In the world of Super Smash Bros. 64, Jigglypuff almost didn’t make the cut. Originally, Clefairy was considered for the game’s roster due to its popularity at the time. However, Masahiro Sakurai ultimately chose Jigglypuff as a “joke character” because of its similarities to Kirby, allowing for easier animation reuse.
Despite starting as a humorous addition, Jigglypuff evolved into a formidable competitor in later games, such as Super Smash Bros. Melee, showcasing how an unexpected choice can significantly influence a character’s legacy and fan popularity.
Key Takeaways
- Jigglypuff was almost replaced by Clefairy in Super Smash Bros. 64 but was chosen as a joke character by Masahiro Sakurai.
- Clefairy was considered for the game due to its popularity, but Jigglypuff”s similarity to Kirby won out.
- Jigglypuff went on to be a major competitor in Melee despite starting as a joke character, impacting its and Clefairy”s popularity.
Super Smash Bros. 64 let gamers play as Pikachu or Jigglypuff, but according to Masahiro Sakurai, Jigglypuff almost didn”t make the cut. In the pink Pokemon”s stead, a different pink Pokemon would have taken their Super Smash Bros. spot.
Super Smash Bros. has tons of Pokemon in it these days, with the games adding additional Pokemon starting with Melee. From the start, additional Pokemon have been present in the form of assists and stage hazards, but Pikachu and Jigglypuff were there from the get-go. Jigglypuff could be unlocked after playing the game and meeting certain requirements, and has been in the series ever since.
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According to a recently rediscovered interview that was published in a Japanese magazine called 64Dream, history could have played out differently, with Pikachu and Clefairy being the two Pokemon featured in the original N64 game. In the May 1999 issue, the magazine published an interview with members of the development team behind the game. In it, Sakurai says that he was looking for popular characters he could add that would repurpose animation and fighting styles from an existing fighter, and it was initially a toss-up between Clefairy and Jigglypuff.
Why Did Sakurai Pick Jigglypuff Over Clefairy?
According to the translation offered by Source Gaming, Sakurai chose Jigglypuff as something of a joke character. He was able to repurpose much of what made up Kirby”s moveset and animations, but chose Jigglypuff because he considered it to be a weak Pokemon, but one with a gimmick, as it can put fighters to sleep. Clefairy became an assist, instead, and the rest is history.Close
Clefairy has been largely overshadowed by many Pokemon since its initial release in Pokemon Red and Blue. However, there”s good reason to have considered it for the role. Clefairy was featured as Red”s Pokemon in the first Pokemon manga ever. It was also considered for the spot as Ash”s lead Pokemon in the anime, with this idea was eventually scrapped in favor of Pikachu. In terms of gameplay and appearance, Jigglypuff bears a stronger resemblance to Kirby. Although some depictions of Clefairy show it floating, and it can do unusual moves through Metronome, Jigglypuff has frequently been depicted as puffing up, similar to how Kirby inhales air.
Although Jigglypuff may have been considered a joke character at first, it went on to be a major competitor in Melee. It”s interesting to think of how history could have differed with this one change, and how it would have impacted the overall popularity of these two Pokemon as the Pokemon and Smash series continued.
Super Smash Bros.
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Can Link beat up Mario? Can Yoshi deck Donkey Kong? Can Kirby punch out Pikachu?
Before Super Smash Bros Melee for Nintendo Gamecube, these and other age-old questions were first answered with Super Smash Bros, the original all-star Nintendo tournament fighter for Nintendo 64. Crossing multiple universes and alternate dimensions, the most popular of Nintendo”s characters grace this bare-knuckle Pak.
The 12 superstars are Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox McCloud, Jigglypuff, Ness, Captain Falcon and Pikachu. Each has a specific 3-D fighting arena, with power-ups and obstacles scattered throughout the areas.
Two to four players can fight simultaneously on the same screen, or one player can battle through the tournament ladder to reach a secret boss at the summit. The goal is to knock your opponent out of the playing field as many times as possible within a specified time limit. If you dominate the competition, you can kick them so hard they fly into the sky and turn into a constellation. Link hacks away with his Master Sword, Yoshi slurps up enemies and turns them into eggs, and Fox McCloud is strapped with his trusty Blaster.
Fighting
Systems
Franchise
Super Smash Bros.
Platform(s)
Nintendo 64
, Wii
Released
April 26, 1999
Developer(s)
HAL Laboratory
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Engine
Proprietary Engine
ESRB
e
How Long To Beat
4 HoursExpand
