Togii
Smash Apprentice
Mario Analysis
Pros
+ Due to Kirby's weight, he can't combo you too much
+ Kirby has slightly more range than Mario on his attacks, allowing for careful outspacing.
+ FLUDD is basically useless against Kirby
Cons
- Mario can force you into the air or into shield with Fireball
- Mario's frame data is comparable/better than Kirby's
- Final Cutter is very easy to cape
Copy Ability
Any projectile is useful on Kirby, and Fireball is no exception. Unfortunately, Mario has a reflector, which somewhat inhibits its usefulness.
Custom Moves
Jumping Inhale, since Mario's recovery isn't the best, and Fireball is pretty useful.
Hammer Bash, since Mario will probably not give you time to charge a hammer.
Upper Cutter, because the other two are too easy for Mario to cape. Plus Upper Cutter is amazing.
Grounding Stone is personal preference. Mario can pretty much always punish you if you land with regular stone, and grounding stone lets you get out quicker. Any stone can viably work in the matchup.
Stage Picks
Avoid stages with low ceilings, as Mario kills primarily vertically. I don't think any stages give Kirby too much of an advantage, but I seem to do well on Battlefield and Smashville. Platforms help with avoiding Fireball spam, and I think they benefit Kirby slightly more than Mario.
Additional Notes
Here's me playing against my friend's Mario: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkSzN_Mbacc I played bad the first stock due to my roommate talking to me, but bring it back later. Honestly, I would've lost if it weren't for that cape and explosion punch near the end.
Dair is not good against Mario, so try not to rely on it; his utilt, uair, and usmash all beat it out. You can see me try it a few times at the beginning of my video and get punished for it every time (I think I was playing against DK previously and I was in that state of mind).
Gimping Mario is a great idea, but it can be difficult to get through his Fireballs with Kirby's slow air speed. However, if you hit him with any aerial (especially fair or dair) after he's used his jump, he is probably dead.
If you find yourself in shield with Mario throwing Fireballs at you, he will probably go in for a grab after a couple. Read this and punish, or at least don't get grabbed.
Overall
The matchup is pretty even. Both characters have similar strengths. Mario has a better juggle game and speed, but Kirby kills easier and can't get juggled by Mario too much. I think Mario has a slight advantage over Kirby due to his speed and frame data being able to put a lot of pressure on Kirby, and keeping Kirby from juggling Mario, in addition to his ability to camp Kirby pretty well with Fireball. Overall, I give this matchup a 45:55
Pros
+ Due to Kirby's weight, he can't combo you too much
+ Kirby has slightly more range than Mario on his attacks, allowing for careful outspacing.
+ FLUDD is basically useless against Kirby
Cons
- Mario can force you into the air or into shield with Fireball
- Mario's frame data is comparable/better than Kirby's
- Final Cutter is very easy to cape
Copy Ability
Any projectile is useful on Kirby, and Fireball is no exception. Unfortunately, Mario has a reflector, which somewhat inhibits its usefulness.
Custom Moves
Jumping Inhale, since Mario's recovery isn't the best, and Fireball is pretty useful.
Hammer Bash, since Mario will probably not give you time to charge a hammer.
Upper Cutter, because the other two are too easy for Mario to cape. Plus Upper Cutter is amazing.
Grounding Stone is personal preference. Mario can pretty much always punish you if you land with regular stone, and grounding stone lets you get out quicker. Any stone can viably work in the matchup.
Stage Picks
Avoid stages with low ceilings, as Mario kills primarily vertically. I don't think any stages give Kirby too much of an advantage, but I seem to do well on Battlefield and Smashville. Platforms help with avoiding Fireball spam, and I think they benefit Kirby slightly more than Mario.
Additional Notes
Here's me playing against my friend's Mario: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkSzN_Mbacc I played bad the first stock due to my roommate talking to me, but bring it back later. Honestly, I would've lost if it weren't for that cape and explosion punch near the end.
Dair is not good against Mario, so try not to rely on it; his utilt, uair, and usmash all beat it out. You can see me try it a few times at the beginning of my video and get punished for it every time (I think I was playing against DK previously and I was in that state of mind).
Gimping Mario is a great idea, but it can be difficult to get through his Fireballs with Kirby's slow air speed. However, if you hit him with any aerial (especially fair or dair) after he's used his jump, he is probably dead.
If you find yourself in shield with Mario throwing Fireballs at you, he will probably go in for a grab after a couple. Read this and punish, or at least don't get grabbed.
Overall
The matchup is pretty even. Both characters have similar strengths. Mario has a better juggle game and speed, but Kirby kills easier and can't get juggled by Mario too much. I think Mario has a slight advantage over Kirby due to his speed and frame data being able to put a lot of pressure on Kirby, and keeping Kirby from juggling Mario, in addition to his ability to camp Kirby pretty well with Fireball. Overall, I give this matchup a 45:55
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