Quick Note: The purpose of this thread is to (hopefully) provide a definitive guide to quickly obtaining custom moves. Various strategies for doing so have popped up all over the internet in the wake of the game's release. Given their massive quantity and the extent of grinding necessary to obtain them all, a primer is essential. If you're just interested in seeing the proposed method for this, skip to the list in part two. That part's very simple, but I'm going to try to be very detailed here, because I'm creating this with the hope that relatively new players will not have to struggle as much as I did at first in the collection process. As such any alternate methods that prove faster will be welcomed and this post will be updated accordingly. I'm no authority and I'm perfectly willing to change this and properly credit it if feedback indicates I should.
This thread is not intended for debate about the value, purpose, use, or competitive viability of custom moves. I would ask that if you are a cool, classy customer you will refrain from posts of that nature and seek out a more appropriate thread.
Thank you for taking the time to read this! I think you're great! Don't you ever forget it!
PART ONE: Basic Notes About Customization
Here is a breakdown of all custom moves by character. I'm not sure where it came from, so for now at least, thanks to some mystery person.
- To customize any character, simply access the "Custom" menu from the "Games & More" screen OR turn customization (the wrench) on from the Character Select Screen and choose any character.
- When all is said and done, every single character will have two alternate choices (for a total of three options) available for any given Special move.
- For an example of all this, create a Mii character, which will guide you through the basics.
- Aside from the Miis, Palutena comes pre-loaded with all of her custom moves already available. Keep in mind that she is a unique case within the regular roster in the sense that all of her alternate moves offer incredible variety. For most characters, custom moves will essentially take the chosen special and alter it in some way, as opposed to changing it to an entirely different move.
- Remember that you can store up to ten variations of any custom move set and that you can test the set by pressing R from its menu before saving it.
- Also, you can give the set a nickname. Your opponents will not see this nickname, it is just to assist your memory. I would personally suggest something simple; I give them a 4-digit code listing the moves picked (ex. 1323).
- Custom moves can be used online against friends, but not against strangers.
- There are 376 custom moves that can be unlocked. Maybe it's just me, but for me, that's a pretty big number. Listen, I can't pretend that I know or understand anything about you, you might even be a terrible monster and, just guessing, you probably are, but I'm hard pressed to believe that you would consider it editorializing if I told you that having to unlock that many of a thing sure seems like a lot of work.
I should obviously also mention equipment. It is unlocked in the same way that custom moves are, and is also represented by the wrench. The circle that appears on your character when customs are enabled will present what kind of equipment you're wearing. I am not as acquainted with it in practice, but you will need to use it within this strategy, so just make a mental note that it is there.
PART TWO: How to Unlock Custom Moves FAST
First things first, watch this video (which I did not make, kudos to its creators):
This is just part of the strategy, but it is the key component. It is essential that you understand exactly how this works. If you can see any of the red wrench icon you want above the icon showing when you do the Home Button trick, hold A and hit Resume to land there. If you can only see the icon you want with none of the previous one showing below, or if you see a sliver of the icon above it, you will pick the icon above it, so hit Resume without pressing A and try again. If you let the roulette keep going for too long, it will eventually stop, so try repeatedly if you are failing so that you don't risk being stuck with something else. You'll get it, it's very easy to learn. Sometimes the game will lag a bit in doing this. Don't worry about it.
Now, let's go through the steps to quickly collecting.
- Go to Classic and choose the character who you most want to obtain custom moves for. They will be more likely to receive them, although you will also occasionally receive moves for random characters.
- Turn on Customs and equip anything that increases your attack power. Along the way you will unlock more powerful equipment, so adjust after every match. Focus solely on the attack stat, and, if available, choose equipment that offers critical hits or hyper smash attacks.
- Start Classic at the highest intensity you feel comfortable with, and use the Home Button trick before every stage to hit the red wrench.
- Well, now you beat the stage. The reason I specify what equipment to choose is that it makes this a relatively brainless process. With a good boost to your attack power, it'll only take a few smash attacks to win any given match.
- Once you are comfortable enough to increase the difficulty to a higher setting, do so. The more you do this, the faster it will go. With a handful of powerful pieces of equipment, I was able to take down every Classic stage in under 30 seconds, and even Master Core at 9.0 in under a minute - and this is not me bragging; I'm certain I'm not a great player by any means. This is just how much power the equipment offers.
- Again, not all drops will be moves. Many will be equipment. Some will be repeats. There does not seem to be a way to effect what drops.
- Rinse and repeat. All told, with practice this process will take 5-10 minutes and net you 15+ drops every time. When you've obtained all custom moves for any given character, the game will let you know.
That's all there is to it.
A handful of custom moves can (only?) be gained through Challenges. They are:
Captain Falcon - Lightning Falcon Kick: Land a 10 hit combo in Training Mode
Diddy Kong - Pop Gun Explosion: Clear 3,000 blocks in Trophy Rush
Ike - Muscle Bomb: Clear 1,000 blocks in Trophy Rush
Link - Giant Bomb: Clear 300 blocks in Trophy Rush
Mario - Explosion Punch: Score 200,000 in Target Blast
Marth - Easy Combination: Complete 100 Man Battle in less than 3 minutes
Meta Knight - Speed Drill: Win 5 matches as Meta Knight
Villager - Lloid Climb: Fight a match on Tortimer Island
Wii Fit Trainer - Big Ball: Land a 10 hit combo in Training Mode
PART THREE: Alternate Methods
Smash Run - Smash Run is fun, and if you're looking for
everything, including gold and trophies, it's worth going through a handful of times. The problem is that drops are inconsistent and that some characters simply have a harder time faring well in this environment. It's up to you to decide how well this works, but it's essentially a gamble.
Trophy Rush - This one... Okay, I'll be honest. Some people have sworn by this, but I frankly find it to be the worst method available. I'll admit to this being a personal frustration, and I would recommend putting the effort in to see if you can find success with it. A two and a half minute rush will cost you 900 coins, and your skill level will determine how many customs you obtain. For me personally, a good run nets four if I'm lucky, but I've seen others claim to do well at it and snag eight or so every time.
I chose to recommend the Classic method because anyone can more than double their attack power and blitz through vs. matches, but ultimately all of these are worth trying, and you may find that one of these other ways fits you best. In the end the best way is probably just going to be whatever you have the most fun with, and obtaining every single move in the game is only really worth it for the completionists out there. Good luck!
