Super Smash Bros.

Introduction

Super Smash Bros is the first game in Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Series. It is a crossover game featuring characters from various Nintendo franchises. The main difference between this game and traditional fighters is that this game uses a damage percentage instead of a life bar. Wins are achieved by ring-outs only. Other features include usage of items and team battles.

Characters

Captain Falcon Donkey Kong Fox Jigglypuff Kirby Link		Luigi Mario Ness Pikachu Samus Yoshi

Smash Notation

The Smash series utilizes a completely different notation system than other fighting games. It will be used a lot in this guide so it is advisable to learn them.

Directional Notation

N - Neutral. This basically means leaving the joystick in its central position.

F - Forward. Push the joystick towards the direction your character is facing.

B - Backward. Push the joystick behind the direction your character was facing.

U - Upward. Push the joystick upwards. This usually makes the character jump.

D - Downward. Push the joystick downwards. This makes the character crouch of fastfall.

Attack Notation

Jab - A jab is activated by simply pressing A. Pressing it multiple times can lead into a natural combo to damage the opponent further.

-Tilt - Slightly tilting the joystick in one direction and press the A button. Tilts are usually more ranged than jabs and help in combos.

-Smash - Quickly push the joystick in one direction and press A at the same time. Smashes are stronger than tilts and make good combo finishers and KO moves.

-Grab - Pressing the grab button makes your character grab, regardless of their distance from an opponent.

-Air - Press the A button in the air. A direction can be added to use a different move. Aerial attacks are, obviously, attacks in the air.

-Special - Press the B button, optionally adding a direction to use a different special move. Every character has four specials with unique properties.

Game Mechanics

Damage and KOs

Super Smash Bros plays differently from conventional fighting games. To win, you must first tack on damage to your opponent. You and your opponent's damage is recorded at the bottom of the screen next to your character portrait. The more damage a character possesses, the further they will fly from a strong attack. If they fly outside of a stage's blastzone, they lose a stock, or get "KO'd". Note that you can also die from falling below the bottom blastzone, generating another way to KO opponents.

Two Different Objectives of Winning

Through the options bar, you can select two different objectives for winning. The most common and usually used in tourneys is the stock match. To win a stock match, one player must reduce the others' stocks to zero, by knocking them out. In time matches, the victor is determined by the number of KOs from each character within a set period of time. There are also team versions of these two, allowing more than two people to compete on the same field at once.

Hitstun

Hitstun is a state where your character is hit by an attack and has no way to do anything except maneuvering yourself. It is during this period where true combos are possible. SSB's long hitstun ensures long combos for almost every character.

Double Jumping

After jumping, pressing the jump button again will make your character double jump. Some characters have multiple double jumps that help them in recovery.

Grabbing

By pressing the grab button, you can grab the opponent if you're close enough. The amount of time a character is grabbed depends on their damage percent, but this can be lessened to an extent via mashing. After grabbing, you have the choice of throwing forward or backward. Grabs often have high knockback, so it makes a good combo finisher. Every character's grab range differs, some have tether grabs, which are longer grabs, but slower if missed.

Shielding

By pressing "Z", your character will be encased in a bubble shield, blocking any attack that hits it. However, the shield diminishes over time, leaving parts of your character vulnerable to damage. Eventually, the shield breaks, from too much damage or time, and you will be put in a dizzied state, leaving you wide open for a charged smash attack. When an attack hits your shield, you suffer significant block stun, enough for a quick enough player to break it in a single combo, so use it seldomly. You can slightly angle the shield or grab out of a shield by pressing A.

Rolling

Pressing Z and a directional button makes you roll in that direction, leaving you invincible for a certain amount of time and positioning you to a possibly more advantageous position. However, there is a slight moment where you're vulnerable after the roll, during which a good player can easily take advantage of.

Shield Jumping

Another option out of a shield is jumping out of it. You can instantly follow that up with an aerial attack, potentially starting a combo. However, you have no invincibility upon jumping out of it, so be careful with using this.

Recovering

Most of the time you will find yourself falling off the stage, such as after an edgeguard attempt. To prevent certain death, you should double jump, provided you still have one, then use a recovery move. Your recovery move is usually Up Special, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.

Grabbing the Ledge

In most stages, there is a part where the main platform ends called a ledge. If your character is close enough, he/she will grab the ledge automatically. After you grab the ledge you get a period of invincibility. You can then choose your options from the ledge. You can drop off from it, roll onto the stage, attack an on-stage attacker or jump over the ledge.

A common technique used by tourney players is edgehogging. As only one character can grab the ledge at one time, purposely grabbing the ledge that your opponent was aiming for will spell doom for them.

Directional Influence

Directional influence, or DI, is a technique that helps survive longer, and is also used to escape multi-hitting moves. When hit by an attack, pushing the control stick quickly in any direction will slightly shift your character in that direction. You can use this to get as far from the closest blastzone or slowly move out of multi-hitting moves.

Short Hopping

If you press jump, then let go of the button before your character leaves the ground, you can perform a jump about half the length of a normal jump. SHing is usually used for landing aerial attacks on grounded characters. This is usually done with the C buttons as it is much easier to perform.

Fast Falling

Pressing down while in the air will accelerate your fall to the ground. This technique alone is generally helpful for surviving powerful upwards-sending moves.

L-Canceling

Pressing the shield button when landing during an aerial will negate any and all lag normally experienced without L-canceling. This technique is vital for competitive play, as it allows for fast movement and attack.

SHFFLing

A combination of the above three techniques. Basically, you short hop, fastfall, perform an aerial, and l-cancel it. This technique allows for long strings of aerials and deadly combos.

Stages

Super Smash Bros. contains nine stages inspired by various Nintendo franchises. Each of these stages has different geometry and hazards. This guide will outline them.

Princess Peach's Castle

This stage consists of a main platform, a moving platform underneath it, a long uneven platform above it, two ramps, and a moving bumper at the top. While this stage consists of many different elements, none of them are too much of worry. The bottom moving platform helps recovering characters, especially when this stage has no grabbable ledges. The top obstacles can be troublesome when KOing vertically, so stick to horizontal ones.

Congo Jungle

This stage consists of a -v- shaped main platform, two diagonal platforms at the sides, two rotating platforms at the center, and a barrel cannon at the bottom. The main platform can be jumped through, but not fallen from, meaning you can "shark" opponents from beneath. The barrel cannon can be a lifesaver, but you still suffer hitstun, so watch out for opponents waiting to KO you just as you shoot up. The moving platforms can mess up your combos, but you can also get creative on them, comboing in between the platforms.

Hyrule Castle

A favorite at tournaments. This stage consists of a large main platform, lower at both ends. The left end is sloped, while the right end has a little tower. Above the central platform are three zigzagging platforms. Sometimes a tornado appears, and getting caught in its path will result in it throwing you out with high knockback. The area around the little tower is known as the "tent" or "the greenhouse". This area is godly for combos, with characters wallbouncing into your next hit easily.

Planet Zebes

This stage consists of an uneven main platform that can be jumped through but not fallen through, three platforms placed above it, a fourth one moving vertically at the right. A major element in this stage is the acid. It rises and falls erratically, sometimes appearing far below the stage, sometimes covering everything but the top platform, severely limiting fighting space. The acid has high knockback, so be wary if you're a lightweight. The platforms generally don't help much in combos. The acid causes it to be banned in tournaments sometimes.

Yoshi's Island

This stage consists of a wide v-shaped main platform, three platforms above it, and several cloud platforms far out of it. The main platforms are pretty OK for combos. The clouds serve as temporary resting spots, as they disappear after a short while. However, they also make powerful projectile camping spots. These camping spots and the far giant blastzones result in this stage being banned in tournaments.

Dream Land

Widely considered as the most neutral stage, this stage consists of a main platform and three platforms arranged in a "_-_" pattern. Whispy Woods in the background blows wind that affects your movement from time to time. This stage is really great for combos, as you can combo across the main platform and around the higher platforms if you're fast enough.

Sector Z

This stage is basically StarFox's main ship, the Great Fox. Occasionally, Arwings will appear and shoot lasers. These lasers are dangerous as they have powerful knockback and can even juggle you, knocking you out too far from the stage. The Arwings act as platforms, but you will fall off if they barrel roll. This stage's size and the Arwings' lasers cause this stage to be banned in tourneys.

Saffron City

This stage consists of three solid platforms, with two hovering platforms placed between the gaps. There's is a garage-like structure on the central platform. When the garage door opens, Pokemon will come out. These Pokemon all have some special effects and a few can be knocked out of the building. The possible Pokemon that emerges will be:

• Chansey: Heals you if you touch it. Easily KO'd. Spawns eggs if items are on.
• Charmander: Damages you when you touch it, sometimes uses Flamethrower to trap you and deal a lot of damage. Can only be KO'd by sufficiently strong attacks.
• Venusaur: Damages upon contact and also uses Razor Leaf, juggling you and dealing damage. Cannot be KO'd.
• Porygon: It lunges out as an attack, sending players flying. It can also damage upon contact afterward. Cannot be KO'd.
• Electrode: Electrode drops out and starts flashing. After a while it explodes, dealing huge amounts of knockback and damage.

The gaps can be a little tricky for characters that fell in.

Mushroom Kingdom

This stage consists of a long piece of land that stretches beyond the blastzones, three soft platforms scattered around the stage, a solid row of bricks at the left, a see-saw mechanism hovering above a chasm in the center, and two pipes where damaging piranha plants emerge. The layout of this stage is pretty nice for combos. A POW block randomly appears that when hit, sends all grounded characters flying. The pipes can teleport you between the two sides. This stage is banned in tournaments due to the walk-offs at the sides, the random POW block and pipe-teleport abuse.

The Ruleset

This is the ruleset generally used in tournaments.

Tournament rules

• 5 stock
• All items off and item spawn frequency set to "None".
• 100% Damage Ratio (the default setting).
• Handicap off.
• Team Attack on (doubles).
• Share Stock allowed (doubles).
• The only legal stage is Dream Land.
• For the first match, characters are chosen double-blind - at the same time, so that neither player knows their opponent's character beforehand.
• Players may re-pick characters after each match. However, the loser of each match gets to pick last (known as slob picks).
• Camping/edge-stalling is not allowed.

Tiers and Matchups

This is the tier list released by the Smash Back Room on September 28 2009.

S Tier:

• Pikachu
• Fox

A Tier:

• Kirby
• Captain Falcon
• Mario

B Tier:

• Yoshi
• Donkey Kong
• Ness
• Jigglypuff

C Tier:

• Luigi
• Link
• Samus

This is the current matchup chart for Super Smash Bros. It is under discussion and subject to change.

Matchups	Pikachu	Fox	Kirby	C.Falcon	Mario	Yoshi	DK	Ness	Puff	Luigi	Link	Samus	Total
Pikachu	-	6.5	6	5.5	6	6.5	6.5	7	6.5	7	7.5	7	72	Pikachu
Fox	3.5	-	5	5	5	6	6	6	7	7	7	7	64.5	Fox
Kirby	4	5	-	6	5	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	62	Kirby
C.Falcon	4	5	4	-	5	6	6	6	5	6	6	6	59	C.Falcon
Mario	4	5	5	5	-	5	6	6	6	6	6	6	60	Mario
Yoshi	3.5	4	4	4	5	-	6	5	5	5	6	6	53.5	Yoshi
DK	3.5	4	4	4	4	4	-	6	6	5	5	6	51.5	DK
Ness	3	4	4	4	4	5	4	-	5	6	5	6	50	Ness
Puff	3.5	3	4	5	4	5	4	5	-	4	5	5	47.5	Puff
Luigi	3	3	4	4	4	5	5	4	6	-	4	6	48	Luigi
Link	2.5	3	4	4	4	4	5	5	4	6	-	6	47.5	Link
Samus	3	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	5	4	4	-	43	Samus
	Pikachu	Fox	Kirby	C.Falcon	Mario	Yoshi	DK	Ness	Puff	Luigi	Link	Samus	Total