Franklin Badge

Franklin Badge
Universe	EarthBound
Appears in	SSBB
Item class	Gear

The Franklin Badge (フランクリンバッジ, Furankurin Bajji) is an item in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It was revealed on Smash Bros. DOJO!! on August 10, 2007.

Overview

The Franklin Badge is an item originating from the Mother/EarthBound series. Named after Benjamin Franklin, it is capable of reflecting electricity-based attacks back at its caster.

In Brawl, the player can put a Franklin Badge anywhere on their body, which will protect them from projectiles. When the Franklin Badge is equipped, the player can notice the badge emits light in a sparkling fashion, and it can be noticed by other players. However, the item will not stay on the player the entire match, so players must be sure to notice when it disappears from their character's body or if the sparkling light has vanished.

The Franklin Badge can't be broken like other reflectors, if a projectile overloads the Franklin Badge, it will simply either be absorbed or pass through the character.

The Franklin Badge can also be selected on the Special Brawl mode. When selected in this mode, the Badge remains for the entire duration of the match.

Trophy Info

A badge you can put on to gain the ability to reflect all projectiles. It has exactly the same effect as other reflectors in the game, like the one Fox uses. In Mother, it was used to deflect PK Beam when fighting Starman Jr. In Earthbound, it was used to counter Thunder attacks. The lightning bolt on the badge is proof of its capacity. Its importance and usefulness made a deep impression on players.

Origin

File:MotherFranklinBadge.png

A Franklin Badge pin that was packaged with the Deluxe Box for Mother 3.

The Franklin Badge first appeared in Mother. It was given to the main protagonist Ninten after saving his friend Pippi from PseduoZombis in the Podunk Cemetery, and can be found from a box in Duncan's Factory. Its main use was to deflect the attack "PK Beam γ", normally a one hit knock-out attack, making certain fights easier. It later appeared in EarthBound and Mother 3, and was used to reflect all thunder attacks, including "PK Thunder" which has played an important role in both games. In Brawl, Franklin Badges reflect any projectiles directed at the one wearing it.

When Mother was first released, there was an official strategy guide. The strategy guide contained a list of items that are in the game and a picture of the item, including the Franklin Badge; however, the Franklin Badge simply had a smiley (refer to the gallery below for the image). The strategy guide also contained a contest that involved cutting out a seal on the guide and sending it to the company. Out of all the people to send in the seal, two-hundred randomly selected people won a real Franklin Badge pin. When Mother 3 was released, there was a limited edition "Deluxe Box" which contained the Mother 3 cartridge, a special edition of a Game Boy Micro, and a Franklin Badge pin. The Franklin Badge's design in Brawl is based on the Franklin Badge pins that were handed out during the official strategy guide contest for Mother and the Franklin Badge pins included in Mother 3's Deluxe Box.

There was a "Player's Guide" that was packaged with every EarthBound cartridge. The guide also contained a list of items that are in the game and a picture of the item, including the Franklin Badge; however, the design of the Franklin Badge in Brawl is not based on that.

Gallery

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  Donkey Kong grabbing a Franklin Badge.

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  Donkey Kong wearing the badge.

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  Zero Suit Samus's Paralyser does not effect DK due to the properties of the Badge.

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  Status effects, such as Paralysis, carry over when reflected.

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  Different characters wear the Franklin Badge differently.

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  The first Franklin Badge from Mother's strategy guide.

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  The Franklin Badge reflecting an electric attack in Mother 3.