Before learning all the advanced techniques in the Super Smash Bros series, there is one thing you HAVE to do. Choosing a character. You will play this character for years and years until you know every frame in his or her moveset like you know the back of your hand. Terrifying, right? Well don't sweat because I'm here to help! I will help you choose a main for all Smash games in a couple of steps!
STEP 1: Do you want to win?
"Yes, of course!" I hear you say "That's so obvious!". Then do NOT pick a character you are not winning with. It's really that simple. Some characters are worse than others. While tier lists are not always accurate, they do give you an idea of what characters are better than others. Melee in particular has fairly accurate tier lists with a clear difference between the viable and not so viable. For Melee, I'll use Smash pro "mew2king"'s tier list.
TOP TIER
1. Falco
2. Fox
3. Jigglypuff
4. Sheik
5. Marth
6. Peach
7. Ice Climbers
8. Captain Falcon
These characters should probably get priority when choosing a main, but if you don't have fun with any of them here's a couple more.
High Tier
9. Dr. Mario
10. Pikachu
11. Luigi
12. Samus
If you want the real borderlime completely unviable characters then here's some more.
Mid Tier
13. Mario(choose Dr. Mario instead)
14. Ganondorf
15. DK
16. Yoshi
17. Young Link
The rest really aren't good at all from a competitive standpoint. The thing is this is a guide for choosing MAINS. I'm not saying you can't have Kirby as a SECONDARY. Top tiers are the best to main, but many players are still extremely successful with high tiers. Mid tiers are still very solid, but you probably won't be winning any tournaments. As for the other Smash games, it's harder to narrow down the viable characters. In 64 and especially Project M's case, you can win with every character because the game is so balanced. For Smash 4, the game is so new that a tier list would be pointless. There are different ways of testing viability in Smash 4 though. By PLAYING the game. Going online For Glory 1v1, and checking which character is netting you more wins. Play to WIN.
STEP 2: Are you having fun?
This is a GAME. Games are for fun. If you aren't having fun with a character then don't play them. Falco and Fox may be the best characters in Melee, but if you don't like how technically demanding they are then don't play them. Just because you like Sonic's games(for whatever strange reason) doesn't mean you'll instantly love his character. Don't force yourself to play a character. Have fun. Choose a character whose playstyle you enjoy.
STEP 3: Keep an open mind.
Try ALL the (viable in Melee's case) characters. I didn't even know who Ness was, but he became my Smash 4 main because of his playstyle. I thought I was gonna main Bowser Jr or Greninja because they were new characters but I didn't enjoy them. It's also possible that a character previously thought to be low tier is actually really good. This happened for almost every top tier in Melee besides Falco, Fox, and Sheik. In Smash 4, Sheik is considered the best character in the game but this was not always the case. I still think DK in Melee has some serious untapped potential. Heck, everyone in Project M has the potential to be top tier if a good player picks them up. Keep an open mind.
STEP 4: Research and learn your character.
Learn all the advanced techniques and just PLAY THE GAME!
I've decided to do a short playstyle segment for the Melee characters so here ya go:
Play FOX if you are willing to practice your tech skill every day. He's a very versatile character.
Play FALCO or MARTH if you like being in control.
Play SHEIK if you like combos.
Play CAPTAIN FALCON if you enjoy being risky and going all out.
Play JIGGLYPUFF if you prefer slow and methodical gameplay(AKA camping lol).
Play GANONDORF if you like reading and predicting your opponent.
Those are the ones I know. I don't want to give any misinformation so please correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks for reading!
STEP 1: Do you want to win?
"Yes, of course!" I hear you say "That's so obvious!". Then do NOT pick a character you are not winning with. It's really that simple. Some characters are worse than others. While tier lists are not always accurate, they do give you an idea of what characters are better than others. Melee in particular has fairly accurate tier lists with a clear difference between the viable and not so viable. For Melee, I'll use Smash pro "mew2king"'s tier list.
TOP TIER
1. Falco
2. Fox
3. Jigglypuff
4. Sheik
5. Marth
6. Peach
7. Ice Climbers
8. Captain Falcon
These characters should probably get priority when choosing a main, but if you don't have fun with any of them here's a couple more.
High Tier
9. Dr. Mario
10. Pikachu
11. Luigi
12. Samus
If you want the real borderlime completely unviable characters then here's some more.
Mid Tier
13. Mario(choose Dr. Mario instead)
14. Ganondorf
15. DK
16. Yoshi
17. Young Link
The rest really aren't good at all from a competitive standpoint. The thing is this is a guide for choosing MAINS. I'm not saying you can't have Kirby as a SECONDARY. Top tiers are the best to main, but many players are still extremely successful with high tiers. Mid tiers are still very solid, but you probably won't be winning any tournaments. As for the other Smash games, it's harder to narrow down the viable characters. In 64 and especially Project M's case, you can win with every character because the game is so balanced. For Smash 4, the game is so new that a tier list would be pointless. There are different ways of testing viability in Smash 4 though. By PLAYING the game. Going online For Glory 1v1, and checking which character is netting you more wins. Play to WIN.
STEP 2: Are you having fun?
This is a GAME. Games are for fun. If you aren't having fun with a character then don't play them. Falco and Fox may be the best characters in Melee, but if you don't like how technically demanding they are then don't play them. Just because you like Sonic's games(for whatever strange reason) doesn't mean you'll instantly love his character. Don't force yourself to play a character. Have fun. Choose a character whose playstyle you enjoy.
STEP 3: Keep an open mind.
Try ALL the (viable in Melee's case) characters. I didn't even know who Ness was, but he became my Smash 4 main because of his playstyle. I thought I was gonna main Bowser Jr or Greninja because they were new characters but I didn't enjoy them. It's also possible that a character previously thought to be low tier is actually really good. This happened for almost every top tier in Melee besides Falco, Fox, and Sheik. In Smash 4, Sheik is considered the best character in the game but this was not always the case. I still think DK in Melee has some serious untapped potential. Heck, everyone in Project M has the potential to be top tier if a good player picks them up. Keep an open mind.
STEP 4: Research and learn your character.
Learn all the advanced techniques and just PLAY THE GAME!
I've decided to do a short playstyle segment for the Melee characters so here ya go:
Play FOX if you are willing to practice your tech skill every day. He's a very versatile character.
Play FALCO or MARTH if you like being in control.
Play SHEIK if you like combos.
Play CAPTAIN FALCON if you enjoy being risky and going all out.
Play JIGGLYPUFF if you prefer slow and methodical gameplay(AKA camping lol).
Play GANONDORF if you like reading and predicting your opponent.
Those are the ones I know. I don't want to give any misinformation so please correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks for reading!
- Applicable Games
- Smash 64, Melee, Project M, Smash 3DS, Smash Wii U
