Alternate costume (SSB)

NOTE: Every claimed source needs a cross-reference link; claimed sources need to be plausible, not horrendously obscure; default costumes usually don't need descriptions since they are not alternate costumes.

In Super Smash Bros., each character has at least four alternate costumes, one for each of the C Buttons used to select them. Some characters have an extra costume (or two) to accommodate Team Battles if their four selectable costumes lack a red, blue, or green variation; these particular colors cannot be selected outside of Team Battle.

The original Smash 64 website in Japan listed what each specific color was inspired by from previous Nintendo games and media prior to the release of the original game, along with some additional names for specific colors. These have been translated below and are considered to be official names for each alternate color, although there do exist some inconsistencies between the source material of the costume and the official explanation.

In Team Battles, if two identical characters share the same color scheme, the second player will have a lighter tint in their appearance. A third player uses a darker tint, which technically means that each character has 4 more costumes for Team Battles. A fourth player would appear the exact same way as the first player, though it is not possible to have four players on the same team through regular gameplay.

Due to the dark lighting of the formerly tournament-legal Congo Jungle, the Smash 64 Backroom recommended avoiding the use of certain grey or black costumes when the stage was in use. If such a costume was used on the stage, any players in the match could reset the match so that the offending player could select a different costume. In the lists below, these costumes are marked with a black "!" in the team column.

Captain Falcon

Purple			1P
Grey	!		2P (Commercial Costume: F-Zero X CM)	Based on his appearance in the Japanese commercial for F-Zero X.
Red	R		3P & Red Team (Blood Falcon Colors: F-Zero X 64)	Based on Blood Falcon, Captain Falcon's clone and rival.
White			4P	Resembles Jody Summer's original appearance in F-Zero X.
Green	G	—	Green Team
Blue	B	—	Blue Team	Resembles his appearance in the original F-Zero.

Donkey Kong

Brown			1P
Black	!		2P	Resembles a gorilla and his in-game sprite from Donkey Kong '94.
Red	R		3P & Red Team	Resembles the original D.K. from Donkey Kong.
Blue	B		4P & Blue Team	Resembles one of his alternate costumes from Donkey Kong 64's Multiplayer Mode. It also resembles one of his alternate colors from Mario Golf.
Green	G	—	Green Team	Resembles his in-game sprite from Donkey Kong Land.

Fox

Grey			1P	Based on his appearance in Star Fox 64.
Red	R		2P & Red Team
Blue	B		3P & Blue Team
Green	G		4P & Green Team	Resembles concept art of him for the original Star Fox.

Jigglypuff

Pink			1P
Red	R		2P & Red Team
Blue	B		3P & Blue Team	Resembles one of the possible colors for a nicknamed Jigglypuff in Pokémon Stadium.
Green	G		4P & Green Team	Resembles one of the possible colors for a nicknamed Jigglypuff in Pokémon Stadium.

Kirby

Pink			1P
Yellow			2P (aka: Keeby: Kirby Bowl)	Based on "Keeby" from Kirby's Dream Course. It also resembles Beam Kirby in Kirby Super Star.
Blue	B		3P & Blue Team (Ice Ability: Hoshi no Kirby Super Deluxe SFC)	Based on Ice Kirby in Kirby Super Star.
Red	R		4P & Red Team (Fire Ability: Hoshi no Kirby Super Deluxe SFC)	Based on Fire Kirby in Kirby Super Star.
Green	G	—	Green Team (aka: Kusa Mochi Kirby)	The original Super Smash Bros. website referred to this costume as "Kusa-mochi Kirby".

Link

Green	G		1P & Green Team
Red	R		2P & Red Team (Goron Tunic: The Legend of Zelda 64)	Based on the Goron Tunic from Ocarina of Time. It also resembles Link's tunic with the Red Ring equipped in The Legend of Zelda.
Blue	B		3P & Blue Team (Zora Tunic: The Legend of Zelda 64)	Based on the Zora Tunic from Ocarina of Time.
Lavender			4P (Blue Ring Equipped: The Legend of Zelda FC)	Based on his tunic with the Blue Ring equipped in The Legend of Zelda.

Luigi

Green	G		1P & Green Team	Resembles his in-game sprite from Super Mario World.
White			2P (Old Luigi Colors: Mario Bros. Famicom)	Based on his in-game sprite from the original Super Mario Bros.
Blue	B		3P & Blue Team	Resembles Mario's appearance on the American boxart for Mario Bros.
Pink	R		4P & Red Team (aka: Strawberry Luigi)	The original Super Smash Bros. website referred to this costume as "Strawberry Luigi". It resembles his appearance in Wrecking Crew.

Mario

Red	R		1P & Red Team	Based on his appearance in Super Mario 64.
Yellow			2P (Wario Colors)	Based on Wario, Mario's rival.
Brown			3P (Blackie Colors: Wrecking Crew FC)	Based on Foreman Spike from Wrecking Crew.
Blue	B		4P & Blue Team (Old Mario Colors: Mario Bros. FC)	Based on his appearance on the Japanese boxart of Famicom version of Mario Bros., which itself is based on his appearance in the arcade version of Mario Bros.
Green	G	—	Green Team	Resembles his appearance on the Japanese boxart for Wrecking Crew.

Ness

Red	R		1P & Red Team
Yellow			2P (aka: Hanshin Tigers Fan)	Based on the uniforms of the Hanshin Tigers, a Japanese baseball team. The shirt's pattern is reminiscent of the Gigantic Ant enemy from EarthBound.
Blue	B		3P & Blue Team	Resembles his younger self that he encounters in Magicant.
Green	G		4P & Green Team

Pikachu

Yellow			1P
Red	R		2P & Red Team	Resembles one of the possible colors for a nicknamed Pikachu in Pokémon Stadium.
Blue	B		3P & Blue Team
Green	G		4P & Green Team	Resembles one of the possible colors for a nicknamed Pikachu in Pokémon Stadium.

Samus

Orange	R		1P & Red Team
Pink			2P (Gravity Suit: Metroid SFC)	Based on the Gravity Suit's in-game sprite from Super Metroid, but more closely resembles the color scheme of the Varia Suit of the original Metroid when missiles are selected.
Black	!		3P
Green	G		4P & Green Team (aka: Production Model Samus)	The original Super Smash Bros. website referred to this alternate costume as "mass-produced Samus", a reference to Mobile Suit Gundam.
Blue	B	—	Blue Team	Resembles artwork of the Gravity Suit from Super Metroid.

Yoshi

While all the colors (including the colors of the boots they wear) are specifically taken from Yoshi's Story, Yoshis of various colors have appeared since Super Mario World.

Green	G		1P & Green Team
Red	R		2P & Red Team
Cyan	B		3P & Blue Team
Yellow			4P
Pink		—	For COM	Only appears as part of the Yoshi Team.
Blue		—	For COM	Only appears as part of the Yoshi Team.

Stats

• There are a total of 56 alternate costumes.
• The average number of costumes per character is four and two thirds (~4.67).
  • There are 6 fighters with 4 color swaps, 4 with 5, and only 2 with 6.
  • Only one (Captain Falcon) of the two characters with six alternate costumes (the other being Yoshi) can use each one in a Vs. match.
• The only way a Blue Yoshi or Pink Yoshi can be controlled by a human player is by hacking.