Mikey Lenetia
Smash Champion
All right. We've all had a taste of the different specials of Peach by now, and if not, you may or may not know what to look forward to. If you don't want to be spoiled on the different custom specials until you get them, don't worry! I'll wait until further down in each category and put it in a spoiler tag. However, there are different things that the specials generally share among one another, both that is widely known and not so much. If there's anything specific about that special, I'll try to put it under its specific category for ease of finding. Unless it is otherwise stated, please assume that the custom specials share all other properties to Peach's default version of that special. Hopefully this will help all of us get better at both knowing and implementing what we can about our special moves and get us ahead of the curb.
NOTE: All of these moves, in terms of KO potential, were tested on Mario in Training Mode unless stated otherwise!
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As we all know, the overall utility of this move has been given a major overhaul. Let us count the ways, shall we?
As shown, side B is now an actual tool for Peach to use in her kit. While it's hard to say which of her versions is the best to use, the fact that each now has a valid use, as well as the ability to change the direction she launches in during the initial wind-up, is a valuable mix-up in what's proving to be a vast bag of tricks we have at our disposal.
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Next up is what is arguably Peach's best special in the game, for more reasons than we can really count. It's been iconic to her in every Smash game she has been in... Yep! It's Peach's Down B!
While it is a rather humble name for our down B special, do not be fooled! It gives Peach her projectile, turnips, and it can be rather random as to what comes out. Let's go ahead and cover that, as well as what has changed from the other games, shall we?
Most savvy Peach mains, especially ones that have been around for a while, know just how important turnip play is to an average game. With both these new techs and two new custom movesets to play with, each individual player's preferences will come to life. Are you the type to try and hang back? Do you like to fight it out, then try to snipe a recovery? Or do you like to cover your tracks while applying pressure? Peach's turnip, when used properly, can do all of these, and possibly even more!
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The next special to look at has been a bit of a dark horse, and the properties of this move are still being looked into even now. However, with the hitstun of Smash 4, as well as the difficulty of SDI'ing out of multi-hit moves(at least in the 3DS), Peach's up B has become a decent tool in offense, as well as in recovery.
Alongside Peach's buffed double jump(remember the hiccup it was in Brawl?), Peach's Up B in general seems to be a bit better than it used to be. Melee Peach players will be sad to know that, yes, she still cannot lag cancel any form of her Up B with closing the parasol, but here is what does still happen.
With all of Peach's recovery options, it really is left up to the player which option is best for them. Do you want a quick burst of height to grab the ledge? Do you want a hitbox that can KO at respectable percents, and potentially save you from opponents trying to drop hitboxes on top of you? Or do you want a versatile recovery that can give you the best of both worlds, but give up some potential combo and KO options? Peach has an option for every method of recovery and playstyle!
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Last and has been considered least for the last two games Peach has been in is her neutral B. You know, the one where she somehow pulls Toad out of left field to tank a hit for her? Yep, that's the one! Is it still considered one of her least worthwhile moves, or has the guardian been lifting weights? We'll see...
As what seems to hold true across the board with all counter moves this time, Toad indeed has been given a buff. While it still does share a good amount of weaknesses, our neutral B is a far cry from the near uselessness it had in Melee. How so? Well...
Between all the different variants of Toad, one thing is at least certain. Peach players will find some use out of her new neutral Bs, especially for people being overly aggressive toward the princess. Whether you want a constant option to turn to, a counter that now boasts a decent chance of KOing, or another that's more precise, yet easier to follow up on, Peach has an option for them all! Which loyal servant will you choose?
I'll continue to update this, and Peachkid has volunteered to cover some aspects of turnip pulling he recently discovered, so I'll let him have the floor. This has sadly taken longer than I expected to type out, and I wanted to get at least some information circulating, discussion starting, and discovery sharing to start. Just because I've done an initial write-up doesn't mean discussion should stop! I'll also be looking through the Peach threads, alongside Peachkid, to link important techniques that are linked toward any of Peach's B moves, original or custom. Thanks for your time!
NOTE: All of these moves, in terms of KO potential, were tested on Mario in Training Mode unless stated otherwise!
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Peach Bomber
As we all know, the overall utility of this move has been given a major overhaul. Let us count the ways, shall we?
- The start-up of Peach Bomber is MUCH faster. While we don't have the exact numbers just yet, the start of the move is a lot harder to react to, and even then it leads to the next new strength...
- Peach Bomber, while still not being able to bounce off of walls, has finally gained the ability to bounce off of all shields on top of still bouncing off of damageable terrain/items/what have you. Outside of outright missing with this move, it finally has some safe benefits to hitting a shield. Speaking of...
- Shield damage on the Peach Bomber is respectable. While it isn't, say, Bowser Bomb levels of shield damage, it chunks about a fair's worth of shield health from an opponent, making this something that opponents can't just shield for days.
- Tech/roll chasing. The distance on this move is about as good, if not better than it was in Brawl, but there's something else that hasn't been really discussed yet, and that is her ability to change direction during her wind-up as many times as she wants. Meaning, say you're running to the right, and someone is chasing you. You can input Peach Bomber while still running to the right, and as long as you move the control stick to the left(toward the enemy) before Peach's feet leave the ground, she will instead do the Peach Bomber to the left. This makes her ability to tech chase and roll punish with this move above average. On top of that...
- The launching potential of Peach Bomber has been given a buff. While Brawl boasted a good trajectory upon hit, Smash 4's actual knockback has been increased from the two previous installments of Smash that Peach has been in. It may not be to the par of P:M's KO potential, but as shown it has far more utility outside of no wall bounce. After testing a bunch, this dealt 10% and killed Mario in Training Mode at 215%, but sent rather far horizontally.
- All of this comes with a major cost in the lag of Peach Bomber. It takes a while for Peach to return to a neutral state unless she collides with an object that detonates the heart explosion. While she can still grab a ledge this way, if she misses she will fall about one and a half to two times her midair height. This may not be an extreme problem due to the buff to her double jump and surprisingly good reach for her Up B, it's still putting yourself in a bad position should you miss as now you're the one stuck recovering. Use with caution!
- EDIT: Something was brought up by @
Excel_Zero
about another fun property of Peach Bomber in general, and is something to be on the lookout for in terms of mindgames, especially on tall characters!
Of course, this isn't all that Peach has to use. Welcome to the first special spoiler tag! Peach gained two custom versions of Side B in this game. Both have their own unique properties, and since they're still being experimented with, it's hard to say just how useful they're really going to be. However, both seem to have their place. We'll start with...
What could the Flower Bomber do in place of the regular Peach Bomber? These are the following known changes from Peach Bomber...
Where Flower Bomber may be the weakest of the side B options, Flying Peach Bomber is certainly not. These are the following changes from Peach Bomber...
Flower Bomber
What could the Flower Bomber do in place of the regular Peach Bomber? These are the following known changes from Peach Bomber...
- The distance that Peach travels is, essentially, the same distance as traveled in Melee. This sadly means she loses out on the ability to tech chase.
- The damage done by the Flower Bomber hit is drastically cut(4%), but this is because she places a flower on the opponent's head after contact, sapping around 7-8% if the opponent doesn't wiggle free. On top of the initial 4%, this does around 11-12%. Each consecutive hit in Training Mode added another 11-12%. I tried this on a ZSS in Training mode, and consistently got another 11% per successful hit of the Flower Bomber. This means that three hits of Flower Bomber could potentially lead upwards to 33%. The only issue with this is that the flower CAN be mashed/wiggled out of, so don't be surprised if you don't get this much!
- The wind-up for Flower Bomber seems to be even faster than Peach Bomber, which is its biggest buff. Should you ever get a chance to get in close and bounce off of someone's shield, it takes just a hair more than three of these to potentially break someone's shield. This means anyone close to you will be in constant danger of a huge chunk of their shield being taken out, and some characters just can't afford this to happen, especially with the buff to our fair and fsmash in KO potential!
- EDIT: If you've done any previous damage to a shield, it will take three of these to break a shield. Sometimes, though, a fresh shield will be able to withstand this and they'll be able to get away. If you're going to try this, try to at least tap their shield with something to chip it down! Doing this with a turnip in hand could help with the flower bomber pressure or giving you an escape option, so give it a try when you have one in hand!
- As reminded by @
U
Ultima 3
, the flower given by Flower Bomber does increase in size if you manage to hit with consecutive strikes of this move. However, what should be cautioned is that this all depends on your positioning afterward! If someone vectors/DIs away from Peach even at low percents, follow-up Flower Bombers are not guaranteed. In fact, some characters such as Rosalina can even shield grab you after the Flower Bomber hits! Know your matchups!
- EDIT: Speaking of Rosalina, for those curious about how it effects Luma, it does not apply the flower to the little star. It'll act only as if you've done 4% to it, which makes it flinch but not be sent flying! Be careful using this against the galactic duo!
Flying Peach Bomber
Where Flower Bomber may be the weakest of the side B options, Flying Peach Bomber is certainly not. These are the following changes from Peach Bomber...
- While the distance traveled from Peach Bomber is arguably about the same, Peach gains a major boost vertically as well. However, this does not change the fact where if she uses it in air and doesn't hit, she will still fall the same distance as if it was a normal Peach Bomber instead, making her fall a rather large distance on a miss. It also does not grab the ledge at all. Use with extreme caution!
- Due to the vertical boost, Peach loses out on this being a tech chase option on flat ground. However, this does still retain its ability to bounce off of shields, so it allows for a fast way to chase people on platforms if they're not expecting this move.
- Flying Peach Bomber not only gets the explosion back from Melee, but it also possibly boasts the highest initial KO potential of the three side Bs. While Peach Bomber will KO Mario at a lower percent(this one KOs him from FD's center at 229% due to an odd launching plateau), this also sends the highest of the three, sends them further faster, and dealt 12% unstaled.
- @ M Meru. pointed out another strength of the Flying Peach Bomber, and it is this...
- Also to note, if anyone is trying to pressure you and is close to the ledge, Peach can use Flying Peach Bomber ala Captain Falcon's knee/Zelda's kick to punish people that are lazing about. Even better, since she bounces off of shields, there are less drawbacks to doing this outside of missing. Be warned, some stages have slants off to the sides, and instead of flying over it Peach will land, making you a sitting duck! Know your stages!
- @
ItsRainingGravy
also talked about Flying Peach Bomber as a possible followup to some of our common to land aerials, and had this to say...
As shown, side B is now an actual tool for Peach to use in her kit. While it's hard to say which of her versions is the best to use, the fact that each now has a valid use, as well as the ability to change the direction she launches in during the initial wind-up, is a valuable mix-up in what's proving to be a vast bag of tricks we have at our disposal.
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Next up is what is arguably Peach's best special in the game, for more reasons than we can really count. It's been iconic to her in every Smash game she has been in... Yep! It's Peach's Down B!
Vegetable
While it is a rather humble name for our down B special, do not be fooled! It gives Peach her projectile, turnips, and it can be rather random as to what comes out. Let's go ahead and cover that, as well as what has changed from the other games, shall we?
- The most notable thing for returning Peach players is that the actual turnip pull is noticeable, and seems to be slower than it was in either Melee or Brawl. While this isn't outright terrible, fast characters will take our farming as an insult and try to rush us down in the wind-up. If you do wind up getting hit, however, don't despair too much. You will still have the turnip you got hit for in hand(unless Peach decides to drop it, which does happen so be smart about your pulls!).
- The other defining trait about the move is how random it is. Every turnip does different damage based on whether you throw it normally(hold the direction) or smash throw it(think smash attack, but with an item throw). The knockback doesn't really increase too much, but every percent counts! Also, the trajectory of the turnip changes based on how hard you throw the turnip. Play around with this in training so you get a feel of how much range you actually have, and when you might just want a normal throw. There are several different faces Peach can get, but outside of the named ones, most of them will do about 6% normally thrown or 8% smash thrown. Of the turnips and items you can expect to see, you'll run into...
- Wink: These turnips don't do much knockback, but they can do 11-12%(I've seen both) smash thrown. Most people don't pay a lot of mind to this, but they're handy and more common than the rest.
- Dot-eye: Think a smiley you'd see on the internet, and you got the idea. These are Peach's second-strongest turnips, and as such can be a pretty big deal if used right. They have more notable knockback, and can cause a KO to a recovering opponent at decent percents. Typically, this will do around 18% smash thrown.
- Stitchface: The rarest of all the turnips, and the one people WILL watch out for. Treat these with care, because these ARE game-changers. They do almost double of the percentage of the dot-eye, typically dealing around 36% smash thrown, and have much more noticeable KO potential. It's somewhat diminished from the days of Melee, but one hit to either the opponent or their shield and it can very easily swing momentum back in your favor. Use them wisely!
- Mr. Saturn: Notice I said items? Yeah, somehow this little bugger wound up being in the ground, and we pluck it out and... well, throw him around. This seems cruel, but he's surprisingly durable and light-hearted. He easily flies faster than a typical turnip, and doesn't do much more percentage than one. He also doesn't seem capable to do a KO at any reasonable percent. However, his big uses is from being able to become a projectile from being struck(also a move refresher!), and on shields. If you thought stitchfaces were lethal on shield, this guy seems to love to devour them whole. He can even shatter a full shield in one touch! Doubtful? Well, as shown by @
MysteryRevengerson
...
- Bob-omb: The ultimate trump card, these explosives fly the fastest of all the items, cause the most damage, and have the highest KO power. With great power comes great responsibility, though. This is a bomb we're talking about, here. Not only can Peach get caught in the blast radius if she's reckless... if an opponent strikes the bomb while she's holding it, it will explode, too! Are you feeling lucky?
- Turnips still do not bounce off of shields, and instead disappear. While this isn't a good thing, since the projectile you worked for is gone, it also keeps the opponent from snatching it and throwing it back at you. It's a double-edged sword, but typically by the time a turnip has hit an opponent's shield you're either following behind it or using it to create more space. Don't expect to win a projectile war with this! Instead, use it to create more favorable situations for you, and you'll see just why it is so important to Peach's gameplay.
- Peach is the only character that can do aerials while holding a throwable item. This unique feature is tied to her float, and is another reason why turnips are so dangerous, as well. With both turnips and float, opponents will be left guessing just what you're going to do next. Use and abuse this fact!
- Another recently discovered tech is that while turnips' KO potential in some cases have been decreased, they serve another very important role in that while they don't stale further, they also unstale your used moves! This makes turnips even more important, since we no longer have to sacrifice a move in order to regain our KO potential in others.
- If a turnip hits an opponent, they do bounce and remain 'active.' By this, I mean unlike with shields, a turnip that successfully deals damage to either an opponent or terrain will remain. When it is like this, you can easily grab this using an aerial, an air dodge, or even with a dash attack. Be aware, though, that opponents can do the same. While not as important in a singles match, with damageable terrain and teams comes more risk of your own turnip being turned against you, and some characters will use this fact against you. Be careful and be aware of how to also battle against your own projectile!
- EDIT: Of course, this was also found. The situations for this are a bit more limited, but in doubles your partner may be able to use the turnips you pull out. You also could force an opponent to grab onto one if they don't pay attention to your farming. To note, you won't get items to spawn this way! @Smockers also went and did the leg work for which stages/instances you can profit from turnip farming. DOES NOT WORK IN THE WII U, SO EXPECT THIS TO GET PATCHED!
- EDIT: There has been a lot of tech for turnip usage found as of recent, most done by the very gracious user @- Near - for all of us. It makes turnips even more important to Peach in competitive play, and can lead to things such as comboing off point blank down thrown turnips(and some core tech that will be important to Peach players, such as instant throwing) as shown here, as well as a neutral air(nair) 'lock' which utilizes turnips, floating, footstooling, and the weak hit of nair on a very healthy portion of the cast as shown here. These are must reads and views if you want to know all of Peach's tricks, and what she's capable of! It seems to work best with normal turnips, but perhaps with more testing the other versions of turnips will be shown to do these as well. While the change to down thrown turnips(it no longer hits toward Peach) means it isn't as easy to set up, applications of these locks for at least a setup into something like a fsmash is still possible in the Wii U version. As such, expect the 3DS to share this property soon, too!
Phew! With all that, it's easier to see just how important turnips are to Peach's gameplay. However, we're not quite done yet. Welcome to the second spoiler tag, in which we'll talk a bit about the custom moves tied to down B. As before, anything that isn't mentioned is going to be the same as her usual Vegetable, which is her default option. Ready?
This is one of two other options Peach has. You can probably guess what this does, but just in case, this is what you can expect...
That's right! Peach gets a workout with these suckers, and they have a VERY different usage than Light Veggie or even regular turnips! How? Well...
Light Veggie
This is one of two other options Peach has. You can probably guess what this does, but just in case, this is what you can expect...
- Light Veggie makes Peach's turnip fly vastly further than her normal turnips can go. These are ideal for controlling space, since these will stay in the air for a REALLY long time. On the other hand, even when smash thrown the turnip will travel slower than Peach's float! This makes for some frightening pressure situations, and characters that thrive on grabs will find themselves frustrated, since Peach will actually arrive before her own turnip! It also makes recovery for momentum-based characters an absolute nightmare, due to how slowly they both travel and fall. They even boast increased range due to being less effected by gravity! Light Veggie for space program?
- Only two light turnips can be out at a time. While frustrating, this is probably to prevent the stage from becoming littered with turnips flying all over the place. This can be somewhat circumvented in teams, where if your ally grabs one you can potentially have three. Peachkid and I tested this, and we were able to have three out on the field when he used Rosalina's Gravitational Pull.
- Since these are light turnips, the percent damage, KO potential, and shield damage are all drastically decreased. While each unique turnip will still do more damage than normal light turnips, to give an idea of how much less damage they will do, a stitchface will commonly deal around 20%!
Heavy Veggie
That's right! Peach gets a workout with these suckers, and they have a VERY different usage than Light Veggie or even regular turnips! How? Well...
- One thing you will notice is they're even slower to get out than either option, which both are pulled just as fast as the Light or Normal turnip. If you're going to use these, you absolutely, positively need to be careful!
- Where Light Veggies fly slow and free of gravity, these turnips act like a lead weight was shoved inside. They're the fastest option... but also travel the least amount of distance. Controlling zone with this is a rather tall order. Even edgeguarding outside of instances of where the Villager's tree would come in handy doesn't look too promising. However...
- While Heavy turnips don't do as well with controlling space, they're something to keep in mind for easy pressure or edgeguarding opportunities, since even normal turnips have significant knockback on them at low percents. Notice someone loving to come in low? Intercept with a heavy turnip of your RNG deity's choosing. Want to put a fair's worth of pressure on a shield? Throw the heavy turnip as you come in, potentially making an opening on a shielding opponent, or as you rebound off their shield with a Peach Bomber. Its loss of stage control can be made up with the power of conditioning you now have in your hands. Use and abuse it!
Most savvy Peach mains, especially ones that have been around for a while, know just how important turnip play is to an average game. With both these new techs and two new custom movesets to play with, each individual player's preferences will come to life. Are you the type to try and hang back? Do you like to fight it out, then try to snipe a recovery? Or do you like to cover your tracks while applying pressure? Peach's turnip, when used properly, can do all of these, and possibly even more!
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The next special to look at has been a bit of a dark horse, and the properties of this move are still being looked into even now. However, with the hitstun of Smash 4, as well as the difficulty of SDI'ing out of multi-hit moves(at least in the 3DS), Peach's up B has become a decent tool in offense, as well as in recovery.
Peach Parasol
Alongside Peach's buffed double jump(remember the hiccup it was in Brawl?), Peach's Up B in general seems to be a bit better than it used to be. Melee Peach players will be sad to know that, yes, she still cannot lag cancel any form of her Up B with closing the parasol, but here is what does still happen.
- The multiple hitbox is back, and seemingly stronger than before. However, it, too, suffers from a strange knockback plateau like the rest of our specials. Though it does indeed have a lot of knockback at early stages, on its own it didn't KO Mario until 208% standing on FD in Training Mode! Note that I said on its own, however. At the top of Mario's jump with his head at about Peach's thigh, if you manage to catch him on FD he will be KOed at 141%! On stages with lower ceilings, you can potentially catch someone for a shocking KO. Be warned, however, that Peach is extremely vulnerable if you miss!
- Peach's open parasol while she's drifting down has been given a VERY notable power spike. While it still deals only 3%, the knockback of the move sends Mario flying away from Peach even at 0%! Anyone not respecting the parasol will find themselves knocked into the air, and depending on how low to the ground Peach was, she can capitalize on the opponent's mistake.
- Speaking of shocking KOs, at the height of Mario's jump on FD, the open parasol while drifting down KOed at 202% in Training! On a standing Mario, though, it KOed at 244%. Where you hit the opponent with this move matters!
- Also, you no longer have to open and close the parasol in order to regain its hitbox! It remains active to all opponents as long as she has it open. Hard to test and see if it doesn't reset for an already hit opponent due to its stupidly strong knockback, but it has hit an opponent multiple times in one drift(read: twice).
- Overly greedy opponents could have this happen to them.
- The first hit of Peach Parasol still does set knockback, which probably was in to make sure the rest of Peach's up B hits. The best way to hit with this initial hitbox is to have Peach's back to the opponent, and then use this, so as not to follow up with the rest of the hitbox. Still, the knockback can make for some very silly reverse KOs, which @
Alacion
was so kind to point out for us. It's a very risky endeavor, however, so use this with extreme caution!
- EDIT: After a quick look, it seems the set knockback on Peach's up B is partially determined on the weight of the character she is against. For instance, Bowser barely flies anywhere, while Jigglypuff even at 0% will get launched so high that she's in the magnifying glass on FD from a standing position!
- EDIT: I got curious as to the properties of the first hit of up B and on a whim decided to take various characters to Battlefield(BF) just to see if it had as much knockback as it seemed. What I found was staggering, and easily makes BF her best stage for utility of this move. While both characters are at the top platform of BF, if ANY of these characters full hop out of shield or normally, Peach can kill at 0% with the first hit of up B! If you want to test this yourself, the key is to look for the red lightning at the beginning of Peach's up B. If you see that, that character can die from the first hit of up B! (Anything noted with a * is at the top of their jump, and thus can be harder to sneak this in on, making this more of a 'just in case' thing to keep in mind.)
- Jigglypuff, Mr. Game & Watch, *Olimar/Alph, *Kirby, *Metaknight, *Pikachu, *Sheik, *Rosalina, *Fox, *Falco, *Zero Suit Samus, *Greninja
- The landing lag of this move is very noticeable, and possibly longer than Melee or Brawl(for landing with the parasol out in Melee). There are two ways to cancel out this animation, one being very simple while the other is... not so much. The best way to get rid of this lag is, obviously, to grab a ledge. The other is a lot more technical, and most commonly will be used on stages with platforms. Just like using the ledge to cancel out Peach's turnip pull animation, if you manage to go off of a ledge right as you land Peach will be free to attack again.
- The best way to get the feel for this is to go to Battlefield, roll to the edge of the first set of platforms toward the outside, and up B toward the outside of the stage(rather than the center). From this position, drift backward toward the top platform. Peach's momentum should carry her off the ledge on the top platform going toward the opposite platform, and instead of continuing to hold open her parasol, Peach will be falling as if she never used her up B and be able to aerial or do another special immediately! Not for the faint of heart, since missing a ledge cancel as important as this could be the difference between recovering and getting KOed!
- Peach still will not grab ledges behind her while the parasol is open. NOTE: If you close the parasol, Peach will grab any ledge in her range, even ones behind her! If you up B the wrong way, calmly try to close the parasol without fastfalling for an added attempt to grab that ledge!
- EDIT: After some testing, falling projectiles such as Villager's uncharged forward smash and tree attacks will be beat out by this move when recovering! While it still requires some good timing, you can jump right through the attack and recover through a lot of stuff that might be chucked your way!
And here we are at the third spoiler tag. Almost to the end of these! As with her down B, Peach's Up B have two very different, very distinct customs to her Up B category. It entirely depends on your playstyle, but note that you absolutely no longer get her up B hitbox while jumping up when you shift away from her default. With that said...
Welcome to Peach's first custom up B! This move is mostly self-explanatory of what it does, but it comes with its weaknesses...
And now, the last of Peach's Up B options! As before, this move does not have a startup hitbox like the original Peach Parasol. However, it has its own set of strengths and weaknesses...
Parasol High Jump
Welcome to Peach's first custom up B! This move is mostly self-explanatory of what it does, but it comes with its weaknesses...
- Instead of Peach's hitbox, she takes a moment and rockets into the air the same height as her first and second jump combined! This by far is her biggest buff in terms of her Peach Parasol, which only seems to add another of her jump's height to what she already had.
- It's debatable that her landing animation when forced to hit the ground is a bit shorter than landing on the ground with Peach Parasol.
- Peach no longer opens her parasol at all when she reaches the apex of her Up B. This is both good and bad. Why?
- Peach never has to worry about not grabbing the ledge behind her while drifting down with her parasol, since she automatically closes it.
- Peach's horiztonal recovery is tremendously slashed, since her drifting after coming back down isn't allowed until after she begins to fall. She also can't freely change direction like she can with her parasol, and when she does it's very slow.
- While falling, Peach no longer has vertical hitbox coverage. This doesn't sound like a big deal, but I've had her Up B hitbox cancel out even things such as Sonic's spring, decreasing the amount of things that can potentially edgeguard Peach.
Light Parasol
And now, the last of Peach's Up B options! As before, this move does not have a startup hitbox like the original Peach Parasol. However, it has its own set of strengths and weaknesses...
- At first, this seems to have the lowest height of all Peach's options. However, each time Peach opens her parasol for about 3-4 seconds, she will 'bounce' and Mary Poppins her way into the sky. Simply by timing the parasol's open and close animation with the time she has, she can repeat this process up to six times. With this alone, she goes behind the text in fixed camera on FD. Meaning, she gains even more height than Parasol High Jump, but takes a while to get there.
- While the parasol is able to stay open, Peach's horizontal mobility is faster than all her other options, going at about the same rate, if not faster, than when she's running. This also makes this version of her Up B the most versatile in terms of recovery, depending on which she needs most at the time.
- Speaking of her parasol, she has the cover over her head... however, this comes at two huge costs for all this utility.
- The knockback on the open parasol is reduced. While this does mean for a short time she can actively chase and combo with this(was able to combo hit a jumping Mario with this at 42% on Training), it also means that at 300% this will not KO.
- The duration the parasol can remain open is extremely reduced. Where Peach can drift down extremely long on Peach Parasol at about 11-12 seconds, this can stay open at maximum four seconds.
With all of Peach's recovery options, it really is left up to the player which option is best for them. Do you want a quick burst of height to grab the ledge? Do you want a hitbox that can KO at respectable percents, and potentially save you from opponents trying to drop hitboxes on top of you? Or do you want a versatile recovery that can give you the best of both worlds, but give up some potential combo and KO options? Peach has an option for every method of recovery and playstyle!
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Last and has been considered least for the last two games Peach has been in is her neutral B. You know, the one where she somehow pulls Toad out of left field to tank a hit for her? Yep, that's the one! Is it still considered one of her least worthwhile moves, or has the guardian been lifting weights? We'll see...
Toad
As what seems to hold true across the board with all counter moves this time, Toad indeed has been given a buff. While it still does share a good amount of weaknesses, our neutral B is a far cry from the near uselessness it had in Melee. How so? Well...
- Toad boasts one of the biggest windows for the counter to activate. You see the amount of time that Peach flashes white? Until that stops happening, Toad will counter upon being hit. On top of that...
- Peach will now turn toward her attacker upon the counter being activated. No longer can someone activate Toad by standing behind her and then laugh as he uselessly spews spores in the complete opposite direction! This alone is a HUGE buff that has been sorely needed for a long time. Not only this, but...
- Due to the nature of how Toad attacks, this is the single largest counterattack in terms of range in the game. While it may not boast the KO potential it normally would have with people standing next to her(which also has been majorly increased), Toad's spores will knock anyone within his reach away from Peach! This covers her to recover from the cooldown, and have the added benefit of making your opponent think twice about doing a laggy move.
- Note that the nature of this counter is that of a projectile. As such, anyone with a reflecting move that also has a hitbox ala Mario's cape will both activate this counter and turn it against you for this and her custom moves! Against characters like that, you must use this move with caution!
- Interestingly, getting hit with Peach's open parasol will have Peach turn away from her opposing princess and have Toad counter in the opposite direction. Whether or not other moves have this same property is hard to say, but perhaps it can be used in a team with another Peach to give some cover fire?
- Peach can use Toad to stall while recovering. While it's still a risk, since getting struck from below will increase their chances of avoiding the counter altogether, it is a useful tool for messing with the timing of an attempted edge guard.
- In spite of all this, upon missing with either the activation of the counter or activating it and not hitting the opponent, Peach is wide open to get punished, herself. And while there are a few frames where Peach is invincible when pulling out Toad, she is still susceptible to being grabbed. Don't spam this move, and use it wisely instead!
And here we are, at the last spoiler tag. The two custom moves that Peach comes with for neutral B are interesting, and can completely change the very purpose for this slot. For sake of ease, I'll be going with the move that's more like the original Toad in terms of its purpose. You're almost at the end!
No, this isn't Toad sleeping on the job. Instead, this is counter that brings forth a rather interesting aspect from her Final Smash, without the giant healing peaches that fall on the stage. What do I mean by this? Well...
Instead of this move being a counter, it interestingly means that Toad, upon being brought out, will use his spore 'counter' as an attack, instead! What else has changed about this move, though?
Sleepy Toad
No, this isn't Toad sleeping on the job. Instead, this is counter that brings forth a rather interesting aspect from her Final Smash, without the giant healing peaches that fall on the stage. What do I mean by this? Well...
- When struck, instead of spores Toad will shoot out bubbles. While it doesn't look like much, the hitbox of this move lasts so long as the bubbles are out, making this a rather deceptive move. On top of that, as the custom move's name implies, Toad will put any grounded opponent to sleep! Obviously, the higher an opponent's percentage, the longer they will sleep. Around 100%, this counter was able to keep a level 9 computer, which are known to mash faster than the average human, in place long enough for Peach to hit with a fsmash!
- While that happens to grounded opponents, aerial opponents will instead get launched away. This is a good thing, but sadly it does not boast the KO power of regular Toad. This means that, against characters that like to do most of their approaching and attacking in the air, it will be the weaker move.
- Upon activation, due to the lingering hitbox it feels as if the actual counter itself allows you to move/attack sooner. Whether or not this is actually true is hard to accurately test, but this minute recovery is enough to make followup attacks, even a ground floated forward air, possible!
- With the power to put an enemy to sleep comes with a price. The activation window of this move is drastically cut, almost to the point that you have to have pinpoint accuracy to get the payoff that you want. Instead of a lingering, flashing Peach, you have one burst(when you see the flash) and that's it.
- It might be because of the extremely shortened activation window, but because of this the move feels even more laggy than missing with a normal Toad. Hope your instincts are sharpened!
- The percentage damage of this move is notably lesser than normal Toad, due to it being a single hit. While this doesn't mean much, since you'll only be using this for the sleep effect, it does mean you have to be more careful on when you use it if you want a guaranteed KO!
Grumpy Toad
Instead of this move being a counter, it interestingly means that Toad, upon being brought out, will use his spore 'counter' as an attack, instead! What else has changed about this move, though?
- As stated, Grumpy Toad will always use his spores when brought out. This means that the little blindspot in front of Peach on some of her moves such as forward smash can be covered. This always will push people away far enough for Peach to recover from the lag, making sure that when the spores hit you will not be punished for using this.
- The range of this move seems to be a little further than where the golf club portion of her forward smash would cover. As such, it can be used as a way to get people who are trying to hover just out of reach. It isn't recommended, though, since Peach will be wide open if she doesn't hit.
- Since this automatically shoots out spores, Peach will not turn toward her opponent when this is used. Instead, she will face the direction you used it in. This can be B reversed, but at that point it's better just to get out of the way.
- While it does have the automatic spores, the move doesn't deal as much damage as, say, her regular Toad. It also doesn't boast the KO power of it, either, making this more of a 'get off me' move than a potential kill move.
- Grumpy Toad, in his anger, will also take out the recovery aspect of stalling with it. Instead of 'bouncing' and hovering in midair like she does with regular and Sleepy Toad, she will instead sink like a rock. If you're missing her second jump, this could lead to unintentional SDs, so be careful!
Between all the different variants of Toad, one thing is at least certain. Peach players will find some use out of her new neutral Bs, especially for people being overly aggressive toward the princess. Whether you want a constant option to turn to, a counter that now boasts a decent chance of KOing, or another that's more precise, yet easier to follow up on, Peach has an option for them all! Which loyal servant will you choose?
I'll continue to update this, and Peachkid has volunteered to cover some aspects of turnip pulling he recently discovered, so I'll let him have the floor. This has sadly taken longer than I expected to type out, and I wanted to get at least some information circulating, discussion starting, and discovery sharing to start. Just because I've done an initial write-up doesn't mean discussion should stop! I'll also be looking through the Peach threads, alongside Peachkid, to link important techniques that are linked toward any of Peach's B moves, original or custom. Thanks for your time!
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. For those of us who used it frequently in that game, it was safe to assume that it functioned the exact same way, right?
