|||||| |||||||||||| ||||||\\\\ |||||| |||||| ////// |||||| |||||||||||| ||||||\\\\\ |||||| |||||| ////// |||||| |||||| ||||||\\\\\\ |||||| |||||| ////// |||||| |||||| |||||| \\\\\\ |||||| ||||||////// |||||| |||||| |||||| \\\\\\ |||||| ||||||\\\\\\ |||||| |||||| |||||| \\\\\\|||||| |||||| \\\\\\ |||||||||||| |||||||||||| |||||| \\\\\|||||| |||||| \\\\\\ |||||||||||| |||||||||||| |||||| \\\\|||||| |||||| \\\\\\ /\ //\\ ///\\\ ////\\\\ /////\\\\\ //////\\\\\\ ///////\\\\\\\ /\ /\ //\\ //\\ ///\\\ ////\\ ////\\\\ ////\\\\ /////\\\\\ /////\\\\\ //////\\\\\\ //////\\\\\\ ///////\\\\\\\///////\\\\\\\ /\ /\ //\\ >>>>>>******************************************<<<<<< //\\ ///\\\ >>>>> <<<<< ///\\\ /\ /\ >>>> Link FAQ <<<< /\ /\ //\\ //\\ >>> <<< //\\ //\\ ///\\\///\\\ >>******************************************<< ///\\\///\\\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Super Smash Brothers Melee | |Link FAQ | |By Kim Nguyen (DaAznSaN) - DaAznSaN@msn.com | |Version 10.0 | |Last Revised: March 17, 2001 | |This FAQ Copyright 2002 Kim Nguyen | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ /\ /\ //\\ >>>>>>******************************************<<<<<< //\\ ///\\\ >>>>> <<<<< ///\\\ /\ /\ >>>> I. Contents <<<< /\ /\ //\\ //\\ >>> <<< //\\ //\\ ///\\\///\\\ >>******************************************<< ///\\\///\\\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |I. Contents | |II. Introduction | | A. Trophy Excerpts | | B. Timeline | | C. Tunics | |III. Attacks | | A. Ground Attacks | | B. Smash Attacks | | C. Aerial Attacks | | D. Special Attacks | | E. Throw Attacks | | F. Dash Attack | |IV. Battle Strategies | | A. Fallen Angel | | B. Recovery Mastery | | C. A Hunter's Game | | D. Dodge Boomerang? | | E. Clearing Out the Party | | F. The Wall | | G. Flaw Manipulation | |V. Item Strategies | | A. Containers | | B. Recovery Items | | C. Performance Items | | D. Battering Items | | E. Shooting Items | | F. Projectile Items | | G. Miscellaneous Item | |VI. Stage Strategies | | A. Infinite Glacier: Icicle Mountain | | B. Mushroom Kingdom: Princess Peach's Castle | | C. DK Island: Kongo Jungle | | D. Termina: Great Bay | | E. Yoshi's Island: Yoshi's Story | | F. Dream Land: Fountain of Dreams | | G. Lylat System: Corneria | | H. Mushroom Kingdom: Rainbow Cruise | | I. DK Island: Jungle Japes | | J. Hyrule: Temple | | K. Yoshi's Island: Yoshi's Island | | L. Dream Land: Green Greens | | M. Lylat System: Venom | | N. Super Flat World: Flat Zone | | O. Planet Zebes: Brinstar | | P. Eagle Land: Onett | | Q. F-Zero Grand Prix: Mute City | | R. Kanto: Pokemon Stadium | | S. Mushroom: Kingdom | | T. Planet Zebes: Brinstar Depths | |VII. Home-Run Contest | |VIII. Target Test | |IX. Copyright | |X. Credits | |XI. Versions | | A. Version 1.0 | | B. Version 2.0 | | C. Version 3.0 | | D. Version 4.0 | | E. Version 5.0 | | F. Version 6.0 | | G. Version 7.0 | | H. Version 8.0 | | I. Version 9.0 | | J. Version 10.0 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ /\ /\ //\\ >>>>>>******************************************<<<<<< //\\ ///\\\ >>>>> <<<<< ///\\\ /\ /\ >>>> II. Introduction <<<< /\ /\ //\\ //\\ >>> <<< //\\ //\\ ///\\\///\\\ >>******************************************<< ///\\\///\\\ =============== A. Trophy Excerpts ===================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Even in his youth, Link was already becoming the warrior who would | |carry the destiny of Hyrule (and many other lands) on his shoulders. | |His epic struggles against the forces of darkness are written in | |legend, and he is bound to the Princess Zelda and the archfiend | |Ganondorf by the awesome power of the Triforce. | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Burdened with a shield, a heavy sword, and plenty of equipment, Link | |isn't a very mobile character. Nevertheless, he's skilled with the | |blade, and his varied supply of missile weapons makes him a powerful | |fighter. To master Link, you must control the pace by balancing your | |long-range attacks with head-to-head swordplay. | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Link's Bow, Boomerang, and Bombs all take time to wield, so you may | |want to try drawing them in midair to prevent your foes from attacking| |you while you're vulnerable. The Spin Attack can score consecutive | |midair hits, and the final slash is very powerful. Link's Bombs are | |his trump card, but he can't pull one out if he's carrying another | |item. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== B. Timeline ============================================ |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |The Legend of Zelda | |Nintendo Entertainment System | |July, 1987 | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Zelda II: The Adventure of Link | |Nintendo Entertainment System | |December, 1988 | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | |Super Nintendo Entertainment System | |April, 1992 | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening | |Game Boy, Game Boy Color | |August, 1993 (DX version released December, 1998) | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | |Nintendo 64 | |November, 1998 | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Masks | |Nintendo 64 | |October, 2000 | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages | |Game Boy Color | |May 14, 2001 | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons | |Game Boy Color | |May 14, 2001 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== C. Tunics ============================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Kokiri (green) Tunic | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Goron (red) Tunic | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Zora (blue) Tunic | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |GameShark (black) Tunic | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Blue Ring (light blue) Tunic | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ /\ /\ //\\ >>>>>>******************************************<<<<<< //\\ ///\\\ >>>>> <<<<< ///\\\ /\ /\ >>>> III. Attacks <<<< /\ /\ //\\ //\\ >>> <<< //\\ //\\ ///\\\///\\\ >>******************************************<< ///\\\///\\\ --------------- Commands ----------------------------------------------- |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |A: A Button | |B: B Button | |Z: Z Button | |UP: Press Up on the Control Stick | |FORWARD: Press Forward on the Control Stick | |BACK: Press Back on the Control Stick | |DOWN: Press Down on the Control Stick | |RAPID: Press the preceding button rapidly | |,: Press the preceding command, then press the next button | |+: Tap the preceding direction and button simultaneously | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- Damage Terms ------------------------------------------- |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Regular: Amount of damage when attack isn't charged | |Charge: Amount of damage when attack is fully charged | |Far: Amount of damage when done far away from enemy | |Close: Amount of damage when done close to the enemy | |Ground: Damage done from the ground | |Air: Damage done from the air | |Smash: Damage done when Control Stick was smashed | |All: Damage done when all hits connect | |N/A: There is no set damage range | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- Note --------------------------------------------------- |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |All damage percentages were tested on Bowser. Damage may differ. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== A. Ground Attacks ====================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |A: Slash - 5% (All) | |A, A: Counter Slash - 8% (All) | |A, A, A: Stab - 14% (All) | |A, RAPID Illusion Stab - N/A | |UP, A: Half-Moon Swipe - 9% | |FORWARD, A: Sword Chop - 13% | |DOWN, A: Grass Cutter - 11% | | | |With the Master Sword in Link's possession, Link's normal Ground | |Attacks have very good range compared to the other fighters. The | |Slash, Counter Slash, Stab, and Illusion Stab have a good attack rate.| |But the same can't be said about Link's UP, FORWARD, and DOWN, A. The| |extra range comes at the price of a slower attack rate. This can be | |fatal in battles with multiple opponents as Link will temporarily be | |left open. By Rolling out of crowds, Link can use his attacks without| |the worry of being surrounded. Dodging and Rolling are two techniques| |that should be mastered, no matter who you use. (Refer to the | |instruction manual to learn how to Dodge and Roll.) | | | |In battles where there isn't much concern of being surrounded, the | |Half-Moon Swipe is a very effective juggler. It's the weakest of | |Link's three directional Ground Attacks but excessive use of this | |attack can add a lot of damage to the opponent early on. | | | |The Sword Chop and Grass Cutter are moves that won't be used too | |often. The Smash Attack counterparts of these two moves are very | |similar and can add an extra damage percent or two. The Sword Slice | |can hit enemies above and in front of Link while the Sword Sweep can | |hit enemies to the left and right of Link. The extra range of these | |two Smash Attacks are another plus. One of the few times you would | |use the slightly quicker Sword Chop and Grass Cutter is when Link is | |surrounded, but the Spin Attack may be a better choice. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== B. Smash Attacks ======================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |UP + A: Triple Sword Swipe - 15% (Regular, All) / 20% (Charge)| |FORWARD + A: Sword Slice - 14% (Regular) / 19% (Charge)| |FORWARD + A, A: Double Sword Slice - 32% (Regular, All) / 37% (Charge)| |DOWN + A: Sword Sweep - 13% (Regular) / 17% (Charge)| | | |Link's Smash Attacks aren't the most damaging attacks in the game, | |especially compared to the other fighters. Even when the Smash | |Attacks are fully charged, the damage is only increased by 4-5%. | |However, it's the attack range that makes these Smash Attacks worth | |using. Link's Triple Sword Swipe can damage enemies above him and | |anyone very close to Link's left and right. The Sword Slice can | |damage enemies that are in front of Link and slightly above him. The | |final Smash Attack, the Sword Sweep, can damage enemies on both sides | |of Link. It's because of the attack range of Link's Smash Attacks | |that make him such a dangerous fighter. | | | |The thing that makes Link's FORWARD + A unique is that pressing A a | |second time will cause Link to attack with another Sword Slice. This | |means that Link can launch two Smash Attacks in one fluid motion. The| |problem, however, is that the first hit will most likely knock the | |enemy out of Link's attack range, causing Link to miss his next slice.| |The only time you can hit the enemy a second time is when the enemy | |has little damage or bounces off of a wall and falls within your | |attack range. Still, the extra swing is just as powerful (or more | |powerful) as the first one and is well worth the effort if you can | |connect with both hits. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== C. Aerial Attacks ====================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |A: Hylian Kick - 9% | |UP + A: Stab-Up - 16% | |FORWARD + A: Spinning Sword - 13% | |BACK + A: Double Kick - 13% (All) | |DOWN + A: Sword Plant - 22% | | | |The Aerial Attacks of Link consist of some of the most damaging and | |powerful attacks in the entire game. A Stab-Up and Sword Plant can | |deal out amazing amounts of damage and with enough force to KO | |moderately damaged enemies. The Sword Plant will be the Aerial Attack| |used most often. If the attack did not knock an enemy away, Link can | |repeatedly "bounce" on the enemy to deal out more damage. This is | |most effective against the huge Giga Bowser and Master/Crazy Hand. | |Although the extra hits will not be as strong as the first hit, some | |damage is better than none. | | | |When the Master Sword is held up high for a Stab-Up, Link can cut | |through most downward attacks. The long attack range from a Stab-Up | |either cancels out an attack or damages the enemy first. Not only can| |it stop an attack, it can KO an enemy with high enough damage. This | |is the other Aerial Attack that you'll use a lot. | | | |Link's other Aerial Attacks, unfortunately, aren't as strong as the | |powerful Stab-Up and Sword Plant. Despite the fair amount of damage | |that the other three Aerial Attacks do, none of them are strong enough| |to KO an enemy. Situations will arise where the enemy will neither be| |above or below you so use these moves sparingly. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== D. Special Attacks ===================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |B: Bow - 1% (Regular) / 18% (Charge)| |UP + B: Spin Attack - 15% (Ground) / 15% (Air) | |FORWARD + B: Boomerang - 6% (Far) / 16% (Close) | |DOWN + B: Bomb - 4% (Close) / 6% (Smash) | | / 11% (Air) | | | |Link's Special Attacks mainly consist of projectiles. The only non- | |projectile Special Attack that Link has is his Spin Attack. However, | |it still has an incredible range. The Spin Attack is one move that | |you'll use a lot. Unlike many other fighters, Link has a Special | |Attack that can actually KO his enemies. On the ground, Link stands | |still as he spins his sword. The attack is powerful enough to send | |anyone within the attack range flying. It's also very quick and can | |attack both sides of Link. In midair, the Spin Attack can hit an | |enemy multiple times. The final swing of the sword is very strong and| |can KO a heavily damaged enemy. | | | |The Bow is Link's most powerful projectile but it must be fully | |charged to do the most damage. When the Bow isn't fully charged, the | |arrow does not fly as far and is very weak. At times, though, this | |can be useful. If an enemy is at a lower elevation than Link, you can| |time the Bow to fire an arrow and hit the enemy as the arrow descends.| |When it comes to edge-guarding, this can be helpful. | | | |The Boomerang and Bomb aren't as strong as in the first Super Smash | |Bros. but are still useful depending on the situation. Against | |fighters who jump a lot, a Boomerang could be tossed as a distraction.| |By holding up as you throw the Boomerang, you can throw the Boomerang | |at an upward angle. The enemy has to react to dodge the Boomerang, | |but as they do, you can jump up and intercept the enemy. Then again, | |if the enemy was hit by the Boomerang, that is just as good! | | | |When there is a crowd of enemies, a Bomb can cause some quick damage. | |The explosion from the Bomb will only hurt the enemy group so you no | |longer have to worry about being damaged as you did in the original. | |Previously, in the first Super Smash Bros., the Bomb was also used as | |an edge-guarding attack. With the introduction of the Bow in Melee, | |the Bomb may not be needed for this situation. The advantage of the | |Bow is that it can be charged to travel an exact distance whereas the | |Bomb can only be tossed a limited distance. The Bomb has little use | |in One-on-One Matches but vice-versa with multiple enemies. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== E. Throw Attacks ======================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Z Hookshot - 0% | |Z, A/Z: Hilt Strike - 3% | |Z, UP: Sword Launch - 6% | |Z, FORWARD: Kick Out - 6% | |Z, BACK: Reverse Kick Out - 6% | |Z, DOWN: Flying Elbow - 6% | | | |Throw Attacks are among the most useful attacks that any fighter will | |have. They can setup enemies for combos or simply KO an enemy. | |Unfortunately for Link, none of his throws are capable of KO'ing an | |enemy. All of Link's throws have very little power and, as you can | |see, cause very little damage. The advantage of all of this is that | |the enemy will be close to Link after Link throws the enemy, so combos| |are very easy to setup. | | | |Link's most useful throw is his Sword Launch. Simply tossing the | |enemy above you and linking Half-Moon Swipes with Triple Sword Swipes | |can do a lot of damage. Or, if the enemy is knocked high after the | |throw, you can jump and follow up with an aerial Spin Attack. Better | |yet, you can combine the two combos to make one long and very damaging| |combo. Remember that with multiple enemies, you may not have the time| |to get as many hits on the enemy as you want. Don't be afraid to | |finish off the combo with a Triple Sword Swip or Spin Attack when | |enemies start to come to you. | | | |The Flying Elbow can be a surprise set-up for the Sword Plant. This | |throw slams the enemy into ground and bounces the enemy slightly off | |the ground. If you're quick enough, you can do a small jump and come | |down with an aerial Sword Plant. To make this combo work more often, | |the enemy should have taken a good amount of damage. The enemy | |bounces higher off the ground with more damage, thus making it easier | |to hit with the Sword Plant. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== F. Dash Attack ========================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |DASH + A: Running Hack - 12% | | | |Every fighter has one Dash Attack. Link's Running Hack is a great way| |to knock the enemy into the air. The enemy will most likely be | |knocked slightly behind you, though, so remember to turn around if you| |want to start a combo. Like the Sword Launch, you can use Half-Moon | |Swipes and Triple Sword Swipes to add some damage and a Spin Attack to| |end the combo. But, as with any match with multiple opponents, be | |wary of other enemies as they can disrupt your combo. The Running | |Hack has a long delay time. Make sure that when you use this attack, | |you have enough time to recover without being hit. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ /\ /\ //\\ >>>>>>******************************************<<<<<< //\\ ///\\\ >>>>> <<<<< ///\\\ /\ /\ >>>> IV. Battle Strategies <<<< /\ /\ //\\ //\\ >>> <<< //\\ //\\ ///\\\///\\\ >>******************************************<< ///\\\///\\\ =============== A. Fallen Angel ======================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Frequently attack with the Sword Plant. This move has great priority,| |high power, and strong force. In battles with multiple enemies, pick | |off the highest damaged enemy and deliver a Sword Plant for easy an | |KO. Always make sure to come down hard when falling from the sky. | |Don't be afraid to abuse this attack. Learn to time this attack so it| |hits the enemy just as Link points the Master Sword downward. If you | |perform the Sword Plant too soon, enemies will see it coming and avoid| |the attack. By properly mastering when to use this attack, you can | |avoid missing and being attacked. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== B. Recovery Mastery ==================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Link, despite being improved from the original, still has one of the | |worse triple jump. That being said, you must know how to peform the | |"quadruple jump." There are two variations of the quadruple jump. | | | |The first variation is the one most people are familiar with. After | |grabbing the stage with the Hookshot, Link can pull himself up. If | |Link needs an extra height boost, perform a Spin Attack. | | | |The next quadruple jump is a strange one. In a way, however, it could| |be considered a quintuple jump. It adds versatility to the jump and | |defensive capability at the same time. Start off by doing a double | |jump. Then hold either the L or R Button while pressing the Control | |Stick in a direction. This will cause Link to perform an Aerial | |Dodge. While still holding down the L/R Button, press the A Button to| |make Link launch his Hookshot. Link will latch onto the stage if | |aimed correctly. Pull Link up and use a Spin Attack if needed. | | | |The versatility of this quadruple jump comes from how you can adjust | |Link's positioning with the Aerial Dodge. If Link is too close to the| |stage, for example, you can direct Link to move avay from the wall | |before launching the Hookshot (for those of you who don't already | |know, Link can't grab onto the stage if he is too close). The | |defensive capability comes from the fact that you can also direct Link| |away from projectiles and other various attacks. This tactic can | |avoid danger and save yourself a stock. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== C. A Hunter's Game ===================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Various forms of projectiles give Link a lethal arsenal to hunt with. | |When you have the time, throw Boomerangs and toss Bombs at your enemy | |to bait your enemy into making a move. Then react as to what happens.| | | |The first tactic is to grab your enemy when they block. Most people | |already know this. After all, it's pretty obvious. But there is a | |difference to knowing how to do something and doing it correctly. For| |example, if you throw your Boomerang from across the stage, don't | |expect to be able to grab your enemy before the shield is lowered and | |they can move again. Make the most of this tactic by using Bombs. | | | |Boomerangs simply bounce off of a shield and enemies can quickly lower| |it before trouble starts brewing. Bombs (as long as they aren't | |deflected) are a better projectile to use since the explosion "clings"| |onto the shield. What I mean by this is that the enemy can't stop | |their Block until the explosion disappears. This gives you more time | |to grab the enemy. | | | |If your enemy decides to Roll from the projectile, then tactics will | |vary. Rolling towards or behind you means a Spin Attack is coming | |their way. Quickly pull one off to smack them away. As long as you | |did not throw your Boomerang, you can throw it when the enemy decides | |to Roll away from you. After the using the Bow and Bomb, immediately | |smash the Boomerang in their direction. Ending a Roll will leave | |anyone momentarily open. Take this opportunity and make it count. | | | |There are only a couple of methods of how your enemy can turn the | |momentum of the battle around. The enemy can either deflect your | |projectiles into you or do a standing Dodge. Being hit with your own | |projectiles will stun you and give your enemy a chance for | |retaliation. Having your projectiles Dodged will allow the projectile| |to pass right by with very little delay. Catch your enemy off-guard | |before you commit to being the hunter. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== D. Dodge Boomerang? ==================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Against fighters who jump a lot, a Boomerang could be tossed as a | |distraction. By holding up as you throw the Boomerang, you can throw | |the Boomerang at an upward angle. The enemy has to react to dodge the| |Boomerang, but as they do, you can jump up and intercept the enemy. | |Then again, if the enemy was hit by the Boomerang, that is just as | |good! | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== E. Clearing Out the Party ============================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |The Double Sword Slice is critical to master when enemies are busing | |duking it out and you're waiting around. The second hit of the Double| |Sword Slice is strong and will take out enemies by knocking them way | |up. It's important to know that it's actually better to miss the | |first hit so the enemy does not get knocked away. This lets Link to | |connect with the second hit. The first hit isn't going to KO enemies | |as fast as the second hit. Miss the first hit and focus instead on | |getting the second hit in. | | | |Keep in mind that the first hit will cause Link to lunge forward, | |making it much easier to connect with the second hit. Give yourself a| |bit of distance from your enemies to prevent taking damage. Then just| |lunge forward with a Sword Slice and top it off with a Double Sword | |Slice to smash them away. | | | |At times, it may be better to use the Sword Plant simply because it's | |much faster and has less risks. This is true but the power of the | |Sword Plant is focused on the first hit and the first hit can only | |take out one enemy. Subsequent bounces aren't as effective. The | |enemy will not be hit far and leaves Link open to quick damage. Team | |battles are where the Sword Plant is a much better option. If your | |partner is getting hurt, you simply can't wait to attack with the | |Double Sword Slice. Get in there quickly with a Sword Plant! | | | |Otherwise, use the Double Sword Slice. The attack can KO multiple | |enemies and is further enhanced by the long reach. Use this to your | |advantage! Practice with the range of this attack and you yourself | |can be racking up twenty-plus KO's in a ten minute melee (against | |three level nine computer-players, of course). | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== F. The Wall ============================================ |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Edge-guarding is a term used when an enemy is off the stage and being | |kept off due to a fighter who is constantly knocking the enemy away. | |Successfully edge-guarding with Link requires proper usage of the | |Boomerang and Bow. The Boomerang quickly flies in a straight line. | |Enemies who return to the stage horizontally such as Jigglypuff will | |have trouble defending against a Boomerang when properly aimed. When | |a triple jump is in use, a Bow can disrupt the enemy. Unlike the | |Boomerang, the Bow can cut through most triple jumps. The Boomerang | |is the easiest projectile to effectively use. The Bow will take time | |to master the charge. | | | |When projectiles fail, you must resort to ground attacks. The two | |attacks to use are the Spin Attack and Grass Cutter. Spin Attacks | |should be used if the enemy can reach above the stage level. Hitting | |the enemy in midair with a Spin Attack can send them diagonally | |downward, something most fighters have trouble recovering from. | |Smarter enemies will try to grab onto the ledge and pull themselves | |up. Prevent this by using the Grass Cutter to keep their dirty hands | |off your property. | | | |Projectiles and ground attacks work fine and all but sometimes you | |have to resort to aerial attacks. There is always a way around edge- | |guarding. The enemy can either stay very high on drop on you or stay | |low and come up at the last second. An enemy coming straight down can| |negate your Spin Attack and an enemy coming straight up can just | |barely squeak by your Grass Cutter. In these cases, intercept the | |enemy in midair before they can do anything. Aerial Spin Attacks hit | |enemies up high and Sword Plants down low. | | | |Switch your stragtegy according to how the enemy reacts. This is key | |no matter who you play as and what fighting game you're playing. Keep| |a keen eye open to spot trouble! | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== G. Flaw Manipulation =================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |As in any game, the AI (artificial intelligence) of the computer has | |flaws. Although some may consider it cheap, taking advantage of such | |flaws can lead to victory. The computer-players of Super Smash Bros. | |Melee like to follow you wherever you go. However, there is a problem| |with what the computer does when doing this. When you jump up or fall| |down through platforms, the computer will still follow you. The flaw | |is that the computer-players will not attack when they do the same! | | | |To take advantage of this, jump up through the platform and use a | |Sword Plant. The computer-players will jump up into your Sword Plant,| |giving you an easy hit or even a KO. Using such tactics, you can | |manipulate the AI to your advantage with any fighter. | | | |Another thing to remember is that this tactic will even work on human-| |players, especially on the upward-scrolling stages such as Icicle | |Mountain. The Sword Plant has great priority over other attacks and | |even experts may have trouble getting through this attack. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ /\ /\ //\\ >>>>>>******************************************<<<<<< //\\ ///\\\ >>>>> <<<<< ///\\\ /\ /\ >>>> V. Item Strategies <<<< /\ /\ //\\ //\\ >>> <<< //\\ //\\ ///\\\///\\\ >>******************************************<< ///\\\///\\\ =============== A. Containers ========================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Barrel | |Capsule | |Crate | |Egg | |Party Ball | | | |There isn't much to say about Containers since they're just that, | |containers. Other than the Capsule and Egg, Containers are very heavy| |and can drastically slow down you fighter. However, they pack a huge | |punch if you can successfully toss a Container at someone (except for | |the Capsule and Egg). Containers deal out the most damage when it's | |an explosive. When thrown, the Containers can cause a huge explosion | |that is as strong as a Bob-omb (this time, the Capsule and Egg are | |included). | | | |The main purpose of the Containers are to hold a variety of Items. | |Break a Container and out comes one (1), two (2), or three (3) Items. | |There is still a chance that the Container is an explosive so be | |careful when breaking a Container open as the explosion can hurt you, | |too. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== B. Recovery Items ====================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Food | |Heart Containers | |Maxim Tomato | | | |There isn't much to say about Recovery Items since they only heal your| |fighter. Heart Containers heal the most damage (100%) so be sure to | |pick those up before any enemies can. Maxim Tomatoes heal the second | |most damage (50%). These aren't as rare to find as Heart Containers | |but don't nearly heal as much damage. Still, a Maxim Tomato can heal | |just enough damage to survive another Smash Attack or two. Food heal | |the least amount of damage but appear very often. The biggest source | |of food comes from Party Balls. Occasionally, a banquet of food comes| |out. If you can manage to eat all of the food, then you can heal a | |substantial amount of damage. It won't be as much as a Heart | |Container but every bit helps. Oh, and remember, Recovery Items can | |be picked up when holding any Item but a Projectile Item. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== C. Performance Items =================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Bunny Hood | |Cloaking Device | |Metal Box | |Poison Mushroom | |Starman | |Super Mushroom | | | |All of the Performance Items, with the exception to the Poison | |Mushroom, should almost always be picked up. The Starman is useful in| |any situation since it grants you invincibility. Always try to touch | |this Item whenever it appears. | | | |The other good Performance Items (the only bad one being the Poison | |Mushroom) should be gotten depending on the stage and amount of | |players. The Super Mushroom is best used against a single opponent on| |a small stage. Avoid this Item if there are more than one enemy. | |Although you're given in increase in power and weight, you're also a | |much larger target. Beware of enemies trying to team up on you as | |you're a very easy fighter to hit. | | | |The Metal Box and Bunny Hood are sort of like opposites to each other.| |On non-scrolling stages, the Metal Box is handy since the extra weight| |makes it difficult to be knocked off. But move into the scrolling | |stages and the extra weight can be used against you. You constantly | |need to be jumping to stay on-screen, but the weight can shorten your | |jump and lead to self-destructs. This isn't a major problem, | |fortunately, since it's rare for the weight to affect people this | |much. Just keep an eye open for these kind of situations. In the | |case you're on a scrolling stage, pick up the Bunny Hood. The extra | |height in your jump will make it much easier to jump from platform to | |platform. Since the Bunny Hood fixes the problem of the Metal Box, | |it's best to combine both of these Items. You'll have the extra | |weight to avoid being knocked far yet still have the jump boost of the| |Bunny Hood to keep you alive when you do. | | | |No matter what your fighting style is for Link, the Cloaking Device is| |very handy. The invisibility does not help a lot if you like to fight| |from a distance since the Bow, Boomerang, and Bomb are still visible, | |but it can keep you safe from damage if you enemy plays the same way | |as you. It's when you play close-combat that the Cloaking Device | |helps the most. Free from damage, Link can rush into combat with his | |Master Sword swinging. Don't be afraid to attack with Smash Attacks | |since even a Level 9 CPU will not be able to detect you quick enough | |(unless you did something to give away your location). Be stealthy | |and hit fast and hard. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== D. Battering Items ===================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Beam Sword | |Fan | |Hammer | |Home-Run Bat | |Lip's Stick | |Parasol | |Star Rod | | | |With Link's Master Sword, is there any point in using Battering Items?| |Of course! The Beam Sword, Hammer, and Parasol are extremely | |effective against any enemy. All three can deal out heavy damage and | |KO enemies. The Beam Sword gives Link extra attack-range in his | |attacks, the Hammer gives temporary hammer power, and the Parasol | |offers floatation for returning to the stage or slowing your descent | |to avoid damage. | | | |The Home-Run Bat should be used based on the match. One-on-One | |battles are tricky to effectively use the power of the Home-Run Bat. | |It does not have great range and it has a slow attack speed. Free- | |For-All and Two-on-Two battles is where the Home-Run Bat is handy. | |While the enemies are preoccupied, take the time to knock one out of | |the stage. | | | |Lip's Stick can be pretty effective. It lacks attack range but makes | |up for it in the damage it can do. Hit an enemy with the Lip's Stick | |to put a flower on their head. The enemy will begin to take damage at| |a steady rate. Keep whacking the enemy to keep the flower on their | |head since it will eventually be shaken off. | | | |The Star Rod, despite being a Battering Item, is best used as a | |Projectile Item. Throw it into an enemy and they will fly at a | |downward angle. If the enemy has high enough damage, they will travel| |exceedingly fast into their doom. | | | |Fans of the Fan will be happy to know that the Fan has been changed | |very little from the original. It still has a very quick attack rate | |and the ability to break a shield in just a few swipes. Against | |computer enemies, the Fan should be avoided. It does not deal out | |damage quickly and it rarely ever breaks a shield (since the computer | |enemies rarely use it). Only against human-players does the Fan | |become really useful. Depending on the fighting style of your enemy, | |the Fan can easily punish excessive blockers and hit-and-run fighters.| |Other than that, there isn't much use. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== E. Shooting Items ====================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Fire Flower | |Ray Gun | |Super Scope | | | |With these Items, Link has one more long-range attack. If the Bow, | |Boomerang, and Bomb weren't enough, then pick up a Shooting Item. Of | |the three, the Ray Gun is the best for One-on-One battles. You'll | |have the time and space needed to let you get good shots on your | |enemy. | | | |Taking on multiple enemies requires an Item that can hit them all. | |The best Shooting Item for this situation is the Super Scope. You can| |either shoot a flurry of small laser blasts or charge up for a | |powerful boom. In Free-For-All and Two-on-Two battles, you can let | |the other fighters fight as you charge up. Depending on your partner | |in a Two-on-Two battle, you may opt for rapid fire. Using the rapid | |fire, the enemies will be held in place. This gives your partner | |plenty of time to use their strongest attacks to deal out damage. | |Make sure that your partner uses attacks that are quick and can cause | |damage quickly. You do run on limited ammo so they have to make the | |best of their time. | | | |The Fire Flower has been severely weakened from the original. It's | |now much easier to escape from the Fire Flower and the damage done to | |the enemies is hardly worth the time and effort of using it. Leave | |this Item alone. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== F. Projectile Items ==================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Barrel Cannon | |Bob-omb | |Flipper | |Freezie | |Green Shell | |Motion-Sensor Bomb | |Mr. Saturn | |Pokeball | |Red Shell | |Screw Attack | | | |Whenever you see a Projectile Item, pick it up! Other than Barrel | |Cannon, Mr. Saturn, and Red Shell, Projectile Items have a positive | |effect. The Pokeball is among the best of any Item. Getting pokemon | |like Entei can rack up amazing amounts of damage within seconds. Not | |only do they deal out damage, they hold the enemy still. Following up| |with some Falling Stabs while the enemy is held still can seriously | |put the hurt on your enemies. The Pokeball itself can cause damage | |when thrown into the enemy so make sure you peg them in case the | |pokemon failed to do any damage. | | | |The Bob-omb is a very dangerous Item, not only for the enemy but for | |you. When you get too close to the enemy, the Bob-ombs explosion can | |blow you away. It also begins walking around the platform it's on | |when left alone. Touch it when it's walking and it will explode, | |taking you with it. | | | |The Green Shell has a similar effect to the Bob-omb. It does not blow| |up but it can do a lot of damage with enough force to KO multiple | |enemies. When the Green Shell is thrown into someone, it will keep | |traveling through the air. It can hit any additional enemies in the | |way as well as yourself and your partner. Jumping onto the Green | |Shell also pushes the shell along the ground and hurts anybody in the | |way. But wait! You can also attack the Green Shell to make it glide | |through the ground and air. | | | |Red Shells are the same as the Green Shell but with two differences. | |For one, the Red Shell is red whereas the Green Shell is green. | |Secondly, the Red Shell moves back and forth along the platform it's | |on. This hurts anyone who touches it, including the person who threw | |it. | | | |Freezies are a fun Item to use. It's easily broken when it glides | |along the ground so you should pick the Freezie up before anyone | |attacks it. Throw the Freezie to temporarily freeze an enemy. If the| |enemies are close enough, it's possible to freeze more than one. | |While the enemy is frozen, Link should follow up with his Double Smash| |Slash. The enemy won't fly away from the first hit so it's very | |simple to hit with both slashes. | | | |There isn't much to say about the Flipper. Simply throw it and knock | |the enemy into it. The Flipper acts as a temporary wall. Use it to | |keep enemies trapped as you attack. A much better use of the Flipper | |is to throw it off of the stage. Knock your enemy (or enemies) off | |the stage and watch as they try to return to the stage but fail due to| |the intefering Flipper. | | | |The Motion Sensor Bomb has similar results to the Bob-omb. Throw this| |Item into someone to cause a bit of damage. As long as the Motion | |Sensor Bomb doesn't fall off of the stage, it will stick to the | |ground. Knock someone into it to cause massive damage and hopefully | |gain a KO. Be careful as you can be knocked into it yourself. | | | |The Screw Attack can be very useful or very wasteful. Having the | |Screw Attack with you when you try to return to the stage helps since | |it increases Link's jumping abilities. Other than that, the Screw | |Attack has no other useful use unless you throw it. When the holding | |the Screw Attack and jumping, the damage is very little. Throwing the| |Screw Attack is much better. For one, it knocks the enemy high up. | |This is good for Falling Stabs when the enemy is low enough since the | |enemy will be completely paralyzed to do anything. The best time to | |hit someone with the Screw Attack is when they're returning to the | |stage. Hitting someone in midair will cut off their double and triple| |jump. As long as the enemy isn't already close to the edge of the | |stage, there is no way for the enemy to snap out of their paralysis. | | | |The other two Projectile Items, the Barrel Cannon and Mr. Saturn, have| |little use. People enjoy using Mr. Saturn because it's fun to throw | |around a walking head but even they have to admit that it can't do a | |whole lot of damage. The Barrel Cannon may be effective against the | |computer enemies since they blast themselves out of it as soon as | |possible. This may end up in the computer enemies being launched a | |pit or off the stage. Against human-players, they can (and will) time| |the launch to be shot in a safe direction. These two Items can be fun| |to use but does not have much useful effects. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== G. Miscellaneous Item ================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Warp Star | | | |The Warp Star is a difficult Item to put into any particular category.| |It fits none of the descriptions and thus must be put into the | |Miscellaneous Item, even if it's the only one. This doesn't mean the | |Warp Star is bad, though. Of all of the new Items, the Warp Star may | |be the best one. Upon "picking up" the Warp Star, Link will hop on it| |and fly high into the sky. Then Link will come crashing straight down| |in a huge bang and knock away any nearby enemies (or better yet, KO | |any nearby enemies). The Warp Star is used only once so make sure you| |make it count; press LEFT or RIGHT to control where you land. | | | |This is one Item that you should try to pick up right away, especially| |if your enemies are heavily damaged. Against the CPU, there is no | |hurry since the CPU Players will rarely use it. With Human Players, | |this is a whole different story since anyone who has a bit of | |experience with the game should realize the power of the Warp Star. | |If your enemies do get to the Warp Star, either run away or Roll at | |the last second to avoid being hit. The Warp Star is unblockable so | |this should give you an idea of how strong the Warp Star can be. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ /\ /\ //\\ >>>>>>******************************************<<<<<< //\\ ///\\\ >>>>> <<<<< ///\\\ /\ /\ >>>> VI. Stage Strategies <<<< /\ /\ //\\ //\\ >>> <<< //\\ //\\ ///\\\///\\\ >>******************************************<< ///\\\///\\\ =============== A. Infinite Glacier: Icicle Mountain =================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |One of the first available scrolling stages is Icicle Mountain. The | |screen is constantly moving up or down and requires you to keep | |moving. Quick jumping and falling is needed to avoid being off- | |screen. Link's main attack to use on this stage is the Spin Attack. | |As the screen moves up, Link can jump and use the Spin Attack to hit | |anyone above him. If Link happens to be above the enemy instead, fall| |through the floor and stab the enemy with a Falling Stab. | | | |The sides of the stage has little room to recover. Get struck by a | |strong attack to the left or right and it's a sure TKO. Use this to | |your advantage and smash the enemies off the sides. A ground Spin | |Attack hits with enough force to smack any enemy to the edge. With | |lethal timing of your Spin Attack, you can easily rack up the KO's. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== B. Mushroom Kingdom: Princess Peach's Castle =========== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |There are two factors of this stage that can interfere with the | |fighters. The Bullet Bill is (obviously) a bullet that slowly crashes| |into the castle. It explodes when implanted and the explosion can | |completely annihilate anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the blast.| |Even at zero percent (0%) damage, a fighter can rack up fifty percent | |(50%) damage and be KO'ed instantly. Avoiding the Bullet Bill is a | |simple task but keeping the enemy trapped near it's tougher. Using | |Link's projectile weapons can keep enemies in place as the bullet | |explodes. A barrage of Boomerangs and Bombs work well. Or, you can | |hit the enemy into the bullet as it explodes. This requires a bit of | |practice in timing but is much easier when you learn it. | | | |The other stage interference are the various buttons around the stage.| |Standing on one of these buttons will cause blocks and temporary | |platforms to appear. The blocks hold an item while the platforms are | |another level for you to fight on. Unlike the Bullet Bill, this stage| |interference does not harm any of the fighters. It's perfectly safe | |to step on the button and interact with whatever happens. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== C. DK Island: Kongo Jungle ============================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Kongo Jungle has little stage interference as long as you stay on the | |main platform. In very few times, an orange Klap Trap will jump from | |the river and attacks anyone in its path. When this does happen, it | |does a good amount of damage and packs a huge bite. This randomly | |happens so there isn't much anyone can do to use this to their | |advantage. | | | |Off to the right side of the main platform is a little rock jutting | |out from the waterfall. By repeatedly using Spin Attacks while on the| |rock, you can keep anyone away. If you get knocked off, grab onto the| |edge and attack as you pull yourself up. Then use more Spin Attacks. | |With multiple enemies, this is a must-use strategy. In a Free-For-All| |battle against three Level 9 computer enemies, I racked up a score of | |more than plus thirty (+30) Total in just ten minutes. | | | |Underneath the main platform is a moving barrel. It behaves in the | |same manner as the Barrel Cannon except this one does not break apart | |after a single use. Use this to help yourself return to the stage but| |make sure that the barrel is facing the right direction before you do.| | | |Occasionally, a log will stick out of the waterfall to the left and | |right of the main platform. The log is very thin and shouldn't be | |used to fight on since it will break away. However, you can grab onto| |the log to pull yourself up and jump back to the main platform. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== D. Termina: Great Bay ================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |This is the first of two of Link's home stages. Battle takes place on| |a small platform with two smaller ones to the left and right. Then | |out in the water is a giant turtle, made famous from The Legend of | |Zelda: Majora's Mask. Link is most effectively used when on one of | |the two smaller platforms. Once again, the Spin Attack is incredibly | |effective here. Repeated use of the Spin Attack can keep enemies at | |bay (pun intended). It's best to use the Spin Attack to hit the enemy| |towards the inside of the stage, not the outside. The force of the | |Spin Attack can knock an enemy into the upper roof of the main | |platform and bounce straight down for an easy KO. | | | |To the top-right of the platform will be a little balloon-riding elf | |named Tinkle. You can grab onto the balloon and pull yourself up. | |This seems to offer no strategic advantage. It's best to leave Tinkle| |alone. | | | |The turtle also offers no strategic advantage for Link unless Link | |needs to return to the stage from the right side. Link can land on | |the turtle and continue his fight against his enemies. The turtle | |will dive over time and greatly (pun intended) decrease the size of | |the stage. Once again, the main the two small side platforms are the | |place to be when playing as Link. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== E. Yoshi's Island: Yoshi's Story ======================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Reminiscent of Dream Land from the original Super Smash Bros. is the | |fairly plain Yoshi's Story. There is absolutely no dangerous stage | |interference. The only interactive elements are the Shy Guys who drop| |food and the occasional moving cloud on the left and right. This is | |one of those stages where Link has no particular area to gain an | |advantage. You must play with your battle skills to win here. The | |stage is very small so be wary of team-ups in multiple enemy battles. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== F. Dream Land: Fountain of Dreams ====================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |This stage is almost exactly like Yoshi's story. Remove the Shy Guys | |and the moving cloud to have another plain level. The main addition | |to this stage is the moving left and right platforms. Once again, | |there is no area for Link to take advantage of, it takes battle skills| |to win. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== G. Lylat System: Corneria ============================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |This stage is a remake of Sector Z in the original. The Great Fox is | |much smaller and the Great Fox will now fire its main lasers. Anyone | |hit by the lasers will be instantly KO'ed. Fortunately, you have to | |be off the left side of the stage and leveled with the lower guns to | |be hit. | | | |Where Link can really excel in One-on-One battles is the lower-right | |side of the Great Fox. The wall is huge and Link can set-up some | |viscious combos. Make use of Link's Double Smash Slash. The first | |hit will bounce your enemy off the wall and into position for the next| |slash. Remember that you don't have to slash the second time right | |away. Give your enemy time to land in front of you before you attack.| | | |Link should stay on the upper portion of the stage when facing | |multiple enemies. Getting trapped between the wall on the lower-right| |with multiple enemeies can put the hurt Link. The upper level has | |enough room for Link to single out enemies and finish them off. With | |no platforms to get in the way, Link should use a lot of Falling | |Stabs. In Yoshi's Story and Fountain of Dreams, the enemy can wisely | |hide under the platforms, safe from Link's Falling Stab. Here, there | |is nothing for them to hide under. Link can easily rack up the KO's. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== H. Mushroom Kingdom: Rainbow Cruise ==================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Taking place in the clouds of Mushroom Kingdom is the cruise through | |the rainbows. Starting off on a ship, you fly to the rainbow's | |beginning. From there, you hop from various platfroms and flying | |carpets while fighting off your enemies. The rainbow will end your | |jumping streak but the action isn't over yet. Make your way along | |some platforms where you'll drop down back onto the ship you start off| |on, ready again to take you on a magical cruise. | | | |Aboard the ship is a small fighting area. With four players, battle | |can be hectic early on. There isn't much room to fight on so make use| |of clear-out attacks to give you space. Or stick to the left edge of | |the ship and attack anyone who approaches. Avoid the two middle | |platforms as attacks from below can reach through and hit you. | | | |To give Link the advantage on this stage, make use of repeated aerial | |Sword Spins as you make your way up through the platforms. The tactic| |discussed in "Flaw Manipulation" is very effective on such a stage as | |this because of the constant jumping. Although most effective against| |the computer, human-players may still jump into your trap. The Sword | |Plant has high priority and even human-players may have trouble | |piercing through your attack. | | | |Don't rely too much on edge-guarding here. There are a lot of | |platforms that your enemies can jump onto as an alternative. The same| |goes to the Bow. Charging up the Bow is almost useless unless there | |is a crowd and you're above the action. In any other situation, the | |enemy can just wait on a higher platform to attack you. Here, you | |have to be aggressive and hit hard. A Spin Attack on a magic carpet | |can work wonders. The range of the attack covers the whole carpet and| |anyone on it will be hit away. Even if the enemy was to block, the | |force will still push them off. | | | |The end of the stage is very straight forward. There are some | |platforms that will fall but nothing serious. Use your battle skills | |to put a good fight. Note that the sides of the stage is small so you| |may want to use a Spin Attack as your main finishing attack instead of| |the Double Sword Slice or Sword Plant. Reach the very end and you'll | |drop back to the starting ship. If the enemies fall down before you | |do, then come down with, you guess it, a Sword Plant. | | | |Rainbow Cruise is one of those stages where switching strategy is | |important. With the different environment, you have to not only adapt| |to your enemies but the stage. Use attacks that are effective and | |stop using those that aren't. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ============== I. DK Island: Jungle Japes ============================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Jungle Japes is one stage that is perfectly symmetrical. Not matter | |what side you're on, the main fighting stage is the same. There isn't| |much to do here that can give Link a huge advantage. The only main | |strategy is the infamous Spin Attack on small platforms. Here, it's | |on the two sides. Once again, the Spin Attack covers the whole stage | |and is very effective at giving you room. | | | |One thing that you may want to do to give yourself a slight advantage | |is stay on the right side. I realize that I said both sides are the | |same but there is a strategy that, although not fairly obvious or | |greatly useful, may work. The river flows to the the left of the | |stage. If you were to splash into the water on the left, it will be | |extremely difficult to get back since the current is pushing you away.| |Analyze the situation and you'll see why falling from the right is | |easier to recover from. The current is pushing you left, meaning that| |you can recover onto the left-most platform. Get lucky and you pull | |yourself from the current and save yourself a stock. | | | |With practice, you use the tactic as a fancy escape manuever. When in| |trouble on the right side, take a dip into the river. Once the | |current pulls you under the main platform, double jump to the left. | |Fail to do so and you may sink to a lost stock. The point of double | |jumping here is to pull yourself out of the water. You may need the | |current to pull yourself past the main platform. Get out from under | |it when you pass by and Spin Attack back to safety. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ============== J. Hyrule: Temple ======================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |The Temple can simply be described as amazing. Being the largest | |stage in the game, it gives you a variety of places to use a variety | |of strategies. Users of projectiles will want to stay on the upper | |platforms. The main ones to snipe from are the left-most platform, | |the middle pillar, and the second-highest platform to the right. For | |hand-to-hand (or sword) combat, the lower area is best. The walls | |restrict where players will fly so adding damage quickly with combos | |is likely to happen a lot. Once the damage is high enough, head back | |up to bait your enemies and finish them off. The best tactic of | |accomplishing this is in "Flaw Manipulation." The left vertical | |passage will work very well. | | | |Without any interaction on this stage, the key to winning is based on | |your battle skills. There isn't a lot luck involved here so it all | |comes down to how well you think on your feet and how well you execute| |attacks and strategies. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== K. Yoshi's Island: Yoshi's Island ====================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |This stage is one of the best for Link to completely dominate in. The| |sides have little space for recovery and the stage ceiling is very | |small. KO's can quickly be racked up in no time. There aren't any | |real hot spots for Link so you have to rely on your own skills to win.| |Sword Plants seem to work most effectively for me. Unless you're on | |the sloping sides, Spin Attacks may have trouble hitting enemies past | |the pipe and hill. But with the small area to fight in, the Spin | |Attack is still very effective. Don't hesitate to try and build up | |damage. Instead, go straight for the KO. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== L. Dream Land: Green Greens ============================ |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Similar to Yoshi's Island: Yoshi's Island, this stage also has a small| |side and ceiling. If you prefer to get KO's through Spin Attacks, | |stay near the two side platforms. Here, Spin Attacks will cover the | |whole side area. Enemies will have a hard time avoiding these attacks| |when used regularly. When using Sword Plants as your main source of | |KO's, stick towards the middle. You don't want to play it risky by | |staying near the sides since enemies can knock you off just as easily | |as you do to them. Stay on the main platform and hold your position. | | | |The only real hazard here are the yellow blocks. Falling inbetween | |the main platform and side platfroms will make you susceptible to | |getting trapped under falling blocks. Not only that but enemies can | |easily spike you down. Make sure you always have a Spin Attack to | |help you get out of here. It does not seem like a hard place to get | |out of but when the action gets crazy, you may find yourself getting | |hit down there time after time. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== M. Lylat System: Venom ================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Not much to say here. Although featuring one of the most gorgeous | |backgrounds in the game, action is very straightforward. On the lower| |wings of the Great Fox is a great place to trap enemies against the | |wall. One-on-one fights should be focused here. Free-for-alls should| |be focused on the upper wings where racking up KO's with the Sword | |Plant is much easier. Not only that but this would be the place where| |it's easiest to grab helpful Items. The lower wings on slanted | |outward so Items tend to roll off when them appear down there. | | | |Once again, you must rely on your own skills. The only interactive | |element on this stage is the occasional ships flying by. They will | |either fire at you or fly by the Great Fox and offer a temporary | |platform. Don't stay on the ship for to long or it will fly away and | |with you still on it, resulting in a death. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== N. Super Flat World: Flat Zone ========================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Much like Yoshi's Island: Yoshi's Island and Green Greens, there is | |little room to fight and recover from. Link should focus on KO'ing | |enemies by knocking them past the side barriers. Stay near the side | |and Spin Attack to turn your enemies into KO's. | | | |Sword Plants are still effective but mainly on the upper platforms. | |Platforms will disappear and reappear, sometimes reappearing right | |when you use a Sword Plant. Stay on the upper platforms and you | |shouldn't have anything to worry about. | | | |Other hazards are the oil spills beneath the lowest platforms and | |falling tools. The oils spills aren't much of a problem since they | |only mess with your traction. Simply stay on the platforms or jump | |away to avoid these. The falling tools are more difficult to avoid. | |They randomly appear throughout the whole stage and even through | |platforms. You can't hide underneath platforms and hope to be safe. | |Quick reflexes are needed to avoid taking hits. Unlike some hazards, | |the tools can actually KO you with little damage. Impact is about as | |strong as Scizor. If you know what Scizor can do, then think of what | |a dozen falling "Scizors" would be like. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== O. Planet Zebes: Brinstar ============================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Avoid the rising acid pool and you have yourself another straight- | |forward stage. Stay on the uppermost platform to completely evade the| |acid and use plenty of Spin Attacks to keep your enemies off. Use | |this strategy for the two side platforms, too. Fighting skills will | |win the day here so focus on your own skills to master this stage. | | | |Note that the stage will split in three areas. Underneath the two | |side platforms is a thin pillar. Hit the pillar repeatedly to snap it| |and tilt the platform it's holding. The other break-away section is | |on the bottom platform. Hit the strange-looking logs enough times to | |split this section into two. This has a pretty significant result on | |the stage since the stage will now be wider. But it's not enough to | |alter your playing style any. Do what you know how to do and claim | |victory! | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== P. Eagle Land: Onett =================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Onett has an unusually shaped stage but is one of the most fun as a | |result. With all of the different places to jump onto and battle, | |action here can be a smash. Watch out for the passing cars. You'll | |know when one is coming when a sign appears. When you see it, jump to| |any platform or prepare to block, dodge, or roll from the incoming | |cars. Once you prepare yourself to stay safe from the cars, prepare | |yourself for battle. The two middle platforms will eventually give | |away but nothing major will happen. Just use your fighting-style and | |strategy to clasp victory from your enemies. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== Q. F-Zero Grand Prix: Mute City ======================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Link absolutely dominates on this stage. There are very few platforms| |to get in Link's way when using the Sword Plant and the platforms that| |are there are small enough for Link to clear the way with Spin Attacks| |and Double Sword Slices. | | | |The F-Zero cars are the only dangers here (besides your enemies). If | |you don't mind taking a bit of damage, then go ahead and fight on the | |low ground. However, staying on the platforms is a much wiser choice | |if you already have lots of damage. You don't want to add more. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== R. Kanto: Pokemon Stadium ============================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |There is no better place to battle than in a stadium. Although made | |for pokemon, Kanto offers a great place to do battle in. The primary | |layout of the stage is basic enough. Do what you know how to do with | |Link to give yourself enough KO's to secure victory. | | | |Play on this stage long enough and the terrain will begin to change. | |There are four different kinds of terrain: water, fire, rock, and | |grass. Each one has its own main feature. The water terrain has a | |windmill. Because it's always spinning, battling up here can be fun | |and tricky. The fire terrain features a burnt tree to the left. A | |branch sticks out towards the left. Avoid getting stuck here; it's | |difficult to get out of when being heavily attacked. The rock terrain| |gives you a huge mountain to fight on. There are a lot of platforms | |in the middle; hiding beneath a platform and hitting upwards will work| |pretty well. Atop the mountain, try to Sword Plant whoever is on the | |peak. Since the enemy is closer to the stage ceiling, it will be much| |easier to get a KO. The grass terrain is the most basic of the four | |terrains. It only has a few platforms to fight on. The platforms are| |placed very close to the one underneath so you can stand underneath | |and attack upward. | | | |Other than these few sentences of advice, your skills as a Link-player| |will determine who wins here. Sword Plants on the primary layout is a| |must; there are only two small platforms to get in your way. The main| |stage is flat so make use of Double Sword Slices to help rack up more | |KO's. Always adapt your playing skills to the variety of terrain. | |This stage was made for your ability to fight in a diverse set of | |environments. Make sure you can do it well enough to win. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== S. Mushroom: Kingdom =================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |If there is one stage Link wants to avoid, then this is it. The rows | |of blocks make it difficult for Link to gain a lot of KO's with Sword | |Plants and Double Sword Slices. To win, stay at either sides of the | |stage and use Spin Attacks. Hopefully, you'll send your enemies far | |enough past the barrier and into a KO. Once you have a lot of damage,| |start to move into the middle on the the upper platforms. There, try | |your best to get KO's with Sword Plants. | | | |Items are the key to victory when you have trouble getting KO's on | |our own. The blocks will turn into item blocks sooner or later and | |that is when you want to grab the Item that is held within. Winning | |here can be tricky so do your best to last. Be smart in knowing when | |to withdraw from the sides and when to use your Spin Attacks. | |Beginners with Link may have trouble depending on their fighting | |skills. Eventually, experienced players will have no problems | |wherever they fight. Until then, do what you can. Practice makes | |perfect! | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== T. Planet Zebes: Brinstar Depths ======================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Simply incredible. Brinstar Depths is breath-taking to look at. Too | |bad fighting here lacks smashing fun. The tilting stage will send | |lots of people to their deaths if they aren't careful. There are a | |lot of strange objects and floating platforms throughtout the stage. | |This makes the stage uneven when trying to battle. Link should rely a| |lot of his Sword Plants if you want to be the victor. Hopefully, the | |lack of big platforms won't give Link any troubles. | | | |Spin Attacks aren't too useful on this stage. Use them only near the | |sides or when you're stuck on a platforms. When you do get stuck on a| |platform and have no way back up to the main stage, then just wait | |patiently. Computer-players will foolishly jump to their doom but | |humans are smarter than that. Wait until the stage tilts you upwards | |before resuming battle. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ /\ /\ //\\ >>>>>>******************************************<<<<<< //\\ ///\\\ >>>>> <<<<< ///\\\ /\ /\ >>>> VII. Home-Run Contest <<<< /\ /\ //\\ //\\ >>> <<< //\\ //\\ ///\\\///\\\ >>******************************************<< ///\\\///\\\ --------------- Instructions ------------------------------------------- |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |1. Facing left, grab the Home-Run Bat. | |2. Roll to the Sandbag's right, still facing left. | |3. Do an Overhead Slash. | |4. Wait for the Sandbag to almost touch the ground; repeat Step 3. | |5. Repeat Step 4. | |6. Turn around and face right. | |7. Repeat Step 4 three more times. | |8. Turn around and face left. | |9. Repeat Step 4 two more times. | |10. Turn around and face right. | |11. Time your swing and hit the Sandbag while it's in midair. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- Overview ----------------------------------------------- |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |First, pick up the Home-Run Bat. Then, quickly roll to the Sandbag's | |right (you should be facing left). Do an Overhead Slash three times. | |After the third Overhead Slash, turn around and face right. Do | |another three Overhead Slashes. Turn to the left once more and do two| |more Overhead Slashes. Turn to the right a final time and hit the | |Sandbag with a charged Home-Run Bat while the Sandbag is in midair. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- Note --------------------------------------------------- |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |After each Overhead Slash, make sure the Sandbag is almost touching | |the ground before you do another Overhead Slash. Also, depending on | |how you hit the Sandbag, results will vary to either an average of 800| |ft. or an average of 1150 ft. Hitting the Sandbag when it's above | |Link will result in a distance of about 1150 ft. If the Sandbag is | |hit anywhere else, it will only go about 800 ft. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- Personal Distance -------------------------------------- |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |1175.8 ft. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ /\ /\ //\\ >>>>>>******************************************<<<<<< //\\ ///\\\ >>>>> <<<<< ///\\\ /\ /\ >>>> VIII. Target Test <<<< /\ /\ //\\ //\\ >>> <<< //\\ //\\ ///\\\///\\\ >>******************************************<< ///\\\///\\\ --------------- Layout ------------------------------------------------- |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | _F_ 6 | | / | | / | | 2 |5 | | | 7 1 |D | | H -G- -A- |- | | | 8 10 | | | | |9 | | 3 ----E 4 - | | | | | | B C | | | \ / | | ______|_____________ | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- Instructions ------------------------------------------- |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Start: Start on Platform A. | |1 and 2: Jump and do a Spin Attack (UP + B). | |Then: Land on Platform A. | |3: Drop down and do a Jump Kick (A in the air). | |Then: Land on Platform B. Jump to platform C. | |4 and 5: Jump and do a Spin Attack (UP + B). | |Then: Land on Platform D or E. | |6: Double jump and do a Spin Attack (UP + B). | |Then: Land on Platform F. | |7: Double jump and do a Jump Kick (A in the air). | |Then: Land on Platform G. | |8: Take out a Bomb (DOWN + B) and throw it. | |9: Charge up an arrow and release when Wall H moves up. | |10: Drop through Platform G and do a Jump Kick (A in the air). | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- Personal Time ------------------------------------------ |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |14.63 seconds | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ /\ /\ //\\ >>>>>>******************************************<<<<<< //\\ ///\\\ >>>>> <<<<< ///\\\ /\ /\ >>>> IX. Copyright <<<< /\ /\ //\\ //\\ >>> <<< //\\ //\\ ///\\\///\\\ >>******************************************<< ///\\\///\\\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |This FAQ was created by me, Kim Nguyen. Don't take this FAQ and copy | |it in any way without my permission. If you wish to use my FAQ, send | |me an e-mail at DaAznSaN@msn.com stating what you'll use the FAQ for. | |If you were given permission to use my FAQ, you must not change the | |FAQ in any way and you must give me full credit. Thank you for | |following my guidelines. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ /\ /\ //\\ >>>>>>******************************************<<<<<< //\\ ///\\\ >>>>> <<<<< ///\\\ /\ /\ >>>> X. Credits <<<< /\ /\ //\\ //\\ >>> <<< //\\ //\\ ///\\\///\\\ >>******************************************<< ///\\\///\\\ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |AdmiralViscen IV | |Bill_Helios | |blueflame | |Kim Nguyen (DaAznSaN) | |KnucklesShadowSonic | |Meganium00 | |Nintendo Power | |Shigmiya64 | |The Dark Link | |t 002 Tyrant | |Yellow Comet CO Toyz | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ /\ /\ //\\ >>>>>>******************************************<<<<<< //\\ ///\\\ >>>>> <<<<< ///\\\ /\ /\ >>>> XI. Versions <<<< /\ /\ //\\ //\\ >>> <<< //\\ //\\ ///\\\///\\\ >>******************************************<< ///\\\///\\\ =============== A. Version 1.0 ========================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |> Complete | | - 0. Contents | | - I. Coming Soon | | - II. Introduction | | A. Trophy Excerpts | | B. Timeline | | C. Tunics | | - III. Attacks | | A. Ground Attacks | | B. Smash Attacks | | C. Aerial Attacks | | D. Special Attacks | | E. Throw Attacks | | F. Dash Attack | | - V. Item Strategies | | A. Containers | | B. Recovery Items | | C. Performance Items | | G. Miscellaneous Item | | - VII. Home-Run Contest | | - VIII. Target Test | | - IX. Copyright | | - X. Credit | | - XI. Versions | |> Incomplete | | - V. Item Strategies | | D. Battering Items | | E. Shooting Items | | F. Projectile Items | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== B. Version 2.0 ========================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |> Complete | | - V. Item Strategies | | D. Battering Items | | E. Shooting Items | | F. Projectile Items | |> Updates | | - III. Attacks | | E. Throw Attacks | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== C. Version 3.0 ========================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |> Complete | | - VI. Stage Strategies | | A. Infinite Glacier: Icicle Mountain | | B. Mushroom Kingdom: Princess Peach's Castle | | C. DK Island: Kongo Jungle | | D. Termina: Great Bay | | E. Yoshi's Island: Yoshi's Story | | F. Dream Land: Fountain of Dreams | | G. Lylat System: Corneria | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== D. Version 4.0 ========================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |> Complete | | - IV. Battle Strategies | | A. Fallen Angel | | B. Recovery Mastery | | C. A Hunter's Game | | D. Dodge Boomerang? | |> Updates | | - III. Attacks | | A. Ground Attacks | | B. Smash Attacks | | C. Aerial Attacks | | E. Throw Attacks | | F. Dash Attack | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== E. Version 5.0 ========================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |> Format Update | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== F. Version 6.0 ========================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |> Complete | | - IV. Battle Strategies | | E. Clearing Out the Party | | F. The Wall | | G. Flaw Manipulation | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== G. Version 7.0 ========================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |> Complete | | - VI. Stage Strategies | | H. Mushroom Kingdom: Rainbow Cruise | | I. DK Island: Jungle Japes | | J. Hyrule: Temple | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== H. Version 8.0 ========================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |> Complete | | - VI. Stage Strategies | | K. Yoshi's Island: Yoshi's Island | | L. Dream Land: Green Greens | | M. Lylat System: Venom | | N. Super Flat World: Flat Zone | | O. Planet Zebes: Brinstar | | P. Eagle Land: Onett | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== I. Version 9.0 ========================================= |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |> Complete | | - VI. Stage Strategies | | Q. F-Zero Grand Prix: Mute City | | R. Kanto: Pokemon Stadium | | S. Mushroom: Kingdom | | T. Planet Zebes: Brinstar Depths | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ =============== J. Version 10.0 ======================================== |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |> Format Update | ------------------------------------------------------------------------