(Just something I threw together for my own benefit, to put my thoughts down in writing; later edited for an audience... YOU GUYS! 
)
Mini-Intro: Picking a main in SSBM is very crucial to those wishing to excel quickly and (hopefully) continue on to the realm of play we flippantly refer to as “pro” status. It’s not always the simplest of choices, either (I would know... >.>) And even if this doesn’t lead you to the only character you’ll end up playing, it’s good to have an idea of which characters promote your natural mindset and play style.
So who *would* you be best with? I’ve selected a few questions that may lead you on the right track:
--Know your viewpoint on the game. To start off, is winning at the game and joining the tournament ranks even that important to you? If not, your time could be half-wasted here... Still, feel free to use this info as means to consider a new approach to secondaries, or even a guide to teach a fellow smasher who may be struggling to make their own choice.
--First be open, then be biased. Are you eager to prove a low-tier character’s potential in tournament? Is winning the absolute *most* important thing to you when you play? Do you find that some characters just seem cooler than others? Well hold your horses for a minute... Before you attempt to pick based off the above or similar rationales by themselves, try out every character--yes, even the “bad” ones! The tier list isn’t the end-all-be-all of Smash; it changes every year, after all. You may find that someone besides Fox actually does suit you better. =S
Being biased doesn’t hurt as long as everyone else gets a chance at some point. Browse through the roster just a little more; you never know what you might be missing.
--Know your own strengths and weaknesses. Do you collapse under pressure? Then maybe you should go with a character whose simple mistakes are less devastating. Are you patient, willing to put more effort in for a greater outcome? Are you technically efficient when it comes to timing, DI, and comboing? If so, you might have less trouble than the next guy picking characters with steeper learning curves and high risk / high reward play styles. Are you good at predicting your opponents and spacing their moves? Then don’t feel the need to weigh yourself down with those characters that demand high tech skill.
Some of your traits could work to promote styles of play in which specific characters thrive. They may also work to negate hardships certain characters bring to other people, but your mind/learning ability--for one reason or another--leaves you unaffected by.
“This character doesn’t ‘feel’ right...” Tier placement aside, the “feel” of a character (moves, hitbox range, sweetspots, recoveries, combos...) is not as important as you might think. This will come with time--as with anything else. The real factor to consider here is, simply, are you someone whose willing to commit to said character, against all odds and bumps along the way?
--------------------
I hope I’ve shed some light on a topic that no one seems to have the exact answer to. Hopefully you’ll have a better idea on what character aspects to look at--as well as some aspects within yourself--when making that big choice on who to stick with for the long haul. If there’s any elements I missed, or you guys find something else worth mentioning, feel free to post it!
)Mini-Intro: Picking a main in SSBM is very crucial to those wishing to excel quickly and (hopefully) continue on to the realm of play we flippantly refer to as “pro” status. It’s not always the simplest of choices, either (I would know... >.>) And even if this doesn’t lead you to the only character you’ll end up playing, it’s good to have an idea of which characters promote your natural mindset and play style.
So who *would* you be best with? I’ve selected a few questions that may lead you on the right track:
--Know your viewpoint on the game. To start off, is winning at the game and joining the tournament ranks even that important to you? If not, your time could be half-wasted here... Still, feel free to use this info as means to consider a new approach to secondaries, or even a guide to teach a fellow smasher who may be struggling to make their own choice.
--First be open, then be biased. Are you eager to prove a low-tier character’s potential in tournament? Is winning the absolute *most* important thing to you when you play? Do you find that some characters just seem cooler than others? Well hold your horses for a minute... Before you attempt to pick based off the above or similar rationales by themselves, try out every character--yes, even the “bad” ones! The tier list isn’t the end-all-be-all of Smash; it changes every year, after all. You may find that someone besides Fox actually does suit you better. =S
Being biased doesn’t hurt as long as everyone else gets a chance at some point. Browse through the roster just a little more; you never know what you might be missing.
--Know your own strengths and weaknesses. Do you collapse under pressure? Then maybe you should go with a character whose simple mistakes are less devastating. Are you patient, willing to put more effort in for a greater outcome? Are you technically efficient when it comes to timing, DI, and comboing? If so, you might have less trouble than the next guy picking characters with steeper learning curves and high risk / high reward play styles. Are you good at predicting your opponents and spacing their moves? Then don’t feel the need to weigh yourself down with those characters that demand high tech skill.
Some of your traits could work to promote styles of play in which specific characters thrive. They may also work to negate hardships certain characters bring to other people, but your mind/learning ability--for one reason or another--leaves you unaffected by.
“This character doesn’t ‘feel’ right...” Tier placement aside, the “feel” of a character (moves, hitbox range, sweetspots, recoveries, combos...) is not as important as you might think. This will come with time--as with anything else. The real factor to consider here is, simply, are you someone whose willing to commit to said character, against all odds and bumps along the way?
--------------------
I hope I’ve shed some light on a topic that no one seems to have the exact answer to. Hopefully you’ll have a better idea on what character aspects to look at--as well as some aspects within yourself--when making that big choice on who to stick with for the long haul. If there’s any elements I missed, or you guys find something else worth mentioning, feel free to post it!
