How to tilt consistently?

[Sanrikko]

I've just started to try and learn how to use advanced techniques and I was wondering how you guys tilt consistently. I only seem to be able to do it on accident or if I take a really long time to concentrate on it. Also if someone could tell me what DI stands for that would be awesome too.

 

[Y-L]

It's just something you get a feel for. Just practice it a lot.

DI = directional influence, basically you want to DI away from combos at low and towards the corner of the screen at high percents to survive. Basically it's inputting the direction you want to move when being hit.
http://www.ssbwiki.com/Directional_influence

 

[Mera Mera]

It's important to note that there's more than one way to tilt:
-slightly hold the stick in the direction and hit A (e.g. if you are walking and hit A you will forward tilt)
-if your joystick has not recently (recently being within the last 3 or 4 frames I think(?)... 3 frames is 1/20th of a second) been in neutral (the center or resting position), then without passing through neutral you can hold the direction fully (or otherwise) on the joystick and hit A.

The second method is very useful for performing tilts during a combo and/or after a wavedash. Simply hold the joystick in the direction you are going to tilt in during the endlag of your previous move (or in the case of wavedash, during the air dodge endlag (which lasts about 10 frames or 1/6th of a second), and time hitting A when you are able to act.

As for DI:
DI is (Directional Influence) or changing the direction that you get sent flying.

Here are some brawl videos on this. It claims that DI is mostly important for surviving (which is true in Brawl), but in PM, DI to avoid combos is equally important. That said, if I recall correctly, everything in this video as to how things work is true in both PM and Brawl except the bit about doing moves/dodges during hitstun:
http://www.smashdomain.net/index.php?topic=11940.0

 

[Sanrikko]

Thank you for your replies. Another question though (sorry). I noticed that a lot of people remap their controls so that directional jumping is disabled, Z is attack instead of grab and they usually map grab to either x or y (I think usually y?) Could you explain the reasoning behind this? I've used directional jumping for as long as I've played this game and I'm very used to it. Is it really crucial to jump using the buttons?

 

[MattScar]

Wavedashing is much easier with button jumps rather than the stick. Same goes for short hopping. I used to jump with the stick but it's not optimal as it is easier to mess up the input for short hop/wavedash. I'd recommend trying to force yourself to use Y to jump. But if it is really not working for you and the stick is, then stick with what works

 

[Mera Mera]

Thank you for your replies. Another question though (sorry). I noticed that a lot of people remap their controls so that directional jumping is disabled, Z is attack instead of grab and they usually map grab to either x or y (I think usually y?) Could you explain the reasoning behind this? I've used directional jumping for as long as I've played this game and I'm very used to it. Is it really crucial to jump using the buttons?

What you listed isn't a typical control scheme. However, it is fairly common to turn tap jump off, but hardly necessary. One reason people turn it off is if they use G&W or Sonic or some other character that can second jump AFTER they up B, since with tap jump on a lot of times you will accidentally waste your second jump right before you up B. Tap jump does however make it easier to do certain things out of shield. Since you can cancel your jump squat frames into up smash or up B, you can use the same up that causes jump squat as the up in up B / up A for up B and up smash (jump squat is an animation before you leave the ground that lasts between 2-6 frames depending on character (or 8 if you're Bowser)). (Note: for up smash you have to let go of shield before hitting A or you will grab). Even if you have tap jump on though, there are definitely times where it's best to use the jump button, simply because it doesn't affect your control stick inputs. For example it's much harder imo to rar with tap jump (in a run, which happens after the initial dash, you can tap flick backwards and then immediately hit jump and resume holding forwards, which will make you jump backwards while still maintaining your forward momentum. Hence the name "reverse aerial rush," or rar. In general, using the jump button makes it easier to keep influencing your character's momentum while in the air.

Setting Y to grab isn't typical, but some people set a shoulder button (L, R, or Z) to attack so that they can DACUS (dash attack cancel up smash). DACUS is performed by hitting down c-stick during a dash or run and then inputting up A or up Z (A meaning "attack and z meaning "grab" here). Grab is read as "attack + shield," so it can work, however it makes the timing tighter by one frame for all characters and closes the window completely for others. Since DACUS cannot be used by every character, changing your controls here kinda depends on who you play as.

Personally my control scheme is:
R: jump (in case I use Mewtwo so I can hover in any direction while attacking with c-stick... it also helps for doing out of shield things for when I have tap jump off)
Y: special (to make it closer to the jump button)
B: taunt/footstool
tapjump: undecided... I change this all the time.

 

[Terotrous]

I believe that tap jump on is technically superior for easier up B out of shield, but I just can't really get used to it. It'd be nice if they altered the controls so that regardless of your tap jump setting, pressing up while shielding always results in a jump input, but people would probably complain that it made tap jump off OP.

 

[Thane of Blue Flames]

I believe that tap jump on is technically superior for easier up B out of shield, but I just can't really get used to it. It'd be nice if they altered the controls so that regardless of your tap jump setting, pressing up while shielding always results in a jump input, but people would probably complain that it made tap jump off OP.

That would f*** with shield tilting up regardless. After a point you just need to accept that some controls are very fine, and either get used to them or make do without. That's why I don't DACUS

 

[tauKhan]

Tap jump off gives you easy turn utilt, smashes, turn standing grab and jump out of initial dash, which makes it better with many chars.

 

[Japsy]

-if your joystick has not recently (recently being within the last 3 or 4 frames I think(?)... 3 frames is 1/20th of a second) been in neutral (the center or resting position), then without passing through neutral you can hold the direction fully (or otherwise) on the joystick and hit A.

Oh, so that's how it works. I use this method for uptilts all the time in Melee. In Brawl/PM I just have tap jump off.

Tap jump off gives you easy turn utilt, smashes, turn standing grab and jump out of initial dash, which makes it better with many chars.

I find jumping out of shine with Fox/Falco/Wolf a lot easier with tap jump on though. Not like it matters too much for me since I don't use them very often.

 

[Terotrous]

That would f*** with shield tilting up regardless. After a point you just need to accept that some controls are very fine, and either get used to them or make do without.

Angling your shield upwards isn't NEARLY as important as Up B out of shield, though, and you can still do it by just slightly tilting the stick upwards during shield, like how tap jump players do it.

 

[Phaiyte]

I took a page from my other fighting games and started "buffering" tilts until I was more used to doing them on a whim. For example, Fox dair > before you hit the ground start holding up for utilt. It won't make you double jump during the attack, and because the stick has been in that up position for so long it's read as a soft input.

tl;dr buffer during other moves for beginners

 

[Sanrikko]

Okay, thank you all for your replies. I think I'm going to try and learn jumping using buttons but I find x/y is kind of annoying seeing as how my right hand is usually already occupied with, using b for specials and the c-stick. Do a lot of people use left bumper for jump? It just seems like it would be easier to manage that way.

 

[Y-L]

Okay, thank you all for your replies. I think I'm going to try and learn jumping using buttons but I find x/y is kind of annoying seeing as how my right hand is usually already occupied with, using b for specials and the c-stick. Do a lot of people use left bumper for jump? It just seems like it would be easier to manage that way.

Using a shoulder for jump is kinda ehh because of how far down the shoulder can go which makes short hopping kind of annoying. You get used to y really fast. Try to slide your finger off of y downwards so it transitions into whatever buttons you want to press. I can assure you y will be ideal to learn for jumping.

 

[Raijinken]

I've always found that buttons are more intuitive for jumping in general (gaming since the NES days kinda led to that I guess), and I guess ages ago I got used to doing it quickly while also hitting attack buttons, since I've never felt a need to use anything besides X. I always keep Tap Jump off to make tilting up easier, too, and have Y set to Footstool even though I can't recall having ever used it for that.
Ultimately, though, it comes down to what you're best with. If you want to test out some theoretically efficient setup, realize that doing so will fight any muscle memory you already have, and may not be any better at all for some players.

 

[Y-L]

If you can combat muscle memory A to jump B to attack Y to special and X to footstool/grab is the most ideal controller setup.

 

[Sanrikko]

Okay, thank you guys. I'm gonna keep practicing with Y and see if I can get used to it in a couple weeks.