Pac-Man Custom Moveset Discussion

[Davis-Lightheart]

As part of an ongoing project to push customs into the competitive scene, it's been suggested that people begin seeking the 8 most popular/competitive sets of each character to apply to every tournament Wii U to streamline the custom character selection. I decided to be the one to post about it to the Pacman forum and basically copied and tweaked a template post from that thread for this purpose.

Please provide a set, an explanation of it, and any other comments you'd like to include.

Note: Sets dedicated to countering certain characters are more than welcome. Especially for characters who function differently, or poorly against certain characters who otherwise perform well under default specials. Gimmicky, glitchy, or combinations just otherwise worth mentioning are welcome as well.

If there are more than 8 sets posted, we will have a poll to determine their popularity. This is more about time constraints and not forcing too many people to upload their own customs, not just competitive viability.

Please use the number format for submitting sets, in Neutral Side Up Down order. For example:

• 1111 (Default specials)
• 2311

 

[Rashid]

Now I'm really just an average Joe, but here's my opinion:

My preferred general-purpose set is 1132. Default fruit are just too varied and good to pass up. The other two have their niche uses (I'll get to that later), but ultimately the default fruit have an answer for almost every situation. Side B is kinda obvious: the other two just seem like straight-up downgrades. The second is weaker and doesn't really cover that much extra distance, and the third is way too slow. With the default side B, you probably won't need the extra height from the default trampoline; this is where the meteor trampoline comes into use. Besides being able to meteor opponents below Pac-Man (something he can't do otherwise!), using one on-stage as a burying trap is definitely more useful than just forcing more landing lag. The hydrant is the one thing I'm not sure of, but I just find that fire > water. (especially with that one glitch fixed, which caused sprayed & held fruit to fly away when thrown)

For match-ups where I feel going rushdown would help, I switch to Freaky Fruit and Dire Hydrant (2133). Simply put, freaky strawberry pulls opponents in, freaky orange is pretty much a lesser Falco laser, freaky melon is a freaky kill move... if you can land it. The freaky key is a nice frontal spike, but the meteor trampoline usually covers that better IMO. The dire hydrant is just there as an emergency button to either interrupt combos or "hydrant parry"(? forgot the exact term, but someone mentioned something about using the jump from the hydrant to jump over attacks; since this explodes, it'll work even better).

If I feel that playing defensive and controlling neutral are key (not recommended against extremely offensive characters), I go with my space control set: 3132. Same as the first one, really, but Lazy Fruit tend to keep their active hitbox for a while (especially the cherry and strawberry), the Galaxian Boss is simply orgasmic (though post-patch, I seem to have problems getting several hits in... anyone else?), and the very slow orange/bell can be used to trap opponents into bad situations. Now add to those an on-stage meteor trampoline (use it OoS to force 2 bounces!) and a stationary fire-spewing hydrant, and you just might get on your opponent's nerves. However, this is extremely gimmicky and likely won't be as good at top-level tournaments.

...That went a lot longer than I thought it would go. But if you're only going to consider one, I'd say 1132.

 

[HotNTasty]

I haven't unlocked any of the fruit yet be have played around with all of Pac's other customs. I feel that the format should go X111 or X131. All of the side customs are flat out downgrades so I see no reason to remove those, especially due to only the default being a kill move. With the recover boost coming from Side Special the trampoline boost isnt as need, plus the trampoline helps set good traps on and offstage. I personally like to mix up regular and meteor trampoline to keep my foes on edge. Between hydrant dashing and ease of attacking it I prefer to stick with the default hydrant too.

tl;dr
X111
X131

 

[AGES]

Haven't played with customs too much for Pac, but from what I've experienced the On-Fire Hydrant is pretty fun, has good space control with platforms, especially on battlefield where you can be on one platform with the hydrant on the other, shutting down approach from the middle.

 

[WeirdChillFever]

This is a set I just figured out after I saw this thread.
I call it Ping-Pong-Pac
It basically revolves around getting opponents in with Freaky Fruit, before the On-Fire Hydrant spouts them back (be sure to roll away!) giving you the opportunity to jab.

NOTE: This post will be edited a lot, be sure to check it from time to time.
The set is:

2132

2 (Freaky Fruit)
The space the Cherry and Strawberry control, the quick snipe of the Orange, the deceiving, slow pace of the Apple, and the overall freaky Melon, both in power and in trajectory, it makes heads blow up.

Not to mention the combos the backwards Strawberry makes.

This also makes catching fruit more easily, making for effective pick up and throw Cherry walls.

The only con is that the last three fruits become useless, with Galaxian being the worst of the three.

EDIT: I tested some more and found that the Strawberry is the ultimate stage spiker.

1 (Power Pellet)
The only kill version.

3 (Meteor Trampoline)
SSpecial covers the recovery enough, this is just one of the many traps Pac can set with this set.

2 (On-Fire Hydrant) (Thanks @ Rashid for this one)
This one screams stage control.
From subtle touches that combo into jabs and Freaky Strawberries to smacking launches that can put opponents in nasty off-stage situations.
The One-Fire Hydrant gives Little Macs extra headaches too, since he can't smash this one away so easily.

Pac has the best customs, since they all have great uses. (Except Side B, default is always best)

 

[Firedemon0]

Personally I have used 1132.

I prefer the default fruit, they each offer perfect tools and uses for what they do. Same with the default side B it just has the best balance of recovery and kill strength. Meteor trampoline makes a much better on stage tool. On fire Hydrant, while it limits Pac-man's movement options, must be respected as the damage it does is no joke, it also is much less likely to be hit away unlike the default. Letting Pac-man decide when to launch it.

 

[WeirdChillFever]

Another benefit of the On Fire is that it stays out longer due to the flames protecting the hydrant more than the water blasts, and the fact that it produces three blasts instead of two.

 

[Amazing Ampharos]

It looks like the Pac-Man players are just getting started navigating the maze of his options. I should clarify what we're looking for here. We want up to three critical sets that represent the best Pac-Man has to offer in a wide variety of match-ups, your general purpose sets (excluding 1111 which is always available). After that we want to fill up to slot 6 with supplemental movesets that may represent more niche options, match-up specific stuff, less popular sets, or even options for teams. Slots 7 and 8 are reserved for 2222 and 3333 so Pac-Man's... certainly very unique customs can be fully explored by all players easily in the early metagame, and 9 and 10 are left open for 3ds import on tournament day.

 

[BSP]

I can't offer much input since we don't use customs moves down here (yet, I hope), but I want to ask everyone about teams. Since the fight is going to be much faster paced, should Pac-Man's loadout be changed to match it?

Btw, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFZOX3E58UA

Just in case you aren't familiar with his customs, like myself. On Fire Hydrant and Meteor Trampoline look legit though.

 

[Rashid]

I think @NinjaLink's video is better, since it's much more detailed. (same with all of his other videos, really)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uz8qHWkaTk

 

[WeirdChillFever]

Freaky Strawberry is also able to knock opponents into the Red Meteor Trampoline.

This set turns Pac-Man into an amazing trap character.

 

[popsofctown]

Freaky fruit and default fruit are such deep, nuanced, complex moves, to me it seems like, who could ever figure out which one is better and say for sure?

 

[Pacack]

Freaky fruit and default fruit are such deep, nuanced, complex moves, to me it seems like, who could ever figure out which one is better and say for sure?

No lazy fruit love?

 

[popsofctown]

No lazy fruit love?

I may be wrong on this but I think half of lazy fruit's depth and nuance involves the opponent's ability to also pick it up.

 

[Pacack]

I may be wrong on this but I think half of lazy fruit's depth and nuance involves the opponent's ability to also pick it up.

I'll need to test that sometime.

 

[DrakeRowan]

After using PacMan in a couple of custom-ON tournies and placing 5th in them, I found that I personally prefer Default & 1112. Those two are pretty much all I use. On Fire Hydrant is REALLY useful. The rest of his customs are too jarring for my playstyle.

All other sets are up for a long debate.

 

[19_]

Pac Man seems to be a fighter who's entire game plan revolves around his specials. Customs in this case completly change his playstyle so it is hard to find what works. I hate to put it this way but having custom tournaments may be the best way to figure out what works ironic as that may be.

That being said his default side special should never really be changed as said many times in this thread. Scrounge up what you can here, it may be the best you can run with.

 

[Davis-Lightheart]

I'm fishing for these things at this point.

"N: Haven't really toyed around with.

S: Definitely Distant Power Pellets. The added start up time may make the move more punishable when used for recovery, but I really love the added versatility that comes from being able to turn greater with the move.

U: 1 is best from a general perspective, but 2 comes with the ability to use it as a "trap" on stage and 3 comes with less punishable recovery.

D: Not freaking 2 - gross. I guess 1 for its edge-guarding and the potential tricks with the water, but there's an argument for the ease of use that comes with 3.

I guess that puts me as _211 and _221. If the off-stage meta grows to be more offensive, those might both be dropped for _231." - 3 upvotes


"2131, 2111 or 1131" - 1 upvote

 

[Nu~]

I'm really feeling 1132 and 2132
The amount of stage control you get with these is phenomenal. The on fire hydrant is glorious in how dangerous it is for the opponent to be anywhere near it, and the meteor trampoline just makes it even more hellish for the opponent to fight you. Default side B and neutral B because who wants to throw away a versatile recovery and kill move, for fancier loops with no invincibility frames, or the slowest kill move in history with no hope of recovery.
The default Nuetral could probably be switched with freaky fruit between games 1&2 just to keep the opponent guessing.

 

[BSP]

I'm really feeling 1132 and 2132
The amount of stage control you get with these is phenomenal. The on fire hydrant is glorious in how dangerous it is for the opponent to be anywhere near it, and the meteor trampoline just makes it even more hellish for the opponent to fight you. Default side B and neutral B because who wants to throw away a versatile recovery and kill move, for fancier loops with no invincibility frames, or the slowest kill move in history with no hope of recovery.
The default Nuetral could probably be switched with freaky fruit between games 1&2 just to keep the opponent guessing.

Super Armor, not invincible. Otherwise he wouldn't take damage either, which would be nice

Again, no customs testing from me just yet. Maybe in the near future.

 

[Revibe]

I am still testing out the specials, just missing 1, which is Freaky Fruit.

Distant Power Pellet, lots of control. It may not hit as strong, but I don't get punished as often when I use it. Also it combo's really good with Lazy Fruit in a 1v1. I would throw an Orange or Galaga or Key, use my side b to circle around and land so that I am behind the fruit again, and go again if I have time (the fruit being still out.)

The Dire Hydrant, not my cup of tea. It doesn't have a lot of down reach like the others. Does this thing have a lot K.O. power? Also, I wish if you used it on the ground it would stay out until someone punched it before going off.

Enticing Power Pellet is tricky. You use it mostly for recovery? Characters that chase you off edge get sucked off in your direction faster when they aren't looking. Got a kill once because the opponent chased me, was speed up, missed an attack, and couldn't recover because of the extra distance. ... I should say this special sucks! XD I wish this move affected more than the opponent, say including a bouncing fruit.

So far I am playing 3212, but I am still testing.

 

[Pacack]

The Dire Hydrant, not my cup of tea. It doesn't have a lot of down reach like the others. Does this thing have a lot K.O. power? Also, I wish if you used it on the ground it would stay out until someone punched it before going off.

It is not a good kill move.

 

[Nu~]

I don't we should count the dire hydrant out yet though. It can help us on matchups that the regular hydrants are less beneficial

 

[WeirdChillFever]

@ Nu~ Dire Hydrant might work when you need the butt-protection, but don't want to be on your toes for a Hydrant flying to your face after setting it down.

 

[Rashid]

The dire hydrant is good against characters with good mobility who can break the hydrant fast. It also has a high initial "jump", so you can use it to dodge and "counter" some attacks. Against rushdown characters, though, I'm not sure if we should go with the OFH or DH.

Anyway, did anyone try setups leading to a star KO with the Power Trampoline? (up 2) The best thing I can think of is a Lazy Apple (neutral 3) since it sticks around for a while, but I guess it's also possible with any of the 3 Galaxians or Z-dropped apples.

 

[Nu~]

The dire hydrant is good against characters with good mobility who can break the hydrant fast. It also has a high initial "jump", so you can use it to dodge and "counter" some attacks. Against rushdown characters, though, I'm not sure if we should go with the OFH or DH.

Anyway, did anyone try setups leading to a star KO with the Power Trampoline? (up 2) The best thing I can think of is a Lazy Apple (neutral 3) since it sticks around for a while, but I guess it's also possible with any of the 3 Galaxians or Z-dropped apples.

I have tried it with up throw and it kills amazingly early (100% on yoshi)

 

[WeirdChillFever]

We might be able to run after a Freaky Apple into Power Pac.

 

[Firedemon0]

I have tried it with up throw and it kills amazingly early (100% on yoshi)

I thought about this, and realized that power trampoline gives my silly up throw hydrant tech some use. It would actually work to be a nasty setup for a kill off the top from most taller characters. I just need to finesse the throw timing.

 

[Rashid]

I thought about this, and realized that power trampoline gives my silly up throw hydrant tech some use. It would actually work to be a nasty setup for a kill off the top from most taller characters. I just need to finesse the throw timing.

Up throw hydrant tech?

 

[Firedemon0]

Up throw hydrant tech?

When you plant hydrant, there is a very small window where you can grab taller characters, immediately up-throw, and chase with a boosted jump. Before, the most I could do was maybe catch an aerial, but with this custom up-B being much faster and longer range. It is able to follow up much better.

 

[Nu~]

When you plant hydrant, there is a very small window where you can grab taller characters, immediately up-throw, and chase with a boosted jump. Before, the most I could do was maybe catch an aerial, but with this custom up-B being much faster and longer range. It is able to follow up much better.

This can severely help us in the rosa matchup...
She doesn't care about grounded tranpoline because of that nair and safe dair, she's tall enough for the tech, and she's very floaty so vertical attacks kill her faster.

 

[Jay-kun]

Ew, customs ....anyway sooo in custom tournaments can you equip? That would be even worse

 

[Rashid]

Just specials. No equipment. And did you ever actually try custom specials for several characters before going "ew, customs"?

 

[Jay-kun]

Just specials. No equipment. And did you ever actually try custom specials for several characters before going "ew, customs"?

Of course.

EDIT: Though I have not unlocked all of them :3 I unlocked 4 or 3...~<3 :l

 

[Funkermonster]

I'm lovin' 1132, and I can think of no other custom specials, although the Power Pellet Customs do look tempting.

The Meteor Trampoline is just a straight upgrade over the original in my opinion, it makes a much better stage hazard since it can now bury anyone who bounces on it too many times and I get free % from it. It just makes it even more annoying for characters with mediocre approaches (Ganon, Bowser, Luigi) since it disrupts their ground games even more, and puts them in peril if I can push them back on it at least a 3rd time, usually by kicking them with Ftilt. Of course, it does worsen Pac-Man's recovery a little bit, but the Power Pellet makes his recovery already godlike enough, so it's not a huge deal unless there's who can really ruin your SideB (like Robin's Elwind Spikes, or maybe Mega Man's Hard Knuckle). It would be really hard to meteor smash anyone offstage with this though, and Pac-Man doesn't really have any other meteor smashing moves at all.

On-Fire Hydrant is just amazing.

 

[Firedemon0]

With more lab testing I would like to suggest Freaky fruit and power trampoline as one of the builds the next release. 2121.

Because Power trampoline still works on shield, it transitions into a powerful kill option on lighter characters. It also is able to combo with Freaky Fruit Strawberry into extra damage as well. It is a better fit then with the default fruit. It also has potential with taller characters, because of tech involving dropping hydrant > Grab > Upthrow > Jump Chase > Up-B. This kills Rosalina on battlefield at 75%.

 

[Paper Maribro]

Has anyone noticed the massive disjoint hitbox that comes out of the Meteor trampoline when Pac jumps on it? That thing is insane. The range on it is stupid and it's a meteor no matter where on the hitbox you land it.

 

[Rashid]

Has anyone noticed the massive disjoint hitbox that comes out of the Meteor trampoline when Pac jumps on it? That thing is insane. The range on it is stupid and it's a meteor no matter where on the hitbox you land it.

Yeah, it has great vertical range. Horizontal, not so much. They pretty much have to be directly in the middle of the trampoline to get spiked.

 

[19_]

With recent Evo news It s time to come up with a few more sets.

The current sets for pacman are definatily keepers:
1112
1131
2132
2112
1132
2111

meaning we have room for 4 more.

1121
1122
2121
2122
2131

I think these 5 are the last best options but we can only have 4. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Firedemon0]

Personally I feel that Meteor trampoline by itself, 1131, could be replaced. While it has some usage as a meteor. It is a bit dangerous to land offstage similar to a footstool. It also combos best overall with freaky fruit. I am leaning more towards replacing 1132 as well. that would allow us to replace 2 of the top 6 customs.

Overall I feel we may of slept on Power jump. I was under the impression it did not work on shields at first. Then I actually used it. It still generates a trampoline to make it break shields, leading it to be a very effective floaty killer. It also is a great option for characters that are not threatened by a trampoline like Sonic, and increases its use as an OOS option. I feel that 1131, could be replaced by 2121 or even 1121, just for its utility.