Sandbag

Sandbag
Artwork of Sandbag from Brawl.
Universe	Super Smash Bros.
Debut	Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
Smash Bros. appearances	Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Console/platform of origin	Nintendo GameCube
Species	Sandbag

Sandbag (サンドバッグくん, Sandobaggu-kun, Sandbag-kun) is a character who stars in the Stadium game Home-Run Contest in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Super Smash Bros. 4, and appears as a regular item during matches in Brawl and "SSB4".

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

A render of Sandbag in Melee.

In the Home-Run Contest

Sandbag made its debut in Melee, alongside the new Home-Run Contest event. In the mode, players are given ten seconds to hit Sandbag as far as possible using a Home-Run Bat. Sandbag was given a visible damage percentage for the game; in addition, the character was given the unique property in that the camera follows it until it lands and stops moving.

As a character

[1] Sandbag is technically defined as a non-playable character, and therefore can be grabbed and thrown by players, and it is programmed not to move. Although Sandbag cannot normally be controlled by human players, it is possible to circumvent this through the use of Action Replay. Doing so allows players to control it and make it move and jump, but attempting to make it attack or midair jump will likely freeze the game; in addition, knocking it off stages will not KO it, and it can eventually crash the game if it falls too far away from the blast lines. Sandbag has no animations for moving or jumping, and as a result, it uses its "idle stance" for such movements.[2]

In Melee the Sandbag trophy is obtained by completing the Home-Run Contest with every character.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Sandbag as seen in Brawl's Home-Run Contest.

In Home-Run Contest

In Brawl, Sandbag became lighter and slid farther after landing from a hit. Between games, Sandbag also became an item instead of a character, and therefore cannot be grabbed by regular or special grabs. Its programming, however, contains unused subactions for character-based situations, such as the event of being grabbed, which suggests that it the game's developers may have formerly intended that it remain a character.

Like in Melee, Sandbag's trophy is unlocked by getting a distance with all characters in the Home-Run Contest. Note that characters who may be switched during matches, namely Zelda and Sheik, Samus and ZSS, and the Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon, do not need to be repeatedly used in order to attain the trophy.

As an item

As well as its appearance in the Home-Run Contest, Sandbag can appear as an item during matches. Sandbag is a unique item in that while it can release items upon being hit, like the crate and capsule, it cannot actually be picked up and thrown. It can, however, be swallowed by Kirby, King Dedede, and Wario, as well as Munchlax.

As players have a degree of modification over what Sandbag can drop via the Item Switch, it also is of particular interest to use in CD Factories, a type of custom stage made using Brawl's Stage Builder.

On the Online Practice Stage

Sandbag appears on the Online Practice Stage, and players are given the option to practice combos or otherwise attack it while waiting for Wi-Fi matches to start. Sandbag's damage percent cannot be seen, though it does take more and more knockback the more it is hit, though it cannot be be KO'd via the upper blast line.

If sent below the bottom blast line, Sandbag will respawn in the centre of the stage.

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Sandbag's cameo in Little Mac's reveal trailer.

Sandbag appeared in the reveal trailer for Little Mac, apparently acting as a punching bag for the young boxer. It was confirmed to appear in the game in the Super Smash Bros. Direct. It functions as an item as it did in Brawl, and also reprises its role in the Home-Run Contest. In addition, it appears on a waiting stage for multiplayer in the 3DS version, in a similar fashion to the Online Practice Stage in Brawl.

Fanbase

Sandbag's cute appearance and comical role in the series caused the character to gain a small, but devoted fanbase within the Smash community. In addition to its Smash related fanbase, Sandbag eventually earned a spot in the Seventh Character Battle hosted by GameFAQs, in the eighth division. Sandbag won second place in the first round, ahead of Commander Shepard from Mass Effect and Magus from Chrono Trigger, but ultimately lost to Sonic in the second round of voting.

Description from the Super Smash Bros. Brawl instruction booklet

Can produce items each time you hit it.

Trophies

Melee trophy

Sandbag
Sandbag exists for one reason only: to get smashed in the Home-Run Contest. Pound on Sandbag as much as possible in the time allotted, then swing for the fences as you compete for the longest home run of all time. Getting hit doesn't hurt Sandbag at all. As a matter of fact, it loves to see players wind up and let loose.

• Super Smash Bros. Melee, 12/01

Brawl trophy

Sandbag
An item that appears in the Home-Run Contest, where the goal is to do lots of damage to Sandbag, then send it flying as far as you can. It also appears in the regular game. If you smash it, a storm of confetti and items will burst out. Sandbag doesn't feel pain, though; in fact, it's happy to be of service.

: Super Smash Bros. Melee

: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

SSB4 Trophy

Sandbag
This little guy is great for getting in some practice against. In Home-Run Contest you'll send it flying, and in normal battles it has a habit of dropping items when you lay into it. Sandbag seems pretty content with being your punching bag, so it'd almost be mean not to go all out on it.

Gallery

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  Sandbag's head icon in Melee.