help a noob?

[bmbyman1737]

hey guys, so me and my friends would play super smash 64 for hours every day after class and we just decided to upgrade to super smash bros melee. I'm very used to the super smash bros universe but not so much melee yet.. I'm still getting used to the new controller and faster style of gameplay. I'm pretty sure I have decided to use fox as my melee character after experimenting with a few others.

What I have down so far:
- I've gotten pretty good at using up-c stick out of my shield to do his up smash backflip (even though 40% of the time I do a jump up kick on accident) and it pisses my friends off so bad. God i love that up smash

What I need help with:
- I definitely need some great beginner/intermediate combos instead of just rolling with my shield and up smashing every move.
- I can't figure out how to use my blaster effectively. it just seems so weak...
- I've watched enough fox videos to tell that his up-grab is key to get good at, but I am having the toughest time grabbing with fox in melee.. I dont understand it!
- My tech moves: short hop, l-cancel, SHFFLing or whatever its called.. Any tips that most beginners don't notice?? Anything that could help me get a hang of the stuff?

Basically anything that you could tell a beginner in melee (but not super smash bros) that could help me get a hang of fox.. id really appreciate it.. or what I should be practicing most? whether that be specific moves or combos or tech moves.. But thanks a lot in advance guys. And i'm really glad I found a great super smash bros community.

 

[ArcNatural]

Watch this:

Wak's Advanced how to play SSBM

There are part 2 and part 3 as well, I highly recommend you watch all three of them and practice what he shows. Easily the best tutorial for getting better at SSBM fast.

Also recommend you read this to understand all the abbreviations and names of manuevers in this game:

SSBM Compendium of Knowledge: 2007 Edition


A few things when practicing that a beginner might not know. Short hopping is based on how fast you hit the button to jump, not how lightly. So it doesn't matter how hard you hit them, just hit them fast. It is recommended you practicing jumping with Y or X rather than the control stick as well. The world's best pros use Y or X and it's strictly personal preference. Y is probably more attuned to what Fox can do though. When practicing, it is recommended you play level 1-4 CPUS (or better a human) than playing level 9s. Level 9s do inhuman things and will teach you bad habits if you play them for too long. Also practice mode does not allow the use of c-sticking aerials (yellow stick). C-sticking aerials allows you to do any aerial besides neutral air while moving in any direction. A very big benefit later on. I think that's all and maybe too much for now. Good luck and welcome to Smash Melee!

 

[Rapid_Assassin]

If you can consistently shffl, learn to shffl d-air into down-b. That's a popular combo. Really easy beginner combos that even I can do: u-throw -> u-air, u-tilt -> u-air, u-throw -> u-smash, u-tilt -> u-smash. The attack you should follow with depends on their damage, fall speed, and DI.

Don't roll out of your shield every time you put the shield up. Jump out of it. Even if you have **** tech skill you can learn how to do that. After learning to jump out of your shield, you can use that to **** with people's heads. Jump out of shield and n-air if they are lagging from something. Or, if they are within grab range you can shield grab them by pressing A while in shield. And there's still always the spotdodge and roll... Those are easy out of shield options anyone can learn in a matter of about 3 minutes.

Better yet, if you like rolling around and u-smashing, why not just learn to u-smash right out of your shield? It'll solve your problem of being stuck in the shield, and piss your friends off even more.

I'd suggest learning how to land grabs, right after you learn how to leave your shield. There are many ways to do it, and you don't necessarily need to combo into it. You do need to watch your opponent though. If your opponent shields you can grab him. If your opponent expects you to do something other than grab, and then does something dumb, grab him. Then you can throw him and combo with it.

The best way to use the blaster is to make them come to you, or to run out the timer. Use it to piss people off. Shoot lasers, run away, and then u-smash him when he'll die from it.

 

[bmbyman1737]

thanks a lot guys. and im sure a lot of it will naturally come with time as i keep playing. any advise on my grabbing problem?

and rapid assassin.. up smashing out of my shield is what i tend to do too much. not that im not doing it, or "getting stuck in my shield" as you said. not in any way trying to be a **** there, just wanting to let you kno. thanks again guys. keep posting!

 

[SideEffect]

^ Dash dance, wait for an opening, be patient. Try grabbing after an attack. Try using Jump Canceled grabs(Y and Z or X and Z at the same time) as well because you grab a lot quicker, but I think the range is shorter?

 

[Smo]

alrighty...
Fox's blaster - use it to put pressure on your opponent. It's not a mass damage machine, but it's main use is sort of like a "get over here" kinda thing. You blast your opponent, which forces him to come to you (unless for some reason he or she wants to continue being blastered). It's like forcing them to do somthing rash. A sort of blind rush. At the beginning of every final destination match, I wavedash (learn this) backward and hammer my blaster (unless i'm against another Fox/Falco). Forces them to run in without thinking :D

Pretty nifty.

Grabbing: If you dash and grab, your grab has more range. Simple as. Also, try Boost grabbing and JC grabbing. A boost grab is where you cancel your dash attack at the very beginning with a grab, so Fox kind of Jumps forward about to do a kick, but grabs instead - almost double range. JC grab is Jump Cancel. Run, press X then Z at about the same time (Z slightly later) so that you reset to standing before you grab - faster, less lag.... but also less range.

Then you can do Up Throw to Up Air, my favourite kill combo.

Wavedash is important.

Try for a combo - Dash attack, up tilt, Up Air.

Have fun.

 

[bmbyman1737]

once again thanks a ton guys. i practiced like crazy today and almost have my short hop down on every jump. i dont know whats wrong with me but i find it hard as **** to short hop every time. I HAVE THE DASH GRAB DOWN WHICH IS A LIFE SAVOR!!!! (i found out that if i press y and z at the same time, i ALWAYS get the grab. i tried doing y THEN z, but 50% of the time or more I would jump instead). And i dont know if this is normal, but i had my friend be Falco and I would try and up-grab him over and over and over. but every time after the 3rd up-throw, he would be able to DI far enough out of it to avoid another up-throw.

Also, Im getting decent at my wavedashing, but I really wanna learn how to waveshine effectively. i've watched plenty of youtube videos and have seen the waveshine OVER and OVER and OVER all the way till they are off the ledge, but I cannot do it to save my life. To wavedash that fast INTO another shine is amazing... I cant even figure out how to shine fast enough after my SHFFL... I always seem to do something wierd, and its NEVER a shine...