|SWT: NA Northeast Ultimate Online Qualifier}}. He has also established himself as one of two best Ness players in the United States in 2022, placing 5th at the major {{Trn|Get On My Level 2022}} as well as the superregionals {{Trn|Shine 2022}} and {{Trn|Apex 2022}}. However since early-2023 he has shifted his focus towards {{SSBU|Steve}}, although he still uses Ness as a secondary.

*{{Sm|Scend|USA}} - The second-best Ness player of all time. He has consistently placed top 64 at majors, including 5th at {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves 2022}} and 9th at both {{Trn|Low Tier City 7}} and {{Trn|MomoCon 2022}}. He was also one of the best players in the online metagame, and notably won {{Trn|The Box}}, the largest ''Smash'' tournament in terms of entrants.

===Tier placement and history===

Initial opinions of Ness were fairly positive, as the numerous buffs he received during the transition from ''Smash 4'' and the addition of several new mechanics in ''Ultimate'' improved his neutral, advantage, recovery, and movement options. Ness' early results reflected these improvements: The character saw strong performances at majors from players such as {{Sm|Gackt}} and {{Sm|Scend}}; regionally, he was represented well by a multitude of players, including {{Sm|ATATA}}, {{Sm|Awestin}}, {{Sm|PeW}}, {{Sm|S1}}, and {{Sm|FOW}}. As such, Ness was widely considered a high-tier character in the early metagame of ''Ultimate''. Notably, perception of Ness is even higher in online play, as the presence of increased [[Wi-Fi lag|input lag]] ostensibly makes his quick aerials even safer and his recovery more difficult to challenge, allowing players such as Scend and {{Sm|Syrup}} to flourish during the [[COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on competitive Smash|COVID-19 pandemic]], which temporarily relegated all large tournaments to an online format.

Ness has remained popular in the post-online metagame, with representation in or around the top 20 among all characters. Although he continues to see high tournament placements, he has generally underperformed his online results, and his weaknesses have become more apparent over time. As in previous Smash titles, Ness' limited attack range hinders his neutral against certain characters, particularly swordfighters such as {{SSBU|Lucina}} and {{SSBU|Shulk}}. He also struggles to recover without the use of his double jump, and his floatiness leaves him susceptible to juggling. Furthermore, several characters introduced via [[DLC]] are believed to be overpowered, rendering traditional characters less appealing by comparison. Given his pronounced strengths and weaknesses, even Ness' strongest players face inconsistency — Gackt followed a top 3 finish at {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}} with 49th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 8}} a month later — or have picked up other characters to alleviate Ness' weaknesses — Syrup picked up {{SSBU|Steve}} and has gradually used the character more in competitive play.

Divergent opinions on Ness' viability were reflected in ''Ultimate''{{'}}s first "official" [[tier list]], with his average ranking varying considerably across regions: Japan in particular ranked him much lower compared to other countries, especially the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.start.gg/ultranks-first-official-ssbu-tier-list-4a35bf3dcfc3|title=First Official SSBU Tier List}}, data located in the "Regional Differences" section</ref> Overall, Ness debuted at 40th out of 82 characters on ''Ultimate's'' first tier list, in the B+ tier. Following this, Syrup made the transition to Steve while relegating Ness to a secondary, and Scend's performances at major events declined. Reflecting this, Ness fell seven spots on the second LumiRank tier list, dropping to the B- tier.

Despite his middling tier list placement, Ness still enjoys strong results at most levels of competition: Gackt remains the preeminent representative of Ness on a global scale, earning the 27th spot on the [[LumiRank 2023]] and defeating {{Sm|MkLeo}} at {{Trn|GENESIS X}}, while ATATA and Scend have placed highly at the regional level. As such, opinions of Ness' current stance in the metagame remain varied: While some regions, especially Japan, continue to believe Ness lacks the representation for a higher tier placing, some regions, especially the United States and Latin America, still view Ness as a solid high-tier character and ranked him higher for the second tier list. Overall, Ness' incredible offensive tools are offset by weaknesses in his neutral and disadvantage; he therefore remains a common yet polarizing character in competitive play.

|1||{{CharHead|Ness|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Blue}}||[[Magicant]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Magicant (for 3DS / Wii U)}}''||The opponent has his blue alternate costume equipped, referencing Ness' younger self that he encounters in Magicant. If the player is using the blue alternate costume, {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px}} default Ness will appear as the enemy instead.

|4||{{CharHead|Sheik|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Gerudo Valley]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Bein' Friends}}''||A reference to {{s|wikibound|Dusty Dunes Desert}}. [[Mr. Saturn]] is the only item that spawns.

{{clr}}

Ness' fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}}. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Ness has been unlocked. Unlocking Ness in World of Light allows the player to preview the spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork in ''Ultimate''.

==In Spirit Battles==

===Fighter Showcase Video===

*''Ultimate'' marks the first time since ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' where Ness' artwork depicts him holding his baseball bat.

*''Ultimate'' is the first ''Smash'' game in which Ness has a greater number of aerials that use PSI than Lucas, being 5 to 4 as opposed to 2 and 3 to 3 in ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'' respectively.

*Ness is one of the only two unlockable characters in ''Ultimate'' who can be the first character unlocked in more than one way, as he is the first character to be unlocked through VS. Matches and the first unlock in {{SSBU|Kirby}}'s Classic Mode tree. The other character who shares this distinction is {{SSBU|Villager}}.