Smashing With Ness
Ness is considered one of the toughest characters to master in the Smash Brothers series. This is no joke, the first time you use Ness will be tough, no doubt. But, I believe that I have mastered our favorite Earthbound character's arsenal of moves. In this article, I will give some tips on how to use Ness's arsenal of PSI moves to it's fullest. A true Smash master does NOT achieve the rank of Cheap Shot at the end of the battle, so therefore, the Smash master needs to know how to use ALL the character's moves, not just the same ones over and over again. This is tough to do with Ness, but, hopefully this will provide some help. Well, here we go.
First off, the PK Fire. This move has changed from the first game from Ness's "B" move to his "Smash-B" move. Now, first of all, PK Fire works more as a tool to subdue the character rather than cause significant damage. Using the PK Fire first, and then following it up with an attack such as the bat can prove to be quite effective. Don't forget though, the opponent can slowly move out of the flames, so remember this when you are about to him them. This can be used as an aerial move, but since Ness only shoots the fireball at a certain angle while in the air, you must aim at this angle, or the PK Fire will harmlessly hit the ground. So, use this move to subdue, and follow it up with a more powerful attack. Also, if you're looking to get the Lip's Stick trophy/figure by getting 21 or more hits in a combo, try using Ness on the Mushroom Kingdom Castle stage, with Bowser as your opponent in training mode. Get Bowser next to the wall, and pump him full of PK Fires. You'll get the combo with relative ease. Next, we'll discuss the PK Flash. This is Ness's new "B" move. It's extremely hard to use, and can only be used in a couple situations. If you're on a large stage, preferably Hyrule Temple, try scooting as fast as you can over to the edge of the stage. Your opponents, if they're computer-controlled, should follow you. Use a PK Flash as they near your position, and try to hit them. You won't always succeed, but if you do, the damage is devastating. Another way to do it is if you're playing against a human character, preferably Fox, since his gun cannot phase Ness while he does the PK Flash(it will up his damage, but it won't "hit" him and stop him from doing the move). The stage should be flat. Run to the edge of the stage, and perform your PK Flash. Most human players will either throw a projectile, or run towards you. Nothing can be done about projectiles, so either try again, or remember this when playing against Ness. If they run in your direction, immediately bring the PK Flash down in front of you as they try to hit Ness while he's vulnerable, and let it explode. I usually succeed in hitting them. Also, If you're lucky, you can subdue a character with the PK Fire and hit them with a PK Flash, but like I said, you need to get lucky. The character can usually make it out of the PK Fire before you have the Flash powered up. With all that said, don't use this move much. It is a very tough one to use, but when used correctly and in the right situation, you can cause more than 35% of damage to your opponent.
Next, Ness's classic PK Thunder. Use this move by pressing "Up-B." This is THE move for Ness-players to master. The simplest way to use the PK Thunder is to hit your opponent with the electrical ball of energy. This causes minimal damage, but if you're fighting against a human player who seems to like to run away, this will most likely annoy them into fighting you. But, the true power and usefulness lies in the ability to turn Ness into a missile. Bringing the ball of energy around and hitting Ness will cause him to fly straight in the direction the ball was last pointing. This is not only a useful move to hit opponents with, but it is essential for getting yourself back onto the stage if Ness's distinct midair jump doesn't do the job. If you are far away from your opponents and they are coming for you, hit them with a PK Thunder Ness missile, and you can cause large amounts of damage to every opponent very easily. But, Ness takes a moment to shake his head after he is hit with the PK Thunder, and this may leave him vulnerable to small attacks, so beware. Another way to use this move is to jump off the edge of the stage, causing the computer-controlled character or maybe even human player to come directly to the edge. Hit yourself back onto the stage with a Thunder, and it will almost always hit the player standing on the edge. This can even be used when Ness is hit off the stage by the opponent, which is useful in two ways. For one, you make it back to the stage, and another, you hit the opponent. In closing on this move, simply remember that this move has MANY uses. Discovering them all is your job, and it is a fun one.
Finally, Ness's PK Magnet. This works like Fox and Falco's reflecting move, but it doesn't reflect, it absorbs and takes off as much damage as it could have actually caused. This is also hard to use, since it requires very quick thinking, and because most of Smash Brothers' fighting occurs in close quarters. If you're playing on a stage like Final Destination against a computer-controlled character like Fox, Falco, Samus, Pikachu, or Pichu, running to the other side will usually make them attempt to hit you using their projectile move, which can be absorbed by Ness. Beware, though, of Samus' missile attack, Ness cannot absorb most solid projectiles. Plus, if your opponent simply likes to use energy projectile moves, just continually use your PK Magnet, and you'll be fine. So, use this when you have the time to actually think to use it, using it in close quarters is very tough.
Well, there you go, Ness's special PSI moves. They are tough to use, but when you develop your strategies and skills, you can become an unstoppable Ness player. Good luck with the moves, and I'll cover Ness's Smash moves like his famous bat and yo-yo in a future article. Happy Smashing.
-EB 4 GBA
Ness is considered one of the toughest characters to master in the Smash Brothers series. This is no joke, the first time you use Ness will be tough, no doubt. But, I believe that I have mastered our favorite Earthbound character's arsenal of moves. In this article, I will give some tips on how to use Ness's arsenal of PSI moves to it's fullest. A true Smash master does NOT achieve the rank of Cheap Shot at the end of the battle, so therefore, the Smash master needs to know how to use ALL the character's moves, not just the same ones over and over again. This is tough to do with Ness, but, hopefully this will provide some help. Well, here we go.
First off, the PK Fire. This move has changed from the first game from Ness's "B" move to his "Smash-B" move. Now, first of all, PK Fire works more as a tool to subdue the character rather than cause significant damage. Using the PK Fire first, and then following it up with an attack such as the bat can prove to be quite effective. Don't forget though, the opponent can slowly move out of the flames, so remember this when you are about to him them. This can be used as an aerial move, but since Ness only shoots the fireball at a certain angle while in the air, you must aim at this angle, or the PK Fire will harmlessly hit the ground. So, use this move to subdue, and follow it up with a more powerful attack. Also, if you're looking to get the Lip's Stick trophy/figure by getting 21 or more hits in a combo, try using Ness on the Mushroom Kingdom Castle stage, with Bowser as your opponent in training mode. Get Bowser next to the wall, and pump him full of PK Fires. You'll get the combo with relative ease. Next, we'll discuss the PK Flash. This is Ness's new "B" move. It's extremely hard to use, and can only be used in a couple situations. If you're on a large stage, preferably Hyrule Temple, try scooting as fast as you can over to the edge of the stage. Your opponents, if they're computer-controlled, should follow you. Use a PK Flash as they near your position, and try to hit them. You won't always succeed, but if you do, the damage is devastating. Another way to do it is if you're playing against a human character, preferably Fox, since his gun cannot phase Ness while he does the PK Flash(it will up his damage, but it won't "hit" him and stop him from doing the move). The stage should be flat. Run to the edge of the stage, and perform your PK Flash. Most human players will either throw a projectile, or run towards you. Nothing can be done about projectiles, so either try again, or remember this when playing against Ness. If they run in your direction, immediately bring the PK Flash down in front of you as they try to hit Ness while he's vulnerable, and let it explode. I usually succeed in hitting them. Also, If you're lucky, you can subdue a character with the PK Fire and hit them with a PK Flash, but like I said, you need to get lucky. The character can usually make it out of the PK Fire before you have the Flash powered up. With all that said, don't use this move much. It is a very tough one to use, but when used correctly and in the right situation, you can cause more than 35% of damage to your opponent.
Next, Ness's classic PK Thunder. Use this move by pressing "Up-B." This is THE move for Ness-players to master. The simplest way to use the PK Thunder is to hit your opponent with the electrical ball of energy. This causes minimal damage, but if you're fighting against a human player who seems to like to run away, this will most likely annoy them into fighting you. But, the true power and usefulness lies in the ability to turn Ness into a missile. Bringing the ball of energy around and hitting Ness will cause him to fly straight in the direction the ball was last pointing. This is not only a useful move to hit opponents with, but it is essential for getting yourself back onto the stage if Ness's distinct midair jump doesn't do the job. If you are far away from your opponents and they are coming for you, hit them with a PK Thunder Ness missile, and you can cause large amounts of damage to every opponent very easily. But, Ness takes a moment to shake his head after he is hit with the PK Thunder, and this may leave him vulnerable to small attacks, so beware. Another way to use this move is to jump off the edge of the stage, causing the computer-controlled character or maybe even human player to come directly to the edge. Hit yourself back onto the stage with a Thunder, and it will almost always hit the player standing on the edge. This can even be used when Ness is hit off the stage by the opponent, which is useful in two ways. For one, you make it back to the stage, and another, you hit the opponent. In closing on this move, simply remember that this move has MANY uses. Discovering them all is your job, and it is a fun one.
Finally, Ness's PK Magnet. This works like Fox and Falco's reflecting move, but it doesn't reflect, it absorbs and takes off as much damage as it could have actually caused. This is also hard to use, since it requires very quick thinking, and because most of Smash Brothers' fighting occurs in close quarters. If you're playing on a stage like Final Destination against a computer-controlled character like Fox, Falco, Samus, Pikachu, or Pichu, running to the other side will usually make them attempt to hit you using their projectile move, which can be absorbed by Ness. Beware, though, of Samus' missile attack, Ness cannot absorb most solid projectiles. Plus, if your opponent simply likes to use energy projectile moves, just continually use your PK Magnet, and you'll be fine. So, use this when you have the time to actually think to use it, using it in close quarters is very tough.
Well, there you go, Ness's special PSI moves. They are tough to use, but when you develop your strategies and skills, you can become an unstoppable Ness player. Good luck with the moves, and I'll cover Ness's Smash moves like his famous bat and yo-yo in a future article. Happy Smashing.
-EB 4 GBA
