| Ness | |
|---|---|
| Mother character | |
.png) Ness inEarthBound | |
| First game | EarthBound (1994) |
| Created by | Shigesato Itoi |
| Voiced by | Makiko Ohmoto[1] |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Runaway Five Apple Kid Lier X. Agerate Everdred |
| Fighting style | PSI |
| Weapon | Baseball bat Yoyo Slingshot |
| Relatives | Unnamed mother Unnamed father Tracy (sister) |
| Origin | Onett, Eagleland |
Ness (Japanese:ネス,Hepburn:Nesu) is a fictional character in theMother role-playing video games published byNintendo, created by Japanese video game designerShigesato Itoi. His first appearance was in the 1994Super NES gameEarthBound (known asMother 2 in Japan), the second entry from the series, in which he serves as the game's main protagonist andplayable character. He also appears as a playable fighter in theSuper Smash Bros. series of fighting games where he is voiced byMakiko Ohmoto. Ness is depicted as a thirteen-year-old[i] boy residing in the fictional town of Onett in Eagleland who has psychic abilities referred to asPSI. InEarthBound, Ness teams up with several other characters to battleGiygas, the main antagonist of the game and a recurring character in the series. He has received generally positive reception, and his appearance in theSuper Smash Bros. series has contributed to a rise in popularity in both him andEarthBound. His relationship with his parents has been the subject of commentary, as well as how he compares to otherrole-playing game protagonists.
Ness is the protagonist ofEarthBound, the second game in the three-partMother series. He was created byShigesato Itoi, the creator of theMother series, who intended the game to have real characters whom players would recognize in the people around them.[2] A character resembling Ness was seen in earlySpace World video for the Nintendo 64 version ofMother 3, with some speculating him to either be Ness orClaus; an interview with Shigesato Itoi inDengeki Nintendo in 1997 confirmed that the character was neither, but a character exclusively made for promotional material "to make the world of "MOTHER" easier to understand".[3] When discussing the characterFlint, Itoi stated that he was open to the interpretation of him and Ness being the same character.[4] He was originally going to be replaced byLucas, the main protagonist ofEarthBound's sequelMother 3, inSuper Smash Bros. Melee, but Ness was used after all whenMother 3's Nintendo 64 release was ultimately cancelled.[5] They both later appeared inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl,Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U (though Lucas was initially excluded and added through DLC), andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.[6][7] He is voiced byMakiko Ohmoto in theSuper Smash Bros. series.[1]
Ness appears inEarthBound as the main playable protagonist, living in the town Onett in Eagleland. Ness possesses extremely powerfulPSI abilities latent from birth that develop as the game progresses. Ness primarily utilizesbaseball bats as offensive weapons against enemies.[ii] At the beginning of the game's story, a meteorite crash-lands near Ness's house, leading to him going with his neighborPokey to discover a time-traveling alien called Buzz-Buzz, who states that Ness is the "chosen one" that can defeat the entity namedGiygas,[8] who in the near future destroys the universe. In order to prepare for the battle against Giygas, Buzz-Buzz instructs Ness to travel to eight sanctuaries in different areas of Eagleland, where he can absorb their psychic energies in order to unite his power with that of the Earth. During his journey, Ness teams up with Paula and Poo, who also possess PSI, and Jeff, a boy-genius. Meanwhile, Pokey allies with Giygas and antagonizes Ness throughout the game.[9] After Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo visit all eight sanctuaries, Ness falls unconscious and enters Magicant, arealm within his mind.[10] There, Ness vanquishes a personification of his evil thoughts, amplifying his powers.[11] Ness, now fueled with unlimited power, awakens, after which the four characters learn that to battle Giygas they must time travel to the past. They put their souls in robots and travel to the past to battle Giygas and Pokey. Giygas is defeated, and Pokey escapes, though after everyone returns home, Pokey sends Ness a letter challenging him.
Ness appears as a playable fighter in every entry of theSuper Smash Bros. series.[12] ThoughEarthBound sold poorly in the United States, Ness became popular through his addition to theSuper Smash Bros. fighting game series roster,[13] where he appeared in all five games: the originalSuper Smash Bros. and its sequelsMelee,[14]Brawl,[15]3DS/Wii U,[16] andUltimate.[17] In addition to attacking with a baseball bat and ayo-yo, Ness' strengths revolve around his psychic abilities. One ability allows Ness to hit himself and propel himself forward or upward, resulting in both recovery and offense.[18] In this game, Ness gained a "Final Smash" move based on Poo's "PK Starstorm".[19]
Ness has received multiple pieces of merchandise, including a yo-yo,Amiibo figure, and more.[20][21][22][23]
Ness has received generally positive reception, considered one of the best Nintendo characters byDestructoid writer James Herd.[24] He was listed as one of the greatest video game characters, with the authors of the book "100 Greatest Video Game Characters" stating that Ness represented an "everyboy" hero who defied typical role-playing game stereotypes, feeling that he was a trailblazer in terms of protagonists in the genre. They also suggested his outfit evokedCharlie Brown from "Peanuts", while his character design evoked anime or manga art, calling him a "highly recognizable and beloved"Nintendo character who has a cult fanbase.[25] He has been a popular character in theSuper Smash Bros. series, where he was considered to be partly responsible for players becoming interested inEarthBound byPolygon.[26][27]
ITMedia writer Mayumi Asai discussed how Ness' relationship with Porky, specifically how Ness views Porky in his own mind. Namely, she discussed how Ness' manifestation of Porky appeared as someone who was jealous of Ness and wanted to be friends with him. She analyzed this as Ness looking down on Porky, suggesting that Ness was ignoring Porky's feelings, and discussed how Magicant was used to show how Ness was more than just "good".[28]Nintendo Life writer Nile Bowie felt that Ness and his friends being made to sacrifice their bodies to fight Giygas represented the end of their childhood, feeling becoming machines represented dehumanization and alienation as people grow up. He also felt that Giygas having Ness' face at the start of the fight against him represented that this was also a battle for Ness to retain his humanity and goodness.[29]Eurogamer writer Rich Stanton felt that, despite being "program code and a handful of sprites stitched together", he was able to connect with Ness on a deeper level than he was compared to characters likeNathan Drake, who he sees as merely a "video game character". He discussed Ness' relationship with his parents, saying it was the most important factor in his character due to how Itoi utilized them to tie into gameplay. He also praised Itoi for making the dialogue feel naturally written between two people who are close. He felt that this relationship resonated with him strongly, partly due to Ness acting as a silent self-insert character for the player.[30]AV Club writer William Hughes also discussed Ness' connection with his parents, discussing how Ness relies on his mother to provide emotional support while his dad represents an absentee father who provides financial support.[31]Nintendojo writer Robin Wilde felt that Ness could be interpreted as aJesus Christ-like figure due to his unifying position, fighting evil, and being prophesized by Buzz Buzz to do so. They also cited Ness' ability to reform people, such as Frank Fly and the Happy Happy Village.[32]
Star Master: "Ness, you've stood on the eight power spots of the earth. From these, you created Magicant, the realm of your mind."
Instantly, Ness's mind cleared, and he realized that he had possessed great power! At that moment, Ness's psychic powers radically expanded! [...] Ness made all the hidden powers his own. Ness absorbed the power of the land into his heart, and Magicant was no more.
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