How to get good at Super Smash Bros.

The first step to learning how to play well at Super Smash Bros is to pick the character you want to get good with! This character can be anyone on the roster, it doesn't matter who. However, depending on why you want to learn, I can make some reccomendations.

If you're playing for fun, I'd go with a character that you just like, or with a character whose play style matches your own.

If you plan on winning big at tournaments, I'd do some researching into tier lists and go with someone near the top.

If you want a challenge, or just want to try and evolve the metagame, go with someone near the bottom of the tier list!

Once you've got a character chosen, it's time to try and learn them.

If you don't know the basics, now's the time to give the in-game "how to play" video a watch.

There is a LOT to a character's moveset; more than I can comfortably explain. So instead, I'll provide a list of most offensive moves. If there's any you don't know, look it up!

• Jabs
• Tilts
• Smashes
• Aerial attacks
• Grounded Specials
• Aerial Specials
• Dash attack
• Floor attack
• Edge attack(s)
• Grabs
• Pummel
• Throws

There are plenty of other non-offensive techniques and attacks a character can do as well; defensive options like shielding and dodging, other ledge and floor options like jumping or rolling, and so on. Experiment and do some research to really get to know your character!

Once you've done that, try to figure out what they're good at, and what they're weak at. For example, a big character hits hard, but they get knocked around a lot because of their size. Experiment with your limits as well; how far away from the stage can you be before you can't recover, for example.

After having done that, the next step is to practice! Get into battles with different people, or cpus, if necessary. You will lose a lot, but don't get discouraged! Losing is part of learning; the trick is using those losses to solidify your game.

While practicing, an important thing to keep in mind is why you win or lose. Try to take note of what steps led to your victory or defeat. Also continue to pay attention to your character; this will really help you solidify your character's moveset.

Now for the fun part. While practicing, try to take yourself off of autopilot! Pay attention to what your enemies are doing, what their intentions are.

Throw an attack at them and see how they react to it, and try to keep that response in mind. Watch for how they tend to approach you, especially when they succeed at landing a hit! Think of how to counter said approach. Watch how they recover, both with and without you actively trying to keep them offstage.

Learn their character, much like how you learned your own, by watching for strengths, weaknesses, and what their moves actually are. Try to keep these things in mind, for if you face this character again, you may need it!

Once you have a strong enough picture of your opponent, you're ready for the next step...

If you've truly learned your opponent, the next time they approach or attack, try to predict it and react accordingly!

The goal here is to use their tactic against them and do damage, though merely avoiding damage will suffice as well. This is called "reading" your opponent, and it's a risk-reward game; If you try to respond with a smash attack, it can do huge damage. However, if they accounted for that and you end up missing, you're now wide open.

Try to know when to go for high risk responses, and when to play it safe!

If you think about it, it won't take you long to realize that your opponent is doing the exact same thing you are! They too are trying to predict your every move and take advantage of it.

So how do you prevent that? The art of unpredictability! Pay attention to yourself now; it's really crucial you don't go into autopilot, or you'll slip into predictability again.

Watch for patterns in your playstyle; if you notice yourself approaching the same way every time and getting hit for it, try changing it up!

At this point, you have about the same knowledge as your average smash player. To really shine, you need to learn some tactics and techniques, both generally and for your character in particular!

I can't list every advanced technique in the game; that would take forever, and the site would be HUGE and ever-changing, as new techniques are discovered all the time, even for games as old as the original, or Melee! As a result, this step is more research heavy; try looking up videos of pros who use your character, and watch what they do. Pay attention to their set-ups for attacks, and any particular techniques or combos you might see them doing.

Here are some examples of some advanced techniques:

One is a technique referred to colloquially as "teching." If you find yourself being launched into a surface, or even just tumbling into the ground, you can press the shield button just before impact to brace yourself and prevent any knockback, or stunning, in the case of tumbling to the ground. In Smash 64, you can only tech the ground.

Another is one specific to Bowser in Smash 4 (Wii U / 3DS), referred to colloquially as the "Koo-pah". It's a combo; from Bowser's Up-throw, you can combo most of his moves if your opponent is at a low enough percent, but the Koo-pah particularly refers to U-throw to U-air, which is good for KOing opponents.

Now's the tricky part. You might know how to do these techniques, but how do you USE them in a fight?

Go back to practicing, but look for opportunities to apply your techniques or combos you learned. This can prove to be quite tricky, but the more you work at it, the easier it will seem.

For example, if you find yourself offstage, and realize an opponent is about to smack you into the stage, you can tech the stage to avoid getting bounced to your doom.

By this point, you know just about all there is to know. All that's left to do now is to blaze your own trail!

If you have the time and patience, try going into training mode, or practice with a friend and see if you can discover some new combos or techniques yourself!