Smash 4 Guide: The Art of Perfect Pivot

[Izaw]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ_ZzAvSFis&list=UU3SM8yOKKwU8PYqwsNP5rGA

Welcome to Perfect Pivoting, the next level of movement. This is a guide on how to perform the technique as well as how it works, and what some character can do with it.

Yes, this is very similar to wavedash, but harder to perform, specially online.

I forgot, Toon Links Dtilt. The slide works. Captain Falcons Jab slide works as well.
If I forgot any other please let me know!

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[Muro]

great guide, you should tone down the music a bit more while you're talking though.

 

[<π]

Excellent guide. When mewtwo is out you should do an edit and add in the few moves you missed.

 

[Indigo Jeans]

Awesome guide! Imo you should also make an "actual guide" (in the guides section I mean) so you can get your video out to a wider audience.

 

[Scruffy_Scoundrel]

Do to it's similar aesthetics and applications shouldn't we just call this wave dashing to avoid confusion?

 

[ATH_]

This guide is incredible, definitely opens up more possibilities for PPing and shows off the difference in lengths really well.

Do to it's similar aesthetics and applications shouldn't we just call this wave dashing to avoid confusion?

No, it's not Wavedashing. You can't waveland and also the general way it works is very different.
Like, for instance, you can only use Smashes and Tilts by the C Stick, which limits you to only ever being able to use one at a time, unlike Wavedashing.

 

[Tristan_win]

Do to it's similar aesthetics and applications shouldn't we just call this wave dashing to avoid confusion?

Absolutely not!

Wave dashing and this run on completely different mechanics. Everyone knows what wave dashing is and how to do it so calling this by the same name would just be confusing.

edit: Also wave dashing never requires 1-2 frame window inputs which will be the main reason why I feel this wont catch on.

 

[Comboman77]

Do to it's similar aesthetics and applications shouldn't we just call this wave dashing to avoid confusion?

But it isn't wavedashing. You can't perfect pivot onto a platform from midair.

 

[KlefkiHolder]

Amazing guide. Really, I tip my hat to you sir.

One thing though, I thought we had pivots like this in previous games, they just were never really utilized? Like Tristan said above, the short window is one reason why they might never had. Also tripping and wavedashing, for obvious reasons.

I still don't know if it'll take off. The window really is that small.

 

[Opana]

Buffered Perfect Pivot with Shulk

Cannot watch the vid, but in case it wasn't covered I thought this would be good to share here as it doesn't seem widely known if at all.

 

[Asdioh]

Very nice. Is it impossible to PP into tilts (say, kirby's uptilt) without changing cstick to tilts? I've been happily using default controls and I don't want to change it >_<

 

[Captain Norris]

The definition of Perfect Pivoting has changed since it was first applied on the 3ds version. I remember it as not performing the dash animation but literally pivoting left and right without moving, which is also very great for mind games. Are they both considered Perfect Pivots now?

 

[Yoshi Kirishima]

I'm glad I checked this out. This is a much better guide than the one that "other one" that was made recently. I love how it goes through all the characters and shows off moves for us!

The definition of Perfect Pivoting has changed since it was first applied on the 3ds version. I remember it as not performing the dash animation but literally pivoting left and right without moving, which is also very great for mind games. Are they both considered Perfect Pivots now?

This is a good point. But I feel like perfect pivoting's meaning is defined more so by the actual pivot, in which you pivot in place. So even if you dash before perfect pivoting, it's still a perfect pivoting, just a dash into a perfect pivot.

But what would the verb form be? For melee you could say "wavedash into fsmash". In smash 4 would we say "pp into fsmash"? "forward pp into fsmash"? I guess that works, since pp is a short and easy abbreviation. Even without mentioning a direction, "pp into fsmash" would obviously imply that you're using the pp for a movement slide, because if you weren't using it for movement then it makes no sense to say "pp into fsmash".

I think perfect pivoting is fine.

 

[Yoshi Kirishima]

double post sorry

 

[Donkeybutter]

Also wave dashing never requires 1-2 frame window inputs which will be the main reason why I feel this wont catch on.

I still don't know if it'll take off. The window really is that small.

I think a lot of people don't realize that this tech is widely used in 64, and is vital for characters like Falcon and Kirby at a competitive level. It already took off in 64 a long time ago (64 community just calls it "pivots"), and that was without a c-stick to do tilts/smashes out of it. The reason it didn't take off in Melee was because of wavedashing/dash dancing, and in Brawl because of tripping (I still think it should've gotten more use in Brawl though). It had nothing to do with how hard it was, and 64 is proof that it's not too difficult to do consistently.

So I think for sure this will catch on in Smash 4, and once people get it down in muscle memory it will likely become really important to the meta.

 

[RanserSSF4]

I think a lot of people don't realize that this tech is widely used in 64, and is vital for characters like Falcon and Kirby at a competitive level. It already took off in 64 a long time ago (64 community just calls it "pivots"), and that was without a c-stick to do tilts/smashes out of it. The reason it didn't take off in Melee was because of wavedashing/dash dancing, and in Brawl because of tripping (I still think it should've gotten more use in Brawl though). It had nothing to do with how hard it was, and 64 is proof that it's not too difficult to do consistently.

So I think for sure this will catch on in Smash 4, and once people get it down in muscle memory it will likely become really important to the meta.

I was going to say the exact same thing :D

I've seen some people say that they think this tech will slow down the game even more (The best example is Papapaintvids on twitter). I disagree with him on that, but than again, he never knew it was a good tech in Smash 64.

 

[PigmaskColonel]

I just find myself dash dancing instead of actually turning around. I can't get Wario to slide...

 

[Colin Steele]

Is nobody afraid this will be patched out? I'm almost certain it will. Sakurai made it pretty clear he doesn't like overly complicated advanced techniques.

 

[Captain Norris]

Is nobody afraid this will be patched out? I'm almost certain it will. Sakurai made it pretty clear he doesn't like overly complicated advanced techniques.

I am fairly certain it won't be patched out This had been here since the demo of the 3ds version, if not earlier. I can almost guarantee they already know about this. Plus, ad people have noted, it has been in all the other past games, so it isn't really new, but it is more applicable this game because other mechanics do not get in the way. But that is just me two cents.

 

[Colin Steele]

I am fairly certain it won't be patched out This had been here since the demo of the 3ds version, if not earlier. I can almost guarantee they already know about this. Plus, ad people have noted, it has been in all the other past games, so it isn't really new, but it is more applicable this game because other mechanics do not get in the way. But that is just me two cents.

I guess... I just really don't think the game needs it. I don't have a great local scene so of course I play a lot online, and this kind of thing requires such precision, I just don't see myself getting good at it. So even if I practice on my own time, I won't really ever be a match for someone who plays locally and gets to practice this tech with no latency. I was pretty excited to learn that wave-dashing was out, and now it's back. The longer this game is out the less I see myself playing competitively.

 

[Captain Norris]

I guess... I just really don't think the game needs it. I don't have a great local scene so of course I play a lot online, and this kind of thing requires such precision, I just don't see myself getting good at it. So even if I practice on my own time, I won't really ever be a match for someone who plays locally and gets to practice this tech with no latency. I was pretty excited to learn that wave-dashing was out, and now it's back. The longer this game is out the less I see myself playing competitively.

mm... I am in a very similar boat as you. There is a different form of perfect pivoting that is very easy to do online. Basically you just quickly wiggle the sticks back and forth, but do not hit the sides of plastic (if you know what I mean). You know you did it correctly if you do not see any dust clouds and you just rotate between the character facing left and right. Although it is similar to how the pp that is mentioned above, it is used more for mind games, like dash dancing. Doing this type of pp into fox trotting and then into pivot boosting (or whatever it is called now, where you slide from pivoting; not perfect pivoting) is extremely handy, and super simple to perform. That is what I use anyway.
Also, if you ever want to join some online tournaments, keep an eye out for Speedy/Norris monthly tournaments. one is coming up this January. Maybe that will help you keep in the competitive scene?

 

[Roukiske]

Personally, I don't like the fact that the stick must get into neutral in 1-2 frames (I assume). My almost new GC control for some reason has trouble registering the neutral (I assume) despite it feeling very brand new so at first I thought this technique was extremely hard, but later I found out it was my controller. I can consistently do it on my controller pad pro and on one of my more broken down GC controllers. Kinda lame that my tournament controller can't do it consistently.

If Nintendo embraces this technique like they do with pivot tilts and smashes, I can only hope they patch it to increase the frame window as we all know they like accessibility, and just maybe, more people would be into it. Nobody is complaining about pivot tilts right? Pretty simple to do IMO.

 

[Captain Norris]

I was wondering this a few weeks ago; is it possible for people to loosen the sticks to make them more fluid and allow people to react quicker without permanently destroying the controller? Cause theoretically, if you could loosen out those sticks, this would be simpler to do.

 

[Roukiske]

I was wondering this a few weeks ago; is it possible for people to loosen the sticks to make them more fluid and allow people to react quicker without permanently destroying the controller? Cause theoretically, if you could loosen out those sticks, this would be simpler to do.

It would be an interesting mod, but personally I like the feel of a snappy new stick. Might be unrelated, but some people have taken out the corner grooves out of their controller, and even the rubber part. My friend's controller lost the rubber part and we call it the perfect moonwalking controller. I like that the GC controller is easy to take apart and put back as long as you have the specified screwdriver. Would I wanna mod a specific controller just for Smash 4? That's a good question...

Edit: Actually probably not, if you HAD to mod a controller it might alienate new players, and I do want this scene to grow alongside Melee

 

[Captain Norris]

It would be an interesting mod, but personally I like the feel of a snappy new stick. Might be unrelated, but some people have taken out the corner grooves out of their controller, and even the rubber part. My friend's controller lost the rubber part and we call it the perfect moonwalking controller. I like that the GC controller is easy to take apart and put back as long as you have the specified screwdriver. Would I wanna mod a specific controller just for Smash 4? That's a good question...

Edit: Actually probably not, if you HAD to mod a controller it might alienate new players, and I do want this scene to grow alongside Melee

hmm... it could also benefit the scene though. You could potentially create a successful business if you were to create a monopoly over these types of modded controllers. Just some food for thought, and I doubt this would happen.

 

[Waymas]

Awesome job Izaw!

 

[LiL.Will]

Very nice. Is it impossible to PP into tilts (say, kirby's uptilt) without changing cstick to tilts? I've been happily using default controls and I don't want to change it >_<

Yes its just you may accidentally USmash its about as tough as practicing skid cancel Utilts.

 

[Curtis Nielson]

As a fox main, at 12:02-12:13 where he just pp's around as fox gives me hope that as the game progresses, the speed will increase

 

[M15t3R E]

Will the Perfect Pivot and its applications make as huge an impact for SSB4 gameplay as the wavedash did for Melee?

 

[Golem18]

Please tell me how to perfect pivot with the wiimote and nunchuck very hard since i have no gamecube adapter pls anyone help vhard to perfect pivot
My input is hard to do with the nunchuck

 

[Mistwyvern]

That is too hard to do

 

[Ryu Myuutsu]

I'm not sure, but it definitely looks like something that can improve one's playstyle. I do it on the 3DS version and I've managed to pull it off several times successfully, although it's hard for me to do it to the right side. After I've gotten more used to this I'll start incorporating it more into battle.

I've managed to do it consistently on my 3DS, thought I have trouble going to the right. I'm able to do smashes out of it because I use the C-stick of the New 3DS; unfortunately it cannot be mapped to tilts but I think it's fine anyways.

 

[Epok]

I think it it very useful but its not something that is gonna be spammed . I think that is where the difficulty factor gets a bit skewed. I don't think it will effectively replace wave dashing but is is a solid move option that will reward higher level play.

I think a big issue with these types of techs is that it's not something you can just try out with your friends for the lolz right after seeing it on a youtube vid. It's something that you have to actually practice and I think that can be a big turn off to some people when trying to learn new techs.

It effectively can make the game a bit grindy.
On the other hand, if you wanna play at a competitive level that's what you have to do some times. Maybe a basketball player doesn't wanna spend 6 hours working on his jump shot. But if you are serious about improving you will.

Because of the holiday I have a lot of free time. So I practice PP about 30 min a day in training mode before I play normals with friends. That little goes a long way though.