Super Smash Bros. for 3DS: Tips for playing the new characters

Let’s build some hurting bombs.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS adds 14 new characters (not counting the customizable Mii Fighters) to the popular cross-over fighting game series. And while a couple of them are essentially clones of older characters, many are incredibly unique and creative.

That’s why we created this little guide. Below, you’ll find a few tips for each character. It won’t turn you into a master, but it’ll help you learn the new fighters and teach you about some of their quirks.

Note that the list includes unlockable characters, so don’t read ahead if you don’t want those spoiled for you.

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Bowser Jr.

• Bowser Jr.’s side special sends him driving forward in his clown car, hurting anyone he hits. It’s similar to other side specials, like Wario’s and Yoshi’s, but Bowser Jr. can actually cancel out of his just by jumping. Use this trick to confuse your opponents and catch them off-guard or to stop yourself from driving into a trap.
• His up special sends him flying out of his clown car, but it also sends his discarded vehicle crashing to the ground, where it will hurt anyone caught in the explosion. It can even KO heavily damaged characters.
• Bowser Jr.’s down special sends out explosive wind-up toys that latch on to any enemies they encounter. Be careful, though — your enemy can also grab them and throw them back at you.

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Dark Pit

• Dark Pit plays a lot like regular Pit but with a few differences. Dark Pit is a little slower and more powerful than the regular version.
• Dark Pits arrows travel faster than Pit’s, but they’re harder to control.

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Duck Hunt

• Duck Hunt has some of the best ranged moves on this roster, so don’t be afraid to use them! Punish distant opponents with clay pigeons, and use the explosive can on players that like to jump around a lot.
• You can also use the explosive can for defense. You make it hop across the stage by pressing the B button, so it’ll start out by moving away from you. However, you can deploy the can and then get on the other side of it. If you do this, you can use the can to get you out of an enemy’s combo.
• Duck Hunt doesn’t have a lot of great killing moves outside of his Smash Attacks, but you can also use the can to catch a player trying to recover back on to the stage.

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Greninja

• Greninja’s down air attack will send him straight down in a quick, stomp-like move. If it connects, he’ll bounce back up into the air. You can even land the same move a few times.
• The Water Shuriken is Greninja’s standard special. Uncharged, it sends out a single projectile that does a little damage. When charged, however, it can do a lot of damage and send enemies flying. It also has a pretty large hit box, so it’s great for opponents that are trying to get back on a stage.
• Greninja’s down special, Substitute, will counter any move that hits him. However, you actually decide the direction of the counter attack based on which direction you’re holding.

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Little Mac

• Little Mac’s ground game is incredible. He has a ton of powerful, quick moves that punish and KO opponents. His standard special, however, isn’t that great. It’s a punch that you can charge, which sends Little Mac sliding across the stage. However, it’s pretty obvious when someone is about to use the move, and it leaves Little Mac vulnerable when he uses it. Instead, rely on his safer attacks.
• While he’s great on the ground, Little Mac is terrible in the air. His aerial attacks are abysmal, and he has the worst recovery options in the game. If your opponent knocks you off the stage, you’ll have a hard time getting back on.
• After a while, a meter by Little Mac’s damage counter will fill, turning his neutral special into a move that will KO most opponents with one hit. Use it while you can, since it eventually disappears. You also only get one shot, so try to make it count.

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Lucina

• Like Dark Pit with Pit, Lucina is pretty much a clone of Marth, another Fire Emblem character. If you know how to play with him (he’s been around since Melee on the GameCube), then you’ll feel at home with Lucina.
• Lucina does feature one notable difference. While most of Marth’s sword attacks have a sweet spot (meaning they’ll do more damage if you land them with the edge of the sword), Lucina’s do not. Her attacks do more damage than Marth’s strikes that don’t hit the sweet spot, but less than those that do.

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Mega Man

• Mega Man’s standard attack, the Mega Buster, helps him stand out. It’s actually a projectile, and while it doesn’t do much damage, it will disrupt players and trade with most other projectiles (meaning both will disappear). You can also use the Mega Buster while jumping or even moving. Use it to control your opponent’s movements.
• The Leaf Shield isn’t that useful for protection, but it has some special properties. Each of the rotating leaves has its own hit box, so you can actually damage characters with them even if you put up your normal shield or if you’re in the middle of a roll. The leaves also hit anyone you’re holding in a grab.
• The Rush Coil is Mega Man’s up special. You can use it to shoot yourself in the air. Unlike most recoveries, Mega Man can safely attack right out of Rush Coil. You can also use the move to escape a lot of ground combos, a technique called Rush Cancelling.

Pac-Man

• Pac-Man’s normal special throws an item, starting with familiar Pac-Man fruit. Charge it long enough and you’ll get the key, which travels super-fast and can KO damaged enemies.
• Pac-Man’s down B shoots a fire hydrant below that spews water to the sides and above. The water doesn’t do any damage, but it moves players around the stage. However, if you use the move in the air, the fire hydrant can hurt enemies on its way to the ground.
• You can also the water from the fire hydrant to your advantage. If you time it right, you can charge a Smash Attack while a stream of H2O sends you across the stage.

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Palutena

• Palutena has some incredible Smash Attacks. Her forward one is relatively quick and has a decent amount of ranger. Her up Smash Attack summons a pillar of light that stretches a good way vertically to the top of the stage.
• Her neutral special is a unique ranged move. A reticule automatically appears on a target, and then three projectiles fly out toward the reticule. It’s an easy move to spam, although it’s harder to hit against characters that don’t approach you in straight lines (since the reticule won’t follow them on a jump).

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Robin

• Robin is a weird character, since he (or she) can only use special moves so much before they have to recharge. However, the recharging period doesn’t take too long, and you still have access to other moves, so don’t worry too much about conserving ammo.
• Once Robin runs out of a spell, he automatically discards a book. These books are actually pretty powerful projectiles, so try to grab one before it falls.
• Robin can charge his neutral special for a stronger attack, similar to Samus and Lucario. However, the property of the attack also changes the longer you charge it. In its first stage, it’s a short-range, weak projectile. In the second stage, it’s stronger and travels further. After that, it starts off slow, gains speed, and traps anyone it hits before sending them flying. The final level of the move is a super-quick, devastating beam.

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Rosalina and Luma

• Rosalina and Luma together make one of the more complicated fighters in the game. If you really want to play them, you’re going to need some practice and patience. Rosalina can send Luma across the stage with her standard special attack, Luma Shot. Your normal attack inputs, including Smash Attacks, register for both characters, so you can actually fight in two places at once. Using the Luma Shot again brings Luma back to Rosalina.
• Luma can die separately from Rosalina. Don’t worry, though. Unlike with the Ice Climbers in previous Smash Bros. games, Luma comes back after a little bit (usually with a new color).
• While you use the Luma Shot often for positioning, it’s actually a pretty strong move with lots of KO potential. Just make sure you charge it all the way, and Luma fly a good distance forward and send anyone he (she? it?) touches soaring.

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Shulk

• Shulk’s neutral special gives him short-term buffs that increases certain stats (and decreases others). Memorize them and use those that best fit your current needs. The green one makes you jump higher, the blue one makes you move faster, the yellow one increases your defense, the purple one strengthens your attacks, and the red one increases your moves’ launching powers.
• If that’s a lot to take in, just start by focusing on the purple buff and strengthen your attacks, and then switch over to the red one when it’s time to knock an opponent off the stage.
• Shulk’s Smash Attacks have some good range, since his sword will send out a short beam that can also hit players. However, your moves are more powerful if they connect with the actual sword.

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Villager

• Villager’s neutral special can pocket any item and most projectiles. You can then use the same move to use the pocketed attack or item yourself. This is an incredible special, since unlike most counters, it allows you to choose when to punish your opponents.
• Villager’s down special is also different from all others. At first, he plants a seed. Use it again, and he waters the seed. A tree then sprouts, damaging anyone it hits on its way out of the ground. Your down special then turns into an ax. Two hits of the ax on the tree sensd it falling, and it does a ton of damage and knockback on anyone it hits.
• The tree will also protect you from projectiles, so it’s also a decent defensive tool.

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Wii Fit Trainer

• The Wii Fit Trainer’s down special causes a circle to begin closing in on another circle. If you press B right when the two meet, Wii Fit Trainer recovers some health and strengthen her (or his) moves for a short time.
• However, whether you miss or not, the circle moves incredibly slowly if you try use the move again too soon.
• The Wii Fit Trainer’s side special sends a volley ball in a downward angle in front of her. However, if you press B again right after you press side B, the ball will travel in a straighter line.