So, I never understood this.

[Mephicus]

Why do people (extended) dash dance so much more often in Smash Ultimate than they did in Smash 4?

First off: it removes your ability to shield during said dash. Shorthop fastfalling repeatedly is a better option if people are going for baits iirc.

The last time I played against a guy that wasn't on Quickplay who did the same thing, he was a Roy player, and apparently "it kept his hands warm", though I don't see how flicking a joystick back and forth would do that, especially considering you usually only do it with your thumb (which is one hand).

Does anyone else have an answer for this? I'm clueless and if there's already been a post with the same question, please direct me to it.

 

[Technourgos]

Dash dancing can be useful. It, like short hopping, can bait anyone. Some don't respond to it as well as others. Not all dashes are the same, so some can shield sooner than others as well.

 

[Blade of Evil's Bane]

Why do people (extended) dash dance so much more often in Smash Ultimate than they did in Smash 4?

First off: it removes your ability to shield during said dash. Shorthop fastfalling repeatedly is a better option if people are going for baits iirc.

The last time I played against a guy that wasn't on Quickplay who did the same thing, he was a Roy player, and apparently "it kept his hands warm", though I don't see how flicking a joystick back and forth would do that, especially considering you usually only do it with your thumb (which is one hand).

Does anyone else have an answer for this? I'm clueless and if there's already been a post with the same question, please direct me to it.

I think it depends a lot on the matchup and on the character you're playing.

For example, i play Ryu and Ken, dash dance is often a superior option with them since their fast falling speed is really bad. So in order to approach in neutral and/or bait your opponent, it is way safer to dash in and out (especially with Ken).

Another example, Link is a bit sluggish on the ground (slow dash speed and relatively slow ground attacks) but immensely faster in the air (with one of the best fast fall speed in the game coupled with good aerials) so dash dancing with him is a really bad idea.

Some characters are proficient both on the ground and in the air (e.g. Roy), in this case, dash dancing is a good option if your opponent's character has good anti-air moves that can catch you midair (e.g. if you're playing against a Palutena player, they're likely to catch you midair with a Nair so dash dancing becomes a safer option).

In some situtations, it's way simpler, people are just randomly dash dancing to show off

Edit: As for the comparison with Smash 4, all characters received a run speed buff in Ultimate. There's some variations depending on the character but it's generally around 10%. For airspeed it's around 5% (again, it varies). So yeah, basically, characters who were fast on the ground in Smash 4 are even faster now in Ultimate so it could very well be a major reason why dash dancing is better in Ultimate (for certain characters).

 

[KetchupKaffei]

Dash dancing is for baiting, as well positioning, and satisfaction of feeling fluid motion. It's not needed all the time of course, but majority of the time it keeps others on their toes, which is what you want.