Up Your Game: Play Super Smash Like a Pro
by GameDaily
Don't Neglect Standard Attacks
Most novice players rely heavily on special moves to damage other players. Don't overlook your character's standard attacks. Many standard attacks can be used to start combos, continue combos or knock other players off of the stage. Standard attacks are usually faster than special attacks and have much less recovery time, meaning it's more difficult for other players to counterattack if a standard attack is blocked or misses.
Try Aerial Standard AttacksIn addition to standard attacks, aerial attacks can lead to easy kills but are often overlooked by novice players in favor of aerial Smash Attacks. In most cases, aerial Smash Attacks will cause more damage to another player, but damage isn't always the most important thing in Smash Bros. The amount of knockback an attack has can be just as important, and there are many aerial standard attacks that have significant knockback. Captain Falcon's Knee (aerial side+A) or any of the Dair spikes (Falco's aerial down + A) are good examples of often overlooked aerial standard attacks.
Don't Forget Defense -- Use ShieldingOne of the most common mistakes in any fighting game is a lack of defense. Many players simply focus on offense and virtually ignore any and all defensive options. Defense is extremely important in Smash Bros., and shielding is the main form of defense. When another player is attacking you, use the shield to block the attack. You can also dodge or throw without the need to drop your shield.
Exert Some Directional InfluenceDirectional Influence (DI) is a technique used by many high level Smash Bros. players. When you get attacked, press and hold toward the opposing player. This lessens your knockback and can save you from being knocked off the stage at high damages. It will not always save you, but using DI you will last considerably longer than if you did not use DI.
Guard Edges with ProjectilesAfter knocking another player off of the stage, most novice players wait at the edge and attempt to use a melee attack to hit them as they approach. This is a very basic form of edgeguarding. When using a character who has a projectile attack, or when an item is in-hand, use the attack or item to hit the other player when they are still far away from the edge of the stage. This makes it much harder for the other player to recover back to the stage and is not limited by the range of a melee attack.
Guard Edges by Grabbing 'Em FirstAn advanced version of edgeguarding is hanging on the edge when another player is attempting to grab the edge themselves. When you grab the edge of the stage, your character is invincible for a limited amount of time. During this invincibility period, your character will not take any damage and another player cannot grab the edge. When you see another player attempting to recover by grabbing the edge, jump off and grab it yourself to prevent them from recovering. The timing on this technique is very precise, but when performed correctly it can greatly limit another player's ability to recover.
Deliver Justice with a ... Throw PunishmentJust like any other fighting games, Super Smash Bros. Brawl has attacks that are unsafe. An unsafe attack means that the attacker can be freely counterattacked for a short period after their initial attack is blocked. In many cases, the proper punishment for a blocked unsafe attack is to throw the attacker. Some throws are faster than others (i.e. Mario's throw is much faster than Link's throw), but get in the habit of following a block with a throw. Throw punishment also works well if another player misses an attack altogether, leaving them open for an even longer period of time.
Start with a Projectile, Then AttackCharacters who have projectile attacks can use them to provide a safe attack lead-in. Throw the projectile (or multiple projectiles depending on the character) and immediately follow the projectile as it makes its way toward another player. The opposing player will have to either dodge or block the attack, giving you an opening to use a special move, Smash Attack or standard attack. Thrown items can also be used as lead-ins, but be careful of the opposing player grabbing the item and using it against you.
L-canceling Your Way to a Faster RecoveryWhile many assumed that l-canceling had been removed from Brawl, it has been included, but to a lesser extent than it was in Melee. L-canceling refers to lowering the recovery time of an attack, allowing you to immediately use another attack or put your shield up. To perform an l-cancel, simply use any standard attack during a fast fall (press down while falling). The recovery time of the attack used is severely lessen under these circumstances.
Use the Short HopMost Smash players use short hop during a normal battle, however, they do not use it to its full extent. A short hop is just a small jump, but it can be extremely useful. Short hops into aerial standard attacks or special moves can be very useful. Combine short hop attacks with lead-in attacks and an opposing player will have a harder time avoiding your attacks. Short hop attacks can also be used in conjunction with l-canceling to lessen recovery time and allow you to continuously short hop attack.
Stab Around the ShieldDefense is key to high level play in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but unfortunately, the shield isn't a full proof defense. Most players already know you can be thrown while your shield is up, but you can also be attacked while your shield is up. When you use your shield, it gradually becomes smaller the longer it's in use. Any part of your body that is outside of the shield can be attacked. This is called a shield stab and is especially useful against larger characters such as Donkey Kong or Gannondorf since their shields do not generally cover their entire bodies.
Dash 'n' ThrowNormal throws are a good offensive tool as they can be used quickly and go through an opposing player's shield. A dash throw is the use of multiple throws in succession used in conjunction with dashes. Perform a throw that knocks an opposing player to the ground and immediately dash toward them and perform another throw. Using this technique, an opposing player will have a hard time avoiding the second throw.
Killer CombosAt lower damage percentages, combo attacks can be keep to keeping an opposing player at bay. Most combos can be started with a throw (generally an upward throw) or a Smash Attack that knocks an opposing player upward. Follow this attack with an aerial attack or a dash throw depending on the initiating attack. If done correctly the opposing player will not be able to avoid the second attack, creating a combo attack. Some characters can perform multiple attacks in a combo, especially when an opponent is at very low damage percentages.
Meteor Smash: Make them Fall Like a MeteorA meteor smash is an aerial Smash Attack that slams an opposing player downward. Use this in conjunction with short hops and while edgeguarding for quick kills. You can escape from a Meteor Smash my using a double jump or an Up+B special move. However, when used during edgeguarding, an opposing player should have already used both of these options, leaving them with no choice other than to fall to their doom.
Keep Your Distance Using ... SpacingSpacing is a key defensive tactic in almost every fighting game. It's a technique that requires the use of dashing and precise movement to keep yourself just outside of the attacking range of an opposing player. By doing this, it causes the opposing player to miss their attacks much more frequently, leaving them open to a counterattack. Spacing can also be used during edgeguarding as well.
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