Palette Swap (Super Smash Bros. Melee)

Super Smash Bros. Melee used the X and Y buttons on the Gamecube controller to change costumes. And unlike the previous game, regardless of the number of costumes, any could be selected, and the maximum number of costumes selectable was increased to six.

Bowser

Bowser's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Green (default)
• Red: Seems to be primarily based on Bowser's 2P colors in Mario Golf. Also resembles a Spiny or red Koopa Troopa. Red Koopas are the second most common type of Koopa Troopa. On the character select, he has red eyes. In game, the eyes are blue.
• Blue: May be a loose reference to artwork from Super Mario Bros. 3, which depicted Bowser with silver horns, orange hair and a blue cape. Has some similarities to Iggy Koopa's in-game appearances in Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. The shell may also be a reference to the Blue Spiny Shell from Mario Kart 64.
• Black May be based on Morton Koopa Jr.

Captain Falcon

Captain Falcon's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Indigo (Red) (default)
• Black (Gray): Based on the Japanese commercial for F-Zero X.
• Red: Similar to his rival, Blood Falcon's, outfit, even altering the logo on his back. However, the falcon logo on the helmet is retained (Blood Falcon sports a skull logo on his helmet).
• White (Pink): An infamous palette swap that is often called "Captain Fabulous" by fans. Seems to be based on the colors of Jody Summer's outfit, aside from the helmet.
• Green: May be loosely based on Pico or his racer, the Wild Goose. The Blue Falcon also has an alternate green color in F-Zero X.
• Blue: Seems to be based on his artwork from the original F-Zero.

Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Brown (default)
• Black: Based on Chunky Kong. It was also in the "Monkey Smash" mode in Donkey Kong 64. Has a blue necktie.
• Red: Similar to his sprite in Donkey Kong. It was also in the "Monkey Smash" mode in Donkey Kong 64. Has a navy necktie.
• Blue: Similar to his alternate Mario Golf colors. It was also in the "Monkey Smash" mode in Donkey Kong 64. Has a purple necktie.
• Green: Based on DK's rival King K. Rool. It was also in the "Monkey Smash" mode in Donkey Kong 64.

Dr. Mario

Dr. Mario's alternate costumes in SSBM

• White: (default) Despite wearing white pants in his own game, Dr. Mario wears indigo jeans in Melee.
• Red (Pink): Perhaps based on Nurse Toadstool's color scheme.
• Blue (Seafoam): Possibly based on the blue scrubs and purple nitrile gloves worn by modern doctors.
• Green Possibly to represent what surgeons wear.

• Black (Gray): Based on the Game Boy Dr. Mario from GB Dr. Mario. Also resembles the uniforms of modern radiologists.

Falco

Falco's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Tan (default)
• Red
• Blue (White)
• Green (Black): Assumed to be what Falco wore when he was not a member of the Star Fox team.

Fox

Fox's alternate costumes in SSBM

• White (Tan) (default)
• Orange (Red): Based on his costume on the Japanese Star Fox box art.

• Used when Fox is on the Red team.

• Purple (Blue) Resembles Krystal in Star Fox Adventures.

• Used when Fox is on the Blue team.

• Green: Possibly modeled after his father, James McCloud. Resembles his color scheme from original Star Fox concept art.

Ganondorf

Ganondorf's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Brown (default)
• Red: Possibly represents one of Ganondorf's beast form's attire.
• Blue:
• Green:
• Purple:

Ice Climbers

The Ice Climbers' alternate costumes in SSBM

As can be seen in the image, the Ice Climbers' orange and red costumes will place Nana in the lead, making Popo follow.

• Purple and Pink (default)

• Used when Ice Climbers is on the Blue team.

• Green and Yellow
• Orange and Light Blue (the only costume never used at all in Team Battle)
• Red and Light Pink (also, the only costume for Team Battle that has Nana in the lead)

• Despite the color on the Character Select Screen, the costume for Nana has a more maroon tone during the battle.

Jigglypuff

Jigglypuff's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Pink (default)
• Red: Gives Jigglypuff a decorative flower at the left ear.
• Blue: Similar to the bows from the original Super Smash Bros.
• Green: Gives Jigglypuff a fighter's headband, similar to that worn by Fighter Kirby (except Kirby's headband is red) and Liu Kang from the Mortal Kombat series.
• Yellow: This palette swap is that of a crown with exactly the same design as Princess Peach's.

Kirby

Kirby's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Pink (default)
• Yellow: This color swap is Keeby. It is also the same as when he is Beam Kirby or Needle Kirby, without the hat. It was also an alternative palette for Kirby in the multiplayer for Kirby 64.
• Blue (Light Blue): The same as when he is Ice Kirby, without the hat. It was also an alternative palette for Kirby in the multiplayer for Kirby 64.
• Red (Orange): The same as when he is Fire Kirby, without the hat.
• Green: Likely a homage to his days on the green Game Boy screen. It was also an alternative palette for Kirby in the multiplayer for Kirby 64 and the skin tone for Plasma Kirby, without the hat.
• White: A reference to his monochrome appearance from the original Kirby's Dream Land for Game Boy. It is also similar to the colors of Kirby's depiction on the North American box cover of Kirby's Dream Land.

Link

Link's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Green (default)
• Red: Similar to the Goron Tunic from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
• Blue: Similar to the Zora Tunic from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
• Black (Gray): A homage to Dark Link. However, unlike the Brawl version, only his tunic is altered.
• White (Lavender): Resembles the use of the Blue Ring in The Legend of Zelda, or his Fierce Deity form in "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask".

Luigi

Luigi's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Green (default)
• White: A reference to Luigi's appearance in Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros., with tan gloves instead of white in order to simulate Luigi's "bare-handed" look in these games. Also, the colors to his cap, shirt, and overalls reference his Fire Luigi form. In the game, his skin is tan.
• Cyan (Blue): Resembles the artwork for Mario on the cover for the NES version of Mario Bros., though that's not what he wore in the actual game.

• Used when Luigi is on the Blue team.

• Pink (Red): Comes from the game Wrecking Crew, in which Luigi wears pink.

• Used when Luigi is on the Red team.

Mario

Mario's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Red (default)
• Yellow: Based on Wario, the same as his previous yellow costume.
• Brown: A reference to Foreman Spike from Wrecking Crew '98.
• Blue: Resembles the Balloon Fighter from Balloon Fight.
• Green: A color inverse of his traditional colors. Contrary to popular belief it is not a reference to Luigi, however it does coincidentally resemble Luigi's colors from the arcade version of Mario Bros.

Marth

Marth's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Blue (default)
• Red: The only costume in Melee to change the color of his headbrace.
• Green: Possibly based on the standard color for NPC units in Fire Emblem.
• Black (Gray)
• Seafoam (White): Based on Leaf, the protagonist of Fire Emblem: Thracia 776.

Mewtwo

Mewtwo's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Purple (default)
• Orange: Used as an Easter Egg in Pokémon Stadium.

• Used when Mewtwo is on the Red team.

• Blue: Resembles Mewtwo's in-game sprite colors for Pokemon Red & Blue. Also used as an Easter egg in Pokémon Stadium.
• Green: Mewtwo's "shiny" color.

Mr. Game & Watch

Mr. Game & Watch's alternate costumes in SSBM

Mr. Game & Watch's costumes may come from the colored LCD screens used for some of his games.

• Black (default)
• Red
• Blue
• Green

Ness

Ness's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Red (default)
• Yellow: Similar to Charlie Brown from Peanuts.
• Blue: Is based on Ness's younger self that he encounters briefly in EarthBound, who was wearing a blue hat. Some also consider this outfit to be a reference to EarthBound's final battle against Giygas, where a reflection of Ness's face appeared in the Devil's Machine. However, contrary to popular belief, the reflection was not wearing a different hat than the real Ness.
• Green: Probably, is based on the outfit of the Mexican character "El Chavo del 8"

Peach

Peach's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Pink (default)

• Used when Peach is on the Red team.

• Yellow: This costume resembles Daisy's appearance on the Nintendo 64; extra details like Daisy's flower jewelry were included.
• Lavender (White): Represents Nurse Toadstool, but in white instead of pink. She also uniquely wears stockings with this costume.
• Purple (Blue)

• Used when Peach is on the Blue team.

• Green

Pichu

Pichu's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Yellow (default)
• Red: This, like the other swaps, gives Pichu a boy scout's ascot in the corresponding color, similar to the "Camper" (formerly "Jr. Trainer") and "Picnicker" classes of trainers from the Pokémon series.
• Blue: Gives Pichu goggles similar to the "Swimmer" class of the Pokémon series. Despite Pichu not returning for Brawl, Pikachu's blue costume in that game is based on these same goggles, leading fans to speculate that Melee's Pichu evolves into Brawl's Pikachu
• Green: Gives Pichu a backpack similar to the one worn by Pokémon Trainers throughout the Pokémon series.

Pikachu

Pikachu's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Yellow (default)
• Red: Has Pikachu wearing the hat of Red, the protagonist of the original Pokémon installment. The fur color is based on a "shiny" Pikachu.
• Blue: A party hat similar to the one from the original Super Smash Bros.
• Green: Gives Pikachu a cowboy hat.

Roy

Roy's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Purple (Brown) (default)
• Red: Based on the "enemy" unit color in the Fire Emblem series.
• Blue: Based on the "player" unit color in the Fire Emblem series. Is the only palette to change Roy's golden highlight color (to silver).
• Green: Based on the "other" unit color in the Fire Emblem series.
• Yellow (Gold): Based on the "partner" unit color in the Fire Emblem series. Which was first in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance which was released after SSBM, but was in the making since the N64.

Samus

Samus's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Orange (Red) (default)

• Used when Samus is on the Red team.

• Pink: Similar to the appearance of the Varia Suit when missiles are selected in the original NES Metroid game.
• Black (Brown)
• Green:
• Purple (Blue): Similar to the Gravity Suit in Super Metroid.

• Used when Samus is on the Blue team.

Yoshi

Yoshi's alternate costumes in SSBM

All of Yoshi's costumes appear as different variations of the Yoshi species in many of his games, such as Yoshi's Story, Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island.

• Green (default)
• Red: Similar to the fire breathing Yoshi in Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island/Story.
• Blue: Similar to the flying Yoshi in Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island/Story.
• Yellow: Similar to the stomping Yoshi in Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island/Story.
• Pink: Similar to the Yoshi's in Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Story.
• Light Blue (Cyan): Similar to the Yoshi's in Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Story.

Young Link

Young Link's alternate costumes in SSBM

All of Young Link's colors are exactly the same as Link's, except ordered differently.

• Green (default)
• Red: Based on the Goron Tunic from Ocarina of Time, even though Link never wears it as a child.
• Blue: Based on the Zora Tunic from Ocarina of Time, even though Link never wears it as a child.
• White
• Black: Based on Dark Link.

Zelda

Zelda's alternate costumes in SSBM

• Pink (default): Based on her appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
  • This Sheik is a medium blue.
• Red: Based off her first appearance in The Legend of Zelda if Link possesses the red ring.
  • This Sheik is red.
• Blue: Based off her first appearance in The Legend of Zelda if Link possesses the blue ring but not the red ring.
  • This Sheik is a deep blue.
• Green: Resembles Zelda's first appearance in The Legend of Zelda if Link possesses neither the blue ring nor the red ring.
  • This Sheik is green.
• Lavender (White): Based on her appearance in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
  • This Sheik is a dark violet and lavender.