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{{disambig2|Ness's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''|the character in other contexts|Ness}}
{{disambig2|Ness's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''|the character in other contexts|Ness}}
{{ArticleIcons|ssbm=y}}
{{Infobox Character
{{Infobox Character
|name        = Ness
|name        = Ness
|image        = [[File:Ness SSBM.jpg|Ness]]
|image        = [[File:Ness SSBM.jpg|Ness]]
|symbol      = preBrawl
|game        = Melee
|game        = Melee
|ssbgame1    = SSB
|ssbgame1    = SSB
|ssbgame2    = Brawl
|ssbgame2    = Brawl
|ssbgame3    = SSB4
|ssbgame3    = SSB4
|ssbgame4    = Ultimate
|availability = [[Starter character|Starter]]
|availability = [[Starter character|Starter]]
|tier        = F
|tier        = D
|tierPAL      = H
|ranking      = 23
|ranking      = 23
|rankingPAL  = 23
}}
}}
'''Ness''' ({{ja|ネス|Nesu}}, ''Ness'') is a [[starter character]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. He was officially announced at [[E3]] 2001.
Makiko Ōmoto reprises her role as Ness in ''Melee'' with new voice clips.
Ness is currently ranked 23rd out of 26 on the [[tier list]], placing within the D tier. This is a slight fall from his already very low placement in ''Smash 64'', where he was 10th out of 12 characters in the NTSC version, and his worst placement to date. While still possessing great throws and a great aerial and combo game thanks to his double jump cancel, Ness is strongly held back by having almost non-existent approach options on the ground due to significant range issues in most of his attacks; having one of the worst recoveries in the game, and he also has significant trouble KOing opponents, due to him possessing some of the worst smash attacks in the game, having overall very weak KO power and due to his aforementioned poor range. As a result of these significant weaknesses, Ness has terrible [[matchup]]s across the cast, is considered non-viable in competitive play, and has nearly non-existent representation in the modern metagame.
==Attributes==
Ness is an unusual blend of character archetypes; many of his attributes are unique in comparison to other characters, such as his projectiles, his [[recovery]] and his midair [[jump]]. Ness has below average [[traction]] and a below average [[falling speed]], giving him an above-average [[wavedash]] that is relatively quick. Ness is a projectile-heavy character, as he has 3 projectiles: [[PK Flash]], [[PK Fire]], and [[PK Thunder]], while also having a healing move in his [[PSI Magnet]].
Arguably Ness's greatest strength is his combo game. Despite a poor [[SHFFL]] due to his high short hop and low falling speed, Ness has many ways to pressure and combo in the air thanks to his [[double jump cancel]] (often abbreviated DJC). By cancelling out of his midair jump with an aerial, Ness can quickly and efficiently use his multiple aerial attacks; this is especially important considering the utility of his aerial attacks. His [[neutral aerial]] and [[forward aerial]] attacks acting as potential combo starters (especially the latter) and his back, up and down air attacks serve as good KO moves. Due to this, his air approach is considered to be much better than his ground approach.
Although Ness has a poor ground approach, he still boasts two effective options: his grab game and the [[Yo-yo glitch]]. Ness' throws all have excellent utility; his forward throw has extremely high base knockback, making it ideal for starting edgeguards. His down throw is a decent combo starter, having potential to lead into his DJC'd aerials. His up throw is a decent chain grab and can be used in conjunction with PK Thunder to rack up damage or play mindgames. Finally, his back throw is the strongest throw in the game, making it a deadly KOing option.  As for the Yo-yo glitch, Ness is the only character to have access to this technique. It is initiated through his up smash, and can be used to attack or grab with near limitless range or attach certain single-hitbox attacks to Ness's body. This can significantly increase Ness' range and options when performed properly.
Ness' greatest flaw, however, is his significant range problems. All of his attacks (especially his tilts) have little range or small hitboxes, making hitting an opponent very difficult. Although wavedashing can help out this problem somewhat, Ness' ground based options have too little utility overall to be consistently applicable. When combined with his somewhat slow movement, Ness has significant trouble approaching opponents. Thus, his dash attack is considered to be his only reliable ground approach option, due to its decent range unlike most of his other attacks. Also, Ness's grab has the second shortest range in all of the game (only to {{SSBM|Pikachu}}), thus making it difficult for him to take advantage of his versatile throws, while his dash grab is extremely laggy and barely improves its range. Finally, against opponents with particularly good spacing games, most notoriously {{SSBM|Marth}}, Ness can be easily overwhelmed in his attempts to approach opponents in the air despite the power of his DJC.
Even when attempting to approach his opponents, Ness suffers from noticeable KOing problems, largely due to his poor power and range. He possesses a terrible set of smash attacks in the game: his up and down smashes are by far the weakest of their kind and his forward smash relies on a sweetspot at the tip of the bat to KO effectively. Outside of his smash attacks, most of his strongest finishers suffer from poor range (his back, up and down aerials, along with his back throw), long start-up and ending lag (his down aerial), low base knockback (up aerial and back throw), having small, unreliable sweetspots (his aforementioned forward smash), or simply being unsafe and situational (PK Flash and PK Thunder 2).


{{cquote|''A psychic boy with a distinct midair jump.''|cite=Description from ''Melee's'' manual.}}
Ness' special moveset also has some problems: it is rather situational overall. PK Flash boasts extreme power when fully charged and is great for punishing poorly positioned opponents offstage, but it is limited to edgeguarding due to it being very slow and difficult to land. PK Fire can trap opponents and leave them open for follow-ups, and can even gimp fast-fallers. However, it has short reach for a projectile and is very easy to SDI out of, making it easy to punish. PK Thunder is Ness' most useful special move; it is unique for controlling a thunder ball which can be moved in any direction, allowing for mindgames, offstage gimps, and even a powerful KOing option in PK Thunder 2. However it has one critical flaw: the player loses control of Ness during the move, leaving him open to extremely powerful attacks if he can't hit the opponent quick enough. Finally, PSI Magnet can heal Ness and put him in a better position defensively, but it is rather slow and completely dependent on the opposing character, as it only absorbs energy-based projectiles.


'''Ness''' ({{ja|ネス, ''Nesu''}}) is a [[default character]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. Announced at [[E3]] 2001, he was originally going to be replaced by [[Lucas]] from ''[[Mother 3]]''; the ultimate cancellation of the game caused Ness to reappear, and in ''Brawl'', the two characters appear alongside each other.
Outside of his poor approach, Ness also suffers from a catastrophic recovery. Ness's recovery has its merits; he has the second highest midair jump in the game (second to only Yoshi) and his midair jump has unusual properties in its trajectory; PK Thunder 2 also grants a rather long distance, with a moderately large sweetspot and a long period of invincibility frames. The move is also very risky to block due to possessing KO power that reliably KOs at 90%. Despite these benefits, however, Ness's recovery still is cited as arguably the worst in the game, in spite of its long length, due to possessing many notable flaws. If Ness uses an aerial to fend off edgeguarders, his double jump is cancelled and can prevent him from recovering if unable to act soon enough. PK Thunder's projectile instantly disappears upon hitting opponents, and this is very easily abusable by edgeguarders, further worsened by PK Thunder 2's slow startup. In the process of having to start PK Thunder 2, characters with good recoveries (such as {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} or {{SSBM|Samus}}) can merely jump into the projectile and take minor knockback and damage, immediately sending Ness into a state of [[helplessness]], though this is a risky strategy. Projectiles such as {{SSBM|Link}}'s Boomerangs and the {{SSBM|Ice Climbers}}' [[Ice Shot]] can easily disrupt the projectile as well, and in these cases, damage is not even inflicted to the opponent. PK Thunder 2 also suffers from a number of problems. Notably, it is difficult to angle correctly, and it can easily curve under lips of stages, most notably on {{SSBM|Battlefield}}. Its linear nature can also make it easy to read and edgeguard for many characters, despite the invincibility frames found within it, and attacks like Mario's [[Cape]] or Link's [[Spin Attack]] can easily intercept the attack as Ness charges to the stage. Finally, PK Thunder 2 has significant ending lag, and if Ness recovers directly onto the stage after using it, opponents can easily capitalize on this ending lag by landing a powerful hit on Ness that he cannot hope to counter.


He is currently ranked 23rd in the F tier. Ness still has many of his positive attributes from his previous appearance, such as fantastic [[Throw|throws]], an abundance of [[Projectile|projectiles]], and a decent [[Aerial|air]] game, due to his [[double jump cancel]]. Ness, however, had many of his best powers strongly [[nerf]]ed in ''Melee'' which is similar to {{SSBM|Kirby}}'s nerf; his [[Smash attack|smash attacks]] are now all situational due to their nerf, and his [[Special attack|special moves]] have more [[lag]] than before. Additionally, a short grab range (among the shortest in ''Melee'') means that the very method that Ness needs to use to [[KO]] opponents most effectively is now more difficult to perform. As a result of the overwhelmingly bad nerfs, Ness has terrible [[Matchup|matchups]], with six unfavorable, one even (against {{SSBM|Yoshi}}), and three favorable (against {{SSBM|Bowser}}, {{SSBM|Kirby}}, and {{SSBM|Pichu}}).
==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''==
While Ness is considered to be a low tier in ''Smash 64'' owing to his poor range, mobility and most notably; his poor recovery, he was initially considered to be top tier character in the game's early meta due to the strength of his [[double jump cancel]] which gave him a powerful combo game as well as giving him excellent [[shield]] pressuring potential. Likely as a result of this, Ness received a mix of buffs and nerfs in his transition from ''Smash 64'' to ''Melee'' but was ultimately [[nerf]]ed overall.


==Attributes==
Ness received a number of helpful buffs; his range was increased as a whole to help alleviate one of his main flaws from the previous game. This can most notably be seen with his altered dash attack and forward aerial which have now become disjointed multi hitting moves. The former has become a decent combo starter and an edgeguarding tool while the latter in particular has now become a solid spacing move with good combo potential (something he sorely lacked in the previous game).


Ness is an unusual blend of character archetypes; many of his attributes are unusual in comparison to other characters, such as his projectiles, his [[recovery]] and his midair [[jump]]. Ness has above average [[traction]] and a moderately low [[falling speed]], giving him a short, albeit relatively fast [[wavedash]].  
Ness' mobility has been drastically improved, possessing a much faster dashing speed and air speed, making it much easier for him to approach, run away and chase opponents. Ness also benefits from the introduction of [[air dodging]] for two reasons; it gives him a much needed additional recovery and it gives him access to [[wavedash]]ing. Ness overall has a solid wavedash due to his average traction and short jumpsquat giving him a useful movement option. Ness overall has a better recovery outside of [[PK Thunder]] due to his aforementioned increased air speed and ability to air dodge meaning that Ness does not have to rely on PK Thunder to recover as much.


Ness unusual properties give him a wide and varied combo game. His floatiness allows him to quickly and efficientally [[combo]] other characters, especially against fast fallers, and his aerial attacks are versatile, as Ness has a combination of both low-lag attacks and more powerful aerial attacks. Ness also has a very good DJC on his side, boosting his combo potential, and it gives him some very good [[approach]] options against other characters.
Ness is also significantly heavier which considerably improves his endurance along with his higher falling speed, though these factors also make him more vulnerable to combos. Ness has also gained a useful up throw and down throw with both throws being decent combo starters. Lastly, Ness now has access the Yo-yo glitch if he charges his up smash and releases it at the right time. When performed correctly, Ness has access to much greater range, as well as having hitboxes attached to him and new mindgames giving him a unique and unpredictable option.


Ness also has some good KO options. On the ground, Ness's [[forward smash]] is very powerful, moderately fast, has a long, safe disjointed hitbox and has the ability to reflect some projectiles. Within the air, Ness's [[Up aerial|up]] and [[Back aerial|back air]] attacks are short-ranged, but very powerful when used correctly. While Ness's [[Down aerial|down air]]'s meteor has poor knockback scaling and is slow, it can act as a useful edgeguard tactic.
However, Ness has received a much greater quantity of nerfs which along with universal changes, have drastically crippled him overall. Ness' damage output has been reduced which has also hindered the KO potential of many of his moves. Some moves such as up aerial, forward smash and back throw simply KO later than in the previous game while moves such as up smash, down smash, forward aerial and forward throw are now practically useless moves for KOing. This naturally hinders Ness' damage racking capabilities as well as his ability to close out stocks and as a result of these changes, Ness' ability to KO opponents has gone from being disproportionately high to rather low.


Ness also has a rather good throwing game. Ness's [[back throw]] is one of the most powerful in the game, and it acts as among Ness's best KOing options. Ness's [[forward throw]] has poor knockback scaling; while this makes it weak at high percentages, this lowered knockback can set up combos. Ness's [[Up throw|up]] and [[down throw]]s similarly can also begin new combos, with the former easily comboing into his up air at some damage percentages.
Ness' aerial game has also been considerably toned down both due to nerfs to his key aerials in the previous game as well as various universal changes. All of Ness' aerials have increased landing lag and (with the exception of neutral aerial) worse auto-cancel windows. Due to the weakening of [[L-canceling]], these changes do impact Ness hindering his aerial combo game when combined with the reduction of hitstun and the introduction of [[DI]] as well as making his aerials easier to punish. Ness is also one of the characters who was the most affected by the changes to [[shield]]s. With shields having more HP, taking less damage from attacks and with shieldstun being significantly lower; this combined with the aforementioned weakening of L-canceling has greatly hindered Ness' shield pressuring potential with his DJC, completely removing his ability to perform [[shield break combo]]s. Ness' own out of shield options are also worse due to his longer jumpsquat, slower grab and his slower down aerial.


Ness's unusual characteristics, however, give him a decidely below-average approach, even when the DJC comes into question. A high short-hop and a low falling speed gives Ness a poor [[SHFFL]], and his wavedash is similarly short and situational.
Ness' down aerial in particular has seen rather drastic nerfs. Previously, it was an extremely fast and powerful meteor smash which was a good combo starter as well as an excellent combo ender, edgeguarding tool and shield pressuring tool. In ''Melee'', the move has about 5x as much startup lag and 3x as much ending lag and the move no longer auto-cancels while its hitboxes are out now having decently high landing lag (although it still has one of the most lenient auto-cancel windows in the game). Being a [[meteor smash]], it also suffers from the addition of meteor cancelling making it significantly easier to survive against despite its much higher base knockback. When combined with the aforementioned changes to shields and L-canceling, this removes most of its KO potential and completely removes its use in shield break combos and DJC combos in general, significantly hurting its damage racking ability.


Ness's approach is also hampered by the lack of an effective projectile; while Ness has three projectiles, none can be effectively used in all cases. [[PK Flash]] has long starting and ending lag, and it can only KO reliably after being charged for a long time; as a result, it can only be utilised as a highly situational edgeguard technique. [[PK Fire]] has multiple hits, but it is easy to DI out of, has high starting and ending lag, and it has short reach for a projectile. [[PK Thunder]] is, however, slightly more useful, as it is controllable and can be used for [[mindgame]]s; however, it suffers from long ending lag after it has hit something, and it cannot be cancelled.  
Despite already being an exploitable recovery move, PK Thunder has been made much worse. PK Thunder itself travels faster but has received angling issues due to this change and Ness can no longer auto-snap the ledge while using it making it completely useless to use at the ledge if Ness does not hit himself. PK Thunder 2 travels a much shorter distance and has increased ending lag making it even easier to exploit than it already was. PK Thunder 2 is also much weaker as a KO move and has received a weaker late hit reducing its utility outside of recovering. This makes Ness' recovery arguably the worst in the game.


Ness's recovery is also incredibly varied. Ness has the second highest midair jump in the game (second to only Yoshi) and his midair jump has unusual properties in its trajectory; PK Thunder 2 also grants a rather long distance, with a moderately large sweetspot and a long period of invincibility frames, but Ness still has a very predictable and inflexible recovery. In the process of having to start PK Thunder 2, characters with good recoveries (such as {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} or {{SSBM|Samus}}) can merely jump into the projectile and take negligible knockback and damage, immediately sending Ness into a state of [[helplessness]]. Projectiles such as {{SSBM|Link}}'s Boomerangs and the {{SSBM|Ice Climbers}}' [[Ice Shot]] can easily disrupt the projectile as well. PK Thunder 2 also has significant angling issues, and it can easily curve under lips of stages, most notably on {{SSBM|Battlefield}}. Additionally, should Ness end up parallel to the ground while using the attack, the ending lag can easily be abused and [[punish]]ed.
Lastly, Ness' weaknesses from the previous game were not properly addressed. While the range in some of his attacks has increased, his range is still among the absolute shortest in the game and his mobility is still mediocre even though its not quite as poor as it previous was. As a result, Ness still has a difficult time approaching opponents and winning the neutral as he can still easily be outspaced. His recovery also is now among the absolute worst as while he has better aerial mobility and he can airdodge to avoid having to use PK Thunder, PK Thunder retains all of the issues it had in the previous game and has even become a considerably worse move/recovery option overall.


Ness also has poor options on the ground. Despite a powerful forward smash, a combo starter of his [[Up tilt|up]] and his [[Down tilt|down]] tilt that is very fast and easily spammable, Ness has a slew of problems on the ground. His [[Up smash|up]] and [[Down smash|down]] smashes are laggy and exceedingly weak, unable to KO except at ludicrously high damage percentages. While Ness's throw game is good, he has the second shortest grab range in all the game, losing out to only {{SSBM|Pikachu}}. His dash grab slightly ups his range, but this has significant ending lag if it misses. Ness also suffers from a rather slow [[dash]], though his fast wavedash can offset this.
Overall, Ness still retains the weaknesses he had in the previous game while the strengths he had were either toned down or removed. As a result of these changes, Ness is one of the most severely nerfed characters and he remains one of the worst characters in the game.
===Changes from ''Smash 64'' to ''Melee''===
In comparison to his appearance from the previous game, Ness has been heavily nerfed, similar to {{SSBM|Pikachu}} and {{SSBM|Kirby}}; Ness's overall power was affected more than Pikachu's, but less than Kirby's.


*{{buff|His forward smash now has longer reach.}}
===Aesthetics===
*{{buff|Both dash and forward aerial attacks now have PK sparks added to them, making them more damaging.}}
*{{change|Ness's grounded jump is no longer psychokinetic.}}
*{{buff|The PK Thunder projectile travels considerably faster, and has a tighter radius, making recovering easier.}}
*{{buff|PSI Magnet is considerably faster, improving Ness's defensive game.}}
*{{nerf|His up and down smashes' knockback were weakened considerably, now unable to KO except at very high damage percentages. Its ranges were also shortened. }}
*{{nerf|Both dash and forward aerial attacks deal less knockback.}}
*{{nerf|Ness's down aerial, previously among the most feared, now has significantly more start-lag and has low knockback scaling.}}
*{{nerf|PK Fire travels a smaller distance, and it is now considerably easier to DI out of.}}
*{{nerf|Ness's PK Thunder 2 travels a shorter distance, damage when hitting an opponent is 5% less, and has a lot more end lag.}}
*{{change|The colour of PSI Magnet is now blue instead of green.}}
*{{change|Ness's grounded jump is no longer pyschokinetic in power.}}
*{{change|Ness has new voice samples.}}
*{{change|Ness has new voice samples.}}
*{{change|The crowd no longer cheers when Ness absorbs a projectile with PSI Magnet.}}
*{{change|Ness now has a blue hue in his eyes.}}
*{{change|He now has a new neutral special, [[PK Flash]]. PK Fire got moved to Ness's side special.}}
*{{change|Ness's default costume have been slightly changed (red cap has blue instead of purple, beige and blue striped shirt and blue shorts instead of yellow/purple and purple, blue cap has purple instead of violet, tan and purple striped shirt and purple shorts instead of yellow/violet and violet, and green cap has orange and brown striped shirt and green shorts instead of light green/orange and orange like Mario's team battle costume.)}}
*{{change|Ness now faces the screen if he uses his [[taunt]] while facing left. It also has a new voice clip.}}
*{{change|Ness now consistently smiles instead of only doing it during his taunt and victory poses.}}
 
===Attributes===
*{{buff|Ness [[walk]]s faster (0.7467 (22.4) → 0.84), no longer being the slowest.}}
*{{buff|Ness [[dash]]es significantly faster (1.067 (32) → 1.4), no longer being the slowest.}}
**{{nerf|However, Ness' initial dash is drastically slower (2.267 (68) → 1.3) and covers less distance.}}
*{{nerf|Ness' [[traction]] is slightly lower (0.0667 (2) → 0.06). Compared with the returning veterans, however, his traction is significantly lower, making it harder for him to punish [[out of shield]].}}
*{{nerf|Ness' [[jumpsquat]] is longer (3 frames → 4).}}
*{{buff|Ness' [[air speed]] has been unchanged (0.933 (28) → 0.93). Compared with the returning veterans, however, his air speed is faster, going from the 2nd (JPN/NA) / 4th (AUS) / 3rd (EUR) slowest out of 12 characters to the 11th fastest out of 26.}}
*{{nerf|Ness' [[air acceleration]] is much lower (0.1067 (3.2) → 0.06).}}
*{{nerf|Ness [[jump]]s much lower (40.15 (1204.5) → 35.98).}}
**{{buff|Compared with the returning veterans, however, he jumps significantly higher, going from the 3rd lowest out of 12 characters to the 5th highest out of 26.}}
**{{change|Ness' [[short hop]] is drastically lower (23.5367 (706.1) → 13.26), improves his ability to hit opponents low on the ground with short hop aerials, as well as his ability to quickly land and continue aerial pressure, but also hinders his ability to [[auto-cancel]] his aerials.}}
*{{nerf|Ness' [[fast-fall]]ing speed is significantly slower (2.95 (88.5) → 2.2). The difference between his falling speed and fast falling speed is much lower (increase: 60.5% → 20.2%), which makes it more predictable when landing and gives him fewer options in the air.}}
*{{buff|Ness is drastically [[weight|heavier]] (81.818181 (1.1) → 94) which significantly improves his endurance.}}
**{{nerf|However, this also makes him much more vulnerable to combos and makes him susceptible to {{SSBM|Fox}}'s waveshine combos.}}
*{{buff|The introduction of [[air dodging]] benefits Ness as it gives him a much needed additional recovery option as well as an additional movement option in the form of [[wavedash]]ing.}}
 
===Ground Attacks===
*[[Neutral attack]]:
**{{buff|Neutral attack's first hit deals more damage (2% → 3%).}}
**{{buff|Neutral attack transitions sooner into the later hits (frame 10 → 5 (hit 1), frame 8 → 6 (hit 2)).}}
**{{buff|The third hit has increased base knockback (10 → 16).}}
**{{nerf|All three hits of neutral attack have more startup lag with the second and third hits also having a shorter duration (frames 2-3 (hit 1)/3-5 (hit 2)/6-11 (hit 3) → 3-4/4-5/7-10).}}
**{{nerf|All three hits have more ending lag (FAF 18 (hit 1)/20 (hit 2)/ 25 (frame 3) → 20/21/31).}}
**{{nerf|Ness can no longer cancel the first hit into grab.}}
*[[Forward tilt]]:
**{{buff|Forward tilt deals more damage (9%/10%/11% → 10%/11%/12%) and has increased base knockback (10 → 12).}}
*[[Up tilt]]:
**{{buff|Up tilt has less ending lag (FAF 35 → 32).}}
**{{change|Up tilt's angle has been altered (100° → 96°).}}
**{{change|Up tilt deals more knockback (80 (base), 40 (scaling) → 42/126).}}
***{{buff|This improves its KO potential (though it still cannot reliably KO).}}
***{{nerf|However, this along with the reduction of [[hitstun]] and the introduction of [[DI]] significantly hinders its combo potential.}}
**{{nerf|Up tilt has a much shorter duration (frames 5-19 → 5-9) hindering its use as an anti air and giving it more cooldown.}}
**{{nerf|Ness's head has less [[intangibility]] (frames 5-19 → 5-6) further hindering up tilt's use as an anti-air.}}
*[[Down tilt]]:
**{{buff|Down tilt has less startup lag (frame 4 → 3) and Ness can perform another down tilt sooner (frame 11 → 8).}}
**{{change|Down tilt deals more knockback (2 (base), 20 (scaling) → 4/50).}}
***{{buff|This make it safer on hit and chain into itself more reliably at lower percents.}}
***{{nerf|However, this makes it chain into itself less reliably at higher percents.}}
**{{nerf|Down tilt has a shorter duration (frames 4-8 → 3-5).}}
*[[Dash attack]]:
**{{change|Dash attack is now a multi-hitting move where Ness produces three PSI rings in front of him.}}
**{{buff|Dash attack deals slightly more damage if all hits connect (12% (clean)/9% (late) → 5% (hit 1)/4% (hits 2 & 3)/12.28% (total)) and has significantly more range and overall utility.}}
**{{change|The final hit of dash attack has higher base knockback (16 → 70) and launches opponents vertically (361° → 100°) improving its combo potential but hindering its KO and edgeguarding potential when combined with its lower damage.}}
**{{nerf|Dash attack has a shorter duration (frames 8-11 (clean)/12-25 (late) → 8/15/22) and each hit has high base knockback making it extremely difficult to connect properly.}}
**{{nerf|Dash attack has more ending lag (FAF 38 → 40).}}
*[[Forward smash]]:
**{{buff|Forward smash has increased horizontal range.}}
**{{buff|Forward smash has less startup lag (frame 18 → 16).}}
**{{buff|Forward smash no longer deals consistent damage with the tipper of the bat being the strongest (18% → 18%/20%/22%/24%).}}
**{{nerf|Forward smash deals less knockback (70 (base), 65 (scaling) → 50/62) drastically hindering the sourspots' KO potential at high percentages.}}
**{{nerf|Forward smash has a shorter duration (frames 18-21 → 16-17), increasing its ending lag.}}
**{{nerf|Forward smash's reflector has a shorter duration (frames 16-21 → 16-17).}}
**{{nerf|Ness's bat will now clash with projectiles if it hits them, making forward smash much less reliable as a reflector.}}
**{{nerf|Forward smash has a reduced reflection multiplier (1.8x → 1.5x) much like its Japanese ''Smash 64'' counterpart.}}
**{{nerf|Forward smash's reflector can now only deal up to 50% damage and the reflector will break if Ness reflects a projectile which deals over 50% (much like Fox's).}}
*[[Up smash]]:
**{{buff|Up smash has less startup lag with a longer duration (frames 13-25 → 12-31).}}
**{{buff|Ness can use up smash to perform the [[Yo-yo glitch]] improving its utility.}}
**{{change|Up smash no longer has a mid hit.}}
**{{buff|The late hit launches opponents at a slightly higher angle compared to the previous mid hit (78° → 80°).}}
**{{nerf|Up smash has less range.}}
**{{nerf|The clean hit has a shorter duration (frames 13-17 → 12-14).}}
**{{nerf|The clean hit no longer launches opponents towards Ness (110° → 70°).}}
**{{nerf|Up smash deals significantly less damage (17% → 9% (clean), 15%/13% → 6% (late)). The clean hit's knockback was not fully compensated (20 (base), 100 (scaling) → 80/80) while the late hit deals less knockback (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 60/45) completely removing its KOing capabilities and making it completely useless and unsafe.}}
**{{nerf|Up smash has more ending lag (FAF 40 → 49).}}
*[[Down smash]]:
**{{buff|Down smash has less startup lag (frame 13 → 12).}}
**{{change|Down smash now launches opponents vertically (361° → 70°).}}
**{{nerf|Down smash has less range.}}
**{{nerf|Down smash has a much shorter duration (frames 13-52 → 12 (clean), 13-31 (late)) and now has a drastically weaker late hit.}}
**{{nerf|Down smash deals drastically less damage (19% → 11%/7%) and its knockback was not fully compensated (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 70/80 (clean), 70/60 (late)) completely removing its KO potential.}}
**{{nerf|Down smash has more ending lag (FAF 55 → 59).}}
 
===Aerial Attacks===
*{{nerf|All aerials have increased landing lag (14 frames → 22 (neutral), 16 frames → 18 (forward), 15 frames → 18 (back), 4/8 frames → 18 (up), 4/8 frames → 28 (down)).}}
*{{nerf|All aerials except neutral aerial [[auto-cancel]] later (frame 27 → 30 (forward), frame 20 → 25 (back), frame 1 → 27 (up), frame 1 → 29 (down)).}}
*{{nerf|The weakening of [[L-canceling]] has hindered Ness's combo game with landing aerials as well as their safety with the increasing landing lag and worse auto-cancel windows on his aerials only further exacerbating this.}}
**{{nerf|This combined with the changes to [[shield]]s has severely harmed Ness's shield pressuring potential; making his aerials much less safe against shield and completely removing his ability to perform [[shield break combo]]s.}}
*[[Neutral aerial]]:
**{{change|Ness has a new neutral aerial: a spin with his arms outward.}}
**{{buff|Neutral aerial has less ending lag (FAF 40 → 36).}}
**{{buff|Neutral aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 40 → 27).}}
**{{nerf|Neutral aerial deals less damage (14% → 11% (clean), 11% → 8% (late)) hindering its KO potential.}}
***{{buff|However this combined with Ness's superior aerial mobility improves its combo potential.}}
**{{nerf|Neutral aerial has a shorter duration (frames 5-39 → 5-23).}}
**{{nerf|Neutral aerial has less range and is less safe due to Ness's head being farther in front than the move's hitboxes.}}
*[[Forward aerial]]:
**{{change|Forward aerial has been altered: Ness now produces five PSI rings in front of him with the move being a multi hit.}}
**{{buff|Forward aerial has less startup (frame 10 → 8) and ending lag (FAF 42 → 40).}}
**{{buff|Forward aerial deals more damage if all hits connect (12% (clean)/10% (late) → 3%/2% (hits 1-4)/5% (hit 5)/15.74% (total)).}}
**{{buff|Forward aerial has considerably more range.}}
**{{buff|Forward has much better combo potential due to its multi-hit properties as it can now chain into itself or other aerials.}}
**{{nerf|Forward aerial is less reliable due to being a multi-hit.}}
**{{nerf|The knockback on the final hit was not fully compensated (16 (base), 100 (scaling) → 24/135) hindering forward aerial's KO potential.}}
*[[Back aerial]]:
**{{buff|Back aerial has less ending lag (FAF 40 → 36).}}
**{{buff|The sweetspot has increased base knockback (10 → 16).}}
**{{nerf|The animation makes it so Ness's body no longer shrinks as much during Back aerial's startup lag and does not extend as far, giving it less range and hindering its safety.}}
**{{nerf|The sweetspot has a shorter duration (frames 10-13 → 10-11) with the late hit's duration being compensated (frames 14-19 → 12-19).}}
**{{nerf|The sweetspot now has an electric effect, giving it more hitlag (1x → 1.5x) and making it easier to DI.}}
*[[Up aerial]]:
**{{nerf|Ness's head is no longer intangible while performing up aerial.}}
**{{nerf|Up aerial deals less damage (15% → 13%) and its knockback was not fully compensated (10 (base), 110 (scaling) → 13/109).}}
**{{nerf|Up aerial has a shorter duration (frames 8-16 → 8-11).}}
**{{nerf|Up aerial no longer auto-cancels for its entire duration, now having 18 frames of landing lag (9 if L-cancelled).}}
*[[Down aerial]]:
**{{buff|Down aerial has much higher base knockback (10/0 → 90), improving its edgeguarding potential at lower percents.}}
**{{nerf|Down aerial has drastically increased start-up lag with a shorter duration (frames 4-20 → 20-28).}}
**{{nerf|Down aerial has twice the amount of ending lag (FAF 30 → 60) no longer being possible to perform twice in a short hop or even out of a full height double jump.}}
**{{nerf|Down aerial deals 3% less damage (15% → 12%) and has much lower knockback scaling (120 → 70), weakening the meteor smash's power at high percents and removing its KO potential on-stage..}}
**{{nerf|Down aerial no longer auto-cancels while the hitbox is out, now having 28 frames of landing lag (14 if L-cancelled).}}
**{{nerf|The addition of [[meteor canceling]], when combined with down aerial's new angle (-90° → 280°) allows it to be meteor cancelled.}}
***{{nerf|Altogether, these changes drastically worsens the move's utility and reliability, hindering its use in combos and in shield pressure while being much more unreliable as a KO move.}}
 
===Throws/other attacks===
*[[Grab]]s:
**{{buff|Ness has been given an [[pummel]], [[up throw]], and a [[down throw]], improving his grab's utility. Both of these new throws can be used as combo starters.}}
**{{nerf|Ness's grabs have more startup lag (frame 6 → 8 (standing), 10 (dash)) and ending lag (FAF 16 → 31 (standing), 41 (dash)).}}
*[[Forward throw]]:
**{{nerf|Forward throw deals less damage (16% → 11%) and while it has increased base knockback (90 → 120), it also has drastically lower knockback scaling (70 → 10) completely removing its KO potential (no longer being the strongest forward throw).}}
**{{nerf|Forward throw has more ending lag (FAF 45 → 53).}}
**{{nerf|Forward throw no longer has a collateral hit which can hit bystanders.}}
*[[Back throw]]:
**{{nerf|Back throw deals less damage (16% → 11%) and its knockback was not fully compensated (90 (base), 70 (scaling) → 15/130), hindering its KO potential although it still remains one of the most powerful throws in the game.}}
**{{nerf|Back throw has more ending lag (FAF 45 → 53).}}
**{{nerf|Back throw no longer has a collateral hit which can hit bystanders.}}
 
===Special Moves===
*[[PK Flash]]:
**{{change|Ness now has a new neutral special: PK Flash. A chargeable green ball of light that increases in power and moves downward the longer the button is held. Once it reaches full power, it explodes, dealing huge knockback. It grants Ness a new powerful KO and edgeguarding option, although the move is ineffective due to its extremely poor speed and how vulnerable it leaves Ness when he uses it.}}
*[[PK Fire]]:
**{{change|As a result of PK Flash now being Ness's neutral special, PK Fire is now Ness's side special.}}
**{{buff|PK Fire has less ending lag (FAF 72 → 70).}}
**{{buff|PK Fire pillar's duration is slightly longer (frame 98 -> 100).}}
**{{buff|PK Fire pillar's hitboxes are larger and no longer shrink as its lifetime decreases.}}
**{{buff|PK Fire spark is less likely to knock opponents away from the pillar at higher percents.}}
**{{buff|PK Fire spark travels farther.}}
**{{nerf|PK Fire spark disappears one frame early if summoned over even ground.}}
**{{nerf|PK Fire spark has a smaller hitbox and now relies on the assistance of a hurtbox to activate the fire pillar.}}
***{{nerf|Its reliance on the hurtbox makes it possible for attackers to hit the projectile, causing it to undergo 16 frames of hit cooldown; it also doesn't go off if the opponent and the hurtbox do not interact.}}
***{{buff|However, this also means that the PK Fire spark can absorb projectiles with transcendent priority.}}
**{{nerf|PK Fire deals less damage (4% (spark)/3% (pillar hits 1-7) → 2% (spark)/3% (pillar hit 1)/2% (pillar hits 2-7)), and it is now considerably easier to SDI out of.}}
*[[PK Thunder]]:
**{{buff|PK Thunder has less startup lag (frame 24 → 20).}}
**{{buff|PK Thunder now auto-cancels once Ness enters free fall; drastically reducing its landing lag (42 frames → 4).}}
**{{buff|PK Thunder travels faster and deals 2% more damage (6% → 8%).}}
**{{buff|PK Thunder now has transcendent priority.}}
**{{nerf|PK Thunder has a shorter duration (frames 24-182 → 20-138).}}
**{{nerf|PK Thunder has more ending lag once it disappears (FAF 46 → 55).}}
**{{nerf|Ness will no longer auto-snap the ledge when using PK Thunder near a ledge.}}
**{{nerf|Ness will not auto-snap the ledge after PK Thunder despawns until he has performed an aerial somersault.}}
***{{nerf|Altogether, these changes make it much riskier to use PK Thunder near the ledge.}}
**{{buff|PK Thunder 2 has a longer duration (frames 1-18 → 1-36).}}
**{{change|PK Thunder 2 now grants Ness intangibility rather than [[invincibility]].}}
**{{change|The crowd no longer gasps when Ness hits himself with PK Thunder.}}
**{{nerf|PK Thunder 2 travels a much shorter distance.}}
**{{nerf|PK Thunder 2 deals less damage when hitting an opponent (30% → 25%) and knockback (40 (base), 84 (scaling) → 60/70) significantly hindering its KO potential.}}
**{{nerf|PK Thunder 2 now has a drastically weaker late hitbox that deals less damage (30% → 20%) and knockback (40 (base), 84 (scaling) → 45/65).}}
**{{nerf|PK Thunder 2's clean hit has a shorter duration (frames 1-18 → 1-10).}}
**{{nerf|PK Thunder 2 has much more ending lag (FAF 44 → 100 (ground)/70 (air)) especially if Ness ends PK Thunder 2 on the ground or if he lands while in the middle of the animation of PK Thunder 2 and before he transitions into free fall.}}
*[[PSI Magnet]]:
**{{change|Physic-Magnet has been renamed to PSI Magnet.}}
**{{buff|PSI Magnet has less startup lag (frame 15 → 11).}}
**{{change|The color of PSI Magnet is now blue instead of green.}}
**{{change|The crowd no longer cheers when Ness absorbs a projectile with PSI Magnet. The screen additionally no longer flashes when this occurs either.}}
**{{nerf|PSI Magnet has 10 frames extra frames of ending lag when Ness drops the magnet.}}
**{{nerf|PSI Magnet has more ending lag when Ness' absorbs a projectile (FAF 25 → 41).}}
**{{nerf|Ness can no longer auto-snap the ledge while using PSI Magnet.}}


==Moveset==
==Moveset==
''For a gallery of Ness's hitboxes, see [[Ness (SSBM)/Hitboxes|here]].''
''For a gallery of Ness's hitboxes, see [[Ness (SSBM)/Hitboxes|here]].''
====[[Ground attack]]s====
[[File:NessAerialAttacksSSBM.png|thumb|Ness's aerial attacks]]
=====Normal=====
{{MovesetTable
*[[Neutral attack]]- Ness punches forward, hooking the opponent. Deals 3%. If pressed twice more, Ness will punch forward, then kick. 2% punch, 4% kick.
|game=SSBM
*[[Dash attack]]- Ness uses PK Brainshock forward. Has three hits. Good, disjointed range. Sends opponent in random directions. This attack is a semi-spike if this attack sends opponent horizontally. 12%
|neutralcount=3
*[[Forward tilt]]- Ness does a roundhouse kick forward. 11%
|neutralname=Hook ({{ja|ジャブ|Jabu}}, ''Jab'') / Straight ({{ja|ストレート|Sutorēto}}) / Kick ({{ja|ミドルキック|Midoru Kikku}}, ''Middle Kick'')
*[[Up tilt]]- Ness thrusts his hands upward, as if hitting a volley ball. 7%
|neutral1dmg=3%
*[[Down tilt]]- Ness thrusts his leg downward, then pivots his foot to hit the opponent. Can combo into itself by mashing A after the move is executed. 3%
|neutral2dmg=2%
|neutral3dmg=4%
|neutraldesc=Punches forward twice, then kicks.
|ftiltname=Short Kick ({{ja|ショートキック|Shōto Kikku}})
|ftiltangles=3
|ftiltupdmg=12%
|ftiltsidedmg=11%
|ftiltdowndmg=10%
|ftiltdesc=Does a roundhouse kick forward. Can be angled up or down.
|utiltname=Push Up ({{ja|トス|Tosu}}, ''Toss'')
|utiltdmg=7%
|utiltdesc=Thrusts both his hands upward. Ness's head is intangible during the early part of the animation. Can combo into itself and DJC'd up aerials.
|dtiltname=Squat Kick ({{ja|クラウチングキック|Kurauchingu Kikku}}, ''Crouching Kick'')
|dtiltdmg=3%
|dtiltdesc=Thrusts his leg downward, then pivots his foot to hit the opponent. Can combo into itself by mashing the [[A button]] after the move is executed, and is an infinite against a wall.
|dashname=PK Shove ({{ja|ＰＫハンドスタンプ|Pīkei Hando Sutanpu}}, ''PK Hand Stamp'')
|dashdmg=5% (hit 1), 4% (hits 2-3) (≈12.28% total)
|dashdesc=Throws his hands forward, sending three sparks PSI energy in front of himself. Good, disjointed range. 1st hit powerfully semi-spikes opponents, 2nd hit does very weak vertical knockback and the last hit deals powerful vertical knockback.
|fsmashname=Home Run Swing ({{ja|バットスイング|Batto Suingu}}, ''Bat Swing'')
|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|18}} (body), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|20}} (bat base), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|22}} (bat mid), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|24}} (bat tip)
|fsmashdesc=Swings his bat forward. Has high knockback and damage at the tip of the bat, but has very weak knockback for a smash attack when untipped and has a little bit of start-up lag. There is a hitbox around Ness which can [[reflect]] projectiles,  but it is only out for 2 frames, so it's near-impossible to use reliably.
|usmashname=Around the World ({{ja|シャトルループ|Shatoru Rūpu}}, ''Shuttle Loop'')
|usmashdmg=9% (startup), 4% (charging), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|6}} (attack)
|usmashdesc=Does a variation on the "around-the-world" yo-yo trick, swinging his yo-yo above his head. Has good range and speed. Used to perform the extremely powerful [[Yo-yo Glitch]], but has little utility otherwise. Like his down smash, this attack is incapable of KOing unless his opponent is over 200%, and the swinging part even has almost non-existent knockback not KOing until at least 500%, though this allows it to act an unorthodox combo-starter at mid to high percents. The attack has a hitbox while charging and can hang over ledges if spaced correctly, allowing for potential edgeguard situations. If Ness is too close to the ledge, however, and facing said ledge, he cannot charge the move.
|dsmashname=Walk the Dog ({{ja|ヨーヨーショット|Yōyō Shotto}}, ''Yo-Yo Shot'')
|dsmashdmg=11% (startup), 4% (charging), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|7}} (attack)
|dsmashdesc=Sends his yo-yo backwards and "walks-the-dog" with it before pulling the yo-yo back. Has good range and speed, however, this attack is incapable of KOing unless his opponent is over 180%. More powerful than the up smash in terms of knockback, but still extremely weak. The attack has a hitbox while charging. The swinging part of the attack has barely any base knockback and can't KO until the 430% range. Overall less utility than up-smash due to the Yo-yo starting out behind Ness. If Ness is too close to the ledge, and facing away from it, he cannot charge the move.
|nairname=Ness Spin ({{ja|ネススピン|Nesu Supin}})
|nairdmg=11% (clean), 8% (late)
|nairdesc=Spins around, arms stretched out. Has good knockback and is very fast with high combo potential. Poor range.
|fairname=Flying PK Shove ({{ja|空中ＰＫハンドスタンプ|Kūchū Pīkei Hando Sutanpu}}, ''Aerial PK Hand Stamp'')
|fairdmg=3% (hits 1-4), 5% (hit 5) (≈15.74% total)
|fairdesc=Throws both his hands forward, sending multiple sparks PSI energy in front of himself. Is a fast, multi-hitting move, with good range and high knockback on the last hit KOing under 130% off-stage. Generally used as a [[spacing]] move and can chain into itself several times at low to high percents.
|bairname=PK Drop Kick ({{ja|ＰＫドロップキック|Pīkei Doroppu Kikku}})
|bairdmg=16% (clean), 10% (late)
|bairdesc=Thrusts both his feet backwards. If sweetspotted, it electrifies the opponent, dealing massive damage. Is fast with very high knockback albeit somewhat poor range. Can shield poke if fastfalled out of a DJC. The fourth most powerful back aerial in the game, beaten by {{SSBM|Zelda}}, {{SSBM|Ganondorf}}, and {{SSBM|Samus}}.
|uairname=Jumping Headbutt ({{ja|ジャンピングヘッドバット|Janpingu Heddobatto}})
|uairdmg=13%
|uairdesc=Headbutts upward. Has amazing juggling potential when DJC'd and a good KO move with very low lag, but poor range. Unlike in ''Smash 64'', Ness's head is no longer intangible.
|dairname=Meteor Kick ({{ja|ニードルキック|Nīdoru Kikku}}, ''Needle Kick'')
|dairdmg=12%
|dairdesc=Pulls his legs to his body before stomping downwards.  Is a [[meteor smash]], and has a decent amount of start-up lag. Great range, extremely high knockback at 0% (most powerful meteor smash at 0% in ''Melee''), but it also has very low knockback scaling, being unable to KO grounded opponents at even 200%, and is relatively easy to meteor cancel. It also has no IASA frames (being interrupted on the same frame as Mario's forward aerial, but Mario's seem slower compared to Ness's).
|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})
|grabdesc=
|pummelname=Captive Headbutt ({{ja|つかみヘッドバット|Tsukami Heddobatto}}, ''Grab Headbutt'')
|pummeldmg=3%
|pummeldesc=Headbutts the opponent.
|fthrowname=PK Throw ({{ja|ＰＫスルー|Pīkei Surū}})
|fthrowdmg=11%
|fthrowdesc=Psychically throws the opponent forward. Very strong base knockback, but very low knockback scaling.
|bthrowname=Reverse PK Throw ({{ja|リバースＰＫスルー|Ribāsu Pīkei Surū}})
|bthrowdmg=11%
|bthrowdesc=Psychically throws the opponent behind him. Has extremely low base knockback but very high knockback scaling. This is Ness's strongest throw and the second strongest throw in the game (second to {{SSBM|Mewtwo}}'s up throw), KOing reliably at 130% and above.
|uthrowname=Cowboy PK Throw ({{ja|カウボーイＰＫスルー|Kaubōi Pīkei Surū}})
|uthrowdmg=10%
|uthrowdesc=Psychically spins the opponent above his head and throws them upwards. Can chaingrab {{SSBM|Fox}}, {{SSBM|Falco}} and {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} at low % and has a decent amount of followups. Good knockback.
|dthrowname=PK Inferno ({{ja|ラピッドＰＫファイヤー|Rapiddo Pīkei Faiyā}}, ''Rapid PK Fire'')
|dthrowdmg=1% (hits 1-5), 4% (throw)
|dthrowdesc=Slams the opponent to the ground and hits them with fire. Low knockback but allows a decent amount of followups, including being able to lead into an up aerial to KO. The fire hitboxes are fairly small (so small in fact that they flat out whiff against {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}}).
|floorfname= 
|floorfdmg=6%
|floorfdesc=Punches on both sides whilst getting up.
|floorbname= 
|floorbdmg=6%
|floorbdesc=Gets up and does a sweep kick with both feet.
|edgefname= 
|edgefdmg=8%
|edgefdesc=Somersaults onto the stage, and kicks upwards with both feet.
|edgesname= 
|edgesdmg=10%
|edgesdesc=Slowly picks himself up and does a jump kick.
|nsname=PK Flash
|nsdmg=11-36%
|nsdesc=A sphere of green light appears above Ness. As the attack button is held, the sphere moves downwards and increases in power and size, until the attack button is released or until it is fully charged, it explodes. Has [[Priority#Transcendent_priority|transcendent priority]].
|ssname=PK Fire
|ssdmg=2% (lightning), 3% (pillar hit 1), 2% (pillar hits 2-7)
|ssdesc=Fires a yellow, lightning-bolt shaped projectile that travels in a straight line until it hits an enemy or destructible portion of a stage, at which point it explodes into flames. The bolt has a [[hurtbox]], which is what activates the pillar upon contact; the surrounding [[hitbox]] deals 2% and little vertical knockback. The fire pillar also has a hurtbox which slowly shrinks in size and appears to have a windbox.
|usname=PK Thunder
|usdmg=8% (thunder head), 1% (thunder tail), 25% (PK Thunder 2 clean), 20% (PK Thunder 2 late)
|usdesc=Creates a stream of lightning that can be aimed into opponents to deal damage with the head and stun with the tail. Aiming the head into Ness himself will launch him in a trajectory opposite to the side he was hit on, which is referred to as [[PK Thunder 2]]. PK Thunder 2 has intangibility frames during the first half of the move. PK Thunder has transcendent priority.
|dsname=PSI Magnet
|dsdmg=0%, heals 2.0x the damage of absorbed projectiles
|dsdesc=Creates a blue energy field around him which allows him to absorb all energy-based projectiles. It can be held.
}}
 
===Stats===
{{technical data|Needs double jump height}}
'''NTSC'''
{{Attributes
|cast = 26
|weight = 94
|rweight = 11
|dash = 1.3
|rdash = 21-23
|run = 1.4
|rrun = 16-20
|walk = 0.84
|rwalk = 22
|trac = 0.06
|rtrac = 15-23
|airfric = 0.03
|rairfric = 3
|air = 0.93
|rair = 11
|baseaccel = 0.02
|rbaseaccel = 2-23
|addaccel = 0.04
|raddaccel = 5-11
|gravity = 0.09
|rgravity = 18
|fall = 1.83
|rfall = 15
|ff = 2.2
|rff = 19-20
|jumpsquat = 4
|rjumpsquat = 8-15
|jumpheight = 35.98
|rjumpheight = 5
|shorthop = 13.26
|rshorthop = 14
|djump = ?
|rdjump = ?
|ellag = 4
|rellag = 2-23
}}
 
'''PAL'''
{{Attributes
|cast = 26
|weight = 94
|rweight = 11
|dash = 1.3
|rdash = 21-23
|run = 1.4
|rrun = 16-20
|walk = 0.84
|rwalk = 22
|trac = 0.06
|rtrac = 15-23
|airfric = 0.03
|rairfric = 3
|air = 0.93
|rair = 10
|baseaccel = 0.02
|rbaseaccel = 2-23
|addaccel = 0.04
|raddaccel = 5-11
|gravity = 0.09
|rgravity = 18
|fall = 1.83
|rfall = 15
|ff = 2.2
|rff = 19-20
|jumpsquat = 4
|rjumpsquat = 8-15
|jumpheight = 35.98
|rjumpheight = 5
|shorthop = 13.26
|rshorthop = 14
|djump = ?
|rdjump = ?
|ellag = 4
|rellag = 2-23
}}
 
===[[Announcer]] call===
[[File: Ness Announcer SSBM.wav]]


=====[[Smash attack]]s=====
===[[Taunt]]===
*[[Forward smash]]- Ness swings a bat forward. If hit on the tip, there is more knockback and damage. Has high knockback and damage, but a little bit of start-up lag. Can reflect some projectiles. 32%
{{Taunt/SSBM|char=Ness|desc=Turns to the screen and nods his head while saying "Okay".}}
*[[Down smash]]- Ness swings his yo-yo backward then forward, in a trick that vaguely resembles a combination of the [http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/easy-yo-yo-tricks5.htm "Walk the Dog"] and [http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/easy-yo-yo-tricks13.htm "Walk the Cat"] yo-yo tricks. Has good range but decent to very poor knockback depending on the opponent's falling speed. It is also very slow and laggy in both starting and ending lag. This attack is incapable of KOing unless his opponents is at extreme percentage. 25%
*[[Up smash]]- Ness does a variation on the [http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/easy-yo-yo-tricks6.htm "Around the World"] yo-yo trick, swinging his yo-yo above his head. Has average range and speed, but sub-par knockback. Can be used to perform the [[Yo-yo Glitch]]. Like his down smash, this attack is incapable of KOing unless his opponents is at extreme percentage. 22%


=====Other attacks=====
===[[Idle pose]]===
*[[Ledge attack]]- Somersaults onto the stage, both feet stuck out. 8% damage
{{Idle|desc=Looks from side to side.|image=Ness Idle Pose Melee.gif}}
*100% ledge attack- Picks himself up and kicks. 10% damage
 
*[[Floor attack]]- Punches on both sides whilst getting up. 6% damage.
===[[Crowd cheer]]===
====[[Aerial attack]]s====
{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"
[[File:NessAerialAttacksSSBM.png|thumb|Ness's aerial attacks]]
|-
*[[Neutral aerial]]- Ness spins around, arms stretched out. Has average knockback, but is very fast with high combo potential. Poor range. 11%
!{{{name|}}}
*[[Forward aerial]]- Ness uses PK Brainshock forward. Is a fast, multi-hitting move, with good range but low knockback. Generally used as a [[spacing]] move. 15%
!Cheer (All versions)
*[[Back aerial]]- Ness thrusts his feet backward. If sweetspotted, it electrifies the opponent and semi-spikes them with above-average power. Is fast with very high knockback albeit poor range. The fourth most powerful back aerial in ''Melee''. 16%
|-
*[[Up aerial]]- Ness headbutts upward. Has amazing juggling potential and a good KO move with very low lag, but poor range. Some professional Ness players use it as part of a DJC as an alternative to Ness's poor up smash. Unlike ''Smash 64'', Ness`s head is no longer intangible. 13%
! scope="row"|Cheer
*[[Down aerial]]-A [[Stomp]] attack. Ness kicks downward. Is a [[meteor smash]], and has a decent amount of start-up lag. Great range, high knockback at 0% (most powerful meteor smash at 0% in ''Melee''), but it also has very low knockback scaling, being unable to KO grounded opponents at even 200%, and is relatively easy to meteor cancel. It also has no IASA frames (being interrupted on the same frame as Mario`s forward aerial, but Mario`s seem slower compared to Ness`s).  12%
|[[File:Ness Cheer SSBM.ogg|center]]
|-
! scope="row"|Description
|Ness -- Ness -- Ness!
|}


====[[Grab]]s and [[throw]]s====
===[[Victory pose]]s===
*[[Pummel]]- Ness headbutts the opponent. 3%
{{Victory/SSBM
*[[Forward throw]]- Ness throws the opponent forward. Very strong base knockback, but very low knockback scaling. 11%
|victory-theme=Ness Victory.ogg
*[[Back throw]]- Ness throws the opponent behind him. Has extremely low base knockback but very high knockback scaling. This is Ness's strongest throw and its one of the strongest back throw in the game, KOing reliably at 110 % and above. 11%
|victory-desc=An orchestrated version of the final four Soundstone Melodies from ''[[EarthBound (game)|EarthBound]]''. They also play in the game's credits, ''Smiles and Tears''.
*[[Up throw]]- Ness throws the opponent upward. Can chain into some of his aerials. Decent knockback. 10%
|desc-1=Looks to the left and right of him, then places his right arm on the back of his head.
*[[Down throw]]- Ness throws the opponent downward, and hits the enemy with PK Fire. Low knockback but allows a decent amount of followups, including being able to lead into an up aerial to KO. 8%
|desc-2=Swings around his bat four times, then poses with it.
|desc-3=Jumps up and down twice, places arms on waist, and says "Okay!"
|char=Ness}}


===[[Special move]]s===
==In [[competitive play]]==
{{Special Moves|game=SSBM|char=Ness}}
===Most historically significant players===
<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->


==In [[Competitive play]]==
:''See also: [[:Category:Ness players (SSBM)]]''
===[[Character matchups (SSBM)|Matchups]]===
{{SSBMMatchupTable|ness=yes}}


===Notable players===
*{{Sm|Simna ibn Sind|USA}} - Considered the best Ness player from 2006 to 2008, from 2015 to 2020, and of all time. He holds the best major results for Ness with 13th at {{Trn|EVO World 2007}} and 17th at {{Trn|Super Champ Combo}}. Mainly only attended {{Trn|EVO}} and [[GENESIS (tournament series)|GENESIS]] before his inactivity from competition. Simna ibn Sind is also known to be the person who discovered the [[Thunder Jacket]].
:''See also: [[:Category:Ness professionals (SSBM)]]''
*{{Sm|Mofo|USA}} - One of the most influential Ness mains known for discovering many [[glitch]]es such as the [[Star Jacket]], [[Spike Jacket]] and the [[yoyo stack glitch]]. Considered the best Ness in the world from 2009 to 2014 before retiring, has taken a set off {{Sm|Gravy}} and {{Sm|Captain Smuckers}}.
====Active====
*{{Sm|JoeyBats|Canada}} - The current best Ness player in the world, gaining notoriety during online tournaments through [[Slippi]]. He boast the highest tournament placements and highest rates of tournament participation among Ness players in 2021 on [[Project Slippi]] netplay and offline placed 17th at the superregional {{Trn|Rise 'N Grind 2023}}.
*{{Sm|Hungrybox|USA}}
*{{Sm|Simna ibn Sind|USA}}
*{{Sm|Vrud|Canada}}
====Inactive====
*{{Sm|Mofo|USA}}
*{{Sm|Nessby|Japan}}


===Tier placement and history===
===Tier placement and history===
Ness's [[nerf]] from ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' has severely hindered his ability to [[combo]] and [[approach]] while failing to address his extremely short range on his few reliable KO moves. Ness has always placed very low on the [[tier list]] because of these flaws, currently at 23rd place and not considered a viable tournament character. Ness players are extremely few and far between; {{Sm|Hungrybox}} only used Ness in [[Apex 2013]] to attempt to counter {{Sm|Armada}}'s {{SSBM|Young Link}}, and mostly used {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} for the rest of the tournament, while the rest of his players are semi-inactive and generally do not place very well with him, even with the powerful [[Yoyo glitch]].
Ness was initially viewed as low-mid tier character in the metagame, with a peak of 15th place on the second tier list. While he originally not considered terrible, his strengths never outshined his weaknesses; as the metagame went on, his glaring issues in range, inconsistent KOing potential, and terrible recovery caused his competitive perception to tank. This is reflected following the third tier list, where he has consistently been ranked as a bottom tier.


==In single-player modes==
On the current tier list, Ness places at 23rd, in the D tier, and he is widely considered non-viable for tournament play. Dedicated Ness players in high-level play are extremely rare in the current metagame, with most Ness players using him only as a situational counterpick. {{Sm|Hungrybox}} only used Ness once in all of {{Trn|Apex 2013}}, in an attempt to catch {{Sm|Armada}}'s {{SSBM|Young Link}} (which was developed specifically to fight Hungrybox) off-guard, and he mostly used {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} for the rest of the tournament. Other players of Ness are semi-active and generally do not place very well with him.
===In [[Classic Mode]]===
Ness can appear in ordinary one-on-one matches, as an opponent or ally in team battles (paired up with either {{SSBM|Mewtwo}} or {{SSBM|Peach}}), as part of a multi character fight, or as an opponent in the metal fight. Ness appears on either [[Onett]] or [[Fourside]] when the latter is unlocked; when on a team with Mewtwo, he appears on {{SSBM|Battlefield}}.


===In [[Adventure Mode]]===
==In 1-P Mode==
Ness's appearance in the [[Adventure Mode]] is in Stage 9. In the stage, the player must fight against three computer players, each one being Ness, on the Onett stage; in the fight, the only item that appears in [[Mr. Saturn]]. The player must defeat all three opponents within five minutes to continue.
==={{SSBM|Classic Mode}}===
In Classic Mode, Ness can appear as an ordinary opponent, as an ally or opponent in the team battles, alongside {{SSBM|Yoshi}}, {{SSBM|Peach}}, or {{SSBM|Mewtwo}}, as a member of a multi-character battle, or as a metal opponent. In Ness's appearance, he appears on either [[Onett]] or [[Fourside]] (if unlocked) as a regular opponent and on {{SSBM|Battlefield}} as a metal opponent. When on a team with Yoshi, he appears on {{SSBM|Yoshi's Island}}.


===In [[All-Star Mode]]===
===[[Adventure Mode]]===
In All-Star Mode, Ness and his allies are fought on the Onett stage.
Ness's appearance in the [[Adventure Mode]] is in Stage 9: Onett. In the stage, the player must fight against three computer players, each one being Ness, on Onett; in the fight, the only item that appear is [[Mr. Saturn]]. The player must defeat all three opponents within five minutes to continue.


===In Event Matches===
===[[All-Star Mode]]===
Ness is featured in the following [[event match]]es:
Ness and his allies are fought on [[Onett]].
*'''[[Event 5: Spare Change]]''': In this match, the player controls Ness against Captain Falcon in a Coin battle on Onett; in 80 seconds, the player must accumulate 200 coins before Captain Falcon does.
*'''[[Event 30: All-Star Match 3]]''': Ness is the third opponent the player must fight in this series of staged battles. Their character battles him on the [[Onett]] stage, and the player's character has 2 stock while Ness has 1. With a timer of four minutes, the player must defeat him and the other three characters with the overall time and life they have: {{SSBM|Kirby}}, {{SSBM|Pikachu}} and the {{SSBM|Ice Climbers}}.
*'''[[Event 36: Space Travelers]]''': As Ness, the player must defeat five opponents in a row: {{SSBM|Samus}}, Kirby, {{SSBM|Fox}}, Captain Falcon, and {{SSBM|Falco}}. For the first three opponents, the fights are done on [[Fourside]]; after this, the player is then sent to Battlefield to fight against the last two.


===Ending images===
===[[Event Matches]]===
<center><gallery>
Ness is featured in the following event matches:
File:NessClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode.
*'''[[Event 5: Spare Change]]''': the player controls Ness and fights {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} in a coin battle on Onett. The player must collect 200 coins within 80 seconds in order to clear the event.
File:NessAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode.
*'''[[Event 30: All-Star Match 3]]''': Ness is the third opponent to be fought in this series of staged battles. The player battles him on [[Onett]], which will transition to the next stage if Ness gets defeated. With a timer of four minutes, the player must defeat him along with {{SSBM|Kirby}}, {{SSBM|Pikachu}} and the {{SSBM|Ice Climbers}}.
File:NessAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode.
*'''[[Event 36: Space Travelers]]''': As Ness, the player must defeat {{SSBM|Samus}}, Kirby, {{SSBM|Fox}}, Captain Falcon, and {{SSBM|Falco}}. The player battles the first three characters on [[Fourside]] and battles the last two on {{SSBM|Battlefield}}.
</gallery></centeR>


==Trophies==
===[[Congratulations_screen#Super_Smash_Bros._Melee|Congratulations Screens]]===
''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.''
<center>
<gallery>
NessClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode
NessAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode
NessAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode
</gallery>
</center>


''Game:'' ''[[EarthBound]]'' (06/95)
==[[Trophies]]==
===Smash Red===
In addition to the normal trophy about Ness as a character unlocked by completing {{SSBM|Classic Mode}} as Ness on any difficulty, there are two trophies about him as a fighter, unlocked by completing {{SSBM|Adventure Mode}} and [[All-Star Mode]] respectively as Ness on any difficulty. Each of the trophies can also be unlocked by playing 100, 200, and 300 versus matches respectively as Ness:
''The key to mastering Ness is controlling his unique midair jump, which makes up for what he lacks in speed. His PK Flash attack may seem weak at first glance, but it grows more powerful the longer you hold down the B button. To do a lot of damage with PK Fire, try to burn your opponent as many times as possible.''


===Smash Blue===
{{Trophy/Fighter
''Ness's mind is his best weapon. PK Thunder is a PSI missile weapon that can be guided using the Control Stick, and if Ness hits himself with it, he turns into a living missile capable of doing massive damage. This move can also be used for recovery. PSI Magnet turns energy missile attacks into health; try out certain Pokémon for stamina replenishment.''
|name=Ness
|image=Ness Trophy Melee.png
|mode=Classic
|desc=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.
|gamelist-ntsc={{Trophy games|game1=EarthBound|release1=6/95}}
|gamelist-pal={{Trophy games|game1=EarthBound|release1=Not Released in Europe}}
|game=Melee
}}
{{clrl}}


<center><gallery>File:Ness Trophy Melee.png|181
{{Trophy/Fighter
File:Ness Trophy (Smash).png|182
|name=Ness
File:Ness Trophy (Smash) 2.png|183</gallery></center>
|image=Ness Trophy (Smash).png
|mode=Adventure
|desc=The key to mastering Ness is controlling his unique midair jump, which makes up for what he lacks in speed.  His PK Flash attack may seem weak at first glance, but it grows more powerful the longer you hold down the B Button. To do a lot of damage with PK Fire, try to burn your opponent as many times as possible.
|gamelist=:B: PK Flash
:Smash B: PK Fire
|game=Melee
}}
{{clrl}}


==[[Palette swap (SSBM)#Ness|Palette swaps]]==
{{Trophy/Fighter
[[File:Ness Palette (SSBM).png|frame|center|Ness's changeable clothing in ''Melee'']]
|name=Ness
|image=Ness Trophy (Smash) 2.png
|mode=All Star
|desc=Ness's mind is his best weapon. PK Thunder is a PSI missile weapon that can be guided using the Control Stick, and if Ness hits himself with it, he turns into a living missile capable of doing massive damage. This move can also be used for recovery. PSI Magnet turns energy missile attacks into health; try out certain Pokémon for stamina replenishment.
|gamelist=:Up & B: PK Thunder
:Down & B: PSI Magnet
|game=Melee
}}
{{clrl}}
 
==[[Alternate costume (SSBM)#Ness|Alternate costumes]]==
{|style="margin:1em auto 1em auto;text-align:center"
|-
|colspan=4|[[File:Ness Palette (SSBM).png]]
|-
|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBM|s=25px}}
|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBM|s=25px|cl=Yellow}}
|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBM|s=25px|cl=Blue}}
|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBM|s=25px|cl=Green}}
|}
 
==Gallery==
<center>
<gallery>
SSBM Ness HQ.jpg|Official artwork of Ness.
PSIMagnetMelee.jpg|Using [[PSI Magnet]] on [[Brinstar]].
SSBMWebsiteNess2.jpg|Using his [[down smash]] on [[Onett]].
PKFireMelee.jpg|Using [[PK Fire]] on {{SSBM|Link}} on Brinstar.
Nessbmove.jpg|Using [[PK Flash]] on {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} on Brinstar.
SSBMWebsiteNess5.jpg|[[Jump]]ing over The Runaway Five tour bus on Onett.
PKThunder2Melee.jpg|Using [[PK Thunder]] 2 on Brinstar.
LuigiAdventureMode.jpg|Standing with {{SSBM|Donkey Kong}}, {{SSBM|Kirby}}, and {{SSBM|Luigi}} on [[Great Bay]].
KirbyAdventureMode.jpg|Posing with Kirby on [[Temple]].
FoxAdventureMode.jpg|[[Taunt]]ing with Kirby and {{SSBM|Pikachu}} on Temple.
MewtwoAllStarMode.jpg|Using PSI Magnet near {{SSBM|Mewtwo}} on {{SSBM|Final Destination}}.
</gallery>
</center>


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*Ness, {{SSBM|Mario}}, {{SSBM|Peach}}, and {{SSBM|Samus}} are the only characters in ''Melee'' to use their default costume when on the red team.
[[File:SSBM-Nessyoyo.png|thumb|The yoyo's texture.]]
[[File:Elnessjabsmaller.gif|thumb|The "Electric Ness" glitch being performed.]]
*Although Ness is no longer able to auto-snap to the ledge out of aerial PK Thunder, modifying the move to be able to do so and grabbing the ledge while PK Thunder is being controlled reveals that it will despawn as it would in the original ''Super Smash Bros.'' This even happens with v1.00 behavior where normally, the thunder ball continues to fly if Ness is hit while controlling it, possibly suggesting that PK Thunder auto-ledge-snap may have been considered initially.
*When Ness's profile page was updated on July 17th, 2001, [[Sakurai]] revealed that Ness was meant to be replaced by [[Lucas]] from ''Mother 3''. However, as ''Mother 3'' was facing development issues and had its original Nintendo 64 release cancelled, Ness was brought back instead.
*Interestingly, the command structure for Ness's down aerial matches up with its ''Brawl'' counterpart, though it lacks the late hitbox. It is very likely that the down aerial was programmed this way erroneously, since it has two "Synchronous Timer" flags (4 frames and 5 frames) before the hitbox is cleared, adding up to 9 frames, while most moves only have one.
*The PK Fire pillar appears to have a windbox-like property. Information on this attribute is scarce and it seems to only happen under specific circumstances.
*''Melee'' is Ness's only appearance where PK Thunder has transcendent priority. In every other ''Super Smash Bros.'' title, it can be clanked with.
*Ness is one of three characters whose neutral special changed during his jump to ''Melee'', the others being [[Link]] and [[Jigglypuff]]. In the original ''Super Smash Bros.'', his neutral special was PK Fire; from ''Melee'' onward, he now uses PK Flash. As with the other two, his original neutral special remains in the game, having been transferred to the newly added side special move slot.
*If one looks closely at Ness's yo-yo, they can see the words ''DOLPHIN LOOP'', with it being made by HALLAB NINTENDO in 2001 (''Melee''{{'}}s release year), Dolphin being a reference to the [[Gamecube]]'s codename, and the "makers" a reference to the developer and publisher of ''Melee'' respectively. His bat reads NETT SPORTS.
*Hitting Ness as he's using [[PK Thunder]] can cause his body to constantly produce sparks afterward, though these sparks only provide a cosmetic effect. This glitch continues until he gets KOed, shields, or performs PK Thunder again.
*Ness's [http://www.nintendo.com/amiibo/detail/ness-amiibo-super-smash-bros-series amiibo description] on the North American [[amiibo]] website is based on his trophy description from ''Melee''.
 
==External links==
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/nus_p_nalj/smash/flash/0717/index.html Ness's page at Smabura-Ken]


*[[smashwiki:26TP/Ness|Translation]]
{{SSBMCharacters}}
{{SSBMCharacters}}
{{EnemiesAdvSSBM}}
{{EnemiesAdvSSBM}}
{{EarthBound universe}}
{{EarthBound universe}}
[[Category:EarthBound universe]]
[[Category:Ness (SSBM)| ]]
[[Category:Ness (SSBM)]]
[[Category:Trophies (SSBM)]]
[[es:Ness (SSBM)]]

Latest revision as of 22:39, December 15, 2024

This article is about Ness's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee. For the character in other contexts, see Ness.
Ness
in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Ness
EarthboundSymbol(preBrawl).svg
Universe EarthBound
Other playable appearances in SSB
in Brawl
in SSB4
in Ultimate
Availability Starter
Tier D (23) (North America)
H (23) (Europe)
Ness (SSBM)

Ness (ネス, Ness) is a starter character in Super Smash Bros. Melee. He was officially announced at E3 2001.

Makiko Ōmoto reprises her role as Ness in Melee with new voice clips.

Ness is currently ranked 23rd out of 26 on the tier list, placing within the D tier. This is a slight fall from his already very low placement in Smash 64, where he was 10th out of 12 characters in the NTSC version, and his worst placement to date. While still possessing great throws and a great aerial and combo game thanks to his double jump cancel, Ness is strongly held back by having almost non-existent approach options on the ground due to significant range issues in most of his attacks; having one of the worst recoveries in the game, and he also has significant trouble KOing opponents, due to him possessing some of the worst smash attacks in the game, having overall very weak KO power and due to his aforementioned poor range. As a result of these significant weaknesses, Ness has terrible matchups across the cast, is considered non-viable in competitive play, and has nearly non-existent representation in the modern metagame.

Attributes[edit]

Ness is an unusual blend of character archetypes; many of his attributes are unique in comparison to other characters, such as his projectiles, his recovery and his midair jump. Ness has below average traction and a below average falling speed, giving him an above-average wavedash that is relatively quick. Ness is a projectile-heavy character, as he has 3 projectiles: PK Flash, PK Fire, and PK Thunder, while also having a healing move in his PSI Magnet.

Arguably Ness's greatest strength is his combo game. Despite a poor SHFFL due to his high short hop and low falling speed, Ness has many ways to pressure and combo in the air thanks to his double jump cancel (often abbreviated DJC). By cancelling out of his midair jump with an aerial, Ness can quickly and efficiently use his multiple aerial attacks; this is especially important considering the utility of his aerial attacks. His neutral aerial and forward aerial attacks acting as potential combo starters (especially the latter) and his back, up and down air attacks serve as good KO moves. Due to this, his air approach is considered to be much better than his ground approach.

Although Ness has a poor ground approach, he still boasts two effective options: his grab game and the Yo-yo glitch. Ness' throws all have excellent utility; his forward throw has extremely high base knockback, making it ideal for starting edgeguards. His down throw is a decent combo starter, having potential to lead into his DJC'd aerials. His up throw is a decent chain grab and can be used in conjunction with PK Thunder to rack up damage or play mindgames. Finally, his back throw is the strongest throw in the game, making it a deadly KOing option. As for the Yo-yo glitch, Ness is the only character to have access to this technique. It is initiated through his up smash, and can be used to attack or grab with near limitless range or attach certain single-hitbox attacks to Ness's body. This can significantly increase Ness' range and options when performed properly.

Ness' greatest flaw, however, is his significant range problems. All of his attacks (especially his tilts) have little range or small hitboxes, making hitting an opponent very difficult. Although wavedashing can help out this problem somewhat, Ness' ground based options have too little utility overall to be consistently applicable. When combined with his somewhat slow movement, Ness has significant trouble approaching opponents. Thus, his dash attack is considered to be his only reliable ground approach option, due to its decent range unlike most of his other attacks. Also, Ness's grab has the second shortest range in all of the game (only to Pikachu), thus making it difficult for him to take advantage of his versatile throws, while his dash grab is extremely laggy and barely improves its range. Finally, against opponents with particularly good spacing games, most notoriously Marth, Ness can be easily overwhelmed in his attempts to approach opponents in the air despite the power of his DJC.

Even when attempting to approach his opponents, Ness suffers from noticeable KOing problems, largely due to his poor power and range. He possesses a terrible set of smash attacks in the game: his up and down smashes are by far the weakest of their kind and his forward smash relies on a sweetspot at the tip of the bat to KO effectively. Outside of his smash attacks, most of his strongest finishers suffer from poor range (his back, up and down aerials, along with his back throw), long start-up and ending lag (his down aerial), low base knockback (up aerial and back throw), having small, unreliable sweetspots (his aforementioned forward smash), or simply being unsafe and situational (PK Flash and PK Thunder 2).

Ness' special moveset also has some problems: it is rather situational overall. PK Flash boasts extreme power when fully charged and is great for punishing poorly positioned opponents offstage, but it is limited to edgeguarding due to it being very slow and difficult to land. PK Fire can trap opponents and leave them open for follow-ups, and can even gimp fast-fallers. However, it has short reach for a projectile and is very easy to SDI out of, making it easy to punish. PK Thunder is Ness' most useful special move; it is unique for controlling a thunder ball which can be moved in any direction, allowing for mindgames, offstage gimps, and even a powerful KOing option in PK Thunder 2. However it has one critical flaw: the player loses control of Ness during the move, leaving him open to extremely powerful attacks if he can't hit the opponent quick enough. Finally, PSI Magnet can heal Ness and put him in a better position defensively, but it is rather slow and completely dependent on the opposing character, as it only absorbs energy-based projectiles.

Outside of his poor approach, Ness also suffers from a catastrophic recovery. Ness's recovery has its merits; he has the second highest midair jump in the game (second to only Yoshi) and his midair jump has unusual properties in its trajectory; PK Thunder 2 also grants a rather long distance, with a moderately large sweetspot and a long period of invincibility frames. The move is also very risky to block due to possessing KO power that reliably KOs at 90%. Despite these benefits, however, Ness's recovery still is cited as arguably the worst in the game, in spite of its long length, due to possessing many notable flaws. If Ness uses an aerial to fend off edgeguarders, his double jump is cancelled and can prevent him from recovering if unable to act soon enough. PK Thunder's projectile instantly disappears upon hitting opponents, and this is very easily abusable by edgeguarders, further worsened by PK Thunder 2's slow startup. In the process of having to start PK Thunder 2, characters with good recoveries (such as Jigglypuff or Samus) can merely jump into the projectile and take minor knockback and damage, immediately sending Ness into a state of helplessness, though this is a risky strategy. Projectiles such as Link's Boomerangs and the Ice Climbers' Ice Shot can easily disrupt the projectile as well, and in these cases, damage is not even inflicted to the opponent. PK Thunder 2 also suffers from a number of problems. Notably, it is difficult to angle correctly, and it can easily curve under lips of stages, most notably on Battlefield. Its linear nature can also make it easy to read and edgeguard for many characters, despite the invincibility frames found within it, and attacks like Mario's Cape or Link's Spin Attack can easily intercept the attack as Ness charges to the stage. Finally, PK Thunder 2 has significant ending lag, and if Ness recovers directly onto the stage after using it, opponents can easily capitalize on this ending lag by landing a powerful hit on Ness that he cannot hope to counter.

Changes from Super Smash Bros.[edit]

While Ness is considered to be a low tier in Smash 64 owing to his poor range, mobility and most notably; his poor recovery, he was initially considered to be top tier character in the game's early meta due to the strength of his double jump cancel which gave him a powerful combo game as well as giving him excellent shield pressuring potential. Likely as a result of this, Ness received a mix of buffs and nerfs in his transition from Smash 64 to Melee but was ultimately nerfed overall.

Ness received a number of helpful buffs; his range was increased as a whole to help alleviate one of his main flaws from the previous game. This can most notably be seen with his altered dash attack and forward aerial which have now become disjointed multi hitting moves. The former has become a decent combo starter and an edgeguarding tool while the latter in particular has now become a solid spacing move with good combo potential (something he sorely lacked in the previous game).

Ness' mobility has been drastically improved, possessing a much faster dashing speed and air speed, making it much easier for him to approach, run away and chase opponents. Ness also benefits from the introduction of air dodging for two reasons; it gives him a much needed additional recovery and it gives him access to wavedashing. Ness overall has a solid wavedash due to his average traction and short jumpsquat giving him a useful movement option. Ness overall has a better recovery outside of PK Thunder due to his aforementioned increased air speed and ability to air dodge meaning that Ness does not have to rely on PK Thunder to recover as much.

Ness is also significantly heavier which considerably improves his endurance along with his higher falling speed, though these factors also make him more vulnerable to combos. Ness has also gained a useful up throw and down throw with both throws being decent combo starters. Lastly, Ness now has access the Yo-yo glitch if he charges his up smash and releases it at the right time. When performed correctly, Ness has access to much greater range, as well as having hitboxes attached to him and new mindgames giving him a unique and unpredictable option.

However, Ness has received a much greater quantity of nerfs which along with universal changes, have drastically crippled him overall. Ness' damage output has been reduced which has also hindered the KO potential of many of his moves. Some moves such as up aerial, forward smash and back throw simply KO later than in the previous game while moves such as up smash, down smash, forward aerial and forward throw are now practically useless moves for KOing. This naturally hinders Ness' damage racking capabilities as well as his ability to close out stocks and as a result of these changes, Ness' ability to KO opponents has gone from being disproportionately high to rather low.

Ness' aerial game has also been considerably toned down both due to nerfs to his key aerials in the previous game as well as various universal changes. All of Ness' aerials have increased landing lag and (with the exception of neutral aerial) worse auto-cancel windows. Due to the weakening of L-canceling, these changes do impact Ness hindering his aerial combo game when combined with the reduction of hitstun and the introduction of DI as well as making his aerials easier to punish. Ness is also one of the characters who was the most affected by the changes to shields. With shields having more HP, taking less damage from attacks and with shieldstun being significantly lower; this combined with the aforementioned weakening of L-canceling has greatly hindered Ness' shield pressuring potential with his DJC, completely removing his ability to perform shield break combos. Ness' own out of shield options are also worse due to his longer jumpsquat, slower grab and his slower down aerial.

Ness' down aerial in particular has seen rather drastic nerfs. Previously, it was an extremely fast and powerful meteor smash which was a good combo starter as well as an excellent combo ender, edgeguarding tool and shield pressuring tool. In Melee, the move has about 5x as much startup lag and 3x as much ending lag and the move no longer auto-cancels while its hitboxes are out now having decently high landing lag (although it still has one of the most lenient auto-cancel windows in the game). Being a meteor smash, it also suffers from the addition of meteor cancelling making it significantly easier to survive against despite its much higher base knockback. When combined with the aforementioned changes to shields and L-canceling, this removes most of its KO potential and completely removes its use in shield break combos and DJC combos in general, significantly hurting its damage racking ability.

Despite already being an exploitable recovery move, PK Thunder has been made much worse. PK Thunder itself travels faster but has received angling issues due to this change and Ness can no longer auto-snap the ledge while using it making it completely useless to use at the ledge if Ness does not hit himself. PK Thunder 2 travels a much shorter distance and has increased ending lag making it even easier to exploit than it already was. PK Thunder 2 is also much weaker as a KO move and has received a weaker late hit reducing its utility outside of recovering. This makes Ness' recovery arguably the worst in the game.

Lastly, Ness' weaknesses from the previous game were not properly addressed. While the range in some of his attacks has increased, his range is still among the absolute shortest in the game and his mobility is still mediocre even though its not quite as poor as it previous was. As a result, Ness still has a difficult time approaching opponents and winning the neutral as he can still easily be outspaced. His recovery also is now among the absolute worst as while he has better aerial mobility and he can airdodge to avoid having to use PK Thunder, PK Thunder retains all of the issues it had in the previous game and has even become a considerably worse move/recovery option overall.

Overall, Ness still retains the weaknesses he had in the previous game while the strengths he had were either toned down or removed. As a result of these changes, Ness is one of the most severely nerfed characters and he remains one of the worst characters in the game.

Aesthetics[edit]

  • Change Ness's grounded jump is no longer psychokinetic.
  • Change Ness has new voice samples.
  • Change Ness now has a blue hue in his eyes.
  • Change Ness's default costume have been slightly changed (red cap has blue instead of purple, beige and blue striped shirt and blue shorts instead of yellow/purple and purple, blue cap has purple instead of violet, tan and purple striped shirt and purple shorts instead of yellow/violet and violet, and green cap has orange and brown striped shirt and green shorts instead of light green/orange and orange like Mario's team battle costume.)
  • Change Ness now faces the screen if he uses his taunt while facing left. It also has a new voice clip.
  • Change Ness now consistently smiles instead of only doing it during his taunt and victory poses.

Attributes[edit]

  • Buff Ness walks faster (0.7467 (22.4) → 0.84), no longer being the slowest.
  • Buff Ness dashes significantly faster (1.067 (32) → 1.4), no longer being the slowest.
    • Nerf However, Ness' initial dash is drastically slower (2.267 (68) → 1.3) and covers less distance.
  • Nerf Ness' traction is slightly lower (0.0667 (2) → 0.06). Compared with the returning veterans, however, his traction is significantly lower, making it harder for him to punish out of shield.
  • Nerf Ness' jumpsquat is longer (3 frames → 4).
  • Buff Ness' air speed has been unchanged (0.933 (28) → 0.93). Compared with the returning veterans, however, his air speed is faster, going from the 2nd (JPN/NA) / 4th (AUS) / 3rd (EUR) slowest out of 12 characters to the 11th fastest out of 26.
  • Nerf Ness' air acceleration is much lower (0.1067 (3.2) → 0.06).
  • Nerf Ness jumps much lower (40.15 (1204.5) → 35.98).
    • Buff Compared with the returning veterans, however, he jumps significantly higher, going from the 3rd lowest out of 12 characters to the 5th highest out of 26.
    • Change Ness' short hop is drastically lower (23.5367 (706.1) → 13.26), improves his ability to hit opponents low on the ground with short hop aerials, as well as his ability to quickly land and continue aerial pressure, but also hinders his ability to auto-cancel his aerials.
  • Nerf Ness' fast-falling speed is significantly slower (2.95 (88.5) → 2.2). The difference between his falling speed and fast falling speed is much lower (increase: 60.5% → 20.2%), which makes it more predictable when landing and gives him fewer options in the air.
  • Buff Ness is drastically heavier (81.818181 (1.1) → 94) which significantly improves his endurance.
    • Nerf However, this also makes him much more vulnerable to combos and makes him susceptible to Fox's waveshine combos.
  • Buff The introduction of air dodging benefits Ness as it gives him a much needed additional recovery option as well as an additional movement option in the form of wavedashing.

Ground Attacks[edit]

  • Neutral attack:
    • Buff Neutral attack's first hit deals more damage (2% → 3%).
    • Buff Neutral attack transitions sooner into the later hits (frame 10 → 5 (hit 1), frame 8 → 6 (hit 2)).
    • Buff The third hit has increased base knockback (10 → 16).
    • Nerf All three hits of neutral attack have more startup lag with the second and third hits also having a shorter duration (frames 2-3 (hit 1)/3-5 (hit 2)/6-11 (hit 3) → 3-4/4-5/7-10).
    • Nerf All three hits have more ending lag (FAF 18 (hit 1)/20 (hit 2)/ 25 (frame 3) → 20/21/31).
    • Nerf Ness can no longer cancel the first hit into grab.
  • Forward tilt:
    • Buff Forward tilt deals more damage (9%/10%/11% → 10%/11%/12%) and has increased base knockback (10 → 12).
  • Up tilt:
    • Buff Up tilt has less ending lag (FAF 35 → 32).
    • Change Up tilt's angle has been altered (100° → 96°).
    • Change Up tilt deals more knockback (80 (base), 40 (scaling) → 42/126).
      • Buff This improves its KO potential (though it still cannot reliably KO).
      • Nerf However, this along with the reduction of hitstun and the introduction of DI significantly hinders its combo potential.
    • Nerf Up tilt has a much shorter duration (frames 5-19 → 5-9) hindering its use as an anti air and giving it more cooldown.
    • Nerf Ness's head has less intangibility (frames 5-19 → 5-6) further hindering up tilt's use as an anti-air.
  • Down tilt:
    • Buff Down tilt has less startup lag (frame 4 → 3) and Ness can perform another down tilt sooner (frame 11 → 8).
    • Change Down tilt deals more knockback (2 (base), 20 (scaling) → 4/50).
      • Buff This make it safer on hit and chain into itself more reliably at lower percents.
      • Nerf However, this makes it chain into itself less reliably at higher percents.
    • Nerf Down tilt has a shorter duration (frames 4-8 → 3-5).
  • Dash attack:
    • Change Dash attack is now a multi-hitting move where Ness produces three PSI rings in front of him.
    • Buff Dash attack deals slightly more damage if all hits connect (12% (clean)/9% (late) → 5% (hit 1)/4% (hits 2 & 3)/12.28% (total)) and has significantly more range and overall utility.
    • Change The final hit of dash attack has higher base knockback (16 → 70) and launches opponents vertically (361° → 100°) improving its combo potential but hindering its KO and edgeguarding potential when combined with its lower damage.
    • Nerf Dash attack has a shorter duration (frames 8-11 (clean)/12-25 (late) → 8/15/22) and each hit has high base knockback making it extremely difficult to connect properly.
    • Nerf Dash attack has more ending lag (FAF 38 → 40).
  • Forward smash:
    • Buff Forward smash has increased horizontal range.
    • Buff Forward smash has less startup lag (frame 18 → 16).
    • Buff Forward smash no longer deals consistent damage with the tipper of the bat being the strongest (18% → 18%/20%/22%/24%).
    • Nerf Forward smash deals less knockback (70 (base), 65 (scaling) → 50/62) drastically hindering the sourspots' KO potential at high percentages.
    • Nerf Forward smash has a shorter duration (frames 18-21 → 16-17), increasing its ending lag.
    • Nerf Forward smash's reflector has a shorter duration (frames 16-21 → 16-17).
    • Nerf Ness's bat will now clash with projectiles if it hits them, making forward smash much less reliable as a reflector.
    • Nerf Forward smash has a reduced reflection multiplier (1.8x → 1.5x) much like its Japanese Smash 64 counterpart.
    • Nerf Forward smash's reflector can now only deal up to 50% damage and the reflector will break if Ness reflects a projectile which deals over 50% (much like Fox's).
  • Up smash:
    • Buff Up smash has less startup lag with a longer duration (frames 13-25 → 12-31).
    • Buff Ness can use up smash to perform the Yo-yo glitch improving its utility.
    • Change Up smash no longer has a mid hit.
    • Buff The late hit launches opponents at a slightly higher angle compared to the previous mid hit (78° → 80°).
    • Nerf Up smash has less range.
    • Nerf The clean hit has a shorter duration (frames 13-17 → 12-14).
    • Nerf The clean hit no longer launches opponents towards Ness (110° → 70°).
    • Nerf Up smash deals significantly less damage (17% → 9% (clean), 15%/13% → 6% (late)). The clean hit's knockback was not fully compensated (20 (base), 100 (scaling) → 80/80) while the late hit deals less knockback (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 60/45) completely removing its KOing capabilities and making it completely useless and unsafe.
    • Nerf Up smash has more ending lag (FAF 40 → 49).
  • Down smash:
    • Buff Down smash has less startup lag (frame 13 → 12).
    • Change Down smash now launches opponents vertically (361° → 70°).
    • Nerf Down smash has less range.
    • Nerf Down smash has a much shorter duration (frames 13-52 → 12 (clean), 13-31 (late)) and now has a drastically weaker late hit.
    • Nerf Down smash deals drastically less damage (19% → 11%/7%) and its knockback was not fully compensated (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 70/80 (clean), 70/60 (late)) completely removing its KO potential.
    • Nerf Down smash has more ending lag (FAF 55 → 59).

Aerial Attacks[edit]

  • Nerf All aerials have increased landing lag (14 frames → 22 (neutral), 16 frames → 18 (forward), 15 frames → 18 (back), 4/8 frames → 18 (up), 4/8 frames → 28 (down)).
  • Nerf All aerials except neutral aerial auto-cancel later (frame 27 → 30 (forward), frame 20 → 25 (back), frame 1 → 27 (up), frame 1 → 29 (down)).
  • Nerf The weakening of L-canceling has hindered Ness's combo game with landing aerials as well as their safety with the increasing landing lag and worse auto-cancel windows on his aerials only further exacerbating this.
    • Nerf This combined with the changes to shields has severely harmed Ness's shield pressuring potential; making his aerials much less safe against shield and completely removing his ability to perform shield break combos.
  • Neutral aerial:
    • Change Ness has a new neutral aerial: a spin with his arms outward.
    • Buff Neutral aerial has less ending lag (FAF 40 → 36).
    • Buff Neutral aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 40 → 27).
    • Nerf Neutral aerial deals less damage (14% → 11% (clean), 11% → 8% (late)) hindering its KO potential.
      • Buff However this combined with Ness's superior aerial mobility improves its combo potential.
    • Nerf Neutral aerial has a shorter duration (frames 5-39 → 5-23).
    • Nerf Neutral aerial has less range and is less safe due to Ness's head being farther in front than the move's hitboxes.
  • Forward aerial:
    • Change Forward aerial has been altered: Ness now produces five PSI rings in front of him with the move being a multi hit.
    • Buff Forward aerial has less startup (frame 10 → 8) and ending lag (FAF 42 → 40).
    • Buff Forward aerial deals more damage if all hits connect (12% (clean)/10% (late) → 3%/2% (hits 1-4)/5% (hit 5)/15.74% (total)).
    • Buff Forward aerial has considerably more range.
    • Buff Forward has much better combo potential due to its multi-hit properties as it can now chain into itself or other aerials.
    • Nerf Forward aerial is less reliable due to being a multi-hit.
    • Nerf The knockback on the final hit was not fully compensated (16 (base), 100 (scaling) → 24/135) hindering forward aerial's KO potential.
  • Back aerial:
    • Buff Back aerial has less ending lag (FAF 40 → 36).
    • Buff The sweetspot has increased base knockback (10 → 16).
    • Nerf The animation makes it so Ness's body no longer shrinks as much during Back aerial's startup lag and does not extend as far, giving it less range and hindering its safety.
    • Nerf The sweetspot has a shorter duration (frames 10-13 → 10-11) with the late hit's duration being compensated (frames 14-19 → 12-19).
    • Nerf The sweetspot now has an electric effect, giving it more hitlag (1x → 1.5x) and making it easier to DI.
  • Up aerial:
    • Nerf Ness's head is no longer intangible while performing up aerial.
    • Nerf Up aerial deals less damage (15% → 13%) and its knockback was not fully compensated (10 (base), 110 (scaling) → 13/109).
    • Nerf Up aerial has a shorter duration (frames 8-16 → 8-11).
    • Nerf Up aerial no longer auto-cancels for its entire duration, now having 18 frames of landing lag (9 if L-cancelled).
  • Down aerial:
    • Buff Down aerial has much higher base knockback (10/0 → 90), improving its edgeguarding potential at lower percents.
    • Nerf Down aerial has drastically increased start-up lag with a shorter duration (frames 4-20 → 20-28).
    • Nerf Down aerial has twice the amount of ending lag (FAF 30 → 60) no longer being possible to perform twice in a short hop or even out of a full height double jump.
    • Nerf Down aerial deals 3% less damage (15% → 12%) and has much lower knockback scaling (120 → 70), weakening the meteor smash's power at high percents and removing its KO potential on-stage..
    • Nerf Down aerial no longer auto-cancels while the hitbox is out, now having 28 frames of landing lag (14 if L-cancelled).
    • Nerf The addition of meteor canceling, when combined with down aerial's new angle (-90° → 280°) allows it to be meteor cancelled.
      • Nerf Altogether, these changes drastically worsens the move's utility and reliability, hindering its use in combos and in shield pressure while being much more unreliable as a KO move.

Throws/other attacks[edit]

  • Grabs:
    • Buff Ness has been given an pummel, up throw, and a down throw, improving his grab's utility. Both of these new throws can be used as combo starters.
    • Nerf Ness's grabs have more startup lag (frame 6 → 8 (standing), 10 (dash)) and ending lag (FAF 16 → 31 (standing), 41 (dash)).
  • Forward throw:
    • Nerf Forward throw deals less damage (16% → 11%) and while it has increased base knockback (90 → 120), it also has drastically lower knockback scaling (70 → 10) completely removing its KO potential (no longer being the strongest forward throw).
    • Nerf Forward throw has more ending lag (FAF 45 → 53).
    • Nerf Forward throw no longer has a collateral hit which can hit bystanders.
  • Back throw:
    • Nerf Back throw deals less damage (16% → 11%) and its knockback was not fully compensated (90 (base), 70 (scaling) → 15/130), hindering its KO potential although it still remains one of the most powerful throws in the game.
    • Nerf Back throw has more ending lag (FAF 45 → 53).
    • Nerf Back throw no longer has a collateral hit which can hit bystanders.

Special Moves[edit]

  • PK Flash:
    • Change Ness now has a new neutral special: PK Flash. A chargeable green ball of light that increases in power and moves downward the longer the button is held. Once it reaches full power, it explodes, dealing huge knockback. It grants Ness a new powerful KO and edgeguarding option, although the move is ineffective due to its extremely poor speed and how vulnerable it leaves Ness when he uses it.
  • PK Fire:
    • Change As a result of PK Flash now being Ness's neutral special, PK Fire is now Ness's side special.
    • Buff PK Fire has less ending lag (FAF 72 → 70).
    • Buff PK Fire pillar's duration is slightly longer (frame 98 -> 100).
    • Buff PK Fire pillar's hitboxes are larger and no longer shrink as its lifetime decreases.
    • Buff PK Fire spark is less likely to knock opponents away from the pillar at higher percents.
    • Buff PK Fire spark travels farther.
    • Nerf PK Fire spark disappears one frame early if summoned over even ground.
    • Nerf PK Fire spark has a smaller hitbox and now relies on the assistance of a hurtbox to activate the fire pillar.
      • Nerf Its reliance on the hurtbox makes it possible for attackers to hit the projectile, causing it to undergo 16 frames of hit cooldown; it also doesn't go off if the opponent and the hurtbox do not interact.
      • Buff However, this also means that the PK Fire spark can absorb projectiles with transcendent priority.
    • Nerf PK Fire deals less damage (4% (spark)/3% (pillar hits 1-7) → 2% (spark)/3% (pillar hit 1)/2% (pillar hits 2-7)), and it is now considerably easier to SDI out of.
  • PK Thunder:
    • Buff PK Thunder has less startup lag (frame 24 → 20).
    • Buff PK Thunder now auto-cancels once Ness enters free fall; drastically reducing its landing lag (42 frames → 4).
    • Buff PK Thunder travels faster and deals 2% more damage (6% → 8%).
    • Buff PK Thunder now has transcendent priority.
    • Nerf PK Thunder has a shorter duration (frames 24-182 → 20-138).
    • Nerf PK Thunder has more ending lag once it disappears (FAF 46 → 55).
    • Nerf Ness will no longer auto-snap the ledge when using PK Thunder near a ledge.
    • Nerf Ness will not auto-snap the ledge after PK Thunder despawns until he has performed an aerial somersault.
      • Nerf Altogether, these changes make it much riskier to use PK Thunder near the ledge.
    • Buff PK Thunder 2 has a longer duration (frames 1-18 → 1-36).
    • Change PK Thunder 2 now grants Ness intangibility rather than invincibility.
    • Change The crowd no longer gasps when Ness hits himself with PK Thunder.
    • Nerf PK Thunder 2 travels a much shorter distance.
    • Nerf PK Thunder 2 deals less damage when hitting an opponent (30% → 25%) and knockback (40 (base), 84 (scaling) → 60/70) significantly hindering its KO potential.
    • Nerf PK Thunder 2 now has a drastically weaker late hitbox that deals less damage (30% → 20%) and knockback (40 (base), 84 (scaling) → 45/65).
    • Nerf PK Thunder 2's clean hit has a shorter duration (frames 1-18 → 1-10).
    • Nerf PK Thunder 2 has much more ending lag (FAF 44 → 100 (ground)/70 (air)) especially if Ness ends PK Thunder 2 on the ground or if he lands while in the middle of the animation of PK Thunder 2 and before he transitions into free fall.
  • PSI Magnet:
    • Change Physic-Magnet has been renamed to PSI Magnet.
    • Buff PSI Magnet has less startup lag (frame 15 → 11).
    • Change The color of PSI Magnet is now blue instead of green.
    • Change The crowd no longer cheers when Ness absorbs a projectile with PSI Magnet. The screen additionally no longer flashes when this occurs either.
    • Nerf PSI Magnet has 10 frames extra frames of ending lag when Ness drops the magnet.
    • Nerf PSI Magnet has more ending lag when Ness' absorbs a projectile (FAF 25 → 41).
    • Nerf Ness can no longer auto-snap the ledge while using PSI Magnet.

Moveset[edit]

For a gallery of Ness's hitboxes, see here.

Ness's aerial attacks
  Name Damage Description
Neutral attack Hook (ジャブ, Jab) / Straight (ストレート) / Kick (ミドルキック, Middle Kick) 3% Punches forward twice, then kicks.
2%
4%
Forward tilt ↗ Short Kick (ショートキック) 12% Does a roundhouse kick forward. Can be angled up or down.
→ 11%
↘ 10%
Up tilt Push Up (トス, Toss) 7% Thrusts both his hands upward. Ness's head is intangible during the early part of the animation. Can combo into itself and DJC'd up aerials.
Down tilt Squat Kick (クラウチングキック, Crouching Kick) 3% Thrusts his leg downward, then pivots his foot to hit the opponent. Can combo into itself by mashing the A button after the move is executed, and is an infinite against a wall.
Dash attack PK Shove (ＰＫハンドスタンプ, PK Hand Stamp) 5% (hit 1), 4% (hits 2-3) (≈12.28% total) Throws his hands forward, sending three sparks PSI energy in front of himself. Good, disjointed range. 1st hit powerfully semi-spikes opponents, 2nd hit does very weak vertical knockback and the last hit deals powerful vertical knockback.
Forward smash Home Run Swing (バットスイング, Bat Swing) 18% (body), 20% (bat base), 22% (bat mid), 24% (bat tip) Swings his bat forward. Has high knockback and damage at the tip of the bat, but has very weak knockback for a smash attack when untipped and has a little bit of start-up lag. There is a hitbox around Ness which can reflect projectiles, but it is only out for 2 frames, so it's near-impossible to use reliably.
Up smash Around the World (シャトルループ, Shuttle Loop) 9% (startup), 4% (charging), 6% (attack) Does a variation on the "around-the-world" yo-yo trick, swinging his yo-yo above his head. Has good range and speed. Used to perform the extremely powerful Yo-yo Glitch, but has little utility otherwise. Like his down smash, this attack is incapable of KOing unless his opponent is over 200%, and the swinging part even has almost non-existent knockback not KOing until at least 500%, though this allows it to act an unorthodox combo-starter at mid to high percents. The attack has a hitbox while charging and can hang over ledges if spaced correctly, allowing for potential edgeguard situations. If Ness is too close to the ledge, however, and facing said ledge, he cannot charge the move.
Down smash Walk the Dog (ヨーヨーショット, Yo-Yo Shot) 11% (startup), 4% (charging), 7% (attack) Sends his yo-yo backwards and "walks-the-dog" with it before pulling the yo-yo back. Has good range and speed, however, this attack is incapable of KOing unless his opponent is over 180%. More powerful than the up smash in terms of knockback, but still extremely weak. The attack has a hitbox while charging. The swinging part of the attack has barely any base knockback and can't KO until the 430% range. Overall less utility than up-smash due to the Yo-yo starting out behind Ness. If Ness is too close to the ledge, and facing away from it, he cannot charge the move.
Neutral aerial Ness Spin (ネススピン) 11% (clean), 8% (late) Spins around, arms stretched out. Has good knockback and is very fast with high combo potential. Poor range.
Forward aerial Flying PK Shove (空中ＰＫハンドスタンプ, Aerial PK Hand Stamp) 3% (hits 1-4), 5% (hit 5) (≈15.74% total) Throws both his hands forward, sending multiple sparks PSI energy in front of himself. Is a fast, multi-hitting move, with good range and high knockback on the last hit KOing under 130% off-stage. Generally used as a spacing move and can chain into itself several times at low to high percents.
Back aerial PK Drop Kick (ＰＫドロップキック) 16% (clean), 10% (late) Thrusts both his feet backwards. If sweetspotted, it electrifies the opponent, dealing massive damage. Is fast with very high knockback albeit somewhat poor range. Can shield poke if fastfalled out of a DJC. The fourth most powerful back aerial in the game, beaten by Zelda, Ganondorf, and Samus.
Up aerial Jumping Headbutt (ジャンピングヘッドバット) 13% Headbutts upward. Has amazing juggling potential when DJC'd and a good KO move with very low lag, but poor range. Unlike in Smash 64, Ness's head is no longer intangible.
Down aerial Meteor Kick (ニードルキック, Needle Kick) 12% Pulls his legs to his body before stomping downwards. Is a meteor smash, and has a decent amount of start-up lag. Great range, extremely high knockback at 0% (most powerful meteor smash at 0% in Melee), but it also has very low knockback scaling, being unable to KO grounded opponents at even 200%, and is relatively easy to meteor cancel. It also has no IASA frames (being interrupted on the same frame as Mario's forward aerial, but Mario's seem slower compared to Ness's).
Grab Grab (つかみ) —
Pummel Captive Headbutt (つかみヘッドバット, Grab Headbutt) 3% Headbutts the opponent.
Forward throw PK Throw (ＰＫスルー) 11% Psychically throws the opponent forward. Very strong base knockback, but very low knockback scaling.
Back throw Reverse PK Throw (リバースＰＫスルー) 11% Psychically throws the opponent behind him. Has extremely low base knockback but very high knockback scaling. This is Ness's strongest throw and the second strongest throw in the game (second to Mewtwo's up throw), KOing reliably at 130% and above.
Up throw Cowboy PK Throw (カウボーイＰＫスルー) 10% Psychically spins the opponent above his head and throws them upwards. Can chaingrab Fox, Falco and Captain Falcon at low % and has a decent amount of followups. Good knockback.
Down throw PK Inferno (ラピッドＰＫファイヤー, Rapid PK Fire) 1% (hits 1-5), 4% (throw) Slams the opponent to the ground and hits them with fire. Low knockback but allows a decent amount of followups, including being able to lead into an up aerial to KO. The fire hitboxes are fairly small (so small in fact that they flat out whiff against Mr. Game & Watch).
Forward roll
Back roll
Spot dodge
Air dodge 		— —
Techs — —
Floor attack (front)
Floor getups (front) 		  6% Punches on both sides whilst getting up.
Floor attack (back)
Floor getups (back) 		  6% Gets up and does a sweep kick with both feet.
Edge attack (fast)
Edge getups (fast) 		  8% Somersaults onto the stage, and kicks upwards with both feet.
Edge attack (slow)
Edge getups (slow) 		  10% Slowly picks himself up and does a jump kick.
Neutral special PK Flash 11-36% A sphere of green light appears above Ness. As the attack button is held, the sphere moves downwards and increases in power and size, until the attack button is released or until it is fully charged, it explodes. Has transcendent priority.
Side special PK Fire 2% (lightning), 3% (pillar hit 1), 2% (pillar hits 2-7) Fires a yellow, lightning-bolt shaped projectile that travels in a straight line until it hits an enemy or destructible portion of a stage, at which point it explodes into flames. The bolt has a hurtbox, which is what activates the pillar upon contact; the surrounding hitbox deals 2% and little vertical knockback. The fire pillar also has a hurtbox which slowly shrinks in size and appears to have a windbox.
Up special PK Thunder 8% (thunder head), 1% (thunder tail), 25% (PK Thunder 2 clean), 20% (PK Thunder 2 late) Creates a stream of lightning that can be aimed into opponents to deal damage with the head and stun with the tail. Aiming the head into Ness himself will launch him in a trajectory opposite to the side he was hit on, which is referred to as PK Thunder 2. PK Thunder 2 has intangibility frames during the first half of the move. PK Thunder has transcendent priority.
Down special PSI Magnet 0%, heals 2.0x the damage of absorbed projectiles Creates a blue energy field around him which allows him to absorb all energy-based projectiles. It can be held.

Stats[edit]

Data.png This article or section may require additional technical data.
The editor who added this tag elaborates: Needs double jump height
You can discuss this issue on the talk page or edit this page to improve it.

NTSC

Stats Weight Dash speed Walk speed Traction Air friction Air speed Air acceleration Gravity Falling speed Jumpsquat Jump height Double jump height Empty landing Lag
Value 94 1.3 – Initial dash
1.4 – Run 		0.84 0.06 0.03 0.93 0.02 – Base
0.04 – Additional 		0.09 1.83 – Base
2.2 – Fast-fall 		4 35.98 - Base
13.26 - Short hop 		? 4

PAL

Stats Weight Dash speed Walk speed Traction Air friction Air speed Air acceleration Gravity Falling speed Jumpsquat Jump height Double jump height Empty landing Lag
Value 94 1.3 – Initial dash
1.4 – Run 		0.84 0.06 0.03 0.93 0.02 – Base
0.04 – Additional 		0.09 1.83 – Base
2.2 – Fast-fall 		4 35.98 - Base
13.26 - Short hop 		? 4

Announcer call[edit]

Taunt[edit]

  • Turns to the screen and nods his head while saying "Okay".
Ness-Taunt-SSBM.gif

Idle pose[edit]

  • Looks from side to side.
Ness Idle Pose Melee.gif

Crowd cheer[edit]

Cheer (All versions)
Cheer
Description Ness -- Ness -- Ness!

Victory poses[edit]

An orchestrated version of the final four Soundstone Melodies from EarthBound. They also play in the game's credits, Smiles and Tears.
  • Looks to the left and right of him, then places his right arm on the back of his head.
  • Swings around his bat four times, then poses with it.
  • Jumps up and down twice, places arms on waist, and says "Okay!"
Ness-Victory1-SSBM.gif Ness-Victory2-SSBM.gif Ness-Victory3-SSBM.gif

In competitive play[edit]

Most historically significant players[edit]

See also: Category:Ness players (SSBM)
  • USA Simna ibn Sind - Considered the best Ness player from 2006 to 2008, from 2015 to 2020, and of all time. He holds the best major results for Ness with 13th at EVO World 2007 and 17th at Super Champ Combo. Mainly only attended EVO and GENESIS before his inactivity from competition. Simna ibn Sind is also known to be the person who discovered the Thunder Jacket.
  • USA Mofo - One of the most influential Ness mains known for discovering many glitches such as the Star Jacket, Spike Jacket and the yoyo stack glitch. Considered the best Ness in the world from 2009 to 2014 before retiring, has taken a set off Gravy and Captain Smuckers.
  • Canada JoeyBats - The current best Ness player in the world, gaining notoriety during online tournaments through Slippi. He boast the highest tournament placements and highest rates of tournament participation among Ness players in 2021 on Project Slippi netplay and offline placed 17th at the superregional Rise 'N Grind 2023.

Tier placement and history[edit]

Ness was initially viewed as low-mid tier character in the metagame, with a peak of 15th place on the second tier list. While he originally not considered terrible, his strengths never outshined his weaknesses; as the metagame went on, his glaring issues in range, inconsistent KOing potential, and terrible recovery caused his competitive perception to tank. This is reflected following the third tier list, where he has consistently been ranked as a bottom tier.

On the current tier list, Ness places at 23rd, in the D tier, and he is widely considered non-viable for tournament play. Dedicated Ness players in high-level play are extremely rare in the current metagame, with most Ness players using him only as a situational counterpick. Hungrybox only used Ness once in all of Apex 2013, in an attempt to catch Armada's Young Link (which was developed specifically to fight Hungrybox) off-guard, and he mostly used Jigglypuff for the rest of the tournament. Other players of Ness are semi-active and generally do not place very well with him.

In 1-P Mode[edit]

Classic Mode[edit]

In Classic Mode, Ness can appear as an ordinary opponent, as an ally or opponent in the team battles, alongside Yoshi, Peach, or Mewtwo, as a member of a multi-character battle, or as a metal opponent. In Ness's appearance, he appears on either Onett or Fourside (if unlocked) as a regular opponent and on Battlefield as a metal opponent. When on a team with Yoshi, he appears on Yoshi's Island.

Adventure Mode[edit]

Ness's appearance in the Adventure Mode is in Stage 9: Onett. In the stage, the player must fight against three computer players, each one being Ness, on Onett; in the fight, the only item that appear is Mr. Saturn. The player must defeat all three opponents within five minutes to continue.

All-Star Mode[edit]

Ness and his allies are fought on Onett.

Event Matches[edit]

Ness is featured in the following event matches:

Congratulations Screens[edit]

  • Classic Mode

    Classic Mode

  • Adventure Mode

    Adventure Mode

  • All-Star Mode

    All-Star Mode

Trophies[edit]

In addition to the normal trophy about Ness as a character unlocked by completing Classic Mode as Ness on any difficulty, there are two trophies about him as a fighter, unlocked by completing Adventure Mode and All-Star Mode respectively as Ness on any difficulty. Each of the trophies can also be unlocked by playing 100, 200, and 300 versus matches respectively as Ness:

Classic Mode trophy
Ness
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.
NTSC
EarthBound (6/95)
PAL
EarthBound (Not Released in Europe)
Adventure Mode SMASH trophy
Ness SMASH
The key to mastering Ness is controlling his unique midair jump, which makes up for what he lacks in speed. His PK Flash attack may seem weak at first glance, but it grows more powerful the longer you hold down the B Button. To do a lot of damage with PK Fire, try to burn your opponent as many times as possible.
B: PK Flash
Smash B: PK Fire
All-Star Mode SMASH trophy
Ness SMASH
Ness's mind is his best weapon. PK Thunder is a PSI missile weapon that can be guided using the Control Stick, and if Ness hits himself with it, he turns into a living missile capable of doing massive damage. This move can also be used for recovery. PSI Magnet turns energy missile attacks into health; try out certain Pokémon for stamina replenishment.
Up & B: PK Thunder
Down & B: PSI Magnet

Alternate costumes[edit]

Ness Palette (SSBM).png
Ness (SSBM) Ness (SSBM) Ness (SSBM) Ness (SSBM)

Gallery[edit]

Trivia[edit]

The yoyo's texture.
The "Electric Ness" glitch being performed.
  • Although Ness is no longer able to auto-snap to the ledge out of aerial PK Thunder, modifying the move to be able to do so and grabbing the ledge while PK Thunder is being controlled reveals that it will despawn as it would in the original Super Smash Bros. This even happens with v1.00 behavior where normally, the thunder ball continues to fly if Ness is hit while controlling it, possibly suggesting that PK Thunder auto-ledge-snap may have been considered initially.
  • When Ness's profile page was updated on July 17th, 2001, Sakurai revealed that Ness was meant to be replaced by Lucas from Mother 3. However, as Mother 3 was facing development issues and had its original Nintendo 64 release cancelled, Ness was brought back instead.
  • Interestingly, the command structure for Ness's down aerial matches up with its Brawl counterpart, though it lacks the late hitbox. It is very likely that the down aerial was programmed this way erroneously, since it has two "Synchronous Timer" flags (4 frames and 5 frames) before the hitbox is cleared, adding up to 9 frames, while most moves only have one.
  • The PK Fire pillar appears to have a windbox-like property. Information on this attribute is scarce and it seems to only happen under specific circumstances.
  • Melee is Ness's only appearance where PK Thunder has transcendent priority. In every other Super Smash Bros. title, it can be clanked with.
  • Ness is one of three characters whose neutral special changed during his jump to Melee, the others being Link and Jigglypuff. In the original Super Smash Bros., his neutral special was PK Fire; from Melee onward, he now uses PK Flash. As with the other two, his original neutral special remains in the game, having been transferred to the newly added side special move slot.
  • If one looks closely at Ness's yo-yo, they can see the words DOLPHIN LOOP, with it being made by HALLAB NINTENDO in 2001 (Melee's release year), Dolphin being a reference to the Gamecube's codename, and the "makers" a reference to the developer and publisher of Melee respectively. His bat reads NETT SPORTS.
  • Hitting Ness as he's using PK Thunder can cause his body to constantly produce sparks afterward, though these sparks only provide a cosmetic effect. This glitch continues until he gets KOed, shields, or performs PK Thunder again.
  • Ness's amiibo description on the North American amiibo website is based on his trophy description from Melee.

External links[edit]

v • d • e
Fighters in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Veterans Captain Falcon · Donkey Kong · Fox · Jigglypuff · Kirby · Link · Luigi · Mario · Ness · Pikachu · Samus · Yoshi
Newcomers Bowser · Dr. Mario · Falco · Ganondorf · Ice Climbers · Marth · Mewtwo · Mr. Game & Watch · Peach · Pichu · Roy · Young Link · Zelda (Sheik)
v • d • e
Enemies in Adventure Mode (SSBM)
Mushroom Kingdom Goomba · Koopa Paratroopa · Koopa Troopa · Yoshi Team · Mario · Peach · Luigi
Kongo Jungle Tiny Donkey Kongs
Jungle Japes Giant DK
Underground Maze Octorok · ReDead · Like Like · Links · Zelda/Sheik
Brinstar Samus
Green Greens Kirby · Kirby Team · Giant Kirby
Corneria Fox · Falco
Pokémon Stadium Pikachu · Jigglypuff · Pichu
F-Zero Grand Prix Captain Falcon
Onett Ness
Icicle Mountain Topi · Polar Bear · Ice Climbers
Battlefield Fighting Wire Frames · Metal Mario · Metal Luigi
Final Destination Giant Bowser · Giga Bowser
v • d • e
EarthBound (universe) EarthBound (Mother) universe
Fighters Ness (SSB · SSBM · SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Lucas (SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU)
Assist Trophies Jeff · Starman
Bosses Porky Statue · Porky
Stages Onett · Fourside · New Pork City · Magicant
Items Mr. Saturn · Franklin Badge · Ramblin' Evil Mushroom
Enemies Devil Car · Starman
Other Boney · Flying Man · Kumatora · Paula · Poo · Rope Snake · Ultimate Chimera
Trophies, Stickers and Spirits Trophies (SSBM · SSBB · SSB4) · Stickers · Spirits
Music Brawl · SSB4 · Ultimate
Masterpiece EarthBound
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