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Falco Instructional Video

Overswarm

is laughing at you
Joined
May 4, 2005
Messages
21,181
Check it out

This instructional video is meant to help Falco players learn about different techniques and basic principles of Falco's play.
 

metroid1117

Smash Master
Joined
Sep 1, 2005
Messages
3,786
Location
Chester, IL
When showing the UThrow, I'm surprised that you didn't show Forward's spike combo; UThrow -> DAir. I've never heard of the Bombsoldier, but w/e. It was a good video.
 

mathos

Smash Champion
Joined
Jan 11, 2004
Messages
2,440
Location
In the COK
To the contrary I found this guide to be amazing. Just like the last thread he made of it. Its great to show beginning players insight into the current metagame. And its **** better than any other guide.

JUST FIX THE PILLARING SECTION!!!!!!!
 

terr13

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Sep 13, 2006
Messages
268
The video is pretty good for beginning Falco's, but you're also missing some things, or over emphasizing some.

First of all, the Phantom Stall isn't used since its a bad way to regain your invincibility. Most players simply let go and jump back on. The only time a Phantom Stall is used is if you can do the infinite like Zhu. You also didn't include edge hop Dair... which is probably the most important one of them all. For the turning in a shine, its mostly used in a wavedash, e.g. run shine waveshine backwards onto the ledge. Also, you didn't show all the other methods of getting onto the ledge quickly such as SHL or simply walking off like Myko.

When you discuss the SHL and how it's good for approaching, you don't really show how to use it. In the video, almost every approach is a smash or a grab. Also, it might just be a terminology difference, but I thought pillaring referred to Dair->Shine on a shield, in order to pressure them, and the other ones were called shine combos. Pressuring some one's shield is never mentioned in the video, only thing shown to counter it is grabs. However, if they spot-dodge the grab they can grab Falco back. Furthermore, you don't have any real waveshine combos in the video. In fact, many of your combos didn't seem like it would work against a human opponent, such as the combos you did on Marth.

Phantasm spike should never be used, only on accident or when the match is pretty much decided. It's too risky and against any good opponent it will probably be cancelled immediately. For spiking, I never heard of an offstage spike being called a Bombsoldier, and you never showed a low ledge hopped Dair as an alternative to spiking. There's also no section in the video about edge guarding.

In the video, most of the time was spent showing the back throw over the other ones, although it is probably his worst throw. The Dthrow cannot be used to spike like Fox's since the laser will knock them out of the animation and allow them to recover. A person can stop the SHL-> Fsmash after a Dthrow, its not that difficult. You should include more about tech chasing after the Dthrow, or else anyone who tries to learn from it will end up spamming Dtilt afterwards or randomly shooting lasers and trying to Fsmash or trying to chaingrab Fox, which doesn't work. The Uthrow is mentioned as not being very useful, although it is one of his best. There are many combos that can start from a Uthrow, such as Uthrow-> Nair, Uthrow->Uair, Uthrow->Dair spike, or Forward's combo of Uthrow-> Fmash on Fox.

The video does show much of Falco's potential, but the video content shows many "noob" tactics. The majority of the video showcased smash attacks and combos or techniques that wouldn't work on a human opponent. It may get these ideas into the newer players and create bad habits. The last thing that bothers me is saying Falco is very easy to pickup, although he is the 2nd most technical character in the game, has horrendous recovery, and get comboed easily by almost every single character. In short, the guide gives a good introduction to beginning players, but misses many of the more advanced techniques that a good player would utilize frequently, and shows easy "noob"-friendly combos that won't work in real games.
 

Rock Lobsta

Smash Journeyman
Joined
May 20, 2006
Messages
299
Location
somewhere else
Just jearned a new combo!! SHL>Utilt>Utilt>Utilt>Utilt>Utilt!


and I guess instead of "Do a barrell roll!" its going to be "Do a Bombsoldier!"

Other than that, pretty good video.

BTW, dont put stuff in an instructional video if you're going to say it doesnt really work 95 percent of the time right afterwards.
 

Overswarm

is laughing at you
Joined
May 4, 2005
Messages
21,181
The video is pretty good for beginning Falco's, but you're also missing some things, or over emphasizing some.

First of all, the Phantom Stall isn't used since its a bad way to regain your invincibility. Most players simply let go and jump back on. The only time a Phantom Stall is used is if you can do the infinite like Zhu. You also didn't include edge hop Dair... which is probably the most important one of them all. For the turning in a shine, its mostly used in a wavedash, e.g. run shine waveshine backwards onto the ledge. Also, you didn't show all the other methods of getting onto the ledge quickly such as SHL or simply walking off like Myko.

When you discuss the SHL and how it's good for approaching, you don't really show how to use it. In the video, almost every approach is a smash or a grab. Also, it might just be a terminology difference, but I thought pillaring referred to Dair->Shine on a shield, in order to pressure them, and the other ones were called shine combos. Pressuring some one's shield is never mentioned in the video, only thing shown to counter it is grabs. However, if they spot-dodge the grab they can grab Falco back. Furthermore, you don't have any real waveshine combos in the video. In fact, many of your combos didn't seem like it would work against a human opponent, such as the combos you did on Marth.

Phantasm spike should never be used, only on accident or when the match is pretty much decided. It's too risky and against any good opponent it will probably be cancelled immediately. For spiking, I never heard of an offstage spike being called a Bombsoldier, and you never showed a low ledge hopped Dair as an alternative to spiking. There's also no section in the video about edge guarding.

In the video, most of the time was spent showing the back throw over the other ones, although it is probably his worst throw. The Dthrow cannot be used to spike like Fox's since the laser will knock them out of the animation and allow them to recover. A person can stop the SHL-> Fsmash after a Dthrow, its not that difficult. You should include more about tech chasing after the Dthrow, or else anyone who tries to learn from it will end up spamming Dtilt afterwards or randomly shooting lasers and trying to Fsmash or trying to chaingrab Fox, which doesn't work. The Uthrow is mentioned as not being very useful, although it is one of his best. There are many combos that can start from a Uthrow, such as Uthrow-> Nair, Uthrow->Uair, Uthrow->Dair spike, or Forward's combo of Uthrow-> Fmash on Fox.

The video does show much of Falco's potential, but the video content shows many "noob" tactics. The majority of the video showcased smash attacks and combos or techniques that wouldn't work on a human opponent. It may get these ideas into the newer players and create bad habits. The last thing that bothers me is saying Falco is very easy to pickup, although he is the 2nd most technical character in the game, has horrendous recovery, and get comboed easily by almost every single character. In short, the guide gives a good introduction to beginning players, but misses many of the more advanced techniques that a good player would utilize frequently, and shows easy "noob"-friendly combos that won't work in real games.

The video is not meant to show everything; that would be nigh impossible.

As an instructional video, most of the people watching it for anything than kicks ARE noobs, or are at least new to playing Falco.

Also, not everything in the video is supposed to be unstoppable (as very little is). D-throw to laser to f-smash is a very effective combo, and if you space it correctly there is nothing the enemy can do but shield and be knocked away, putting you both back at square one. That doesn't mean that it should be over emphasized, but things like that should be added to the roster of tricks/combos that a player can learn.

There are many combos that you see players like Forward do that aren't combos at all. Falco's U-throw IS his worst throw, in actuality; it is insanely difficult to combo from, has little to no "for sure" combos (especially since you can smash DI the lasers), and there is a drastic change of effect depending on the weight of the character. The reason good technical players like Forward can do it is because they can react fast enough to abuse mistakes made by the opponent; often, the u-throw combos you see are a result of no DI or the standard "DI away from Falco".


Falco also IS very easy to pick up. Of any character in the game, if you want to do well in tournaments fast, you can pick up Falco. There is very little depth to Falco's play. Marth players will not be able to pull off amazing combos like Ken and Azen because they can't control the spacing of the sword (or don't understand it), Fox players can't infinite or 0-80% a peach like M2K can, and it isn't for lack of practice but lack of understanding. Falco is very, very easy to understand. That doesn't mean he is easy to play, as he IS technically taxing, but he has a very straight-forward (no pun intended) style of play that can be easily picked up.

If a player who had decent tech skill watched this video and picked up Falco immediately after, it would not take long for Falco to catch up to his main in terms of skill.

Rock Lobsta: If they don't learn waht to not do from me, they'll pick it up themselves at one point and not know what to do.



I am glad to receive commentary, but you have to keep in mind that no video is every going to show you how to play like a professional. Articles are much better for that. What videos ARE good for though are teaching those new to Falco, or those that are struggling. It is meant to teach basic concepts and give new Falco players a strong understanding of how he works.

That said, it seems most issues viewers have with it is that it isn't something that would benefit a competitive smasher that has been playing Falco for a long period of time. While it wasn't my intended audience iwth the video (articles are going to be for that), I'll keep in mind that people want to see something along those lines.

This entire Melee section is more an experiment to prepare for Brawl anyway :)
 
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