Super Smash Bros. series strategy guide/NPCs

This article is a list of non-playable characters (sometimes referred to as NPCs) from the Super Smash Bros. series.

Giga Bowser

Giga Bowser (ギガクッパ, Giga Kuppa) (Giga Koopa in Japanese) is the Secret Boss (a stronger and hard-to-reach 'boss' that comes after the 'final' boss) of Adventure Mode in Melee, appearing directly after Bowser when the player completes Adventure mode under special conditions.

Giga Bowser is also the main enemy of Event Match 51 (The Showdown), with Mewtwo and Ganondorf by his side, acting as bodyguards. Although Giga Bowser is substantially stronger than regular Bowser, he receives an enormous handicap in Adventure mode (not in the Event Match, but in the Event Match he is slightly bigger than his default size). However, he is greatly intimidating and has a few definite edges over Bowser. He has large reach, able to hit the player from virtually anywhere on Final Destination. He cannot be picked up, sucked in, licked in, or thrown off in any way. He also seems to have an elemental power to some his attacks, and infinite flame breath.

Giga Bowser looks quite similar to regular Bowser. However, he is about twice as large, and his body is proportionally different. Giga Bowser's manic eyes also contrast with Bowser's more concentrated expression. Giga Bowser's tail is plated and has many more spikes on it, as does his shell, which resembles that of Gamera. His overall color, especially his shell, is somewhat darker. His huge size is very easily demonstrated by the size of his spawn platform (the small, glowing, floating platform that characters appear on at the beginning of the stage and after being KOed).

Upon defeating Giga Bowser in Adventure mode, he will turn back into the regular Bowser trophy and explode like a firework in a shape of his head.

On a trivial note, in the Sound Test menu under the Narrator's voice test, he will say "Giga Koopa". If the language is switched to Japanese, he will say, "Giga Bowser." This is odd, as Giga Bowser is his English name and Giga Koopa is his Japanese name. Neither voice sample is actually heard in game as Giga Bowser is not a playable character. The voice test will also say "Giga Bowser" in the PAL version, because there is no Japanese language to choose.

The Hands

Master Hand and Crazy hand are both giant hands that possess the same characteristics. However, Master Hand is a right hand whereas Crazy Hand is a left hand. Additionally, the two hands have some different moves and some of their shared moves have different effects. They also are able to work together to create more devastating attacks. The exact nature of their existence is unclear.

Master Hand

Master Hand (マスターハンド) appears in both Super Smash Bros. and its sequel, Super Smash Bros. Melee in Classic Mode and the 50th Event Match "Final Destination". Master Hand also makes several appearances in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror as a miniboss, and partnered with Crazy Hand as the boss(es) of Candy Constellation. He Makes a Cameo in Kirby Squeak Squad as a Simple enemie. Only Smaller and Ghost-like.

It is a giant white glove, similar to those that Mario himself wears, as well as matching gloved hands used as simple pointer icons in hundreds of video game menu screens. It is a right-hand glove, and it moves about by floating. Master Hand also has a corresponding left glove, Crazy Hand, who appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee when certain conditions are met.

In battle, Master Hand uses a variety of attacks, most of them related to its shape and size: it dwarfs the characters, slapping, punching, and throwing them around the platform. There are some exceptions, such as its ability to fire bullets similar to Bullet Bills and fire laser beams. Because of its size and ability to fly, it cannot be thrown off the platform as normal characters are; one needs to deplete its HP meter in order for it to be destroyed.

In Super Smash Bros., Master Hand was the one that gave life to the dolls (which in turn are the playable characters). It also created everything else for Super Smash Bros.

Crazy Hand

Crazy Hand (クレイジーハンド) is the left hand counterpart of Master Hand in Classic Mode and the 50th Event Match "Final Destination." Crazy Hand is not usually thought of as the "main" hand, and is even described as Master Hand's alter ego. It appears when Master Hand is weakened.

Crazy Hand looks exactly the same as Master Hand (apart from being a left hand, while Master Hand is a right hand), but it acts more erratic and chaotic in general. It's impulsive, destructive, and consumed with a hollow feeling which comes from destroying one’s own creations.

It shares many attacks with Master Hand, but also has some unique ones. It's able to do attacks that Master Hand can use such as slapping the opponent, shooting lasers from its fingers, and flying into the air and drilling down on the opponent. Its unique attacks include dropping to the ground and flinging around as if it's having a seizure, dropping bombs and doing a spider crawl attack.

Metal Bros.

Metal Mario

Metal Mario originally appeared in Super Mario 64, but has appeared in both Super Smash Bros. games. Metal Mario is playable in the original Super Smash Bros. only via Gameshark cheats. However, in Melee, an item called the Metal Box can temporarily transform anyone into a metal version of themselves. In the original game, Metal Mario is one of the final opponents. He fights on his own custom level that is unplayable called the Meta crystal for the fight. In Melee, Metal Mario also appears during one of the final battles, albeit in Adventure Mode, and on the Battlefield stage along with Metal Luigi once Luigi is unlocked. Gameplay-wise, Metal Mario has the same moves and abilities as his non-metal counterpart. Being metal, he delivers a heavy amount of damage to opponents and takes double the normal amount of damage to be knocked from the stage. In Super Smash Bros., Metal Mario does not attack often, and usually just walks around the stage.

Metal Luigi

Metal Luigi is essentially the same as regular Luigi, but with a metallic exterior and little personality. He is basically Luigi's counterpart to Mario's Metal Mario. Once Luigi is unlocked in Super Smash Brothers Melee, Metal Luigi teams up with his "brother", Metal Mario, to combat players.

Fighting Polygons/Fighting Wire Frames

Polygons

Fighting Polygons (or "the Fighting Polygon Team") are metallic-looking purple clones of playable characters made completely out of polygons in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64. The next to last level in the game contains 30 of these clones of existing SSB characters.

Fighting Polygons, due to the vast number the player faces (30) are not very strong and most can be KO'd easily, similar to the Kirby Team and Yoshi Team. The Polygons' fighting arsenal is limited to basic A-button attacks and rely more so on their power than actual fighting skill. They retain the basic form of their character counter-parts, but lack any sort of detail, such as facial features. On harder difficulty levels, the Fighting Polygons actively hunt the character down and attack in clusters ranging in numbers from 5 to 18, making them a more formidable fighting force.

This mode took full advantage of the N64's 3D rendering hardware.

Fighting Wire Frames

The Fighting Wire Frames (謎のザコ敵軍団) are a group of enemies in Super Smash Brothers Melee. They are analogous with the Fighting Polygons, as they play a similar role; however, unlike the original game, there are only two types of Fighting Wire Frames (Male and Female) as opposed to a polygon corresponding to each individual character. Their symbol is the Smash Bros. Symbol (a circle with an off-center cross), just like the Fighting Polygons. The only distinct characteristics Fighting Wire Frames have is that they have a Heart inside their chest, and the Super Smash Bros. Melee Symbol where their face should be. Both the male and female Fighting Wire Frames possess these.

Using the Action Replay cheat device, you can play as either the Female Wire Frame or the Male Wire Frame, both only having kicks and punches and can't charge them up by holding down the buttons as you could with playable characters.

Males and Female Wire Frames have the same frame and gait of Captain Falcon/Ganondorf and Zelda, respectively. Males have better attack and defense than the Females, but the Females have better speed and jumps. They have approximately the same strength as the Fighting Polygons, but are somewhat more agile. The Fighting Wire Frames are very weak, with the exception of the Cruel Fighting Wire Frames found in Cruel Melee.

There are a number of Multi-Man Melees, in which a player fights many Wire Frame Fighters before being defeated him/herself. Each type of Multi-Man Melee has certain goals; types and objectives.

The Cruel Melee was mentioned in EGM's April Fools 2002 hoax. In that issue, EGM claimed that those who beat 20 Wire Frames in Cruel Melee would be able to unlock Sonic and Tails. This prank sparked a large amount of controversy after it was proven to be false.

Sandbag

Sandbag (サンドバッグくん) appears in the "Home-Run Contest" minigame. The object is to strike it as far as possible with a Home-Run Bat. The more Sandbag is damaged, the farther it will fly when hit. Sandbag's only purpose is to get hit in the Home Run Contest. Being hit all the time doesn't hurt it; it actually loves to see players "wind up and let loose." When Kirby copies Sandbag, Kirby does not receive any abilities.

During the actual sandbag challenge, a player will use their chosen character to hit the sandbag off the pedestal on which it rests within ten seconds. Players damage the sandbag as much as possible so that it will fly farther. In addition, players are supplied with a Home Run Bat, one of the most powerful items, with which to smash the bag. During the sandbag contest this item can launch even an undamaged sandbag several hundred feet (although top players have reached distances of over 11,000 feet).

The Sandbag NPC can be played with SSBM's infamous Debug Menu. But, the Sandbag character does not have any moves whatsoever (Except for jumping/moving) and if a hit/shield command is done, or if sandbag leaves the game boundaries, the game will most likely freeze. But, with a bit of delay, it can slide along the ground with quite some speed.