GamerStrategy BlogIn this first segment of Super Smash Bros. Brawl strategy, I will go over a number of characters used in the game. Many of the same tactics apply to the majority of characters, which is why I will focus on the strengths and weaknesses of each one.
MARIO:
Strength: Mario is a good all around character, this means that although he may not excel in any specific way, he is not lacking in any way either. The main strength of Mario is the use of his combo moves such as the up tilts and Forward and Down Smash attacks.
Weakness: The strengths of Mario are undoubtedly his weakness as well, and his “all around” balance means that it is often hard to get kills without a lot of effort and skill. Mario is a great character to use, but the fact that he does not have those “instant kill” moves means dominating with him requires a skilled player.
DONKEY KONG:
Strength: Well, this should be pretty obvious, but DK is a powerhouse of raw power, although he tends to be on the slow side. He has great combat range and very powerful finishing moves as well as throws, making him a deadly adversary. His best move, the Giant Punch, can easily KO players and is a great tactic for racking up those kills.
Weakness: While strong and powerful, DK is also a bit slow, which means getting in range to deliver his combo moves or grab a player to throw can be difficult. While he dominates against most players, a skilled opponent will know to stay out of DKs range, making for a difficult fight.
LINK:
Strength: Link has a surprisingly similar play style to Donkey Kong, which powerful moves and slow movement speed. Link has a variety of moves to damage players such as bombs and ranged attacks. His sword is also a solid melee damage attack that can also be used in deadly combo moves.
Weakness: While Link has a great arsenal of tricks up his sleeve, he tends to be a slower character and often a bit clunky to control, especially with the Wii controller. The best strategy for Link is to make sure your not caught chasing faster players, and instead lure them back to you.
SAMUS:
Strength: Samus is one of the best ranged characters in the game, using missles and charged shots to damage opponents before they can get in range to attack. The best use of Samus is to keep at medium range, close enough to use missles, but far enough away to not get hit. Samus also has great close combat moves for finishers, although they require skill to use effectively.
Weakness: Samus, like Link, is a slow ranged damager. This means that it is essential to not chase faster players and to stay back and do damage from afar.
YOSHI:
Strength: Yoshi, while cute and cuddly, is also one of the deadliest characters in the game if used correctly. Yoshi has powerful kicks and headbutts, but his main player killer is the use of his tongue and egg. More often than not you can have your enemies falling offstage in an egg while you dominate the game.
Weakness: Yoshi, while extremely strong in close quarters, lacks long range damage. The best way to get around this is to stay in close to medium range and not letting the longer ranged characters get far away.
KIRBY:
Strength: Kirby is one of the best hit and run style characters of the game. He has powerful air to ground attacks and combat entries, which means he can fly in to deal damage, and then escape without taking too much damage. Kirby is also extremely maneuverable, and that can be deadly in the hands of skilled player.
Weakness: Kirby, while strong at entering battle, lacks the melee strength to go toe to toe with the stronger characters. The best way to counter this is to use a guerrilla style of combat, never standing your ground and hitting only to run away.
FOX:
Strength: Fox has great range attack as well as decent close range combos, and he is also one of the faster characters in the game. The best use of Fox is to use your speed to harass characters until they have a high enough percentage to use a combo such as the Up or Forward smash to kill them.
Weakness: Although Fox is extremely fast and a great agressive player, he is terrible at playing a defensive game. Fox relies on slowly harassing players until he can land one of his combos, and he lacks the giant finisher moves the more powerful characters have.
PIKACHU:
Strength: Pikachu is one of the fastest characters in the game, and with decent combos and great ranged attacks he can be a strong adversary. The best use of Pikachu is using his ranged attacks to force a player close enough to use one of the finisher combo or electricity moves. He also has a great Down Smash that is essential when damaging stronger, slower, characters.
Weakness: Pikachu has great combo moves, however his greatest weakness is effectively using them. His combo attacks tend to be a bit difficult to land and get in at the right time, which can be frustrating for a newer player. The best way to get around this is to use Pikachu once you have the generally feel of the game down, and you know how to land combos.
BOWSER:
Strength: Bowser is a sheer powerhouse of strong attacks and combos. Although he is slow, his attacks do so much brute damage it tends to even out. He also has a great set of counters to other players combos, which means you will not fall prey to the faster smaller characters.
Weakness: Although his slow and cumbersome nature is a weakness, his greatest weakness is the patience it takes to use him effectively. Most people simply get frustrated when trying to learn how to counter other players while using such a large character. Once you have this down however, victory will be yours.
ZELDA:
Strength: Although she may seem frail, Zelda has great range attacks and a large hitbox. She also has great special moves such as Dins fire, which allows you to force players to stay close to you or get burned. One strange and useful ability is the move to transform into Shiek, which is an entirely new character. Transforming makes players totally rethink their strategy and can catch opponents off guard.
Weakness: Although Zelda has great range and a good hitbox, she is not very good at chasing down opponents. The best way to counter this is to keep your opponents in range with her specials and destroy them when they get close.
SHIEK:
Strength: Although considerably less powerful than what she was in Melee, Shiek still has great combos and finishers. Shiek has a great recovery, which means it best to let opponents attack you than stay on the offensive. She also has some great special attacks such as Vanish and Needle Storm, although needle storm has been nerfed a fair bit. Oh, and you can turn back into Zelda at any time.
Weakness: Shiek used to be unstoppable in Melee, but due to being nerfed, she lacks the finishing power she had in the previous title. Instead of KOs, you must now rely on doing constant damage until you can land a combo attack or special.
ICE CLIMBERS:
Strength: Ice Climbers are unique because they are two characters who fight as one. This can be extremely powerful when used by a skill player who can make use of their great combos and recoveries. Another bonus is sometimes a single ice climber is killed, leaving you alive with basically half a character.
Weakness: Ice Climbers have great combos and special attacks such as Ice Shot and Blizzard, but the powerful attacks often have a long delay, which makes them hard to place on the faster characters. The best way to get around this is to practice maneuvering your opponent into your combos at the right time.
PEACH:
Strength: Peach has a number of great combos and specials, but her most powerful asset is the ability to float quickly into and away from fights. Her ability to glide for distances means she can often stay alive when other players would fall to their death. It also means her air attacks such as the crown attack are devastating when used by skilled players.
Weakness: Although Peach can evade attacks with ease, she is not a very strong damager, which can be frustrating when facing one of the larger powerhouse characters. The best way to get around this is to stay safe in the air and damage your opponent enough to perform a combo.
**CONTINUED IN PART 2**
