You're on a constant losing streak. Your friends destroy you in the first round of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (SSBU) tournaments, leaving you ashamed at your lack of skill. Even in friendly matches, you find yourself losing stocks faster than you can say "Ganondorf."
Are you ready to put an end to your humiliation? Do you want to exact revenge on your friends and their cocky taunting? These tips can help you beat your friends in SSBU like a pro.
Use a Wired Controller
First things first, you need to play with the right controller. Most pro players stick with the classic GameCube controllers because it's been around since Super Smash Bros. Melee (SSBM). You can use a Switch Pro Controller too, but it's not as popular among the pros.
Whichever controller you choose, always make sure it's wired. Wireless controllers aren't directly connected to the Switch, which means it takes longer for the signal to travel from the controller to the screen. With such a high amount of lag comes delayed attacks and dodges, giving you a huge disadvantage.
One more thing: just don't use the Joy-Cons. They're way too small and tedious.
Change Your Controller's Setup
These next steps might take some getting used to. Since the default SSBU controller layout isn't the most ideal, making a few small tweaks can dramatically improve the way you play.
Adjust Your Jump Controls
Under the Options menu, navigate to Button Settings, select Other Settings and switch Stick Jump to Off. This will prevent you from accidentally jumping while moving your joystick.
If you're playing on a GameCube controller, your jump is also assigned to the X button by default. To make your attacks more fluid, change your jump to the Y button. That way, you can quickly shift your finger from the attack button to the jump button. It also allows you to hit both the Y button and attack button at the same time, making it easier to short hop and perform aerial attacks close to the ground.
Note that some pro players prefer to use one of their triggers for jump instead of dodge, and that's another viable option. Try both to see which one feels more comfortable for you.
Assign Tilt Attacks to the Right Analog Stick/C-Stick
You might hate me when I tell you to get rid of the smash attacks assigned to your right analog stick or C-stick, but I promise it's for the best. Many new players rely on their C-stick to perform deadly smash attacks. However, smash attacks take too long to execute, and increase the chance that your opponent will punish you or counter your attack before it even happens.
On the other hand, tilt attacks are fast kicks and punches that quickly rack up damage on your opponent. Swapping smash attacks for tilt attacks saves you from accidentally charging a smash attack, and lets you attack more efficiently.
Keep in mind that your smash attack will still exist on your controller after you make this change. Simply holding down the A button and tilting your left analog stick in any direction will execute a smash attack.
Practice These Essential Tactics
When you're in a heated competition with your friends, you can't play without any tactics. Head to the training lobby and practice these techniques:
Meteor Smashes
If you want to make executions worthy of recording, you'll need to learn how to meteor smash. Meteor smashes strike your opponent downwards with enough power to KO them.
You can perform a smash attack using a down aerial attack with most characters. However, each character is different, and some have multiple ways to smash attack.
Edge-Guarding
Edge-guarding prevents your opponent from returning to the platform. Get creative with this tactic—try aiming projectiles at your opponents to shoo them away.
You can also choose to launch yourself off the stage to hamper your opponent's attacks. When your opponent jumps, go in for the kill. Attempting an offstage edge-guard is a little risky, but it's very effective once you master it.
Perfect Shielding
A perfect shield (also known as a parry) allows you to perform a counterattack against an opponent. To successfully parry, you'll need to shield at the exact moment of an incoming attack. Once you get the timing down, your character won't take any shield damage and you can strike back against your vulnerable opponent.
Wavedashing
Wavedashing originally appeared in SSBM and gives you more mobility on the ground. Some characters have better wavedashes than others, so its effectiveness comes down to which fighter you choose.
In order to wavedash, perform a short hop, and then quickly air dodge downwards. If you do it correctly, your fighter will appear to slide across the stage.
Dash Dancing
Dash dancing is another classic Smash Bros. technique that you can use to psych out your opponent, and it's quite simple to learn. All you have to do is quickly flick your left analog stick from side-to-side. Your character will dash in both directions, giving you the chance to land an unexpected hit on your opponent.
Just remember not to spam dash dancing. It's always important to time it correctly, otherwise, it'll make you vulnerable to attacks.
Smash 'til You Crash
If you want to get better at SSBU, you'll need a lot of practice. Pit yourself against AI until you can defeat a Level 9 CPU like it's nothing. The next time you take part in a friend's Smash tournament, you'll finally have a shot at reaching the top of the bracket.