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	Based on his appearance in F-Zero X.
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.
Green	G	—	Green Team
Blue	B	—	Blue Team	Resembles his color scheme in F-Zero X.

Donkey Kong

Brown			1P
Black	!		2P	Resembles a real-life gorilla.
Red	R		3P & Red Team	Resembles the original D.K. from Donkey Kong.
Blue	B		4P & Blue Team
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	Based on one of the possible colors for a nicknamed Jigglypuff in Pokémon Stadium.
Green	G		4P & Green Team	Based on 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. In addition, Beam Kirby in Kirby Super Star has the same color.
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)	Officially, it's supposed to be based on the Fire Kirby from Kirby Super Star, but in reality, it's not that similar.
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	Based on his appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Red	R		2P & Red Team (Goron Tunic: The Legend of Zelda 64)	Based on the Goron Tunic from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Blue	B		3P & Blue Team (Zora Tunic: The Legend of Zelda 64)	Based on the Zora Tunic from The Legend of Zelda: 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	His color scheme is based on 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
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, although the "M" on his cap and the buttons are yellow instead of blue and white, respectively.
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 in promotional artwork for Mario Bros., with the colors of the overalls and shirt swapped.
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	His clothes resemble the color scheme of Everdred’s outfit in EarthBound.

Pikachu

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

Samus

Orange	R		1P & Red Team	Based on the Varia Suit as it appears in Super Metroid.
Pink			2P (Gravity Suit: Metroid SFC)	Based on the Gravity Suit's in-game sprite from Super Metroid.
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	The color scheme matches artwork of the Gravity Suit from Super Metroid.

Yoshi

All of Yoshi's costumes appear as different variations of the Yoshi species in Yoshi's Story. His appearance based on his original design first seen in Super Mario World.

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