Zero EXE
Smash Journeyman
Just a little guide I threw together, and my first one at that.
Hope you get some use out of it.
1. gameplay
2. strategies
3. recovery
4. counters
5. overall
1. Gameplay
In my experience, Mario is a character best played in somewhat of a 'blitz' style, because of his powerful attacks against most charcters, and can just jump right in and start beating them around. He is quick, but sometimes not quick enough, so learning to utelize certain moves and combos for key situations is an important factor when playing as Mario, especially against notoriously speedy characters. Wavedashing can certainly help in the speed department, but it's not entirely necessary.
Short hopping, fast falling, and L-cancelling are very key to good Mario gameplay though. If you are not that proficient in those areas, you will want to get the hang of them before trying to fine tune your Mario game, sice they will help him out in terms of speed and proficientcy when performing combos.
2. Strategies
Jump, jump, JUMP! Or short hop actually, but you get the picture. Short hoping is the so-called catalyst in many of Mario's good combos. Short hop, fast falling and L-cacelling into a down or forward aerial is the best way to start off the combo. Once you land, a quick up tilt or triple A attack can be a good follow up, then you can add in whatever you wish, as long as it works effectively. (ie. chains into previous moves). Using a fast falled down aerial into up tilt is best done at low %s though, other wise the up tilt sends them too highy to chain into another attack.
At the start of a battle, a good strategy is 'fire ballin'', or spamming fire balls. If the opponent makes a mad dash for you, short hop backwards, fire a ball, and repeat until they're almost right next to you. This way the balls will stun them out of any combo starter they may try to do. If you have the opponent on the run, do the same, except hop forward. This way the balls will act as 1. a shield and 2. a means of starting a combo.
Any opponents comming from the air should be dealt with using Mario's sex or aerial back kick, because of their priority and surprising devestation. His back aerial is esspecially good in way of his 'wall of pain*' maneuver. *( left or right short hopping into back aerial repeatedly. Works best at low damage %s.)
His up aerial can also be used in a great, but hard to master, juggle. If anyone has seen some of Tetsuya's vids, you'll know what I mean. For those of you in the dark, I'm refering to juggling your opponent across the stage with repeated short hop, fast fall, up aerials. The damage racks up decently and it can easily be comboed into when perfected. It really must be done by using the C-stick though, since trying to use his up aerial and fast fall with the same control stick can easily cause you to slip up.
Remember to utelize his tilts as well, mostly forward and up. Down can sometimes be used to literaly trip up your opponents, but it must be done at the right time. Up is best used in combos and juggles, while forward can be used to knock back opponents and set them up for combos. Don't underestimate Mario's three A punch kick attack, it can be used in quick bursts to add on damage. Use running short hop sex kicks to get into your opponent's face with ease. Plus they can be deadly at high %s.
And of course we can't forget the cape, the bane of projectile spammers. It's best use in combat is just that; returning enemy projectiles. I know it can turn the opponent around, but this can easily be countered on the ground. That purpose is best suited for edgegaurding, either when the opponent is close to grabbing on the the ledge, or after they stop flashing after grabbing on.
3. Recovery
Mario's recovery ability is actually one of the best in the game to me, but quite a few people are still struggling to grasp the full concept. This mostly stems from the use of his down and B move. Most Mario players know to use his cape and up and B for recovering, but his down and B can sometime be the difference between survival and plummeting to the depths of the stage. Take note those of you who have trouble with Down and B recovery:
Mario's down and B should only be used when Mario is falling from a higher level then the stage. This means that if he is still far away and high above at the same time, THEN and only THEN should you use down and B for recovery. It will help him to get great horizontal distance, as well us propel him upwards. The cape and up and B can THEN be used to, hopefully, get back on the stage. Most people make the mistake of using down and B when Mario has already dropped below the level of the stage. Doing so is a GREAT error, as it causes lag after he finishes his spin, which in turn steals away ANY chanc of him grabbing the ledge.
4. Counters
Mario's speed is one of his key weaknesses. Against characters like Marth, Falco, and Fox, he can really have a hard time. Throw in the fact that Marth's sword and ungodly grab range can spell trouble, and Falco's blaster can really ruin your day. Their speed is what's really the big factor here though. You're best bet is to use the aformentioned hit-and-run style, as well as fireballin' to even the playing field.
Also, grabbing can be one of Mario's best friends in a heated battle. Throwing down is one of the best ways to set up combos, and throwing back can get them out of you hair long enough to formulate a strategem. Although these tips will help, in the long run, Mario will still have a tough time against speedy characters. Building up damage from afar and then moving in for the finishing blow is your best strategy in such battles.
5. Overall
Overall, Mario is a versitile character that, if used correctly, can be a very good character. If taken to a higher level, he can be one of the best in the game. Against fast characters though, he will have some difficulty. Just knowing how to use the moves he has available and incorporating basic techniques used by most really good smashers can bring you a step closer to mastering the powerhouse plumber.
If there are questions that were not answered, feel free to post in this thread about them and I'll try to answer as best as I can.
Hope you get some use out of it.
1. gameplay
2. strategies
3. recovery
4. counters
5. overall
1. Gameplay
In my experience, Mario is a character best played in somewhat of a 'blitz' style, because of his powerful attacks against most charcters, and can just jump right in and start beating them around. He is quick, but sometimes not quick enough, so learning to utelize certain moves and combos for key situations is an important factor when playing as Mario, especially against notoriously speedy characters. Wavedashing can certainly help in the speed department, but it's not entirely necessary.
Short hopping, fast falling, and L-cancelling are very key to good Mario gameplay though. If you are not that proficient in those areas, you will want to get the hang of them before trying to fine tune your Mario game, sice they will help him out in terms of speed and proficientcy when performing combos.
2. Strategies
Jump, jump, JUMP! Or short hop actually, but you get the picture. Short hoping is the so-called catalyst in many of Mario's good combos. Short hop, fast falling and L-cacelling into a down or forward aerial is the best way to start off the combo. Once you land, a quick up tilt or triple A attack can be a good follow up, then you can add in whatever you wish, as long as it works effectively. (ie. chains into previous moves). Using a fast falled down aerial into up tilt is best done at low %s though, other wise the up tilt sends them too highy to chain into another attack.
At the start of a battle, a good strategy is 'fire ballin'', or spamming fire balls. If the opponent makes a mad dash for you, short hop backwards, fire a ball, and repeat until they're almost right next to you. This way the balls will stun them out of any combo starter they may try to do. If you have the opponent on the run, do the same, except hop forward. This way the balls will act as 1. a shield and 2. a means of starting a combo.
Any opponents comming from the air should be dealt with using Mario's sex or aerial back kick, because of their priority and surprising devestation. His back aerial is esspecially good in way of his 'wall of pain*' maneuver. *( left or right short hopping into back aerial repeatedly. Works best at low damage %s.)
His up aerial can also be used in a great, but hard to master, juggle. If anyone has seen some of Tetsuya's vids, you'll know what I mean. For those of you in the dark, I'm refering to juggling your opponent across the stage with repeated short hop, fast fall, up aerials. The damage racks up decently and it can easily be comboed into when perfected. It really must be done by using the C-stick though, since trying to use his up aerial and fast fall with the same control stick can easily cause you to slip up.
Remember to utelize his tilts as well, mostly forward and up. Down can sometimes be used to literaly trip up your opponents, but it must be done at the right time. Up is best used in combos and juggles, while forward can be used to knock back opponents and set them up for combos. Don't underestimate Mario's three A punch kick attack, it can be used in quick bursts to add on damage. Use running short hop sex kicks to get into your opponent's face with ease. Plus they can be deadly at high %s.
And of course we can't forget the cape, the bane of projectile spammers. It's best use in combat is just that; returning enemy projectiles. I know it can turn the opponent around, but this can easily be countered on the ground. That purpose is best suited for edgegaurding, either when the opponent is close to grabbing on the the ledge, or after they stop flashing after grabbing on.
3. Recovery
Mario's recovery ability is actually one of the best in the game to me, but quite a few people are still struggling to grasp the full concept. This mostly stems from the use of his down and B move. Most Mario players know to use his cape and up and B for recovering, but his down and B can sometime be the difference between survival and plummeting to the depths of the stage. Take note those of you who have trouble with Down and B recovery:
Mario's down and B should only be used when Mario is falling from a higher level then the stage. This means that if he is still far away and high above at the same time, THEN and only THEN should you use down and B for recovery. It will help him to get great horizontal distance, as well us propel him upwards. The cape and up and B can THEN be used to, hopefully, get back on the stage. Most people make the mistake of using down and B when Mario has already dropped below the level of the stage. Doing so is a GREAT error, as it causes lag after he finishes his spin, which in turn steals away ANY chanc of him grabbing the ledge.
4. Counters
Mario's speed is one of his key weaknesses. Against characters like Marth, Falco, and Fox, he can really have a hard time. Throw in the fact that Marth's sword and ungodly grab range can spell trouble, and Falco's blaster can really ruin your day. Their speed is what's really the big factor here though. You're best bet is to use the aformentioned hit-and-run style, as well as fireballin' to even the playing field.
Also, grabbing can be one of Mario's best friends in a heated battle. Throwing down is one of the best ways to set up combos, and throwing back can get them out of you hair long enough to formulate a strategem. Although these tips will help, in the long run, Mario will still have a tough time against speedy characters. Building up damage from afar and then moving in for the finishing blow is your best strategy in such battles.
5. Overall
Overall, Mario is a versitile character that, if used correctly, can be a very good character. If taken to a higher level, he can be one of the best in the game. Against fast characters though, he will have some difficulty. Just knowing how to use the moves he has available and incorporating basic techniques used by most really good smashers can bring you a step closer to mastering the powerhouse plumber.
If there are questions that were not answered, feel free to post in this thread about them and I'll try to answer as best as I can.
