Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (2023)

Since its launch in 2018Super Smash Bros. Ultimatehas come far. It has grown to astronomical heights and introduces characters that fans in previous games could never have dreamed of. The Introduction of Sora (fromDisney's popular and steeped Kingdom Hearts series) for the game, the list ends with a bang. However, now is the time to look back and appreciate where it all began.RELATED:The Most Broken Characters in Super Smash Bros.Super Smash Bros., better known asSuper Smash Bros.N64,was released in 1999. The original had a limited roster of 12 popular Nintendo characters. From there,Super Smash Bros. UltimateThe list has grown to an amazing 89 fighters! Let's take a look to see if these 12 original characters have grown up too. See how they fare in the latest title.

12 Jigglypuff: a true featherweight

Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (1)

Jigglypuff has certainly seen better days in the franchise. Although it has been adjusted a few times over timeSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, is still viewed at the bottom of the totem pole. Jigglypuff has a great offensive moveset. It has reliable combo starters and great finishers. However, its main disadvantage is its defense.

Jigglypuff is incredibly light. This can kill heavy attacking characters and theMysterious Normal-type Pokémonprone to early knockouts. The good news is that Jigglypuff is really only defeated if it's knocked out of the field considering it has one of the best recoveries in the game. Also, the shield isn't as workable as other characters: Jigglypuff is unique in that whenever he breaks his shield, he's instantly KO'd.

11 Donkey Kong: a powerhouse that is very easy to manipulateSuper Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (2)

EmFinale, Nintendo legend, sometimes underestimated, Donkey Kongreceived a speed boost with the same power as a gorilla. In the right hands, he can certainly go crazy, with options like big throws and real combos. Unfortunately, it has certain disadvantages that affect its viabilityFinale,like his severely limited recovery and huge hitbox.

Also, since his style is heavily grappling, it can be very difficult for DK to succeed when the opponent is able to dodge a grappling. However, DK has some other tools. He may be the best in the game when it comes to pressuring shields, which can make him an overwhelming force. It is very difficult to reach its full potential.

10 Kirby: mobile, but nothing spectacular

Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (3)

Kirby has many options for different combos and abilities that can provide niche knockout opportunities. His inclinations are where his offense shines. Defensively, however, Kirby can fight against characters with good zoning. Kirby is an extremely slow character in the air, making him an easy target when trying to recover. This gives the opponent the opportunity to punish you severely.

Kirby's airstrikes are also slow compared to other airstrikes, so a lot of forethought and strategy is required while in the air. He also struggles with platforms on certain stages as his moves don't really make good use of them and his arsenal is a bit run down.

(Video) Visual EVOLUTION of EVERY SMASH CHARACTER ►(N64- Ultimate)

9 Luigi: very dependent on combos

Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (4)

Mario's green brother is back and has changed a lot since thenPause 64. With almost a complete overhaul to his moveset, he's unrecognizable since his 1999 iteration.Luigi has great offensive play with some of the best grappling combos in the series, capable of killing 0% enemies in the blink of an eye.

RELATED:Super Mario Bros.: The first games where Luigi was playable

He is a very good all-rounderFinale. Luigi's greatest disadvantage is his recovery. Horizontal recovery can be very difficult for Luigi considering that achieving optimal results with one of his best options, Green Missile, relies solely on luck. He'll also struggle to perform if he can't pull off his devastating combos.

8 Samus Aran: Retired at the peak of her career

Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (5)

The formidable bounty hunter last seenthe excellentMetroid horrormakes his fifth appearance in the series and is undoubtedly at his bestFinale. With a great moveset and offensive abilities, she's a force to be reckoned with. She can deliver all kinds of mix ups and combos.

She also has a wide variety of projectiles, including one of the most reliable long-range options in the game and perhaps her deadliest in her fearsome Charge Shot. She has great recovery and can play a very defensive playstyle. However, a Samus player will have a really hard time if the opponent can reliably close the gap.

7 Link: The hero of productive projectiles

Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (6)
(Video) This is Smash 64 in 2023

One of the faces ofsmashedSeries reappears inFinale, this time with a completely different look. Link is now modeled after the iteration of the character he stars inEin Lenda de Zelda: Breath of the Wild,and his moveset has certainly evolved as well.

Link can work very wellFinale,due to its amazing zone and projectile abilities. Approaching it is no easy task given the many explosions, hail of arrows, and the occasional boomerang that must be dodged to get close. At the same time, faster opponents can overwhelm him at close range.

6 Yoshi: A clumsy but powerful fighter

Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (7)

Mario's trusty steed makes his fifth appearance in the series. Yoshi have managed to remain viable throughout the series and while their presence has been absent from the top pro spots, they are still quite popular.

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Yoshi offers great air play and zone options to consider. You are the only character who gains super armor on his double jump, making him extremely difficult to protect. Yoshi also has great killing potential and effective recovery, not to mention a unique shield that has slightly different properties than other characters' bubble shields. Against this background, the special characteristics of the dinosaur are very difficult to master.

5 Fox McCloud: Great speed but recovery is slippery

Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (8)
(Video) What Your Main Says About You! [Definitive Edition] (Smash Ultimate)

Fox McCloud makes another appearance and this time he seems to live up to his former gloryMelee Super Smash Bros.. Fox has great combo and kill potential mixed with a fast-paced playstyle that will surely put him at the top.

However, Fox is starting to fall into the defensive category. He's fairly light, so he can only take a few hits before he's in danger. His recovery could also put him in a difficult position given how predictable his trajectory is and how safe it is to try to punish him.

4 Captain Falcon: An overwhelming force at close quarters

Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (9)

The captain is here again to show his moves, although they really haven't changed much. Captain Falcon is one of the top 12 that has barely been fixed since its debut, but where it has changed, it has changed for the better.

He's one of the fastest characters in the game and can take a vicious punch on top of that. He's deadly when it comes to combo potential and has good recovery too. The only downside is that it can really suffer under certain matchups. Captain Falcon's no-nonsense playstyle means enemies who can keep him at bay will be an uphill battle for him.

3 Ness: A tricky enemy at any range

Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (10)

LandvonNess is a constant threat. He has appeared in all of themsmasheddrive, and it's had a rollercoaster ride in terms of viability. Ness is a devastating choice in the right hands at every level of play right now.

With big combos and incredible killing potential, he can be extremely difficult to deal with. It also has one of the most dangerous and spammiest projectiles in the game: the infamous PK Fire.FinaleDirectional dodges from the air also boosted her recovery significantly, although they can still be exploited by more mobile opponents.

(Video) Evolution of All Characters in Super Smash Bros (1999-2021)

2 Mario: Bring Everything and the kitchen sink into battle

Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (11)

Mario was present at allsmashedgame, and considering he's the face of Nintendo, that's no surprise. He has always been a viable, all-round fighter.For newbies, Mario is a wonderful choice.to gain an understanding of the various mechanics of the series. At higher skill levels, he can continue takedowns with any other cast member.

Mario has arguably one of the best matching games out theresmashed,considering that all his movements work perfectly with each other. He is equipped with a zone purpose projectile and has some confusion tricks up his sleeve, making him the most balanced character in the game. Offering a little bit of everything, however, means that in some areas he lacks the raw power that some other fighters have.

1 Pikachu: An ultra-fast menace

Super Smash Bros: All 12 N64 characters ranked by their viability in Ultimate (12)

ÖAs a matter of fact PokémonMascot doesn't compromise when it comes to thatsmashed.Pikachu is considered by many to be the best character in history.Smash-Ultimate. With lightning fast speed and some of the best combos in the game, Pikachu can quickly deal damage and take down his enemies. If the player is able to use thisimpressive Electric-type PokémonWith the maximum moveset, they will defeat all opponents.

Pikachu also has one of the safest and best rests in the game. Pichu's even lighter weight and the damage it deals to itself deters many from picking it up, making Pikachu one of the best general damage destroyers in the series (maybenot to the same extent as some other Pokémon that can be released from Ultimate Master Balls).

Super Smash Bros. Ultimateis available now for systems in the Nintendo Switch family.

MORE:A new story mode from the Super Smash Bros. game could benefit from a smaller cast

(Video) UNDER 90 MINUTES, Fastest Way to Unlock Characters in Smash Ultimate - Works on 2.0+

FAQs

How many characters are viable in Smash 64? ›

In contrast to Melee, Brawl and the recent Smash 4, Smash 64 has a relatively small cast with only 12 characters to choose from.

Who is the best character in Super Smash Bros n64? ›

Pikachu is considered by many to be the best character in Smash Ultimate. With lightning-fast speed and some of the best combo potential in the game, Pikachu can quickly wrack up damage and knock his enemies out of bounds.

Who is the most overpowered character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? ›

characters – the ever-popular Pokémon, Pikachu – is considered by most Super Smash Bros. players as the strongest character in Smash Ultimate, and it's easy to see why. Beyond Pikachu's extraordinary recovery, the iconic Electric Pokémon's biggest strength is its edgeguarding ability.

Who is statistically the best Smash Ultimate character? ›

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate stats - Most popular characters, teams and more
#Character nameScore
1Cloud463
2Terry314
3Bayonetta304
4Joker249
55 more rows

Which Smash character does the most damage? ›

Sephiroth is able to output an incomprehensible 59,275.6% damage from a single Gigaflare.

Is Ness good Smash 64? ›

In competitive play

Ness used to rank very high at 3rd place on the first SSB64 tier list, just only below Pikachu and Kirby. With double jump cancelling, Ness was a dominant force in the SSB64 metagame, as his DJC'ed aerials can rack up a huge amount of damage, and can be used to perform deadly zero-to-death combos.

Who is the best Luigi player in Smash? ›

Matthew "Elegant" Fitzpatrick is a top Ultimate, and former Wii U, Luigi player from Irvine, California who is considered to be the best Luigi player in the world.

Who is the best fox player in Smash? ›

Light is a professional Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fox main from Connecticut, considered the best Fox player in the world and the current best player in the United States.
...
Smasher:Light (Connecticut)
Light
SkillTop professional Top professional
RankingPanda Global Rankings 100: 43rd UltRank 2022: 4th OrionRank 2022: 4th
Additional info
8 more rows

How do I unlock Captain Falcon n64? ›

To play as Captain Falcon, you must beat the game on any difficulty in UNDER 20 MINUTES. After that Captain Falcon will challenge you. Once you beat him, you be able to select Captain Falcon as a character.

Is Steve broken in smash? ›

Does Steve Ruin Smash competitive? Some have pointed out that Steve parallels previous smash games. Specifically, that he's a broken character added too late to ever get fixed. In 4's case, those characters kind of broke the game while players waited for Ultimate to arrive.

Who is the fastest character in smash? ›

In Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Sonic has the fastest dash speed of 3.85.

Who is the King of smash? ›

Ken Hoang

What does S-tier stand for? ›

Top rank. An item that is S-tier is among the best of the best in its class. This label is thought to have originated from Japan's school grading system, but it was popularized by Japanese-developed video games.

Who is the best smash ultimate character for beginners? ›

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: 15 Easy To Play Characters That Are Perfect For Beginners
  • 8 Donkey Kong.
  • 7 Simon & Richter.
  • 6 Cloud.
  • 5 Ganondorf.
  • 4 Bowser.
  • 3 King K. Rool.
  • 2 Chrom.
  • 1 Lucina.
Feb 11, 2022

Who has the strongest down smash in Smash Ultimate? ›

Wolf's down smash in Ultimate is also considered to be one of the best in the game due to its large hitbox that hits below the stage, giving it amazing 2 frame punish potential, while it's very high power (even when sourspotted, although its sweetspot is still much stronger) allows it to kill at 60% from the ledge.

What is the longest final smash? ›

Trivia. Supernova is the longest cinematic Final Smash to date, at 8 seconds, beating out Gigaslash's 7 seconds.

Can Ness use PK Thunder? ›

PK Thunder (PKサンダー, PK Thunder) is the up special move for Ness and Lucas. The move creates a stream of lightning consisting of two parts: a circular "head" which is controlled by the player using the control stick or d-pad, and a "tail" which follows behind.

Why does Ness use PK Fire? ›

Ness can use this move in conjunction with his second jump to perform the PK Jump, which slightly boosts the air speed of his second jump at the expense of height, giving him a slightly better approach.

Is Ness a kid? ›

Ness is depicted as a thirteen-year-old boy residing in the fictional town of Onett in Eagleland who has psychic abilities referred to as PSI. In EarthBound, Ness teams up with several other characters to battle Giygas, the main antagonist of the game and a recurring character in the series.

Who is the best Kirby player in Smash? ›

Jesuischoq (formerly JeSuisContent) is a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Kirby player from Strasbourg, France who is considered to be one of the best Kirby players in the world during the early metagame. He has taken sets off players such as Glutonny, Oryon, Homika, Leon, Otakuni, PEW, and VinS.

Who is the best Dr Mario player in Smash Ultimate? ›

Tsumusuto is a Ultimate and Wii U Dr. Mario player from Japan who is considered to be the best Ultimate Dr.

Who is the best Little Mac player in Smash Ultimate? ›

Tarakatori is an SSBU Little Mac player from Japan and is considered the best Little Mac player in the world.

Who is the best Melee player? ›

Here are the best Melee players in the world according to the SSBMRank 2022:
  • Zain “Zain” Naghmi.
  • Masaya “aMSa” Chikamoto.
  • Joseph “Mang0” Marquez.
  • Cody Schwab.
  • Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma.
  • Jake “Jmook” DiRado.
  • William “Leffen” Hjelte.
  • Justin “Plup” McGrath.
Jan 22, 2023

Has light ever won a major? ›

Light established himself as a high-level Ultimate player in the months following the release of the game, making top 6 at both GENESIS 6 and Frostbite 2019. In October 2021, he won his first-ever major, Super Smash Con: Fall Fest.

Who is number 1 in smash Melee? ›

1. Zain “Zain” Naghmi. Zain deserves the No. 1 ranking.

Who are the secret characters in Smash 64? ›

Characters, Stages, and Features

' four unlockable characters are Jigglypuff, Captain Falcon, Ness, and Luigi.

Do you unlock Captain Falcon? ›

Captain Falcon is one of the returning Fighter in Super Smash Bros. He is the 11th fighter to be unlocked in Vs. Mode. Classic Mode: Play through Classic mode 1 time as Fox.

Was the n64 region locked? ›

Introduction. The Nintendo 64 is home to some of the most iconic video games of the cartridge era of consoles. But some of those games are locked behind a region lock. Thankfully, removing this lock, and making your device universal, is very easy, and mostly requires you to remove the top cover.

Is Minecraft Steve in Smash? ›

Steve (スティーブ, Steve) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the second fighter from Microsoft after Banjo & Kazooie, and the eighth DLC character for Ultimate. He was confirmed as a playable character on October 1st, 2020 as the second downloadable character from Fighters Pass Vol.

Why is Minecraft in Smash? ›

Minecraft is the first third-party primary universe in Super Smash Bros. to be of indie origin, although being a property of Microsoft when joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Minecraft is the second primary universe in Super Smash Bros. to originate from a non-Japanese developer, the first being Banjo-Kazooie.

Who is the smallest Smash character? ›

UGO Networks noted Olimar is the smallest character in Super Smash Bros.

Who is the final character for Smash? ›

Ultimate's final character is Sora from Kingdom Hearts.

Who is the villain in Smash? ›

Galeem (in Japanese: キーラ, Kiira) is one of the two main antagonists of the 2018 video game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate story mode "World of Light" along with Dharkon.

Is hero a boy or a girl smash? ›

Hero
SpeciesHuman (Luminary and Erdrick) Human/Zenithian hybrid (Solo) Human/Dragovian hybrid (Eight)
GenderMale (Luminary and Eight) Varies (Erdrick and Solo)
Created byYūji Horii
Designed byAkira Toriyama
7 more rows
Dec 12, 2022

What is F tier? ›

F Tier is a tier in the game's meta and it's the worst tier. These builds are almost never played seriously or successfully. They are good for a laugh or two but nowhere near viable. Unless these builds are buffed, they will not be viable for the meta anytime soon.

What does tier C mean? ›

Tier C means gaming operations with annual gross gaming revenues of more than $15 million.

What is the D tier? ›

Tier D means, in respect of a Collateral Debt Obligation, that the obligor thereunder is incorporated or has its principal place of business in China, Greece, Italy, Korea, Portugal, Taiwan or Thailand.

What are the hardest characters to play in Smash Ultimate? ›

According to Riddles, the fighters with the steepest learning curves are Peach, Ice Climbers, Rosalina & Luma, Kazuya, Duck Hunt, Pikachu and Sheik. They've all been ranked as "S tier" as a result.

Is Ash's tier? ›

Why is Ash A-Tier? Like Bloodhound, Ash gives her team a great deal of enemy positional awareness, but for Ash it's more useful before fights than during fights. Her skillset gives her a decent response to any situation, though it can be quite difficult to use her abilities very effectively.

Is s tier Japanese? ›

'S' tier may stand for "Special", "Super", or the Japanese word for "Exemplary" (秀, shū), and originates from the widespread use in Japanese culture of an 'S' grade for advertising and academic grading.

What tier is Lucas? ›

Lucas is ranked 28th/29th out of 55 on the tier list, placing him at the bottom of the C tier. In addition to tying him with his fellow EarthBound fighter Ness, this renders both of them as the lowest ranking high-tier characters.

How many smash characters should I Main? ›

Smash Lord

I would recommend having one main and two or three pocket characters. I would say that three or four characters in total is pretty healthy, given the huge character variety in this game.

How many characters will be in Fraymakers? ›

Fraymakers is currently planned to feature at least ten characters hailing from differing independent games, nine of which are included in the base game. Each character is designed to have a unique and distinct playstyle while also carrying attacks from their source franchises.

How many stocks are in Smash 64? ›

The standard number of stocks that are set in tournament matches are four for Smash 64 and Melee, three for Brawl and Ultimate, and two for Smash 4.

How many smash characters do you have to unlock? ›

When you first boot up Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, your roster includes eight of the 12 playable fighters from the original Nintendo 64 game: Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox and Pikachu. (Ness, Luigi, Jigglypuff and Captain Falcon are part of the group of 66 that needs to be unlocked.)

Is 4 main characters too much? ›

The short answer is: no such number exists. You can include as many characters in your novel as you want to. It's your story, and there's no rule book you need to follow on how to write a great story.

How much does it cost to get all characters in Smash? ›

You can buy the Fighters Pass for $24.99, and immediately unlock every listed character, their unique stages, and all their music.

Will there be one more Smash character? ›

Masahiro Sakurai has explained that there are 'no plans' for a sequel to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate right now, and says that "it would be best not to assume that there will always be another one." Even if he did return to the series, the director says a sequel would be unlikely to keep all of the current fighters.

How many Smash characters can you unlock without DLC? ›

76 Fighters in the base game. 74 if you count Pokemon Trainer as one Fighter.

Is Smash getting more characters? ›

While some fans definitely want even more DLC fighters to be added to Ultimate or the next Smash installment, Sakurai hasn't revealed any plans to do so.

Who are the 5 Melee gods? ›

Those 5 Gods are Mew2King, Mang0, Armada, Hungrybox and PPMD.

Is Zain a Melee god? ›

Zain (shortly known as tekkenz), also known as DontTestMe, is a Melee Marth main from Reston, Virginia who is currently residing in Blacksburg, Virginia and is currently considered to be the best Marth player in the world and the best Melee player in the world.

Who has beat all 5 Melee gods? ›

William "Leffen" Hjelte became the first player to defeat all five of the "Five Gods" during this period, leading some to nickname him as "The God Slayer", and causing the top 6 players to become collectively known as the "Big 6".

Can you unlock Smash characters if you lose? ›

Tips for Unlocking Fighters

If you lose the match to unlock a challenger, they won't re-appear by replaying VS. Mode or Classic Mode. Instead, you'll have to keep playing and periodically check the Games and More hub for a small door icon at the bottom right called the Challenger's Approach.

How do you get secret characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? ›

Apart from World of Light, the way you'll encounter new characters is the same - you have to beat them in combat, with them challenging you to a match. Play a Smash match (also known as Versus mode) and after the match is over, you'll be challenged by a random character so you can unlock them.

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