Nysyarc
Last King of Hollywood
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2009
- Messages
- 3,389
- Location
- Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
- NNID
- Nysyarc
- 3DS FC
- 1075-0983-2504
General Guide
Introduction
Now, I've decided to make this guide for two main reasons:
I have tried both. Playing serious and trying to win is no fun, because it's either too easy or too hard. If you're up against a bunch of scrubs you'll blow through them, winning over and over again and ruining their experience until they leave. If you're up against the odd semi-pro player who's goofing off, they'll punish everything you do and make you look like a complete fool, and you'll be stewing in your chair saying to yourself "If I could challenge that guy to a 1 on 1 I'd show him who's boss!"... No, you probably wouldn't.
The other option then is casual playing. If you can't play serious, then you should play casual right? You decide to try out a taunt party, or maybe you try starting a complicated game involving items and certain characters that requires the participation of all four players. Eventually you learn that casual gamers can be pretty boring, and there are rules involved that are frustrating and confusing. It's really not very casual.
Interlude
I'd just like to clarify beforehand that when I say 'like a pro' I don't mean 'really well'. I'm not going to teach you how to win. Instead of playing Brawl like a pro, you are going to play WiFi like a pro. Think of WiFi as it's own game, and even if you've mastered Brawl, you may have yet to master the art of playing With Anyone in WiFi.
Hopefully you have deduced by now that there is a middle ground between playing seriously and playing casually. You don't need to try and win every time, but you also don't need to resort to taunt spamming as an only alternative. Instead, you can find a happy medium that will eventually spread to all of those you are playing with.
Key Ideas
There are a few key things to note about playing online 'like a pro'. Firstly, you should not try to win, but you should try to KO your opponents in spectacular or funny ways. If this happens to involve the use of items, go ahead and use items (bumpers are particularly helpful at making a 'pro' KO). If you need to SD in the process, why not? It's for a good cause. This may include blowing yourself and your opponent up with a blast box or a bob-omb.
The second thing to remember is to always use your character's funniest taunt a few times after a 'pro' KO. It helps add to the humor, and although you may be thinking "That would just seem insulting" I think it would seem more insulting if you just moved on and pretended their death meant nothing to you (also, no tea-bagging, dash-dancing or anything like that, only funny taunts).
The third thing, is to try and end each battle with the maximum number of falls per person possible. This means trying to get as many KOs as possible, but also trying to SD (which counts as a fall in this sense) and in Team Battles, it means doing things like edge-hogging or chucking explosives at your team-mate to up the fall rate. Note that you should never SD without due cause; SDing in the process of getting a 'pro' KO is acceptable, but just walking off the stage for no reason isn't justified. Attacking your teammate is always acceptable and 'pro' however.
Fourth, you should only pick stages that have interesting gimmicks. This does not include large stages like the Temple or New Pork City, they are lame and result in minimal falls because of their size. I'm talking about Norfair or Spear Pillar, stages where the terrain and gimmicks can actually help to increase the fall rate. Remember you want to milk each two minutes for all it's worth, I once played a match with a total of 24 falls thanks to this style of playing (and several well-placed bumpers off-stage).
The fifth thing to know, is that you should always make it look like you meant to do something, even if you mess up. You don't want your opponents thinking you're human at all, so if you go for a suicide KO and end up just SDing, taunt anyways. If you miss with a slow but almighty attack, spam it a few times immediately afterwards so people think you were just fooling around in the first place. A 'pro' player never allows others to think he made mistakes!
Lastly, you want to be a presence in the room. This means always moving around quickly and button mashing attacks while using all items available, and always jumping off-stage to try and finish your opponents off, even if it means SDing in the process. The more attention you bring to yourself, the more likely your fellow players will imitate you and spread the joy. Eventually you will all be treated to a match of warlock punch vs. falcon punch with a side of ganoncide and knee-meets-blast-box.
Summary/Suggestions
To summarize: Rack up as many falls as you can; that means KOs and SDs. Use funny taunts, pick cool stages, cover up your failures, and play like a maniac. I will now give you a list of some suggested character, stage and item picks for an optimal 'pro' WiFi experience:
Suggested Characters
Suggested Stages
Suggested Items
Now these are only suggestions, and any characters/stages can be used. Some items however should not be used. Starmen, healing items and Timers are not recommended for obvious reasons.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to play Brawl online like a 'pro', go and spread your knowledge to those you play with, and together we can make With Anyone mode a more fun and care-free environment without resorting to spam and ridiculously confusing games!
Special thanks go to DairunCates for inspiring me to make this guide! The video that started it all:
How To Play Brawl Like A Man
If you have any questions or comments about playing online like a 'pro', feel free to post them here and I will respond to you as best I can!
Character Guide
Important Note
You don't need to like, read the section on every character (unless you want to, be my guest). Just skim through and find your mains or the characters you would like to be able to play 'pro' with. I'll basically be doing a quick run-through of what moves to focus on and use often in order to make the most of your 'pro' online experience. The characters are in alphabetical order, because I'm finally working on this again!
Bowser
A nice easy one to start the guide off. Bowser is the Tom Brady of characters as far as being 'pro' goes. Nobody really likes him but it doesn't matter because he can deliver. He is not however, as the analogy would lead you to believe, good with the ladies.
Bowser has several moves that help shape the very essence of what is 'pro'. Your Koopa Klaw is your most 'pro' move by far. Simply grab an opponent and dive gracefully off the stage with them screaming helplessly beneath your massive bulk... apparently they want you to start using deodorant. Obviously this is very 'pro' because it equates to two falls in a matter of a few seconds.
Your fire breath attack is useful for quickly detonating explosives. Be sure to stand directly beside said explosive for full effect. No money-back guarantees. Your ground-pound move is great as an edge-guarding move because it gives you an excuse to SD in a cool way; who knows, you may take the opponent down with you! Other than that, most of Bowser's moves are strong and slow, perfect for KOing people who already have tons of damage on them from various explosive devices.
Captain Falcon
The optimal pick for players who are new to the concept of playing like a 'pro' and veterans of the 'pro' style alike. You can't go wrong with the Falcon when it comes to being 'pro'.
Obviously Falcon Punch is an excellently epic way to KO an opponent and also to detonate explosives. Try as often as possible to land an off-stage Falcon Punch; you will be worshipped for your prowess if you succeed, and it's a nice way to SD with a purpose. Falcon Kick is a quick and easy way to set off a distant explosive, catching your opponent by surprise.
Your other attacks are almost all cool, so use them however you like. Your knee should be used often as an off-stage finisher; try to knee people just as they return from off-screen so that you have no hope of returning to the stage yourself, and they are tempted to do the same to you (which is the goal of playing like a 'pro'). Spiking people with Raptor Boost is always cool, but it's even more cool if you do the move away from the stage, thus sacrificing yourself in the process.
Diddy Kong
Diddy Kong isn't as easy as the last two to play like a 'pro', but any character can be played like a 'pro' in the right hands.
Obviously Diddy Kong has a spike (his down aerial), and this should be used as a finisher off-stage while fast-falling whenever possible. Your Rocket Barrels are an excellent way of finishing people who are off-stage; simply jump down and quickly tab upB when you are directly above them, spiking them down and floating to your doom yourself.
The only time you should use bananas is if they will cause someone to slip into a mine, or a bob-omb for example. Using bananas to set explosive traps (which can then be detonated with your Rocket Barrels once the person is ensnared) is very 'pro'. Refrain from just shooting peanuts at people who are off-stage; at least jump off and spam peanuts while you fall to your death or something.
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong has several 'pro' moves including two different meteor attacks that both look pretty cool (forward and down aerials). His only downside? He's just as bad with the ladies as Bowser.
Obviously the move you are going to be using most often with DK is his Cargo throw. Simply grab someone, push forward, walk off-stage, throw them away from the stage, die yourself, and watch them pitifully attempt to get back to the stage. Unless they're Pit or something... in that case don't bother with this. Now, when I said before that DK has two spikes... I lied. His third spike is his side B, which is the most 'pro' spike of all. Landing one of those will get you renown aplenty.
Obviously your ridiculous punch attack is favorable under any circumstances. Wind it up, jump off-stage and let it rip as your opponent makes a feeble attempt at becoming visible again from off-screen... then Kopter Kong after them for effect, and an SD. Your Hand Slap move is excellent for many things like blowing up several explosives at once and damaging several people at once, use it often.
Falco
To the untrained eye, Falco may seem almost incapable of being 'pro'; however, he actually has a lot of potential for a truly 'pro' player.
Falco's Phantasm is your most lethal weapon. It is an extremely potent edge-guarding move; no one will expect you to speed off the edge, dooming yourself but spiking your opponent at the same time. Obviously your down aerial spike is just as good, but only if you fast fall and don't bother recovering afterwards.
Your Fire Bird is excellent for triggering explosive devices on contact, and should be spammed back and forth across the stage whenever items like Blast Boxes are turned on High. Just like with Diddy, falling off the stage with a well-aimed laser is great for ruining your opponent's chance of recovery while adding another SD to your mounting total at the same time.
Fox
Now, Fox is different from the characters we have already gone over, because he has no simple spiking moves. This sets him back a lot, but it is still very possible to be 'pro' with him.
Obviously, you want to use his Fire Fox often with explosive items on. Fire Fox is faster and travels farther than Fire Bird, so it is even better in that respect. Your lasers are good for... uh... er... well nothing really when it comes to being 'pro'. However, you can shoot people to rack damage and to be annoying... I guess.
Now, on to Fox's only true 'pro' move: his Shine. Attempt shine spikes as often as possible, jumping off-stage fiercely and falling menacingly only to stop and make a pretty blue light flicker for a second... extremely 'pro'. Make sure when you hit a shine spike to then spam your shine rapidly until you eventually SD, as is the custom of the 'pro' player. Be sure to always say "Here I come!" with a taunt prior to attempting a shine spike; they didn't give him that line for nothing people!
Game & Watch
When I think of Game & Watch, I think of a cute little kitten that looks harmless but is really more 'pro' than what your eyes would lead you to believe.
Almost all of G&Ws moves are 'pro', but some are more 'pro' than others. It is extremely cool for instance to attack someone by repeatedly sicking your snapping turtle on them (back air). It is not as cool to use that box thing instead (forward air). It is ridiculously 'pro' to hit people by holding out a chair (forward tilt), but (although still 'pro') not as 'pro' to raise the very earth beneath them (down tilt).
Obviously you want to be using his down aerial whenever possible as an off-stage finisher; don't cancel it either, canceling suicide attacks is for pansies. Parachuting slowly off-stage while edge-guarding someone is a great way to mind-game them into failing their recovery, and SDing in a cool way yourself. Your random hammer should be used as a finisher off-stage and on-stage, and your forward smash is perfect for detonating explosives.
Ganondorf
Ganondorf, having a similar move-set to Captain Falcon, is logically also a very easy character to be 'pro' with.
The main thing to keep in mind with Ganondorf: the longer a move takes to start up, the more 'pro' it is. This makes Ganon's Warlock Punch and his up tilt even more 'pro' than Falcon Punch; use them often. Obviously you want to be using his side B suicide off-stage whenever you get a chance, it's just too cool to go a whole match without using it at least ten times.
Your down aerial spike is probably the coolest in the game, and should be used as such. Make sure to always fast fall when doing it for added effect and the SD. All the rest of his moves are pretty awesome in their own right, and can be used however you want. Make sure to use his Wizard's Foot often when explosive items are involved.
Ice Climbers
The Ice Climbers are a little tricky to play 'pro', but a real 'pro' online player relishes a challenge.
The first thing to look at, like with most characters, is their down aerial. You notice right away that this move has huge 'pro' potential. Use it off-stage whenever you get a chance while edge-guarding and make no attempt to save yourself. Using your Squall Hammer as an off-stage finisher is very 'pro' and will often mind-game opponents into screwing up even if you miss.
Other than that, your Blizzard and Ice Block moves can be used off-stage while falling to your death, to insure that those pesky opponents can't make it back to the stage. Remember, never shoot projectiles from safe ground, that's just not cool and certainly not 'pro'; always put your own life in danger when attempting to stall others at range.
Ike
Ike, if used properly, can be a masterpiece of the 'pro' philosophy; his attacks are pretty much all awesome.
Your most important move when playing Ike like a 'pro' is Aether. With it, you can finish opponents off by spiking them down and following right after them in a quick and apparently pretty painful manner. His down air spike is one of the coolest in the game, and he has almost no chance of returning to the stage if you fast fall doing it, even if you wanted to. Use his forward and up smash attacks often, and charge them for effect.
Another very useful 'pro' tool that Ike has is his Eruption. Charge it up often to play mind-games with your opponents. Jump off-stage after them and begin charging an Eruption, only to not even release it as you plummet to your death, messing with your opponent's mind like their mind has never been messed with before. Remember that Eruption is one of the most 'pro' ways in the game to detonate explosives as well.
Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff is arguably the most 'pro' character for many reasons.To play Jigglypuff like a 'pro' successfully takes immense skill in the art.
If you haven't guessed by now what Jigglypuff's most 'pro' move is, maybe this character isn't for you. Obviously, it is Rest. Landing an off-stage Rest is the most 'pro' thing you can do in the entire game. It is difficult, but possible, and it will result in the assured deaths of you and your opponent. Another very 'pro' way to edge guard with Jigglypuff is to float around off-stage using your aerial attacks and Pounds until you eventually fall to your death, taking your bewildered opponent with you.
Rollout is another great move for edge-guarding; try to hit your opponent as they recover and if you miss, so what? It's still an SD! Other than that, spam aerial attacks, sing whenever you get a chance and make use of the sleeping opponent by taking a Bob-omb and chucking it so it hits you both.
King Dedede
Another very 'pro' character in many ways. There is almost no way to KO an opponent using Dedede that doesn't look cool.
Firstly, Dedede can obviously suck people inside of him; do this often and either walk off the stage with them, or spit them out when you are right next to a Blast Box or something. His down B is perfect for detonating explosives and the longer you hold it down, the more damage you take... bonus! Remember to treat your Waddle Doos as if they were players, this means chasing them off-stage if you accidentally send one falling to it's death; they deserve a flashy finish just as much as a player does!
Now for Dedede's most 'pro' move, brace yourself; his up B! Yes, with this move you can KO an opponent with a solid spike off-stage and follow them into the void yourself, all while posing like something out of Neopets; it doesn't get much more 'pro' than that. Remember to always do a little dance with your down taunt after a 'pro' KO.
Kirby
Kirby is a very 'pro' character who is very fun to use and to play mind-games with.
Like Dedede, Kirby has the ability to suck opponent's inside of him, and this should be used to Kirbycide as often as possible. Simply inhale, walk off the stage, perish, and your opponent too, shall perish. It is possible to Kirbycide with his up throw by standing by the edge of the stage, however this usually involves camping, and camping is not 'pro' (see Key Ideas #5).
Other than that, you can try the same thing as Jigglypuff; float around off-stage after knocking away an opponent, kicking left and right while slowly drifting lower and lower, mind-gaming the crap out of them and ruining their recovery. Obviously you can Final Cutter people off-stage for the same effect as Ike's Aether, taking them down with you in a glorious spike. Kirby's hammer is a very 'pro' attack for finishing people off both on and off-stage.
Link
Any character who wields his own explosive devices is a friend of the 'pro' way of fighting. Link is one of the few characters who can take explosions into his own hands.
That last paragraph should have clued you in to the move you'll be using most often as Link. Always have a Bomb in hand. Better yet, always have a Bomb at your feet, after having just thrown it there with an opponent (or teammate) nearby. Remember, don't throw bombs off-stage while camping, hold one in your hands and jump gracefully off after your foe so it explodes when you meet them.
Your other projectiles are wimpy; avoid them at all costs. However, your sword attacks are mostly pretty 'pro', so use them as you wish. Your down aerial is good for off-stage and on-stage finishing, and be sure to always charge your smash attacks as a consolation for not having too many outstandingly 'pro' moves at your disposal. Your Sword Spin should be used often in the presence of explosives; particularly Blast Boxes.
Lucario
Lucario has great ways of mind-gaming opponents and KOing them as well. Anyone can have fun messing with their opponents as Lucario.
The best way to edge-guard with Lucario is to jump off-stage after your opponent, and begin charging your Aura Sphere. Hit them with it while it is charging, but do not actually release it. Conclude by SDing. This will not only mess up your opponent's recovery, but it will confuse them to no end and leave them questioning their major choices in life. Heck, every so often, just lob the sphere anyways to keep them guessing; make sure you still SD though.
Another thing: jump around on-stage spamming your counter move. It's bound to work sometime and it will further confound your enemies. Lucario's smash attacks should be used and charged often, and don't forget to lob random Aura Spheres from time to time, especially at distant (or nearby... in fact preferably nearby) explosives.
More will come tomorrow (hahaha... yeah...). Also, I'll be changing the reasoning behind why I made the characters in alphabetical order daily... or at least as daily as I feel like. (found under Important Note).
Introduction
Now, I've decided to make this guide for two main reasons:
- I notice that a lot of players in With Anyone mode try to play too seriously and end up embarassing themselves.
- I notice that a lot of players in With Anyone mode try to play too casually and end up embarassing themselves.
I have tried both. Playing serious and trying to win is no fun, because it's either too easy or too hard. If you're up against a bunch of scrubs you'll blow through them, winning over and over again and ruining their experience until they leave. If you're up against the odd semi-pro player who's goofing off, they'll punish everything you do and make you look like a complete fool, and you'll be stewing in your chair saying to yourself "If I could challenge that guy to a 1 on 1 I'd show him who's boss!"... No, you probably wouldn't.
The other option then is casual playing. If you can't play serious, then you should play casual right? You decide to try out a taunt party, or maybe you try starting a complicated game involving items and certain characters that requires the participation of all four players. Eventually you learn that casual gamers can be pretty boring, and there are rules involved that are frustrating and confusing. It's really not very casual.
Interlude
I'd just like to clarify beforehand that when I say 'like a pro' I don't mean 'really well'. I'm not going to teach you how to win. Instead of playing Brawl like a pro, you are going to play WiFi like a pro. Think of WiFi as it's own game, and even if you've mastered Brawl, you may have yet to master the art of playing With Anyone in WiFi.
Hopefully you have deduced by now that there is a middle ground between playing seriously and playing casually. You don't need to try and win every time, but you also don't need to resort to taunt spamming as an only alternative. Instead, you can find a happy medium that will eventually spread to all of those you are playing with.
Key Ideas
There are a few key things to note about playing online 'like a pro'. Firstly, you should not try to win, but you should try to KO your opponents in spectacular or funny ways. If this happens to involve the use of items, go ahead and use items (bumpers are particularly helpful at making a 'pro' KO). If you need to SD in the process, why not? It's for a good cause. This may include blowing yourself and your opponent up with a blast box or a bob-omb.
The second thing to remember is to always use your character's funniest taunt a few times after a 'pro' KO. It helps add to the humor, and although you may be thinking "That would just seem insulting" I think it would seem more insulting if you just moved on and pretended their death meant nothing to you (also, no tea-bagging, dash-dancing or anything like that, only funny taunts).
The third thing, is to try and end each battle with the maximum number of falls per person possible. This means trying to get as many KOs as possible, but also trying to SD (which counts as a fall in this sense) and in Team Battles, it means doing things like edge-hogging or chucking explosives at your team-mate to up the fall rate. Note that you should never SD without due cause; SDing in the process of getting a 'pro' KO is acceptable, but just walking off the stage for no reason isn't justified. Attacking your teammate is always acceptable and 'pro' however.
Fourth, you should only pick stages that have interesting gimmicks. This does not include large stages like the Temple or New Pork City, they are lame and result in minimal falls because of their size. I'm talking about Norfair or Spear Pillar, stages where the terrain and gimmicks can actually help to increase the fall rate. Remember you want to milk each two minutes for all it's worth, I once played a match with a total of 24 falls thanks to this style of playing (and several well-placed bumpers off-stage).
The fifth thing to know, is that you should always make it look like you meant to do something, even if you mess up. You don't want your opponents thinking you're human at all, so if you go for a suicide KO and end up just SDing, taunt anyways. If you miss with a slow but almighty attack, spam it a few times immediately afterwards so people think you were just fooling around in the first place. A 'pro' player never allows others to think he made mistakes!
Lastly, you want to be a presence in the room. This means always moving around quickly and button mashing attacks while using all items available, and always jumping off-stage to try and finish your opponents off, even if it means SDing in the process. The more attention you bring to yourself, the more likely your fellow players will imitate you and spread the joy. Eventually you will all be treated to a match of warlock punch vs. falcon punch with a side of ganoncide and knee-meets-blast-box.
Summary/Suggestions
To summarize: Rack up as many falls as you can; that means KOs and SDs. Use funny taunts, pick cool stages, cover up your failures, and play like a maniac. I will now give you a list of some suggested character, stage and item picks for an optimal 'pro' WiFi experience:
Suggested Characters
- Captain Falcon: Funny moves, funny taunts, ability to blow up explosive items in epic ways.
- Toon Link: Carries explosives that should be used as often as possible. Off-stage finishing move that has a strong potential for SD (down air).
- Wario: He can fart and rides a bike. 'Nuff said.
- Ike: Eruption should be used as often as possible on explosives and off-stage as a finisher.
- Bowser: Fire breath on explosives and bowsercide for fall-tacular battles.
- Ganondorf: Awesome moves and an SD attack that even Bowser envies.
Suggested Stages
- Spear Pillar: Whenever that beam of energy blasts through the stage, scramble to be the first one in it's devastating path.
- Norfair: Throw your opponents into the wall of flame and jump in after them!
- Big Blue: This stage is made of falls; put bunny hoods on as Sonic and try to race the cars.
- PictoChat: Hope the fireballs, pirana plant and spikes appear, then make good use of them.
- 75m: This stage is a fall-fest waiting to happen, use those springs and fireballs wisely.
- Summit: Grab an opponent and wait for that fishy.
Suggested Items
- Bumper: Extremely useful if used correctly. You can get a lot of cool-looking KOs and SDs with these.
- Bob-omb: Obviously a favorite of the 'pro' player; best used by hurling it at your feet when standing next to an opponent (or teammate).
- Blast Box: Another great destructive tool; it explodes faster if fire attacks are used on it.
- Smart Bomb: Even more potent than the Bob-omb when used in the same manner.
- Bunny Hood: Speeds up the KO process considerably, and allows you to SD faster if necessary.
- Lightning Bolt: Obviously making all of your opponents easier to KO at the same time is a good thing!
Now these are only suggestions, and any characters/stages can be used. Some items however should not be used. Starmen, healing items and Timers are not recommended for obvious reasons.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to play Brawl online like a 'pro', go and spread your knowledge to those you play with, and together we can make With Anyone mode a more fun and care-free environment without resorting to spam and ridiculously confusing games!
Special thanks go to DairunCates for inspiring me to make this guide! The video that started it all:
How To Play Brawl Like A Man
If you have any questions or comments about playing online like a 'pro', feel free to post them here and I will respond to you as best I can!
Character Guide
Important Note
You don't need to like, read the section on every character (unless you want to, be my guest). Just skim through and find your mains or the characters you would like to be able to play 'pro' with. I'll basically be doing a quick run-through of what moves to focus on and use often in order to make the most of your 'pro' online experience. The characters are in alphabetical order, because I'm finally working on this again!
Bowser
A nice easy one to start the guide off. Bowser is the Tom Brady of characters as far as being 'pro' goes. Nobody really likes him but it doesn't matter because he can deliver. He is not however, as the analogy would lead you to believe, good with the ladies.
Bowser has several moves that help shape the very essence of what is 'pro'. Your Koopa Klaw is your most 'pro' move by far. Simply grab an opponent and dive gracefully off the stage with them screaming helplessly beneath your massive bulk... apparently they want you to start using deodorant. Obviously this is very 'pro' because it equates to two falls in a matter of a few seconds.
Your fire breath attack is useful for quickly detonating explosives. Be sure to stand directly beside said explosive for full effect. No money-back guarantees. Your ground-pound move is great as an edge-guarding move because it gives you an excuse to SD in a cool way; who knows, you may take the opponent down with you! Other than that, most of Bowser's moves are strong and slow, perfect for KOing people who already have tons of damage on them from various explosive devices.
Captain Falcon
The optimal pick for players who are new to the concept of playing like a 'pro' and veterans of the 'pro' style alike. You can't go wrong with the Falcon when it comes to being 'pro'.
Obviously Falcon Punch is an excellently epic way to KO an opponent and also to detonate explosives. Try as often as possible to land an off-stage Falcon Punch; you will be worshipped for your prowess if you succeed, and it's a nice way to SD with a purpose. Falcon Kick is a quick and easy way to set off a distant explosive, catching your opponent by surprise.
Your other attacks are almost all cool, so use them however you like. Your knee should be used often as an off-stage finisher; try to knee people just as they return from off-screen so that you have no hope of returning to the stage yourself, and they are tempted to do the same to you (which is the goal of playing like a 'pro'). Spiking people with Raptor Boost is always cool, but it's even more cool if you do the move away from the stage, thus sacrificing yourself in the process.
Diddy Kong
Diddy Kong isn't as easy as the last two to play like a 'pro', but any character can be played like a 'pro' in the right hands.
Obviously Diddy Kong has a spike (his down aerial), and this should be used as a finisher off-stage while fast-falling whenever possible. Your Rocket Barrels are an excellent way of finishing people who are off-stage; simply jump down and quickly tab upB when you are directly above them, spiking them down and floating to your doom yourself.
The only time you should use bananas is if they will cause someone to slip into a mine, or a bob-omb for example. Using bananas to set explosive traps (which can then be detonated with your Rocket Barrels once the person is ensnared) is very 'pro'. Refrain from just shooting peanuts at people who are off-stage; at least jump off and spam peanuts while you fall to your death or something.
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong has several 'pro' moves including two different meteor attacks that both look pretty cool (forward and down aerials). His only downside? He's just as bad with the ladies as Bowser.
Obviously the move you are going to be using most often with DK is his Cargo throw. Simply grab someone, push forward, walk off-stage, throw them away from the stage, die yourself, and watch them pitifully attempt to get back to the stage. Unless they're Pit or something... in that case don't bother with this. Now, when I said before that DK has two spikes... I lied. His third spike is his side B, which is the most 'pro' spike of all. Landing one of those will get you renown aplenty.
Obviously your ridiculous punch attack is favorable under any circumstances. Wind it up, jump off-stage and let it rip as your opponent makes a feeble attempt at becoming visible again from off-screen... then Kopter Kong after them for effect, and an SD. Your Hand Slap move is excellent for many things like blowing up several explosives at once and damaging several people at once, use it often.
Falco
To the untrained eye, Falco may seem almost incapable of being 'pro'; however, he actually has a lot of potential for a truly 'pro' player.
Falco's Phantasm is your most lethal weapon. It is an extremely potent edge-guarding move; no one will expect you to speed off the edge, dooming yourself but spiking your opponent at the same time. Obviously your down aerial spike is just as good, but only if you fast fall and don't bother recovering afterwards.
Your Fire Bird is excellent for triggering explosive devices on contact, and should be spammed back and forth across the stage whenever items like Blast Boxes are turned on High. Just like with Diddy, falling off the stage with a well-aimed laser is great for ruining your opponent's chance of recovery while adding another SD to your mounting total at the same time.
Fox
Now, Fox is different from the characters we have already gone over, because he has no simple spiking moves. This sets him back a lot, but it is still very possible to be 'pro' with him.
Obviously, you want to use his Fire Fox often with explosive items on. Fire Fox is faster and travels farther than Fire Bird, so it is even better in that respect. Your lasers are good for... uh... er... well nothing really when it comes to being 'pro'. However, you can shoot people to rack damage and to be annoying... I guess.
Now, on to Fox's only true 'pro' move: his Shine. Attempt shine spikes as often as possible, jumping off-stage fiercely and falling menacingly only to stop and make a pretty blue light flicker for a second... extremely 'pro'. Make sure when you hit a shine spike to then spam your shine rapidly until you eventually SD, as is the custom of the 'pro' player. Be sure to always say "Here I come!" with a taunt prior to attempting a shine spike; they didn't give him that line for nothing people!
Game & Watch
When I think of Game & Watch, I think of a cute little kitten that looks harmless but is really more 'pro' than what your eyes would lead you to believe.
Almost all of G&Ws moves are 'pro', but some are more 'pro' than others. It is extremely cool for instance to attack someone by repeatedly sicking your snapping turtle on them (back air). It is not as cool to use that box thing instead (forward air). It is ridiculously 'pro' to hit people by holding out a chair (forward tilt), but (although still 'pro') not as 'pro' to raise the very earth beneath them (down tilt).
Obviously you want to be using his down aerial whenever possible as an off-stage finisher; don't cancel it either, canceling suicide attacks is for pansies. Parachuting slowly off-stage while edge-guarding someone is a great way to mind-game them into failing their recovery, and SDing in a cool way yourself. Your random hammer should be used as a finisher off-stage and on-stage, and your forward smash is perfect for detonating explosives.
Ganondorf
Ganondorf, having a similar move-set to Captain Falcon, is logically also a very easy character to be 'pro' with.
The main thing to keep in mind with Ganondorf: the longer a move takes to start up, the more 'pro' it is. This makes Ganon's Warlock Punch and his up tilt even more 'pro' than Falcon Punch; use them often. Obviously you want to be using his side B suicide off-stage whenever you get a chance, it's just too cool to go a whole match without using it at least ten times.
Your down aerial spike is probably the coolest in the game, and should be used as such. Make sure to always fast fall when doing it for added effect and the SD. All the rest of his moves are pretty awesome in their own right, and can be used however you want. Make sure to use his Wizard's Foot often when explosive items are involved.
Ice Climbers
The Ice Climbers are a little tricky to play 'pro', but a real 'pro' online player relishes a challenge.
The first thing to look at, like with most characters, is their down aerial. You notice right away that this move has huge 'pro' potential. Use it off-stage whenever you get a chance while edge-guarding and make no attempt to save yourself. Using your Squall Hammer as an off-stage finisher is very 'pro' and will often mind-game opponents into screwing up even if you miss.
Other than that, your Blizzard and Ice Block moves can be used off-stage while falling to your death, to insure that those pesky opponents can't make it back to the stage. Remember, never shoot projectiles from safe ground, that's just not cool and certainly not 'pro'; always put your own life in danger when attempting to stall others at range.
Ike
Ike, if used properly, can be a masterpiece of the 'pro' philosophy; his attacks are pretty much all awesome.
Your most important move when playing Ike like a 'pro' is Aether. With it, you can finish opponents off by spiking them down and following right after them in a quick and apparently pretty painful manner. His down air spike is one of the coolest in the game, and he has almost no chance of returning to the stage if you fast fall doing it, even if you wanted to. Use his forward and up smash attacks often, and charge them for effect.
Another very useful 'pro' tool that Ike has is his Eruption. Charge it up often to play mind-games with your opponents. Jump off-stage after them and begin charging an Eruption, only to not even release it as you plummet to your death, messing with your opponent's mind like their mind has never been messed with before. Remember that Eruption is one of the most 'pro' ways in the game to detonate explosives as well.
Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff is arguably the most 'pro' character for many reasons.To play Jigglypuff like a 'pro' successfully takes immense skill in the art.
If you haven't guessed by now what Jigglypuff's most 'pro' move is, maybe this character isn't for you. Obviously, it is Rest. Landing an off-stage Rest is the most 'pro' thing you can do in the entire game. It is difficult, but possible, and it will result in the assured deaths of you and your opponent. Another very 'pro' way to edge guard with Jigglypuff is to float around off-stage using your aerial attacks and Pounds until you eventually fall to your death, taking your bewildered opponent with you.
Rollout is another great move for edge-guarding; try to hit your opponent as they recover and if you miss, so what? It's still an SD! Other than that, spam aerial attacks, sing whenever you get a chance and make use of the sleeping opponent by taking a Bob-omb and chucking it so it hits you both.
King Dedede
Another very 'pro' character in many ways. There is almost no way to KO an opponent using Dedede that doesn't look cool.
Firstly, Dedede can obviously suck people inside of him; do this often and either walk off the stage with them, or spit them out when you are right next to a Blast Box or something. His down B is perfect for detonating explosives and the longer you hold it down, the more damage you take... bonus! Remember to treat your Waddle Doos as if they were players, this means chasing them off-stage if you accidentally send one falling to it's death; they deserve a flashy finish just as much as a player does!
Now for Dedede's most 'pro' move, brace yourself; his up B! Yes, with this move you can KO an opponent with a solid spike off-stage and follow them into the void yourself, all while posing like something out of Neopets; it doesn't get much more 'pro' than that. Remember to always do a little dance with your down taunt after a 'pro' KO.
Kirby
Kirby is a very 'pro' character who is very fun to use and to play mind-games with.
Like Dedede, Kirby has the ability to suck opponent's inside of him, and this should be used to Kirbycide as often as possible. Simply inhale, walk off the stage, perish, and your opponent too, shall perish. It is possible to Kirbycide with his up throw by standing by the edge of the stage, however this usually involves camping, and camping is not 'pro' (see Key Ideas #5).
Other than that, you can try the same thing as Jigglypuff; float around off-stage after knocking away an opponent, kicking left and right while slowly drifting lower and lower, mind-gaming the crap out of them and ruining their recovery. Obviously you can Final Cutter people off-stage for the same effect as Ike's Aether, taking them down with you in a glorious spike. Kirby's hammer is a very 'pro' attack for finishing people off both on and off-stage.
Link
Any character who wields his own explosive devices is a friend of the 'pro' way of fighting. Link is one of the few characters who can take explosions into his own hands.
That last paragraph should have clued you in to the move you'll be using most often as Link. Always have a Bomb in hand. Better yet, always have a Bomb at your feet, after having just thrown it there with an opponent (or teammate) nearby. Remember, don't throw bombs off-stage while camping, hold one in your hands and jump gracefully off after your foe so it explodes when you meet them.
Your other projectiles are wimpy; avoid them at all costs. However, your sword attacks are mostly pretty 'pro', so use them as you wish. Your down aerial is good for off-stage and on-stage finishing, and be sure to always charge your smash attacks as a consolation for not having too many outstandingly 'pro' moves at your disposal. Your Sword Spin should be used often in the presence of explosives; particularly Blast Boxes.
Lucario
Lucario has great ways of mind-gaming opponents and KOing them as well. Anyone can have fun messing with their opponents as Lucario.
The best way to edge-guard with Lucario is to jump off-stage after your opponent, and begin charging your Aura Sphere. Hit them with it while it is charging, but do not actually release it. Conclude by SDing. This will not only mess up your opponent's recovery, but it will confuse them to no end and leave them questioning their major choices in life. Heck, every so often, just lob the sphere anyways to keep them guessing; make sure you still SD though.
Another thing: jump around on-stage spamming your counter move. It's bound to work sometime and it will further confound your enemies. Lucario's smash attacks should be used and charged often, and don't forget to lob random Aura Spheres from time to time, especially at distant (or nearby... in fact preferably nearby) explosives.
More will come tomorrow (hahaha... yeah...). Also, I'll be changing the reasoning behind why I made the characters in alphabetical order daily... or at least as daily as I feel like. (found under Important Note).
