Lip
| Lip | |
|---|---|
  Official artwork of Lip fromPanel de Pon. | |
| Universe | Panel de Pon |
| Debut | Panel de Pon - Event Version (1995, Trial) |
| Smash Bros. appearances | Ultimate |
| Most recent non-Smash appearance | Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome amiibo (referenced, 2016) |
| Console/platform of origin | Super Famicom (Satellaview) |
| Species | Fairy |
| Gender | Female |
| Place of origin | Popples |
| Designed by | Makiko Tsujino |
Flower Fairy Lip (花の妖精リップ,Flower Fairy Lip), often simply referred to asLip (リップ,Lip), is the main character ofPanel de Pon.
Lip makes herSmash debut inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate as an Ace-class support spirit. However, she and her series have been referenced several times in theSmash series fromSuper Smash Bros. Melee onward.
Origin[edit]
Lip debuted as the protagonist of the 1995 Japanese puzzle gamePanel de Pon, appearing as the main playable character in the game's single-player story mode. In the story, Lip uses herflower wand and puzzle skills to free the fairies of her world from a curse set by the demon king Thanatos. The true ending reveals that Lip's mother, the goddess Cordelia, was testing Lip's ability to succeed her as the fairy queen. Lip is described as energetic and tomboyish with a fierce sense of justice, vowing to use her flower wand for the forces of good.
Due to a stigma relating to female-led video games in the 1990s,Panel de Pon was rebranded and released overseas asTetris Attack, with the characters from the first game replaced by those from theYoshi series (with earlier plans during localization for it to feature characters fromRare'sKiller Instinct.[1]), alongside a Game Boy port which would be re-localized to Japan withYoshi characters intact. As such, Lip remained relatively unknown outside of Japan.
Lip would become the mascot for thePanel de Pon franchise as a whole, despite ironically being technically absent for a majority of its installments, such asPokémon Puzzle League for the Nintendo 64 andPokémon Puzzle Challenge for the Game Boy Color, though Lip's stage can be accessed as a secret level in the latter.[2] TheGameCube installment ofPanel de Pon included inNintendo Puzzle Collection also didn't feature Lip, as an identical character named Furil appears instead. For over a decade, Lip would only receive scattered cameo appearances, such as otherIntelligent Systems franchises likeFire Emblem andPaper Mario, as well as a guest in theSatella-Q series.
Lip would finally make a prominent appearance also plays an important role in the Japan-only 2008Wii releaseCaptain Rainbow, in which she dreams of becoming a magician.
The first known international reference to Lip or her universe outside ofSmash was the "Flower Fairy" costume set in theAnimal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome amiibo update. This set, which does not otherwise reference Lip by name, can be earned by the player'sVillager through clearing milestones in theAnimal Crossing: Puzzle League minigame. She would later make her first formal international appearance outside ofSmash upon the release of her origin game on theNintendo Switch Online service in May 2020.
InSuper Smash Bros. Melee[edit]
Lip's signature flower wand debuts inMelee as theLip's Stick item. The item inflicts theFlower status upon hitting an enemy, causing gradual damage for a short amount of time. The Lip's Sticktrophy would be the only mention of Lip's name in the series untilUltimate.
Additionally, Lip's Garbage Block serves as one of Kirby's randomStone transformations.
InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
Lip's Stick returns as an item inBrawl, along with Kirby's Stone transformation as Lip's Garbage Block. ThePictoChat stage also featuresa remix of Lip's theme.
In non-Japanese versions of the game, Furil's sticker is listed under the name "Flower Fairy Lip" fromNintendo Puzzle Collection.
InSuper Smash Bros. 4[edit]
The Lip's Stick item and Kirby's Stone transformation as Lip's Garbage Block both return inSmash 4. TheLip's Theme remix only returns in the Wii U version of the game, this time on theWrecking Crew stage.
InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Lip finally makes her first on-screenSmash appearance in the Spirits mode ofSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate as a Support spirit. She is also the basis for a costume forMii Swordfighters, which is unlocked from the start, while her wig headgear must be unlocked. She is also available as afriend icon.
Lip's Stick returns as an item, as does Kirby's Stone transformation as Lip's Garbage Block. TheBrawl remix ofLip's Theme also returns in this game, and theFlower effect was redesigned to match the title screen ofPanel de Pon.
Spirit[edit]
| No. | Image | Name | Type | Class | Cost | Ability | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,153 | | Lip |  | ★★★ | 1 | Lip's Stick Equipped | Panel de Pon Series |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Japanese | リップ,Lip |
 English | Lip |
 French | Lip |
 German | Lip |
 Spanish | Lip |
 Italian | Lip |
 Chinese | Lip |
 Korean | 리프,Lip |
 Dutch | Lip |
 Russian | Лип |
Trivia[edit]
- When a fan askedSmash series directorMasahiro Sakurai if Lip would appear in the series, Sakurai replied that, while he enjoyedPanel de Pon, he was unsure how many people would recognize Lip as a character.[3]
- Some internal files that refer to Lip are labeled as "Rip", most likely because of the Japanese pronunciation of her name ("Rippu"). For example, the files ofBrawl andSSB4 refer toLip's Stick as "RipStick", and theflower effect is labeled "RipStickFlower". InCaptain Rainbow's files, she is also referred to as "Rip".
- Since Lip is the basis of a costume forMii Swordfighters, the weapon used for the sword is her flower wand, Lip's Stick. This is one of two items to be used as a costume's weapon without carrying the properties of the item, the other being the SSB T-shirt'sBeam Sword.
- Lip's Mii Outfit inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate has some differences with the artwork used for Lip's Spirit, including details that are instead present in other official artwork of Lip fromPanel de Pon. In particular, there is a blue belt around the waist of the skirt, and the white accents on the ends of the sleeves and skirt are missing.
- Lip appeared alongsideBirdo,Little Mac,Takamaru, theDevil fromDevil World,soldiers fromNintendo Wars, and aPiranha Plant inCaptain Rainbow.
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate marks Lip's first formal appearance outside of Japan. This does not include the unfinishedPanel de Pon GB Easter egg inPokémon Puzzle Challenge, her sticker inBrawl (which is another character, Furil), or her costume appearing inAnimal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome amiibo.
References[edit]
- ^[1]
- ^Pokémon Puzzle Challenge - The Cutting Room Floor
- ^Smash Reader Response Page 9: Meaning behind Smash Logo, Lip, Ice Climbers and Balloon Fight. SourceGaming.info (original Japanese publication onSumabura-Ken!!) (2015-03-15). Retrieved on 2019-10-06. “Lip. I wonder what percentage of people know her. But it’s my personal opinion thatPanel de Pon is a great piece of work. For those of you who don’t know, if you have a chance please try it.”
External links[edit]
- Article on thePanel de Pon Wiki
