Brought to you by Super Smash Bros. Wii U.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is out now, and in the time since its release most players’ lingering questions have been answered. Are there worthwhile distinctions between the Wii U and 3DS versions? Check. How about silky-smooth 1080p/60fps visual presentation? No hitches so far. We scored the game a rare 10 in our review, which you should absolutely read if you’re still on the fence about the game, or Wii U in general. My advice? Don’t be.
Perhaps the biggest question mark surrounding the new Smash has been its online capabilities, and after over a dozen hours spent Smashing against Wii U players around the globe, I’m pleased to report that the experience is not just worthwhile, but surprisingly smooth and dependable. No, you won’t be without hiccups if your opponent insists on tethering his Wii U to a prepaid 3G smartphone, but luckily, those opponents are relatively easy to identify and subsequently flee from.
Related: Super Smash Bros. (Wii U) Review – Final Smash
Of course, online merely working is only the first step. Now you have to worry about surviving. Smash has always been a game focused around local multiplayer, and as such you’ve likely only faced skill levels as advanced as the best within your group of friends. I assure you, the competition online is fierce, and if you don’t want to be mercilessly smoked (in charming Smash Bros. fashion, of course), you’ll need to be as prepared as possible.
That’s where this guide comes in. I’ve picked up a fair amount of useful info during my time spent online, especially when it comes to 1 vs. 1, item-less tests of skill in the game’s For Glory mode. Will the tips here render you immune to a rogue Captain Falcon so quick you’d swear he were somehow cheating? Perhaps not. But they’ll put you in a far better position to best him the next time he appears.
Read, prepare, and practice. In the end, time on task is the only true path to glory. Best of luck out there, and may the Smash Ball float ever in your favor.
Smash Bros. Wii U
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Know when to play it safe
The first thing you’ll be reminded of when you take your Smash game online is that 4-player, items-on Smash can be incredibly hectic. Even in the standard Smash mode players are surprisingly skilled, and will likely elevate the levels of onscreen craziness well-past what you’re used to with local friends. It’s overwhelming, but instantly awesome for the very same reason.
With this in mind, it’s important to remember that you don’t always need to rush headlong into the nearest skirmish, nor do you need to grab every item or score every devastating kill. Play the long game; there’s no shame in dawdling for a few moments while Bowser and Peach sort out their differences, even if it does mean you’re standing awkwardly to the side small-talking with Mr. Saturn. You’ll thank yourself later when everyone is down to one life, but your damage-count is the lowest.
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Use items creatively
Smash Bros. for Wii U is loaded with new items, and there’s no better way to catch opponents off guard than to use them in unexpected ways. The oldest trick in the book when it comes to items is to intermittently switch between actually using them, and chucking them in your opponent’s face.
There’s nothing more disarming than frantically dodging for your life to avoid a swing of the Home Run Bat, only to be pelted by it instead. If your timing’s right, you can probably catch the bat off the ricochet and use the moment of the confusion to reach back and swing anyway. Other items like the new X Bomb offer huge strategic potential (it explodes in four distinct directions), while something like the Unira can be planted in a corner, then used to continuously spike an opponent between the fists of your standard A attack and its piercing spines.
My most satisfying item-kill thus far has been death by Wii Fit Soccer Ball, but I can’t exactly recommend it as a consistently viable option.
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Keep your perspective fresh
With technical fighting games, it’s crucially important to master a few different characters so you can swap them out and force the opponent to readjust if things aren’t going your way. In Super Smash Bros. this is also important, but in my experience it's even more critical in group matches than with 1-on-1. I can’t explain why, but the longer I played as Duck Hunt Dog, the more often everyone teamed up to explode me with my own can of dog food. Talk about a knock to my Smash Bros. self esteem.
A quick swap to Captain Falcon, a character I’m not even all that experienced with, and suddenly I had everyone reeling. The nature of standard four-player Smash is so hectic that it only takes a slight change to turn the tides of battle. By the time anybody remembered how best to defend against a Falcon Kick, I’d already taken a life from each contestant and secured a Smash Ball. A well-placed Bob-bomb moments later helped to seal the deal.
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Show no mercy
This is a tough one, but it’s pretty important. If you ever get the sense that you’re in control of a fight and should let up a bit, ignore it. I’m serious. I don’t care how well things or going, or how long it’s been since your opponent last damaged you. The number of times I lost because I thought I had the match in the bag is already way too high, and that’s after just one night of playing.
Instead, work as quickly as possible while still remaining calm and collected. Playing as Mega Man? Spike foes whenever you can, and don’t feel bad about it. Of course, all of this assumes your goal is to win and that you don’t like losing. If you just want to be an anarchist and watch the world burn, the possibilities are endless. You don’t really need me to explain how best to go about that, though.
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Crack a joke or two
While I can’t recommend unsportsmanlike antics (largely because they violate the advice of the previous slide), I definitely think it’s fun to engage in some antics every now and again. The most fun part of Smash online is that personalities can shine through in ways other fighters simply don’t allow, and I added more people to my Wii U friends list in one night than I ever have previously as a result.
In one instance I had been pretty evenly matched with a very tough Bowser, and at the start of a battle he simply began moving his character in time and rhythm with the stage’s music instead of fighting. We carried on like this for a good five minutes, both characters just bobbing around and doing their best to mimic movements that might be considered dance moves. I was laughing pretty hard, and I’d like to think the Bowser on the other end was too.
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For Glory: Slow and steady
I can’t stress this enough when fighting For Glory 1-on-1, and it’s especially important if you’re playing as a slower character. Do. Not. Rush. Let the opponent come to you, and have your dodge tactics at the ready. Of course, skilled opponents playing as Zero Suit Samus or Sheik may assault you so fast you won’t have time to react, but if you’re playing as a bulkier fighter then that’s perfectly OK. You can afford the damage. Stick with your plan, and eventually the tides may begin to shift in your favor. If you give in to frantic jamming of the C-stick hoping that one of your blind-rage hits will land, it’s all over.
If you’re playing as a speedy character, it’s okay to be a bit more aggressive, but don’t get carried away. As a heavy Little Mac user I realized this early on, as being overzealous is the best way to end up careening off the stage after a reckless side-B or general miscalculation. Coax the opponent by switching between aggressive and defensive strategies, and eventually they’ll slip up -- this is where characters like Mac and Fox can really unleash some punishment.
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For Glory: Be relentless
I mentioned this earlier, but it’s even more crucial with 1-on-1 For Glory. I don’t care how pathetic your opponent may seem, assume they’re going to launch a ferocious last stand when you least expect it. You haven’t won until you’ve actually won, and no damage differential can change that.
I made this mistake twice with what at first appeared to be the saddest Luigi imaginable. This particular opponent would repeatedly Green Missile into my shield, only to be relentlessly pummeled and even KO’d multiple times. After a while I began to mock the entire situation, slapping Luigi with air attacks (Mac’s utter weakness) and generally running around like a fool.
This was fun for a while, and I don’t know if this player passed off the controller or something awakened inside of him or her, but I proceeded to lose four straight matches to the very same Luigi. No more sad Green Missiles, just relentless Palm Pokes and general Luigi-fueled domination. I should have held on to my momentum while I had it.
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For Glory: Embrace your fighter, and your own style
This is a big one, and it’s one of my favorite things about Smash compared to other fighters. Fighter selection is sizable, yes, but the game is balanced in such a way (with the exception of Meta Knight in Brawl) that it’s never too late to make your chosen character better. You can browse Smash Wiki all you want, but if you’re having trouble against a particular opponent using your character of choice, your goal should be to unlock a strategy that works, whether it’s documented somewhere or not.
I always like to master a character as much as possible before choosing a second one, so in my case I’ve been trying to hone in on behaviors that can separate my Little Mac from others who also use him. One example is a fairly simple strategy of down-throwing an opponent, then immediately using Mac’s recovery to inflict additional damage and possibly even a KO off the top of the stage. Is that strategy written on a Wiki somewhere? Perhaps. I’m pretty sure air-slapping with Mac isn’t recommended, though (due to his terrible air game), yet I’ve been repeatedly using just that to distract opponents who don’t expect it.
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For Glory: Know when to quit
Giving up is never fun, but if somebody bests you six times in a row with the same character when you’ve tried everything in your arsenal, it may be time to back out. At one point I beat the same player seven matches in a row using Little Mac, and he used four or so different characters. I thought to myself how ridiculous it was that he didn’t just quit the match to shake things up and try taking on somebody else. But then I fell into a similar trap against my next opponent.
The point is, this is supposed to be fun. If you’re getting genuinely angry playing Smash, then you’re doing it wrong. Luckily, from what I’ve seen so far (it is early days, admittedly), the online community is friendly and welcoming, and players are looking to enjoy themselves first and foremost. This is probably partially because there’s no way to trade insults or communicate while actually fighting, but I’d rather just assume everyone is being extremely sportsmanlike and pleasant by choice. My dance party with Bowser certainly makes it seem that way.
