Smash Ultimate Review – Ness

Welcome to the Smash Ultimate Character Review. In this series, brought to you by no one because who would sponsor this, Bloggin Hood will review each character in Smash Ultimate, a daunting task for anyone without a crippling addiction for Nintendo products. This series will review important topics like best costume, taunt, and the most stylish moves in the character’s arsenal to embarrass opponents. It’ll also discuss less important topics, like best moves, character strength and weaknesses, and overall play style. If you survive the boring stuff, you’ll know just how to play to be the biggest baller online with a Kill Death Ratio at -3.

This all comes from a casual player’s mindset. While I’m not a button mashing new player with no concept of the shield button and I understand what profession players are talking about, I myself am not a professional. In fact, I’m all thumbs. I can’t input a combo, a combo breaker, or even a C stick Smash. It’s not pretty. Therefore, don’t expect these to be a technical discussion, or a high level point of view. I’m writing these for the people who follow-up their Kirby Rock Form with a second Rock Form. I’m writing to the players that go out of their way to pick Star Fox and say “Pew Pew Pew” as he slams the B button like it owes him rent money. And yes, I write to you, the heavyweight characters who spam smash attacks hoping for the best. There may be some real content in here, but only because I back doored my way into it.

Today, we’re going to transition from one Psychic to another. Ness, somehow a series staple since 64, has a wide range of reaction in the Smash community, though there’s a few words that seem to be consistent. These words being, cheap, broken and unfair. Is Ness that annoying to fight? Also, what is an Earthbound, really? Let’s find out.

Opening Rant:

I never played Earthbound. I’ve heard a ton of good things about the game, how it has influenced a slew of others, and that it’s fun. Still, I’ve never played it. When I was a kid with a Super Nintendo, I’m not sure I knew what it was. I think I remember a commercial for it, but that could have been for a different game. Quite honestly, as a youth, I didn’t have the patience for your standard RPG.

Earthbound would have had to compete with Super Mario RPG, which is the best video game of all time. What made Mario first roleplaying game (hey now) great was its interactive controls. Sure the game was easy, but the player controlled the battle. Timely button presses led to more damage or improved defense. RPGs at the time were slightly interactive movies. Battles involved hitting a button and waiting for an attack animation. There’s some phenomenal games that use this format – Final Fantasy 7, and heck, maybe even Earthbound, but as a pre teen, I needed more combat participation.

The biggest irony is I loved Pokemon, which might have been the slowest game in history. I mean, have you guys ever played the original games since the late 90s? Holy Moses on a moped were they slow. It’s painful just getting through a battle, let alone a route. This is a prime example of faulty kid logic. Somehow, Pokemon was great, Mario RPG was amazing, and I didn’t have time for passive RPG games. Now excuse me while I wait 15 seconds for my Pikachu’s thunderbolt animation before clicking another attack.

Earthbound made the cut for the SNES classic, so hopefully, I’ll get the opportunity to play it in the near future. History repeats itself though, and it’ll have to wait until I finish my current play through of, you guessed it, Super Mario RPG. Poor Earthbound has been on the sidelines for 20 years due to this game. It’s like waiting for a relationship to end to swoop in, and finding out the couple is head over heels in love with each other. Does this make Ness the creepy guy who shouts “objection!” at the wedding. I sure hope so.

This analogy stopped making sense after the first word. Let’s move on.

Needless to say, when Smash 64 came out, I didn’t know who Ness was. I eventually learned he was from Earthbound, shrugged, and never played as him much. He was a decent enough addition – unique, floaty jumps, original attacks, cool throws – but never someone I was dying to play as. At the time Smash was released, I sort of understand Ness’ inclusion. They wanted to include characters from smaller franchises to give them more exposure. I believe the sequel to Earthbound (Mother 3… in Japan the series is called Mother), was in the works. It was a promotional inclusion, shameless really, but logical. However, Mother 3 never made it outside of Japan and the Earthbound series quickly, you know, died. Not the best promotional move. Still, Ness, in a vacuum, preferably not one wielded by Luigi, was a fine pick.

The issue is who he was picked over. Good Lord Nintendo, what in the world were you thinking?

We’ve already touched on this in a few past write ups, but Ness was playable in Smash before the following staples:

Bowser – There is absolutely no excuse as to why Bowser, Nintendo’s #1 villain, wasn’t playable in a fighting game that featured their most recognizable characters. This was insane.

Mewtwo – If a second Pokemon was added, Mewtwo made way more sense than Jigglypuff. You can double down on this snub as Ness took on the “psychic” character slot. Mewtwo’s exclusion was more due to Jigglypuff. Jigglypuff was basically Kirby was hair, making the character creation a breeze. Smash 64 did not have much of a budget. Still, ridiculous, but at least there’s logic.

Ganondorf – Although Ocarina of Time was the first human form for Big Dorf, this was another opportunity to add a classic Nintendo Villain. Instead, it doesn’t seem like he was considered, and then become Captain Falcon’s sloppy seconds for two decades. Neat.

King K Rool – Ironically, 64 or Melee were the best time to add K Rool. At the time, he’d been the villain in all the Donkey Kong Games, including DK64. He was as relevant as he’d ever be. Instead, he was passed over, and then stopped appearing in things. It took pandering the fans to finally get him playable.

Peach – Samus and Jigglypuff are the only female fighters in the original Smash, and 75% of gamers thought Samus was a robot. Peach was only playable in Mario Kart and Mario RPG at the time, so it’s somewhat understandable. Still, another lady would have been nice.

King Dedede – We should have had like 3 kings in Smash 64. I mean, the man who created Kirby is in charge of Smash. He actually has voiced Dedede in the past (granted it’s just a laugh, but still). He could and should have added the King, but stayed humble about it. Dedede does appear in 64 as a background stage object. Great.

So yeah, that was insane. There have been rumors that Bowser, Mewtwo, Dedede and another character who I cannot remember were slated for 64, but cut due to time and budget. Yet somehow, there’s Ness, worthy of one of 12 slots. I’ll never understand it.

Even years later, Ness was always a rumored cut, originally to be replaced by Lucas in Brawl. There’s a reason the two play similarly. Eventually, Ness was added back in semi last-minute, and remained a staple with Lucas for the series. Earthbound, a dead series, received two characters before King K Rool and Ridley sniffed the action. In the words of Ness “OK”.

For better or worse, Ness is a series staple. But is he fun to play as? Let’s find out.

Fighter Review:

Character Gimmick – Ness no longer has one. It used to be his healing ability from his Down B. Ness heals off damage from any energy based projectiles and can shut down some character’s spam. However, Lucas does that too and several other characters have ways to heal beyond items. So, while still a gimmick, and a pretty nice one, it’s not unique.

Can I say his gimmick is being annoying? No, I’ll wait a bit for that.

Playstyle – Ness’ playstyle is being annoying. No, seriously, he’s meant to be annoying. I mean, he has to be. Do you remember growing up and playing pokemon with a friend who used awful move sets. You know, attacks like Thunder wave, confuse ray, toxic, moves that flinched – basically the most frustrating attacks in the game. For what ever reason, those attacks always worked out for him and you could never touched him. It made you want to shove that link cable so far up his…

Stay calm Bloggin Hood. Think of the sponsors.

Wait, there’s no sponsors…

Anyway, Ness is the fighting game version of a wild zubat. While he definitely has powerful attacks and plays conventionally, his moveset is designed to frustrate. In addition to healing from attacks, he has a trapping projectile, an insanely spammable tilt and long-range Smashes that drive you up a wall. I doubt they meant for Ness to be annoying, but he sure is.

Then you think about King Dedede having to wait until Brawl to enter the arena and you just want to scream.

Costumes – To complete the annoyance, you have to use the Bumble Bee outfit. Not only can you annoy the opponent into submission, you can do so while looking like Ben Roethlisberger. Otherwise, most of the costumes are recolored or hideous patterns. If blinding the opponent, and yourself, is the goal, you have 6 solid options. However, it’s always the Bee costume for me.

Taunts – Ness has two very useable taunts, though one is extremely situation. His best taunt is the “OK”, where he nods at the screen saying it. While it’s not at the level of the Kirby “HIIIIIII!”, it’s still great. I recommend using this whenever there’s a cheap KO or some really unfortunately luck. It’s like rubbing salt in a freshly opened would, most likely from a PK Fire or Yoyo attack.

His bat taunt is interesting. Ness takes out his bat and calls his shot. If you get a KO with Forward Smash, you are REQUIRED to use this taunt. Failure to do so results in a disqualification. Don’t lose due to good sportsmanship people. There’s also some potential doing this in reverse – calling your shot and then swinging for the fences. This is telegraphing your plan, so if it works, you’re a hero. I recommend doing this wholeheartedly.

Speed & Mobility – Ness is a character with average speed. While he’s not slow, there’s nothing in his moveset that screams fast. When you’re a psychic, you’re not doing much physical training, clearly. Similarly, his dash is fine, but nothing to be excited over.

In the air, Ness feels floaty. His movement is slow, but his mobility is great, if that makes sense. He feels like he’s laggy, though it’s not really the case. It’s odd. When compared to Mewtwo, Ness is not as fun in the air, but he’s not crawling like Incineroar either.

Ness can actually cancel his momentum a bit with Side B, though it’s an extremely difficult technique. Players at my level get stuck beyond the side B portion of that. He can cover a good deal of the stage with his Up B, but that’s situational at best. So while there is some extra mobility, it’s not all that practical.

Projectiles – For better or worse, Ness is one of the best projectile characters in the game. First, his Up B, when grounded, is a semi trapping attack that the player manually controls. Ness is a sitting duck when using this move, but it’s great from far away, or as an edge guard. If the opponent tries to attack you, you can counter by striking yourself and unleashing a devastating PK Thunder II. This is one of the earliest KO moves in the game, so enjoy the mix up potential.

Ness also has his Neutral B, PK flash, which is basically a wasted move. You have to really get a read on an opponent to hit it. Outside of edge guarding, this likely won’t connect. Sorry about that Nessy.

Finally, the meat and potatoes of Ness’s moveset. PK Fire. When facing Ness, you will hate this move. Grounded, this move raises a pillar of fire when it hits, trapping the enemy in place. It’s not a guaranteed trap, but it happens enough to pair with a second fire, or a smash move. Side B to Forward Smash to Forward Taunt can be a true combo. You want to use PK Fire as often as possible.

In the air, PK Fire shoots at a 45 degree angle. It can be used as an approaching tool, an edge guard and as a distraction. It’s a fantastic move – arguably the top projectile in the game. While it’s probably not the top of the heap, it’s close.

For combating projectiles, Ness has his Down B. This completely stops energy projectiles and will affect many play styles. Ness might be a hard counter to Mega Man as most of his moves are energy based. Ness wins projectile battles by being selected. It’s extremely helpful.

Finally (boy was this a long section), Ness can reflect most projectiles back with his Forward Smash. This is an extremely unusual move property, but it makes sense. Proper timing turns Ness into the baseball star he always wanted to be. Turn that hat around, get into your best Griffey stance, and crack. Now of course, if you miss, you’ll suffer extreme embarrassment, plus damage. Typically, it’s better to avoid or absorb the attack. You need F smash to be fresh.

Recovery and Edge Guarding – It’s a hit or miss recovery, to say the least. Ness has a great double jump which helps, but his UP B can let you down at times. In order to get any distance, Ness must strike himself with the projectile. It’s a unique idea, and proper placement can bring you back from basically anywhere. However, you are a sitting duck while you aim the attack. If an opponent hits the energy bolt, you lose your UP B and plummet. Ness’ biggest strength, projectile battles, becomes his biggest weakness when off stage. One potential counter for this is using his Down B to absorb energy projectiles before attempting Up B. However, any physical projectiles will have to be avoided at all costs.

Ness has solid edge guarding tools with all of his projectiles. He can also charge his YoYo smashes, hanging them off the edge for damage. It’s actually a pretty cool technique. It’s safe to leave the stage with his double jump, but be weary of his UP B. Opponents might be willing to trade stocks and gimp you. I recommend keeping it safe on the stage. Ness has enough tools from there to make use of it.

Ground Game – You’re going to pelt the enemy with PK Fires. That’s your first and foremost move you should be using. I wouldn’t worry so much about Up B here, as PK fire is your Barry White – Your first, last and everything. When you arrive up close, Dtilt should be used constantly, while also some PK Fire, cause of course. The Yo-yo Smashes finally connect as intended, so they are good damage moves that lack a tad bit of power. Still, The range makes them worthwhile attacks. Back Throw and Forward Smash are your main finishing moves, though F Tilt is a sneaky good attack at the edge of the map.

Air Game – With his floaty second jump, Ness can do some damage in the air. Again, PK Fire is a great approaching tool, and the diagonal movement is somewhat unique for Smash. While he isn’t able to provide much pressure vertically, Fair and Bair are excellent Horizontal attacks. I do greatly miss Ness’ old UAir, a headbutt that KOed at early percents. That option is gone now. For the most part, Ness’ kills will come from the sides. This isn’t crippling, but it’s not ideal.

Power – Outside of his F Smash, Ness’s power moves are a bit unconventional. There’s no denying the impact of a Neutral B connecting. The issue is the opponent would have to be away from his controller for over a minute to allow that to happen. Additional, the PK Thunder II is devastating, but puts Ness at extremely risk. These are not easy moves to land. Ness’ true power comes from racking up damage. Outside of his F Smash and Back throw, his power is kind of low. That’s not an insult – Ness is a good fighter. He’s just not arm wrestling against the big boys.

Most Stylish Move – I have the give this one to PK Thunder II. There’s not too many attacks that improve by striking yourself with it. PK Thunder is a rare example. Ness willing torches himself with lightning, and then bashes into the opponents, typically face first. That’s pretty metal. It’s a very early KO move when landed, but extremely risky to attempt. You don’t want to lose a stock falling off the edge for style.

That’s not true. That’s exactly what you want to do. I like where you’re head it at.

Moves to Focus On:

PK Spam (Down Tilt) – This move somehow snuck by testing without anyone picking up on it. It’s ridiculous. Down tilt provides 5% and no knock back. Sounds, great huh? The issue is that there’s enough stun to combo Down Tilt into, you guessed it, Down Tilt. You can actually hit 5 of these in a row for a free 20%. That’s insanity. Note that if you edit your C Sticks for tilts instead of smashes, like me, this doesn’t work. You have to input the down tilt the old fashioned way. Fortunately, down tilt is the easiest command to input in a pinch. You MUST use this move to rack up damage whenever possible. It’s a travesty not to.

PK Fire (Side B) – There’s not much else I could possibly say about this move. It’s the crux of Ness’ game. I would recommend playing Smash on mute when selecting Ness. You will grow to hate “PK Fire” chants every 4 seconds. It’s infuriating. See, I told you Ness is an annoyance.

Force Push (Forward Air) – When not hammering the above two moves, Fair is probably Ness’s best aerial. It has good range, is fast, and hits three times. The knock back isn’t great, but if you’re going for an edge guard, it’s just enough to land a KO. It’s also a solid approach move, though you’ll tend to dash after a PK Fire anyway. A solid attack in an aerial move set that’s rather meh in the grand scheme of things.

Calf Kick (Backward Air) – With the removal of Ness’ old UAir, Bair has become his strongest aerial. Truthfully, it’s not as powerful as other’s we’ve highlighted before, but it serves as a decent KO move in a pitch. The move is easier to connect with than a lot of Back Airs, which often need to be sweet spotted. Ness’ seems to connect more often. It’s very good off the edge, but on the platform, it’s best use is to throw out a different attack. Ness has a bit of predictability to him.

Homerun (Forward Smash) – One of the more satisfying smash attacks in the game, a connected Fsmash comes with a great crack sound effect. This is Ness’s only reliable power move, and you get the benefit of reflecting projectiles. A popular strategy is to wait for PK Fire to trap an enemy, dash up, and aim for the fences. You can take some early stocks with this, though it’s not perfect. With his limited power moves, you want to keep this attack fresh.

Verdict:

Ness is a good character. I’m sure he’ll fit plenty of styles and seems to be a type of character pros would use. But honestly, he’s not for me. The repetitive strategy, rotating all over of PK Fire doesn’t sound like a lot of fun. But hey, it may work better for you. Fun wise, I give Ness a 6.5/10. There’s some cool moves for sure, but outside of those 3-4, everything else is forgettable.

Characters already reviewed:

Mario

Dr Mario

Bowser

Ridley 

Wolf

Incineroar

Mewtwo