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Super Smash Bros Brawl
Kirby Character Guide
Written by Travis Evans AKA Regis_Neo
Legal Info:
This entire document is copyright 2008 by me. All trademarks are property of
their respective owners. No section of this guide can be used without my
permission. This includes, but is not limited to posting on your website,
making links to my guide, including parts of my guide in your own, or making
reference to any material contained within.
===================================
Table of Contents:
===================================
1. About the Guide [ABT1]
2. About the Character [ABT2]
3. Standard Moves and Smashes [SAS]
4. Special Moves [SPECM]
5. Final Smash [FS]
6. General Strategies [GENS]
7. VS Specific Characters [VSC]
8. Stadium Mode Strategies [SMS]
9. FAQs [FAQU]
10. Version and Credits [VERC]
=========================
1. About the Guide [ABT1]
=========================
Well, this'll be my second guide here on Gamefaqs. Basically, I wrote this
guide as a source for people interested in picking up one of the series' best
characters, Kirby. I don't profess myself to be the absolute authority on
Kirby, but I have been using Kirby since the original Super Smash Bros. and
have had some great successes with him. Hopefully this'll be a useful resource
in getting you started out.
=============================
2. About the Character [ABT2]
=============================
Hailing from Dream Land, Kirby has been in nearly 20 or so games and anime
series since his debut in Kirby's Dream Land back in 1992. The Kirby series
was created by Masahiro Sakurai and Hal Laboratory, whom you may recognize as
the main developer and creators of this game as well. Where Kirby gets his
name to this day is unknown exactly; the two main sources are that he was
either named for John Kirby, Nintendo of America's legal counsel in the Donkey
Kong/King Kong debacle with Universal Studios, or after the Kirby vaccums and
their powerful suction capabilities. Sakurai himself states that he does not
remember where Kirby got his name from.
Being his cute, round, pink adorable self, you might find it hard to take
Kirby seriously as fighter who has saved the land multiple time from numerous
threats, most often involving King Dedede. His various attacks often revolve
around inhaling and spitting out objects or puffs of air. Since the game
Kirby's Adventure, he has also had the ability to inhale enemies and to copy
their abilities for his own use. In the more recent Kirby games, he has a full
set of moves to use without copying abilities, such as a slide kick, basic
punches, and more. It is intersting to note that Kirby's species has no given
name, or origin for that matter. Aside from potentially MetaKnight (who looks
almost exactly like Kirby when unmasked, except being blue and black in
color), Kirby is pretty much the only one of his species in the games.
In the Super Smash Bros series, Kirby was a powerful fighter in the original,
with quick, deadly moves despite his light weight. In Melee, Kirby was nerfed;
his attacks were slower, his Dash A was replaced with a horrible fireball
attack that killed you more often than it helped, and just overall was
weakened nearly to the point of unplayability. However, Kirby makes a
triumphant return to his near-original power; he is light, nimble, and has
some very damaging attacks, as well as ditching that horrible Dash A.
===================================
3. Standard Moves and Smashes [SAS]
===================================
--------------
Basic Attacks:
--------------
Neutral A: Jab (2%)
-Description: Basic jab, no knockback. Meant to be pressed more.
A+A+A+...: Multi-hits (2, 3, 1,...%)
-Description: Multiple consecutive hits that hammer your opponent. Easily
to spammable, with light knockback after a while.
Tilt Up A: Back Kick (5%)
-Description: Basic upward kick, very low knockback.
Tilt Forward A: Kick (8%)
-Description: Basic kick, very low knockback.
Tilt Down A: Low Kick (5-6%)
-Description: Basic low kick, very low knockback.
Dash + A: Upside-down whirl kicks (Up to 14%)
-Description: One of your main means of doing damage. Gets you in close to the
opponent, and if the last kick connects solid enough, will sends your opponent
up into the air, setting you up for a combo.
Jumps: Kirby can perform up to 5 jumps in the air, giving him some very great
recovery capabilities. I figured this was important enough to note
specifically.
-------
Smashes
-------
Forward Smash: Hard Kick (15% uncharged, up to 21% fully charged)
-Description: This'll probably be your main attack right here. Great knockback
potential at higher percentages and clears the opponent away. It is also fast
to execute, and you can potentially get in 2-3 of these (uncharged) depending
on your opponent.
Up Smash: Flip Kick (15% uncharged, up to 21& fully charged)
-Description: Your main means of anti-aerial maneuvering. Quick to do and
ensures your opponent won't want to come back down near you. Also has decent
knockback at higher percentages.
Down Smash: Spin Kick (14% uncharged, up to 19% fully charged)
-Description: Use this if your opponent is prone to rolling around you to
clear them out. Has a small range, but hits both sides simultaneously as well.
-------
Aerials
-------
Remember, to perform any aerial attacks, you have to be in the air.
Neutral A: Kirby Spin-star (10-12%)
-Description: Simple spinning move in the air. Though it looks like it deals
multiple hits, it actually doesn't, so be aware of that. Useful anti-air move.
Forward A: Multi-air Kicks (4% initial, up to 12% if all 3 kicks connect)
-Description: Kirby throws 3 kicks at the opponent. If the last kick connects,
it will do decent knockback as well.
Back A: No-look Kick (12%)
-Description: Kirby kicks from behind. Simple, solid damage, with decent
knockback to boot. Useful if you have to approach the opponent if he's behind.
Up A: Air Flipkick (10%)
-Description: Kirby does a flipkick in the air. Low knockback, but it will
keep your opponent in the air.
Down A: Whirl Kick (2-14% depending on how many kicks land)
-Description: Kirby whirls in the air, dealing multiple kicks at the opponent.
This is as close as you'll get to a Meteor: by timing your kicks right, you
can force the opponent down low enough so he cannot recover easily, if at all.
------
Throws
------
Up Throw: Up and Crash (10%)
-Description: Kirby grabs his opponent, leaps high into the air, and brings
him down with a big crash! Has moderate knockback, especially at higher
percentages.
Down Throw: Stomp Stomp Stomp! (12%)
-Description: Kirby grabs his opponent, then repeatedly stomps on them. Can be
used for chain throwing at very low percentages, though it will fail later on
if you can't force them into a corner or something.
Forward Throw - Body Slam (8%)
-Description: Kirby does a Body Slam, with slight knockback.
Backward Throw: Piledriver (8%)
-Description: Kirby does a piledriver. Has decent knockback.
------
Taunts
------
If anything, Kirby's taunts are quite fun to watch.
Up: A part of Kirby's famous little victory dance.
Down: Kirby's "Hi" taunt from the other Smash Bros games.
Forward: Another part of Kirby's victory dance, with a spinning twist.
========================
4. Special Moves [SPECM]
========================
Neutral B - Inhale: Kirby sucks up the enemy and copies their powers! More
specifically, Inhale will copy the opponent's own Neutral B attack for Kirby's
own use (note that it will replace inhale) and change Kirby's appearance (for
example, he wears a Mario Hat when he uses Inhale on Mario). To copy the
power, hit Down or B to do it, and the opponent will also take 6% damage.
Alternatively, you can choose to spit them back out with A for 10% damage. For
a final alternative, Kirby can commit what is commonly known as a
"swallow/kirbycide", where he inhales the opponent and walks off the stage,
killing both you and the opponent. Be forwarned though, it will not work well
if you are at a high damage percent, and by doing so, you will lose the life
first, so if you think this is your solution when you and your opponent have
have 1 life left, think again. Best used if you have at least 1 life to spare
and/or have very little damage.
List of Characters and Neutral B attacks when copied:
Mario: Red Fireball (5%)
Luigi: Green Fireball (6%)
Peach: Toad (varies, counter damage)
Bowser: Fire Breath (1% all the way up to 52% depending on how much it hits)
Yoshi: Tounge&Egg (7% and encases opponent in an egg)
Wario: Bite (2% for each bite (mash B), up to 17% maximum)
Donkey Kong: Windup Punch (10% uncharged, up to 28% fully charged)
Diddy Kong: Popgun Peanut (5% uncharged, up to 17% fully charged)
Link: Arrow (4% uncharged, up to 12% fully charged)
Toon Link: Arrow (4% uncharged, up to 12% fully charged)
Zelda: Barrier (4% if barely touched, up to 12%. Also deflects projectiles)
Sheik: Needle Throw (3% uncharged with one needle, 18% fully charged)
Ganondorf: Warlock Punch (27%)
Kirby: Nothing
Metaknight: Tornado (Up to 18% depending on the number of hits)
King Dedede: Inhale 2.0 (10%)
Pokemon Trainer:
-Squirtle: Water Gun (14% if used close, otherwise 0%, but high knockback)
-Ivysaur: Bullet Seed (Up to 60% depending on how many times it hits)
-Charizard: Flamethrower (Up to 36% depending on how many times it hits)
Pikachu: Thundershock (6% minimum, up to 9% if up close)
Jigglypuff: Sing (No damage, makes opponent drowsy)
Lucario: Aura Sphere (7% minimum, up to 18% fully charged)
Marth: Shieldbreaker (8% uncharged, up to 24% fully charged)
Ike: Eruption (10% uncharged, up to 37% maximum with 10% self damage)
Lucas: PK Freeze (15-18% and freeze)
Ness: PK Flash (9% uncharged, up to 37% fully charged)
Fox: Blaster (1%, can be spammed for unlimited hits, no stun)
Falco: Blaster 1.5 (3%, light stun)
Wolf: Blaster 2.0 (6%, stun and extra damage if gun hits up close)
Pit: Light Arrow (5-9%)
Ice Climbers: Icicle (3%, goes down to 2% if used consecutively)
Mr. Game and Watch: Chef (4% per sausage, 9% if frying pan connects)
Captain Falcon: Falco Paunch! (27%)
Samus: Charged Shot (3% uncharged, up to 25% fully charged)
Zero Suit Samus: Mini blaster shot (4% uncharged, 7% fully charged and stun)
ROB: Eye Beam (X damage, depends on time charged)
Snake: Pineapple Grenade (2% if hit by grenade, 12% if hit by explosion)
Sonic: Homing Dash (8%)
Olimar: Pikmin Pluck and Throw (2% to 5% depending on the Pikmin)
Forward B - Hammer: Kirby brings out a hammer (which looks similar to King
Dedede's hammer) and swings it for a mighty blow (23% damage). When used in
the air, it now does two swings for 17% damage (one hit will knock them away,
you can't get both to land) as opposed to a spin attack like in Melee. Though
the hammer is slow to use, it has some great knockback potential, so it'd be
a good thing to at least practice with.
Up B - Final Cutter: Kirby pulls out a little sword, jumps up, and comes down
with a bang, unleashing a small shockwave. The full combo has 3 hits, each
doing 8% (rising hit), 2% (smack downward), and 5% (upclose shockwave damage).
The shockwave itself covers about half the stage (giving Kirby a pseudo-
projectile attack) and does 6% damage with good knockback as well. This is
Kirby's only means of vertical recovery after you've exhausted all of his
jumps.
Down B - Stone: Kirby hardens himself into a stone and drops down on the
enemy. The shape of the stone varies (Thwomp, Spiked Ball, 100 ton weight,
pink rock), but it always deals 18% damage. While in this state, Kirby is also
immune to all attacks (even some Final Smash damage), but he can still be
thrown. The Stone form wears off after about 3 seconds or so as well.
leumas292 has very kindly done an analysis on the effects of using Stone
against all of the Final Smashes in the game:
##############################################################################
Rating Key:
* = Not viable (don't even try, it's not worth it)
** = Slightly viable (rarely can be used, and even then, not that useful)
*** = Often viable (moderately useful, won't completely protect you, but does
a fair job)
**** = Always viable (slam that down+B, then laugh at your opponents pitful
mockery of an attack!)
Mario (****): Completely negates any damage or knockback. Ha!
Luigi (*): Doesn't protect you from any status ailments, not even the damage
caused by the flower. Slowed time makes you pathetically easy to grab and
throw too. Avoid using this like the plague.
Peach (****): Another complete negation. You can bypass any sleep she may try
to incur. And you can steal her peaches too (not as sexual as it may sound)!
It's what those philosophical types call a win-win!
Bowser: (**): Can be used to a limited extant to protect yourself from killing
blows, but don't expect it to save you. He can knock you out of stone pretty
easily, especially at high damages, and the cooldown lag from stone makes you
likely to catch a headbutt to the face. Dodging is preferred.
Donkey Kong (*): It lasts too long for stone to provide any solid defense.
You're best just to try to dodge and flee.
Diddy Kong (*): May have a limited use against a novice, but any seasoned
Diddy Kong player will pulverize you relentlessly. Not really viable; stick to
dodging and erratic movements.
Yoshi (**): Yoshi is a study in opposites. On one hand, his fireballs will
destroy you. Stone only blocks two fireballs at low damages, even less when
you're really hurting and need the protection. On the flipside, however, good
timing with allow you to greatly limit and possibly even eliminate any damage
caused by his fiery breath and physical impact. Unfortunately, most Yoshi
players use exclusively fireballs (and for good reason), reducing the
viability of stone as a defensive measure.
Wario (*): Yeah right. You're better trying to hit him with Mr. Saturn then
using stone. Stick to evasive maneuvers and edgehogging those precious
invincibility frames.
Link (*): Big surprise here, stone doesn't protect you in the least. Stick to
your dodging (crouching doesn't help either, although it looks like it
should...)
Zelda/Sheik (*): Both tested, both failed. Run with all your little heart,
Kirby! Oh, and crouching doesn't work here either (can't blame a guy for
trying...)
Ganondorf (***): An odd one. It protects you from the damage, but not the
knockback, regardless of distance. You'll still die at medium to high damages,
but at lower damages it can really save you.
Toon Link (*): Plot twist!!! It....still.....hits you....ah well, what did you
expect? He's Link v2.0.
Samus (***): Stone can help a lot here in minimizing damage. You can't block
an entire straight shot, but it absorbs enough to really take the sting off.
Knockback still applies.
Zero Suit Samus (****): It can be difficult to time this one, given the speed
at which ZZS's smash executes, but if you succeed, you're in the clear. No
damage, no knockback. Don't cancel out too early though, since there is a hit
when she reappears too.
Pit (**+1/2): Good ole' Centurions are still a pain in the rear! You can
absorb two or three hits tops, but after that you are ejected out of stone.
However, given the chaotic nature of this smash, it is possible to transform,
take a hit or two, cancel out, dodge, and transform again. This strategy can
greatly improve your odds against this attack.....if you can pull it off,
that is.
Ice Climbers (****): Keep your head and you'll be fine. Stone, cancel out, and
repeat. Being on the same side as the Ice Climbers can make this a mite
trickier, but you can still manage just fine. If they're stuck on the other
side, then you're golden.
R.O.B. (*): It protects you, but who cares?! You're just going to sit there
until R.O.B. grabs you and begins to hurl you about. At which point your death
will probably follow. Definitely want to retain your mobility on this one.
Kirby (*): *gasp!* What kind of sick, twisted, depraved abomination of science
has spawned this soulless doppleganger?! Oh, it's just Player 2. Stone does
nothing to help you, unless you like bathing in scalding hot soup. Next!
Meta-Knight (**): Kirby's arch rival/best friend/who knows can still scoop you
into his cape and fling you to Alpha Centauri. All stone does is make it extra
easy for him. Fortunately, if he hits someone else with his cape, you can
block the indirect strikes completely.
King Dedede (**): Good luck with this mess. You can block a couple Waddle Dees
and Doos for a little while, but eventually your stone will fail and you'll
start getting tussled about. After that, it's hard to get back into stone.
Gordos also knock you out of stone in a single hit with no incurred damage,
but knockback that is still calculated on your damage. Use it at the beginning
maybe, then stick with dodging.
Olimar (***): Forget about blocking the mauling damage. You can't. His
kamikaze return, on the other hand....A direct ship hit will still knock you
back, but not damage you, but an indirect hit will do nothing. And since
that's the part that most times KOs you, it's smart to prevent this with a
well-timed stone. Hey, at least you're not dead.
Fox/Falco/Wolf (*): I saw this one coming. Stone doesn't help against any of
the Landmasters (it's a tank, for God's sake, what did you think would
happen?!). You can block one/two cannon shots depending on your opponent and
damage, but other than that, no dice. In fact, they can push you right off the
edge when you're on the ground, and if they DO A BARREL ROLL (I couldn't
resist), you'll be ejected from your metamorphic form with little to do to
defend yourself. You deserve death if you use it on top of the tank.
Captain Falcon (****): This one I did not expect. It completely negates it.
Completely. As in "no lengthy cinematic cutscene which teaches poor vehicular
safety and manslaughter". Kirby and your parents approve. You have to be quick
and/or telepathic to succeed though, since it comes out pretty fast. Faster
than stone, anyway.
Pikachu (**): Against an untrained Pikachu player (otherwise known as "Thunder
-spammers"), you can probably avoid any and all damage. Then again, you could
stand in the one spot without moving or defending and garner a similar
result...Against a veteran electric mouse, your chances of survival decrease
dramatically. Volt Tackle moves too quick for stone to be really useful
against.
Pokemon Trainer (**): Much like Samus, if you can't dodge out of the way, you
might as well minimize your damage. You can't beat the whole thing, and you
still get hit with some hefty knockback. Still, why not?
Lucario (***): Similar to the Pokemon Trainer which in turn makes him similar
to Samus. By running away from the center and timing your transformation well,
you can avoid a decent chunk of hurt. Still, given Kirby's aerial prowess,
it's probably best to evade rather than weather.
Jigglypuff (***): Hmmm, a risk vs. reward scenario. If you use it and fail,
then you're dead. Simple as that. However, if you wait till the "JIGGLY" and
watch your granite form soar off the cliff, then cancel out in mid-air, you'll
completely halt your momentum. You then have the entire time Jigglypuff is
deflating to use your 133t recovery skills to return to land safely. Then
again, you could just use your l33t aerial skills to avoid the push entirely.
Use at your discretion.
Marth (-****): In case you were wondering, that's a negative 4-stars. Do not
use stone to combat Critical Hit, ever!!!
Ike (*): Must be a thing with Fire Emblem characters. Stone is worthless
against Great Aether. Think Meta-Knight, but more fire.
Ness (**): A matter of luck. If you get plowed with meteors, then you'll get
knocked around, since stone can block about two at low percentages. The big
problem is that your cooldown lag puts you at insane risk of being hit, so you
may revert back right in time to catch a ball of fiery light to your face.
Then again, you might be perfectly fine throughout the whole thing.
Lucas (**): See above, just blonder.
Mr. Game and Watch (*): You can weather a few strikes, but with your mobility
gone, it doesn't really matter. Then again, trying to dodge an angry,
two-dimensional octopus isn't likely to win Effective Plan of the Year either.
Good luck.
Snake (**): Snake? SNAAAAAKE!!!......you get the idea. Your maneuverability is
a great asset in avoid Snake's barrage. However, after to grenade hits, you'll
be flung without taking damage. You can use this to drop back into stone, thus
messing up his aim, wasting his time, and putting yourself out of harm's way
for another two shots. Unfortunately, try this more than once, and your
opponent will just wait for your transformation to end before blowing you to
Outer Heaven.
Sonic (**): Sonic goes Super Saiyan and jacks his power level.............
OVER NINE THOUSAND!!!!!! Against a whelp, you can probably block, cancel out,
and re-transform before he can manage his recoil. In the hands of an expert,
Sonic is a deadly, glowing bullet whom you have little chance against. Judge
your opponent, then take appropriate action (in that latter case, that's
probably death).
##############################################################################
================================
5. Final Smash - Cook Kirby [FS]
================================
For his Final Smash, Kirby dons a Chef hat and pulls out a giant pot while
grabbing a frying pan and spatula. Any enemy close by is drawn into the pot,
suffering 34% damage total and being chucked out. A few random items are also
created for Kirby to (hopefully) collect and use while the enemies are
airborne. The enemies do have to be in range (about less than a quarter of the
stage away) for this Final Smash to work, otherwise it fails and Kirby will
cook nothing.
============================
6. General Strategies [GENS]
============================
Kirby has greatly improved since Melee, almost to his original power back in
the original Super Smash Bros. Smashes are your best friend; Kirby executes
almost all of his smashes very quickly, allowing you to even hit someone 2-3
times in succession with his Forward Smash. His Dash A is also great once
again, not being some nerfed fireball thing. Dash A will generally be the best
way to open with Kirby, allowing you to get in multiple hits. From there,
depending on the opponent's total damage, you can follow this up with a
Forward Smash (if they're at a low damage % or a heavy character) or
alternatively your Forward A aerial if they're at a higher damage %.
You will want to learn also what I call the basic strategies as well, which
can be applied to any character. This includes:
- Rolling/dodging properly: This is so you don't end up with your back to your
opponent and don't start attacking in the wrong direction.
- Short-hopping: Quickly tapping your jump button or the control stick to do a
short jump, lets you get your aerial attacks in quickly and effectively.
- Foxtroting: Dash, let go of the control stick, dash. Good for keeping your
opponent guessing, and you can still smash.
- Reverse aerial rush: Dash, hit back and jump while hitting the direction
your momentum takes you so you can use the momentum to approach with a back
aerial.
- Pivot grabs: Run at your opponent as though you are going to Forward Smash,
but instead run through, turn around (quickly), and grab. It gives you an
extended reach.
In approaching the enemy, I find the best way is a simple Dash A attack; it
can score multiple hits and induce knockback (especially noticable at higher
levels), allowing you to set up your next move from there. This will generally
be a Forward Smash or a short-hop Forward aerial.
Kriby plays a solid ground game. His smashes are all quite fast and powerful,
leaving many characters at a loss for a response. His regular A attacks as
well as many of his copied abilities from Inhale also generally serve to
improve his ground game.
Whatever you do, when you come down on an opponent (in particular, human
opponents), avoid using Down B; the reason for this is that it is both very
predictable (especially with newbies) and it has a (relatively) long
animation, allowing your opponent usually enough time to move out of the way
and prepare a grab for you. If you have to use Down B, I recommend you cancel
out of it just right above the surface; this will allow you to use any
remaining jumps (if any) and, more importantly, use an aerial attack to catch
your opponent off-guard. You see, whenever you cancel or break out of your
Down B, Kirby will be in the air just long enough to lash out with an aerial
attack or to jump some more. Overall, if you can, avoid having to come down on
your opponents, Kirby is far too light to afford being nailed by a possible Up
Smash. Down A aerial is your best bet if you have to otherwise.
In aerial combat, Kirby is decent. His Forward A and Back A aerials are both
decently powerful, and his Down A is just great for getting in multiple hits.
His Up A is a bit lacking though, as it isn't quite as powerful as another
character's similar move. It will still serve your purpose of keeping them up
in the air though.
Kirby's pseudo-Meteor Smash is his Down A aerial attack. If timed right, you
can hit them at the very tip of your twirling kick, sending them downward.
Alternatively, you can just connect with it as you regularly would, which will
still drive them down, though not as much.
On wifi battles, using the C-Stick (or in general, C-Sticking) will help to
better serve your game. Due to lag, it's quite hard to get the timing on your
smashes just right, so using the C-Stick for a nice, quick smash is great when
in a pinch.
Finally, DON'T BE PREDICTABLE! The number one thing you can do wrong in my
opinion is to repeat the same move/combo again and again; eventually, your
opponent will catch on and force you off-guard, potentially scoring a KO as
well. Keep mixing up your strategies and be unpredictable.
More contributions from leumas292:
1. "You can dash an opponent and hit Down+B (stone) as you slide into them for
decent downish-horizontal knockback at medium to high percentages. However, it
has some windup lag, it kinda telegraphs, and missing with it practically begs
punishment. Still, it's something he can do, and can be used in some
situations to edgeguard with enough practice (especially after a D-air spike
when your opponent will just barely make the edge). However, if you overshoot,
you'll plummet straight off the edge, which can also be good (given Kirby's
awesome recovery) to catch opponents trying to vertically recover flush with
the ledge (Kirby's Final Cutter being a notable example). I don't really
recommend this strategy, since as it rarely works against skilled opponents.
2. His Side+B (hammer) works well in conjunction with short hops, since it
lets his momentum carry forward instead of stopping him dead in his tracks
like a ground hammer attack. It also eliminates much of the windup lag in the
process, and if you jump just right, you'll still get both your swings before
landing. You can also drift backward on the second swing to place yourself in
a more defensive position or escape a shieldgrab. Also, the second swing
commonly catches opponents off guard, since it happens so close to the ground
they expect it to just cancel. It also is useful for edgeguarding, since Kirby
can time it to get his two advancing or retreating swings off and near
instantaneously grab (and more importantly, hog) the edge.
Not only is this useful on opponents, but can pulverize (always a good
adjective to use with hammers and the swinging of hammers at people's heads)
SSE bosses like Rayquaza, Galleom, Petey Pirahana, pretty much any boss who
isn't air-based, such as the Ridleys (except Duon, may he burn slowly in acid
for his cheapness!), especially if you can get both swings in while drifting
backward, as it hits fast enough to still allow time to prepare for any
incoming attacks. This doesn't apply on Intense, however, where bosses attack
too quickly for you to have a decent defense mounted in time from their
devastating attacks. I can make it to Tabuu on Intense fairly consistently by
spamming this tactic. And yes, it's okay to spam against the computer since it
has no soul."
===================================
7. Versus Specific Characters [VSC]
===================================
------
Mario
------
Difficulty: **
The usual all-rounder he is, Mario doesn't pose much of a challenge. Just move
in and smash away. Seriously, Mario definately isn't much of a threat; he
lacks his Down Aerial from Melee (now instead it's his tornado) and his new
FLUDD definately sucks. So just kindly put him out of his misery.
------
Luigi
------
Difficulty: ***
His air game is his trump card: his Forward and Down Aerials are insane. In
addition, his Fireballs are more spammable than Mario's, and his Final Smash
is basically an "oh boy, I'm screwed" scenario if you get caught. His
Green Missile also gives horizontal recovery Mario can't even blink at.
Furthermore, beware of Luigi's uppercut, it will KO you at some insanely low
damage if it hits correctly since Kirby is so light. For beating Luigi,
despite his advantages, the strategies against Mario work here also; just
smash away. When Luigi tries coming back with Green Missile, use your Down A
aerial to clear him to the bottom. Overall, if anything be more aware if they
choose Luigi instead of Mario.
------
Peach
------
Difficulty: **
Not that hard imo, Peach was never that great. Stray away from her hip...
smash...thing (Forward B) and her vegetables and you should be fine. Peach has
great horizontal recovery via floating and her Up B, so make sure you make
good use of your Down A aerial to prevent her from coming back all the time.
------
Bowser
------
Difficulty: **
Bowser isn't that hard at all imo. He's slow and big, but he hits hard. As
with any heavyweight, play cautiously; don't be too eager to rush in, lest you
want to suffer a painful smackdown.
------
Yoshi
------
Difficulty: **
Annoying, but managable. Yoshi was never that great of a character, and this
is no exception in Brawl. Watch out for his Up B, as those eggs can get some
distance. Also beware not to get caught in his Neutral B if you're near an
edge, as it can lead to some cheap KOs if you're bad at breaking out of his
eggs. Yoshi also has some great recovery, but remember he only has one jump;
this allows you to play a decent game of keeping him away from the ledge.
Yoshi also isn't exactly a middleweight, letting you also get in some good
KOs when he's at a lower percentage.
------
Wario
------
Difficulty: ***
Annoying in the hands of a good player. Wario is decievingly quick, and can
catch you off guard if unprepared. Wario also has some good smashes, making
him hard to get near. In return, he doesn't have much in the way of
projectiles (no, the bike doesn't count really) and your smashes outspeed his.
Wario also has horrible recovery if his Down B isn't working (but otherwise,
beware if you get hit with it), so you can get in KOs there. Avoid running
into Wario when his mouth is open (Neutral B) as well, since he'll just chew
on you and spit you out.
------------
Donkey Kong
------------
Difficulty: ***
Donkey Kong is harder than his counterpart Bowser, but not much. A good DK
player will make use of his somewhat quicker attacks to catch you off guard
and to beat you down that way, as his attacks (particularly smashes and
Neutral B) will send you flying at low percentages. However, Donkey Kong is
still a big, slower character, and you outspeed him in most aspects.
Playing an aerial game with DK can be fun, as DK's air game isn't top notch.
-----------
Diddy Kong
-----------
Difficulty: ***
Watch out for his bananna peels, they're freaking annoying! Anyways, a good
Diddy player will take advantage of this and his other attacks to juggle you
around and eventually KO you with a smash or his Forward B. What you
have going for you though is that Diddy is a lightweight, making him easy to
KO given Kirby's smashing power. And since he has to charge his Up B to
recover any good distance, this gives you a window of opportunity to get in
there and hit him further away.
---------------
Link/Toon Link
---------------
Difficulty: ***
First of all, Toon Link = Young Link = faster, less powerful Link. Anyways, a
good Link player will get you busy with his projectiles while he gets in and
starts hitting you with his sword. Link's Down A Aerial is quite deadly, even
more so with his Toon version since it bounces. Overall, Link is a solid, all
round character that can operate at a range or up close with his sword, so
beware of his range and such. You'll want to play defensively since those
attacks hurt (especially his double smash) and then carefully proceeding to
smash him away, as neither version has a great recovery move.
------------
Zelda/Sheik
------------
Difficulty: **
Not too hard of a match. Zelda operates at a range largely thanks to her Din's
Fire, but if they keep spamming it, just rush in and take advantage of the
opening it creates for you. Zelda also has a decent aerial game to boot.
Nowdays, it also takes her a while to transform into Sheik, letting you get in
hits there as well. Regarding Sheik, she's been nerfed since Melee, making her
easier to deal with. Sheik is still quick, but she also lacks any notable
range (except for Neutral B, where she throws darts), so take advantage of
that. Both are also easy to knock away, although Zelda has some decent
recovery, more so than Sheik.
----------
Ganondorf
----------
Difficulty: **
Still the Captain Falcon clone he was in Melee, and still extremely slow. His
attacks will still put you in a world of hurt though since Kirby is so light.
His Down B and Up B in particular are somewhat quick, so be aware of that.
Ganondorf also has bad recovery for the most part, so long as you don't get
caught in his Up B.
-----
Kirby
-----
Difficulty: * to *****
Great, the mirror match. Remember not to inhale him, that won't do you much
good. Really, this will probably turn into a smashing match, with whoever
getting in the most winning. Mix up your different attacks and remember to
take advantage of his light weight.
-----------
MetaKnight
-----------
Difficulty: ***
MetaKnight notably lacks in any real killing moves, but makes up for hit with
multi-hit attacks and good speed, which will kill you anyways in the end. For
beating him, let him come to you (his attacks only hit multiple times if he's
not moving really) and then force him to play your game.
------------
King Dedede
------------
Difficulty: **
Though insanely powerful if his attacks hit you (no kidding, he can blow you
away with a good charged smash around 20%), all of his attacks are very slow
to get off, letting you roll about and smash him back. Dedede can also chain
throw you if you get stuck in a corner, leading to a very unpleasant
situation, so avoid that. Dedede also has limited ranged recovery with his
Up B (though he does have multiple jumps_, and people often forget to cancel
so he can grab the ledge, so take advantage of that. Basically, play
defensively and avoid that hammer at all costs.
---------------
Pokemon Trainer
---------------
Difficulty: Varies
Oh boy, 3 different opponents to learn:
Squirtle: The little turtle that could? Charizard aside, Squirtle will also
give you fits because he's quite speedy. All of his regular attacks are fast,
and his smashes also have a bit of range to them as well. Thankfully, Squirtle
is the lightweight in this gang, so just smash him away.
Ivysaur: As usual, Ivysaur will spam Forward B and continually throw razor
leaf at you, so be prepared to avoid those. Futhermore, it has some nasty
range to it as well, meaning you'll have to be careful in avoiding it.
Otherwise, most aspects of Ivysaur suck; he's slow, and really lacks anything
except to spam Forward B. His Neutral B is good anti-air though (spammable as
well), so don't get caught in it. His Up B also gives him fair recovery by
latching onto the edge, so don't let him come back by edgehogging it from him.
Charizard: The slow power hitter on PT's team, all of Charizard's attacks will
hurt if they connect, particularly Rock Smash (Forward B). His Neutral B is
also annoying (think Bowser's Fire Breath), and Charizard has some great
recovery thanks to his flying capabilities. But, Charizard is also slow, and a
big target to hit.
--------
Pikachu
--------
Difficulty: **
Pikachu is slightly quicker on his feet, but you outpower him with your
attacks, so just let loose with your smashes. Watch out for Pikachu's Down
Smash A in particular, it is painful and will send you flying. Some Pikachu
users also like to spam Thunder (Down B), so try not to get caught in it if
you like to take to the air.
----------
Jigglypuff
----------
Difficulty: *
Kirby clone with no copy move and less deadly overall. Down B, though weakened
since Melee, will still do some nasty damage if she catches you with it;
otherwise it leaves a big opening for you do smash her away. Jigglypuff has
good recovery offered by her jumps, but still overall is easy enough to KO.
--------
Lucario
--------
Difficulty: ***
Make note that as you damage Lucario, his own attacks will increase in damage
as well, making a "weakened" Lucario deadly in the right hands. As such, don't
be too overly eager to rush him and beat him down. Focus on getting in well-
timed smashes and keeping him away from the stage, as his Up B isn't that
great. However, watch out for his counter (Down B), which will hurt you if you
get up close too and aren't expecting it.
-----
Marth
-----
Difficulty: ****
Marth is never fun to face, whoever you use. He has speed, fast attacks, good
recovery, and more. However, Marth very notably lacks in any sort of ranged
attack (then again, you don't really either), so you're forced to get up close
to face him. Generally, your smashes and attacks will be a bit faster to
execute, so take advantage of this. Keep up the tempo as well, a good Marth
player likes a slow game where he can analyze the situation and prepare a
(painful) response.
----
Ike
----
Difficulty: ****
Though Ike is slower than his FE counterpart, he makes up for it with much
more power, being able to knock you away quite easily. His Forward B lets him
get in close and damage you, so don't get caught by it. Many newbies will spam
Aether (Up B), and this is easily avoided once you get used to it. Ike is a
pretty fast heavyweight, so be prepared to do some dodging about.
------
Lucas
------
Difficulty: **
I'll admit, I've never had much problems with Lucas. He can spam PK Fire to
annoy the heck out of you, but most of his attacks are pretty slow to execute,
letting you outspeed him and put on the hurt with your own attacks. Watch out
for his Final Smash, PK Starstorm will hurt and probably kill you if 1 or 2
connect.
-----
Ness
-----
Difficulty: **
Ness isn't much different than Lucas. He is good at his aerial game, so watch
out for that. He can't quite spam PK Fire, but it does multiple hits as
opposed to Lucas'. His smashes also hurt, so watch out for those.
----
Fox
----
Difficulty: ****
Ever annoying since he first came out, Fox still outspeeds you and can move in
with some devastating hits; the fact he also has the Reflector doesn't help if
you try copying his blaster. For that matter, he also has his own blaster,
which he can spam to rake up the damage (though you won't flinch, so maybe
rush them if they're prone to spamming it). You want to play conservatively,
slowly raking up damage with Dash A and stuff before attempting a KO. Dodge
around him often (while making sure you don't get thrown obviously) and use
your Forward Smash to punish him.
------
Falco
------
Difficulty: ****
Much like Fox, Falco is also annoying to play against. His speed and attacks
can leave you in bad shape after a few hits as well. Falco differs in several
small ways from Fox; he kicks his Reflector, his blaster shots will do more
damage and stop you, and just in general his moveset is quite different from
Melee; Falco is much less a clone, and has some pretty different moves, so be
aware if you're used to the same old Falco from Melee. He also can chain grab
like no other, so take extra care not to get caught in one. Otherwise,
fighting Falco is much like fighting Fox; you'll want to play conservatively,
using your other attacks to weaken him before attempting a smash to KO.
-----
Wolf
-----
Difficulty: ***
Wolf is more powerful in raw strength than Fox or Falco, but also suffers some
speed loss. This makes him slightly easier to deal with, as you won't have to
continally worry about being chased down by him. His blaster, if used up
close, can deal extra damage in addition to the blaster stun. His Forward
Special goes up at an angle, as opposed to Fox and Falco, and it also doubles
as a Meteor Smash if he hits you just right. His Reflector also has a
counter-esq element to it as well. Fighting Wolf is slightly different than
Fox or Falco; you have to take more care in not being hit by his more harmful
attacks, and you can afford to outrun him if necessary. Again use your other
attacks to weaken, then move in for a smash. Be careful again not to get
caught in his Forward Special if you try to smack him downwards, lest you want
to risk a quick exit.
----
Pit
----
Difficulty: ***
Another character that's annoying since players tend to spam his attacks.
Neutral B gives Pit a ranged attack, while Forward B will lead to nasty multi-
hit damage. You can copy his Neutral B to give yourself a ranged attack, but
Pit also carries a shield (Down B) that will nullify that. Of course, his Up B
will let him fly about and make some insane recoveries (unless of course you
try to meteor him down). Play conservatively and avoid rushing into him, since
his Forward B is nasty to get caught in. When he tries recovring with Up B,
later on, be ready to greet him with some aerial attacks of your own.
-------------
Ice Climbers
-------------
Difficulty: ***
This duo can put the smackdown on you, as they attack in a pair (and thus,
have double the damage and chance to KO you with smashes). And for Kirby, this
translates into a good chance of getting KOed.They key to beating the Ice
Climbers is first to identify which one is the main one (easy enough, often
it'll Popo the blue one, but some might switch to Nana to confuse you), and
then to either focus on keeping him away from the partner or otherwise KOing
the partner, leaving him severly weakened (without the partner, a sole Ice
Climber will not last long). So long as you can somehow seperate them, you
should be able to use your usual strategies to beat them.
-------------------
Mr. Game and Watch
-------------------
Difficulty: ***
Mr. Game and Watch shares some basic traits with you; a fast, light fighter
capable of some powerful attacks. Beware of his throws, as a good G&W will
grab you, throw you downward, and then Down Smash quickly for some nasty
damage. In particular, try to make good use of your Down A aerial to get in
cheap KOs while G&W is trying to recover. At the same time, beware of his Down
A aerial should you find yourself in the reverse position. As always, a good
Forward Smash as always is your friend.
---------------
Captain Falcon
---------------
Difficulty: ***
He might outspeed you, but your attacks hit almost as quick. This can turn
into a slugfest quickly though, as both of you have no real ranged moves, so
make sure you dodge frequently to avoid getting hit, as you cannot win in an
outright smash-for-smash game. Also beware when you try to Meteor Smash them,
as Falcon's Up B is annoying if you get caught in it accidentally. And, if you
can, inhale Captain Falcon to copy his ability; it's just downright funny to
hear Kibry yell "Falco Paucnh!"
----------
Samus/ZSS
----------
Difficulty: ***
Samus can hurt when used right; her missles keep you at bay along with her
charged shot, but she has pretty limited recovery options, so take advantage
of that. If you can, inhale copy her to get your own charged shot to use. ZSS
lacks more in range than Samus, but makes up for it with nasty stun and multi-
hit attacks, so avoid getting trapped in those. ZSS has a tether recovery, so
edgehog when she tries coming back.
----
ROB
----
Difficulty: ***
ROB is surprisingly annoying. ROB is deceivingly light, he's actually pretty
heavy. His special attacks have good range to them, and a good ROB
player will juggle between them to keep you busy. And to top it off, he
has great recovery with Up B with good aerials. You can copy him to get your
own laser eye to fire back, and watch out for his Forawrd B is he's drawing
near. Move in when there is an opening and smash away.
------
Snake
------
Difficulty: **
Make sure you try to copy Snake, Kirby's outfit looks funny! Anyways, Snake
can be deadly, as all of his explosives will send you flying. In particular,
his Down B and Down Smash will plant explosives into the ground, with the
Down B being remotely activated (the Smash one will just explode on whoever is
on it at the time). So make sure you note where he plants his little
explosives. His Up B also gives him decent recovery, so make note of that. And
he can throw grenades and fire a player-controlled missile at you. This aside,
Snake isn't the most agile guy around, letting you get in hits relatively
easy. Just make sure you don't stumble onto his explosives and you'll be fine.
------
Sonic
------
Difficulty: **
The fastest character in the game, Sonic has some great combo potential along
with a great vertical recovery (and he can still attack after using it).
However, most of his attacks really have that "POW" that others do, making it
hard for Sonic to get in KOs. Avoid getting his by his Neutral, Down, and
Forward Bs (all variations of his spin dash), and knock him away with your
smashes.
-------
Olimar
-------
Difficulty: ***
Olimar is all about his Pikmin, so avoid getting hit by them if possible, as
the neutral damage they can rake up will take a serious toll on your
durability. Focus on getting in close, where he cannot throw as effectively,
and unleash your quick smashes to send him flying. His recovery is a tether
move with good range, so edgehog and watch him fall to his doom. Remember, an
Olimar with less Pikmin is good for you, so take them out to give him less
options for attacking.
================================
8. Stadium Mode Strategies [SMS]
================================
-----------
Target Test
-----------
Stage 1: A no brainer really. Wander around and hit the targets.
Stage 2: Same as above really, nothing particularly hard to hit. Maybe use
the availible bazooka to make life easier, and avoid the mushroom on the one
lower level, it'll just shrink you.
Stage 3: Coming soon once unlocked!
Stage 4: Coming soon once unlocked!
Stage 5: Coming soon once unlocked!
-----------------
Home Run Contest
-----------------
I personally just spam Down A aerial or Neutral As, then smash away with the
Bat. Really, it works ok enough, since you can get in multiple hits on the
Sandbag, which lets you smack it farther.
----------------
Multi-Man Brawl
----------------
10-Man Brawl: Come on, 10 alloys. Just use your Forward Smash to clear them
all, no need for anything fancy.
100-Man Brawl: This is a bit more difficult. Kirby is a lightweight, making
him an easy target to KO later in the battle. Smashes once again are your best
friends, particularly the Forward Smash. Also make good use of your aerials,