Bad habits you may want to break as Pac-Man

[JohanVonBronx]

Just going to go over some (IMO) bad habits as Pac-Man

1. Charging Neutral-B all the way to key after a KO

I notice this happen a lot, and there's really not much of a benefit to it. If anything it puts you at the disadvantage of the fact that now you eliminated the other fruit you probably would ACTUALLY use in neutral at low percents. An early key hit really isn't going to benefit you much.

2. Rolling

This is a pretty obvious one and really applies to all characters but it can be a bad habit to get used to especially if you're used to rolling to cancel Neutral-B.


3. Dropping a hydrant on someone

This is a big one too, I did this a lot at first. You get hit in the air or knocked off-stage. And then you drop a hydrant to get back on-stage. It can leave you open and sometimes allow the opponent enough time to just launch your hydrant back at you. And PLEASE be careful if the opponent has a reflector because they will reflect it back at you when you try to drop it on them.

4. Instinctively B-airing your hydrant

While this one at a distance isn't a huge deal, up close can really be a bad idea. If you drop a hydrant next to or on someone and then B-air it all they need to do is basically sneeze on it and it'll hit you. Don't worry about getting the first hit on the hydrant, worry about getting the LAST hit. And if they launch it at you, remember you don't have to always air dodge, you can throw an attack at it (i usually do an aerial) and cancel out the hitbox so it doesn't hurt you. Also if you're going against someone that has a projectile attack such as Pika's and Mario's Neutral-B, and they're spamming it, let it hit the hydrant once or twice and you can B-air or N-air it at them.

5. Using the same moves in the same way

Pac has a ton of beautiful ways to use his tools, but under pressure it can sometimes be tricky to remember that mixing up as Pac really helps. Doing the same stuff over and over may work sometimes, but a good opponent will adapt and read everything you do next and turn all your tools against you. Sometimes if I need a bit of space I'll throw a cherry, re-grab it, maybe drop a hydrant, then D-throw the cherry on stage so it bounces for a bit to buy me time to back up and breathe a bit.

6. Charging Neutral-B while off-stage

While this is a great move for stalling in the air and a good use of time that you're in the air, don't do it every time, and when you do don't get tunnel vision on your fruit. If the opponent is comfortable enough they will take the risk of going off-stage to hit you before you can cancel your Neutral-B. Just be sure to check on your opponent while you do it.



These are all the ones I can think of for now, if anyone has any they'd like to add feel free to comment below any bad habits you might know of that need to be broken.

 

[WeirdChillFever]

7. Charging fruit in the opponent's face
The opponent can and will punish you for this.

8. Using your double jump to charge fruit or drop hydrant
Above the opponent is the worst position you can be in.

 

[Splebel]

9. Using Grab too much
I need to cut down on this.

 

[SafCar]

10. Avoid Tunnel Vision in general
Don't be so dead set on getting a trap or two off, try and craft another trap out of your go-to and catch the opponent off guard. By all means, Bthrow/Fthrow -> Uthrown Melon maybe good, but if you find yourself going for it, try Dthrow -> Dash Attack mixups or pummeling.

 

[ZeoLightning]

11. Jumping before you side B recovery
If your off stage and your charging your Neutral B, or your just heading back to the stage, save your jump till AFTER you side B, if the pellet gets hit before Side b activates it can hurt PAC's recovery alot when you dont have a jump

 

[ion6963]

I just recently picked up Pac-Man and I roll and shield to cancel the Neutral-B very frequently. Is there a way to cancel the charge without rolling or shielding?

 

[ZeoLightning]

I just recently picked up Pac-Man and I roll and shield to cancel the Neutral-B very frequently. Is there a way to cancel the charge without rolling or shielding?

if you tap shield as opposed to holding it, you cancel the fruit, during the fruit cancel animation you can throw out either jab's or B moves in which case people usually cancel into down b the hydrant. (note you can do this in the air as well, but only for b moves, or the very hard phantom fruit trick. if you mess up then inputs in the air you get an airdodge)

also if you shield remember you can jump out of shield with nair or jump cancel trampoline

 

[ZeoLightning]

if you tap shield as opposed to holding it, you cancel the fruit, during the fruit cancel animation you can throw out either jab's or B moves in which case people usually cancel into down b the hydrant. (note you can do this in the air, but the inputs are quicker and if you mess up you airdodge)

also if you shield remember you can jump out of shield with nair or jump cancel trampoline

 

[dragontamer]

When recovering... doing Side-B too close to the ledge, such that you fail to ledge snap but instead bounce off in an untechable tumble animation that kills you.

 

[ZeoLightning]

When recovering... doing Side-B too close to the ledge, such that you fail to ledge snap but instead bounce off in an untechable tumble animation that kills you.

yeah, Beware the Floor Wall miss, If you dont have a jump when you hit the ledge like that you're dead. Make sure your angles for the power pellet are under the ledge so you snap to it.

 

[verbatim]

From my experience it helps a lot if you curve the pellet upwards slightly at the very end as opposed to directly hitting the wall, such that you'd go straight up if there wasn't a stage there but you snap to the ledge before you really actually start the turn.

 

[ion6963]

if you tap shield as opposed to holding it, you cancel the fruit, during the fruit cancel animation you can throw out either jab's or B moves in which case people usually cancel into down b the hydrant. (note you can do this in the air as well, but only for b moves, or the very hard phantom fruit trick. if you mess up then inputs in the air you get an airdodge)

also if you shield remember you can jump out of shield with nair or jump cancel trampoline

Thanks! All of this was really helpful, I'm really looking forward to becoming a Pac-Man main. Thank you very much.

 

[Froggy]

12. Trampolining a heavy attack when you are at frame disadvantage when shield would work have protected you.

For example after your jab combo gets shielded you may immediately press up b in which case there forward smash is likely to hit you, even though your trampoline appears. Unless I am mistaken if you could have trampolined then you should have been able to block. As a general rule I think when you're at frame disadvantage and someone is running at you then trampoline is better, however if they are right beside you then blocking is probably better. This risk reward is not in your favor.

 

[BSP]

12. Trampolining a heavy attack when you h\are at frame disadvantage when shield would work have protected you.

For example after your jab combo gets shielded you may immediately press up b in which case there forward smash is likely to hit you, even though your trampoline appears. Unless I am mistaken if you could have trampolined then you should have been able to block. As a general rule I think when you're at frame disadvantage and someone is running at you then trampoline is better, however if they are right beside you then blocking is probably better. This risk reward is not in your favor.

Not only that, but when you trampoline, you're holding up. If you get hit while holding up, you take extra knockback that could get you killed. If you ever think you're going to die, shield is better as most throws in this game are not lethal. Trampoline can still get you hit by lethal strikes, and you're going to quicken your death since you're holding up.

 

[ZeoLightning]

Not only that, but when you trampoline, you're holding up. If you get hit while holding up, you take extra knockback that could get you killed. If you ever think you're going to die, shield is better as most throws in this game are not lethal. Trampoline can still get you hit by lethal strikes, and you're going to quicken your death since you're holding up.

this is subjective because people will more likely shield grab or dash grab you rather then throw an F smash

 

[Nu~]

13.) air dodging after dropping the hydrant.

This is something we all need to fix. I cringe whenever I see players like Zage or abadango doing this in tourney. That is a free punish against an opponent who knows the matchup. Throw out an attack or fast fall instead

 

[BSP]

this is subjective because people will more likely shield grab or dash grab you rather then throw an F smash

Yeah, but like I said, most throws in the game don't outright KO. If I'm at 140% in the middle of the stage, and I'm not positive I can trampoline without getting tagged by something, I'd much rather hold shield against anyone that doesn't have a particularly strong vertical KO throw or Ness. I'll take some damage and be offstage, but I won't die.

 

[ZeoLightning]

Yeah, but like I said, most throws in the game don't outright KO. If I'm at 140% in the middle of the stage, and I'm not positive I can trampoline without getting tagged by something, I'd much rather hold shield against anyone that doesn't have a particularly strong vertical KO throw or Ness. I'll take some damage and be offstage, but I won't die.

but that positional advantage has to be factored, having less stage to work with makes thing harder, especially since PAC has trouble landing, recovery isnt an issue but its still subjective