I think there is only 1 Japanese MK that I was impressed with. You'd think MK would be popular in Japan too. At least to the point where they would be more decent MKs out there. The difference between Itoi and pretty much every Japanese MK is like night and day.
There are definitely some characters they have more optimized than us - Shulk, Yoshi, Greninja, probably Villager - but Meta Knight is certainly not one of them.
Here's an online game I had against Ito the other night. Any tips on how I can improve? I know I'm terrible at this game so please don't sugarcoat your critique, lol.
Your combos could use a bit more optimization. I noticed early on that there was a potential footstool you missed after a u-air, first stock, low percents. Meta Knight's combo knowledge requirement is incredibly huge compared to, say, Mario, so it will take a while to get there! You also missed some big opportunities for a Tornado punish such as when Ito missed his own Tornado completely or flubbed a shuttle loop, etc. Good job on that first edge guard though, Meta Knight vs Meta Knight is a strange matchup in that both of them can really **** each other up off-stage.
Nair trades with drill, I learned that by yolo'ing vs S2H in Smashladder at like March or something (1-2, he beat me quite handily the next two games, 2-stocked in 2/3 I think). So, if you're the edge guarder, you can go for nairs if the enemy MK is high enough percent to trade and KO or disrupt him and waste his jumps, just get ready to wall tech (especially if you're high %) or have enough jumps to recover (you won't die if drill wall spikes you at low % since you're Meta Knight).
The both of you missed some prime ledge trump opportunities, though Itoi did take them later. This is an incredible edge guard and pressure option that you need to be able to do 100% of the time. MK has an easy version and a hard version - the easy version is running off the stage and just tapping the opposite direction the instant you fall off. However, this is slower than the slightly harder 3/4 circle motion that every other character has to do, plus you need dashing space to do the easy method. So... master the hard method if you haven't already, and make it natural. This will make edge guarding certain characters incredibly trivial or at least a lot easier.
Friendly match from a local tourney the other day. Shulk can die SOO early from upair+upB with his smash monado on.
Also, advice is appreciated
Just picked up MK a little over a week ago so anything helps.
Haha, you are already better at the early u-air x5 -> shuttle loop than me.
But, your bread and butter combos could use some work. Dthrow and dash attack into nair isn't very strong... actually, it can get you punished quite often due to nair's very low hitstun and knockback at low %, and the low damage doesn't make it worth much either. Plus, it doesn't keep them up in the air like uair and usmash do for additional pressure (and, if you use nado, it'll do 22% with far enough knockback that they can't punish you).
There were a couple prime ledge trump opportunities you missed. With the terrible recovery that non-Jump Shulk has, I think ledge trumping him would've put some incredible pressure.
