_____ _____ ______ __ __ / ___/ / ___/ | ____ \ | \ / | ****** \ \__ \ \__ | |__| / O | |\ /| | * ******** \__ \ \__ \ | ___ < | | \/ | | ** ********* __/ / __/ / | |__| \ O | | | | *** ********** /___/ /___/ |______/ |_| |_| *** ********** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * S u p e r S m a s h B r o s . M e l e e ** ********* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ******** ****** NINTENDORKS FAQ Version 2.7 written for Nintendorks and by Nintendorks TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. General Overview 2. What's Going On? 3. Controller Explanation 4. Characters ~ Mario ~ Link ~ Zelda ~ Pikachu ~ Fox McCloud ~ Ness ~ Captain Falcon ~ Yoshi ~ Donkey Kong ~ Peach ~ Kirby ~ Bowser ~ Ice Climbers ~ Samus ~ Jigglypuff ~ Luigi ~ Roy ~ Marth ~ Falco ~ Dr. Mario ~ Ganondorf ~ Young Link ~ Mewtwo ~ Pichu ~ Mr. Game and Watch 5. Levels 6. Modes of Play 7. Items 8. Secrets 9. Event Mode 10. Bonus List 11. Trophies 12. Pokemon in Pokeballs 13. Advanced Techniques 13. Thanks 14. Legalities ***Also, there is an incredible graphical version of this FAQ here: http://mizar66.netfirms.com/ssbmguide/index.html ***Here's the official Nintendo website: http://www.supersmashbrosmelee.com ***And here's the Message Board that spawned this FAQ! http://pub70.ezboard.com/bnintendorks55364 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. GENERAL OVERVIEW Super Smash Bros. Melee came out on December 3rd, 2001, a sequel to one of the best and most unique 2-D fighters (or any-d fighters, for that matter) to have ever been made. Available only for the Nintendo GameCube, SSB:Melee pits Nintendo's most beloved mascots from their flagship titles against each other in chaotic fighting matches. The original game, Super Smash Bros, went on to sell 5 million plus cartridges with only 12 fighters and a handful of arenas. Melee builds on and improves what Super Smash Bros. didn't do, which at first glance doesn't seem like a lot. This FAQ will guide you through each character, with all of their moves explained, how to unlock them, their strengths and weaknesses, and some general tips for use. The levels will be explained, as will items, this FAQ will also list tips for all the modes, and hopefully a complete list of all of those pesky trophies. So read on, intrepid gamers! Have fun! And go to the website read by the guys who made this FAQ! http://www.nintendorks.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. WHAT'S GOING ON? One could call Smash Bros a fighting game but also a platformer as well. It's basically a combination of the two. If you played the original on the N64, then most of the gameplay is unchanged and you should be able to jump right in. If this is your first time playing Smash Bros, then you'll have to get used to the differences from other fighting games. Although the characters have punches, kicks, and unique special moves, the strategy is totally different from other fighting games. Most of the stages are floating in the air, and the object of the game is not to deplete the opponent's energy, but to knock them off the stage. This is easier said than done, because all characters have an air jump, and most characters have a special move that helps them come back. Instead of energy, every character has a percentage. The more you're hit, the more your percentage goes up. If you're hit with a strong attack, such as Smash attacks, you'll go flying. How far you fly depends on how high your damage is. If you get knocked so far that your double jump and comeback move aren't enough to get you back to the stage, you get knocked out. Every character has basic attacks used with the A button. You can push A button for a regular attack, as well as tilting the control stick up and down to indicate the direction of the attack. In addition to regular attacks, you can do "Smash Attacks", which are vital to winning. To do a smash attack, you tilt the control stick in a direction at the same time as pushing the A button. You can do a smash attack to the side or downward, which will knock your opponent horizontally, or an upwards smash attack which will send them sky high (you can also knock out the opponent by knocking them really high). Of course, every character also has special moves that are unique to them. These are executed with the B button. Depending on the direction you tilt the control stick (neutral, sideways, up or down) you'll perform one of four different special moves. For most characters, up and B is an attack that can send you horizontally or upwards, helpful in getting back to the stage. Besides attacking, jumping is a necessity in this game, as many attacks differ between using them on the ground or in the air. You'll also need to jump in order to execute combos or get away, as well as coming back to the stage. Each character has a jump, and at least one other jump they can do in the air (characters like Kirby can jump up to 6 times, since they can float). To jump, you can either tilt the control stick up, or use the X and Y buttons. Other strategies include dodging, shielding, and throwing. If you are near an opponent, you can press Z (or R and A at the same time) and grab him. Pressing Z while holding an opponent will do damage to him. If you do this too much the opponent can break free, so use this sparingly. Otherwise, tilting the control stick different directions will result in throwing your opponent. Throws are weaker than smash attacks and probably will not KO your opponent, but they do damage and can be used to start out combos. Press R or L to activate your shield. This will block attacks (but not throws), but don't use it too much, because while you use it, it gets smaller, and if it disappears, it breaks and you get stunned. How far you press in the button depends on the strength of the shield. If you press the button in a lot, the shield will be small, but very strong. If you press it in a bit, the shield will be large but very weak. Most attacks only need a shield press of medium, to block. Tilting the control stick left or right while having your shield up will cause you to roll. This is helpful to evade opponents, and is essential against skillful players. There are some other techniques too. By pressing R or L in the air, you'll do an air dodge, which will make you temporarily invulnerable in the air. You can only do it once until you touch the ground again. By pressing Z or A when an item is thrown at you, you can catch the item, but it takes precise timing. Speaking of items, when you see one, press A to pick it up. If it's a weapon, press A to use it. Once you're done using it, press Z to drop it or throw it. If it's a throwing item, then just press A to throw it. Also, if you put up your shield at the exact moment a projectile attack hits you, you can deflect it. Finally, to taunt, press up on the D-pad. It's not necessary but it's great to do after knocking out your opponent, just for fun. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. CONTROLLER EXPLANATION Control Stick - Move the character X - Jump Y - Jump A - Standard attacks A + Control Stick - Different standard attacks B - Special moves B + Control Stick - Different special moves L - Defensive shield (can be used with control stick to move around) R - Defensive shield (can be used with control stick to move around) L + A - Grab and throw (can be used with control stick to control direction of throw) R + A - Grab and throw (can be used with control stick to control direction of throw) Z - Grab and throw (can be used with control stick to control direction of throw) Control Pad - Taunt (any direction taunts) C Stick + Direction - Performs the smash move for that direction. (Cannot be held to charge up the attack, only can be used in melee battles) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. CHARACTERS *************** **** MARIO **** *************** ---BACKGROUND--- Every video game needs a hero, but none are as well known, nor can claim to be as well beloved as that endearing, pasta loving plumber Mario. Ever since his emergence from the sketch pad of Shigeru Miyamoto all those years ago, Mario has been the driving force behind almost all of Nintendo's most successful franchises. Stomping on turtles and beating up goombas everywhere from dirty truck stop arcade coin-ops to bad Fred Savage movies, Mario has become a true icon of American culture. Not far from his roots, Mario returns in true form, still beating the heads of defenseless Yoshi's and tossing Koopa Kings in and out of the arenas of Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube. ---GENERAL INFO--- From a design standpoint, Super Smash Bros. Melee is by and large the house that Mario built. Arguably the most balanced character in the game, that "more familiar than Mickey Mouse" plumber is certainly easy enough for a beginner to pick up and control right from the get go. However, as is the case with most of the Melee fighters, the more advanced a Mario player becomes, the more hidden facets of the Italian's fighting style are revealed; and therein lies Mario's true beauty. A real, honest to goodness Mario expert, having taken the time to master the art of "flying without really flying," can move in seemingly effortless leaps from platform to platform, clearing the screen with well timed hits and kicks that may or may not jar a few golden coins from opponents caught off guard. Playing as Mario in Melee, just as in his signature platformers we've all come to know and love, is all about practice. Beginners may be drawn to him for his namesake, and rightfully so, but his true staying power in the arsenal of any hardened Smash Bros. veteran is in his lack of any real weakness. Classified as a Close Range fighter, Mario is powerful in close quarters, striking with a decent amount of powerful punches and kicks, along with an all new Meteor Smash technique. Though not a Lightweight by any stretch of the imagination, Mario is fortunate to not be plagued by the slow speed on the ground that would qualify him as one of the Heavy Hitters. On the contrary, Mario is a relatively quick fighter that, while not rivaling the raw speed of the your Foxes and Pikachus, can still compete with some of the fastest players in the game. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Pausing only for a moment to charge the attack, Mario flings his fist toward his opponent in a small ball of fire that engulfs the unlucky character. While not the most damaging smash move in the game when taken solely at face value, Mario's Smash Attack has a secret. The amount of damage dealt is directly proportionate to the distance away Mario is from his opponent when beginning the Smash; optimal distance is about two steps away from hostile characters. Once again, practice is the key. Down Smash Pausing for another brief second, Mario twirls both of his legs in a roundhouse sweep that hits opponents low on either side of him. Knocking opponents horizontally, the sweep comes in handy when on more cramped arenas, as it provides quite an easy way of delivering other characters right off the edge, setting them up perfectly for a Forward Smash to the edge of the screen. As well, if backed into a corner, the sweep's relatively long range is useful in breaking down the quick, repetitive attacks of Speedsters. Up Smash Mario performs a savage head butt, sending nearby characters in a vertical arc that is quite useful as a combo finish when his opponent has a relatively high percentage. Also, this move can be especially useful when dealing with an opponent from above, as it can be used to send some over eager combatants sky high with relative ease. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Fireball Mario's only projectile. While not particularly powerful, the fireball can be severely damaging not so much to an opponent's hit percentage, as to his ego. Following the tradition started by the first Super Mario Bros., Mario's tried and true fireball flies forward and down, bouncing off the ground several times before it fizzles out. At any time during this flight, if the fireball comes into contact with an opponent, it causes the assailed character to recoil, engulfed in a ball of fire which stuns them for a brief second. Therein lies the key to the fireball's strength. When used as a preemptive strike from across the stage, the fireball can set off an opponent's timing, stunning them for a moment, and even causing them to mistakenly commit suicide (if they are sufficiently knocked off balance). Another quite handy, if cheap, usage of the fireball is to nullify a flailing character's "third jump" from enabling them to make it back from being sent off the stage. If timed properly, the fireball can be an extremely maddening sting that causes an already nearly finished foe from having any chance of returning from a Smash Attack. As well, the fireball can be quite useful in "stealing kills" from other characters in a four-player match by simply "reaching out and touching" a falling opponent on his way down. B -> : Super Cape A new addition to Mario's arsenal for Melee is the golden cape he used to fly in Super Mario World. In Smash Bros. Melee, the cape is used as a counter move. Perfect for reflecting projectiles, swords, and even thrown items back at their point of origin, the cape also enables Mario to twirl nearby opponents to face the opposite direction, causing severe confusion in its wake. Also, in the case of desperately trying to make it back to a stage's edge, the cape can be invaluable as a kind of "two and a half jump" that enables Mario an extra boost of horizontal movement just before he employs his Super Jump Punch to try to cover the rest of the distance. B ^ : Super Jump Punch Probably one of Mario's most annoying moves from the original Smash Bros., the Super Jump Punch has made the transition to Melee completely intact. When properly pulled off, this move launches Mario in a forward jumping punch that can trap one or more opponents for roughly a second, knocking coins from them as they are suspended in the air. More annoyance than anything else, this move can easily get you into a fist fight with one of your buddies after several repetitions. As it's not exactly the most damaging maneuver in Mario's arsenal, and as it causes him to pause for a moment to return to the ground (leaving him wide open for projectile counter attacks, or opportunistic ground assailants), the Super Jump Punch should be reserved for only the occasions when Mario needs to clear out opponents from above him, leaving him safe to make a landing. Also, the Super Jump Punch is an extremely useful third jump, launching Mario in a upward diagonal path back toward the stage in the case of an accidental fall. B V : Tornado A close range maneuver for a close range fighter. The Tornado, when timed correctly, can be a devastating end to an all out four player brawl. The move causes Mario to spin in a circle with his fists flying, sending all nearby opponents flying vertically, setting them up perfectly for an Upward Smash. Beware, however, as this move can be countered by an opponent's well placed kick. Use this move conservatively. --OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Mario is a Close Range attacker, plain and simple. In the vast majority of the battles he will face, that will be his advantage. However, though Mario has his fists, they don't do him a whole heck of a lot of good against a swordsman's cold steel. The good news: with the exception of Marth and perhaps Young Link, none of the swordsmen can compete with Mario's in air speed and agility. Mario's plethora of in air kicks, along with a few quick, repetitive foot sweeps can easily win the day against one of the Links. The trick is to stay out of the reach of his sword, as its cold touch is extremely deadly, especially in close. Hit and run is the order of the day. As well, mid air Fireballs and Super Jump Punches may be just what are needed to throw off the rock solid combos of the Fire Emblem brothers. Stay clear of Marth and Roy's upward swings by always attacking from behind or below them. The secret is to stay mobile. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) Contrary to what may work against a Swordsman, when facing a Speedster, Mario should stay grounded, especially when going in against the Pikas' screen splitting thunderings. What is important in these kinds of battles is to not allow Mario to lose his focus. Keep both Mario's feet on the ground and rely on Fireballs to stop Captain Falcon and the Star Fox Teams's attacks dead in their tracks, making only small hops over your opponents' heads when called for. When the opportunity presents itself (like right after a misplaced Falcon Punch) take advantage of Mario's superior Close Range power to really lay into a Speedster. Upward Smashes are especially useful when juggling these lighter characters, and try small jumping kicks to keep them off guard, always remembering to ground yourself before getting too close. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) As with every time one is matched strength for strength, this can be a little awkward. Basically, all the techniques and tricks you've worked up so far kind of go out the window when facing the more well rounded characters like Dr. Mario and Luigi. But while the temptation is to move in close and see just who is the better brawler, the truth is learning to hone your projectiles is the real key to this victory. It kind of goes without saying, but use the items around you to your fullest advantage, especially against a Mario/Dr. Mario. Avoid direct confrontation whenever possible, and try to wear them down with quick kicks and punches. Certainly a healthy amount of Smashes are in order, but don't get cocky. Time Mario's punches and Tornadoes as well as you can, and try to take advantage of their soft underbelly. Yoshi and Game & Watch are a different story. Keep out of the reach of Yoshi's tongue and try to toss Fireballs his way as often as possible. Well placed jumping kicks to the head are a decent way of working past the silly dinosaur. Just show him who's boss, and stay out from under his butt stomp. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Fireballs are your friend, especially when dealing with a couple hundred PK fires coming your way. But the way to really beat past these relatively weak close combatants is to take the battle to them. Move in close with constant Forward Smashes and dashing foot sweeps to keep them off balance, and remember to limit your aerial time as Samus and Ness can knock Mario silly if you let him fly too closely. The trick here is to really lay into them hard and fast, without allowing your Samuses and MewTwos to pull back and charge their cannons. Close the distance quickly and get the job done before they know what hit them. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) Most of the time Lightweights are no problem. Just remember to aim Mario's Smashes and kick straight and true. Your best bet is to treat these characters just like you would a Speedster. Don't waste your time leaping to meet them in the air, but let these puffballs and frilly girls come to you. For a nice change of pace, try charging your Smash attacks for a great "homerun" visual. However, be wary of Kirby's falling brick maneuver, Jiggly's sleep, Peach's hip thrust, and Zelda's lighting quick "Nayru's Love" attack. They come without warning and are surprisingly strong. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Heard the phrase about the quick and the dead? Never as true as it is here. Mario may be strong in the close range, but he's met his match in these characters' massive girth. All is not lost, however, as these guys simply don't have anything on him as far as the air is concerned. Use Mario's inherent agility and speed to win against these slowpokes, striking with leaping kicks and as many fireballs as you can stomach. Try to stay at least a character's width away from Bowser and Donkey, as you'll need that extra space to make your jumps worthwhile. Try to keep from being slapped out of the air by Donkey Kong by moving in with low foot sweeps and a few well-placed throws. One word of advice: make it a point to avoid the Super Jump Punch, as it only takes one mistake to end up on the bad end of a Warlock Punch. ~Mario is playable from the start of the game. *************** **** LINK ***** *************** ---BACKGROUND--- Link was one of the best characters for some in the original Super Smash Bros, and in the hands of a true master, became one of the most lethal characters to play with. His only problem? His jumps were weak, and if he was knocked away, it was very difficult to get back onto the screen. In Melee, the game designers have tweaked his jumps to give him some more flying time, and they've added some new goodies. Playing as Link involves many projectile/smash attack combos. ---GENERAL INFO--- Face it, most everyone plays as Link. You have to learn, if you want to become a Link master, to use Link like a razor. With a combination of rolls, smash attacks, and projectile hits, you can easily destroy any and all opponents. You have the ultimate ace up your sleeve, however, in the spin attack. It clears the stage, racks up a hell of a lot of damage, and now wobbles a bit to cover more area. The spin attack will be the one attack that will invariably annoy most of your opponents the most. By really timing it right, and by setting up attackers, you can become a legend just with one move. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Link's sword comes out in a devastating blow, that if charged enough, or if enough damage has been racked up on the target, will result in an automatic KO. The best thing about this is that it doesn't really need to be charged up much to do a lot of damage. If you connect with the first hit, and then press A again, with correct timing, you'll pull off another quick forward hit. This hit can sometimes make or break a match, as Link will deal two impressive swipes. Down Smash Link will pull his sword out and swipe on either side of him. Great for tripping the other characters up a bit, and is wonderful in conjunction with the forward smash or sword spin attack, as the other players will bounce a bit in the air and then come down right in front of you. If you are in the air, down-a will pull out the sword and then place it underneath you, turning you into a guided sword missile. Falling on opponents this way is a very good way to clear the ground upon impact. Be sure, however, that if you don't connect with opponents to push L or R to quickly get the sword out of the ground after you fall. Up Smash The sword swipes three times straight above Link, and if charged, they can really send an opponent flying. Also, the up-a attack can be used to juggle opponents, I've been known to get three characters flying around above me at the same time with it. It's also good to use with a flying spin attack. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Arrows New to Melee, Link's Bow and Arrows are a fiendish and quick projectile. By holding down B, you can pull back farther on the bow and therefore fire farther with the arrow. It also does more damage, and a good Link player can judge based on how far the arrow is pulled at approximately how far it will fly. Real annoying Link players will sit away from the fray and just pepper the competition with arrows until they vulture in and let them have it. B -> : Boomerang Quicker, smaller, and slightly less powerful than the original boomerang, this weapon makes a grand resurgence, and is one of my favorite little projectiles. The only problem is that if you've got it sailing out, you have to wait for it to return or leave the screen before you can throw it again, but aside from that, it's an easy way to do some fun damage. B ^ : Sword Spin One of the best moves in the game, period. In the air, it'll deal a succession of hits and then the final blow, and on the ground it will just send you sailing. A true Link master will use this without shame for almost every other move. It clears space, it hits hard, and now it wobbles in the air which allows you to hit more people. It also lifts you higher. B V : Bomb Another favorite for Link fans, down B pulls out a slightly less powerful version of the Bob-Omb. It doesn't travel, and it definitely won't blow you to kingdom come, but it will do some fun damage if thrown correctly. A great place to throw it is in the middle of a tussle between the competitors, and a fun combo involves pulling one out in midair (most of the b moves are best performed while doing something else, because they aren't the quickest moves to initially pull off) and then throw it downward on top of an enemy, then come down quickly with the down-a move. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Well, unless you have a longer sword than the opponent, attacking head on is not the greatest idea. Link's sword will trump Young Links, but Marth and Roy have better power and longer swords. BUT, they don't have projectiles. If up against Marth or Roy, stay away and then throw/shoot projectiles, then hit them and run away again. Link on Link is just a matter of finding if they are a head on attacker, or a projectile attacker and then utilizing their weakness. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) Stay away from speedsters, as they are the mortal enemies of Link. The only good thing about some of them, like Pikachu and Pichu, is that they can be tossed around easily, and so when you do manage to strike a blow, strike hard. The best thing is to learn the roll button and then perform smash moves after the roll. Dodge those Falcon punches and try and get away from the kicks and laser fire from the StarFox boys. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) These guys aren't that difficult if you remember exactly how far away your sword spin can hit, and if you utilize your projectiles as well as possible. Keep THEM away from you, and when they do get close, block their hits and then whomp on them with the sword from far away. Oh, and keep Yoshi a little farther because entrapping you in an egg is one of the worst situations you can be in. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Ok. Now, all of these three can be very difficult to score hits on, because they all have an ability to get away from you quickly, and Samus has the killer third jump...but Link is a pretty good long range fighter himself, and when it comes down to it, you have THREE different courses of projectile action. Use them to make them come from their shelter and attack like a man, and then beat them with the sword. Also, Link's shield acts as a shield without pulling up your main R/L bubble shield. Just stand there and you can take fully powered blast shots and the like just by the shield Link holds in front of him. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) Ok, quite simply, if you are up against these four, the sword spin and smash attacks are essential. After a moderate amount of damage, they will disappear. Edge guard to your hearts content, and charge smash them to kingdom come. Watch out for Peach's butt slam, because it's a doozy, but if you keep a finger on the shield, they won't be a problem. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) These guys are a bit tough to work up to a level where they will fly, so you need to concentrate on one of them, ignore the others (or if it's a team battle, have your partner draw fire away) and then just keep pounding them towards an open edge. Then, when they are off the edge, guard it, don't let them back up, and hurl projectiles there way. The sword spin works very nicely in this area, as they are huge and won't be able to dodge. Link, however, can dodge. ~Link is playable from the start of the game. *************** *****ZELDA***** *************** ---BACKGROUND--- While Princess Zelda has been a staple character in the "Legend of Zelda" series (It's named after her for crying out loud!), her role in SSB:M is her first ever as a playable character (Well, except for those stupid CD-i games, but they don't count). Her alter-ego, Sheik, on the other hand, has only ever appeared in one other game: "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time", more commonly referred to as Zelda 64. Players never learned the true identity of Sheik, the supposed last Sheikah, until the finale of the game, where "he" revealed himself to be Zelda in disguise, and also the seventh sage. ---GENERAL INFO--- A few of the characters in SSB:M have traits that completely alter the way you use them, sometimes giving them an edge, but also working as an Achilles heel. There's the twin Ice Climbers, whom you control two of, and there's Kirby, who can copy the "B" moves of opponents. However, Zelda is the most unique character of all. Why? Because she's not one character, but two. You start a fight as the princess, who is a bit slow-moving but has some powerful magical attacks, and with the push of a button coupled with a flick of the control stick, you transform into Sheik, a completely different character armed with ninja-like moves and incredible speed. Both are extremely potent characters, and both have excellent "A" button attacks. You must learn to balance the two if you want to become a Zelda master. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Zelda: Zelda's got a pretty damn powerful smash. Pulling off the move causes her to charge up, then zap anyone in front of her. It's sure to KO anyone with a high damage total. Sheik: When you pull off Sheik's smash, you unleash a powerful double kick. The first racks up that damage a bit, and the second sends them flying. It's a great move because it's quick. One of Sheik's better finishers. Down Smash Zelda: Zelda's down smash is surprisingly poor. Zelda charges up, then twirls around on one foot with the other foot sticking out. It'll hit your opponents, but it won't send them flying anywhere. Nayru's Love can do the same thing, but better. Sheik: This is one of the cooler looking tricks in the game. Sheik will charge up and do a helicopter kick while standing on her head. It's slightly less powerful than the forward smash, but it racks up damage on both sides, making it a superb clearout move. Up Smash Zelda: Zelda's best moves are perhaps her upward hits. Zelda will wave her hand in the air, casting a short-range spell. If your opponent is hit, they'll be zapped and blasted upwards. This can easily finish off your enemies, resulting in a star KO. It's also great for juggling. Sheik: When the upward smash is performed, Sheik charges up, then raises her arms while ducking down, smacking nearby characters straight up. Use this in conjunction with the midair upward smash, a powerful upward drill kick. Sheik is a formidable juggler when this is done ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Nayru's Love (Zelda) When you use this, a blue crystal forms around Zelda, defending her for a moment. This move has two uses: the first, and most obvious one, is to reflect projectiles. Unlike Fox's reflector, though, it can't be held in place for a time, making timing crucial. If you time it right, however, your opponent's shot will bounce right back at them. Handy, but difficult to use. The second use for Nayru's love is as an offensive weapon. When the crystal disappears, it shatters into smaller crystals which spin around, hitting adjacent characters repeatedly. It's not too powerful, but it can free up some space when you're surrounded. B : Needles (Sheik) Pressing the "B" button results in Sheik releasing a tiny needle which flies straight until it hits something. Holding the button results in Sheik charging up for a more powerful shot with about 3 or 4 needles. However, by tapping the "Z" button while Sheik is charging, you can carry the needles around, much like Samus' charge shot, until you need to use them. The needles are excellent for stopping a character returning to the platform while in mid-jump. They fall, and you get the kill, even if you didn't make the original hit. The attack is weak, but it can knock enemies back at a crucial moment. B -> : Din's Fire(Zelda) This move is difficult to pull off, but it's good for a hit against a distant character. By pressing "B" while tilting the control stick forward, you release a ball of fire which flies along, gaining speed, until you release "B". You can steer it up and down, as well. It's very difficult to hit with, and you won't have many opportunities to use it, but it can do a fair bit of damage when it hits. Keep practising, and you're bound to get better at using it. Your best opportunity to use Din's Fire is probably right at the beginning of the match, when there is an opponent directly across from you. Don't waste the chance! B -> : Whip(Sheik) This move is one of the more unwieldy moves in the game, but it's very good for edge guarding. Sheik lashes forward with the whip, and then holds it out, allowing you to use the control stick to wave it around. You can score multiple hits on nearby enemies with it, and waving it over the edge of a platform will stop most return moves, even powerful ones like the Fire Fox. Like Din's Fire, it requires practice. B ^ : Farore's Wind(Zelda) This is one of the best return moves in the game. To use it, press up and "B", then quickly tilt the control stick in the direction you want to go. It can't go through solid walls, but it'll go through any "soft" platform (platforms you can drop and jump through). If you're not careful, you can suicide with this move, so if you're on a small stage, make sure to never tilt directly sideways. As a bonus, Farore's wind can hurt any character touching Zelda at the time, ala Jigglypuff's "Rest" move. It's not as powerful, but I think you'll agree that the teleport makes up for that. B ^ : Teleport(Sheik) Sheik's teleport operates identically to Zelda's, but there are at least two differences: Number one, it doesn't go as far. Number two, it leaves a small explosion behind. This is good for burning nearby characters while you make your escape, and if you hurt somebody while you're on your way back to the platform, hey, bonus! You don't have to worry as much about suiciding with this one. B V :Transform Obviously, this is one of Zelda's most important attacks. Without it, you'd be stuck as just one character. Simply press down and "B", and with a tinny little fanfare Zelda players will recognize, POOF, you've transformed! You'll want to transform into Sheik to work up opponents' percentages, and turn back into Zelda to finish them off with a powerful throw. Of course, there are always exceptions, depending on who you're fighting. Balancing the two characters is key. NOTE: You can use this move right before a match starts, as well. Just hold A while the fight is loading, and you'll start the match as Sheik instead. It saves you a bit of time if you know you're going to need Sheik first. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) The best way to handle these guys is to get them from behind. Obviously, Sheik is ideal for this. Stick to the air and kick them in the back, then use the Running+A dash repeatedly, back and forth. When you rack up enough damage, it's time to get lucky. Transform into Zelda and attempt to knock them out. When you see the opportunity, seize it, and grab them for one of Zelda's extremely powerful throws. If the damage is high enough, throw them upwards. If they don't hit the KO Ceiling, they'll be at your mercy, for Zelda's upward attacks are her strongest. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) When facing these guys, you'll never survive as Zelda. The answer should then be simple: stick to Sheik, who is extremely fast. These characters are weaker in the air, so juggle to your heart's content. Use the upward drill kick to keep them helpless, then slam them with Sheik's midair forward hit. They'll fly far if you've worked them over enough. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) The strategy for these characters is simple- wear them down with Sheik, and knock them out with Zelda. That's really all there is to it. Good ways to get their damage percentage up are to catch them in juggling combos, and whip them when they try to climb up onto the edges. Make sure to keep some needles charged up as well. They can be handy if your opponent gets knocked away early. When the time comes to finish them with Zelda, simple trap them in a throw and use Din's Fire to keep them at bay. These characters are average difficulty for Zelda. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) These are quite possibly the easiest characters in the game to beat with Zelda. They can't stand a chance once they're in the air- Mewtwo especially. Just choose Zelda or Sheik, whichever you prefer, knock your opponent into the air, and start juggling! You'll make short work of them quickly. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) These characters don't even necessitate a transformation. You can simply stay as Zelda and blast them all over the arena. Sheik has no trouble with them either, but Zelda's powerful attacks can easily win you the fight. Lightweights are definitely some of the easiest characters for Zelda to handle, except for the big exception: facing another Zelda. You should treat her like a close-range fighter. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Contrary to what is true for lightweights, these characters are by far the most difficult characters for Zelda to fight. Sheik can hardly make a dent, and Zelda gets seriously damaged before she can hurt them. If you're facing more than one person, let the other players do the work, then try to swoop in for the kill. This works well in time battles, where you can score your KOs on other, lighter characters. However, you'll have to face these guys sooner or later, and that's when it's time to use evasive tactics. Dodge like crazy, and try to get them into vulnerable positions. It's not easy, but it's possible. Sheik is best for dodging attacks, so lean towards using her more. Steer clear of head-on confrontations. You can juggle DK and Ganondorf, but don't try it with Bowser- his stomp move is too dangerous. However, you can use that move against him: right after he lands, grab him and toss him. ~Zelda is playable from the start of the game. *************** *** PIKACHU *** *************** ---BACKGROUND--- Arguably the most popular of the Pokemon, Pikachu broke into the United States in September of 1998, when Pokemon Red and Blue were released for the Nintendo Game Boy. This small electric rat excels at quick moves and thunder attacks. In the Pokemon series of games, it can be evolved into a Raichu using a Thunder Stone. Pikachus are semi-hard to catch in the wild and run quickly. His game discography includes the Pokemon series (Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Gold, Silver, and Crystal), Pokemon Pinball, Pokemon Puzzle League, Pokemon Stadium 1&2, Pokemon Snap, and of course, the original Super Smash Brothers. ---GENERAL INFO--- Pikachu's trademark characteristic is its speed. As in the Game Boy Games, Pikachu is one of the fastest Pokemon, and can run rings around some of the larger characters. You should use its speed to your advantage, performing hit-and-run attacks and occasionally clearing out small scuffles between other players with your Thunder move (v+b). Since Pikachu is faster than most other characters, it also excels at reaching items before other players can get to them. Pikachu also has a killer third jump, his quick attack (^+b); you can travel in two directions with this move, plus it will do a small amount of damage to any character you travel through. Another advantage is Pikachu's size - he is small and hard to hit - couple that with his fast moves and you have a very competent character. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Pikachu rears up and projects a beam of pure electricity. This move can hit multiple times, depending on how close the opponent is at the start of the move. They will also be momentarily stunned once the attack is over, opening them up for another attack, or a team attack. It does a fair amount of damage - usually around 20 percent. Down Smash This move is called the electric flower, as it resembles a blossom of blue energy. This is a decent clear out move for when you are surrounded and unable to use Thunder - such as in the case of overhead platforms. The recovery on this move is a little bit on the slow side, though much faster than thunder - use this move to escape. Up Smash Pikachu performs the somersault kick - launching them up into the air and opening up a juggle possibility, or the opportunity to hit them with the devastating thunder attack. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Thunder Jolt This move makes Pikachu project an arc of electricity that bounces on the ground of the stage, even wrapping around sheer angles. It's a good move to distract an opponent or hit them from long range. In the air, you'll release a small ball of energy that will expand into the arc when it hits the ground or a platform. B -> : Skull Smash With a cry of Piiiiiii..... Pikachu charges up to release a flying headbutt, which can do a great deal of damage when fully charged. Be careful when using this on small platforms, as you can easily fly off the stage. The longer you hold down this move, the farther you'll travel. B ^ : Quick Attack One of the best comeback moves in the game, you can move very quickly in any direction with this move, even damaging enemies you pass through. If you tilt the control stick immediately after you start this move, you can travel in two directions! B v : Thunder Pikachu calls down a massive bolt of lightning from the sky. An awesome clear out move, and can be used to KO very effectively. Watch out though, as it won't pass through platforms, and has a long recovery time, leaving you open for an attack. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Don't go head to head, toe to toe with these guys. Use Pikachu's speed to evade their attacks, and when they leave themselves open rush in for a quick combo, then retreat. Against Link and Roy, you can usually roll behind them for a throw before they know what's going on. Use more caution with Roy and Young Link as they're a bit faster, but you still out strip them in terms of speed. When you're running away, make sure to grab items and throw them at your pursuers to slow them in their tracks. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) These guys are just as fast, if not faster than you, so don't take the same strategy you would against slower characters. Evade until these guys leave themselves open with some of their slower moves, occasionally fighting in mid air - you should usually be able to get the jump on an enemy that's not prepared for this, using Pikachu's thunder drill (Forward Smash + Z in air). Grab items and bombard them, and move in for the kill with your thunder. Force Pichu into electric attacks that you block - it will bring up Pichu's damage! Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) Don't let these guys get close in. Keep them away with your Thunder Jolt moves, and grab items to throw at them. If they get close in, try rolling behind them for the combo, or a throw. Make them wary of getting to close with your Thunder, especially striking from above. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Pikachu's fast enough to dodge most of these guys long-range attacks, so keep a cool head and use your mid air dodge to make them miss. Ness leaves himself wide open with his Pk Thunder, so move in for the kill once he misses you. These guys have respectable capabilities close in though, so don't get too complacent. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) Lightweights mostly rely on juggling, and Pikachu with his quick attack can get away pretty easy. Their main weapon taken away, you should just be able to move in and use your smash attacks to wear them down. Take them out with a Thunder, and watch them fly. Use your mid - air thunder jolt to keep them off the stage, especially Kirby and Jiggly. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Pikachu is basically impervious to these characters, unless the player controlling them is a master. Pikachu runs circles around these guy's heads until they're dizzy. Move in with fast attacks, then back off and bombard these guys with items. Use a hit-and-run strategy with these guys, and you shouldn't have a problem - just don't get too cocky, as Pikachu is easily sent flying with one of their power moves. ~Pikachu is playable from the start of the game. *********** *** FOX *** *********** ---BACKGROUND--- Fox McCloud is the furry hero of the Starfox games. Along with his wingmen Peppy, Slippy, and Falco (also a playable character in SSB:M), he protects the Lylat System from certain doom at the hands of the evil Andross. He has had starring roles in the original Starfox for the SNES, and Starfox 64. His next game is not the space shoot-em-up many expected, but rather, Starfox Adventures, a Zelda-like adventure game developed by Rareware, due sometime in 2002. Starfox adventures (originally titled Dinosaur Planet) did not feature Fox McCloud at first, but rather, a different fox named Sabre. However, Shigeru Miyamoto was inspired by the game's action and adventure, and wanted it to feature his beloved characters, so let it be written, so let it be done. And it was. ---GENERAL INFO--- In SSB:M, Fox fits into the category of Speedster. He is blazingly fast, but lacks a certain punch. However, persistent players will find that Fox can easily rack up an opponent's damage a ton, making it simple to KO an opponent effectively. Fox's hits are all generally of the same power, but he can hit in many directions. Once you harness his speed, you'll be a force to be reckoned with. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash This move unleashes a low kick that'll easily hit some of the pesky, little fighters like Kirby or Pichu, who are harder to hit. It's got good power behind it, but it does lack a certain *oomph*. It's actually better when you don't charge it fully, because then you can work it into your lighting quick kicking combos. Down Smash Fox's down smash causes him to do the splits, tripping up opponents on both sides. It knocks enemies fairly far for a down smash, but it'll only be a serious KO threat once your opponent's damage is fairly high. Up Smash This move has only one purpose: juggling. Fox will do a backwards somersault kick that can knock opponent into the air OR effectively keep them there. This is extremely effective against long range characters. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Blaster This is best to use on a character with no reflector move, when you're some distance away from them. It fires blazingly fast, and is great for damage racking, but there's a problem: it won't make an enemy flinch. If your foe is charging, running, or performing some such trick, firing them with your blaster won't stop them. Still, it's an effective, sneaky way of raising percentages, since human characters probably won't even notice it, or will think they somehow dodged it. B -> : Fox Illusion The Fox Illusion is a much improved version of a dash+A move. Fox will teleport forward a few paces, leaving behind faint images of himself (that's just for show). In doing so, he will knock his opponent into the air, leaving them open to some upward attacks. B ^ : Firefox The Firefox is one of the moves that was entirely made up for SSB, since Fox never really had any moves in his games, other than his Blaster in multiplayer. This move sets Fox charging up, then shooting through the air in a burst of flame. It's an excellent return move, and can be used in any direction (tilt the control stick once Fox starts charging). Only extremely good timing will stop this move. B v : Reflector This move is simple: hold down+B, and a shield will flash and spin around Fox. If a projectile hits him during this time, it'll be sent backwards in the opposite direction, hopefully hitting the person who fired it. It can be hard to remember to use this move, but try hard to get used to using it. You'll be glad you did. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) These fighters can be tough, so play defensively and evasively. The best place to hit a swordsman is from below, so try to do that when possible. Work at them with your blaster from a distance, and try to use hit and run attacks. Wait for a mistake, then capitalize on it. Also, make sure to use your reflector on the various projectiles the Links use. It will help you immensely. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) As soon as the fight begins, hit them with a dash move and don't give them breathing room. They're going to try to do the same to you, but instead of being cautious, go all out on them. If you can clear them out first, you'll have the edge for the rest of the battle. Be sure to hit A repeatedly to trap them in a web of kicks. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) These guys are stronger than you, and nearly as fast, so be very careful. For those that have and use projectiles, use your reflector often. Get in the fray, but don't forget to get out for a moment while you plan your next move. Try to burn multiple enemies with the Firefox, and use your upward throw when they try to get close. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Reflect, reflect, reflect. A reflected charge shot or shadow ball will catch your opponent off guard and blow them away, hopefully to kingdom come. You can also elect to get right up close and hit them repeatedly, as they won't be able to defend themselves very well. Long Ranges are also extremely susceptible to juggling, so do not hesitate to do that often. Just watch out for Mewtwo's psychic tricks and Ness's good smashes. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) Since lightweights rely on special moves, get to know what their moves are, and how to dodge them. Keep a keen eye out for Nayru's Love, Peach Bomber, Stone, Needle Storm, and Sing, and you will be able to avoid those moves. Kirby WILL try to suck you up and use your blaster, but you have the advantage of being able to reflect his blasts. Also, these characters to leave themselves open to attacks after using certain moves. That's when a throw is in order. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Depending on your skill, these guys will be impossibly hard or pathetically easy to beat. At first, you'll find yourself prone to their powerful charge attacks. However, if you learn to recognize these moves, you can move out of harm's way and remain unscathed. Whittle away at their defense with your blaster. They can do othing to stop you except shield themselves. Then, when their damage percentages get VERY high, KO them with a well-timed smash. ~Fox is playable from the start of the game. *************** **** NESS ***** *************** ---BACKGROUND--- Ness was a secret character in the original Smash Bros., and now he's one of the starting characters in Melee. Ness has only appeared in one game, not including the original N64 Super Smash Bros. That game is the sequel to the Japanese game Mother, Mother 2. Mother 2 was released in the US as Earthbound in 1995. Ness uses mostly psychic type attacks and uses his handy-dandy baseball bat and yo-yo to whip the competition into shape. ---GENERAL INFO--- Ness is a pretty powerful character, although he is a shell of his former glory. He excels at both long range and short range attacks, which makes him very good to use once you figure out the game. However, don't even think of playing exclusively as him until you've mastered his abilities, or else his power is wasted on your inability to successfully play as him. With patience and a lot of practice, Ness is easily one of the best characters in the game. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Ness whips out his baseball bat and hits a home run when you use his forward smash attack. If you're close enough to the edge when you hit another player, and that player has a relatively high percentage, you can certainly kiss 'em goodbye. Down Smash The yo-yo of death comes into play here. Pressing down and A will make Ness twirl his yo-yo underneath him in a quick, half-circular motion. Though not very powerful, it does move from back to front, thus damaging people on both sides. Not recommended for use if you intend to do major damage. Up Smash Exactly like Ness' down and A move, only above him. The yo-yo's lack of power is quickly remedied, however, if you use his other up A attacks, which are more powerful and can send a player flying. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : PK Flash Press and hold the B button, and a green ball of psychic energy will come out of Ness' head. Once it comes out, you can maneuver it wherever you wish for it to go, but only for a short time. It also moves very slowly. If you would like for it to be more powerful, just hold down the B button. Very good when players are rushing toward you and you have enough time to pull it off and blow them off into space. Also fun to use on large clusters of players. B -> : PK Fire Ness' second psychic attack is a short range projectile attack that can damage the enemy multiple times, though it doesn't cause too much damage. Helpful when someone is trying to jump back to the level and you don't want them to. Good when you feel like being bastard and annoying people. B ^ : PK Thunder One of my personal favorite moves, if only for it's excellent ability to blow people away. While some may detest that it's an unnecessarily hard to pull off triple jump, when perfected, it can pretty much bring you back from the dead. Just manuever the thunder bolt underneath Ness' body and hit him in whatever direction you would like to travel. Not very useful in narrow pits, like in between buildings and such. If you need to use your triple jump there, you're pretty much dead. Now, if you wish to blow people away, like me, just use it while standing on flat ground near other players and fire yourself into them. Trust me, it's fun and it works. Finally, you can just fire it off and make it hit someone doing about 8% damage, but where's the fun in that? B V : PSI Magnet This move isn't particularly useful, though it can be helpful sometimes. Use it before getting hit with a projectile like Fox's laser and your percent will go down a little. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Ness' projectile attacks are very effective against the swordsmen, as long as you don't get too close. His PSI Magnet move is totally ineffective against these characters, so don't even try it (well, maybe Link's arrows and boomerang will succumb to it). PK Flash works well against them, as does the many different ways to use PK Thunder. PK Fire is helpful when the swordsmen is getting too close for comfort. Just fire it off and they will be incapacitated for a second, and you can make your getaway. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) As Ness is a slow mover at times, these characters can seriously get on your nerves. Just remember to stay on your toes (roll a lot, jump at the sight of them charging you, etc.) and you'll do just fine. Also, these characters are easy to grab and throw, which can be used to your advantage, since Ness has a very good throw move. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) Short range characters generally don't have too many projectile attacks, so you can sit back and fire away at them. However, if you must go up close, frequent dodging and repetitive strikes will get you out of the situation. Keep them away from you, and you'll do fine. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Very similar to the close range bunch, but different enough to warrant new caution. Remember that these guys have different projectiles to knock you away, and you do too. Staying back may not be the best idea at times, as they can easily hit you with a projectile while you sit there and try to maneuver the PK Thunder or whatever you happen to be doing. Stay on your toes, and don't get stuck in one place for too long. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) Combos are these character's specialty, so be careful. They may go flying when you hit them with your bat, but they can still beat you up when you get too close and fall into their web of combos. Throws are effective against these characters, but they all have an excellent return ability, so guard the edge and smash attack them off the screen. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Probably the easiest out of the group to beat for Ness, as they are slow and don't have projectile attacks. Ness can stand in one area and fire off his attacks at them, and still have enough time to make a getaway if they get too close. Also, if you choose to go short range on them, you should be fine. While they are very strong, Ness isn't exactly a character who is thrown around easily. That doesn't mean you can just waltz up to them and not expect to be KO'd, but don't think they will win as quickly as you may think. ~Ness is playable from the start of the game. ********************** *** Captain Falcon *** ********************** ---BACKGROUND--- Captain Falcon's main claim to fame is that he is one of the all-time greatest F-Zero racers. But since he has a decent amount of time to kill during the off season, he's been known to do a little bounty hunting from time to time. But whether he's roaming the cosmos, racing, or fighting in the ring, he consitently does one thing: kicks ass. ---GENERAL INFO--- Captain Falcon's biggest advantage is his speed. Except for his devastating Falcon punch (more on that later), all his attacks are launched very quickly, most do a good deal of damage, and they tend to have good reach due to Falcon's height. The disadvantages are the unusual nature of some oh his attacks, and his lack of projectiles. It takes a while to get used to the way Falcon moves when he attacks, as well as the fact that to hit someone you have to be within an arm's (or leg's) reach of them. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Falcon slams the opponent with a powerful elbow strike. This move becomes quite powerful when charged, and does decent damage even when it's not. It also launches the opponent at an almost perfect 45-degree arc for maximum distance. Down Smash This is not a great move. Falcon kicks his foot forward and then backwards. Poor range, only fair power, and poor distance make this move only good for a quick diversion attack. Up Smash This is one of Falcon's unusual attacks. He does a double kick at about a 60-degree angle to the ground, generally sending an opponent flying a good distance upwards and setting up for a Falcon Dive. The unusual part of this move is the attack box. While most up smashes have the attack box directly in front of the character, Falcon's is in front of and above him (a couple feet in front of his face, about). Like the other up smashes though, this will generally send your opponent upwards. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B: Falcon Punch This is one of the most powerful moves in the game. Falcon winds up, yells, and lets loose a devastating fire punch that can knock out just about anyone above 50% damage. The disadvantages are the windup time, and the obviousness of what's coming. Use this attack when landing a jump or if your opponent is attempting to come back, as almost no physical attack can stop it. It's not too difficult to get off once you get good. After a bit of practice, you should find yourself landing them fairly regularly. B -> Raptor Boost Falcon's new move for Melee. He quickly runs across the screen and uppercuts the opponent, sending them into the air and doing a good bit of damage. The advantages of this move are the fact that it can attack someone a good distance away from Falcon, as well as the damage it does. It may not be possible to finish someone with this move, but it does build their damage. It's also tough to stop as by the time they see it coming it's usually too late. This move can be used a horizontal recovery, and when used in the air will hit opponents down. B ^: Falcon Dive Another of Falcon's unusual moves. Falcon leaps into the air, does a flip, and lands. While this doesn't appear to do anything at first, any opponent in Falcon's path during the upwards portion of the move is grabbed, and treated to an explosive hit that sends him flying. This attack can be used as a vertical recovery. B V: Falcon Kick This move sends Falcon flying across the stage, burning up everything in his path with this firey attack. Not great damage or distance, but excellent reach on the ground. It also is highly effective as a dive- bomb attack from the air, once you get the range down. Again, a bit odd and difficult to use, but worth it once you learn the ropes. --OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) They have superior reach, and in some cases power, but you're a lot faster, and the Falcon Kick and Raptor boost make up the range thing. Neither Marth nor Roy has any projectiles, and good usage of Falcon's jumps, quick smashes, and special moves lets you beat them pretty easily. Similar story with the Links, but watch for the strong attacks and dodge the projectiles. Whatever you do, DON'T use the Falcon punch unless their shield is broken or you hit them with a freezie. You're left open way too long, and the swordsmen WILL slice and dice you. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) Lots of Falcon Kicks, Raptor Boosts, and strong attacks here. Falcon is the mots powerful overall of all the speedsters, and you should be able to beat on them until you can lock on a smash attack. Again, don't bother with the Falcon punch. They'll definetely get away. Since many speedsters like to jump, well-timed Falcon Dives are an excellent way to finish them off. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) This is where it starts to get fun. These guys generally aren't quick enough to escape a Falcon punch if they've been stunned, and they won't be able to escape a well-executed Falcon Kick, espescially from the air. Your up and forward smashes will come in handy against these guys, as will your down strong attack. All in all, not too tough. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Falcon moves easily, so move in with your speedy dashes and start in with the Falcon Kicks, smashes, Raptor Boosts, and Falcon Dives. You may be able to stun them enough for a Falcon punch, but don't bet on it. Just keep beating them until you can finish them off with a Dive or a smash. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) These guys are maybe the only ones stranger than Falcon. Keep the Falcon Kicks, Raptor Boosts, and strong attacks going nonstop, pausing only for the occasional smash to finish them off. Most of them need to be close to do any real damage, so just don't let them move in. Watch for Peach's Hip Slam, as it's as deadly as the Raptor Boost. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Gannondorf) Donkey Kong and Bowser pose no real threat to you, as they're generally too slow to do anything about your barrage of attacks. Since they're big targets, aeriel Falcon Kicks are good here, and they aren't fast enough to avoid Falcon Punches. It should be noted that Gannondorf is Falcon's clone, and his Wizard Kick and Gerudo Dragon are as far- reaching and almost as fast as Falcon's versions of the attacks, so be on the lookout. You can dodge his Warlock punch no problem, and the Warlock dive can be avoided by staying out of the air above him. ~Captain Falcon is available at the start. ************* *** Yoshi *** ************* ---BACKGROUND--- Yoshi was first featured in a game called Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo. Yoshi would appear out of egg blocks and be Mario's trusty servant. Although he was featured in Super Mario World he never got a star role until Super Mario Brothers 2: Yoshi's Island. In Yoshi's Island as Yoshi you had to protect Baby Mario from Baby Bowser. There was also a sequel for the Nintendo 64 called Yoshi's Story. He has also been in Mario Party 1-3, all 3 Mario Karts, Mario Tennis (both versions the N64 one and the Virtual Boy one), Mario Golf (the N64 version and the Gameboy Color version) and of course Super Smash Brothers. In the original it was not only amusing to beat up Mario with him but was also good for juggling and repeated hits. ---GENERAL INFO--- Yoshi is considered by many to be useless, don't believe them. Yoshi can string together incredible combos. For example you start off with his down+B move hitting the enemy into the air then shoot an egg at them and use your up-smash to hit them and your forward smash to finish them off. It's quite a good combo. He also has his awesome egg move which when used in the hands of a master can be the most annoying thing ever. However, the egg move comes at a price since it can't be used as a third jump Yoshi frequently ends up committing suicide. If you know what you're doing then you can easily avoid that. Yoshi has good smash attacks as well. The rest of Yoshi's abilities are decent as well making him a well-rounded fighter. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Using this attack Yoshi slams the enemy forward with a headbutt. It's a very powerful attack that you should make a note of using often. It propels the enemy great distances and is a great finishing touch to any combo. After juggling the enemy until their percentage is high then finishing off with this move can be deadly. Once you decided that you want to stop juggling and start knocking off use this move. Up Smash Yoshi's up+smash move is one of my favorites. Using this attack Yoshi headbutts the air sending the enemy flying up the screen. It's the best combo starter from the ground and rack up a good bit of damage. Also if your opponents health is high and you're nowhere near an edge use this move to send the opponents off the top of the screen. Down Smash This attack doesn't do that much damage and barely sends the opponent flying. Yet this is still a useful move. If you want to cheaply rack up percentage you can do multiple hits with it, but that still isn't it's best use. If you do this attack it'll send the opponent the perfect height to be vertically smashed. This move is best used as a juggle starter. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Egg lay This is by far Yoshi's most useless move. Using this move Yoshi sticks out his tongue and craps the enemy out as an egg. This would seem like a useful move at first but you'll soon discover it sucks. When you put an enemy into an egg you can only fit 2 attacks in before they break out. Yoshi's attacks are pretty fast and easy to hit them with anyway. Yoshi also doesn't have a super strong move to hit them with either. It can be used to instantly kill an enemy when on the edge of the stage but that still is pretty crappy. When the egg is in the air the enemy can move and most smart enemy will come back unless you did this move on the very edge at which point it becomes totally impractical anyway. B -> : Rumble Tumble Egg This move puts Yoshi into an egg that you can control spinning around like mad (I refer to it as the crazy egg move). This move is very useful in large stages (like Hyrule temple) and can, with some practice, also be useful in small stages. At first you'll probably end up committing suicide a lot. Don't mark this move off as totally useless yet though; with a bit of skill this move can became the crazy egg of DEATH. Start off hitting them. If they go to a higher platform then keep spinning back and forth until they come down. Now skilled opponents will try to attack you. Requiring even more skill whenever they attack you can dodge by quickly turning the other way. Now come right back at them. IT may take skill but this move can be awesome. B ^ : Egg Throw The Up+B move was a favorite from the old game and is still kept in all it's glory. Yoshi hurls eggs out that do significant damage when you hit an enemy. You can control where you want the egg to go by tilting the control stick when you throw the egg. This move has a wide variety of uses. The most common one is to go on a lower section and keep chucking eggs at enemies. With the exception of Ness no one can reach you down there allowing you to repeatedly pelt them with eggs. Another use is in a juggle. Since the egg move is quick it's the perfect move to hit enemies in the air with. After you start off a combo keep them up there with the eggs. The final use is the least common and the most difficult to do. If you have an enemy that throws a lot then once they walk up to you fire an eggs so it will hit the ground right in front of you. Once the enemy picks you up he'll be hit with the egg. This requires precise timing but it's not impossible; I use it frequently. B V : Hip Drop Ahh, the down+B move. Another great Yoshi move. If you use this move from the ground, Yoshi will pound right in front of himself. This isn't too useful except right when you start out. Sometimes an enemy will be close enough at the beginning to hit right then. If you use this from the air you'll slam yourself down. It's extremely useful. The best use is when your coming back from the edge. Slam your edge guarding opponent outta there! Whenever you find yourself in the air smash down on an enemy. A skilled player can hit you while doing this however (it'll still hurt them though) so it's best to do it just before you get in their A attack reach. If anyone ever makes an attempt to juggle you use this move to put them in their place. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) These enemies when played by a human usually seem to be really sure of themselves. Use this to your advantage. Go far away and pelt them with eggs then run up to them and juggle like mad. These guys have some good down+A aerial moves but those can easily be avoided. It's also good to use the crazy egg move accompanied with dodging. Watch out for Marth and Roy's Counter and be sure to pelt the Links with eggs from a lower area. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) Speedsters are a might harder for Yoshi - particularly Captain Falcon. Fox and Falco have good up-smashes so be weary of the down+B move. However they have weak aerial down+A's so be sure to juggle. Pikachu and Pichu are best to just run up to and start smashing. However if you have and edge guarding one then watch out for Thunder. The best strategy is to grab onto the ledge and spin behind him and use your forward-smash. Captain Falcon is one of the hardest opponents for Yoshi. The best strategy is eggs, eggs and more eggs. Never use your Down+B or it could be fatal and never run right up to him. Hit him with an egg and then run up to him and hit him to the side and don't juggle him. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) These guys are the easiest to use eggs on. They're also great to combo. For Dr. Mario, Luigi and Mario use your eggs and juggle, they also aren't hard to use the down+B move on. The Ice Climbers are ideal to use the crazy egg move on since it will seperate them quite easily. Then use the classic strategy of killing Nana. Mr. Game and Watch is pretty easy to juggle and is very light so use your smash attacks often. He has very powerful smash attacks though so if you run up to him be sure to dodge. Fighting another Yoshi use these strategies. If he uses the forward+B attack a lot then use your down B to stop him. If he uses the down+B move a lot then use eggs to stop him in the air. If he's an egg master then dodge a lot and smash attack him. Just don't juggle. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) They should be too hard. With the exception of Ness's PK Thunder none can hit you on a lower platform. Mewtwo should be juggled a lot since his aerial attacks aren't that great. Ness should be egged a lot and juggle frequently as well. Samus is another story. Try hitting her towards the edge if the platform instead. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) Yoshi's specialty. They are all masters of juggling so what do we do to jugglers? Down+B! As an added bonus they're light so you should probably smash them to the side instead of wasting time juggling them. Then edge-guard and egg them. Zelda has some awesome finishing moves that you should be weary of. The crazy egg move is good too since they don't have any real stop-in-your-tracks moves. Don't juggle Kirby though. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) They might cause a little trouble but not much. The only on you should think of juggling is DK. The eggs are very useful so use them often. It's best best to smash them and dodge their attacks since they're so slow at the end you can just smash them using your headbutt. Ganondorf is different however. The crazy egg move is probably the best strategy against him. ~Yoshi is playable from the start of the game. ********************* **** DONKEY KONG **** ********************* ---BACKGROUND--- Donkey Kong is actually Mario's first villain, and probably Miyamoto's first true video game character, as Mario was just a man whose outfit was chosen by technological limitations. In the original Donkey Kong arcade, he steals Mario's (then just named "Jumpman") girlfriend Pauline, and jumps on top of a construction site, throwing barrels down at a pursuing Mario. There were a couple sequels for the arcade, and they were all ported eventually to Atari and NES. Jump forward a decade to 1994, when the Super Nintendo is in need of a game to compete with the CD based systems coming out. Nintendo gives the Donkey Kong franchise to Rare, and they make Donkey Kong Country, which sold a ton of copies, jump started the SNES, and made DK a major Nintendo franchise again. Since then, Donkey Kong has never appeared without his stylish tie and attitude, and has joined in with Mario and the gang in various sports. ---GENERAL INFO--- Donkey Kong's handicaps are obvious: he's slow, and he's a big target. But, his attacks are powerful. You'll need to memorize the timing of Donkey Kong's attacks, because a lot of them take a second or two to execute. You'll also need to be a dodging maniac, since you can easily get caught in a web of combos by the quicker characters. DK is a defensive character, as he's not good for a quick hit and run. People tend to think Donkey Kong sucks because he's slow, but DK can be a devastating powerhouse in the right hands. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash DK claps his hands for a powerful smash attack. It has good range so it makes a good edge guarding move. It's best to have a set up for this move, such as DK's down throw. Up Smash DK's classic clap attack returns. Since a lot of stages have the triangular platform formation, this works well to hit people standing on the platforms from below. His up throw sets up for this nicely. DK's dash attack is also a good set up for it, it's deceptively powerful. Down Smash DK slams his fists down on both sides. It's not as powerful as his other smash attacks, so it's best used as a clear-out move that's quicker than his Hand Slap move. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Giant Punch Pressing B will make DK shake his fist in place. Like Samus's charge-up shot, you can dodge or press Z to pause, then move to another location and continue charging. If you want to let it loose press B again, otherwise wait until it's fully charged. When it's fully charged it has a slight lag, as much as his forward smash, but it's a lot more powerful, as you might imagine. Against the quicker, smaller characters this'll be really hard to hit with, so you should probably reserve it for your fellow heavy weights and just leave the forward smash to the others. But if you happen to stun the opponent or have a team mate with a stun move, you'll have a good opportunity to use it. B -> : Head Butt If the opponent is on the ground, this move will smash them into the ground, temporarily paralyzing them. This will let you do damage to them and they won't move. This move is a good set-up for the wind-up punch, except that it'll just do the damage and won't knock them out of the way. A more effective use is to pound them into ground and then to the Ground Slap move. If you're quick you can cause about 45% damage. If you do it in the air it doesn't do much, and it doesn't get you any horizontal distance, so try to avoid using it. B ^ : Spinning Kong DK spins his arms around and floats in the air a bit. It could essentially be a clear-out move, but it's not very powerful, and DK has better clear-out moves, so you should probably only use this as a come- back move. It won't get you good vertical distance though, so be very careful in levels like Fourside. B V : Hand Slap DK's good ol' ground slap. You can keep doing this over and over and really annoy your opponent. At low damage they won't fly high enough to be able to recover so you can get in some quick damage that way. Other than that, it won't do you much good in one-on-ones, so save it for multiplayer matches, where you can run in and start slapping and send everyone flying. It's also good for 1 player mode when up against teams of characters, especially the wire frames. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) These guys are tough, but brute strength can overpower fancy tools any day. Just stay out of the air, these guys can juggle you like mad with their swords, so stick to the ground and smash them. Use a lot of throw-smash combos. Pretty much go all out against these guys. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) The speedsters are obviously some of your greatest enemies. They can run circles around you while all your attacks pathetically miss. This is where your clear-out moves like your down-smash and ground slap come in handy. If they keep rolling around you, smash them up and then go in for a powerful hit. In these situations you may want to take to the air, since DK has some powerful meteor smashes, and these guys will most likely try to juggle you from the ground, so surprise them with an air attack. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) The close rangers aren't a huge threat, they're about an even match for DK. They're not that fast, so try and work in your more powerful attacks like the forward smash, throws, and maybe even the Wind-Up punch. Basically it all depends on how they use their projectiles. DK has no projectiles so of course he's going to do no good from far away. You may want to play a little more aggressively with these guys. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Like the close rangers, go a bit aggressive on these guys, since they'll most likely keep trying to run away. They're slower than the previous groups so it should be a bit easier to get in some powerful hits. Don't get cocky though, because they have some quick, powerful attacks up their sleeve, and if you get in their face, they won't be afraid to use them. Use lots of throws on these guys, it shouldn't be too hard to get close enough. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) Your success here heavily relies on the opponent's technique. Jigglypuff can take you out with Rest right away, so keep smacking her away with a combination of weak attacks and smash attacks and don't let her get close. Peach and Zelda aren't as much of a threat, but they can still be brutal. Don't underestimate their smashing power, especially Zelda. Use a lot of the same techniques as with the speedsters: clear- out moves + strong attack will do wonders. They have to get close to do damage, and you have longer reach. Kirby will probably be pretty easy to take care of, just don't be stupid and let him get you with his rock move. And make sure he doesn't use your Giant Punch against you. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Donkey Kong versus Bowser is a pretty even match, with Bowser having the advantage of a longer range with his fire breath but DK is slightly faster. However, Ganondorf can be a problem. His smash attacks are the same speed as yours, but his special attacks are a different story (besides his Warlock Punch), and he's smaller. That doesn't make him any more nimble though, so go all out with your strongest attacks. Use lots of throw set-ups and go for a wind-up punch. You should probably stay out of the air, since Bowser won't follow you up there, and Ganondorf can easily knock you out of the sky with his Dark Dive move. ~Donkey Kong is playable from the start of the game. *************** **** PEACH **** *************** ---BACKGROUND--- Professional damsel in distress, Princess Peach Toadstool spends most of her days in the clutches of Bowser waiting to be rescued by Mario. When not being captured, she breaks out of her female stereotype and joins in games of sports such as tennis and golf, and joins in on some RPG action. She is not to be confused with Mario Land's princess Daisy and Donkey Kong's princess Pauline. ---GENERAL INFO--- Peach's main noticeable attribute is her unmatched return ability. She can practically traverse the entire horizontal distance of Hyrule Temple without touching the ground. Holding down the jump button on either jump will let her float a la Super Mario Bros 2. Her comeback move has her fly upwards and float even more with a parasol. Her double jump makes her a very good evasive character, so if you're ever in a tough situation you can just float away to safety. This jumping ability of course means she's quite light, but not as light as the pipsqueaks like Pichu and Jigglypuff. Because of this, use her agility and offensive attacks, because you're not going to last long going on defense. She also has the best victory taunts, such as "Oooh, did I win?" and "This is fun!" Guaranteed to piss off the losers. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Peach pulls out a random weapon based on past games and whacks the opponent with it. It can either be a tennis raquet, which has good horizontal distance, or a golf club, which hits the opponent high, or her trademark fry pan, which does the most damage but doesn't send the opponent flying as far. It's not very reliable as a finishing move, so just use it to smack people around and build up damage. Up Smash Probably Peach's most effective smash attack, Peach thrusts her palms up as if she were hitting a volley ball. It's best for starting out juggling combos, and when charged it's even strong enough to finish off opponents. Use this in combination with one of her air attacks to smack the opponent far. Down Smash This is a unique smash attack in that it's multi-hitting, like many characters' air down kicks. If the opponent is close enough, they'll be trapped in a fury of kicks before being sent flying. Like the forward smash, it's not very reliable as a finishing move, but great for combos and building up damage. For best results, use it to hit someone against a wall, and when they bounce off, do an upwards smash attack. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Toad Peach holds out Toad to protect her (he's a very dedicated servant). This is used as a counter attack, although it only counters physical attacks. He can absorb projectiles, but its best use is countering smash attacks and dealing the damage back at the opponent. It takes insane reflexes and timing, but it's thankfully a quick move. It's good to use against those cheap people who like to be Roy and Marth and just use their charge up B move repeatedly. B -> : Hip Thrust Peach jumps forward and thrusts her mighty hips, explosive results if it comes in contact with another character. It's a powerful move and it sends them flying too, but don't use it too much. It's slow, and once the opponent grows accustomed to the timing they'll be able to avoid it. It's best as an attack to use every once in a while to scare the crap out of the opponent, since most people forget Peach has this move. B ^ : Parasol Peach flies up a bit and then opens her parasol and floats down slowly. Anyone who touches the top is popped up and takes a bit of damage. Great for ending combos or just catching the opponent off guard from below, since it's much faster than jumping and attacking. Her slow fall can be a problem for people who like throwing projectiles, so you can press down on the control stick to make her fall faster, and then up again to open it back up. Use this to fake out people trying to attack. B V : Vegetable Toss Peach pulls out a vegetable from the ground (she of course has to be on the ground while doing this move), and A throws it (for better results, use a smash throw). Like Link's bombs, they're weak and mainly designed to annoy. Unlike Link's bombs, they don't explode in impact, so if you miss, your opponent may be able to pick it up and throw it back at you. The vegetables can also have different faces, which do different damage. It doesn't make much of a difference except for the one with closed eyes, that one's pretty powerful. Peach can also randomly pull out a Mr. Saturn or even a bob-omb, though those are pretty rare. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) The swordsmen may think they have an edge on you, being that you don't have a sword, but Peach has got long arms, so don't be afraid to go up close. Don't just run into a charged smash attack or anything though. If Roy and Marth decide to keep charging their B move, just keep throwing vegetables at them and make them come to you and not be cheap. Do the same to the Links if they're boomerang/arrow happy. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) These guys can be trouble, because they love to do a bunch of combos up close. Instead focus on smashing them from far away, and use a lot of hit and run techniques. Float around and force them into the air, where you have the advantage. Except watch out for Captain Falcon's dive and the Pika's thunder. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) These guys are a perfect match for Peach. Their smash attacks are strong, but Peach's are faster, and she can get away if things get too risky. Don't let down your guard though, because they can really give you a work out if you're not careful. Juggle like a maniac and don't let them combo on you. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Be careful of these guys, since they'll often use the same hit and run techniques you do. If they go too far away, use your vegetables to pummel them and lure them in. They're otherwise pretty slow at close range in terms of smash attacks, so lure them in and smash them silly. They have good air attacks though, so try to keep the fight on the ground. Their combos rely on the air rather than the ground, and they're strong too. Also, Toad is one of the best shields against the long range fire from these characters. He's even better than a shield as he doesn't really break, and he will repel most anything. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) They're not any stronger than you, so stay in close and fist fight them. Smack them around with smash attacks and finish them with an air attack, or an upwards smash if their percentage is high enough. Again, don't let down your guard, because a bunch of weak hits can really add up and your percentage will be in the hundreds before you know it. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) These power houses are a threat if they land a hit on you, especially their smash attacks. This is where your evade really comes in handy. Hit and run a lot, don't try to juggle much since they're very heavy. Just do a bunch of small close range combos then run away. Even if you can roll around them, a good down smash attack can still send you away, so try to be a good distance from them. ~Peach is playable from the start of the game. *************** **** KIRBY **** *************** ---BACKGROUND--- Kirby has been in several games for several consoles, the most recent being Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, excluding the Smash Bros. series. He is basically a little pink puffball who literally sucks. He has the special ability to steal an enemies abilities by eating them. This comes in very handy when you want to "give someone a taste of their own medicine," so to speak. ---GENERAL INFO--- Kirby, classified as a lightweight, was one of the cheapest characters in the original Smash Bros., but he's not as cheap in Melee. If being a cheap piece of crap was your game, your in for some trouble. Kirby, while still a good character, was toned down for Melee. His rock move doesn't do as must damage. But, while his rock doesn't work as well, Kirby has been equipped with a hammer. Kirby is a decent juggler, and he is basically an all-around character. He is relatively fast, pretty powerful, and has good jumping abilities. Be careful, though, he is knocked off very easily. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash If you perform the smash correctly, Kirby will do a nice little jump kick. If you push the control stick too far, Kirby will turn into a ball of fire and blast across the screen. Both of these moves can be useful, but the correct smash doesn't help you commit suicide as the fireball does. Be careful when you use this smash. If you are fighting against a heavy hitter, they can just punch you right off the screen as you jump at them. Don't attempt to smash a heavy hitter unless they are at VERY high percentage. Swordsmen can also block you pretty easily, but it's harder for them to knock you off with one hit. Down Smash When you perform a down smash, Kirby does a spinning kick, obviously going downwards. This can rack up some damage points quickly, and is great if they are already at a high percentage. Once you're done with your series of kicks, the enemy often flies into the air, allowing you to finish them with an up smash if they are at a high percentage. Up Smash Kirby does a kick that sends your opponent high into the air. Very useful for a finishing move, as it sometimes sends your opponent spinning as well as flying, allowing another smash if they don't quite fall. This smash doesn't do very much damage, but it's fantastic for the finish. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Inhale Kirby sucks. Literally. If he is close enough, Kirby will inhale your opponent. If you are close to an edge, you can walk off to perform a suicide while also killing your opponent. You can also spit the opponent out, but that never really does much. But the main thing that is done when you inhale an opponent is you can eat them and steal an ability from them (see the Kirby Ability area). Careful, though, if you taunt you lose this power. B -> : Hammer Kirby whips out a hammer and whacks an opponent with it, then puts it away. The opponent has to be in close range for it to do much damage, though. Beware, this hammer is nowhere near the power as the item you can pick up, so use it wisely. If you hit B+-> while in the air, Kirby will swing it around himself. B ^ : Final Cutter This is basically Kirby's save move. You get a lot of vertical distance, but not much horizontal distance. This is alright because of Kirby's flying abilities, though. This attack can also damage opponents by hitting them up and slamming into the dirt. B V : Rock Slam Ah, the cheap move. Well, it was. This attack causes Kirby to turn into a rock and fall downward. In the original Smash Bros., this rarely missed and did so much damage it wasn't even funny. Now things are different. This move doesn't hit the opponent as easily, for one. This move can also be blocked easily. And last, but not least, this attack doesn't do a much damage as it used to. So, in other words, you can't win matches by only using this anymore. Use it wisely. --OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Be careful around these guys, especially Link and Marth. They are the most powerful. Roy can also be a problem, but Young Link shouldn't give you much trouble. Anyway, my strategy is to fly around them and drop behind their back and give them a few hits, then get back into the air. Once at high enough damage, rock slam away. Careful, these guys have swords (duh), so they may be able to stop the rock. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) The only problem with these guys is that they are fast and all except C.Falcon have projectiles. Dodge their projectiles and don't let their speed overwhelm you. They're fast, but not very powerful. Just whomp up on them and finish them with a smash. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) None of these guys are faster or more powerful than you are, so just run up to them and start smacking. Close range enemies can't recover from juggles very well, so can also just get them into the air and use A+^ repeatedly to juggle them to high percentage, and smash them off. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) DODGE. THE. PROJECTILES. I cannot stress this enough, especially against Samus. She can stun you for a few seconds, then get over to you as fast as lightning and smack you around. Be smart when fighting these guys, they may be slower than you (with the exception of Samus), but they can still smack you around. Be careful and dodge their projectiles and you should be all right. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) They're not any stronger than you, faster than you, or better than you (at least not the computers, don't think this when fighting humans, though). Get up there and smack them around, juggle them, do whatever it takes to get them at high percentage and then smash them away. Your only problem should be when Zelda turns into Sheik, for Sheik is much faster than you are, but the same strategy should work. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Here's where the real problems come. These guys can smack you off at the snap of a finger, and are very difficult to knock off. Ganondorf can easily stop your rock slam and use it against you. Beware. Fortunately, most of the attacks that really do a lot of damage require charging up. This means that you can charge them and unleash hell, but when you see them charging an attack, run away quickly! Copied From Appearance Move Damage Ganondorf Ganondorf's hair and headgear Warlock Punch 30% Cap. Falcon Falcon's helmet Falcon Punch 23% D Kong DK's hair covers body Giant Punch 12-30% Yoshi Yoshi's Head Cap Tongue 8% Peach Crown Toad Counter* Bowser Bowser's hair and horns Fire Breath 1% per hit Luigi Luigi's cap Fireball 6% Mario Mario's cap Fireball 6% Dr. Mario Doctor headgear Megavitamin 8% Young Link Link's Cap Fire Arrow 6-15% Link Link's Cap Ice Arrow 4-18% Zelda Turban Nayru's Love 12%** Sheik Wrap with blonde locks of hair Needles 2% per needle Samus Samus' helmet Charged Shot 2%-20% Kirby No change -- -- Ice Climbers Parka Ice Blocks 5% Ness Backwards baseball cap PK Flash 11-33% Fox Fox's headgear and ears Blaster 2% Falco Beak and head feathers Blaster 3% Roy Roy's hair and headband Flare Blade 6-46%*** Marth Marth's hair and headband Shield Breaker 7-24% Mr. G&W Body becomes black w/ white eyes Sausage Flip 4% Mewtwo Mewtwo's tail and head prongs Shadow Ball 3-23% Jigglypuff Jigglypuff's hair and ears Rollout 9%-14% Pikachu Pikachu's head Cap Electric Shock 10% Pichu Pichu's head Cap Electric Shock 10%**** *Damage depends on strength of the original move. **Also a reflector. ***Causes 10% damage to Roy when fully charged. ****Cost 1% damage to use. ~Kirby is playable from the start of the game. *************** *** BOWSER **** *************** ---BACKGROUND--- The first time video gamers met the villainous Bowser, King of the Koopas, it was in Super Mario Bros, an 8-world NES game that addicted both the young and the old. Bowser, from there, spawned a TV show (the King Koopa Klub), a movie role (played by Dennis Hopper), many strange children, endless cartoons, airships, castles, bizarre flying clown heads, basically, he was the end-boss you loved to hate. Some say that one day, he will kidnap the Princess and get away with it for once, but still others say that there's no way, with Mario around. Mario Kart was the first game to let us play as Bowser, but Super Mario RPG really showed us what the big King Koopa could do. In the original Super Smash Bros, he was noticeably missing, and considering his fame, it was a shame that they didn't manage to work him in in some way. Super Smash Bros Melee, however, gets it right. For now, for the first time in history, can you truly get to beat the Bowser; this time, he doesn't get any flying clown heads, or bridges spanning lava, or arsenals of psychotic Koopalings, or even a magic Kamek. But, in the spirit of the Koopa Klub, this is also Bowser's first time to finally make Mario really pay. So, take charge, Bowser fans! Fight the good fight! ---GENERAL INFO--- A new, non-clone character in SSB, treat Bowser like you did the old DK -- power hits, a killer back throw and an Up+B clearing move. He has high stamina and power but terrible speed and recovery. Bowser must stay in close and time his attacks correctly. Edge guarding is also good, because a smash near the edge usually kills. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Bowser lunges with his shoulder. An excellent example of Bowser's, as this will often kill if it isn't dodged. Try to sneak these hits in as often as possible, but don't play Bowser as if he were a close range fighter Up Smash Bowser knocks the opponent up into the air with his shell. Strong. As it's a juggling move, it's easy to repeat it around 3 times in a row on a fresh opponent to soften them up. Follow up on the second time with a forward smash or a smash B. Down Smash Bowser ducks and spins and hits the opponent a few times, then sends him upwards. Can also be pseudo-comboed after an Upward Smash if the opponent doesn't recover. Regardless, follow with an air attack or a Koopa Klaw. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Fire Breath Bowser breathes fire, much like a Fire Flower. It fizzles after a few seconds. Excellent for keeping people from rushing you down and forcing them to go to the air. Unfortunately, it wears out rather quickly, and doesn't recharge fast. Quite a bonus for edge campers, though. B -> : Koopa Klaw Bowser slashes forward with a claw. If close enough he will grab the opponent and take a bite, at which point you may tap any direction to throw. The strength of the throw is comparable to the SSB throws of yore, especially the backthrow. If too far to grab Bowser will send the opponent flying upwards instead. This throw is a second set of throws, which harks back to the original SSB, because all of the directional throws of Bowser (all 8) are strong. B ^ : Whirling Fortress Bowser tucks into his shell and spins around. Hits a few times; the first hit is the strongest. Decent priority. Excellent for getting a quick breather. It's not a Link sword spin, but when people are getting too close, it's just as powerful. B V : Bowser Bomb Bowser performs his butt stomp from Super Mario 3. Can kill weenie characters at reasonable damage (80%+) but has abysmal recovery; if you hit a fresh opponent they can still hit you before you recover. Also Bowser's main cause of self-destructs, as the arc at which he jumps is hard to get right. Practice, as the saying goes, makes perfect. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) They out prioritize you, so combo a lot but otherwise stay the hell away. None of these guys can get back up particularly well (good vert, lousy horizontal), so Klaw-throw if possible. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) Let them come to you and beat them mercilessly. They're soft and spongy and about as tough as uncooked spam, so Smash when the opportunity arises. Otherwise use regular attacks to keep them at bay. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) These guys need to be close to do respectable damage, but they're faster. Still, you can usually rack up damage proportionally faster than they can. Also, breathe fire and make with the attacking of the claws. Let them come to you, and then show them how graciously you'll destroy them. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Oh dear Lord. Even if you get in close they can push you right out. Fire Breath is now useless, so do what you can. Follow, juggle, and end with a fat Smash attack. The good thing about the range attacks is that you can block with your shield, and even then, your enormous weight keeps you from flying. Use this to your advantage. Remember, the quickest move in Bowser's arsenal is his Bowser Bomb. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) Stay in close. They can't keep you out until you have substantial damage. With Bowser's strength a good smash attack (or even a stomp) is all you need. They're small, you're big, and unless they pull a David vs. the Goliath, they aren't that difficult, so stay on the defensive. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Ganondorf is a problem, but at least DK sucks more than you. Treat them like swordsmen and edge guard since they can't get back on easily either. It's basically a battle of the weights, who can beat the other up and throw them quicker. Bowser has excellent throws. ~Bowser is playable from the start of the game. ****************** ** ICE CLIMBERS ** ****************** ---BACKGROUND--- When SSB:M was announced, people were overjoyed to see all of the old characters return, and glad to see some additions that had been notably absent in the original. However, there was one big surprise that came at the end of the reel showing the characters: There they were! In the flesh! Those two lovable Inuit dudes, the Ice Climbers! Nintendo has definitely dug far back into their game archives to unearth these two, and the Ice Climbers return in 128-bit glory. For those who don't know, the Ice Climbers are from the classic two- player NES game called (gasp) Ice Climber. Players bashed through blocks and fought Topis and Polar Bears, climbing from level to multicolored level in order to reach the top of the mountain. And when they made it? They did it all over again! Like in many NES classics, repetitive fun was the name of the game. ---GENERAL INFO--- The Ice Climbers return in SSB:M with style. Basically, you control both. You move Popo, the blue Ice Climber, and Nana, the pink one, will follow, and mimic you. Since there are several different colour combinations (some of them putting Nana in the lead instead), it can get confusing as to who you control. Just remember that no matter what, your Climber will be wearing the bolder, brighter colour. The Ice Climbers generally have very good jumping, but their third jump separates them by sending them flying in different arcs, and if you're too far away from Nana (or worse, she's been KO'd), well, the up+B move is useless. If Nana is knocked too far away to get back on her own, it can be well worth it to leap out to her and fling both Climbers safely back to the platform, saving her without sacrifice. One good thing about being separated is that Nana will fight tooth and nail to get back to you. If a player is caught between the two, they should be prepared for a smash attack from both sides. It's possible for Nana to be KO'd when you play as the Ice Climbers, so be careful. If you lose Nana, your attacks are only half as effective, and your jumping goes from good to dismal. The Ice Climbers have excellent smashing ability, seeing as there's two of them. You can even make Nana smash while Popo is grabbing somebody. They can also carry two items, and hit two people at once. Even if Popo grabs a hammer that turns out to be fake, Nana can still fight, working as handy insurance. However, by the same token, it's difficult to get the full benefit of some items. Since items will only effect one Climber at a time, you'll usually be left with only one invincible, metal, or giant Ice Climber, while the other remains normal. Not only that, but only one of them can grab a ledge at a time- whuh-oh! ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Nana and Popo hold their hammers over their heads, then smack them down on an opponent. There's a slight delay between the two, meaning that you can deliver a one-two punch. If you miss with Popo, you still might hit with Nana. This attack is still a great smash when you are alone, so don't hesitate to use it even when Nana is gone. Down Smash When you smash downwards, the Ice Climbers will hold their hammers near their feet and spin a full 360 degrees. Nana starts the move a little later, giving you the advantage of a double hit on both sides. Not bad at all. Up Smash This move is pretty well the same as the forward smash, but they swing their hammers upwards instead. It would be a great juggle starter, but sadly, the Ice Climbers aren't the greatest jugglers. Still, it can easily finish off a weakened opponent, and in team battle you may have a friend who is a better juggler than you. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B: Ice Shot This is a simple attack. The Ice Climbers each create a little ice block and smack it across the ground. It'll annoy enemies, and will pick up a lot of speed heading down ramps. Unfortunately, it's pretty well grounded. It can't cross gaps without falling, and it gets no vertical distance whatsoever. However, it's still good when you stand on a high perch and pelt ice blocks down at those below. If you're lucky, this move can momentarily freeze opponents. The freezing seems fairly random, though. B -> : Squall Hammer This is a good hit and run move. The Ice Climbers stand back to back, holding their hammers out, and spin across the ground. You can enter the fray, get a few hits in, and make your escape, all in one move. It's handy for damage racking. When you are separate from Nana, use this as your third jump. You can't grab ledges, and you don't get much vertical distance, but you go pretty far horizontally, and it's great compared to your pitiful up+B hop without Nana. B ^ : Belay Without Nana, this is a pitiful hop. With her, it's the highest jump in the game (however, Peach still holds the record horizontally). The Ice Climbers will stretch out a cord between them, and fling each other into the air. Popo is flung substantially higher than Nana, but Nana also gains more than enough distance to get back. It's impossible to get knocked too far away to save at least Popo, because you'd have to be well past the KO wall. However, Nana and Popo have to be fairly close together to use it, and it's not too precise. Any character who is hit by either Nana or Popo right after they're flung will take a bit of damage and be knocked upwards. It won't do much at low damage, but it's a useful hit at high damage. B v : Blizzard It must be REALLY cold up North where the Ice Climbers live, because even in tropical climates like the Kongo Jungle, their breath is STILL frozen. When you do this move, the Ice Climbers will face opposite directions and breath frigid air at enemies. It doesn't have the range of Bowser's fire breath, but it goes in two directions. Like the Ice Shot, Blizzard will randomly freeze opponents. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Don't try to attack these guys head on, as they can react quicky, and can hit you before you get close enough to hit them. Instead, stand like a rock (well, a pair of rocks) a short distance away from your opponent(s). If you are approached, prepare a smash. Then, when they're down, swarm them and defend your territory. Don't chase them if they want to run away. Just get rid of them until they try to attack you again (however, this can be risky if there's other opponents around to rack up kills on them). The best place to hit these guys is from below, using Belay and your midair up+A. Swordsmen's defenses are mainly for attacks from above and in front, so they won't be able to stop you easily. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) These guys aren't really a problem. They can pummel you quite a bit, but one smash from you is equal to several hits from them, making it a pretty even fight. Basically, you'll want to get into the fray and just hit them every which way. You might want to abuse Squall Hammer a bit, since it hits repeatedly. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) There is one simple strategy for fighting other close-rangers: smash and smash and smash. Don't worry about your special moves, because they aren't too hot against these guys. You just want them away from you, where they can't do as much damage. Be sure to edge-guard, as well; their return moves won't harm you unless you are hit directly. A battle with another set of Ice Climbers could be neck and neck, but remember that the Ice Climbers are good at dodging and countering their own moves. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) No matter what character you are, there's only two options against Long Range fighters: juggle them, or get in their face. The Ice Climbers aren't the best jugglers, so you know where that leaves you. You'll want to treat these guys similarly to the Close Range bunch, but be more agressive, and focus less on knocking them away from you (that is, until it's time to finish them). Try to get them in the air, where they're helpless. Be persistent. They have good smashes, so don't give them the opportunity to use them. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) Ever notice how all the lightweights are pink? Er... yeah. Anyway, these guys are fairly simple to beat. Every move of yours is effective against these guys, so just use them all whenever the opportunity arises. Make good use of that grab/smash that only the Ice Climbers can do, and use belay to launch around the arena at them, since they all like to move through the air. But be careful of Zelda, as she's dynamite in Sheik form. Sheik can separate you and juggle you like nobody's business. Still, the same strategy should work. It'll just be harder to pull off. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) These big fellas are nothing to worry about. You are fairly light, and will fly far if hit, but they'll have trouble chasing both of you at once. Simply swarm them. Don't give them room to breath, and smash them away once you've brought down their defenses. They're not much of a problem for the Climbers (though you may frequently lose Nana if she can't get away in time). ~The Ice Climbers are playable from the start of the game. *************** **** SAMUS **** *************** ---BACKGROUND--- The mysterious intergalactic bounty hunter who has thrice saved the galaxy from the threat of destruction at the hands of the ruthless Space Pirates and the life-sucking Metroids, Samus Aran wasn't as popular with fans of the original Super Smash Bros as she should've been. People new to the game often had a hard time (1) controlling her somewhat bulky frame, and (2) utilizing her highly-effective attacks, most of which proved to take more of a learning curve than that of the cheaper characters (i.e. Kirby, Link, Pikachu etc.). Gamers found themselves frustrated with her arm cannon's long charge time, her mediocre regular attacks and the fact that she lacked that one REALLY powerful move that would give her an edge with beginners. However, those who chose to stick with Samus found that becoming a master of the Metroid hunter definitely pays off. Once a player became accustomed to her discouraging feel, it would soon be discovered that hidden within Samus was a perfect balance of a long-range fighter and a close-range brawler, giving almost anyone who chose to stick with her a considerable edge over every opponent in the game. In Melee, the designers have chosen not to tweak her considerably in any direction, although her Screw Attack and charge beam have been slightly improved over the original. ---GENERAL INFO--- Let's put it this way - if you're looking for someone you can master in a few minutes and appear to your friends that you've been playing this game for a couple of years, stick with Link. However, if you're a bit more devoted and want someone you can mold from a seemingly ineffective character to a fast, well-balanced frenzy of orange DEATH, Samus is your lady. Samus has an advantage in every area - long-range combat, close quarters combat, speed, agility, stamina and excellent defense & evasion capabilities. The whole entree doesn't come to you on a silver plate, however. It'll take a bit of skill and patience before Samus' performance pays off. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Samus thrusts her mighty arm cannon out at the opponent. If charged enough, this move can instantly KO an opponent that has some decent damage done to him/her. Samus doesn't have to charge up for very long to deal an ample supply of damage, however. This is an excellent move for opponents madly charging at you, or also a good finishing touch to a combo. Use it when you're looking for a quick finish, or when your opponent is wide open or off-guard. Down Smash Samus performs a powerful leg sweep, which is great for clearing out multiple attackers at once. It deals a quantity of damage equal to the forward smash, but not as effective for KOs as it sends your opponent flying vertically rather than directly off the screen. Use this move if you are at close-quarters with an attacker directly behind you, and lack the time critical to turn around and counter-attack. Up Smash Samus creates a fire arch with her arm cannon, from left to right or vice-versa. This can deal more damage than both the down and forward smash if charged enough and used correctly, but again, won't result in any KOs. Use the up smash for opponents directly overhead or within very close range of you. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Charge Beam Samus' SSB veteran attack. If you tap B, Samus will begin to charge her arm cannon. Tap B again shortly thereafter and Samus will fire a small, lightly-damaging burst of plasma energy that moves slowly and doesn't cover half the screen. This is good only if you're trying to repel an enemy who is blindly rushing you, leaving an opening for evasion or a possible counter-attack. However, if you tap B and allow the cannon to charge up for awhile, you can deliver more potent blasts. The longer Samus charges, the more powerful the blast will be, and the farther it will travel as well. Samus has a max on her charge, though, and once her charge maxes out she will begin to lightly flash, and her cannon will sparkle. The charge will last until you take moderate-to-heavy damage, and while you are fully charged you can resume battle with no altercations to your performance. However, as soon as you tap B you will blast the charge. An excellent strategy is to wait until your opponent is off-guard and surprise him with a plasma- induced trip to Kingdom Come. Also, take note that while Samus is charging, she is vulnerable to attacks. Hence, whenever you are charging Samus, you can press left or right on the analog stick to morph into a ball and travel in the direction you specified. An excellent evasion maneuver. B -> Homing Missile Quite a bit more powerful than standard uncharged plasma blasts, the homing missile travels farther than a standard blast and also features a mild homing feature than will zero in on enemies who are not in its general path. However, don't expect the missile to follow them to New Jersey - the homing effect is very mild and only works if the opponent is slightly above or below its path. Also, keep in mind that this is a great advantage to Samus, as it permits her to fire projectiles even when she is fully charged - a feature not present in the original Smash Bros. If you hold forward on the analog tick and press B, Samus will blast a homing missile that homes in on the enemy and does mild damage on impact. However, if you press forward and B simultaneously, Samus will blast a missile that travels faster in a straight path, and takes moderate damage instead of light damage, giving you a choice of two missiles. B ^ : Screw Attack Possibly Samus' most useful move as well as one of the best moves in the game. When utilized, Samus curls up and spins vertically into the air in an electrical frenzy of power. Anything caught in this storm of pain - including multiple opponents -- will be sucked into it and will receive moderate damage before falling to the ground below. A great maneuver for the following: attacking enemies directly above you, attacking enemies who are preparing a downward air assault (i.e. Kirby's block move or Link's downward slash), quickly moving out of the way of an attack from the side or an air attack (the Screw Attack sends Samus into the air faster than a standard jump), and serving as an effective triple jump when you're in desperate need of getting back on the arena. However, the Screw Attack has its disadvantages as well. First of all, if you choose to attack Kirby or Link (or anyone else with a powerful downward attack) using the SA, be sure you connect with them BEFORE they execute the move. The Screw Attack may be useful for canceling possible assaults, but it will not protect you from power attacks that already had the pre- emptive. Secondly, keep in mind that Samus is vulnerable after performing the Screw Attack (i.e. can't perform attacks), so if you miss your opponent when performing it or another opponent is waiting below, you're wide open. B V : Bomb Samus's trademark attack - she will morph into a ball and lay a small bomb that rolls along slanted ground and explodes on impact of an enemy (or within a couple of seconds, whichever comes first). Though only lightly damaging, it's an EXCELLENT defense weapon. Example - you're in midair and an enemy is waiting on the ground directly below you. It looks like there's no escape from an inevitable vertical attack, right? Wrong-O. At the peak of your jump, press down and B repeatedly to drop down an air raid of bombs, which will nullify the opponent's chance of attacking you if performed correctly. They also serve as excellent cover weapons - if you drop bombs while traveling in the opposite direction, it makes it extremely difficult for an attacking opponent to follow, which could turn the tables in any battle. Z : Grappling Beam Samus' throw attack. Similar to Link's Hookshot (though much slower), Samus blasts a chain of electricity from her arm cannon that will grapple an enemy. A good juggle is to throw them upward, quickly jump up and deliver them a screw kick, and then follow that up with a Screw Attack -- does excellent damage. Unlike most of the characters, however, Samus' throwing move deserves mentioning as it serves a double function - if you're falling to your death and on your last leg, you can use the Grappling Beam to catch onto the side of an arena. To get back up, let go of Z and press up + A. This takes some practicing but can pay off during near-death experiences. Link can do the same thing, but this is a Samus write-up! Also, a new item with Samus's grappling beam, repeatedly press Z and mash the d-pad feverishly. Some combination of buttons therein will eventually cause Samus' grappling beam to double in length. At that point, you have to press A when the tip of the beam comes in contact with someone in order to grab them, since it won't do it automatically any more. PLUS, if you hold L throughout the whole throw, the grappling beam will actually home in on an opponent, letting you grab people both twice as far away from you, and at any variety of angles. --OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) You don't want to take swordsmen head-on when you have an array of both air and projectile options. Marth and Roy are both lethal at close- range (just look at those swords!!), but they're easy pickings seeing that they have little defense against long-range combat. A good idea is to keep your distance, barrage them with homing missiles and once their damage is up nice and high, send them a charged plasma kiss when they least expect it. Link is a little trickier seeing that he has bombs for cover, arrows for long range and that formidable spin attack for both ground and air attacking. The best strategy is to coax him into performing an upward spin attack/upward smash attack when you're overhead. Anticipate his actions and butter him with falling bombs. Once he's emaciated, finish the job with an unsuspected power blast. Do the same with Young Link, although close-combat fighting can overpower the little runt just as easily. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) Samus is pretty fast herself, but you'll have to master dodging to truly own these guys. Fox and Falco are masters of eluding projectiles with their short frame and quick feet, so these guys are better confronted at close range. Samus' leg and arm attacks have a better reach than that of Fox/Falco's, so use that to your advantage, and also keep the > + R parry in mind when fighting. Pikachu/Pichu are both masters of teleportation, and also have high defense capabilities against air attacks. Don't attempt an air raid with these guys, but rather, stay on your feet and work on them with a combination of ground sweeps and punch/kick attacks. Be wary that these two are difficult to edge guard against on account of their teleporting skills, so your best bet is to inflict heavy damage on them and KO them with a charge blast or smash attack. As for Falcon, he has some lightning-fast devastating attacks, so he's best confronted with a careful dose of dodging + downward smashes. Use > + R or vice-versa to roll behind the burning speed freak and quickly connect a leg sweep before he has the chance to put you on the defensive. With that said, remember that projectiles are pretty effective against him (just keep your distance!). Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) Your long-range flexibility can have a tremendous edge against this lot. Charged blasts and homing missiles can keep you in safe-zone for the most part depending on your judgment and accuracy, so stay on the side of the arena opposite your close-range foe and pellet him with your arsenal. If your foe advances on you, use bombs to provide cover and escape to safety. Although Samus is an effective close-quarters combatant, Mario, Luigi and the rest have an advantage as far as strength and combo flexibility. Make it a point to stick with your guns when confronting these fools, and only move in for the kill when the price is right. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) As Samus, you can either fight fire with fire here, or attack them head on. Ness' long attacks are for the most part slow, but you also have a curve at close range as he's a relatively weak brawler, so make it a point to frenzy him with A attacks if you fight him at close range (you don't want to give him the opportunity to wield his bat). Mewtwo can be a worthy long-range opponent as his projectile attack is uninterceptable, so it's a good idea to front him with a mixture of down+A attacks and the Screw Attack. As far as Samus, she has everything you have, so form your own tactics here. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) These are all pinatas against the likes of Samus. Send them up into the soaring skies with a down smash sweep, and then tender them with a Screw Attack. Another fun strategy is to toss them upwards into the air with Z, jump up and deliver them an up + A kick, and follow that up with a Screw Attack (does considerable damage). Or you can just blast them to death. Samus is a general powerhouse to these foes if utilized correctly, and most people will find that lightweights aren't much against Samus' balance. Just be weary of Kirby's downward block attack, which can cancel out any Screw Attack. Also be aware of Jigglypuff's rest move, which is absolutely fatal in certain situations. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) All brawn but no... speed. Samus' quickness and agility will give you the edge here, and pretty much every special move Samus possesses can be used effectively against the lot. Ganondorf has a lethal uppercut which can be suppressed with a healthy dose of air-to-ground bombs. His smash attacks give ample warning and allow time for an opening in which you can deliver an attack of your own. Donkey Kong, though powerful, is extremely slow and can be dispatched with relentless close-range battering. Bowser is slow, bulky and short-range for the most part, so you're safe from this guy if you make good use of your cannon. In general, all take a great deal of damage before they'll begin flying, so have some patience when fighting them. Also, edge guarding is intrinsic with these characters, so make use of run + A attacks when a fighter is climbing from the edge. Also, if one of these sluggish pugilists happen to be drifting toward the edge of the arena, you can kick them to their doom easily by jumping right above them and pressing down + A. This goes for all characters, but especially the heavy-hitters as they seem to be more vulnerable to this maneuver. ~Samus is playable from the start of the game. **************** ***JIGGLYPUFF*** **************** ---BACKGROUND--- Jigglypuff was a secret character in the original Smash Bros and returns as a secret character in Melee. She's from the Pokemon games, and in Japan is the most well known Pokemon besides Pikachu. In Pokemon, she uses physical attacks like body slams and punches, as well as a Sing move that put enemies to sleep. Many of these moves carry over to Smash Bros. ---GENERAL INFO--- Without a doubt, Jigglypuff was the most hated in the original. Although in Melee Pichu may be hated too, many are still convinced that Jigglypuff is by far the weakest character and is completely useless. All it takes is some patience and skill, and you can humiliate your friends by beating them with Jigglypuff. People don't bother to develop any techniques against Jigglypuff, so if you're skilled, you can always surprise them. However, mastering Jigglypuff takes a lot of skill, and you'll need to be familiar with the advanced techniques like dodging and juggling. Most of Jigglypuff's moves aren't that powerful, and the ones that are powerful are hard to hit, so the main strategy is combos ending with a powerful smash attack. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash This is a good finisher if the enemy is on the edge of the level. It's also good for a quicker version of the Pound while on the ground. Use this in combination with her dash attack to give a ton of consecutive ground hits that can quickly rack up damage on a flat surface. Use this also as an opponent comes back to the stage to smash them back out. Works better when charged, obviously. Down Smash Use this in conjunction with the forward smash. It may not finish the opponent, but if you're surrounded, it's a good clear out move. It's also good for just generally getting the opponent away from you. Not a great charge move as it's not very powerful to begin with, it's better used quickly. Up Smash This is probably Jiggly's ultimate finisher. It's easy to pull off, and if the enemy's generally around 90% they'll probably be KOed (exceptions of course are the heavier characters like DK and Bowser). This is a good charge up smash attack, just hold down A and let'er rip once the enemy gets near. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Rollout Hold down B and Jigglypuff will roll in place. Release, and she'll go flying in the direction you were facing. It really only does anything if you charge it a lot, if you don't, she just rolls forward slowly and doesn't do any more damage than a rolling beach ball. Be careful when using this move, it's not recommended unless you're in a large level or you have a really clear shot. If you miss, you'll probably end up rolling right off the edge of the level without any way to recover. You'll only stop if you hit a wall, a character, or if you're able to stop yourself by rolling back and forth. It can be steered, so if you miss once and are able to turn around, you can hit them on the way back and still do significant damage. Use sparingly; it may seem like an easy power hit at first, but skilled players will be able to avoid it easily if you used it too much. Plus it takes a few seconds to charge up, giving people time to get out of the way. It's best used in multiplayer matches when the others aren't paying attention to you. B -> : Pound Jigglypuff's pound has been upgraded in Melee to send opponents flying farther, making it a more effective juggling move. Use this a lot, because no one else has a move like it, and people aren't expecting it. It's a good move to use against edge guarders, and it's also used somewhat as a comeback move that you can use repeatedly. When knocked far, instead of using up all your jumps, just pound your way back. Since the drill kick no longer pops opponents up, this is a good combo starter. B ^ : Sing The Sing move hasn't changed much from the original. If you feel lucky you may want to try this, but unless you catch the opponent right at the beginning of the song, they'll usually wake up right when you finish. The best technique for this is during a team match, where you sing the opponent to sleep, and while you're still singing, your partner comes and attacks. The sing only puts them to sleep if they're on the ground and within your shield radius, so it's not a very effective move beyond just annoying the opponent. Since Jigglypuff doesn't have a vertical comeback move, you'll often find yourself in situations where you get knocked down and are able to float back up just below where you would normally grab on, only to fall back down helplessly. In situations like these, do an aerial dodge, but hold up while doing it. You'll pop up a bit, giving you a bit more vertical distance. B V : Rest This move can blow away rookies not only literally but mentally as well, since many don't know the true power of this move and at first have no idea what hit them. It can KO even heavy characters like Donkey Kong with their damage in the 50s. If you can pull it off (it's quite difficult) then you can get a very easy kill right away. When you first start the move, Jigglypuff flashes for a second, and then goes to sleep. While she's flashing, any character touching her will take damage. Their character model has to actually be overlapping hers, so it's hard to get someone by just walking up to them. It's best to get someone from below by jumping inside them. If you're playing a skilled player, you shouldn't bother trying it on small characters like Pikachu and Kirby. This move takes a lot of practice to use. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Jiggly's great at combos, but that doesn't help if you can't get close to the character. Her main weakness is lack of projectiles, which make it hard to attack swordsmen who can protect themselves from all directions. Your best bet is to use smash attacks, Pound, and maybe get in a Rollout if you can. At low %'s you can try juggling, but once their damage gets high, they'll be able to block the juggling, especially Link's downward sword stab. Marth and Roy are probably her most difficult opponents, since they're great close range fighters, and she has no projectiles to utilize their weakness. Your best bet is to attack them in the air and use your pound a lot, or dodge and get them from behind, since they don't have the sword spin like the Links. Resting is a bit risky, but if you're feeling lucky you can try it. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) Other than the swordsmen, Jigglypuff's greatest enemies are ones who can use the same juggling techniques she can, but faster. Their juggling is based on speed rather than their attacks though, so many players choose not to juggle with them, as it is harder to pull off (the CPU however has no problem performing amazing combos). Still, while they can't juggle as well they do have a speed advantage. Use combos on them, and a lot of smash attacks too, since many speedy characters are also lightweight and get knocked out pretty easily around 90-100%. Fox and Falco are the worst of the bunch, since they can get in a ton of hits and rack up 20-30% damage before you can even blink. Jigglypuff handles better in the air though, so use your floating ability to your advantage. Don't attempt a rest attack here, you'll never be able to land it on them, unless the player is stupid or something. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) These players are like the speedsters but not nearly as fast. Because of this they're not as much of a threat, but their attacks are generally stronger so their combos are more lethal. If you manage to get a hit on them, do some combos, but don't go overboard because they may be able to retaliate easily. Many of these characters are weaker in the air than on the ground, so use your air maneuverability to your advantage. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) These characters are good close range fighters, but have powerful long range attacks too, which will lead many people to use the long range attacks as much as the short range attacks. They're not good at combos as much as just sending you flying, so just use combos against them, but be careful when attacking them head on, as they may be able to release a charged shot and knock you away. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) The lightweight characters are easy to clear out early on unless they're quite skilled. The lightweight characters however rely on combos instead of powerful attacks, so be cautious. Juggling won't work as well as just combos in the ground and air simultaneously, ending with a good smash attack. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Unless the player is really good, heavy hitters are a piece of cake in the hands of a skilled Jigglypuff. Their moves take a long time to execute and can be dodged and predicted easily. Be weary, because if they do manage to get a hit on you, it'll hurt you a lot and kill you at relatively low damage. If you're really good at dodging and evading attacks, the heavyweights shouldn't be too much trouble. Also, these are the prime targets for her rest move, since they're so big, especially Bowser and DK. A good strategy is to wait for them to perform one of their attacks that have a slow recovery, then drop inside them from above and rest. Just hope you don't miss, because then you're vulnerable to a powerful smash attack. ~Jigglypuff is unlocked by beating Adventure or Classic on any difficulty. *************** **** LUIGI **** *************** ---BACKGROUND--- Anyone who is even remotely interested in the Mario brothers will at least recognize this name. Luigi made his debut as Mario's little brother in the Donkey Kong Arcade series. Since then he has appeared many times, sometimes as a cameo, others as an NPC, and often as a playable character. Luigi is jokingly referred to as "the eternal undershadow," and this is in many ways true. Mario takes the spotlight in almost all of his games, and Luigi is dismissed with a casual line or two before being pushed into the background where he spends most of his time whistling and checking mail. Interestingly, Luigi as a non- playable-character has revealed many aspects of his personality that would have otherwise let him remain completely the same as Mario, except with a different color palette. Luigi is a laid-back soul, and takes it easy most of the time. He's not the adventurous type, although he'll tag along with Mario given half the chance. We also learned in recent days that Luigi really REALLY doesn't like ghosts! Luigi soon become a completely different person than Mario, and the two have developed separate lives since their first appearance. ---GENERAL INFO--- One can argue that Luigi is just another clone of Mario, but this is not the case. As fans of the original Super Smash Bros. will notice, Luigi's more outstanding traits have been highlighted a bit more in the transition to 'Melee. Luigi still jumps higher, of course, and remains one of the highest jumpers in the game. He also jumps up in the same manner as Mario -- goes up fast, comes down slow. Luigi and Mario both move at about the same speed, and are just as quick to dodge and outmaneuver enemies. Luigi, however, is a slightly easier target because he is taller, and while his moves seem to knock the enemies back farther, his recovery time is a bit on the slow side. Luigi's fighting style also seems to be a bit panicked, so he lacks the "confidence" of Mario's attacks. Therefore, his attacks tend to be strong, one-hit-only moves instead of the strategic, juggle-friendly Mario ones. Luigi's dash appears to be just a tad slower, as well. But when you look at the bigger picture, Luigi's and Mario's best traits still hold true together -- neither brother has a real weakness to exploit. Both Luigi and Mario can adapt to any situation almost instantaneously, so any disadvantages normally observed by certain characters never apply to either one, making them quite considerable foes! Obviously, if you're very skilled with Mario, Luigi is a shoe-in to be among your best characters. All in all, Luigi is every bit as formidable as Mario is. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash This is easily one of my favorite smashes not because it's strong or anything, but because it just looks so weird it's funny. Luigi will lean back, turn his hand out palm up, and then thrust his arm forward. Either Luigi has a hidden high-power acceleration device hidden up his sleeve, or the laws of physics like to bend themselves in his favor, because the enemy will go as far as Mario's forward smash attack! Easily among Luigi's better moves, but it has a bad preparation and recovery time, so use sparingly. Was second runner-up for the "most deceptively powerful move" award, right next to Jigglypuff's "Nap." Down Smash Luigi will swing his legs forward and underneath him break-dance style, like Mario. This foot sweep is great for clearing out enemies, since it works almost instantly and covers ground on both sides of him. Keep in mind that it is easy to counterattack, and has an only average K.O. chance, though. Up Smash Luigi will rear back and take the term "use your head" to a whole new level. Just like Mario. This has one of the best K.O. rates in the game, so feel free to give Luigi whiplash if you have to, just take into account that both the range and the recovery time are poorer than his other attacks or you'll find a smash attack coming your way. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Fireball Ah, the classics never get tiring, do they? Luigi's trademark green fireball is back! Luigi will draw his arms in and thrust his left arm forward in a semi-pointing motion, releasing the fireball. Unlike Mario's, it goes only forward, and dies away quicker. And who cares if the damage isn't all that hot? (No pun intended) At least it can keep those nosy close-range fighters off your back long enough to set up a better move, and believe me, this move is more handy than you might think. B -> : Green Missile Mario's cape has been replaced by the "Green Missile," an odd attack that is not only surprisingly strong, but also allows Luigi to get back onto the stage! This attack operates in much the same way as Pikachu's "Skull Bash." Press Forward+B, and Luigi will start concentrating and building up energy. Release, and Luigi will take off (literally!) in the direction you pressed the joystick in. The longer you hold B, the farther he will go and the more damage that the enemy will incur. You can use this as many times as you need in midair, which is handy since his Up+B move has no horizontal movement. This move has an interesting twist, as well: There is an approximately 12.5% (one in eight) chance whenever Luigi uses this move that he will "misfire," blasting him almost three times the distance he would normally! (When not charged.) Not to mention it does more damage, assuming you can actually hit the enemy instead of sailing over their heads. Therefore, this is NOT a wise move to use in a small stage, because you can actually T.K.O. yourself using this move because of the misfire chances. Still, those same chances can help you get back to solid ground.... B ^ : Super Jump Punch Luigi's version of this move goes straight up, and does not move left or right one bit. And it only hits once. Thoroughly disgusted? Don't be! Anyone who remembers the original SSB will recall that if the opponent was RIGHT in front of Luigi when he used this technique, they would receive much damage and be sent flying into the wild blue yonder. The same holds true now, so keep that in mind if you're in the fray. One more thing to remember: Of course this move can be used as a triple jump, but since it only goes upwards it might not be the greatest decision if you're too far from the ledge. Try the Green Missile instead, and use this only as a last resort. B V : Luigi Tornado This move operates similar to Mario's edition of this technique (go figure) in that it's good for clearing out enemies, but Luigi instead delivers a single strong whack, sending them flying in the opposite direction. Plus, you can cover much more horizontal ground (press left/right after executing this move) than the Mario Tornado, making it good for clearing out groups rather than just anyone close to you. You cannot rise into the air nearly as much as the Mario Tornado by tapping B, though, so this works best for grounded opponents. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Swordsmen can be problematic for the younger Mario Brother, since they have a longer reach than you do, can juggle very well, and several quick damage-dealing attacks. Fortunately for you, they lack a single powerful smash move and tend to be slow in most respects, so use that to your advantage. Stay close to them, and be sure to keep just out of their blades' reach. Rush in, deliver a flurry of quick punches (the standard A attack works best), then leap back until you can set up your next move. Don't worry about being K.O.-ed until your damage is in the mid-hundreds, but don't get cocky either. Since Luigi is, although slower than average, faster and more mobile than any of these clowns in midair, some timely aerial attacks can work wonders. Also, footsweeps and juggling attacks are your friends here. Don't let up on the pressure and try to avoid using powerful attacks until you can hit them a ways, because although they're slower, they can't be hit very far and can still come back and give you trouble the moment you turn your back to them. Once their damage is high enough, give them a good whack to finish them off. Stay moving, don't let them fight back, make sure you know how to do the various dodges, and you won't have too much of a problem. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) The key to winning against a Speedster: Know your dodges, and don't move. It sounds a little strange, but if you know Mario well enough you know that you shouldn't move too much around a Speedster, and for Luigi it goes doubly so. Speedsters can come in fast, beat you around the head, and take off before you even know what hit you. What you want to do is get close to the action, about two to four character widths away. Then root yourself to the spot and wait until one of these guys gets too close. Give them heck with several A attacks before hitting them off a good distance, then stand still again and wait for them to come back. If they're all in one little area, use a Luigi Tornado to send them flying in all directions, but be wary: Speedsters have a notorious habit of hitting you from behind when you're not looking, so keep an eye peeled for a stray fighter, especially if he just got K.O.-ed. Finally, avoid using smash attacks if possible unless their damage percentages are in the hundreds or so (with the exception of Pichu, the second-most aerodynamic Pokemon known to man -- the first being Jigglypuff, of course), because all of Luigi's smashes have just enough lag time for Speedsters to take advantage of. Have patience, and the K.O.s will follow soon enough. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) Your instincts will tell you to get right in there and fight, and with Luigi that's probably what you'll want to be doing most of the time. Close Range opponents tend to do just that: Get in close and start beating you to a pulp. Since most Close Range opponents are as slow (if not slower) than Luigi is, battles with these characters will usually consist of a pattern of all-out brawls, frenzies, split-up parties, and the occasional one-second breather. Unlike the case with Mario, there's no real strategy to be applied here. Just be sure to use Luigi's wide range of physical attacks to your advantage and to remember the various battle techniques. If you find yourself straying too far from the action, rush right back in there while chucking Fireballs on unsuspecting opponents, or charge up a Green Missile and send yourself flying into the masses; chances are good you'll hit someone. Remember to dodge and use Luigi's superior aerial attacks, too. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Long Range attackers are a big problem for Luigi if you're not experienced with him. If they're too far to get in the battle, they can use their handy projectiles to attack from a distance, but they're competent fighters even up close. Each Long Range combatant has a completely different style, too, and all of them have good midair attacks, so applying Luigi's usual strategy of jumping and/or getting in close can have potentially disastrous results if you're not careful. Most of the time these guys will keep jumping and moving just out of your reach, changing tactics only to get in close and pummel you or to charge up their strong projectile attacks. If these guys begin to get on your nerves, wait for a time when their defenses are weak; for example, if one of them is in midair or caught in the middle of recovering from an attack. Then get yourself in the right position and juggle, smash, or generally just beat the crap out of them to your pleasure. Most of your energies when dealing with this type will be devoted to waiting for a mistake if not pursuing the fleeing opponent. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) One would think that Lightweights wouldn't be a problem for the competent Luigi, but if you don't watch what you're doing, these guys will smack you to kingdom come before you know it. Remember that they have several tactical advantages over you: They're quick to recover, they have a wide variety of moves, they have projectiles and/or they attack faster than most. The best way to deal with the various princesses and puffballs is to wait for an opportunity to attack, then attack and keep at them. You're bound to receive some damage while doing this, but the key is to keep them off their feet. Throw fireballs to chip at them from a distance, and the Luigi Tornado works wonders on them, too. Once their damage is high enough, send them flying with a good smash attack or a Super Jump Punch. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Luigi's met his match here. His close-range prowess will land him into big trouble with these powerful foes. Your best bet is to rely on their abysmal midair capabilities and focus on attacking them from midair and from safe distances. Fireballs are your best friends here! Since their damage can go up to the mid-hundreds and still have a good chance of surviving a K.O. attempt, focus on chipping at them with fireballs and quick punches and kicks, and avoid a brawl with them if at all possible. Once their damage gets high enough, leap in with a strong aerial attack to send them flying. You probably won't K.O. them, but you will set them up with a good opportunity to chase after the opponent and smash attack them from there. Using the Super Jump Punch can be both a blessing and a curse here; Heavy Hitters' massive girth makes them prime targets for Luigi's all-powerful version of Mario's classic attack, but be sure that no one else is close enough to take advantage of its terrible recovery time, or else you'll find yourself staring at someone's fist shortly before being sent zooming through outer space. ~Luigi can be unlocked by defeating him instead of Mario in Adventure Mode. Simply beat the first stage with the seconds timer ending in two, e.g: nn:n2:nn, (n) being any number. Do this correctly, and Luigi will take the place of Mario in the following battle. Win, and Luigi will challenge you when you finish Adventure Mode. Defeat him in under a minute to unlock him. *********** *** ROY *** *********** ---BACKGROUND--- Roy starred in the Super Famicom (a.k.a. "Super Nintendo" in other countries) series entitled "Fire Emblem." Unfortunately, none of the games made it to America, or any other countries as far as I know, but Roy -- and Marth, for that matter -- made an unexpected comeback one- twenty-eight-bit style for the Nintendo Gamecube. In a nutshell, Roy lead Pharae's armies into battle after his father, the son of the lord of Pharae Principailty, became sick. Long story short, our hero started out on the classical grand adventure that fighters so often do when destiny calls. ---GENERAL INFO--- Roy is what Marth is and isn't: Both Marth and Roy make nice, solid blows, and both have the feel of a refined swordsman, but where Marth excels in grace, Roy is a little more of a powerhouse. Roy is a good all-around fighter, and often has the advantage of a longer reach when it comes to close-quarters combat, due to his sword. Since the blade's reach is wider than most other attacks, Roy can cover almost all sides of his person without having to worry too much about where the enemy is coming from. He deals out more damage than most players, too, and can dodge and leap his way through danger if his position is getting a bit too iffy for the player. Moreover, his stature is a wee bit on the short side, a detail that several players overlook. On hilly areas, his height allows Roy to avoid attacks easier. Roy, however, has three primary disadvantages over the average character: The first and most important two, is that he tends to be a bit slow, and appears to have sub-par recovery times, so panicky situations could leave you as a colorful smear on the floor, and we wouldn't want that, now would we? The third thing that one does not notice at first is the fact that Roy cannot defend his backside very well. Like Marth, his attacks generally cover frontal and aerial opponents, so if you know what's good for you, you'll keep Roy out of the fray. But his good points more or less outweigh these petty little details, and in the hands of a player who at least knows what he's doing, Roy can dish out some pretty serious harm. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Roy spins around and swings his sword overhead. This move is quite powerful, easily among the stronger smash attacks in the game, and it can K.O. an opponent even if their damage is in the low eighties. Up Smash Roy thrusts his sword straight up. It is deceptively strong, because any enemies caught in it will receive up to five hits, with nice flames surrounding the opponent as they sail up into the air. Though the damage is respectable, its chances of knocking out an opponent are only average. Down Smash Roy will lash out with his sword in front, then in back. Since this move is so low, it usually hits only enemies on the ground. Also, the second slash (to the back) is slightly weaker, but both have decent K.O. rates. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Flare Blade This one's a pleasant surprise to watch for the first time, especially if it's fully charged. Just hold down the B button and Roy will assume a ready stance while charging up. Release, and Roy will bring his sword down in a vertical slash. This move isn't so much damaging as it is impressive; even if it's barely charged at all, the opponent will go flying through the air as long as they have a fairly high damage percentage. Charging this move up all the way will take quite a while (and thus is unfortunately not worth it unless your enemy is a complete idiot), even longer than Marth, but the payoff is spectacular. Instead of a normal slice through the air, Roy will smash his sword into the ground in the same motion, resulting in a huge explosion that almost guarantees an instant K.O. unless the arena is very large. Oddly enough, though, the explosion's range is only slightly higher than the original attack. I wouldn't recommend charging this one up too much, because you're a pretty easy target, especially from behind. Nonetheless, the range is better than average, and makes for a nice finish to any enemy. B -> : Double-Edge Dance The Double-Edge Dance, like Marth's Dancing Blade, causes Roy to lash out with a series of up to four blows with his sword. The result of Roy's attacks are slightly different than Marth's, though. The keys to this attack are the use of the joystick and the B (or A, if you prefer) buttons, and precision timing. Pressing Forward+B only starts the combination; the rest of the combo is up to you. After the initial swing, you can press Up+B, B, or Down+B for each successive swing to employ any of three attacks for each stage in the combination. (Get all that?) For example, you could start with Forward+B, then go on to use B, Down+B, and finally Up+B. Each joystick and button combination produces a different result for each attack, so the only thing I can say to use it efficiently is "practice, practice, practice!" Oh, and one more thing.... Have you even fallen prey to the cry, "I can't use Marth's and Roy's Forward+B attacks!"? Again, timing is a big factor in this move. If you tap the B button too quickly, Roy -- or Marth, whichever -- will respond only to the first one. Try tapping B after each time Roy FINISHES his attack, not while he's in the process of swinging. With practice, you can learn the timing of each attack and get faster and faster, so you can use this move quickly and effectively. B ^ : Rising Flare This move is great to clear out any annoying opponents that stick close to you. When employing this technique, Roy flies into the air with his sword out, exactly like Marth's Dolphin Slash. The most obvious difference between Marth's attack, though, is that Roy's hits multiple times. You can switch direction as soon as you pull this move off, which is often handy if there's an opponent coming in on you from behind. For example, if you're facing right, press Up+B and immediately pull the joystick to the left to have Roy turn around just before he leaps up. If you press in the direction that Roy is facing, you can also go a bit farther. This move can be used as the triple jump, but since it goes almost completely vertical, you'll have to wait until the last second before using it. B V : Counter This move is a little difficult to time, but is well worth it. Roy will just adopt a defensive posture and flash purple for a moment. During this time, any physical attack from another character will result in a (surprise, surprise) counter-attack from Roy. This move is especially handy against strong characters like Captain Falcon; Even the Falcon Punch can be countered by this move! The only downside to this move is that it has a terrible recovery time, so Roy can be smacked around to the opponent's content after he lowers his blade. Obviously, unless you're extremely lucky, this move is not good to use in the middle of a brawl. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Usually, when fighting against the same type of opponent, it all comes down to which player is more skilled, but Roy is an exception to the rule. Although Roy is generally the slower among the bunch, he actually does pretty well against other swordsmen. His attacks are not very easy to dodge, and if Roy gets in a tight spot he can get away without too much hassle. Bottom line: Just stick close to your enemy, wait for them to make a mistake, then let 'em have it! And if things get too tough you can back off a little and wait with a good, strong attack ready. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) Roy does best at close quarters, so these guys can be a problem. Moving yourself up and dancing just out of their reach is a good idea, because you can strike when they're not expecting it and you can take off if they have the upper hand. Thus, dodging is a must for speedsters. Rolling dodges are especially effective. Just make sure you have an escape route and if you're going to attack, do it quick and get out of the way again. Try to avoid jumping. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) Roy does better than average with most close-quarters combatants, because of his long-reaching blade. Straight-on attacking is all good and fine, but if you can master dodge techniques, you'll have these guys in your pocket. When they start busting out with smash attacks, just give them a good whack to get them away and chase after them. Also, don't try your stronger attacks at first -- remember, you're slower than they are, so try chipping at their health first before unleashing your more devastating blows. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Roy doesn't deal with projectiles well from a distance, so if this type starts giving you problems, chase after them and kick the tobacco juice out of them. As long as you stay close, long-range fighters will have difficulty dealing with your more powerful attacks. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) These guys can be a real pain. Since these characters focus on wearing you down slowly but surely from a safe distance, you might find it a trifle difficult when they start pulling hit-and-run moves. Roy, as is true with most other slow characters, will have to focus on standing still, moving only to leap out of the way, dodge, or chase after the fleeing opponent. These guys are everything you're not (fast, quick to recover, etc.), so try and hit them when you can, and hard. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Roy is one of the few that can compete with this category easily, since he has enough strength to match them and the agility to maneuver in ways that they can't. Simply counter their slower nature with well- placed blows, and since they tend to cover their behinds worse than you do, take advantage of any time they're not paying attention to you. In no time you can whittle them down enough to smash them to kingdom come! ~Roy can be challenged and unlocked by successfully completing Classic mode with Marth. *************** **** MARTH **** *************** ---BACKGROUND--- Not a lot about Marth is known over here in the states. He's the main character from a Japan-only game called Fire Emblem, and is the prince of a nation under siege by dark forces. Most importantly of all, he has an incredibly large sword. ---GENERAL INFO--- Marth may seem like a limited character at first, having no projectiles and attacking only with his sword. And while his attacks can be one- dimensional, they're quick, powerful, and varied enough to make him a potent and versatile character. His heavy bodyweight and ability to recover make him a very tough character to knock out, and his speed makes him a tough opponent in the hands of a skilled player. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Your basic overhead sword attack. Sword goes back, sword comes down on someone's head. A powerful attack even when not charged. Use it every chance you get, as the sword's reach is makes it one of the more useful smash attacks. Down Smash Marth ducks and sweeps the sword around on both sides of himself. Kind of slow compared to some of Marth's other attacks, but powerful and with good range. It also sends your opponent into a nice, high arc, so it can be used to set up an attack when he lands. Up Smash Up Smash Marth stabs his sword straight up in an impressive-looking if not altogether great attack. The horizontal range is limited, but the vertical range is very good. It's also a very powerful attack if it hits straight-on, and can KO an opponent that's not been very damaged if charge up. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Shield Breaker This attack resembles the forward smash, but it's a lot more powerful and a little slower. Hold B and Marth will pull his sword back and start to glow. When B is released or when the attack is fully charged, Marth finishes the swing. This move is best used for edge guarding, or as a quick attack to knock someone away. It can be tough to find the time to charge up, but the attack is devastating if fully charged. B -> : Swords Dance A slightly confusing move at first, but very versatile and useful in the hands of an expert. Marth turns red makes a swing that does very little damage. But if you hit B again when the stroke ends, he'll attack again. Repeat for about 4 hits of increasing power. Up and down directions can also be added in after the first hit, giving you greater range. The move also causes Marth to move horizontally, so it can be used as a recovery as well as an aerial attack. B ^ : Dolphin Slash Marth leaps into the air and stabs his sword upwards. This attack loses power the higher in the jump it makes contact, so it's best used when your opponent is closely above you, or right next to you. It's quick and has good reach, which makes it a good counter for aerial attacks. It's also Marth's vertical recovery, but it lacks horizontal movement. Use the Swords Dance first to move over to the side. B V : Counter This move blocks attacks and hits the opponent with a powerful swipe of the sword. It can also be used to bat away projectiles. Its effects will only last for a second though, so timing is crucial. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Fighting the other swordsmen isn't too tough. Use Counter on Link's projectiles, or just dodge them while moving into mid-range. Marth has the longest reach of any of the swordsmen, so once you're close it's just a matter of slashing away. Use your superior speed against Roy, as his flame attacks do a LOT of damage. Marth's strong attacks are quick and do a fair amount of damage, so just keep going with those until you see a chance for a smash or Shield Breaker. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) The speedsters aren't too tough, as Marth isn't too slow himself. Counter is your friend, use it whenever they get close enough to get in a shot, and just keep using the strong attacks and smash attacks to keep them back. Swords Dance isn't too useful against these guys as their speed lets them hit you in the gap between strokes. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) Counter, Counter, Counter. As soon as they get close enough to attack, use it. They'll get knocked away far enough that you can take a few shots before they move in again. swords dance works here, and the third or fourth stroke does significant damage, usually enough to send them off the edge if not KO them. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) These guys are a bit difficult due to Marth's lack of projectiles. Your running slash is essential against these opponents, because that's the best way to get in close enough to take away their advantage. Counter the projectiles that you can, try to dodge the rest, but don't let them get away once they're close. Beat them bloody with your basic A attack and strong attacks, then finish them off with a smash or a Shield Breaker. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) These guys are no sweat for Marth. Frequent smash attacks and shield breakers are almost always enough to finish them off in seconds. Shiek's speed is really your only concern, but good use of Counter should keep all his physical attacks from landing too often. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) These guys are slow and lack projectiles, so use the time that gives you to charge up a shield breaker attack while they're trying to move in. You should be able to get in a little charge, which ups the damage significantly. Keep using that, the smash, and Swords Dance to rack up enough damage to let them fly. Watch for Ganondorf's Wizard Dive, as Marth is tall enough to grab right off the ground. The Gerudo Dragon and Wizards Foot can be annoying, but a Counter or strong attack can handle those. ~Unlock Marth by playing all fourteen characters in Melee mode, just playing AS them. ************* *** FALCO *** ************* ---BACKGROUND--- Falco has starred as Fox's wingman in both the original Starfox and Starfox 64 (Lylat Wars in Britain). He, along with Peppy Hare, Slippy Toad, and of course, Fox McCloud, make up the skilled Starfox Team, which protects the Lylat system from the wiles of Andross, simian mad scientist extraordinaire. Falco's a bird, but which species is anyone's guess. Perhaps he's some kind of parrot. Perhaps he's a Falcon. Nobody knows... What we do know is that Falco is easily the most obnoxious smartass of a character ever found in any Nintendo game. Though he has been friends with Fox McCloud for ages, he often comments rudely about Fox's abilities as a pilot, and clearly believes he'd make a better leader for the Starfox team. Despite his poor attitude, he really is the most valuable of your wingmen in the Starfox games. ---GENERAL INFO--- Falco makes his fighting debut as a "clone" of Fox. Don't be fooled, though. Though the two may share moves, Falco has quite a few differences from his furry counterpart. He's a bit slower, but can jump substantially higher (donning a bunny hood can actually be lethal when playing as Falco), and has more power in him. However, he's still fast enough to run circles around his opponents, and opponents with high percentages won't be able to escape him no matter how hard they try. Falco is also extremely resilient- it takes a lot to get rid of him for good, and this is perhaps his strongest point. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Falco charges up, and lets out a kick, turning to hit his opponent. Unlike most smashes, it's better for racking up damage than actually knocking enemies away. It also hits quite low, and has no trouble hitting small characters like Pichu. Down Smash Yow! Falco does the splits when you use the downward smash, kicking enemies on either side of him. It's a good clearout move, like most downward smashes, and hits both sides at the exact same time (most downward smashes don't, hitting one side after another). Of course, it's less powerful than the forward smash, but can get the job done. Up Smash Falco's upward smash is an upward somersault kick. It can get an easy high KO on weakened enemies, and is a good juggling move. It'll also get rid of any annoying pests in front of you. It's probably more useful than the forward smash. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Blaster This is similar in operation to Fox's blaster, but has a few differences. First, it's less rapid. Second, it is a bit more powerful. Third (and most importantly), it actually knocks enemies back a bit (Fox's blaster hurts enemies, but it doesn't budge them an inch). Use it whenever there's an opponent in clear view across the stage from you, or when you want to detonate a bob-omb from a safe distance. B -> : Falco Phantasm Most characters have a dash move that sends opponents into the air, but the Falco Phantasm kicks it up a notch and sends them higher, doing more damage. It's invaluable as a juggle starter, and don't hesitate to use it on a group of enemies. B ^ : Firebird Like Fox's Firefox, this move will set Falco charging up for a moment, before shooting through the air in a burst of flame. You can use this in any direction you like, and it'll burn edge-guarders with ease. It won't go as far as the Firefox, but Falco's other jumps more than make up for that. If you have time to charge up, use this move horizontally as a more powerful alternative to the Falco Phantasm. It is very much worth it. B v : Reflector SSB:M has much less focus on projectiles than its predecessor, but when the time comes for a long distance fight, this is a wonderful tool. If Falco is hit by a projectile while using this, the projectile will instantly be sent the other way, back at the opponent. Useless against some characters (like captain Falcon or DK), but extremely helpful against many others. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Against Swordsmen, you want to be the first to act. Start juggling combos from above and below, and then try to trap them in your multi- hitting kicks (done by pressing A quickly). Throws are handy to keep them out of commission for a moment or two. Just don't give them a chance to hit you, and they're putty in your hands. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) When facing other speedsters, it's a race to be the first to entrap the other in a series of quick hits. Be the first, and you're fine. You can damage your opponent a ton and then finish them. If you get caught, dodge, jump, do whatever it takes to get out of your opponents' grip so you can try to get back at your foe. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) You want to treat these guys like Swordsmen. You're really just a faster version of them who is only slightly weaker, so act accordingly. Toss them around and entrap them in multiple back and forth hits with the Falco Phantasm. It's also a good idea to blast at these guys with the Firebird. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Your reflector is invaluable here. Whenever one of these characters fires a high-powered blast at you, quickly hold down + B, and you'll be saved from what could be a painful death. Your reflector will even protect you from Ness' PK Flash. Otherwise, treat these guys like Close Ranges, and juggle more than you normally would, since that's their weak point. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) Don't let these guys touch the ground, and they'll have a lot more trouble. Since Falco's smash attacks tend to send enemies high in the air, use them a lot. Edge-guard like crazy, and lightweights shouldn't be able to harm you badly. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Heavyweights are the difficult ones for Falco. Basically, do what you usually do and don't give them breathing room. You'll want to rely more on your blaster, since these guys have mostly close-up attacks. Also, be sure to blast at them with the Firebird, and don't bother using the Falco Phantasm. You can win if you work at them long enough. ~Falco is playable by beating 100 Man Melee OR by playing 300 Vs. matches. ******************* **** DR. MARIO **** ******************* ---BACKGROUND--- Dr. Mario, drug dealer...er...pharmacist extraordinaire, makes his way into the all-star cast of Super Smash Bros. Melee as a hidden character. Prancing around in his stylish white lab coat, he can make short work of any opponent (provided you follow this guide) and still have it appear effortless. First arriving on the NES in his own game, Dr. Mario helped you destroy viruses in a clever Tetris clone, also called Dr. Mario. Most recently seen on the N64's incarnation of the game, Dr. Mario returns to kick some *deleted* with a MELON. ---GENERAL INFO--- While Dr. Mario may be just a clone of his somewhat faster counterpart Mario, his well-rounded skills make him an equally wise choice for beginners and experts alike. Although lacking in far ranging projectiles, Dr. Mario more than makes up for it in his strong close range attacks. Diving right into the scrap is what Dr. Mario is about, specializing in quick, fierce jabs and the occasional throw. Being a skilled attack sniper can cheese out CPU opponents and frustrate human players to the point where choosing anyone but Dr. Mario seems questionable. Dr. Mario's strengths lie in his Smash Attacks, which include the very powerful Meteor Smash, and his speed. Even though Dr. Mario has powerful attacks, he is not hindered by the slowness you would expect from Bowser or Donkey Kong. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Dr. Mario's forward Smash works best when closer to the opponent. Not far away as in off the screen, but two or three paces back. The electrical blast can knock the wind out of most characters, so smash away. Down Smash Dr. Mario spins his feet around like a drunken break dancer and clears out the pack of fools that dare come close to you. Use this to clear out a clump of characters, or beat somebody away from the edge who's trying to get back to the platform. Charge it up fully and you can send your opponents to the moon. Up Smash This move is useful when an opponent is jumping towards you or is falling down from the sky. This knocks them off trajectory and sends them away from you. Also use this when you yourself have been knocked off the platform by using it after the double jump. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Megavitamin Instead of the standard fireball that Mario shoots, Dr. Mario shoots out a pill (called a Megavitamin) that bounces along the platform, making cool retro sound effects in the process. This being Dr. Mario's only real projectile, it lacks the force you need to keep enemies at bay. You can fire the Megavitamins in the air, but they fall downwards towards the ground. The best and cheapest use for these Megavitamins is to shoot them at somebody trying to make it back to the platform. Several of these Megavitamins to the face will guarantee they won't be returning this trip around. B -> : Super Sheet This is the Doc's version of the Super Cape. It is virtually identical, except that it's gleaming white and probably well sterilized. It'll flip your opponent around (great for wrecking their moves while they're charging up) and damage them a bit. It'll also work as a reflector, but your timing has to be just so for it to work. B ^ : Super Jump Punch This is virtually identical to Mario's edition of the attack. Dr. Mario leaps through the air in a fixed trajectory and entraps his enemies in a combo attack. It can be annoying when trying to make precise jumps, but for the most part it's a very good move that should be employed often. As it's not exactly the most damaging maneuver in Mario's arsenal, and as it causes him to pause for a moment to return to the ground (leaving him wide open for projectile counter attacks, or opportunistic ground assailants), the Super Jump Punch should be reserved for only the occasions when Mario needs to clear out opponents from above him, leaving him safe to make a landing. Also, the Super Jump Punch is an extremely useful third jump, launching Mario in a upward diagonal path back toward the stage in the case of an accidental fall. B V : Doc Tornado This is like the Mario Tornado but with more range. You can move around more, chasing after opponents who try to escape. The final hit isn't all that powerful, but this IS a damaging move. Use it often on those who like to come in close. --OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Swordsmen are going to be ready and waiting when you try to pull your close range hits on them. This means that you should make use of your megavitamins and pelt them from a high perch. When the Links try to throw projectiles at you, use the Super Sheet to send 'em back their way. Be sure to use your Super Jump Punch from below, as well. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) Keep on the ground and stay there firmly. They're going to be jumping all over the place, so be ready to catch them in a deadly Doc Tornado. It can really mess up their combos if you spin them around with the Super Sheet, so use that liberally. Keep at it. They're faster, but you're stronger, and you'll be happily surprised when you see whose percentages are higher. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) When it comes time to face close ranges, it's time to know how you play, and counter it. You should always know what the best thing for your opponent to do is, and then counter it. Give them a heavy dose of vitamins (ha ha) and watch out for their smashes. It all comes down to skill, here. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Two words: Super Sheet. Reflect those shots and missiles, and they should end up hurting more than you. Be sure to juggle, as well, and make them back into a corner. Only Samus can properly defend herself up close, so act accordingly. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) Lightweights use their special attacks a lot, so be sure to use yours. Most of their attacks require you to be somewhat close, so naturally you want to keep away. These characters can sometimes suicide if they use the wrong move at the wrong time, so try and trick Jiggly into rolling off a cliff, Kirby into dropping into a pit, and Zelda into teleporting somewhere dangerous. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Watch out. Heavyweights have tons of power, and Dr. Mario, while strong, will have to work extremely hard to clear them away. Fortunately, their power moves have abysmal recovery time, so swoop in to hit them after they finish whatever uber-powerful attack they have in store. Use your Super sheet to foul up their smashes and charge moves, and stay on the move. Just don't stay in one place and try to keep in control. ~Dr. Mario is playable by beating Classic mode with Mario without dying OR by playing 100 Vs. matches. *************** ** GANONDORF ** *************** ---BACKGROUND--- Ganondorf, the mortal enemy of Link and Zelda, makes his triumphant leap to 128 bits after starring in a dismal total of 1 games on the N64. Before that, he was featured in just about all of the original Zelda games, or at least his Triforce Induced Pig-like form, Ganon was. In Melee, he's a secret character, referred to as a "clone" of Captain Falcon. The word clone does no justice to just how great of a powerhouse Ganondorf really is. With his souped up Captain Falcon moves, in the hand of a master, Ganondorf can obliterate opponents, and on a small level, he's downright unfair. ---GENERAL INFO--- The secret to playing Ganondorf lies in his power moves. Used correctly, his warlock punch will KO just about any character with minimal damage. His only real problem is how slow he is, but only in running speed. his hits are as quick but yet more powerful than Captain Falcons, and it takes a bit more to knock him off. The key strategy to Ganondorf is to hit hard, and prey on the weaklings. If you go and attack the ones with either the highest hit percentage or the smallest, Ganondorf will easily take them out. Also, learning to dodge back and forth around characters is key, as his dodge flips you quicker than you would go if you were running. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash An elbow hit, but yet very very powerful. It will KO opponents with the higher percentages, but only the very high. Great for clearing an opponent from you. Down Smash If you hold it and charge it, he'll kick incredibly powerful on both sides of himself, and opponents will, if hit in the second kick, go flying in the air straight up. This is a great kick to perform in a combo, as the flying enemy is then ready for your smash attacks. Up Smash If charged, this attack will send a kick flying upwards, which is great for juggling, but a bit slow. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Warlock Punch An insanely powerful punch, when charged up, this punch will not only KO just about anyone on contact, but it will also envelop the character in a purple haze and darken their color scheme for a little while. It's pretty cool to watch, and if you can get this punch off at full power, then you will be dealing some major damage. B -> : Gerudo Dragon This is one of my favorite attacks, as it not only deals some damage, but it throws the character upwards, prone to a combo hit or two. It's a great way to clear the character from the stage, and teams can use it as a pitch, to which the other player would bat the character off the stage. Once again, it envelops the character in the same purple haze. B ^ : Dark Dive Ok, the Captain Falcon grab was and is a good move, but just the fact that Ganondorf's shocks you, envelops you in the purple haze, AND does more damage is reason enough to misuse this. It's a great move in the fact that if you successfully pull it off, you can do it again and again on other badguys. This move is a great one to pull off when enemies are trying to get back on the edge, because if you pull it off, you can just do it again to get back on the edge. If you're going one- on-one, use this often. Remember, it doesn't matter how you do the job, just that it gets done. B V : Wizard's Foot A heavily modified Falcon Kick, this kick has you sliding across the stage to deal a fair amount of damage. It's not Ganondorf's best move, but it's good for getting a pesky character from touching you if you're trying to escape them. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Ganondorf has a fair amount of range to his close up attacks, and if you really want to be cheap up against swordsmen, utilize the fact that their sword swipes take some time to hit and roll under them to perform a heavy smash hit to their backside. If you're coming down on top of them, use the down-b downward dive kick on top of them to prevent them from juggling you. But the main move for Ganon when facing any enemy is the Gerudo Dragon, because it will throw them upwards and can be used as a combo, or as a lob for other players to hit. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) Ganondorf does not work well with these characters, and you must be quick to roll. Try hard to just deal heavy damage to the smaller characters in this set, and use the Dark Dive to keep them off the stage. Captain Falcon is a match of duality, but realize that Ganondorf's attacks are much more powerful, and so if you watch, his hit percentage should rise faster than yours, meaning he'll be much easier to KO. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) As you don't really have any projectiles, the best thing to do to these characters is the moves that can hit them and start from far away, like the Wizard's Foot or Gerudo Dragon. The Gerudo Dragon is especially fun, as you can then jump and Dark Dive them away from you, and repeat if necessary. Try to not get close to them, because if you do, they'll hit you before you can fully power up a move necessary to escape or deal damage. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Well, Ganondorf's strength relies on his ability to get up close to the other characters, but he does have some moves that have range, like the Wizard's Foot. Try to catch the long range characters in strong hits and punches, or toss them up. If you do get them in a close up attack, you will win with your superior strength. Running away will just make you into a target. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) If you can get the first hit off, then you can KO this chumps easily. Just be sure to keep your fingers ready for shielding, and use EVERY attack on the lightweights. If you keep coming at them from all sides, you'll be sure to land a lot of hits. Just watch out for the hits they can land on you, and keep yourself spry. It's good that Ganondorf is a quick heavy hitter, because when you're up against the lightweights, you'll need that speed. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Battles between heavy hitters is basically one of Last Man Standing. Ganondorf is probably the best of the pack here, and can quickly trounce the others if played right. Stay in the middle of the stage, and then just land hits on the other heavy hitters as they approach you. If they succeed in knocking you off, you have a lot of jump still in you, so don't worry. Just keep on using smash moves to knock them away, and then keep them off. If you're up against DK, hit him off and Dark Dive him till he's under the level of the platform, where he can't return. ~Ganondorf is playable by beating Event #29. **************** ** YOUNG LINK ** **************** ---BACKGROUND--- Young Link is Miyamoto's original vision for the hero of the Zelda games (a vision he is trying to reproduce in the GCN version of Zelda, but we won't get into that). He is seven years younger than Link's adult form, and retains his youth and innocence. The division between Young Link and Adult Link occurred with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time where players started the game as Link at ten years old, and finished the game at the age of seventeen. Young Link was also featured in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, where he donned magical masks that could transform him into a Goron, a Zora, or a Deku Scrub. ---GENERAL INFO--- Like all of the clones in SSB:M, Young Link retains the same moves as his base character (Link), with a few notable differences. He's quite a bit quicker and more nimble, but the moves that were excellent finishers as Link are somewhat less effective. Young Link has to struggle quite a bit to get rid of pesky opponents. That being said, Young Link is still extremely skilled at weakening opponents, and is very handy in team battles where he can raise percentages while a partner can knock opponents out. Also, Young Link is an extremely skilled juggler. Not only does he keep enemies in the air, but he jumps up there after them for powerful aerial attacks. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Young Link charges, and swings his sword out. This is pathetically weak, except for one thing: pressing A again will cause him to release a second hit, which is significantly mroe powerful, and is one of Young Link's few good finishers. Down Smash Here, Young Link will slash out on both sides, tripping up opponents. You won't be using this much, since the sword spin is much better in those situations where you're surrounded. Up Smash Young Link's up smash is three quick swipes above his head. It'll never KO an opponent unless you're playing in sudden death mode, but it sure is handy for hurting enemies. If you miss with one strike, you may just hit with the next. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B: Fire Bow This move operates identically to Link's bow, but is much more powerful. Why? Because the arrows are flaming. This is infinitely useful, and is one of the best projectiles in the game. Never hesitate to pelt an opponent with these fiery pointy sticks of doom. B -> : Boomerang This isn't a lot different that Link's boomerang. Throw it, it'll fly, and then it'll come back. Even if you miss at first, you can jump around a bit to alter its trajectory so that it hits enemies on the way back (it'll always try its best to home in on you). Also, if you smash with it, instead of just tilting the control stick, the boomerang will fly farther. B ^ : Sword Spin This move is a lot like Link's, but you'll want to do it in different places. It's crap in the air, now (it knocks enemies too far away to hit them again, but not far enough to KO them), but on the ground it'll pull enemies in and entrap them in a multi-hitting attack that sends them flying at the end, much like the Mario Tornado. Never hesitate to use this move in a tricky situation. B v : Bomb Another good porjectile, the bomb is also handy for damage racking. Best of all, if a character uses their shiel to bounce it upwards, it'll fly into the air, then fall on them again. Just be sure you don't hold it for too long. It'll explode in your face, too. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Unfortunately, your Kokiri Sword is the smallest of the bunch here, meaning that you'll have to stay back and rely on projectiles. Pelt these guys with fire arrows and bombs until their damage is in the high hundreds. Then, finish them with the down + A midair sword stab, or the second hit of your forward smash attack. It's easy as pie against Marth and Roy, but facing another Hylian hero can be difficult, since they can projectile you back. You'll want to find a superior sniping perch against Link and Young Link, and occasionally swoop in for an aerial attack. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) These guys are fast, but Young Link's no slowpoke himself. battles here will inevitably become close-up brawls, so make good use of your sword spin on the ground. Take to the skies if you're feeling overwhelmed, and keep whittling away at their defense, without letting them do it to you. You should be able to clear them out eventually. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) Young Link's no slouch at close-range fighting either. If they want to get down and dirty, be ready to oblige. Use your ground sword spin liberally, and use projectiles when necessary. Close range fighters aren't a serious problem here. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Aerial, aerial, aerial! These guys are dangerous when grounded, but if you can get them into the air and keep them there, you'll have an incredibly easy time beating these guys. They're useless in the skies, so capitalize like mad on that. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) On the upside, these are the only characters who are REALLY susceptible to your finishers early on. On the downside, their special moves are absolutely brutal. It's time to be the artful dodger, and use the L & R buttons frequently to escape their various projectiles, blasts, and hits. If you can get the jump on lightweights early on, you can win with no problem. Just watch out for Sheik, because her speed can be difficult to counter. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) No problem. Their attacks are very slow, and Young Link is a very fast dodger. You can literally outrun Ganondorf's Wizard's Foot, leap over DK's Giant Punch, and shield yourself from the Bowser Bomb with ample time. Heavy hitters are tough to finish, but easy to weaken, and easy to dodge. The battle will be long, but certainly not hard. ~Young Link is playable by beating Classic Mode with 10 characters OR by playing 500 Vs. matches. **************** **** MEWTWO **** **************** ---BACKGROUND--- Mewtwo, the 150th Pokemon, is greatly feared and respected by many trainers in the world of Pokemon. This psychic Pokemon was cloned from Mew, and can only be found in a very remote cave in the game. However, the search is well worth it for any trainer looking for him. Mewtwo's psychic powers are unparalleled, as are his Recovery skills. Mewtwo finally brings his powers to the world of Melee, where his psychic abilities can match the brute strength of any foe. ---GENERAL INFO--- As you would probably guess, Mewtwo mainly uses his psychic powers while fighting, but not in the way you might think. With his psychic powers, Mewtwo can create and fire dark energy, which can be devastating to his opponents if used correctly. This dark energy is used for everything from weak A attacks to creating a giant dark ball and shooting it at your opponent. Mewtwo's throws are among the most powerful in the game. In his up throw, Mewtwo twirls the opponent around his body using his mind, then throws his opponent straight up into the air with great force. And in his front throw, Mewtwo kind of holds his opponent in the air and pummels him with small dark energy balls. Not great for throwing people far, but perfect for racking up damage. It can hit multiple opponents, too. One thing to keep in mind is that Mewtwo is not best designed for sending opponent's flying. Instead, he is designed to be a very "technical" character, using many moves to throw his opponent off guard and set up for the few strong attacks Mewtwo has. Also, I would reccomend you stay grounded while fighting as Mewtwo; for some reason, he seems lighter and easier to knock out in mid-air. Probably because it's his psychic powers holding him up. Mewtwo's jumping skills are quite good, double jumping much in the same way as Ness. While in the air, Mewtwo has two particularly powerful attacks. With his neutral A attack, he charges himself with electricity, which will shock anybody nearby. This can rack up some SERIOUS damage if you shock them for long enough. And with his Side+A attack, he charges his hand with dark energy and lashes out at his opponent. It'll send nearly anyone with decent damge flying. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash With his Forward Smash, Mewtwo drives his hands forward (like how Ryu shoots a Hadoken) and shoots out a bit of dark energy. The good thing about this attack is that it's quite powerful, and has more range than most Forward Smashes. However, it's can be pretty slow, and dodged fairly easily by someone expecting it. Not recommended for repeated use on small, quick targets. Down Smash Like many of Mewtwo's moves, his Down Smash is different from most other characters. Instead of sweeping those around him, Mewtwo points in front of him with one finger, creating a small energy explosion at that point. Again, it can be slow, and you must be facing the opponent and fairly close to him/her for it to work. But when it hits, it is nearly as powerful as Mewtwo's forward smash. It'll usually send them flying upward, giving Mewtwo a good chance to juggle or take advantage with his powerful midair attacks. Up Smash Yet another dark energy move. In this case, Mewtwo drives his palm upward, creating a ball of energy in his hand that will strike multiple hits on anyone who touches it. Does some pretty good damage by itself, but won't send anyone flying unless you can keep them on the ball of energy until the end of the move. In that case, they will go flying upwards, knocking out nearly anyone with higher damage. Mewtwo's primary juggling move. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Shadow Ball Mewtwo reaches back and cups his hands, then begins charging up an energy ball. The ball gets larger and larger until it is about half Mewtwo's size. If it's shot at that stage, it can be one of the most powerful projectiles in the game, rivaling Samus's Charge Shot in strength. Also like Samus' charge shot, it is possible to move while charging just by pressing left or right while charging. However, one difference is that once the ball is done charging, you will not break from that stance until you move or shoot the ball. And once you shoot the ball, it will go in a slightly zig-zag pattern until you hit your target or a surface. Because of this zig-zag pattern, aiming can be hard, so try to use this at point-blank range or shooting it into a crowd of people. B -> : Confusion With Confusion, Mewtwo reaches out with his hand and clutches at the air, which lifts any nearby opponents in front of him and spins them around in mid-air. When they land, they're facing the opposite direction. It works much like Mario's Cape, in the fact that it turns opponents around, causes little damage, and won't send opponents flying. However, it has a bit more range, and in some instances can block projectiles. Very useful for "Confusing" anyone who tries to land a strong attack at point-blank range. B ^ : Teleport Does exactly what it says. With a small flash of light, Mewtwo will dissapear, only to appear higher a second later. After disappearing, you can tilt the control stick in the upwards direction you would like to go. It doesn't send you as far as Zelda's (closer to Shiek, actually), but it's still great for coming back to a stage, or even dodging an attack as it moves very quickly. Plus, it looks pretty damn cool. B V : Hypnotize Here, Mewtwo jerks his head forward, shooting out a small ray with his eyes. Anyone close and in front of Mewtwo will be Hypnotized, similar to what they would look like if they were struck by Jigglypuff's sleep (except not sleeping). Again, this move isn't really for attacking as it is for throwing your opponent off guard. If you're fighting on a team, this move is a perfect set-up to a strong attack from your teammate, as it is fairly quick and will not leave Mewtwo very vulnerable. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) These men can give you trouble if you try to take them out with your normal attacks, due to their smash attack range being greater than yours. Ergo, don't use your normal attacks. Simple, eh? Instead, try attacking them from the air, using Confusion and Hypnotize, anything to throw them off guard while you either A) charge up your Shadow Ball or B) get behind them to use your smash attacks. Beware while you are in mid-air, however; the swordsmen have the ability to shoot you out of the sky if you're not careful. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) These guys will probably give Mewtwo the most trouble, as a good deal of his attacks take a bit of time to use. So, when facing them, play on the defensive. If they charge at you, hit them with a Confusion or Hypnotize to stop them in their tracks. If they come from above, use your A+ ^ Smash to shoot 'em outta the sky. And if they ever get close, grab 'em and shoot them straight up in the sky. While doing this, look for an opportunity to use your Shadow Ball or your stronger smash attacks. Your original tactics should eventually rack up enough damage to send any of them flying with one strong attack. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) You OWN these guys. Mewtwo's close range attacks have a better range and are almost always more powerful than theirs. However, be cautious of the projectiles the Mario brothers and Ice Climbers use. If they're smart, the projectiles can throw you off guard while they get inside and pound the hell out of you. So, avoid the projectiles when you can, or absorb the damage and wait for them to get close enough for you to smack them. The key thing here is not to let them get TOO close. Do that, and you'll be set. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Ness should be virtually no problem here. All you need to do is avoid his PK Fire and follow the advice for the Close Rangers above. Samus is a different story. Because she has fairly quick projectiles with her missiles and energy shots, they can be hard to avoid since Mewtwo doesn't move very fast. What you need to do in this case is use your shield liberally while slowly closing in on her. Once you can get close enough to prevent her from using projectiles, you should be sit. Do watch out for her quick smash attacks, however. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) The main problem with the two pink puffballs is that they're too damn small. Your most powerful attacks, save your A+Down Smash, will have a very hard time hitting them. Instead, make an attempt to grab them and throw them, or get them in the air somehow. Juggle as much as you can, then repeat the process. Soon, you'll have enough damage to send them flying with a decent attack. As for Peach and Zelda, the main problems are with their speed. But this proves to be a small obstacle indeed. Following many of the tips used for Speedsters will help you out here, as Zelda and Peach have very little else that provides a threat to Mewtwo. Buuut, what about Shiek? If you're not careful, she'll juggle you like a friggin chainsaw at a state fair. So, don't give her that opportunity. Avoid her when you can, use your shield liberally and take advantage when you block an attack. Just keep on your toes and don't let Shiek take advantage, and you'll be fine. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) Mewtwo can take care of DK and Bowser fairly easily. As slow as Mewtwo moves, it's nowhere near as slow as those two. He'll be able to avoid their attacks easily, then land attacks of his own while they're recovering. Ganondorf, on the other hand, might present some problems. His attacks aren't as slow as Bowser or DK, but they're just as powerful, plus he moves faster overall. If he ever tries to land a Smash or B button attack while you're both grounded, you'll have enough to time to stop him with a Confusion or Hypnotize. The main thing with Ganondorf is to STAY OUT OF THE AIR. He will kick your ass up there with his B + Up attack and his powerful mid-air punches and kicks. AS long as you both stay grounded, you should be alright. ~To unlock Mewtwo, you must either rack up 20 hours of combined vs. play (20 hours with 1 human player, 10 with 2, and so on...) or play 700 vs. matches. It's SUGGESTED that you simply leave your Gamecube on overnight and leave a game going to get the 20 hours. ************* *** PICHU *** ************* ---BACKGROUND--- Pichu first appeared in Pokemon Gold/Silver for the Gameboy Color (they were released simultaneously) as the pre-evolved form of Pikachu that you would receive by breeding 2 Pikachus. Since that Pichu has also been featured in Pokemon Stadium 2 for the Nintendo 64, Pokemon Crystal for the Gameboy Color and a game for the Pokemon Mini. Pichu wasn't in the original Super Smash Brothers and comes to Melee as a 'clone' of Pikachu. ---GENERAL INFO--- Pichu is the lightest character in the game. Some of his attacks don't do as much as Pikachu's. Whenever Pichu uses an electric attack he damages himself (because he is as competent with electricity as Pikachu is). When you look at those stats Pichu does appear to be crappy. Fear not as no character is crappy in Super Smash Brothers Melee. Pichu is like a speeding bullet in speed not only is he a quick runner; his attacks are fast as well. He has some very powerful moves and has good dodges. The damage that he does to himself is quite minimal as well. Pichu has an awesome <- throw to so use it as well. Although Pichu is light and easy to knock around with practice and skill you can become a Pichu master. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Ahh... the beloved meteor smash. Pichu charges up and shoots out a small electric charge. This attack doesn't hurt you that much (about 2%) and sends enemies flying. It's an excellent finisher. The attack takes a few seconds to perform it can be a good edge guarder against players with slow jumps. Down Smash Pichu swings his head to both sides of him bashing enemies. It isn't that fantastic since Pichu already has a clear-out move (thunder). If you need to clear out quicker though then use this move. Up Smash Pichu slams his head into the air above him. It's quite powerful and a great build-up to his thunder attack. It's also good to start a juggle. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B: Thunderjolt Pressing the B button will send out an electric charge that'll bounce up and down off the ground until it hits somebody. It does about 8%, but does 1% to you. It is Pichu's only move that he can hit someone in the air with. If you use the Thunderjolt in the air or on the edge of a platform it flies diagonally until it hits someone. Great if you don't want to bother with Thunder as an edge-guarder. B ->: Headbutt Quite simply Pichu's best move. If you press ->+B Pichu will fling himself a little hitting an enemy in front of him. It does moderate damage. If you hold it, it can become a killing machine. Holding it up fully can do a blow as devastating as the Falcon Punch. Pichu flings himself forward more the more it's charged up so charge with caution if you're on a small stage. Oh it only does about 1% damage to Pichu too. B ^: Quick Attack This is Pichu's come-back move. It's very quick and it sends you quite far. Pichu shoots himself into the air. If you tap the control stick again you will do what's called the double teleport. Unlike Pikachu's however it doesn't damage enemies. 1% damage to yourself if you do a single teleport an extra 2% damage if you do another one. B V: Thunder Now we're getting to the good stuff. Thunder is an unbelievable powerful clear-out move. Pichu calls upon a cloud in which a lightning bolt comes out and hits Pichu. There are 3 strategies for this move. The first is as a clear-out move. Since there's a small span of electrical charge coming out when Pichu hits himself you can hit multiple enemies if they're crowding around you. The second is an ultra-hyper cheap edge-guarder. It's almost impossible for the enemy to dodge this if the timing is right. The third is if enemies are on a higher platform if you're directly underneath them you can hit them from above. As an added bonus if you use that method you don't get hurt. The other two methods will probably do about 4% damage to yourself. --OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) Swordsmen are a huge pain in the ass. However, they suck at aerial if you can start at them from the air then get down on the ground to do battle you should be fine. You can also use your Thunderbolt to stun them then waltz up and close range the hell out of them. Your throw is a good idea ass they are pretty weak against edge guarding. Frequent dodges can also work (ex. You run up to the enemy and dodge back. You repeat then the next time, flip to the other side of him and attack). Remember about Roy and Marth's Counter attack, as it seems to be forgotten quite frequently. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) These folk are about medium difficulty for Pichu. Fox and Falco shouldn't be too hard as they have strong aerial ability; use your Thunder to kick their ass. Capt. Falcon isn't that much trouble either because of your quick aerial ability. His good attacks are all slow or start from a distance so use thunderbolt to stop the Falcon kick and the B-> attack while dodging his other attacks. The Pikachu/Pichu duo are VERY annoying. Your excellent edge-gaurding abilities don't matter at all. Your faster than Pikachu so use your speed to your advantage. Pichu should be thrown frequently as speedsters all seem to be vulnerable to throws and you have an excellent one. Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) Ahh... the close-rangers; sometimes they are the hardest, sometimes they are the easiest. Your victory is pretty dependant on how well they utilize their projectiles. For the Mario team it'd be best to remain aerial as you have good air attacks. Juggling them is also does well. For Yoshi, Game and Watch and the Ice Climbers you should dodge frequently. They have awesome smash attacks and will KO you at any point of weakness. You have superior projectiles and they all are weak against edge-guarding. With the exception of Yoshi you should use Thunder as frequently as possible. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) Throw everything you've been doing before out the window as these guys are the only you should stick to. Stay grounded too as all of them have excellent aerial attacks. You should be able to dodge their projectiles without skipping a beat and they have crappy ground with the exception of Ness's bat. They're completely helpless against your thunder. Whatever you do though, do not edge-guard Ness. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) These guys are tough. Pihcu is quite vulnerable to juggling so stay grounded. With the exception of Zelda all can be edge-guarded to death. They're also fairly slow so try dodging. With the exception of Kirby they all are good juggles. Their projectiles are slow so starting with a thunderbolt is always a good idea. Use the same strategies you would for Capt. Falcon against Shiek. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Gannondorf) These guys would seem hard but with the right amount of dodging can become very easy. None of their hard-hitting attacks are quick so dodging the right way can be great. Bowser's Down-B move takes a fair while to actually start so you can juggle them easily. Bowser and Donkey Kong can be edge-guarded quite easily, but Gannondorf is more troublesome to edge-guard. Using your quickness and agility should allow you to prevail. Stay on guard as they take a lot to defeat and even if they haven't hit you your damage will still rack up and one well-placed DK Punch/Claw Swipe/Warlock Punch/whatever can kill you. Stay alert and you should be fine. ~Pichu is unlocked by completing Event 37 ************************** *** Mr. Game and Watch *** ************************** ---BACKGROUND--- Originally starring in the Game and Watch portable series (created by Gunpei Yokoi) this character came as a total surprise. He has starred in many games including the popular Fire Rescue Game and Watch. This monochrome simplistic looking character never had a name until Super Smash Brothers: Melee came along. ---GENERAL INFO--- What makes Mr. Game and Watch rock are his amazing smash attacks. They rack up a great amount of damage and -most importantly- they send opponents incredible distances. Mr. Game and Watch also has a decent throw, good comeback ability, a move that has the potential to do 100% damage and has quick jumps. His main downside is he's incredibly light. He's tied with Jigglypuff for 2nd easiest to hit off (the easiest is Pichu) and he can't run very quickly. However in the right hands he can still be amazing. ---REGULAR ATTACKS--- Forward Smash Mr. Game and Watch's best attack period, he pulls out a frying pan and smacks the opponent. Using this you can both rack up incredible amounts of damage and send them flying. It's also very quick. It is the perfect finisher and is also very good for edge-guarding. Never hesitate to use this move. Up Smash This one is great at sending opponents flying off the top of the screen. Mr. Game and Watch puts on a scuba mask and headbutts the opponent to oblivion. It's a good juggle-starter and racks up a fair bit of damage too. If someone is coming down it can block most attacks too. Down Smash This attack isn't as powerful as the other two but it can still be useful. Mr. Game and Watch pulls out two hammers and smashes both sides of him. It usually isn't that great of a move but if you have an enemy on both sides then use this move. It's a great clear-out move. ---SPECIAL ATTACKS--- B : Sausages Mr. Game and Watch pulls out his frying pan and flips sausages into the air. This move actually has two uses, it can be used as a long distant sausage attack or a close up frying attack. As far as the sausages go they're not very powerful but they are his only long distance attack and have varied distances. It's great to use to hit someone trying to come back to the platform. The second use is close distance. Mr Game and Watches frying pan is very hot so if someone touches it they can get hurt. It's good to use this to hit them back the pummel them with sausages. B -> : Hammer Mr. Game and Watch takes out a hammer and hits the opponents. The number on top of Mr. Game and Watches head shows how much damage it''l do and possibly it's effect. The numbers range from 1 (incredible weak) to 9 (amazingly strong and can almost instantly kill the opponent). Some of them also have effect. For example if the number is eight the opponent will be temporarily frozen. The more you use this the better chance of it being a nine is so use it often. B ^ : Trampoline In this move two firefighters magically appear with a trampoline and bounce Mr. Game and Watch into the air. Mr. Game and Watch gets sent pretty high up in the air so it's a good comeback move. It can be used to hit someone but it's usually pretty useless. It doesn't send them very far up and does little damage. Only use it to hit someone on a platform above you or to start a juggle. B V : Oil Spill This has the potential to be THE most powerful attack in the game. Mr. Game and Watch holds a bucket that can catch projectiles. That's not all however if Mr. Game and Watch catches three projectiles then he'll turn glowing. If you press down+B again he'll dump the contents out doing major damage. You move a bit slower though. The best strategy for this attack is to wait for the ideal time to attack. When you're new to Mr. Game and Watch you'll frequently miss but with enough practice you can use this for an instant KO. ---OPPONENTS--- Swordsmen: (Link, Young Link, Marth, Roy) These are Mr. Game and Watch's worst enemies. It's hard to get close to them so it's best to hit them with sausages then start juggling them. Marth and Roy are tough because of their counter and huge swords so try to dodge often and smash when you get the chance. The Link's might throw projectiles at you so suck them into the bucket. A good strategy would be to hit them into the air. If they use links aerial down A move then dodge at the last second and smack them with your frying pan. Speedsters: (Fox, Falco, Pikachu, Pichu, Captain Falcon) These guys are quick but precise timing will do you good. When one of them come running up then use a smash A attack on them. Remember to use the bucket to suck up their projectiles too. Pikachu and Pichu are easily knocked around so smash often. For Fox and Falco you'll just have to use timing. They are easy to juggle so use that to your advantage. Captain Falcon will give you the most trouble but his attacks are slow so you'd be best to dodge then smash him and edge guard (watch out for his up+B though) Close Range: (Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers) These guys should be pretty easy because you have powerful smash attacks. For Mario, Dr. Mario and Luigi get close and keep on smashing your heart out. Yoshi has the same strategy except watch out for his eggs and his down-B move. Ice Climbers will give you the most trouble since they have better smash attacks then you so your best bet would be to separate them then keep on attack one and make sure the other doesn't get near. When facing another Mr. Game and Watch try a mixture of sausages and smash attacks. It's essential to see what kind of a fighter he is. Long Range: (Ness, Samus, Mewtwo) These guys are Mr. Game and Watches greatest strength. If they go far away and try shooting projectiles at you then take out your bucket and unleash oil on them. If you get close to them you can pummel them with your smash attacks. Be sure to dodge Ness's bat and watch out for Mewtwo's smash attacks; they're pretty powerful. The main trick Samus has up her sleeve is the screw attack so practice your air dodges. Lightweights: (Kirby, Jigglypuff, Peach, Zelda) Mr. Game and Watch shouldn't have too much trouble with these guys just smash, smash and smash. Their tremendous comeback ability is no match if you hit them right off the side of the screen. They have quick attacks so Mr. Game and Watch's run A will be useful. Once you get them off the stage edge guard like mad. Jigglypuff's rest attack is extremely dangerous so watch out. Try using sausages to lure them in then smash them into oblivion. Heavy Hitters: (Donkey Kong, Bowser, Ganondorf) These guys shouldn't cause too much trouble. Make sure to smash a lot. It may take longer but they're really slow so hitting them should be hard. Most of their attacks are slow too so dodge frequently. Ganondorf can annihilate you with combos so dodge often. Edge guarding is a good idea but they all have hurtful up+B moves so be weary and dodge. ~Mr. Game and Watch is playable by completing all of the Target Tests, Adventure Modes, or Classic modes for the other 24 characters. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. LEVELS ICICLE MOUNTAIN An update of a level in the classic game Ice Climber, this stage is one of the more interesting stages of the game. For one thing, there are many many different platforms for the player to be on. Another thing is that the level will periodically move upwards or downwards, either quickly or slowly. Not only does this add to the challenge of the level, but it also adds a certain amount of strategy that is needed while playing. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Moderate; doesn't side scroll, only up and down. Hazards: The level scrolling either up or down at varying speeds. Strategy: Play defensively here, and try to smash approaching opponents off the sides. Players will die a lot here, so staying alive when the stage moves is key. Good jumpers will usually win here, but even a skilled heavyweight can survive. If you can, try to time a meteor attack when the stage is rising at its fastest speed, in order to completely finish your opponent. *** PRINCESS PEACH'S CASTLE On this level you fight atop Peach's castle from Mario 64. There really isn't too much to this level, besides the main roof being divided in two by a spire. There are buttons that randomly appear that can be pressed that will make platforms appear in different areas throughout the level, and there are two small floating platforms on both sides of the spire. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Moderate Hazards: Bullet Bills will come down from the sky every once in a while and drill into the castle, eventually creating a huge explosion. Strategy: A good arena for some defensive battles around the spire. You don't want to be the one to cross over the tower. Let your opponent do that, and greet them with a smash attack. When the battles subside, cross to the otehr side and repeat this strategy. While platforms are added with switches, they don't substantially alter the playing field. sometimes they can even extend the stage close for the KO wall, requiring less effort to get rid of an opponent. When a Bullet Bill comes, try to use throws to send your opponents over there, saving your own skin. The blast is deadly, and a well-placed bumper can keep your opponent stuck at ground zero. *** RAINBOW CRUISE A combination of Rainbow Ride and Tick Tock Clock from Mario 64, this level is one of the levels that keeps you on your toes. You start off on an airship, gliding across the skies. After a little while, the airship bumps into a platform and falls to the ground, leaving you to jump off the ship and onto the platform. The level continues to scroll and makes you go through many different platforms, including donut lifts, a swinging platform, and magic carpets. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Large Hazards: There is a big chance of people falling off, going too far, or not going far enough off the scrolling screen. Beware. There are also donut lifts, which fall after holding the player's weight for a little while. Also, platforms just disappear when they near the end of the screen. Strategy: When you're on the boat, you want to try to knock your opponent downwards off the left side. Let your enemies do the approaching, and play territorial. When the boat falls, you'll mainly want to try to hit your opponents with your Up+B moves as you climb upwards. As soon as the stage levels out and you pass the giant pendulum, Try to smash enemies to the left, into the quickly advancing KO wall. When you drop, don't drop too soon, or you'll die. Tryp to hit your opponents upwards before landing on the boat again. *** KONGO JUNGLE A remake of Kongo Jungle from the first game, this version adds more platforms in the main play area (two more to be exact, bringing the total to 4) and 2 smaller platforms off to the sides to help one come back from a Smash Attack. There is also a barrel under the stage, which will fire the player back onto the stage (or whatever direction it's pointing when it's fired). Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Small Hazards: Every once in a while, a Klap Trap will swim down the river and go right into the barrel, causing anyone who happens to wonder in while it's in there some damage. Strategy: This stage makes for some crazy vertical battles. The best palces to hit your opponents are from above and below. Strike right down the middle to send your opponents flying, and get 'em from below when they're on the main platforms. Along the bottom, hit them quickly from either side. You just have to know what attack to use, and when. *** JUNGLE JAPES A rather straightforward level, there is one main platform in the middle and two smaller ones off to the sides. Under the platforms is a raging river; one that sweeps the player away in its current if they're unlucky enough to fall in. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Moderate Hazards: The raging river is hard to avoid, as it seems to suck you in, and there are Klap Traps that jump out of the water periodically. Strategy: Since the holes are very easy to fall into, you'll want to be very cautious. However, once you get a feel for this level, you can use your opponents' unease against them. If you're facing a computer, they'll almost always suicide in the river, so just be cheap and trick them into doing that. Against a human, use those wide range moves like the Falcon Kick, the Firefox, and the Rumble Tumble Egg. If you can keep in control, your opponent is toast. *** GREAT BAY From Majora's Mask, this level consists of one main area and a moving platform. The moving platform is a large turtle, who is familiar to those who played Majora's Mask. Besides just the turtles back, players can also jump on the 2 palm trees that grow on it. The main platform has 3 areas, 2 of which are about sea level. The higher one is more desirable to be on, as the lower ones allow for the player to be knocked into the water easily. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Moderate when turtle is present, otherwise small Hazards: The turtle dives in and out of the water whenever it feels like it, so the player must be wary of that. Strategy: Your main concern here is to stay on the stage. Sure, it doesn't move, but getting back onto the lower platforms can be diffcult when you're within the water and unable to see yourself. By the same token, knock your enemies away every chance you get. Once an enemy is in the air, you have complete control over them. The turtle shouldn't be too much of a concern. Most of the fighting will take place near the lab. If you're caught in a juggling combo, escape to Tingle's balloon. It'll pop quickly, but you'll be able to regain control. *** TEMPLE Inspired by Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, this is easily the largest level in the game. There are many different areas, like temple ruins, underneath the temple, and on the temple. There are many many platforms scattered about the level, and there are a few different ways to get to certain areas from another. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Huge Hazards: None really, besides the immense size. It can get hard to see your player... Strategy: Ok, so this level is probably one of the most fun levels in the entire game, and it might be the best from the two games. The left edge contains a gazebo, and standing on top or on the bottom allows maximum edge guarding ability. The gazebo's roof can be jumped through, so if people come to challenge you, play around and through that and use it to your advantage, before letting them use it against you. The middle of the level has four different tiers, the top, middle, bottom, and the very bottom. If you're on the very top of the ruins, you can be smacked from underneath, so watch out. Smash attack people to the left, because the right is too far away. A good strategy is to stay underneath and jump up or drop down to be annoying, annoying like the Hammer Bros. in Super Mario Bros. In the second layer, you have the little cave that leads down and to the left. This is the best play to camp if you have a high hit percentage, because if you're hit, you'll bounce off the walls, and smash attacks won't throw you hardly anywhere. Also, if people come into the cave from the top, use up a and up b attacks, and vice versa for the bottom. You'll be declared very annoying. On the third tier down, you've got a huge platform under the main platform, a great place to dispose of the characters you've worked up in the cavern second layer. It's fun to hit people down here, then edge guard, and, if people attack you, jump up to safety, or run away on the two different ways. Just don't go down to the fourth tier, the very bottom, because falling off here basically means that you're dead. Stay away from the very bottom at all costs, but if someone is down there, make them pay for their mistake by smash attacking them off the side and then guarding. On the right side of the whole stage is a set of ruins that make projectiles a pain, so if you are a close up fighter, stay in this area and draw the others towards you, then smash attack them to the right and off the edge. The off screen area is a little closer to the right side, so hitting characters off this side will result in more explosion KOs. You can pummel characters against the right and left side of the little knob that sticks up near the mouth of the cavern, and longer weaponed characters can hit through the knob. A great strategy for beginners in this level is one I affectionately call "making the rounds." Used in many multiplayer games, it involves having a circular path that you go around in, hitting targets along that track. The track is the circle through the cave, onto the third tier, back up to the main platform and to the cave again. If you're chased, go quicker through the roundabout, and then come down on them when they are in a comprimising situation. I like to go clockwise, because then I can come down on the enemies as the jump upwards to the main platform. Park in the cavern until you realize that you're going to be whomped on, and then run through the circle and catch the enemy off guard. This can be modified somewhat for individual style. *** YOSHI'S STORY This is a very generic, simple level. It's the familiar setup with the base platform, with three floating platforms above, arranged in a triangle. A cloud moves along a dotted line circling either side of the stage, but you can't rely on it to stick around. The only other thing worth mentioning is the fact that Fly-Guys (Shy-Guys with propellers, duh!) will fly past bearing food. You'll obviously want to be the first to grab it, for some quick healing (nothing substantial though. It won't be anyone's favourite level, but there's nothing wrong with it. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Small Hazards: Nothing dangerous, but don't stick around on the floating cloud, or you'll be pushed off. Strategy: This one of those levels where basic strategies will work just fine. However, the platforms are relatively small, so aerial attacks will probably win the day here. Of course, be sure to get all the food that you can when the Fly-Guys come. Most characters have a dash move that will knock opponents off to the side or into the air for a bit, so use that to monopolize the snacks. Other than that, it's really just a case of "May the best man win". *** YOSHI'S ISLAND Fashioned after Yoshi's Island in Super Mario World, this level contains nothing special, except for the spinning blocks. You hit the blocks, it rotates for a little while. There are 2 platforms comprised entirely of these, and one platform over a gap in the level comprised of these. Needless to say, playing on this level can get frantic and annoying. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Small Hazards: The spinning blocks over the gap. Strategy: Beware the center gap. Any type of attack will set the blocks spinning, and that means it's ridiculously easy to fall in. However, a good spike down the hole will finish an opponent, so do that when you can. The other part that makes this level a living hell is the inclines. There's one on each side, and they both leave you dangerously vulnerable if you're above someone. However, there's an upside. Some characters have attacks that become very potent when racing downhill on the inclines. For example, if the Ice Climbers stand on the tiny pipe just behind the big one, face right, and use the Ice Shot attack, the ice blocks fly down the top of the pipe and race across the level absurdly fast. Very annoying, and very effective. The inclines make good sniping perches as well, for long-ranged characters like Samus. *** FOUNTAIN OF DREAMS A run of the mill level, this is very straightforward. There is one main platform with 3 raised. The top raised one stays put, while the other 2 go up or down, depending on the water stream underneath them. Other that that, nothing happens in this level. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Small Hazards: None Strategy: A basic level for simple fights. There's really nothing to say here in terms of strategy, because the fight is largely dependant on who you're fighting. *** GREEN GREENS A remake of Kirby's Dreamland in the original game, this level offers a little more than its predecessor. For one thing, there are 2 platforms added, one to each side. Separating the platforms from the main part of the stage are star blocks (and occasionally bomb blocks) from the Kirby games. The player can break them apart, but the bomb blocks will blow you away. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Small Hazards: Wispy Woods (the tree) will blow the players a certain direction and it tosses apples out that hurt you, the bomb blocks can blow you away. Strategy: Most of the action is going to take place in the center of the level. Wide-range moves work particularly well there, as do aerial attacks. When you have the chance, try to trick your opponents into setting off the bombs. They're very dangerous. Also, if you can meteor someone down below the piles of blocks, it will be very ahrd for them to get back up. *** CORNERIA Basically a port of the Great Fox level from the original. You fight atop the Star Fox mothership, and Arwings periodically fly by and fire at the ship, highly damaging anyone in their firing range. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Large Hazards: Arwings that zap you. Strategy: Compared to some of the other levels, this stage isn't very hazardous and is a basic stage for some competitive battles. If your % is low, try and work your opponent to one of the sides, preferably the left side, and knock him off and edge guard to knock him out at a low percent. If your damage is high, stay towards the middle and work up the opponent's damage. Another good technique is to hit someone against the side of the ship on the right repeatedly and work up some combos there *** VENOM Still on the Great Fox, but at a different angle. Instead you fight on the four wings. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Small Hazards: The Arwings are still here shooting at you. Strategy: This is a much smaller level than Corneria, but it has more sides so combos work well here. The best strategy here is to edge guard on the wings, swing the bottom wings dip very far down and they won't have much time to react. Meteor attacks work well from there for the same reason. *** BRINSTAR A remake of the Brinstar from the original, this level remains pretty much inact except for it periodically breaking. A segment of the level on the right can break off if attacked enough. Also, the acid rises, but it's not always there to save you; sometimes it goes down too far and you'll be KOed. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Small Hazards: The acid rises and kills you. Strategy: It's hard to work out good combos here since at any time the acid can rise up and interrupt you. Be on defensive here, pay equal attention to the level and to your opponent. Try to stay on the upper levels longer than down lower so you'll have more warning when the acid rises. Basically this level is a test to see who can avoid the acid the longest. If you have a meteor attack, you can use it to drive someone into the acid, and when they pop up, finish them off with a smash attack. *** ONETT Ness's hometown is one of the few levels without edges, you just get KOed if you go out too far. It has two houses, with a Drug Store in the middle. The Drug Store has two awnings to fight on, but if you step on them two much they fall down. Periodically cars speed by out of control and skid into the level. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Small Hazards: Cars speed by and can knock you back and forth between the houses or knock you out of the level. If you see the warning sign, stay off the ground. Strategy: A good, cheap strategy here is to get someone against the wall and just keep repeatedly hitting them while they get stuck. You can't do it too long though because a car could come by. Other than that it's a pretty basic level, so just use regular strategies. *** MUTE CITY The F-Zero race track is one of the most insane levels of the game. You start on a singular platform speeding along a race track. The platform stops and disappears, leaving you to fight on the street. Then 3 platforms pop up, and cars come by. Then you speed off again down the track. Sometimes you'll stop by a tunnel which can act as an extra platform. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Small Hazards: The fast moving track can be a hazard, since if you're on the street and the platform takes off, you'll take damage. Also, the cars speeding by can literally knock you off your feet. Strategy: This level requires speedy KOs. Things are too frantic for flashy combos or special tricks, you've gotta keep on your feet and just attack with everything. *** POKEMON STADIUM You play on a large table similiar to a pool table, in a stadium. There are two platforms on either side. Every few minutes, the whole stadium changes to reflect a random element. For grass, a tree grows out and there are platforms around it, making the stadium look like a forest. For water, there are a few water spouts and fountains. For rock, big rocks along with a really large one on the left rise up. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Small Hazards: Not a whole lot of hazards here, not even the stage transformations have any hazards to go along with them. Strategy: When the stage is in its natural form, just use basic strategies. However, when it transforms, be sure to get opponents up against a wall and don't let them escape. The windmill in one particular form makes an excellent sniping point, as well, and the mine form lends itself well to attacks from below. *** MUSHROOM KINGDOM At first it may seem like a remake of the original Classic Mushroom Kingdom, but besides the graphics, the design is totally different. Instead of one main pit in the middle, there are two. The see-saw platforms are still there, one for each pit. Also, the bricks are now breakable, and fill a lot more of the level. Question blocks randomly appear, and when broken reveal items. Unfortunately, the warp pipes are gone. Unlocking: Already Unlocked Size: Small Hazards: The only hazards really are your own clumsiness, since this level can be hard to navigate sometimes. Strategy: Unless you're a heavy character, your best bet is to stay on the sides, away from the bricks, because they don't give you a lot of room and you can get heavy damage from people knocking you against them. Staying on the side is also dangerous since at low percents a simple smash attack can KO you. *** BRINSTAR DEPTHS This arena takes some inspiration from both Metroid and Super Metroid - touched off by a haunting arranged version of the classic theme "Kraid's Hideout" from the original game. The entire structure of the arena resembles a large, bumpy, organic rock suspended high up above an enormous lake of deadly lava below. The stage consists of several different fighting planes, yet only one plane is fully accessible to fight on at a time as the entire stage will rotate every minute or so, turning what may have been a previously safe plane into a treacherous side-wall, or the bottom of the arena. Unlocking: Play a total of 50 Vs. matches Size: Small, no matter what position the rock is in. Hazards: Nothing really worth mentioning here, unless you want to count the TWO-HUNDRED FOOT TALL REPTILLIAN MONSTER in the background responsible for turning the stage around every fifteen seconds as a 'hazard'. Yes, Super Metroid veterans will be delighted to see the Brinstar-guarding mega-lizard Kraid in all his full glory here. Poor Ridley didn't get much of a cameo in the original Smash Bros., as his only appearance was a random shot of his shadowy figure flying across the background in the original Zebes stage. Here, however, Kraid not only takes up the entire screen (once again!), but he swings his massive claws down upon the arena he towers, causing the entire stage to completely tilt to one side or the other. Therefore, the entire battle area is in itself a hazard! If players aren't alert, they may fall off the rock as a result of this, making Brinstar Depths one of the most unique, as well as nerve-racking, battle stages in Smash Bros. Melee. Strategy: The best strategy you want to aim for in the Brinstar Depths is obvious -- take advantage of the rotating planes, and avoid falling a victim of it yourself. To do this, though, you'll have to get accustomed to your surroundings. Now, take note that Brinstar Depths, due to the fact that it randomly rotates, is actually many arenas in one. Technically, there are six main planes to fight on - default, left-shift, double-left shift, right shift, double-right shift, and triple-right shift. However, there is often a small imbalance involved whenever Kraid returns the arena from its previous tilt, create a huge number of different battle planes (but we won't get into them as that's a tad too technical). DEFAULT - aka the top side of the arena (or the area you'll always start on at the beginning of a match). From the default position, take note of the small, suspended rock platform to the left. This platform serves little use other than a place for temporary recuperation. This platform is not passable from the direct top or vice-versa (unlike most platforms in SSBM), so the only way to get on top of it is to jump ~on~ it and not ~through~ it. This may sound like extraneous information, but keep in mind that if you're standing on the center of the platform, you're generally safe from attacks directly ~below~ you. Hence, this platform serves as a good base for projectile-based fighters, as you can send attacks from afar at your opponent, and seeing that you're on a sturdy platform you can usually see most attacks coming (they'll often have to jump to a level on par with yours to attack, giving you ample time to form a defense plan). The platform also serves well for characters with an attack that takes time to be charged (i.e. Samus, Donkey Kong), as you're less vulnerable to many attacks while standing on this small refuge. Beware the immediate left of the platform, however, as it sits dangerously close to the far left side of the arena, where you're open for a KO if hit from the right with a powerful attack. Now, take note of the glowing pillar that sits near the center of the plane. This small pillar serves as a guard against many attacks (although it will not protect against smash attacks or other close range attacks if you're standing right next to it, so keep that in mind), and also cannot be crossed without jumping over it (er...duh.) Take advantage of your opponent's low guard here. Keep in mind that the enemy must jump over this pole to get to your side and vice-versa. If the enemy advances at you by jumping over the pillar, have a ready counter-attack ready (such as an upward smash move or a projectile attack). If it's you that must jump over the pillar, have an escape route ready in case your enemy decides to maul you before you land (keep your air dodge in mind here!). There is also an identical pillar sticking out from the right corner of the arena, which will serve greater use later as we will discuss in the strategy. Now, at the bottom right of the arena, another platform hangs in midair (similar to the platform to the left). If you happen to fall off the right side, this is your last resort, so keep a mental note of its location. Now, here's where it gets interesting. Within seconds of the battle's start, Kraid will lift his ugly face directly facing you, the player. After roaring in rage a couple of times, he will send his fist down upon the arena, causing it to randomly rotate left or right. REMEMBER: in order to anticipate which way the stage is going to tilt, keep your eye on his movements. If he swings his right arm down (or left arm from the player's perspective), then the stage is going to tilt to the left. If he swings his left arm down (or right arm from the player's perspective), then the stage will tilt to the right. After which, everything is all topsy-turvy. Whooo... don't fall. Now, starting from the default plane - LEFT - Remember the pillar that stuck out from the right corner? It's now the center pillar, and the former bottom right platform is now suspended to the immediate right. Note that there is no support to the bottom-right now, so take advantage of this situation and don't fall a victim of it. Try to keep your opponent to the right as it is especially treacherous on that side. DOUBLE-LEFT - The former right platform is now directly centered overhead, and you'll notice that the default plane has become the bottom plane.... Top-side up that is. The battle area is a bit more bumpy now, so vertical and aerial attacks are key over straight horizontal attacks. Also, take advantage of the platform overhead and corner your enemy beneath - knocking an opponent straight up into it will send them ricocheting straight down again, making way for some excellent combo possibilities. RIGHT - If Kraid initially rotates the arena to the right, you'll notice that both pillars become ledges for the right sidewall (which was previously the default plane). Take advantage of the ledges and send your opponent flying down below, where they'll find it difficult to get over the pillars from beneath. Also, take note that the platform that was originally at the bottom-right has become directly centered at the bottom. Make it a last resort and try to land on it if you're falling to your doom. DOUBLE-RIGHT - Original left platform is now suspended at the right, the default plane's center pillar is now the only ledge on the narrow right sidewall, the previous left wall is now the top plane, the bottom right platform has become the bottom left platform and the original far-right pillar now hangs off the wall (it's useless). The top plane is very narrow here, so close-ranging fighting is a given. Lure your enemies to the right sidewall from the pillar-ledge and smash them to the right, and edge guard. TRIPLE-RIGHT - Bottom plane now top plane (reversed), a platform lies to the bottom left and the bottom right. Plenty of quazi-safety lay near the bottom so focus on sending your opponents flying to the far left or right (or up) rather than down. And always be sure to land your strongest offensive whenever or right before the stage turns. During the time the stage is moving, the opponent will always have the toughest time getting back on his or her feet after getting knocked off. This stage, taken from Earthbound, is SSB:M's replacement to SSB's Saffron City. At first, players will tend to suicide a lot, but as their skill improves, so will their footing. *** FOURSIDE Set along the skyline of the populated city of Fourside, this stage is a haven for wall-jumpers. Occasionally, a flying saucer will descend from the heavens, offering a flat (yet VERY slippery) surface for a quick one-on one joust. Unlocking: Play a total of 100 Vs. Matches Size: Medium Hazards: It's easy to fall down the gaps between buldings, but other than that, the flying saucers and the moving platform on the right don't really present a danger. Strategy: The best way to KO someone here is to meteor them down one of the gaps on either side of the central building. Mario's midair forward A move is ideal, but if your character isn't skilled with meteor attacks, it's best to try other strategies. Try to catch someone in a juggling combo right as they traverse over the central building. Also, it can be a good idea to hide under the platform on the left, smacking those above. *** BIG BLUE This is probably the most hectic arena in the game. you'll start out fighting on top of the Falcon Flyer (Captain Falcon's flying rocket), but below you lies a racetrack teeming with F-Zero cars. Eventually, the Falcon Flyer will leave the screen, and you'll have to nimbly navigate the various (highly detailed) rocket powered vehicles. Occasionally, some platforms will pass by, creating an infinite amount of stage setups. The Falcon flyer will return every once in a while, as well. Once again, SSB:M proves that physics just plain don't matter in video games (if you watch the skyline, you'll notce the level actually goes upside-down!). Unlocking: Play a total of 150 Vs. matches Size: Small Hazards: Whatever you do, don't touch the track itself. Since the stage is moving along it, you'll be left behind and KO'd. It can be difficult to tell where the KO walls are, so watch out. If the screen is no longer zooming out to acommodate your character, get back towards the main area. Strategy: This stage can be very hard to stay alive in, but if you can manage it, you have a great tactical advantage. Always keep track of where the platforms are. If you've got a move that can teleport you horizontally, that is probably your greatest advantage. Use that move often if you have it, and keep your opponents on the run. Finally, try to use moves that knock your opponent out cold on the ground for a moment. If you can knock them onto the track, they probably won't be able to get up quickly enough. Most of all, keep in the air. A player who stays grounded is a player who dies fast. *** POKE FLOATS If you're one of those guys who likes to call themself a "mature" gamer, you'll want to remove this level from the random stage switch, and never play on it if you can help it. Similar to Rainbow Ride, this stage consists of several different platforms constantly scrolling through the skies. The difference? The platforms are giant Pokemon shaped balloons. Players start on top of a Squirtle, and finish atop several Unown flying rapidly across the screen. Unlocking: Play a total of 200 Vs. Matches Size: Large Hazards: Since the balloons never stick around for long, it's important to keep moving. Strategy: Like Big Blue, you've got an advantage over your opponent if you can learn to navigate the stage. And, like Big Blue, it's best to use Aerial attacks. One good meteor attack can finish an opponent here, since the platforms have curved edges that don't supply a good footing for a recovering player. Of course, don't hang around on any one float for long. When you get into the quicker sections of the level, focus less on fighting than getting down where you're supposed to be. However, once you get down to the Slowpoke (the pink one with the long, curving tail), you can really focus on trying to KO your opponent. *** MUSHROOM KINGDOM II This stage is cool-looking, but highly dangerous. Set over a waterfall from Super Mario Brothers 2, Mushroom Kingdom 2 (its correct name should actually be Subcon) is scored by the 8-bit version of the SMB2 theme. Occsionally, you'll see familiar enemies Birdo and Pidgit walk or fly by in pixelly form, which is a nice touch. Unlocking: Win the Birdo Trophy Size: Medium Hazards: Birdo sometimes spits eggs, and the waterfall sucks you down, just like the river in Jungle Japes. Strategy: Your main concern is to stay away from the KO walls and pits here. They are extremely treacherous. Needless to say, that's where you want your opponents to be. If you've got a Meteor Attack, use that down the pits, and if you don't smash to the sides. Fights here can often lead to King of the Hill games: everyone wants to be in the center. *** BATTLEFIELD This is a simple, generic Smash Brothers level. Nothing more, nothing less. It is made for a simple, all-out brawl, and is best played without items. There's really ntohing else notable about this level, other than the fact that it is the level where Metal Mario and the Fighting Wireframe Team are fought. Unlocking: Beat All-Star Mode Size: Small Hazards: None. Strategy: Along with Final Destination, the most basic stage in the game. There's absolutely no hazards or moving platforms of any type. The only thing you have to rely on here is your pure skill. Nothing else can help you, other than items. *** FINAL DESTINATION This stage is simple: a long, flat platform. This is where you fight the Master hand(s), along with Bowser or Giga Bowser. There are no other platforms or hazards, just the arena and a background filled with effects. Unlocking: Beat Event 51 Size: Medium Hazards: None Strategy: Though this stage is perfectly flat, there are actually some important things to know. Number one, stay grounded for the most part, unless you're juggling. There's no platforms or sniping perches to swoop down from, and just some jumps from the ground won't give you much of an advantage over your opponent. Number two, watch out for wide-area moves like Rollout or Rumble Tumble Egg. There's no obstacles for them, so that means you will be vulnerable. However, if you've got one of these types of moves, use the hell out of it. *** CLASSIC DREAMLAND Ah, the classic, simple Smash brothers stage. This is the stage that so many other stages were built upon. Base platform, with three platforms above it, the highest one being in the center. Classic... Unlocking: Beat Target Test with all characters Size: Small Hazards: Wispy Woods will try to blow you away Strategy: There's not much to be said about this level. Use the same strategies you always have. When Wispy Woods starts blowing, try to smash your foes in the same direction. It makes it that much more difficult for them to get back. *** CLASSIC YOSHI'S ISLAND The second of the stages from the original, this is the largest of the three. Not only is the main area very big, but there are a few clouds off to the side which extend the level considerably. Unlocking: Hit over 1300/1400 feet in the Homerun contest Size: Medium Hazards: The clouds on the sides will disappear temporarily if stood on too long. Strategy: Since the main area is a set of platforms aligned vertically, try and hit your enemies from below. Combo hits are incredibly useful here. If the battle heads off to the clouds on the sides, try to knock your opponent downwards before heading back to the stage. The clouds are a dangerous place to go, so naturally you'll want to send your opponents there. Edge-guard like crazy here. If your opponents mess up and end up beneath the platform, they're toast. *** CLASSIC KONGO JUNGLE The last of the original SSB stages, Kongo Jungle is also the most dynamic. Though nothing compared to the constantly changing Mute City and the self-scrolling Rainbow Ride in terms of stage alteration, the moving platforms and barrel beneath the stage add elements of strategy and timing that normally wouldn't be there. Unlocking: Beat the 15-Minute Melee Size: Small Hazards: Nothing dangerous. Strategy: This is one of the few stages where long-range and close- range attacks can coexist effectively. You also have a much better chance of making a successful return than in most stages, thanks to the barrel cannon and "soft" base platform. Use this to your advantage, but don't let your opponents do it. If an enemy is about to reach the barrel, throw something- ANYTHING- at them to foul them up. Edge-guard a lot, as it's the key to success here. Most importantly, make use of items. The arrangement of platforms lends itself particularly well to jumping with a hammer or lining up a shotgun blast. *** FLATZONE This is one of the most interesting, but most treacherous stages in the game. You fight INSIDE a Game and Watch console, and your characters (you can't see it too well, but a spinning Rumble Tumble Egg can reveal it) are actually flattened like paper cut-outs. Unfortunately, the stage is insanely tiny, making survival difficult. Unlocking: Beat Classic Mode with Mr. Game & Watch Size: Small Hazards: Occasionally, tools fall from the sky, and a man spills oil on the ground. The platforms also shift a lot. Strategy: The stage is incredibly small, so use that against your opponents. Smash them to the sides, and if they roll in the wrong direction when recovering (I'm not kidding), they'll get KO'd. Also, you can score a kill at 0% damage by knocking a foe upwards. A well- placed smack from below is all you need for that extra point. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. MODES OF PLAY ====REGULAR MATCHES==== These are the main single-player matches against the computer. It pits you against opponents each with one life, mainly for survival. You'll have to compete against weaker characters, stronger characters, in teams, metal characters, and sometimes against the environment and no characters at all. There are always opportunities to get trophies, whether you have to work for it or not. There are three modes, each somewhat similar but contain many differences: -CLASSIC- This is the standard single-player inspired by the original Super Smash Bros.. It pits you against random opponents (all with one life) for survival, and even though you have no idea who you will be fighting, there is always a set pattern: 1. Standard Battle - You have to KO one opponent in the opponent's stage. 2. Team Battle - You and a random computer partner against two computer characters, and the last one standing wins for that character's team. 3. Bonus Stage: Break the Targets - You are alone in your chosen character's "Break the Targets" stage from the Stadium, and basically all you have to do is use your character's skills to break specially- placed targets. The more you break and the faster you break them, the higher your score. 4. Standard Battle - Like before, you VS. one random character in that character's stage. 5. Team Battle - You and two other random computer characters go against one giant character (as if they had eaten a Super Mushroom) with greater attack power and defense. Use strong Smash Attacks to knock this guy out quickly. 6. Bonus Stage: Snag the Trophies! - Three random trophies fall from the sky, and you have to kick, punch, whatever the trophies into a cup in the middle. Whether you get none or all three of the trophies still allows you beat the level. Try to use up attacks to knock it higher into the air, then use weak attacks to move it across the stage into the cup. Skip trophies that you already have, unless you have all of them, then just try to get the last one for a challenge :-). 7. Standard Battle - Just like before, KO one random opponent in their stage. 8. Team Battle - This time, you don't have a team. You alone must fight 10 of one random character, as they fall in two's or three's from the sky. In Very Easy, Easy and Normal, these characters are easy and can be taken out with a single smash attack, but in Hard and above they aren't so easily beaten. 9. Bonus Stage: Race to the Finish! - This maze-like level has doors all over it so you can beat this in two seconds if you want, but the more doors you skip the more coins you'll get. You run and jump across this level, avoiding lava, spikes, and jumping on platforms to get farther in the allotted time. Make sure you jump into the nearest door when it starts counting down from five. 10. Standard Battle - This time is actually different. You have to fight a random metal character, which means they don't flinch when hit, and it's much harder to knock them from the stage. Basically just beat up on them until their percentage is around 200 or so, then try to smash or throw them off they stage when they get close t the edge. This fight is always in the Special Stage, Battlefield. 11. Final Battle - This is the boss of the Classic match. Like in Super Smash Bros., it is a huge floating hand with very strong attacks and a set amount of HP. Just use Up Smash Attacks and learn to avoid his attacks, and you can easily beat this boss. However, in Normal and higher, the Crazy Hand appears. This hand has different attacks from the Master Hand, and they work together to knock you off the screen. Since the Master Hand appears after you've already hurt the Master Hand, take him out first, and then go after the Crazy Hand. This fight is always in the Special Stage, Final Destination. -ADVENTURE- These battles have many themed worlds to go through before actually getting to the battle, and sometimes you don't have to battle at all. This mode makes a few mini-worlds with obstacles from the character's original game to get through till the end, and there's a way to get some trophies, too. These battles are always the same: 1. MUSHROOM KINGDOM: Side-scrolling race obstructed by Goombas, Koopa- Troopas, and Para-Troopas. Fight: Defeat a team of ten Yoshis in the middle of the stage. Trophy: Yes Final Fight: Fight Mario and Peach at Peach's Castle Finish: Defeat Mario and Peach TIPS: A. Use the Troopas' shells to take out more than one Goomba at a time. B. Use the para troopas to hop across the level C. Keep a lookout for trophies on the ground and on platforms (sometimes they appear from killing Goombas and Troopas) D. If you end the level at a time that ends with two (such as 4:32 or 5:12), then Luigi will appear instead of Mario, and he will challenge you at the end of the Adventure mode and if you defeat him you will unlock Luigi. 2. KONGO JUNGLE: Two fights with very different forms of Donkey Kong. Fight: You VS. Two Small Donkey Kongs in Kongo Jungle Trophy: No Final Fight: Fight a huge Donkey Kong in Jungle Japes, Finish: KO Giant DK TIPS: A. Usually a Smash Attack or two will KO the two tiny Donkey Kongs. B. Use Up Smash Attacks to beat up on the Giant Donkey Kong. Do not try to throw him. 3. UNDERGOUND MAZE: Race to get to the a randomly-placed finish, beat Link 0-5 times while avoiding Redeads, Octorocks and Like-Likes. Fight: 0-5 Links in different rooms throughout the level Trophy: Yes (sometimes you have to kill an enemy) Final Fight: You VS. Zelda in the Temple Finish: KO Zelda TIPS: A. From the beginning, fall down along the left wall until you get to the gap and continue upwards from there. B. You can get 30,000 more points with a special Bonus if you fight all 5 Links before finishing the level. C. If a Redead grabs you, tap your buttons to make him let go. 4. BRINSTAR: A fight and a race for survival. Fight: You VS. Samus in the Brinstar level. Trophy: Yes Final Fight: None Finish: After the fight, jump onto the platforms until you get to the top within 40 seconds. TIPS: A. Keep a lookout for the trophy on platforms going to the top B. Often the trophy will be on the platform to the left or right of the finish platform, so when you make the last jump to jump onto that floor, try to be to the left or right of the floor. 5. GREEN GREENS: Battles with many different Kirbys Fight: You VS. 1 Normal Kirby in the Green Greens level. Trophy: No Final Fight: You VS. 10 Kirbys with powers from random characters (using his B attack) in the Green Greens level. Finish: KO last Kirby in the team. TIPS: A. Kirby is a very light character, so a few Up Smash Attacks should KO him. B. The Kirby Team is even lighter, so try to time your Up Smash Attacks so that you hit all three of them as they drop on top of you for three instant KOs. C. If you don't get hit by any of the Kirbys, a Giant Kirby will drop down and battle you. He will be harder to KO, so just beat up on him and try to smash him upwards as well, since the blocks on the side usually stop characters from being smashed from the side. 6. CORNERIA: Two fights against Star Fox Fight: You VS. Fox on the Corneria level Trophy: No Final Fight: You VS. Fox with often attacks from the ARWINGs. Finish: KO Fox again TIPS: A. If Fox doesn't hit you at all before you KO him, in the next battle Falco will fight instead of Fox. B. Try hitting Fox/Falco into the ARWING shots to hurt him more. 7. POKEMON STADIUM: Fight an assortment of Pokemon, with Pokemon. Fight: You VS. 10 Pikachus, 1 Jigglypuff, and 1 Pichu in Kanto Stadium Trophy: No Final Fight: None Finish: KO last Pokemon. TIPS: A. Many Pokeballs fall from the level. Try to pick them all up and you can beat this level without ever making one attack. B. Pichu and Jigglypuff will try to use the Pokeballs more than the Pikachus. Take them out before the Pikachus. 8. F-ZERO GRAND PRIX: Run a marathon on a racetrack (avoiding the racecars) and fight a racer. Fight: You VS. Captain Falcon in Mute City Trophy: Yes Final Fight: None Finish: KO Captain Falcon TIPS: A. Make sure you tap the Control Stick to run instead just walking fast by moving the control stick to the right. B. If you have a fast character, you can skip two platforms before you have to jump on one to avoid the cars. If you have a slow character, try jumping on every other one. C. Keep a lookout for a trophy on the platforms or on the road. D. After the cars start coming, you can jump off your platform after about three seconds or so, since the cars go so fast that by the time you touch the ground they will already be gone. 9. ONETT: Fight three Nesses Fight: 3 Ness characters of standard health on the Onnet level. Trophy: No Final Fight: None Finish: KO last Ness TIPS: A. There are a lot of Mr. Saturn items in this level. They aren't particularly useful unless you want the Bonuses, so try to avoid them. B. Try to stay on the ropes to the right. Here they trees don't block you, the cars on the bottom can't get you, and the Nesses usually will attack head on to get to you. Try to Smash them to the right to KO them quickly. 10. ICICLE MOUNTAIN: Race to the top to fight the Ice Climbers, avoiding the Topis, Polar Bears, and Freezies Fight: You VS. 2 Ice Climbers in Icicle Mountain level Trophy: Yes Final Fight: None Finish: KO the last Ice Climber TIPS: A. Halfway through the level the screen will start going up much faster. Be ready and try not to snag a trophy during this time. B. When the screen is going slow, try to kill both a Topi and a Polar Bear, and grab a Freezie to hit a Topi with. You can get Bonuses this way. C. Try not to smash the Ice Climbers up, because sometimes they will land on the platforms above you. Try smashing them to the side to quickly KO them. 11. BATTLEFIELD: Defeat 3 or 4 tough opponents Fight 1: You VS. 15 Wire-frame opponents in Battlefield level Fight 2: You VS. 1 Metal Mario in Battlefield level Trophy: Yes (You will get a trophy of your character if you beat this) Final Fight: You VS. 1 Bowser in Final Destination level Finish: KO Bowser TIPS: A. After unlocking Luigi, Luigi will also appear Metal with Mario. Do not rely on flinching or throwing to beat them, try smashing them near the edge. B. For some reason, you jump higher and fall slower in the wireframe battle. Adjust to this and be careful. C. On Normal and harder, after defeating Bowser, he will come back and become Giga Bowser. He is very big and very powerful. Try to reserve at least one life for him, as he is hard to KO. -ALL STAR- COMING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. ITEMS Barrel Cannon Throw this barrel at an enemy and they'll get stuck inside. The barrel will then continue to move and spin all around. Hit your A button to launch them in whatever direction the barrel is facing. Use: This is particularly useful on small stages or ones with gaps, like Mushroom Kingdom or Fourside. Simply trap an opponent in the barrel, wait till it's over a cliff and facing down, then launch them to their death. This item is easily confused with the "capsule" Barrels that contain other items. You should also note that these items travel slowly, so you can easily avoid one heading in your direction. Value: 3 Origin: Donkey Kong Country Downside: None, really. It's just not all that good. Beam Sword The almighty Beam Sword from the original SSB makes its triumphant return in Melee. Use: Do I really need to tell you how to use a sword? When your character is holding one, they will use it instead of their standard "A button" moves. The sword will extend their reach, damage, and flying potential higher than that of the standard attack. The sword is, of course, also more powerful when used as a smash attack. The item is still very good, but it tends to be overshadowed by some of the new additions. Value: 7 Origin: Ripped off of Star Wars Downside: None Bob-Omb A very powerful bomb that can easily KO an opponent but often results in suicide. Use: The Bob-Omb first drops onto the battlefield as a standard bomb. If you are standing near one in this state, feel free to pick it up and hurl at the nearest opponent. However, once it begins moving, STAY AWAY, because colliding with one will either kill or heavily damage your character. If you're on the other side of the screen, just don't bother. By the time you see it and then get over there, the bomb will begin moving soon and it's simply not worth the risk of almost dying. If somebody throws a bomb at you, you could either jump, block, or catch it. If you have the skill to catch it, then more power to you. Try throwing it back if there's time left before it explodes. Otherwise, use the shield or your character's projectile deflection move where applicable. Playing the game, you'll likely find that the bomb item accidentally or randomly kills somebody more than it is effectively used as a weapon. direction. Value: 2 Origin: Mario Series Downside: Easy to kill yourself. Easy to be killed by one randomly walking around. Bunny Hood Imagine your character on speed. Use: When your character dons the Bunny Hood, aside from looking fruity, he or she will be able to move twice as fast and also jump much higher. These effects last for only a limited time, so use them quickly and use them well. How, you ask? In combos, certainly. Smack an opponent into the sky and use your incredibly speed and height to KO them on their way down. If you're a "lumbering fatass" character like Bowser, the item is particularly useful because it removes your character's basic flaw. Value: 4 Origin: Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time Downside: Faster speed means you fall faster as well. If you're not used to playing as a fast character, make sure you take this into account. It also wears off suddenly, so don't go for a meteor attack too far away from the edge if the time's about to end. You could wind up with a second jump much weaker than expected. Cloaking Device You've got semi-invisibility a-la predator. What're you going to do with it? Use: Start doing smash attacks on other characters who are otherwise preoccupied and won't notice you. You're totally invisible while standing still, so also try camping on a high- trafficked platform charging your smash moves, then unleashing on whoever happens by. Also, you never take damage while invisible. You can get knocked around, but your percentage will never rise until you're visible again. It's nice if you can find the other players, to whomp on them, but it's easier to find them and do said whomping if they aren't invisible and invincible. Value: 3 Origin: Perfect Dark, which ripped it from the Predator movies Downside: You can't see yourself either. It's easy to lose track and suicide or misjudge an attack so that it misses. When you attack, you will become visible for a short period of time. Use this to see (or be seen). Fan If the Beam Sword sucked, it would be the fan. Use: The fan is very very weak, but is swung rapidly. In theory, you could use it to rack up damage on somebody real close to you. Still, it's less effective than just using regular moves. The only real thing keeping this item from being totally worthless is that a smash attack or two from it will break an opponent's shield. If you've got a turtling newbie player ticking you off, you'll have found the perfect opportunity to use it. Most of the time, just don't bother picking this up. Value: 2 Origin: Just a silly little accessory that frilly ladies carried around back in the day. No one knows why. Downside: Incredible Levels of Suckitude Fire Flower Blow fire for heavy damage. Use: Hold the item and hit A to blow fire at the enemies much like that of Bowser's attack. An opponent in the flame will be unable to move and quickly gain damage until the flower runs out of power. Once this happens, throw at the opponent to stun them for another second before you use a smash move for the KO. Value: 5 Origin: Mario Series Downside: Runs out spontaneously, vulnerability from the back while using, difficult to tell from Lip's Stick item. Flipper Set this somewhere and it will bop enemies around. Use: Pick up the item and throw it somewhere to have it stop in the air after a short distance. Until it disappears, enemies colliding with the bumper will be driven backward. If this happens to be powerful enough that it KO's the opponent, you wil get the kill, but this essentially never happens. Don't bother. Value: 1 Origin: Balloon Fight Downside: Worthlessness Food Restore a very small amount of health. Use: Food often comes in groups of about five or six from the Party Ball item carriers. Stand over a group and just keep smacking A to recover about 25%. Get some if it's off in a corner, but don't jeopardize yourself for it. It's definitely not worth the effort of a tomato or heart container. Value: 1 Origin: Nothing in particular, though HAL Labs used food for similar purposes in later Kirby games Downside: Doesn't do much Freezie A small blue ice creature sliding along the stage. It resembles a wide, blue flame. Use: The freezie moves along the stage naturally, even before anything touches it. Hence, they're more difficult to pick up than most items. Grab it and throw at an opponent to deal some damage and encase them in ice for about three seconds. While they're in ice, they are totally vulnerable, but also very heavy, so don't expect to start juggling combos. The best use for this is to use it on an enemy that's off the edge of the stage somewhere trying to recover. Hit them with the freezie and they'll be unable to stop falling to their death in time. Value: 3 Origin: Mario Bros (original) Downside: Limited use, difficulty to catch. Green Shell Use it to throw at an enemy. If it encounters an obstacle it will bounce off and travel along the ground, hitting anything in its path. Use: The green shell is a basic, but effective, weapon. Using it doesn't involve much strategy, just aim and chuck it. If you can get a computer opponent to fall on it while it's bouncing between 2 objects it will often juggle them in the air for a few seconds. I think it's possible to get it to stop moving by jumping directly on top of it. Value: 4 Origin: Super Mario Kart Downside: Can hit you while bouncing around, which is pretty annoying. Hammer Picking up the hammer causes you to swing it wildly, severely damaging anybody in your path. Use: 1. Pick up 2. Run towards enemy 3. Pound enemy with hammer 4. Repeat Watch out, as the hammer has been toned down. You must actually strike the character with the head of the hammer, and you are not invincible and can be knocked around easily while holding the hammer. Value: 8 Origin: Donkey Kong Downside: Occasionally the head of the hammer will fall off, leaving you running around with only the handle. You can, however, pick up the head and throw it at someone after it's fallen off. Using the hammer also reduces your jumping height and prevents you from executing a double jump, or any other move for that matter. Heart Container Restores 100% health Use: Use it to decrease your damage percentage. While the damage falls, you sparkle, and are invincible, so use this heart as a very short term super star. Value: 8 Origin: The Legend of Zelda Downside: The Heart Container's ONLY downside is that it takes forever to fall to the ground. In this length of time, everyone is scrambling to get it, and you've got a king-of-the-mountain type game over who gets to claim the heart container. So, only go at it when it's almost to the ground, and use a good clearing move, snag it, and attack. Homerun Bat The only item with a mini-game based around it. If timed well, an instant KO powerhouse. Use: This is fairly powerful when you just smack people with it. But when you smash, you're guaranteed an instant KO unless there's something in the way of your opponent's trajectory. Extremely useful against newbies. Value: 9 Origin: The ever-crappy sport of BASEBALL. Downside: The smash can be difficult to time. Lip's Stick This flower can slowly cause damage to enemies. Use: When you smack an opponent with this, a flower will appear on their head, gradually damaging them. The more (or harder) you hit, the bigger the flower gets, and the more damage it does. Value: 4 Origin: Panel de Pon (Oh, those wacky Japanese games!) Downside: One of the less good blunt weapons. Maxim Tomato Restores 50% Health Use: Use it to decrease your damage percentage. Value: 6 Origin: Kirby's Dreamland Downside: The little sucker is tiny, and when a huge all-out brawl is going on, it kind of looks like a pokeball. Metal Box Temporarily makes your character metal. Use: The metal box makes your character shiny! It will also make you heavier and therefore harder to throw, knock down, or injure. May increase your attacks effectiveness. It doesn't seem to affect your jumping ability, except you fall much quicker as a metal character. Value: 3 Origin: Super Mario 64 Downside: Not really all that useful, unless you're a smaller character up against the big tough guys. Motion Sensor Bomb After being placed on the ground, this item activates itself and explodes when something touches it. Use: Great for placing near the edge of a stage, next to another item, or anywhere where your opponent frequently goes. Value: 5 Origin: Goldeneye, Perfect Dark Downside: If you forget that it's there (very hard to see), or get knocked into it, it will damage you, and while it's not as powerful as the bob-omb, it packs quite a wallop. Mr. Saturn He walks around. Use: Well, you can pick him up and throw him at people, causing some damage. Mainly, it's just another thing to throw around. Value: 1 Origin: Earthbound Downside: Lack of any real use. Parasol A weapon, or a handy item to stay afloat with. Use: The parasol can be used to hit people, or to float gently downwards with. However, if you're Peach, just ditch the thing; your own parasol is better. Value: 2 Origin: A wonderful invention which protects your head from pathetic little droplets of water. Downside: Almost entirely useless. Party Ball Add spice to the fight by unleashing a ballful of items! Use: When you toss a party ball, it will rise up into the air and flash for a moment. It will then open up and release either (A) a barrage of handy items, (B) a giant pile of delicious food, or (C) four dangerous Bob-ombs, which you should avoid at all costs. Value: 5 Origin: None Downside: Not all too useful, and the Bob-ombs are downright deadly. Poison Mushroom This is what happens to mushrooms who hang with the wrong crowd. If you grab it, it'll shrink you. Use: The Poison Mushroom looks almost exactly like the Super Mushroom, except it's paler, and has angry eyes that are difficult to see. Picking one up will make you the smallest of small, rendering your KO abilities useless. Be extremely careful so as not to get one. Value: -9 Origin: Mario Series Downside: Duh, that's a tough one. Poke-ball A dozen items in one, this ball releases a random Pokemon which shall do your bidding. Use: Grab this item and toss it on the ground. Then, watch as your opponents are suddenly attacked by some vicious (but usually cute) creature. It's completely random which Pokemon you get, but there are a LOT of them. Scroll down or click here for a list of Pokemon. Value: 9 Origin: Pokemon Downside: Every once in a while, you're landed with a crappy Pokemon like Goldeen. Ray Gun It's a gun. It shoots lasers. Use: It's quite simple. Pick up the gun, and press A to fire it repeatedly. You can juggle opponents off edges with it from a distance, and stop the barrage when they're too far away to get back. Value: 6 Origin: Nowhere in particular Downside: Obstacles get in the way. Red Shell Perhaps you think the red shell is better than the green shell. Perhaps you are a fool. Use: Throw this on the ground, and it'll race back and forth on the platform, chasing after all players- yes, including you. It sounds good, but it is a major annoyance. Just throw it away. It's no help to anyone. Value: 2 Origin: Super Mario Kart Downside: Incredibly annoying. Screw Attack It's a screwball! Holding this item will let you Screw Attack just like Samus! Use: Hold this item, and every jump you take will be complemented by Samus' popular multi-hitting Screw Attack. Very handy to hang on to, but it's worth ditching for a better item. One thing you should know is that throwing this at an opponent will send them Screwing upwards, so don't throw it downwards at anybody. Value: 7 Origin: Metroid Downside: The aforementioned dangers of throwing the item. Starman Be invincible, like Boris from Goldeneye! Except for the "getting hit by masses of liquid nitrogen" part. Use: This handy item bounces along until you touch it. When you have one, you're invincible, pure and simple. No attack can touch you. Feel free to incorporate those grabbing techniques that were so difficult to pull off before. Value: 8 Origin: Mario Series (this isn't the Earthbound Starman, he's different, and special in his own way) Downside: It doesn't last too long. Star Rod A blunt weapon AND a projectile generator. Use: You can smack someone with this just fine, but it'll also fire stars at enemies when you smash with it. Captain Falcon can fire 4 stars at once with it, and Sheik can fire 2. Value: 5 Origin: Kirby games (there was also a similar star Rod in Paper Mario, but that's not what this is) Downside: It's weak. Super Scope A rapid fire shotgun, or a high-powered charge shot. Use: When you've got a Super Scope, you've got two options. You can entrap your opponent in a barrage of speedy blasts, or you can charge the gun up for a blast more powerful than Samus's charge shot. Value: 8 Origin: Super NES Peripheral (no, it isn't a weapon in real life) Downside: A reflected charge shot can be deadly. Super Mushroom Grow big, just like Super Mario! Use: This item will slide along the stage, and enlarge the first person who manages to touch it. Being bigger has wonderful advantages, since you're tougher to knock away and much stronger. You also have higher jumping. The effects won't last too long, however. Value: 9 Origin: Mario Series Downside: Try not to pick up a Poison Mushroom (below)! Warp Star Your character flies into the air and slams back on the ground, creating an explosion that harms everyone but you. Use: Grab this item to launch into the air, crashing down onto the ground for a powerful hit where you land. You can steer it a bit by holding the control stick in a direction. Value: 7 Origin: Kirby's Dream Land Downside: Difficult to maneuver. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. SECRETS ***CHARACTERS*** Unlock Mewtwo with 20 total hours of Combined Vs. gameplay. Unlock Jigglypuff by completing the Classic or the Adventure mode once, any difficulty. Unlock Mr. Game & Watch by completing all of the Target Tests, Adventure Modes, or Classic modes for the other 24 characters. Unlock Marth by playing all fourteen characters in Melee mode. Unlock Roy by beating Adventure mode or Classic mode with Marth without continuing, any difficulty. Unlock Dr. Mario by besting Classic mode with Mario, no dying. Unlock Luigi by finishing first stage in adventure mode with 2 seconds left (_:_ 2:_ _, ie 1:0 2:96). Luigi replaces Mario in the next fight. Unlock Ganondorf by beating Event 29. Unlock Falco by beating 100 Man Melee for the first time, or by playing 300 Vs. Matches. In the April 2002 Electronic Gaming Monthly, they said that by killing 20 of the wire-frames in cruel melee, you could unlock both Sonic and Tails, and then beating classic with them warranted a special surprise. This was their APRIL FOOLS DAY JOKE. The date printed on the little information box about unlocking the characters was April 1, 2002, even though that date hadn't come yet, and april 1st is APRIL FOOLS DAY. DO NOT EMAIL ME SAYING IT'S POSSIBLE. IT ISN'T. - MULTI-MAN MELEE TIPS - All Melees other than Cruel Melee have the same strategy. Be DK, and stand in the middle of the stage. Press down+b to do your ground pound. Repeat this. Continuously. Everything other than the 15 minute melee should be VERY easy with this strategy, and even the 15 minute melee should only take a few tries. The Cruel Melee is much more difficult. Be Ness. Jump off the edge, and PK thunder yourself back towards the edge. Try to hit yourself into the Wire-frame fighters. Do this repeatedly, and you should kill a few of them. A few of them should also kill themselves. Just try to kill 5, because then you'll get a new trophy. Unlock Pichu by beating Event 37 or playing 200 Vs. Matches Unlock Young Link by beating Classic mode with 10 people or by playing 500 Vs. matches. ***LEVELS*** Unlock Planet Zebes: Brinstar Depths by playing 50 Vs. matches. Unlock Eagleland: Fourside by playing 100 Vs. matches. Unlock F-Zero Grand Prix: Big Blue by playing 150 Vs. matches. Unlock Kanto Skies: Poke Floats by playing 200 Vs. matches. Unlock Mushroom Kingdom II by getting the Birdo trophy. Unlock Superflat World: Flat Zone by unlocking Mr. Game & Watch and defeating Classic mode with him. Unlock Battlefield by defeating All-Star Mode with any character, any difficulty. Unlock Final Destination by clearing all 51 Event Matches. Unlock Popupuland by completing Target Test successfully with all 25 characters. Unlock Yoshi's Island by hitting over 1320 (I got 1308 and no dice, but 1325 gave me the level) feet in the Homerun Contest with Yoshi. - HOME RUN CONTEST TIPS - The Homerun Challenge will give you two trophies and a secret level. The strategy is really very simple. Be Yoshi. Walk up to the sandbag. Barely jump, (do not jump over the sandbag) and press down+a to do your bicycle kick. Repeat. Do this as many times as possible, (I've never been able to do more than four) then grab the bat and smash the sandbag to oblivion. Unlock Kongo Jungle by finishing 15-minute Man Melee with any character. ***OTHER*** ~Unlock the Score Display (displays your bonus score during the melee match instead of after it) by racking up 5000 Kos ~Unlock Celebi in pokeballs by first getting the score display, then Celebi will become available, although very rare. ~Unlock the Sound Test by beating all 51 Events in Event Mode AND getting all of the levels. Thanks to EVERYONE for pointing that out. ~Unlock All-Star Mode by unlocking 25 characters. ~Unlock the Random Stage Switch by opening unlocking all of the stages. This does not include the three classic stages and two generic stages (Final Destination and Battlefield). ~Unlock the alternate music in certain stages by pressing L and R on the controller before you press A to select a level. Keep them held down until the level starts. ~Here are the levels with alternate music: Icicle Mountain- Balloon Fight Great Bay- Saria's Song Hyrule Temple- Fire Emblem Yoshi's Island- Super Mario Bros. 3 theme Onett- Pollyanna, from Earthbound Big Blue- Mach Rider Pokemon Stadium- Pokemon Gold/Silver Both Mushroom Kingdoms- Dr. Mario, Fever selection Battlefield- Multi-Man Melee Final Destination- Alternate SSB theme rendition ~Here are fun ways to screw with the trophy gallery: If you hold the Y button and press A to enter the trophy collection, they will be arranged in a triangular format. If you hold the L Shoulder button and press A to enter the trophy collection, they will be arranged in straight rows. And if you hold the R Shoulder button and press A to enter the trophy collection, they will be arranged in a circular pattern. ~If you go to the sound test and pick any song, when you go to the trophy mode, the background music will be the piece you just picked in the sound test mode. ~Oh, and if you have a Pikmin save on your memory card when you start up Melee, you'll get a Captain Olimar trophy. YES IT'S IN THE FAQ BRANDON ARE YOU HAPPY? ***Here are some new oddities for the characters*** ~Take Fox or Falco to either Star Fox stage, and press left and right on the d-pad repeatedly. Eventually, they'll clench a fist, bend over, shake a bit, and summon their fellow wingmen for some random chatter. No practical use, but pretty cool. ~And now a new one's been discovered. With Samus, repeatedly press Z and mash the d-pad feverishly. Some combination of buttons therein will eventually cause Samus' grappling beam to double in length. At that point, you have to press A when the tip of the beam comes in contact with someone in order to grab them, since it won't do it automatically any more. PLUS, if you hold L throughout the whole throw, the grappling beam will actually home in on an opponent, letting you grab people both twice as far away from you, and at any variety of angles. ~Are there any more for any characters? Send them in if you find them! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 9. EVENT MODE Lv. 01: Trouble King "Fight Bowser in a classic Mushroom Kingdom clash!" Mario (2) vs. Bowser (2) This is pretty damn simple. Stay moving, be an item hog, and use the smash attack and you should win with absolutely no problem at all. Lv. 02: Lord of the Jungle "A duel of epic proportions! Which ape is top primate?" Giant DK (2) vs. Mini-DK (2) This can actually be kinda challenging, because you are too damn big, and some of your attacks just go over Mini-DK's head. However, he can't do @#%$ for damage, so just use your Up + A slap when he is on a platform and the ground-slap when on the ground. Once he's in the air, keep him there until you star finish him. The Up + A charge attack is quite good for juggling him. Lv. 03: Bomb-fest "Bombs are everywhere in this explosive battle." Character of Choice (1) vs. Link (1) vs. Samus (1) This is a rather ridiculous fight. You versus Link and Samus, both bomb-equipped, with explosives everywhere. Every Poke Ball in the this level contains a highly explosive Electrode. (Remember? He used to pop out of the door in Celadon on Smash Bros 64.) Anyway, for this battle, stay in the air, don't use a lightweight, and grab all items. Pretty simple. Lv. 04: Dino-wrangling "A giant Yoshi is on the loose! Somebody stop it!" Chosen Character (3) vs. Giant Yoshi (1) Damn, if that isn't one huge, highly detailed Yoshi? His size is his disadvantage though. I'm going to recommend Link on this one. His powerful A-button attacks work well, and the downward sword stab rocks here. If you do it right, you can get a 2 or 3 stab combo in. This racks up damage. Once his is at about 150% damage, smash attack him or down-stab him to his doom. Lv. 05: Spare Change "Don't stop until you get 200 coins!" Ness vs. Falcon (first to 200 coins, time limit of 1:20:00) Smash newbies: the hardest part of this level is learning to use Ness. Refer to the other part of the FAQ, and then go into training to familiarize yourself with his bat, yo-yo, and goofy jump and comeback move. Now then, the coin battle. Bronze coins are 1, Silver are 5, and Gold a whopping 10. The key here is to keep Falcon away, even if he hits you. Simply knock him away, grab the coins. Lather, rinse, repeat. It should be noted that the cars in Onett produce a large amount of coins, and if you can knock Falcon into one, you would be rewarded. EVENT 6: KIRBYS ON PARADE Anyone Unlocked (1 life) vs. 3 Kirbys (2 lives each) Using the same strategy that you use for multi man melee (use DK and continually use your Down+B) should work here. LEVEL 7: POKEMON BATTLE Anyone Unlocked (2 lives) vs. Pikachu (2 lives) The important thing to know here is that you can only hurt Pikachu with Pokemon. Any character should work but a quick character would be good if you're having trouble. EVENT 8: HOT DATE ON BRINSTAR Anyone Unlocked (3 lives) vs. Samus (3 lives) This is just a simple fight, so you've got two choices. You can go with your favourite character, and employ the strategies you usually use, or you can find a character who is an excellent juggler (I recommend Sheik) and try to get Samus in the air where she's extremely vulnerable. It's all based on preference. You both start the fight with a fair bit of damage, so getting the first strike is worth it. Event #9: Hide 'N' Shiek "only Shiek KOs count! Wait for the change..." Chosen Character (1) vs. Two Zeldas (2 each) KO two Zeldas. KO's only count if you KO them as Shiek. In case you haven't noticed, Zelda seems to think it's necessary to transform between her two forms EVERY FIVE SECONDS. If you wait for the transformation to hit her, you'll die. Just beat Zelda up with weak attacks in either form. Once her damage gets high, wait for the transformation, and hit her with a strong attack. BOOM. One less enemy to worry about. Repeat as necessary. LEVEL 10: ALL-STAR MATCH 1 Anyone Unlocked (2 lives) vs. Mario, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Peach, Bowser (1 life each) All-Star matches pit you against a set of characters, one by one, on their own stages. You get two stock, but any damage you get carries over to the next fight. It sounds hard, but it's not really too difficult until the later All-Star matches. Here, I'd recommend using a character with a powerful move (like Captain Falcon's Falcon Punch). Since these foes are ridiculously easy to hit and rarely dodge, a few hits from that powerful move will KO them. Ganondorf's Warlock Punch WOULD work best, but there's almost no way you'd have him, since you get him via a later event. LEVEL 11: KING OF THE MOUNTAIN Anyone Unlocked (1 life) vs. Two Ice Climbers (Immortal) Here you'll want to find a character who is a high jumper, and a skilled dodger. Luigi is preferable, but if you haven't got him, try Captain Falcon, or, oddly enough, the Ice Climbers. Just escape into a high corner and go up with the stage. If you are approached by an Ice Climber, dodge past them and head to the clearest part of the screen. The time will be up before you know it. LEVEL 12: SECONDS, ANYONE? Anyone Unlocked (1 life) vs. Captain Falcon (1 life) Here, it's simple. Just find a character with a really powerful move and time it so that Falcon gets slammed in the face and gets sent flying. You can do it with a character who has a good throw, too, but the power method is preferable, since you're short on time. Event #13: Yoshi's Egg "Protect the single remaining Yoshi egg from being broken!" Yoshi (1) vs. Donkey Kong, Pikachu, Fox (unlimited, I think.) Protect Yoshi's egg from your foes. This is pretty easy. To beat it easily, you might want to try being a coward. As soon as the event begins, grab the egg. Once you've got the precious egg, run from the enemies, if they attack you one enemy at a time, they'll be easy enough to dodge. If they team up on you, throw the egg at them. Just be sure to grab it again, and don't throw it too often. Basically, just grab the egg and avoid your foes. It's only #13, so they should be relatively easy to avoid. LEVEL 14: TROPHY TUSSLE 1 Anyone Unlocked (2 lives) vs. 3 Random Characters (2 lives each) Trophy Tussle matches pit you on top of a giant version of a certain trophy, where you duke it out with three random opponents. Everyone has 2 stock. Since your opponents are random, it can be difficult to come up with strategies for this. A good character to use for this first Trophy Tussle is either Mario or the Ice Climbers. Their midair Forward + A moves (known as Meteor Attacks) will send the opponents flying down the side of the goomba (the trophy you are fighting on here) and down to the bottom. It'll be hard for them to recover. LEVEL 15: GIRL POWER Anyone Unlocked (2 lives with Poison Mushroom) vs. Samus, Zelda, Peach (2 lives each) Okay, so your enemies aren't all that much bigger than normal, and you're not all that much smaller than normal, but there's a size difference alright. However, you can use the size of your opponents against them. Pick Jigglypuff. Then, use your rest (down + B) move on them (you have to kinda be inside the other character to do it right). It'll kill them in one hit. Do it twice for everyone, and you'll win the match easily. Sheik can be tricky to hit, but you can do it (or just wait until she turns back into Zelda) LEVEL 16: KIRBY'S AIR RAID Kirby (1 life) vs. 10 Kirbys This is a pretty easy event, and you'll need just a little luck. Hang out near a warp star, and if a group of Kirbys comes near you, grab it and slam them. They'll be gone before you know it. LEVEL 17: BOUNTY HUNTERS Samus (1 life) vs. Bowser and Captain Falcon (1 life each) There's no real sure-fire way to beat this one, but it'll get a whole lot easier if Captain Falcon suicides. Basically, you have to be the one to KO Bowser. Not Falcon. Not by suicide on Bowser's part. YOU have to do it, or you fail. Basically, just work away at Bowser with your screw attack and missiles, then try to land the KO with a charged shot. You're probably only going to win this one if Captain Falcon dies. But don't get lazy when that happens. You still have to kill Bowser, and keep him from suiciding. LEVEL 18: LINK'S ADVENTURE Link (2 lives) vs. Link's Shadow (2 lives) Well, in this level, you fight against a dark, black shadow version of Link. For Link players, the battle is mildly challenging, but for anyone else, it's one of the hardest stages thus-far. So, here's a crash course on Link. In the battle, you're going to want to use/abuse the up-B sword spin. It's essential that when the shadow Link is coming at from above or the side, you knock him away with the sword spin, and block his own sword spins with your shield. Also, any time you come down from above him, down-a pogo stick your sword into his head. Don't fight him tete-a-tete as he's a bit faster with his sword and can roll around you (unless you're good at Link, but then you shouldn't be reading this). If you're far away from him (and a lot of the time you should be) then just pelt him with all of your projectiles. If you find yourself with a high percent damage, go into the cave in the middle of the level and camp. Smash hits just bounce you around, and you won't die. Read the above Link strategy and the Hyrule temple strategy for more help. LEVEL 19: PEACH'S PERIL Mario (1 life) vs. Bowser and Peach Keeping Peach safe isn't too much of a concern, actually. Sure, if you just sit there, she'll probably die, but it doesn't take much intervention to keep her safe. Your main concern is your own skin. Your best move here is your Super Cape. It'll spin Bowser around and screw him up for a moment. While Bowser is focusing on Peach, grab all the items you can find. A super scope is always handy, and if you get a starman, Bowser will stop what he's doing and run away from you. Just keep Bowser occupied without letting him hurt you. LEVEL 20: ALL-STAR MATCH 2 Anyone Unlocked (2 lives) vs. Samus, Link, Zelda, Captain Falcon, Fox (1 life each) Here, you can still use some character with a powerful move, but you want someone who's nimble and maneuverable, as well. Here I'd recommend Link and his midair down+A stab. It'll send your opponents flying upwards, and you can juggle them until they're gone. LEVEL 21: ICE BREAKER Anyone Unlocked (1 life) vs. Two Ice Climbers For this one, choose Zelda or Ness. Approach the Ice Climbers, and grab one. If it's Popo, toss him upwards. If it's Nana, throw her backwards off the stage, then pursue her and keep knocking her away. If you're Ness, you'll want to charge your bat for a well-timed home run KO. Once the first Nana is dead and gone, head to the other pair and repeat. It WILL take you a few tries. Don't give up. Event #22: Super Mario 128 "Battle 128 tiny Marios in a wild endurance match!" Chosen Character (1) vs. 128 Marios (1 each, poison mushroom) KO 128 tiny Marios All 128 Marios go flying at the drop of a hat, so you'd think this would be ridiculously easy. But 128 IS a lot. Simply pick your best character, and use a strong attack with a wide range. (such as DK's ground pound, or Link's sword spin) Do that continuously, and don't let the Mario's get any items (such as bob-ombs, pokeballs, or Warp stars) that could kill you. Also stay away from any items (such as bob-ombs or capsules that may explode) that you could kill yourself with. If you don't let items become a factor, the Mario's are weak enough to make this pretty easy. Event #23: Slippy's Invention "Slippy: With my new device, you guys'll be invisible!" Chosen Character (2, cloaking device) vs. Fox and Falco (2 each, cloaking device) KO Fox and Falco. Everybody's invisible. The cloaking device is the most annoying item ever. When your enemies are invisible, they're hard to find, and they obviously have no trouble finding you. When you're invisible, It's hard to find yourself, and the computer still has no trouble finding you. In this event, the computer will always know where they are, and they'll always know where you are. You will have no idea where anybody is. So don't move. If you do, you'll walk off the edge without noticing. Just stand more or less in the same place, wait for them to come to you, and attack them. You should be able to beat them after only a few tries. LEVEL 24: THE YOSHI HERD Anyone Unlocked (1 life) vs. 29 Yoshis, 1 Giant Yoshi (1 life each) Here you'll want to choose a character with either a quick and powerful move, or a wide-ranged move. Captain Falcon is a good example of the former, and Link a good example of the latter. Simply overuse that move, and the Yoshi's will be flying off the screen. When the big one arrives, you should have plenty of time to wear it down and knock it out. LEVEL 25: GARGANTUANS Bowser (1 life, Super Mushroom) vs. Donkey Kong (2 lives, Super Mushroom), Tiny Mario, Tiny Peach (1 life each) Don't worry about the tiny Mario and Peach. They'll die instantly. What you want to do is dodge DK (unless you're a Bowser player) until he suicides down one of the spaces between buildings. If you're really good with Bowser, incorporate your usual strategies against heavyweights. Just don't fall down those cracks, and you'll be fine. LEVEL 26: TROPHY TUSSLE 2 Anyone Unlocked (2 lives) vs. 3 Random Characters (2 lives each) This one is much harder than the previous Trophy Tussle. There will always be one character who goes off to the left and defends that territory. Leave them be until the other two are gone. For those two who are after you, just employ your best multi-opponent strategies (you might want to keep restarting until you get some lightweights). When they're gone, just try to keep knocking the last opponent off the edge of the stage. LEVEL 27: COLD ARMOR Samus (1 life) vs. Three Metal Samuses (2 lives each) The easiest way to beat this one is to use the stage against the metal Samuses (Sami?). When it rotates, try to knock them downwards. They'll fall fast, and have difficulty getting back up. If they land on a platform below the stage, play the waiting game, and they'll soon try to do some jumping trick and fall to their deaths. Of course, if you're good with Samus, you can get more into the fight if you like. LEVEL 28: PUFFBALLS UNITE Anyone Unlocked (1 life) vs. 14 Kirbys (1 life each) The best character to use here is Roy (hopefully you have him). Just use your regular B and up+B moves repeatedly, and try not to get knocked too far. If they try to close in on you, make good use of Counter (down+B). Those blasted Kirbys will be gone before you know it. LEVEL 29: TRIFORCE GATHERING Link (1 life) vs. Zelda (1 life), Ganondorf (2 lives) Ok, this is the level that, if you win, you'll end up fighting Ganondorf, and you'll be playing as Link. Fun stuff, if you're not a Link fan. If you are, just as it's mentioned in Link's Shadow, this one is a breeze to play, and Ganondorf isn't too hard a foe. But, once again, non-Link players will meet with some difficulty. Throughout the course of the level, stick with Zelda, and just whomp on Ganondorf with sword swipes and sword spins. If you're really not into hand to hand action, run away to the other side of Zelda, with Ganondorf in between and keep hitting him with arrows and bombs, letting Zelda do most of the work. Then, come down on top of Ganondorf with a down-a sword to the head, or do a smash attack to send him flying, repeat as necessary. To fight Ganondorf, you can run away and then pelt him with projectiles, or you can just be quicker than he is and dodge his hits (which he winds up to do, so it's not that hard to spot when a hit is coming) and then smack him around with your sword. Like last time, smash attack him off the stage. If you're really having problems, start to play as Link a bit against Captain Falcon with Zelda to practice. Captain Falcon is a tad faster, so it's like batting practice with a heavier bat, when you do face Ganondorf, he'll be easier. LEVEL 30: ALL-STAR MATCH 3 Anyone Unlocked (2 lives) vs. Kirby, Pikachu, Ness, Ice Climbers (1 life each) While only Kirby is technically classified as a lightweight, they're all pretty light characters. I recommend a close-range character, like the Ice Climbers or Mario. Smash them repeatedly back and forth. They can't do much to stop you. LEVEL 31: MARIO BROS. MADNESS Anyone Unlocked vs. Mario, Luigi This is the only Time Match event in the entire game. Basically, you have to rack up the most KOs on the Mario Brothers before time runs out. Use your best character and pummel away at them, and keep trying. It's tough, but a persistent player can do it. LEVEL 32: TARGET ACQUIRED Falco (1 life) vs. Jigglypuff For this one, you simply want to get credit for the times when Jigglypuff dies. Stay in the air and use Falco's various kicks to clear Jiggly out of there. Use the occasional throw as well. It's just timing and luck here. Hopefully you have both. LEVEL 33: LETHAL MARATHON Captain Falcon (1 life) vs. F-Zero Racers This event places you in the single player F-Zero Grand Prix level, and sends you running along as Captain Falcon- at twice the speed. It's all timing. As soon as the race starts, dash. Run past the first couple of platforms, go over the drop, and continue until you reach the next platform (you may need to jump in advance). When the cars stop, run along and cross the gaps until you reach the platform with a little ramp on the end. Stand on it and duck. Then, dash to the finish line (jumping if necessary to stay alive). LEVEL 34: SEVEN YEARS Young Link (3 lives) vs. Link (3 lives) In this level, you fight as Young Link versus Adult Link on the Seaside Lab, the key to this level involves the fact that to succeed you shouldn't DON'T SWORD FIGHT LINK...his sword is longer and in direct skirmishes he can out parry you. So, the best strategy is to just keep hitting him with projectiles, and running away from his close range attacks. Then if he falls towards you, hit him with a spinning attack, and then run away, trying to get him onto the platform on the bottom right, where the turtle head is. If he falls into the water UNDER the seaside lab, he's not getting back. This also applies to the other side, because the best bet is to just stay away, and let Link kill himself, but keep on hitting him with projectiles. If you have time in your running away, come out of the air with the down-a sword move to rack up some heavy damage, and keep running. LEVEL 35: TIME FOR A CHECKUP Luigi (1 life) vs. Dr. Mario, Peach (1 life each) This is probably the most difficult match yet. Here you'll want to employ a strategy usually reserved for Ness. Jump off to one side of the stage, then use the Green Missile (Side + B) to blast at Dr. Mario and Nurse Peach. Hopefully, one will suicide, and it'll be much easier from then on. Then, you can get in close and beat your opponent up. Refer to the Luigi Profile if necessary. LEVEL 36: SPACE TRAVELERS Ness (1 life) vs. Samus, Kirby, Fox, Captain Falcon, Falco (1 life each) This level has Ness, with one life, against five characters in a row, on first the secret Earthbound stage and then the Wire Frame Stage. The characters increase in difficulty as the level progresses, with Samus and Kirby at INCREDIBLY easy, Fox at annoying, Captain Falcon at hard, and Falco at lucky. There are very few tricks on this one. It just requires an insane amount of skill playing as Ness. Know this: the bat is your friend. Pretty much the only damage I dealt when beating this was with my trusty forward smash. Know the bat. Love the bat. In time you should be able to get to Capt. Falcon and Falco with little to no damage. Then it is all a mixture of luck, skill, and good items. Good luck. Here's a few more tips. The main point of the first section, on fourside, is to get the least amount of damage incurred as possible. This means keeping the other characters AWAY from you. When a computer controlled character is on a low difficulty setting (like Samus, Kirby, and Fox), they do most of their damage through direct close-up hits. This does not mean run away. This means time your hits correctly, and use the bat ALWAYS. Nothing else. It's best to stay on the ledge to the right of the main center building, where the helicopter lands, because that's where Fox generates, and he's the toughest of them all. If he really beats you around, restart. If you get lucky with Fox, and it happens more often then you think, you go to the second part, on the Battlefield. Here's where it gets tricky. As Ness, you have the greatest ability to run away of ANY character. Use that, and use any and all items at your disposal. But note, neither Falco nor C. Falcon will pick up boxes, so don't expect them to. My brother was so pissed because he waited for Falco to pick up a box and then whammo, Falco kicked him to oblivion. This happened too often to be healthy for him. Also, don't pick up boxes. Ness is kind of weak, and it's too slow with those quick characters darting around. Run away, attack with projectiles, get up the percentage with Falco and C. Falcon, and then pepper them with bat hits and item hits. Try and try again. You'll get it. LEVEL 37: LEGENDARY POKEMON Anyone Unlocked (1 life) vs. Four Giant Wire Frames and a Jigglypuff (2 lives each) To beat this incredibly frustrating event, FORGET THE WIRE-FRAMES. Just let them run around and attack you, and keep jumping from them towards the ultimate prizes: the pokeballs. Each pokeball contains one of the legendary pokemon, like Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Ho-oh, Lugia, Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos. Oh, and the unfortunate few contain Wobbuffet. Your goal is to get the pokeballs and throw them ASAP. Only Jigglypuff will grab the other balls, and if she's knocked off the stage, the rest of the level is easy. So, grab the pokeballs, throw them, and go for another. Most of the time, the pokeballs will spout these veritable fountains of destruction, but once in a while, Wobbuffet will come out (which always seems to happen at the most inopportune times). Keep on jumping to the pokeballs and throwing them. Nothing ruins your day like the 50% damage that one of these pokemon can rack up on you. Once you kill Jigglypuff (either let the pokemon do it, or, once she's at a high enough percentage, smash attack her) just use pokemon on the wire- frames and smash attack them to infinity. LEVEL 38: SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 Anyone Unlocked (2 lives) vs. Mario, Luigi, Peach (2 lives each) This is a simple multiplayer battle as a character of your choice (which makes it easier). Just choose your best multi-opponent character and smash away at these guys. It's really best to just do it your own way, but I'd recommend you use a swordsman to prevent these close-range characters from getting too near. LEVEL 39: JIGGLYPUFF LIVE! Jigglypuff (2 lives) vs. Three Jigglypuffs (2 lives each) Jigglypuff can kill each enemy Jigglypuff in one hit. Simply grab a Jigglypuff, and tap up to throw it upwards...it doesn't come back. Do this 3 times for each Jigglypuff, and it's very easy to be done with this event in less than a minute. LEVEL 40: ALL-STAR MATCH 4 Anyone Unlocked (2 lives) vs. Marth, Luigi, Jigglypuff, MewTwo, Mr. Game and Watch (1 life each) This is where the all-star matches suddenly become very tough. Since this bunch is so varied, you're best with your personal favorite character. Use your usual tactics, and if you're skilled enough, you'll come out on top. LEVEL 41: EN GARDE! Marth (2 lives) vs. Link (2 lives) You'll want to practice a bit with Marth for this match. If you can learn how to use his Dancing Blade (forward+B) move properly, you have a great advantage. Just hit Link from all sides until he croaks. Use the up+B and forward smash frequently, and use the regular B move when Link is distant but headed towards you. LEVEL 42: TROUBLE KING 2 Luigi (2 lives) vs. Giant Bowser (2 lives) Like it or not, you're going to win this when Bowser suicides twice. Just try to stay alive. If you're lucky, you can get him to stomp down the left side of the Squirtle balloon (the blue turtle), losing a life. Then, if you're luckier still, Bowser will just stand on top of the Onix (the stone snake) and let it carry him across the KO wall- another lucky suicide. You're not going to be the one to knock him off no matter how hard you try, but you can weaken him well with your up+B Super Jump Punch. LEVEL 43: BIRDS OF PREY Fox (2 lives) vs. Captain Falcon and Falco (2 lives each) One of the most frustrating events. Primarily, you want to run away from them. Get in some damage when you can, but stay away from them, especially if they are together. Eventually, a mix of your damage and the computer screwing up and falling off will result in a few knockoffs. Good luck. LEVEL 44: MEWTWO STRIKES! Anyone Unlocked (1 life) vs. Zelda and Mewtwo (1 life each) In this level, they try and trick you into fighting Zelda, but Mewtwo suddenly attacks, on a very high difficulty. First of all, ignore Zelda. You beat this event by beating Mewtwo. Second of all, the best way at beating this is to use Ness. The strategy is to jump off the edge of the level. Zelda and Mewtwo will wait for you at the edge. When you are just above ground level in the air (off the side of the level), use your PK Thunder rescue move to shoot yourself into your opponents. The benefits are twofold. Firstly, it does decent damage once you are practiced enough to hit at a good rate. Secondly, for some reason Mewtwo kills himself A LOT when you are constantly doing this. LEVEL 45: GAME AND WATCH FOREVER! Mr. Game and Watch (3 lives) vs. 25 Mr. Game and Watches (1 life each) In this highly annoying event, you have to KO 25 G&Ws when your character has a hex on him that makes him fly whenever any hit lands on him. Try to stay away from any and all smash moves by the opponents. This event is cake once you know the best move to eliminate your foes. That move is your down+A move. No, not the down smash with the mallets. Just the down+A move where it looks like he is flipping a piece of the floor up and down. Get off to the edge of the level with your back to the side and abuse this move. Knocks them off in one hit... LEVEL 46: FIRE EMBLEM PRIDE Anyone Unlocked (3 lives) vs. Marth and Roy (3 lives each) Ok, I ended up beating this event as Link, because I realized how to play as Link versus either of the Fire Emblem boys. RUN AWAY. This trick enabled me to very easily conquer this rather frustrating event, and boy was I glad. Neither Marth nor Roy have any long range attacks, and you do. Three of them. Any character who can shoot things and yet have power (Samus, for example, Falco or Fox as well) would be good for this event, but I like Link for his long-sword and range of options. If you use the items, use the strategy for the level that this event is played on (give them the run-around) and hide out in the cave when you're heavily damaged, you'll escape the wrath of Marth and Roy. Read up on both the character you're using's FAQ (Link is a good choice) and then the FAQ on Hyrule Temple. It's all explained there. Running is not a bad idea, and it's not for the weak. LEVEL 47: TROPHY TUSSLE 3 Anyone Unlocked (2 lives) vs. 3 Random Characters (2 lives each) Yet another extremely frustrating event. This level gives you the Majora's Mask trophy, but you have to battle on the mask and against a trio of annoying random characters. Luckily, the other characters can and will hurt each other, but they all come after you. I like to stay in the middle of the level with the horns on either side of me. Yes, your damage will get sky high, but so will the computer peoples' (not quite as high, but substantial). Also, the horns on either side will make it very hard for you to get knocked off the side of the stage. Just try to get in as much damage as possible. When you have an isolation with one opponent, take that opportunity to deliver a heavy blow to try for the KO. My favorite character for this is Link and his up+B special and down+A air attack. Good luck. LEVEL 48: PIKACHU AND PICHU Anyone Unlocked (2 lives) vs. Pikachu (Infinite Lives), Two Pichus (1 life each) In this event you're pitted against a very difficult Pikachu and 2 fairly difficult Pichus. The objective is to get both of the Pichus off, Pikachu's just there to annoy you. The Pichus will stay close together until one of them dies. Once that happens the remaining one with stay close to Pikachu making it even more annoying. The best character to pick would be Mr. Game and Watch because his smash attacks are the best. Whenever Pikachu comes near you hit him away with his torch. Then aggressively go after the Pichus using your smash attacks. Keep on doing this. Eventually one will commit suicide. Now it'll be harder. As long as you haven't lost a life yet you should be ok though. Pikachu will try to defend Pichu so hit him away and keep smash- attacking Pichu. It may take a few tries but eventually you should be able to do it. LEVEL 49: ALL-STAR MATCH DELUXE Anyone Unlocked (2 lives) vs. Dr. Mario, Falco, Pichu, Young Link, Roy, and Ganondorf (1 life each) With Roy, you can pass your enemies without taking any damage. For the first battle with Dr. Mario, don't move when it starts. Mario will jump up on the platform, jump again, and hit his head on a block and break it. At the very second he does that, press and hold B. Once he gets over to you, let go of B to attack him. Charge your B attack again - if you did it right, Mario will jump onto the top left set of blocks and back down at you. Let go of B and he'll fly right off! If he ever grabs onto the ledge in front of you, just start over. No reason to be damaged now. For Falco, once it starts charge your B attack again and let go when he's near. He should hit the wall of the ship - now smash him a few times. He'll try to get on the other side of you, so be careful here. Just smash him off the stage, you shouldn't take that much damage here. Next comes Pichu. As soon as it starts, charge up a right+A smash and hit Pichu when he jumps at you. Now just drop down and start Smashing Pichu until he dies. Young Link is much harder than the battles before. As it starts, charge your B attack and unleash it as soon as he's in range. If you're too late, he'll grab you or throw a boomerang at you. All I can say here is fight him as best as you can, use lots of smashes. If he flies off the edge, charge your B attack and give it to him when he's near. Next is Roy. As it starts, charge your B attack again and let Roy have it once he's near. Now run into the underground area, it's impossible to die in here. Just keep smashing Roy and use your B attack a lot - fully charged will kill him easily. Ganondorf is really hard, as usual. If you hang around the edges a lot, he might just fall off the platform and die. Otherwise, there isn't much to say other than to fight him as best as you can! LEVEL 50: FINAL DESTINATION MATCH Anyone Unlocked (1 life) vs. Two Master hands with 300 HP each The people who designed this level are butts, and pit you against two master hands, each with 300 HP. They'll work alone, and together, in order to quash you. It's a tough match, but I like to use Yoshi and his down+A air attack on this level. Essentially, you want to do that whenever possible. In between, you will have to become very good at air dodging and ground rolls. Takes much practice to conquer but can be done. Good luck. Here's a more in-depth way to play the level. As Yoshi, you're going to want to first learn what to avoid in each of the attacks the hands make, and you're going to need to learn how to perform the down-a kick. Basically, I like to hold down the stick and then press a like a bazillion times, because holding a down doesn't seem like it does as much damage as repeatedly tapping a. Go after the left hand first. Stand right under the spot on the hand where the thumb sprouts from the hand, and then jump, and come down with the kicks. Do it once, and maybe another time, then get ready to jump over an attack. I once beat the left hand with 2% damage by just dodging attacks and kicking the hand. Then, defeat the right hand with the same manner, but only do one kick per attack, and watch out. The right hand has a lot more smash attacks, and Yoshi is fairly light. Try and watch out especially for when the hands float with their palms open, because they'll swoop in and grab you, increasing damage by a lot. Just watch for the signs of the attacks and specifically dodge them. LEVEL 51: Anyone Unlocked (3 lives) vs. Giga Bowser, Ganondorf, MewTwo (3 lives each) If you thought the last level was hard, here's one that makes it look like a cakewalk. You have to make 9 KOs on high level characters, on one of the smallest levels in the game. To make it worse, an insanely huge Bowser prowls the stage, and so you basically get 0 space. My strategy for this is the same as Event 44. I use Ness, jump off the side of the level, and use PK Thunder to shoot myself into my opponents. Lather, rinse, repeat. Mewtwo and Ganondorf have a wonderfully high suicide rate when doing this. And you don't even have to have good aim to get Bowser's damage up, as he is huge and nearly impossible to miss. Another, alternate way of defeating this level involves Jigglypuff. Use the down+B move on Bowser, usually that against him at as little as 20% damage will kill him. This gets rid of Giga Bowser fairly easy, but you will end up with a rather high damage after you get him off. Now, it gets hard. You have to take down both Mewtwo and Ganondorf usually with as little as a life left. It really is a combination of luck, pure skill, more luck, luck in getting good items, and even more luck. Hopefully, in taking out Bowser, you have taken out a couple of lives out of either Mewtwo or Ganondorf. The problem with Mewtwo and Ganondorf, is that if you come through the air, Ganondorf will Up+B move you, killing you in as little as 3 or 4 times, come by the ground, and Mewtwo will stun you with the repeated A attack, and then Ganon will once again destroy you. I've found one way to get around this (well, besides mad rolling, dodging and luck), use Jiggly's B button attack, roll up, and hit them, hopefully killing them, and avoiding falling off. This won't work every time, so hopefully some good items will come into play. Once one is eliminated, you can fight accordingly with the other, with Mewtwo try to drop in on the top, resting against him, against Ganondorf, go on the land, or using the roll attack once again. Here's a third way. As Jigglypuff, fly up above Bowser and then fall into him with rest, hopefully knocking him off. Keep repeating this, paying no attention to the others, until Bowser dies. Now, once he's dead, you should probably be at one life left, and if you're lucky, you'll have a small amount of damage. Now, the waiting begins. Float back and forth over the heads of both Mewtwo and Ganondorf, trying not to get too close to them. You are waiting for items to pop up, like mines or bob-ombs. It'll take a long time, and it'll be very boring, but just float and wait, float and wait. They won't really attack you, except maybe Mewtwo will shoot you, so if Mewtwo gets a weapon, let him hold it, as he won't attack you then. Pick up anything and either shoot it or throw it, and you'll easily beat this level, it'll just take a while. Ok, here we go with a FOURTH way, sent in by abkid56. Pick Jigglypuff, kill Giga Bowser with rest attack, yadayadayada. Then you could do these two in any order. Start hanging on the edge, and Ganondorf and Mewtwo will start trying to attack you while missing (keep dropping down and grabbing the edge again to get less damage). Ganondorf will eventually use his Up+B (Dark Dive) attack and kill himself, wait until Ganondorf does this to kill himself off. Then, for Mewtwo, always use B, the roll out move. I prefer using the roll out attack and killing Mewtwo first cause he always gets in the way when you are hanging on the edge, racking up your damage. Ganondorf will almost always dodge the roll out attack so NEVER try it on him, only Mewtwo. This way is the way I got it. So, in summary, you could roll out Mewtwo for the win, then hang on and wait until Ganondorf commits suicide, OR you could let Ganondorf die and then roll out Mewtwo, risking Mewtwo's attacks on the edge. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 10. BONUS LIST Title: (points) Description Bird of Prey: (4000) Used only aerial attacks. Combo King: (2500) Used many combos. (Average # of combos is 2.5 or greater) Juggler: (1500) Struck an enemy many times while keeping him airborne. Backstabber: (2000) High % of attacks were from rear. (70% or more of total) Sweeper: (2500) High % of attacks were low. (50% or more of total) Clean Sweep: (5000) All attacks were low attacks. Meteor Smash: (800) KO'd foe with a Meteor Attack. Meteor Clear: (3000) Cleared the level with a Meteor Attack. Meteor Master: (8000) Every Meteor Attack KO'd an opponent. (minimum of 2) Meteor Survivor: (2000) Succeeded in recovering from a Meteor Attack. Flying Meteor: (4000) Hit a flying enemy with a Meteor Attack. Exceptional Aim: (4000) Hit with most attacks. Perfect Aim: (10000) Hit with all attacks. (At least 8 attacks per minute) All Ground: (6000) Used all standard ground attacks against enemies. All Aerial: (4000) Used all standard aerial attacks on enemies. All Variations: (10000) Used all attacks except finishing blows on enemies. All on One: (20000) Used all attacks except finishing blows on one enemy. Lethal Weapon: (7000) Hit with a wide variety of attacks. Berserker: (3500) Attacked in a frenzy. (60 attacks or more in 1 minute) Smash King: (3000) Used many Smash Attacks. (50% or more of all hits) Smash Maniac: (3500) Only used Smash Attacks. Smash-less: (1500) Used no Smash Attacks. Specialist: (2200) Hit with only special moves. Dedicated Specialist: (3100) Used only one kind of special move. One-Two Punch: (1800) Hit consecutively with all weak attacks. First Strike: (500) Delivered first blow of match. 150% Damage: (1000) Took 150% damage or more. Not valid in team battles. 200% Damage: (3000) Took 200% damage or more. Not valid in team battles. 250% Damage: (7000) Took 250% damage or more. Not valid in team battles. 300% Damage: (10000) Took 300% damage or more. Not valid in team battles. 350% Damage: (???15000???) Took 350% damage or more. Not valid in team battles. Heavy Damage: (20000) Took 400% damage or more. Not valid in team battles. Sniper: (2000) Hit only with flying items. Brawler: (2000) Hit only with direct attacks. Precise Aim: (10000) All attacks hit immediately after execution. Pitcher: (6000) Fought only with grabs and throws. Butterfingers: (-500) Had a high rate of grab and dash-grab failures. All Thumbs: (-1500) All dash-grab attempts failed. (At least 4 attempted) Cuddly Bear: (2000) Performed at least 3 grabs, but did not attack or throw enemy. Compass Tosser: (3500) Used all four directional-throw moves. Throw Down: (2500) Threw last foe to clear game. Pummeler: (1500) Did a lot of damage by holding and punching foes. Fists of Fury: (2500) After grabbing, always held and punched, never threw. Close Call: (2000) Threw just before enemy broke your hold. Opportunist: (-1000) Didn't attack for a very long period of time. Spectator: (-2500) Spent a long time on sloped terrain. Statue: (500) Little left-to-right movement. Never Look Back: (5000) Never changed direction. Stiff Knees: (300) Did not crouch. Run, Don't Walk: (6500) Did not walk. (Extremely short distance doesn't count) Ambler: (2500) Walked a lot. No Hurry: (1000) Did not run. Marathon Man: (2000) Ran a lot. Eagle: (1500) Went airborne a lot. Aerialist: (2500) Did not jump from the ground. (No overlap with Cement Shoes) Acrobat: (3000) Always did a midair jump. (No overlap with Cement Shoes) Cement Shoes: (4000) Never jumped, including midair jumps. Head Banger: (800) Hit walls a lot. (3 or more times per minute) Elbow Room: (2000) Bumped into or pushed foes a lot. Power Shielder: (5000) Used Power Shield often. (3 times or more in 1 minute) Shield Buster: (x2500) Broke enemy's shield. Shattered Shield: (x-1000) Shield was broken by enemy. Shield Stupidity: (x-2000) Broke own shield. Shield Saver: (500) Dropped shield just before it was broken. Skid Master: (1000) Had long stun-slide distance. (9 feet or more in 1 minute) Rock Climber: (800) Hung from many edges. (4 times or more in 1 minute) Edge Hog: (x2500) Hung from edge to prevent opponent from doing the same. Cliffhanger: (2000) Grabbed a lot of edges after being knocked off the stage. Life on the Edge: (x800) After being hit, grabbed edge without a midair jump. Poser: (2000) Taunted often. (6 or more times in 1 minute) Poser Poseur: (x500) Taunted right after someone else. (Within 1 second) Poser Power: (x700) Attacked someone with a taunt. Pose Breaker: (x800) Gave a quick weak attack to a taunting opponent. Instant Poser: (x100) Taunted right after knocking down a foe. (Within 1 second) Control Freak: (1000) Tapped the Control Stick twice as fast as second fastest tapper. Button Masher: (700) Pressed buttons twice as fast as second fastest presser. Button Holder: (4000) Held down the A or B button. (For the entire match) Rock Steady: (3000) Did not fall down. Pratfaller: (1500) Always landed face up. Face Planter: (1500) Always fell face down. Twinkle Toes: (2500) Succeeded on every attempt to absorb damage. Floor Diver: (1500) Dropped through floors often. (Over 12 times in 1 minute) No R 4 U: (300) Did not press the L & R Buttons. Climactic Clash: (x1200) Hit same enemy with progressively stronger blows. Floored: (300) Took a lot of damage from floors. (Over 50% of damage) Punching Bag: (100) Got stuck between two enemies and hit back and forth. Stale Moves: (-2000) Persistently used same attack. Blind Eye: (3000) Always looking in opposite direction as oncoming attack. Crowd Favorite: (2500) Audience cheered for player. Master of Suspense: (2500) Surprised the crowd often. (3 or more times in 1 minute) Lost in Space: (2000) Frequently magnified. (1/4 of time in a magnifying glass) Lost Luggage: (3000) Was in magnifying glass on all four sides of the screen. Half-Minute Man: (2500) Beat level within 30 seconds. Pacifist: (3000) Never attacked even once including misses. Peaceful Warrior: (5000) Never attacked, but didn't lose the match. Moment of Silence: (3000) Took no damage for 1 minute. (No overlap with Impervious) Impervious: (7000) Didn't suffer a single attack. Immortal: (5000) Never got knocked down. Switzerland: (12000) Never attacked anyone, never took any damage. Predator: (-1500) Attacked only opponents with high amounts of damage. Down, But Not Out: (2000) Fell all the way down, but got back up the most in a match. Solar Being: (800) Only left stage by flying off screen and becoming a star. Stalker: (-1000) Always attacked a particular player. Bully: (-2000) Always KO'd a particular player. Coward: (-500) Spent a long time a great distance away from enemies. In the Fray: (2000) Average distance between you and foes was very small. Friendly Foe: (3000) Never pushed an enemy. Center Stage: (2000) Spent a long time in the middle of the arena. Merciful Master: (3000) Won without KO'ing anybody. Star KO: (x300) KO'd an enemy and truned him or her into a star. Rocket KO: (5000) Sent all team enemies flying off the top of the screen. Wimpy KO: (x4000) KO'd a foe with a weak attack. Bull's-eye KO: (x800) KO'd a foe with a firing item. Poser KO: (x5000) KO'd an enemy with a taunt. Cheap KO: (x500) KO'd an enemy from behind. Bank-Shot KO: (x3000) KO'd an enemy with a deflected item. Timely KO: (x3500) KO'd a foe at the time limit. Special KO: (x800) KO'd an enemy with a special attack. Hangman's KO: (x2000) Attacked an enemy that was hanging from an edge for a KO. KO 64: (x640) KO'd an enemy when the enemy was at 64% damage. Bubble-Blast KO: (x1200) Attacked a magnified enemy and KO'd him or her. Sacrificial KO: (x1500) The same attack KO'd both you and your enemy. Avenger KO: (x2500) KO'd a foe right after foe KO'd you. (Within 5 seconds) Double KO: (x2000) KO'd two enemies at once. Triple KO: (x4000) KO'd three enemies at once. Quadruple KO: (x8000) KO'd four enemies at once. Quintuple KO: (x15000) KO'd five enemies at once. Dead-Weight KO: (x4000) KO'd an enemy by throwing another enemy at him or her. Kiss-the-Floor KO: (x1000) Threw an enemy onto a damaging floor for a KO. Assisted KO: (x1500) KO'd a foe with an item. Foresight: (x500) Hit the front of the screen. First to Fall: (-1000) First one to be KO'd after match begins. Cliff Diver: (500) Let go of the edge of a cliff and fell off the stage. Quitter: (x-1000) Fell off stage without even trying to recover. Shameful Fall: (x-1500) At less than 50% damage, got KO'd by a foe with over 100% damage. World Traveler: (2000) Got KO'd off all four sides of the screen. Ground Pounded: (500) Got KO'd by a damaging floor. Environmental Hazard: (1000) Got KO'd by a part of the stage environment. Angelic: (2000) Was standing on revival platform when match ended. Magnified Finish: (1000) Ended the match in a magnifying glass. Fighter Stance: (500) Finished match while taunting. Mystic: (2000) Ended match while offscreen. Shooting Star: (1500) Ended match as a star. Lucky Number Seven: (3000) Finished with :07 left. Last Second: (5000) Finished with :01 left. Lucky Threes: (3330) Finished with 3:33 left. Jackpot: (1110) Damage at end was the same number repeated three times. Full Power: (2000) Damage at 0% at finish. Item-less: (1800) Did not use any items. Item Specialist: (2000) Only hit with item attacks. Item Chucker: (3000) Hit only by throwing items. Item Smasher: (3000) Used only smash attacks with swinging weapons. Capsule KO: (x800) KO'd an enemy with a capsule. Carrier KO: (x800) KO'd a foe with a large item carrier. Weight Lifter: (1500) Frequently held heavy items. (Over 5 seconds per minute) Item Catcher: (x1000) Caught an item thrown at you. Reciprocator: (x2000) Threw an item thrown at you back at an enemy. Item Self-Destruct: (-1000) Item caused player to self-destruct. Triple Items: (3000) Got the same item three times in a row. Materialist: (100) Spent the longest amount of tiem holding items. Minimalist: (1500) Spent the least amount of time holding items. Item Hog: (4000) Got ten or more different kinds of items. Item Collector: (4000) Got every kind of item that appeared. Connoisseur: (3000) Got every kind of food that appeared. Gourmet: (2000) Used only food items. (3 or more) Battering Ram: (1500) Used only battering items. (3 or more) Straight Shooter: (1500) Used only shooting items. (3 or more) Wimp: (1500) Used only recovery items. (3 or more) Shape-Shifter: (1500) Used only transformation items. (3 or more) Chuck Wagon: (1500) Only grabbed throwing items. (3 or more) Parasol Finish: (1600) Was parachuting with the parasol at match's end. Gardener Finish: (2000) Put a flower on an enemy's head at match's end. Flower Finish: (1700) Had a flower on head when the match ended. Super Scoper: (2000) Did 100% damage or more firing the Super Scope. Screwed Up: (2000) Held Screw Attack for 30 seconds or more. Screw-Attack KO: (x2500) Used a Screw Attack to KO an enemy. Warp Star KO: (x1000) KO'd a foe using a Warp Star. Mycologist: (2500) Got three or more mushrooms. Mario Maniac: (8000) Used only Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, and Starmen. Metal KO: (x800) KO'd an enemy while metal. Freezie KO: (x2000) Froze enemy with Freezie, then KO'd him or her. Flipper KO: (x2000) KO'd enemy with a flipper. Mr. Saturn Fan: (3000) Only item used was Mr. Saturn. Mrs. Saturn: (1500) Held Mr. Saturn for 30 seconds or more. Saturn Siblings: (4000) Got three or more Mr. Saturns. Saturn Ringer: (4000) Caught a Mr. Saturn thrown at you. Giant KO: (x600) KO'd a foe while giant. Tiny KO: (x2500) KO'd a foe while tiny. Invisible KO: (x800) KO'd a foe while invisible. Bunny-Hood Blast: (x1200) KO'd someone while wearing a Bunny Hood. Vegetarian: (1800) Got two or more Maxim Tomatoes. Heartthrob: (2800) Got two or more Heart Containers. Invincible Finish: (x1200) Player is invincible at the end of the match. Invincible KO: (x800) KO'd a foe while invincible. Beam Swordsman: (x800) KO'd a foe with a Beam Sword. Home-Run King: (x600) KO'd an enemy with the Home-Run Bat. Laser Marksman: (4000) Hit with every blast from the Ray Gun until it ran out. Flame Thrower: (1600) Got a 10 combo or higher with the Fire Flower. Hammer Throw: (1500) Threw the hammer away. Headless Hammer: (2500) Grabbed a broken hammer. Super Spy: (x800) KO'd someone with a Motion-Sensor Bomb. Bob-omb's Away: (-500) KO'd by a wandering Bob-omb. Bob-omb Sqaud: (x2500) Grabbed a Bob-omb just before it exploded, and wasn't hurt. Pokemon KO: (1000) KO'd a foe with a Pokemon. Mew Catcher: (10000) Mew appeared. Celebi Catcher: (8000) Celebi appeared. Goomba KO: (100) KO'd a Goomba. Koopa KO: (200) KO'd a Koopa. Paratroopa KO: (300) KO'd a Paratroopa. ReDead KO: (300) KO'd a ReDead. Like Like KO: (500) KO'd a Like Like. Octorok KO: (150) KO'd an Octorok. Topi KO: (200) KO'd a Topi. Polar Bear KO: (800) KO'd a Polar Bear. Shy Guy KO: (20) KO'd a Shy Guy. First Place: (1000) Got 1st place in a timed match. Last Place: (-1000) Got last place in a timed match. Wire to Wire: (2000) Led in points from the start to the finish. Whipping Boy: (-1500) Trailed in points from the start to the finish. KO Artist: (3000) Had a lot of KOs. (More than 3 and double second place) KO Master: (1500) Had the most KOs. (Not awarded if Artist is earned) Offensive Artist: (2000) Caused a lot of damage. Offensive Master: (1000) Caused the most damage. Frequent Faller: (-1000) Had a lot of falls. Fall Guy: (-500) Had the most falls. Self-Destructor: (-2000) Had a lot of self-destructs. Master of Disaster: (-1000) Had the most self-destructs. KOs: (x500) Counts each KO. Falls: (x-500) Counts each fall. (Self-destructs not counted) SDs: (x-500) Counts each self-destruct. Target Master: (30000) Smashed all targets in Target Test! Hobbyist: (1000) Got at least one trophy before the stage ended. Collector: (30000) Snagged all trophies that appeared! No-Damage Clear: (300000) Cleared all levels without taking any damage. No-Miss Clear: (10000) Cleared without losing a single life. Continuation: (-20000) Cleared by continuing. Speedster: (10000) Cleared all levels quickly. Speed Demon: (20000) Cleared all levels very quickly. Melee Master: (100000) Cleared All-Star mode without recovering damage even once. Classic Clear: (50000) Cleared the Classic mode. Adventure Clear: (50000) Cleared the Adventure mode. All-Star Clear: (50000) Cleared the All-Star mode. Very-Hard Clear: (200000) Cleared the Very-Hard mode. Crazy Hand KO: (80000) Defeated Crazy Hand in Classic mode. Luigi KO: (20) Defeated Luigi in Adventure mode. Link Master: (30000) Defeated all five Links in Adventure mode. Giant Kirby KO: (10000) Defeated Giant Kirby in Adventure mode. Metal Bros. KO: (8000) Defeated Metal Bros. in Adventure mode. Giga Bowser KO: (100000) Defeated Giga Bowser in Adventure mode. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 11. TROPHIES Here's a full list of every trophy that can be found in the game. Alpha Andross Andross (metallic) Annie Articuno Arwing Ayumi Tachibana Baby Bowser Baby Mario Ball Kirby Balloon Fighter Barrel Barrel Cannon Battlefield Bayonette Beam Sword Bellossom Birdo Blastoise Bob-omb Boo Bowser Bowser (smash) Bowser (smash) Bubbles Bucket Bulbasaur Bullet Bill Bunny Hood Capsule Captain Falcon Captain Falcon (smash) Captain Falcon (smash) Captain Olimar Celebi Chansey Charizard Chikorita Chozo Statue Clefairy Cleffa Cloaking Device Coin Crate Crazy Hand Crobat Cydaquil Daisy Diskun Ditto Dixie Kong Donbe & Hikari Donkey Kong Donkey Kong (smash) Donkey Kong (smash) Donkey Kong Junior Dr. Mario Dr. Mario (smash) Dr. Mario (smash) Dr. Stewart Dr. Wright Ducks Eevee Egg Eggplant Man Electrode Entei Excitebike Falco Lombardi Falco Lombardi (smash) Falco Lombardi (smash) Falcon Flyer Fan Female Wire Frame Fighter Kirby Fighting Wire Frames Final Destination Fire Flower Fire Kirby Flipper Food Fountain of Dreams Four Giants Fox McCloud Fox McCloud (smash) Fox McCloud (smash) Freezie F-Zero Racers Game & Watch Ganondorf Ganondorf (smash) Ganondorf (smash) GCN Giga Bowser Goldeen Gooey Goomba Goron Great Fox Green Shell Hammer Hate Giant Heart Container Heracross Heririn Home-Run Bat Ho-oh Ice Climbers Ice Climbers (smash) Ice Climbers (smash) Igglybuff Jeff Jigglypuff Jigglypuff (smash) Jigglypuff (smash) Jody Summer Kensuke Kimachi King Dedede King K. Rool Kirby Kirby (smash) Kirby (smash) Kirby Hat #1 Kirby Hat #2 Kirby Hat #3 Kirby Hat #4 Kirby Hat #5 Klap Trap Koopa Clown Car Koopa Paratroopa Koopa Troopa Kraid Lakitu Landmaster Tank Like Like Link Link (smash) Link (smash) Lip's Stick Lon Lon Milk Love Giant Lugia Luigi Luigi (smash) Luigi (smash) Mach Rider Majora's Mask Male Wire Frame Marill Marin Mario Mario (smash) Mario (smash) Marth Marth (smash) Marth (smash) Muruo Maruhige Master Hand Master Sword Maxim Tomato Megavitamins Meowth Meta-Knight Metal Box Metal Mario Metroid Mew Mewtwo Mewtwo (smash) Mewtwo (smash) Misty Moltres Monster Moon Motion-Sensor Bomb Mr. Game & Watch Mr. Game & Watch (smash) Mr. Game & Watch (smash) Mr. Resetti Mr. Saturn Mute City Ness Ness (smash) Ness (smash) Ocarina of Time Octorok Pak E. Derm Paper Mario Parasol Party Ball Paula Peach Peach (smash) Peach (smash) Peppy Hare Pichu Pichu (smash) Pichu (smash) Pidgit Pikachu Pikachu (smash) Pikachu (smash) Pikmin Pit Plum Poison Mushroom Poke Ball Pokemon Stadium Polar Bear Poliwhirl Poo Porygon2 Princess Peach's Castle Professor Oak Raccoon Mario Racing Kart Raikou Raphael Raven Ray Gun Ray MK II ReDead Red Shell Rick Ridley Roy Roy (smash) Roy (smash) Ryota Hayami Samurai Goroh Samus Aran Samus Aran (smash) Samus Aran (smash) Samus' Starship Sandbag Scizor Screw Attack Sheik Sheik (smash) Sheik (smash) Sheriff Shy Guys Slippy Toad Smash Coins Snorlax Squirtle Stanley Star Rod Starman Starman (EarthBound) Staryu Steelix Sudowoodo Suicune Super Mushroom Super Scope Target Thwomp Tingle Toad Togepi Tom Nook Topi Totakeke Totodile Turtle UFO Unown Vacuum Luigi Vegetable Venusaur Viruses Waddle Dee Waluigi Wario Warp Star Weezing Whispy Woods Wobbuffet Wolfen Yoshi Yoshi (smash) Yoshi (smash) Young Link Young Link (smash) Young Link (smash) Zapdos Zelda Zelda (smash) Zelda (smash) ZERO-ONE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 12. POKEMON IN THE POKEBALLS Articuno Pokemon Number - 144 Looks Like - A very large blue bird. Attack - Flying into the air, Articuno will start to flap his wings, causing enemies that get caught to freeze like they were freezie targets. Bellossom Pokemon Number - 182 Looks Like - A little dancing flower (with two red flowers on its head) that emits purple haze. Attack - The purple haze has the effect of Jigglypuff's singing - it puts you to sleep. Only if you are very close to Bellossom will you be affected, though. Blastoise Pokemon Number - 9 Looks Like - A fat blue turtle dinosaur with guns on his back. Attack - Blastoise will shoot water in 14 pulses, with each pulse pushing him back a little farther. Celebi Pokemon Number - 251 Looks Like - A tiny green fairy Attack - Like Mew from the last game, Celebi just rises in the air, and you get the great Celebi Catcher bonus, which is essential for the bonus mode. Chansey Pokemon Number - 113 Looks Like - A large fat egg with eyes, little wing-like arms, and an egg at her belly. Attack - Chansey throws out 6 eggs, with items inside. Charizard Pokemon Number - 6 Looks Like - A big red fire-breathing dragon Attack - Charizard stands in place and alternately breaths fire to the right and left of himself. Chikorita Pokemon Number - 152 Looks Like - A small green dog-like pokemon with a necklace and a leaf emerging from its head. Attack - Chikorita will throw 12 leaves across the screen that do a little bit of damage, but is great for stunning the opponents. Clefairy Pokemon Number - 35 Looks Like - It looks like a tiny white sphere with a curly cue on his head and big brown tipped ears. Kind of cute. Attack - It's random which attack it does, but some of the attacks it does are: -It will shoot fire from both sides, damaging opponents who get caught. -It will cause a massive hurricane around it, damaging the opponents. Cyndaquil Pokemon Number - 155 Looks Like - A long-snouted blue dog-animal with red spikes on his rear. Attack - Cyndaquil will rise up, shoot fire in the direction he was thrown, and then disappear. Electrode Pokemon Number - 101 Looks Like - A big red and white, angry ball. Attack - Electrode closes his eyes, starts to glow and shake, then gets dark, and suddenly lights up with electricity, and explodes. Watch for the electricity to show his imminent explosion. Entei Pokemon Number - 244 Looks Like - A big brown dog with white cloudy hair streaming from it's back. Attack - Entei will shoot a moderately large stream of fire straight up from it's back, intensely damaging any and all foes caught in it. Goldeen Pokemon Number - 118 Looks Like - A red goldfish that flops around. Attack - Goldeen is a water pokemon, and if it's not in water, it basically just bounces around, useless. Ho-oh Pokemon Number - 250 Looks Like - A very large, rainbow colored, bird. Attack - Ho-oh will fly upwards and rain down flames onto the spot he was released. Very painful. Lugia Pokemon Number - 249 Looks Like - A big white/blue bird with a long neck and a large belly. Attack - Lugia flies upwards, then in the background shoots a whirlwind around in a circle, catching enemies and dealing a large amount of damage. Marill Pokemon Number - 183 Looks Like - A little blue circular mouse, with a sphere for a tail. Attack - Marill runs, just runs across the screen until it falls off the edge. If it encounters an enemy it does 1% damage. Mew Pokemon Number - 151 Looks Like - A tiny little cat-like pokemon. Attack - Like in the last game, Mew likes to appear, sparkle for a bit, then fly away. At least it gives you a huge amount of points for the Mew Catcher bonus (10,000) Fun stuff. Moltres Pokemon Number - 146 Looks Like - A big, red/yellow flame-winged bird. Attack - Moltres will fly up a short distance and flap his wings. Any enemy that touches Moltres will be burned, and caught in the pokemon. Porygon2 Pokemon Number - 233 Looks Like - A big streamlined blue and red duck. Attack - Porygon2 will launch from the pokeball towards the nearest enemy, hitting him with smash attack force, then, in a neat effect, will disappear. Raikou Pokemon Number - 243 Looks Like - A yellow-electrical dog, with long purple curled up hair and a electrical bolt blue tail. Attack - Raikou will emit a circle of electricity around him, and any enemy will be caught up and electrocuted badly. Scizor Pokemon Number - 212 Looks Like - A red walking insectoid. Attack - Scizor will run at the nearest enemy to inflict a smash attack strength hit. It will jump upwards and keep running to hit the enemy. Snorlax Pokemon Number - 143 Looks Like - A big fat blue bear-like pokemon, without the hair. Attack - Snorlax will fall from the pokeball to the ground, damaging the pokemon, then, he'll rise upwards and fall from the sky in his big form, smacking any opponents who get caught. Staryu Pokemon Number - 121 Looks Like - A yellow flying starfish. Attack - Staryu will float around for a bit, pick an enemy and then fly towards him, stop and fire a large number of shots similar to a super scope. Suicune Pokemon Number - 245 Looks Like - A big blue dog with white diamonds along the length of it's body and long, flowing purple hair. Attack - It will unleash a huge storm around him, catching up and damaging any and all who touch it. Togepi Pokemon Number - 175 Looks Like - A little red, white and blue egg with a head popping out. Attack - Once again, this pokemon has a random sheath of attacks, which are: -It will emit purple sparks, and then the entire screen will go black for a few seconds, then come back. -It will cause an earthquake to shake the screen, stopping enemies. -It will cause other enemies to fall asleep, like Bellossom. Unown Pokemon Number - 201 Looks Like - Well, the Unown will pop from the pokeball and look like a letter with an eyeball. Different letters pop out randomly. Attack - The Unown will fly off the screen, then in a random direction, a swarm of Unowns will cross the screen and deal 5% damage a hit. This is like Beedrill from the original Super Smash Bros. Venusaur Pokemon Number - 3 Looks Like - A blue frog with a flower petal on it's back. Attack - Venusaur will stomp the ground and any enemy near enough will get tossed around, vulnerable to smash attacks. Weezing Pokemon Number - 110 Looks Like - A purple cratery sphere, connected to two smaller purple spheres. Attack - It will contract massively, and then start to pump out a noxious gas which will do damage to other players and knock them around. Wobbuffet Pokemon Number - 202 Looks Like - A big blue bowling pin with a small black tail that peeks around. Attack - Wobbuffet stands where he's thrown, salutes, and then bounces around like one of those punching bag clowns. He'll damage the person who threw him. Zapdos Pokemon Number - 145 Looks Like - A big yellow electrical bird. Attack - Zapdos will fly in place, and electrocute any and all enemies that get near him. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 12. ADVANCED TECHNIQUES You already know that the R and L buttons allow you to block, dodge, roll, and what have you. But there's more to it than you would expect, and one can never be a master 'Smasher without the following. First and foremost, it is HIGHLY recommended that you get used to pressing the R and L buttons all the way down, and quickly. Sure, pressing them part of the way in has its many strategical advantages (shield gets worn out less quickly, can block many weak attacks and projectiles, etc.), but to dodge and perform other quick recovery moves, you'll have to press them in all the way. Now that we have that out of the way, let's discuss some techniques to make you an even better fighter than you already are! (NOTE: From this point on, I will refer to both the R and L buttons as just the L button, both to save space and because it's more convenient to use. They have the exact same function, anyway, so just deal with it.) You probably have already noticed that if your character is knocked a distance into the air, when they hit the floor they will lie there for a moment, stunned. This is the perfect opportunity for opponents to smack you around and string together combos. To avoid that "stunned" period, hit the L button a moment or two before you hit the ground. Your character will perform a fancy little hand-plant or something when they hit the ground and immediately flip back on his/her feet. This move is absolutely priceless to know, because not only is it quick, but in the process of recovering any attacks won't hit you! Be sure to hold the L button down until you hit the ground, because sometimes if you let go too early the game will ignore the command to recover. It just takes a bit of practice, and you'll get the feel for it in no time! Also, by holding left or right on the joystick as you use this technique, you can perform the equivalent of a rolling dodge after that hand-plant, which is handy if your opponent is busy setting up a smash attack aimed at the spot where you were going to fall. This can be done on ANY surface you can hit when you're sent flying, including walls and ceilings, although the roll can only be used on floors, as far as I know. Handy if you don't want to bounce off a wall and fly off the stage. The next technique, which is pretty much useless but can save your butt in iffy situations, is the wall jump. Simply leap toward a vertical surface and tap the joystick in the opposite direction when you're close enough. Your character will kick off the wall. Not only is this EXTREMELY useful in stages like Fourside, but it doesn't count as a jump, so you can even air jump afterwards if you haven't already! The wall jump can only be performed by certain characters: Mario, C.Falcon, Falco, Fox, Samus, Sheik, Young Link, and Pichu are the only characters that can wall jump to my knowledge. Finally is the tactic that I call the "aerial recover." I have no idea if that's its real name. During that falling period when you can move around, but you're still tumbling down through the air, tap the joystick left or right. I highly emphasize "tap" because it's just that. TAP it! Your character will stop rotating and will instead right his/herself and fall normally. Since you cannot air dodge while tumbling down, this move can be EXTREMELY helpful if the opponent is plotting your swift demise while you helplessly fall toward the ground. I am not sure if every character can do this, (see the wall jump, above) so you'll have to experiment. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 12. THANKS Well, this is an FAQ that was made by a bunch of people together, by just putting out a call on Nintendorks.com, we all submitted our own little parts, and then I combined them. It was a great group effort. First off, thanks to Oni Locke, Yumblie, Gemini, Forbis316, chrunck, Soybean, TheWindFish, The Chimp, Ridley, Ferquin, Mizar66, NothingMan, SpiffyBiff, hylien007, RMBbhlaab, WDIIA, Amazing AJ, abkid56, PDFarsight, VanRoosta, McSneer, JeffCanard, Capn Nintendo, Stumpy Joe (Brandon, the head nintendork), Sniick, RPGMaster7, Shoryu, OLBAM, EKDS5K, El Luchadore Magnifico (sorry E.L.M.), and David Curran. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 13. LEGALITIES Ok, this FAQ first off is copyright 2001 by the Nintendorks, and only the editor, RubixsQube, is allowed to put it up on any site. If it is found on any other site, that is ILLEGAL, and only through expressed written consent by me, RubixsQube (typicalnerd@hotmail.com) will it be allowed to be on any other site besides gamefaqs.com, nintendorks.com, neoseeker.com, or the original geocities website. Thanks, have a nice day, and you know what, because they asked SO nicely, Ridley is cool, and Oni Locke is your god. Give him money. Tal, however, eats cats and listens to Hitler speeches. drmaw is the father of modern medicine, and EKDS5k is neither evil NOR a spybot. Discuss. ---------- Updates: v0.20: *Fixed some formatting *Eliminated extra paragraph marks *Added section borders *Made formatting on characters' names more prominent v1.0: *Edited content, fixed grammatical errors *Added Modes of Play *Added Controller Explanation *Added a new strategy for Event 51, and 49 *Added Kirby Powers *Added Bowser *Added Peach *Added Zelda *Added Mr. Game and Watch *Added Events 39 and 49 v1.5 *Added Kirby *Added Yoshi *Added Bonus List *Edited Mr. Game and Watch *Edited Jiggly *Added Roy *Added Pikachu *Added some events *Edited Bowser *Added Marth *Edited Brinstar *Added Pokemon *Major editing on some of the characters *More Bonuses *Added Trophies *Added Mewtwo v1.8 *Added New Secrets *Added Luigi *Added some more items *Edited Bonus List *Added more event strategies *Added Advanced Techniques v2.0 *Added Secrets to Characters *Added Samus' missile explanation *Added Ice Climbers *Added Pichu *Added more events v2.5 *Added Captain Falcon *FINISHED TROPHY LIST *Added Fox *Added Falco *Added Dr. Mario (FINISHED CHARACTERS!) *FINISHED THE LEVELS *FINISHED THE EVENT MODE *Thanked Mizar66 for his PHENOMENAL graphical FAQ *FINISHED ITEMS v2.6 *Fixed sound test information *Kicked EGM in the groin for printing that Sonic and Tails are playable as a dumb April Fools Day joke v.2.7 *So, I get an email from David Curran, saying that I don't have Donkey Kong in the FAQ, and gee wiz, he was right! Well, I fixed that, and thanks goes out specially to David. Ok, I'll send this in ASAP, and now I have to send it to nintendorks as well. Current Version: v2.7 Last Modified: 27 Mar 2002, 2100 EST