Ness

Ness is a young boy from Onett, who first appeared in the game EarthBound (Mother 2 in Japan). Although just a normal boy, he ended up on a wild adventure to rescue his country, Eagleland, from Aliens. He also developed Psychic powers during the course of the game. He has been linked to Mario by the Super Smash Bros. Series. There is a cameo of Mario in EarthBound. In the arcade there is a Donkey Kong machine.

Super Smash Bros. Series

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Ness in Super Smash Bros.

Ness' first Marioverse appearance was in Super Smash Bros., where he was an Unlockable character. To unlock him, the player had to beat 1-P Mode on Normal Difficulty with 3 lives, without continuing, as any character. The player would then have to defeat Ness, in order to unlock him. His powers are based on his PK (Psychokinesis) moves from Earthbound. However, only PSI Magnet was from the game, the other two were used by his friend Paula (but Paula's Trophy in Melee stated that she may have taught Ness, after the events of the game).

Ness returned in the game's sequel Super Smash Bros. Melee. However, he was available from the start. He only took his place in Super Smash Bros. Melee due the delay of Mother 3 in the US, where he would have been replaced by Mother 3's protagonist, Lucas. He added a new attack to his arsenal, PK Flash, which was one of his Earthbound attacks. Ness also has one of the most useful smash hits, which involve his Homerun Bat.

Lucas was originally meant to replace Ness in Super Smash Bros. Melee. However, Mother 3 (at that time, known as EarthBound 64), was delayed for 2006 for release on the GameBoy Advance. As such, Ness was kept in Super Smash Bros. Melee to avoid confusion. The inclusion of Lucas in Smash Bros. Brawl makes it doubtful whether Ness will return. Adtionally, Lucas seems to have the similiar moves as Ness, and Masahiro Sakurai has stated that there would be no "clones" (characters with an identical move set to another character) in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. On the other hand, Masahiro Sakurai has stated that the original twelve characters from Super Smash Bros. will be returning, slightly raising Ness' chances to be in the game.

Overall, Ness is a rather difficult character to use, but can be very helpful once mastered. In both games, he was voiced by Makiko Omoto, who also voices Kirby. Ness' emblem in the Super Smash Bros. Series is the Earthbound logo.

Profile Information from Super Smash Bros.

Ness was a seemingly-average kid from Onett, but in truth, he was destined for much more. When a strange meteorite landed near his hometown, the little boy with psychic powers set out to save the world. Little has been said of Ness's character, and much remains hidden.

Trophy Information from Super Smash Bros. Melee

Classic

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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.

Adventure

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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.

All-Star

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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.

Trivia

• The Mario Bros. made quite a few cameos in EarthBound. At the Onett Arcade, there are several Donkey Kong arcade machines. A few of the default names for all the characters in the Japanese version of the game are Mario, Luigi, Toad and Peach, as well as Yoshi for Ness' dog. Ness also loves Mushroom Meal (the main Mario item is the Mushroom), and his favorite thing in the entire world is Goal (which was the slogan for when Mario or Luigi finished a level in Super Mario Bros.).
• Ness' name is an anagram of "SNES", as EarthBound was produced for use on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
• Ness, and the EarthBound series as a whole, was one of the two series from the original Super Smash Bros. to not appear in Nintendo Monopoly. The other series was Pokémon.