The Hammer’s Origins The Hammer item comes from the original Donkey Kong arcade game. Even the music that plays when you grab it is a perfect match!

Mario’s Ex-Girlfriend(?) The woman kidnapped by DK in the original Donkey Kong was Mario’s first love, Pauline. Originally, she was just called “Lady.” We’ve come a long way.

Villager: Up Special The Villager’s up special Balloon Trip is named after a mode from the NES game Balloon Fight.

Mario’s Origins Mario made his debut in the arcade game Donkey Kong. He wore a blue shirt and red overalls the opposite of his current outfit.

Battlefield The Battlefield platform layout has been around since Dream Land in the original Super Smash Bros. It was first named Battlefield in Melee.

Mega Man Series Since its debut in 1987, the Mega Man series as a whole has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.

Duck Hunt’s Sales The game Duck Hunt sold over 28 million copies worldwide. A big contribution to this was its inclusion as a pack-in title with the NES console.

A Trick with the Golden Hammer While holding the Golden Hammer, you can tap the jump button quickly to float through the air. This worked in the original Wrecking Crew too!

The Golden Hammer’s Origins The Golden Hammer item is from Wrecking Crew on the NES, as is the stand it appears on. Even its music is taken straight from the original game!

Kirby’s Copy Abilities Kirby hasn’t always been able to copy the abilities of the enemies he inhaled. That power debuted in his second title, Kirby’s Adventure.

Rotation and Scaling As a launch title for the SNES, F-Zero showcased that console’s ability to dynamically scale and rotate graphics on-screen.

Captain Falcon’s Machine The Blue Falcon racing machine first appeared in the original F-Zero. Captain Falcon uses it in Smash Bros. for his Final Smash!

Port Town Aero Dive The stage Port Town Aero Dive is based on a track from F-Zero GX. It’s 54,757 feet long, and at its peak you can get a great view of Port Town from above.

Beginners and Experts Alike The original Kirby game, Kirby’s Dream Land, was designed to be easy for beginners to play, but finishing it unlocks a more challenging mode.

Multiplayer Kirby Kirby Super Star on the SNES was the first Kirby game where two players could team up.

The King of Side Scrollers The original Super Mario Bros. is a true classic. It’s been released on at least 12 systems and sold more than 300 million copies worldwide!

Mario’s Loyal Ally Yoshi made his debut in Super Mario World, where he was trapped inside an egg by Bowser and freed by Mario.

Poison Mushroom The sneaky Poison Mushroom, which hurts Mario instead of helping him, made its first appearance in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.

Luigi’s Air Superiority The title Super Mario Bros. 2 refers to different games in the West and in Japan, but both games introduced Luigi’s ability to jump higher than Mario!

Nurse Peach When Mario took up a new career as Dr. Mario,Peach joined him as a nurse. But she didn’t get to appear in the game itself only in the manual!

Types of Viruses In Dr. Mario on the NES, the three different types of virus were red, blue, and yellow. On the Game Boy, they were white, black, and gray.

Items Can Turn the Tide The very first Mario Kart game, Super Mario Kart, introduced the idea of using items to get ahead. And that’s still the core of the series today!

No Goombas? Super Mario World doesn’t feature any normal Goombas. The ones that do appear are actually a different species, now known as Galoombas.

Homesickness In EarthBound, Ness occasionally gets homesick, which weakens him in battle. This can be cured by his going home or by just phoning his mom!

Ness’s Little Sister Ness has a little sister named Tracy. She works part-time at Escargo Express, answering Ness’s calls when he needs to have items delivered.

Wii Fit Trainer’s Origins Wii Fit Trainer debuted in 2008 in the title Wii Fit. Players could choose a male or female trainer to guide them through their fitness routines.

Villager’s Origins The Villager debuted in 2002 in Animal Crossing, a game in which players could enjoy a peaceful village life with a variety of animal neighbors.

A Familiar Face In Punch-Out!!, released on the NES in 1987, the referee was none other than Mario! His outfit was a bit different, but he still wore his trademark cap.

Mega Man: The Mega Buster Mega Man’s standard attack, strong side attack, and standard air attack all fire the Mega Buster his main weapon ever since his first game.

Mega Man: Strong Up Attack Mega Man’s strong up attack is Mega Upper, a move he uses in the arcade game Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters.

Mega Man: Strong Down Attack Mega Man’s strong down attack is simply called Sliding. It’s based on the nonoffensive technique he’s been able to use since Mega Man 3.

Mega Man: Dash Attack Mega Man’s dash attack is a whirlwind of pain called Top Spin. It was originally a special weapon he acquired from Top Man, a boss in Mega Man 3.

Mega Man: Side Smash Attack Mega Man’s side smash is the Charge Shot, an attack he gained in Mega Man 4 that lets his Mega Buster build up energy before firing.

Mega Man: Up Smash Attack Mega Man’s up smash is the electrifying Spark Shock. He originally obtained this special weapon by defeating Spark Man, a boss in Mega Man 3.

Mega Man: Down Smash Attack Mega Man’s down smash is Flame Blast, which creates twin pillars of fire from his hands. He got this special weapon from Flame Man in Mega Man 6.

Mega Man: Front Air Attack Mega Man’s front air attack is a decisive strike with his Flame Sword. He obtained this special weapon by defeating Sword Man in Mega Man 8.

Mega Man: Back Air Attack Mega Man’s back air attack is the multihitting Slash Claw. He obtained this special weapon by beating the boss Slash Man in Mega Man 7.

Mega Man: Up Air Attack Mega Man’s up air attack is Air Shooter, which fires a tornado upward. He obtained this special weapon by defeating Air Man in Mega Man 2.

Mega Man: Down Air Attack Mega Man’s down air attack is Hard Knuckle, which fires his fist downward like a rocket. It was the special weapon of Hard Man in Mega Man 3.

Mega Man: Standard Special Mega Man’s standard special Metal Blade can throw circular saws in any of eight directions. It was the special weapon of Metal Man in Mega Man 2.

Mega Man: Side Special Mega Man’s side special Crash Bomber fires an explosive that sticks to walls and fighters. It was originally Crash Man’s special weapon in Mega Man 2.

Mega Man: Up Special Mega Man’s up special Rush Coil lets him leap to great heights with a little help from Rush, his robot-dog partner. Rush debuted in Mega Man 3.

Mega Man: Down Special Mega Man’s down special is Leaf Shield, a rotating barrier of leaves. It was originally the special weapon of Wood Man, a boss in Mega Man 2.

Mega Man: Grab Attack Mega Man’s grab is the Super Arm, a special weapon that lifts the heaviest of foes with ease. He got it from Guts Man in the very first Mega Man game.

Mega Man: Standard Special 2 Mega Man’s second standard special is Hyper Bomb, which throws a large bomb. It was Bomb Man’s special weapon in the first Mega Man game.

Mega Man: Side Special 2 Mega Man’s second side special is Ice Slasher, an icy shot that penetrates foes. It was the special weapon of Ice Man in the first Mega Man game.

Mega Man: Up Special 2 Mega Man’s second up special is Tornado Hold, which uses a fan to lift him into the air. He got it by defeating the boss Tengu Man in Mega Man 8.

Pit and the Hammer When Pit grabs a Hammer, he swings it from the wrist, with only two frames of movement just like how he used the mallets in the original Kid Icarus!

Ness’s Psychic Powers Ness always had a variety of psychic powers, but he couldn’t actually use PK Fire or PK Thunder in EarthBound. His friend Paula could, though.

Robin: Nosferatu In Fire Emblem Awakening, Robin wasn’t able to use Nosferatu in his or her base class of Tactician only by reclassing into a Dark Mage.

Three Classic Items The three power-ups from Super Mario Bros. on the NES the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower, and Super Star can all be used in this game too!

Infinite 1-Ups A trick in the original Super Mario Bros. lets you get infinite 1-Ups by jumping on foes repeatedly. Sadly, that won’t get you anything in this game.

Mii Fighter’s Origins Mii characters first appeared in 2006, with the debut of the Wii console and the Mii Channel. They can be used in a variety of games.

Samus’s Origins Samus Aran made her debut in the 1987 NES title Metroid. It is a science-fiction action-adventure game with a focus on exploration.

Kirby’s Origins Kirby made his debut in 1992 in Kirby’s Dream Land for the Game Boy. The goal of his journey was to recover stolen food from King Dedede.

Fox’s Origins Fox made his debut in 1993, in the SNES game Star Fox. In his fighter craft, the Arwing, he fought to take down the evil scientist Andross.

Luigi’s Origins Luigi made his debut in the 1983 arcade classic Mario Bros. At the time, he wore a white shirt and cap with green overalls.

Captain Falcon’s Origins Captain Falcon’s first appearance was in the 1991 SNES launch title F-Zero. You couldn’t see him in the game itself, but he was in the manual.

King of the Koopas Mario’s eternal rival, Bowser, debuted in Super Mario Bros. He appeared as the boss of every world, but they were all fake except for in World 8.

Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom Peach first appeared in Super Mario Bros., where she was known as Princess Toadstool. This was also the first of her many run-ins with Bowser…

Marth’s Origins Marth debuted in the first Fire Emblem game in 1990, but that game wasn’t released in North America until the Nintendo DS remake in 2009.

Mr. Game & Watch’s Origins Mr. Game & Watch first appeared in the early ’80s in the Game & Watch handheld game series predating even the NES and Game Boy!

Falco’s Origins Falco debuted alongside Fox in the 1993 SNES title Star Fox. He may be hotheaded and a little cocky, but his skills are the real deal.

Wario’s Origins Wario made his debut in 1992 as the villain of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, where he stole a castle from Mario.

Meta Knight’s Origins Meta Knight debuted in Kirby’s Adventure on the NES as a mysterious figure who stood in Kirby’s way as a boss but also sometimes helped him.

Pit’s Origins Pit’s debut was in Kid Icarus, released in North America in 1987. His goal was to collect the Three Sacred Treasures and defeat the evil Medusa.

Zero Suit Samus’s Origins Samus first donned her blue Zero Suit in the 2004 title Metroid: Zero Mission.

Olimar’s Origins Olimar made his first appearance in the original Pikmin, released in 2001. He’s a hardworking space pilot for Hocotate Freight.

Alph’s Origins Alph first appeared in the 2013 title Pikmin 3. He’s a cheerful and optimistic engineer who loves his job.

Diddy Kong’s Origins The small and agile Diddy Kong first appeared in the SNES title Donkey Kong Country in 1994, where he was a valuable partner to DK.

King Dedede’s Origins King Dedede debuted alongside Kirby in the 1992 title Kirby’s Dream Land. He’s a big eater who wants all the food in Dream Land for himself!

Ike’s Origins Ike debuted in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, a 2005 title for the GameCube. He’s a strong fighter who wields a two-handed sword with ease.

R.O.B.’s Origins R.O.B. made his debut in 1985 as a peripheral for the NES. The ability to move a real robot using in-game actions made a splash with media and gamers alike.

Dr. Mario’s Origins Dr. Mario made his debut in 1990 in the puzzle game of the same name. He was developing vitamins to combat some nasty viruses.

Rosalina & Luma’s Origins Rosalina and Luma made their debut in the 2007 title Super Mario Galaxy. Rosalina is a mysterious galactic traveler, and the Lumas her companions.

Palutena’s Origins Palutena debuted in Kid Icarus for the NES. She only appeared in the ending sequence, but the Japanese version had her name in the title!

Robin’s Origins Robin debuted in Fire Emblem Awakening, a 2013 release in North America. As the customizable avatar of the player, he or she fought alongside Chrom.

Bowser Jr.’s Origins Bowser Jr. first appeared in the 2002 title Super Mario Sunshine. He’s a bit of a brat, but he does have a lot of love for his daddy.

Larry’s Origins Larry Koopa’s debut was in Super Mario Bros. 3, released in North America in 1990. He’s the youngest of the Koopalings.

Roy’s Origins Roy Koopa’s debut was in Super Mario Bros. 3, released in North America in 1990. If you see a big Koopaling wearing pink shades, that’s him.

Lemmy’s Origins Lemmy Koopa debuted in Super Mario Bros. 3, released in North America in 1990. He’s the smallest and quickest of the Koopalings.

Ludwig’s Origins Ludwig von Koopa first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3, released in North America in 1990. You could call him the brains of the Koopalings.

Mega Man’s Origins Mega Man made his 1987 debut in the NES game of the same name, in which the weapons acquired from defeating each boss were the key to victory.

Link’s Items Link first appeared in The Legend of Zelda on the NES. Even back then, he had a wide inventory of items, including the Bow, Boomerang, and Bombs.

A Bowser Impostor?! In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Mario fights a blue fake Bowser before the real thing. That blue fake is his eighth color in this game!

Stage: Gamer 9-Volt’s mother, who appears in the Gamer stage, is named 5-Volt. Just like in Game & Wario, you have to make sure she doesn’t catch you playing.

The Fearsome Reaper The Reaper that appears in Smash Tour debuted in Kid Icarus on the NES. This enemy tends to appear with its Reapette minions in tow.

Multiple Endings In the original Metroid, the ending would change slightly depending on your clear time. The better endings revealed the secret of Samus’s identity!

A Parental Bond? The baby Metroid that appeared in Super Metroid imprinted on Samus before being left in the care of the Galactic Space Academy.

Yoshi’s Puzzle Games Yoshi had a puzzle game named after him with the NES title Yoshi. He later appeared in Yoshi’s Cookie and Tetris Attack, both for the SNES.

Link’s Air Attacks Link’s down and up air attacks, Downward Thrust and Jump Thrust, are from Zelda II – The Adventure of Link. In that game, they’re learned from town swordsmen.

Who Is the Hero? Despite being the hero, Link’s name only appears in the title of five games. Can you name them? One might be trickier to remember than the others!

Donkey Kong’s Origins Donkey Kong, the arcade classic, was released in 1981. In that game, Mario’s girlfriend was kidnapped and Donkey Kong tried to stop Mario from rescuing her.

Pikachu’s Origins Pikachu debuted in Pokémon Red and Blue for Game Boy. Consider yourself a very lucky Trainer if you catch one in Viridian Forest.

Ness’s Origins Ness first appeared in the 1995 SNES title EarthBound. He might look like your average kid, but he can use a variety of psychic powers. He’s also got a younger sister.

Zelda’s Origins Zelda first appeared in the 1987 NES title The Legend of Zelda. In that title, the evil Ganon kidnaps her and steals the Triforce of Power.

Sheik’s Origins Sheik first appeared in the 1998 N64 title The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Her true identity is Ze I won’t spoil it for you.

Ganon, King of Darkness Ganon appears as the final boss in The Legend of Zelda. In that title, he looks more beast than human, making him a sharp contrast to Ganondorf.

Zero Suit Samus’s 7th Color Zero Suit Samus’s seventh color variation is a unique orange outfit. This outfit first appeared in certain endings of Metroid: Zero Mission.

Lucario’s Origins Lucario first appeared in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Lucario has the power to detect its opponent’s thoughts and actions by reading their Aura.

Toon Link’s Origins Toon Link debuted in the 2003 GameCube title The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The cel-shaded art style cast Link in a whole new light.

Charizard’s Origins Charizard made its debut in North America in the 1998 games Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue. It was even featured on the cover of Pokémon Red.

Sonic’s Origins Sonic’s first appearance was a cameo in the 1991 arcade racing game Rad Mobile. You can see him dangling near the top of the windshield.

Jigglypuff’s Origins Jigglypuff has been singing its opponents to sleep in North America since its debut in the 1998 Game Boy games Pokémon Red and Blue.

Lucina’s Origins Lucina made her debut with the 2013 release of Fire Emblem Awakening. At first, she went by Marth, but she later revealed her true identity.

Dark Pit’s Origins Dark Pit debuted in Kid Icarus: Uprising, released in 2012. Created by the Mirror of Truth, he has the same abilities as Pit but a different personality.

Little Mac’s Origins Even though Punch-Out!! was released in 1984, Little Mac didn’t receive his name until the 1987 NES release.

Duck Hunt’s Origins Duck Hunt was released in 1985 for the NES, but did you know Nintendo released another toy in Japan with the same title in the ’70s?

Morton’s Origins Morton Koopa Jr.’s debut was in Super Mario Bros. 3, released in North America in 1990. As the largest of the Koopalings, he’s proudly more brawn than brains.

Wendy’s Origins The stylish Wendy O. Koopa made her debut in North America with the 1990 release of Super Mario Bros. 3. She’s the only female Koopaling.

Iggy’s Origins Trickster Iggy Koopa debuted in Super Mario Bros. 3, released in North America in 1990. Fun fact: He’s the only nearsighted Koopaling!

Shulk’s Origins Shulk made his debut in North America with the 2012 release of Xenoblade Chronicles. A budding scientist, this young man has a kind and curious heart.

Summertime Shulk Shulk’s eighth color variation puts him in a pair of swimming trunks! In the original game, this is how he appeared with all his equipment removed.

Greninja’s Origins Greninja, the final form of Froakie, made its debut in 2013’s Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. What looks like a scarf is actually its tongue!

PAC-MAN’s Origins PAC-MAN made his debut in 1980. His debut title was later recognized by Guinness World Records as the “Most Successful Coin-Operated Arcade Game.”

Mega Man: Down Special 2 Mega Man’s second down special, Skull Barrier, protects him with rotating skulls. It’s the special weapon of Mega Man 4 boss Skull Man.

Mega Man: Standard Special 3 Mega Man’s third standard special is the boomerang-like Shadow Blade. It’s the special weapon of Mega Man 3 boss Shadow Man.

Mega Man: Side Special 3 Mega Man’s third side special, Danger Wrap, is the special weapon of Mega Man 7 boss Burst Man. It fires bombs encased in bubbles.

Mega Man: Up Special 3 Mega Man’s third up special calls the support robot Beat to carry him into the air. Beat first appeared in Mega Man 5.

Mega Man: Down Special 3 Mega Man’s third down special is Plant Barrier, which summons rotating petals for protection. It was the weapon of Plant Man in Mega Man 6.

A Classic Runway The runway that the plane takes off from at the beginning of the Pilotwings stage is a faithful reproduction of the one in the SNES game!

An Exclusive Release In Japan, the Famicom version of Punch-Out!! was initially distributed as a prize in a tournament. It wasn’t released to the public until later on.

Cutscene Easter Egg* In PAC-MAN, players were rewarded with an intermission after clearing a set number of rounds. In one of them, Blinky shows a little bit of…leg?!

Mario: F.L.U.D.D. A blast of water is an effective way to disrupt your opponents. It doesn’t hurt, but it can slide them around.

Wario: Chomp Can be used to bite opponents or eat items. If he eats food, it’ll restore more health than usual!

Marth: Shield Breaker This move leaves you wide open, but if you charge it to maximum, it can break an enemy’s shield in a single hit.

Villager: Timber The axe is surprisingly powerful! You can swing it at your rivals as long as the tree is standing.

Link: Bomb Your bombs are special ones the explosion from hitting an enemy won’t hurt you.

Kirby: Stone While falling, you can cancel the attack by entering the move a second time. It’s a perfect way to trick other players!

Captain Falcon: Falcon Punch After pressing the attack button, quickly turn around to make Captain Falcon unleash an even more powerful attack as he turns.

Wii Fit Trainer: Header Shield before hitting the ball to cancel your serve and let the ball fall, dejected, to the ground.

Wii Fit Trainer: Sun Salutation Fully charge the attack before striking to recover a bit of health. Talk about flexible!

Peach: Side Smash Attack Peach pulls out a tennis racket, a golf club, and then a frying pan. Remember that order!

Sonic: Spring Jump Use this in midair to drop a spring on someone below. Give yourself a boost while disrupting your rivals!

Luigi: Green Missile This move can end with Luigi’s head stuck in a wall. That leaves him vulnerable, so be careful!

Samus: Charge Shot This is devastating when fully charged. It can be unleashed instantly if you fire it while airborne.

Kirby: Taunt Taunt to discard your current Copy Ability. Find the most opportune moment to change your ability!

Link: Hylian Shield Link’s Hylian Shield can block projectiles, but it won’t block anything while you’re attacking.

Mr. Game & Watch: Judge This move’s power depends on the number displayed. Swinging a 1 is nearly useless, but a 9 has incredible launching power!

Wario: Wario Bike Wario’s motorcycle can break into parts. Throw them at others, or eat them to fill Wario’s…gas tank.

Luigi: Green Missile This move has a 1-in-10 chance to hit REALLY hard and fly REALLY far. Too far, in some cases.

Luigi: Green Missile If you charge this for too long, he’ll get worn out and give up. Let him catch his breath, and then try again.

Kirby: Stone Kirby’s form is different each time he uses this, but the move’s effect is the same.

Kirby: Hammer Flip If fully charged, this move becomes very powerful, but Kirby will begin to take damage at full charge.

Olimar: Pikmin Pluck Olimar will always pluck the Pikmin in this order: red, yellow, blue, white, purple.

Olimar: Pikmin Order This move will change the order of your Pikmin. Use it to plan your attack strategy.

Olimar: Winged Pikmin Two Winged Pikmin carry Olimar. The more Pikmin he has, the harder it is to pull him up.

Link: Side Smash Attack Press the button again to attack a second time. The second attack has more launching power.

Peach: Gliding Holding the jump button will let Peach hover in the air for a short time. She can even attack as she floats!

Peach: Peach Parasol Press up and down to open and close your parasol and adjust your fall speed.

Bowser: Tough Guy Bowser’s a real tough guy. When he’s only lightly damaged, weaker attacks won’t make him flinch.

Mr. Game & Watch: Oil Panic This bucket can hold all manner of projectiles. Once filled, unleash the contents on an unsuspecting foe.

Fox: Reflector This move can reflect projectiles, and it also damages nearby opponents when activated.

Falco: Blaster Unlike Fox’s Blaster, Falco’s Blaster can make opponents flinch. It fires faster when airborne.

King Dedede: Inhale Dedede is already perfect, so his Inhale won’t copy abilities. Instead, it has a longer range than Kirby’s.

Charizard: Rock Smash The rock shards will fly in random directions. Get close to your target to maximize damage.

Villager: Down Air Attack One to three turnips will appear. More turnips means more damage. Three has a meteor effect.

Wario: Chomp Eating items will make Wario more gassy. The gassier he is, the stronger his down special will be.

Falco: Falco Phantasm Falco Phantasm can send an airborne enemy straight down use it to dunk them into the abyss!

Wii Fit Trainer: Deep Breathing Deep Breathing can reduce stress. Oh, and it also increases your attack and launch power and heals a small amount of damage.

Wii Fit Trainer: Standard Attack If you land three standard attacks in a row, you’ll bury your opponents in the ground for a time.

Greninja: Hydro Pump Aim the water jets by pressing in a particular direction. You can then quickly press a different direction to go that way with the second burst.

Marth: Counter The counter depends on the attack it is countering. A countered smash attack may KO an opponent!

Jigglypuff: Shield If its shield is shattered, Jigglypuff will get launched and KO’d no matter its damage.

Ness: Side Smash Attack Ness’s bat leaves him open to attack, but it has epic launching power. He can even hit projectiles with it!

Zelda: Din’s Fire This explodes when you release the button. Hold it longer to get more range and a stronger explosion.

Zelda: Phantom Slash Charge this attack to make the Phantom travel farther. It’ll attack differently based on the distance traveled.

Zero Suit Samus: Flip Jump Fighters struck while on the ground will be buried, while airborne fighters will be meteored.

Meta Knight: Flurry Attack Press the attack button to unleash a flurry of strikes. Meta Knight doesn’t do “standard attacks.”

King Dedede: Strong Down Attack He can attack while prone by cartwheeling forward. This lets him attack while moving, like a dash attack.

Charizard: Rock Smash Right before smashing a rock, Charizard gets super armor, meaning it won’t even flinch if it’s attacked!

Wii Fit Trainer: Up Smash Attack You’re invincible for a moment just before unleashing this. Try using it to launch foes attacking from above.

Villager: Balloon Trip Your balloons can be popped if hit. If you lose one, you’ll lose lift. If you lose both, down you go!

Greninja: Hydro Pump The water flow doesn’t just cause damage it can also push your foes if you hit them just right.

Villager: Lloid Rocket Hold the button when using this move to ride on the Lloid Rocket.

Little Mac: Jolt Haymaker You get a window of invincibility if you start this move on the ground, but not in the air. So be careful!

R.O.B.: Robo Beam After charging, R.O.B. fires a beam from his eyes. The red light on his head shows the charge level.

Samus: Missile Holding a direction will fire a homing missile, while quickly inputting a direction will fire a Super Missile!

Pikachu: Thunder The bolt of lightning has a meteor effect. Use it after throwing a foe upward for a powerful combo.

Ness: PSI Magnet This move absorbs energy-based projectiles and heals Ness as a result.

Peach: Side Smash Attack The tennis racket launches farthest, the golf club has the best reach, and the frying pan hurts the most.

Peach: Low Gliding Hold jump while crouching to float just above the ground. You can use air attacks quickly that way!

Rosalina: Controlling Luma Luma can attack even if Rosalina is stunned or sleeping. This can save you in a pinch.

Donkey Kong: Headbutt Use this move to bury your opponents if they’re on the ground or meteor-smash them in midair.

Mario: Front Air Attack It’s a slow attack, but Mario swings his fist down hard enough for a meteor smash as it begins.

Mr. Game & Watch: Chef Food jumps out of Mr. Game & Watch’s frying pan in all directions. Use this to protect yourself.

Diddy Kong: Peanut Popgun Overcharging the Peanut Popgun makes it backfire, but it’ll do a ton of damage to foes that it hits!

Mr. Game & Watch: Oil Panic This will only absorb energy-based projectiles. It won’t affect physical ones, like Link’s arrows.

Olimar: Pikmin Order Olimar’s whistle calls back his scattered Pikmin. Even the ones that are goofing off.

Donkey Kong: Hand Slap DK’s Hand Slap affects a large area around him. However, it won’t hit airborne fighters.

Meta Knight: Strong Side Attack The third strike of Meta Knight’s strong side attack is powerful enough to launch opponents.

Jigglypuff: Rest Opponents launched by Rest will get a flower on their heads. Talk about insult to injury.

Mega Man: Leaf Shield If you grab someone while the Leaf Shield’s up, you can do a combo attack: a throw plus the damage from the leaves.

Zero Suit Samus: Paralyzer Attack with this to paralyze foes for just a moment. When they can’t move, that’s your chance to strike!

Meta Knight: Drill Rush While Meta Knight’s rushing through the air like a drill, you can adjust his direction.

Meta Knight: Mach Tornado The tornado created around Meta Knight can destroy any weak projectiles it hits.

R.O.B.: Arm Rotor The spinning arms can deflect enemy projectiles. Also, press the button repeatedly for a slightly longer attack!

R.O.B.: Robo Beam The beam can be angled up or down. Also, if it hits the ground, it’ll reflect and change direction.

Ness: PK Fire If this attack connects, a big pillar of fire appears. “I feel the burn!” your foes will yell.

Ness: PK Thunder You can guide the bolt of lightning around and hit yourself for propulsion but this leaves you defenseless, so be careful!

Ness: Up Smash Attack Ness’s yo-yo flies forward and then swings up and around to the back for a wide-ranging, heavy-hitting attack.

Sonic: Spin Charge If you jump while spinning forward, you’ll keep spinning in the air. You can hit opponents like that or use other attacks.

Charizard: Flare Blitz This move engulfs Charizard in flames. It’s extremely powerful, but it hurts Charizard too.

Ike: Standard Attack There are three levels of attack: a punch, a kick, and a sword swing. All pretty handy, since they’re quicker than Ike’s other moves!

Pit: Palutena Bow Press up before firing to aim the arrow that way. Also, you can guide the arrow while it’s in the air.

Pit: Upperdash Arm A dash forward followed by an uppercut. While Pit is dashing, the Upperdash Arm deflects projectiles! Cool!

Pit: Guardian Orbitars These handy items will block enemy attacks as well as reflect projectiles. They’ll even push back foes who touch them!

Mega Man: Crash Bomber This bomb is incredibly clingy, latching on to walls, floors, and even fighters! It can be given to other fighters by bumping into them.

Link: Dash Attack Link’s dash attack strikes with almost as much force as a smash attack. The point of his sword is especially painful.

Bowser: Whirling Fortress Repeatedly pressing the button while using this in midair will give you a small boost in how high you fly.

Ike: Aether Ike will be protected from flinching while he prepares this attack. This move can send foes flying upward!

Kirby: Jump Kirby’s light body lets him jump six times more than most other fighters. If Kirby gets launched but not KO’d, you can almost bet he’s coming back!

Bowser: Bowser Bomb Bowser will leap into the air hornsfirst. Hitting opponents on the way up makes it much easier to clobber them again on the way down.

Meta Knight: Dimensional Cape Meta Knight wraps himself in his cape and disappears. If you keep holding the button, he’ll strike when he’s back!

R.O.B.: Back Air Attack When R.O.B. fires the burner on his base, the force of the attack will move him forward a bit.

Fox: Blaster The blaster fires quickly, and its shots go a long way, but enemies won’t flinch when they’re hit, so use this at a safe distance.

Rosalina & Luma: Star Bits Luma fires Star Bits that can scatter in three directions: high, middle, and low.

Marth: Dancing Blade Keep pressing the button to turn this into a four-hit combo. Holding different directions will change the angle of the strike!

Marth: Dancing Blade Marth’s sword leaves a trail as he swings it, and the color reflects the attack’s height. Blue is high, red is middle, and green is low.

Charizard: Flare Blitz There’s a big explosion when Charizard hits a fighter or an obstacle. This can hit other nearby fighters too!

Zelda: Farore’s Wind Zelda will deal damage to those nearby when she disappears and reappears. Hold a direction to control where she teleports to.

Marth: Dancing Blade Press down on the fourth swing to finish your combo with a powerful blow to your opponent’s feet!

Marth: Dancing Blade Press up on the fourth swing for a slice that will launch your foes. This swing is excellent for netting some KOs!

Shulk: Monado Arts Shulk switches between five modes Jump, Speed, Shield, Buster, and Smash that change his abilities for a short time.

Diddy Kong: Monkey Flip If you grab foes in the air, you’ll release them more quickly than if you grab them on the ground. Be ready to use a speedy follow-up attack.

Diddy Kong: Banana Peel You can’t whip out another banana peel if one of yours is still in play, but each one will vanish after being thrown twice.

Olimar: Pikmin Pluck You can have up to three Pikmin in tow at any time. Plucking for more while three are already active is, sadly, futile.

Mega Man: Up Air Attack Mega Man can launch a little tornado upward. If opponents get caught in this minigale, they’ll be carried up into the air!

Wario: Taunt Leave it to Wario to taunt while riding a motorcycle. Don’t try this at home! Or anywhere else! Not safe!

Diddy Kong: Rocketbarrel Boost You can indicate a direction while this is charging to fly in that direction. You can even steer while flying!

Mega Man: Side Smash Attack Mega Man unleashes a powerful Charge Shot. The damage and distance increases the longer you charge it!

Mii Brawler: Head-On Assault This downward headbutt has a meteor effect, and it will bury opponents on the ground who get caught beneath it.

Mii Swordfighter: Blurring Blade A flurry of sword slashes right in front of you, followed by a stab forward. Good for keeping your opponents at a safe distance!

Mii Brawler: Piston Punch This series of upward punches isn’t so great for recovering. However, it’s a powerful move to use against opponents.

Mii Brawler: Headache Maker After a big jump, the Mii Brawler swings down with both arms. At that exact moment, this move has a meteor effect.

Mii Gunner: Charge Blast This move is super powerful when fully charged. If you use it in midair, it’ll fire without charging at all.

Mii Gunner: Flame Pillar If you make a pillar of fire on the ground, it’ll deliver a single hit to those who come close, pushing them back.

Captain Falcon: Front Air Attack There’s a violent knee jab at the start of this move. Connect with that for some serious launching power.

Lucario: Extreme Speed This move will send Lucario flying in the direction you indicate. The more damage Lucario has taken, the farther it will fly.

Lucario: Force Palm Force Palm deals more damage and has a greater range if Lucario’s Aura is stronger.

Wario: Chomp Wario’s hunger knows no bounds, but eating explosives will cause him a bit of damage. The blast will hurt those around him too!

PAC-MAN: Bonus Fruit Cherries fly in a low arc. After hitting the floor, they’ll bounce only once.

PAC-MAN: Bonus Fruit Oranges don’t deal much damage, but they fly straight and at high speed, making it pretty easy to hit foes with them.

PAC-MAN: Bonus Fruit Keys fly forward at high speed while spinning. They deal the most damage out of all the Bonus Fruit items.

Donkey Kong: Spinning Kong This move doesn’t offer a lot of lift, but it can carry Donkey Kong a fair distance left or right.

Olimar: Lead Pikmin Olimar always attacks with the Pikmin at the front of the line. You can tell which one this is by the arrow pointing to it.

Luigi: Down Taunt If your foe’s clinging to an edge for dear life, try using Luigi’s down taunt. That meteor smash will be VERY satisfying!

Marth: Dancing Blade Hold toward the foe you’re attacking on the fourth swing for an attack that launches foes much farther than the up or down versions.

Link: Hylian Shield Link’s Hylian Shield blocks all projectiles, no matter how powerful. Link won’t take any damage at all.

Donkey Kong: Forward Throw Donkey Kong can pick up opponents and carry them around! Try to throw them before they shake free, though.

Diddy Kong: Peanut Popgun While charging, watch for when Diddy grabs his hat! That’s the sign that the Peanut Popgun’s about to backfire.

Diddy Kong: Banana Peel In this move, Diddy throws a banana peel behind him. Foes who step on it fall clumsily to the ground. Have a nice trip!

Olimar: Pikmin’s Stamina When separated from Olimar, Pikmin are very vulnerable to enemy attacks.

King Dedede: Super Dedede Jump After leaping up high, Dedede crashes down to attack. This move can be canceled partway through by pressing up.

Mii Swordfighter: Airborne Assault The Mii performs a somersault leap forward in a large arc. If it strikes foes, they will be blasted back and the user will jump upward.

Mii Gunner: Lunar Launch The Mii fires straight down, using the recoil to gain height. How fortunate if an opponent gets caught in the blast as well!

PAC-MAN: Bonus Fruit PAC-MAN’s strawberry flies a little farther than other fruit and bounces twice when it lands.

PAC-MAN: Bonus Fruit PAC-MAN’s melon moves slowly through the air, making it difficult to hit opponents. But when it does hit home, it deals big damage.

PAC-MAN: Fire Hydrant PAC-MAN places a fire hydrant on the ground. The water that it spurts will push fighters back.

PAC-MAN: Fire Hydrant If you use this attack in the air, the falling hydrant itself becomes a form of attack. Try dropping it on an opponent trying to return to the stage!

Duck Hunt: Duck Jump The duck grabs the dog and carries him through the air. Once started, this move can’t be stopped.

Bowser Jr.: Abandon Ship Bowser Jr. abandons his Junior Clown Car and performs a massive leap. After a short delay, the abandoned vehicle will self-destruct.

Bowser Jr.: Clown Kart Dash The Junior Clown Car becomes a kart and charges forward. The higher the speed, the more damage it will deal.

Bowser Jr.: Mechakoopa The Junior Clown Car spits out a Mechakoopa that explodes on contact with an enemy. It’ll explode if you just leave it alone for a while too.

King Dedede: Jet Hammer It’s possible to charge this move to deal more damage, but charging for too long will start to hurt Dedede too!

Mii Swordfighter: Reversal Slash A gust of wind from the Mii character’s sword sends projectiles back the way they came. It can also flip opponents around if they get too close.

Yoshi: Egg Roll You can start this move in the air, but you won’t deal any damage until you hit the ground.

Little Mac: Side Smash Attack If you press up when performing Little Mac’s side smash, it will change into an uppercut that sends enemies flying upward.

Ganondorf: Wizard’s Foot Used on the ground, this move is a horizontal flying kick. In the air, it goes downward instead and has a meteor effect at the very start.

Zero Suit Samus: Down Air Attack This move sends Zero Suit Samus diagonally downward while attacking. When she lands, the impact damages enemies around her.

Villager: Lloid Rocket The Lloid Rocket is more powerful when you’re riding it, but you can bail at any time just by pressing the button.

Meta Knight: Shuttle Loop Meta Knight thrusts his sword upward, loops in midair, and then thrusts upward once more. A swift and powerful attack, useful against falling foes.

Charizard: Strong Up Attack Charizard’s wings won’t take damage, making this attack good for overpowering foes who are attacking from above.

Ganondorf: Strong Down Attack A crouching kick that sends opponents flying upward. It has good reach and is one of Ganondorf’s faster attacks.

Shulk: Back Slash Shulk leaps forward and performs a vertical slice downward. As the name implies, it deals more damage if you hit the enemy from behind.

Diddy Kong: Rocketbarrel Boost If someone attacks Diddy Kong when he’s wearing his Rocketbarrel Pack, it’ll break free and fly off on its own.

Mii Brawler: Up Smash Attack An upward-kicking backflip. Your legs are invulnerable while you perform it, so it’s perfect for countering enemy attacks from above.

Mii Brawler: Feint Jump A long leap forward while turning upside down. If you hit the attack button on the way down, you’ll perform a jump kick.

Mii Brawler: Helicopter Kick When performing this move, pressing left or right will let you change the direction of the kick.

Wii Fit Trainer: Deep Breathing If you press the button again just as the outer circle meets the red inner circle, you’ll boost your attack and launching power for a while.

Ike: Aether During the downward strike, this attack has a meteor effect. You’ll fall straight down until you hit solid ground, so make sure you aim well!

Ike: Eruption A downward stab that summons flames around you. If uncharged, the tip of the sword has a meteor effect when hitting an opponent on the ground.

Kirby: Inhale If you press the attack button after sucking enemies in, you’ll spit them back out. Use enemies to attack other enemies!

Kirby: Final Cutter Kirby slices up into the air and then slices straight down again. The shock wave that appears when you land can also damage your opponents.

Ganondorf: Flame Choke After being grabbed by this move, it’s possible to recover just before being slammed to the ground.

Captain Falcon: Falcon Dive A leaping grab that sends the opponent flying with explosive force. If it connects, you’re free to use the same attack again without landing.

Bowser Jr.: Clown Cannon This move fires a cannonball from the Junior Clown Car. The longer this attack is charged, the faster and more powerful it will be.

Greninja: Substitute This move makes an enemy attack hit a substitute instead of you. You then reappear somewhere else and attack!

Samus: Bomb Samus morphs into a ball and drops a bomb. You can use the explosion to gain a little height.

Shulk: Monado Arts In Speed mode, you’ll sacrifice damage and jump height in order to move faster.

Shulk: Monado Arts In Shield mode, the power of your shield is boosted but you can’t move as fast, jump as high, or deal as much damage.

Shulk: Monado Arts In Buster mode, you deal more damage than usual, but you can’t launch opponents as far and you’ll receive more damage.

Shulk: Monado Arts In Smash mode, you can launch opponents more effectively, but you deal less damage and can be launched more easily yourself.

Zelda: Nayru’s Love This move summons a magical barrier that reflects enemy projectiles. It’s not just for defense, either it also deals direct damage!

Zero Suit Samus: Plasma Whip This move swings a whiplike stream of plasma directly in front of Zero Suit Samus. Opponents struck by the very tip of it will be blasted away.

Zero Suit Samus: Down Smash Attack This attack fires Zero Suit Samus’s Paralyzer diagonally down. Its victims will be stunned for a moment, leaving them open to another attack!

Sonic: Spin Charge If you hold down and keep tapping the button, you can charge up this move, making it faster and stronger.

Diddy Kong: Monkey Flip While performing this move, you can press the attack button to launch a flying kick that deals considerable damage and has good launching power.

Diddy Kong: Monkey Flip After grabbing on to opponents with this move, press the attack button to launch them sideways or press up to jump off their head!

King Dedede: Gordo Throw Choose up, middle, or down right after starting this move to hit the Gordo in three different ways, changing how it bounces.

King Dedede: Inhale After inhaling opponents, press the button again to spit them out as a projectile. This way, you can hit your opponents with each other!

PAC-MAN: Pac-Jump This move sets up a trampoline for PAC-MAN to jump on. If you jump on it repeatedly, you’ll go higher with each bounce!

PAC-MAN: Bonus Fruit PAC-MAN’s apple bounces repeatedly across the ground. It travels quite a distance!

Palutena: Warp Palutena disappears and then warps to a location a short distance away. Warp will take Palutena in the direction you press.

Palutena: Rocket Jump Palutena propels herself with an explosion at her feet, damaging enemies nearby. It’s a little more powerful on the ground than in the air.

Palutena: Lightweight This move temporarily allows Palutena to move faster and jump farther. However, it also makes her easier to damage and launch.

Palutena: Angelic Missile Palutena fires herself forward like a spinning torpedo. This move travels a long way, so be careful not to fire yourself right off a cliff!

Palutena: Celestial Firework There’s a moment of invincibility just after firing the firework. If you use it well, you might be able to nullify an enemy attack and then strike back!

Palutena: Super Speed Palutena charges forward at speed and sends anyone in her way flying. The farther she travels, the more damage she deals on impact.

Palutena: Heavenly Light This move damages anyone who touches the rays of light. It’s not particularly powerful, but it can hit repeatedly.

Palutena: Heavenly Light Palutena’s Heavenly Light doesn’t cause opponents to flinch, but it does gradually push them out of its area of effect.

Palutena: Heavenly Light Palutena’s Heavenly Light covers a wide area. If you hit someone with it while they’re flying off the screen, you can steal the KO for yourself.

Palutena: Reflect Barrier This move creates a barrier that reflects enemy projectiles. It also pushes opponents away, so it can be useful if you want to keep your distance.

Pikachu: Thunder Jolt Pikachu’s Thunder Jolt bounces along the surface of the stage. It can even attack foes who are hanging from edges.

Olimar: Pikmin Throw Most Pikmin latch on to opponents and attack them repeatedly. Purple Pikmin, though, deal one heavy blow and then bounce off.

Olimar: Pikmin Throw The less damage an opponent has accumulated, the longer the Pikmin can hang on to it.

Fox: Fox Illusion When you use this move on the ground, Fox will always stop if he reaches an edge. When used in the air, you need to be a little more careful.

Dark Pit: Electroshock Arm Dark Pit charges forward and launches foes upward at a lower angle than Pit’s Upperdash Arm. This move also deals electrical damage.

Jigglypuff: Sing Enemies on the ground who hear this song will fall asleep. The more damage they have, the longer they’ll nap.

Mario: Up Smash Attack A powerful upward headbutt. Mario’s head is invulnerable while performing it. Useful against opponents moving in to attack from above.

Villager: Pocket The Villager uses this move to put items or incoming projectiles into his pocket. Then he can press the button again to take them out.

Villager: Timber A three-stage move: planting a seed, watering it, and then chopping down the tree. Don’t use the first stage in the air it’ll just leave you wide open.

Yoshi: Egg Roll This move turns Yoshi into an egg that rolls along the ground. The faster it goes, the more powerful it’ll be. Just beware of getting grabbed!

Yoshi: Egg Lay The more damage Yoshi’s foes have accumulated, the longer they’ll be stuck as an egg. They can escape faster by wiggling around.

Yoshi: Egg Throw How hard Yoshi throws the egg depends on how long you hold the button down. Tap for a light throw or hold for a powerful one.

Yoshi: Yoshi Bomb The damage and launching power of the Yoshi Bomb are both a little higher when used on the ground.

Yoshi: Front Air Attack Yoshi charges up for a moment and then delivers a powerful headbutt. If you hit opponents from above, they’ll fly down with a meteor effect.

Charizard: Flamethrower Charizard will keep breathing fire as long as you hold the button down, but it’ll get weaker and weaker as you use it.

Little Mac: Slip Counter Just when you think you’ve got him, Little Mac socks you with a nasty counter. He’s invincible during the attack, so there’s no stopping him!

Little Mac: Rising Uppercut Little Mac zooms upward with a powerful uppercut. He travels farther when used on the ground than when used in the air.

Little Mac: KO Uppercut Little Mac’s KO Meter builds up when he deals or receives damage. Once it’s full, he can use the KO Uppercut to deal some serious hurt!

Link: Hero’s Bow The longer Link charges his bow, the farther the arrows will fly and the more powerful they’ll be. At maximum charge, they’ll fly perfectly straight.

Robin: Thunder Robin will use one of four magic spells, depending on how long you charge Thunder. The color the tome glows indicates which spell will be used.

Robin: Thunder It’s difficult to notice in the middle of a battle, but the cover of the tome Robin uses actually changes depending on the spell being used.

Robin: Thunder If you launch this move without charging it up, Robin will cast Thunder. It’s not very powerful, but its fast speed can take foes by surprise.

Robin: Thunder Once the tome starts glowing yellow, you can cast Elthunder. It’s more powerful than Thunder and travels farther, but it’s not quite as fast.

Robin: Thunder When casting Thoron, you can hold down the button to make the beam extend farther.

R.O.B.: Robo Burner The Robo Burner’s fuel slowly replenishes while R.O.B. is on the ground. Be careful if you find yourself in the air a lot it won’t refill there.

Wario: Wario Waft When Wario’s bursting at the seams with gas, he’ll glow. Getting KO’d won’t release any gas, either there’s only one way to let it out…

Mii Brawler: Onslaught A flurry of kicks, followed by a powerful uppercut. This move hits opponents quite some distance and might even KO them if it connects in midair!

Mii Brawler: Shot Put Throws a metal ball diagonally upward, just like the real shot-put event. It’s effective at blocking opponents’ attempts at recovery.

Mii Brawler: Soaring Axe Kick A leap up with a somersault kick, and then a swift heel-kick drop. If that falling kick connects, it delivers a powerful meteor effect.

Mii Brawler: Burning Dropkick This move combines a big forward leap with a drop kick. Also it’s on fire. Charge it up for some serious power, distance, and speed.

Mii Swordfighter: Blade Counter This move counters an enemy attack. The attack has slightly greater launching power than a normal attack.

Mii Swordfighter: Chakram Throws a ring-shaped projectile. If it hits the stage, it’ll stick there. You can adjust the angle of the throw by pressing up or down.

Mii Swordfighter: Chakram Perform this move like a smash attack to throw stronger and farther. If you perform it normally, the chakram will hover and hit multiple times.

Mii Swordfighter: Gale Strike A large swing of the sword that summons a damaging tornado. The tornado’s path sinks slightly just after it appears.

Mii Swordfighter: Stone Scabbard A rising upward slice followed by a plummeting stab down. The falling stab has a meteor effect.

Mii Swordfighter: Stone Scabbard At the end of this move, the sword sticks right through the ground. You can use it to attack unsuspecting enemies below the platform.

Mii Swordfighter: Hero’s Spin A spinning sword slice that attacks enemies on both sides. When used in midair it makes you rise upward, so you can use it for recovery.

Mii Swordfighter: Hero’s Spin When using this move on the ground, you can hold down the button to charge it up. It’s also stronger in general on the ground than in the air.

Mii Swordfighter: Shuriken of Light The farther the shurikens travel, the more damage they deal. Throwing them at nearby foes won’t even make them flinch.

Mii Swordfighter: Slash Launcher A swift dash forward ending in a decisive slash, with the sword held in a reverse grip. The longer you charge it, the farther it will travel.

Mii Gunner: Arm Rocket This move fires a rocket jet from your arm cannon, carrying you upward. You can adjust the direction by pressing left or right just before liftoff.

Mii Gunner: Absorbing Vortex A barrier that absorbs energy-based projectiles. When you deactivate the barrier, it will push nearby enemies back a bit.

Mii Gunner: Cannon Uppercut Fires a blast downward, using the recoil to power an uppercut. If you’re up close, you can hit your foe with both the uppercut and the blast!

Mii Gunner: Bomb Drop This move rolls a bomb forward that will blow up after a set period of time or when it hits a foe. Drop one on an opponent trying to recover!

Mii Gunner: Grenade Launch These grenades fly in an arc, exploding after a set time or when they hit an opponent. Hold down the button to throw them farther.

Mii Gunner: Stealth Burst Fires a stealth explosive forward that detonates when you release the button. Hold the button down to get more distance and power.

Mii Gunner: Gunner Missile Use this move normally to fire a missile that homes in on opponents. Deliver it like a smash attack to fire a stronger missile that flies straight.

Mii Gunner: Laser Blaze This move fires a beam from your arm cannon. It won’t make enemies flinch, but it can be fired repeatedly to build up damage.

Mii Gunner: Echo Reflector This move creates a Reflector that sends projectiles back the way they came. They’ll be stronger than they were before too!

Mr. Game & Watch: Fire A pair of firemen launch Mr. Game & Watch high into the air. Nearby opponents will also be pushed back a bit.

Kirby: Inhale In addition to enemies, Kirby can inhale some items. You’ll recover a little damage this way, but sucking in explosives will hurt!

Ganondorf: Warlock Punch After pressing the attack button, quickly turn around to make Ganondorf unleash an even more powerful attack as he turns.

Shulk: Monado Arts Jump mode increases your jumping ability. You’ll be able to move more quickly in the air, but you’ll also take more damage from attacks.

Zero Suit Samus: Flip Jump Press the attack button during this move to launch a kick. This kick deals a lot of damage and has a powerful meteor effect too.

Duck Hunt: Clay Shooting Press the button once to throw a clay pigeon forward, and then press again to shoot. The third shot will hit, breaking the clay and hurting foes.

Duck Hunt: Trick Shot This move kicks an exploding can toward your enemies. Keep pressing the button to fire shots and lead it toward its target.

Palutena: Counter This move raises Palutena’s shield, preparing to counter an enemy attack. The counterattack itself covers a surprisingly wide range.

Palutena: Jump Glide After leaping upward, Palutena glides down slowly. You can make use of this glide to cover a lot of distance in the air.

Palutena: Celestial Firework This move shoots fireworks upward to attack. Besides the obvious anti-air applications, it can also be used to hit downed opponents.

Palutena: Explosive Flame This move causes an explosion a short distance away from Palutena. It deals multiple hits to any opponents in its vicinity and then sends them flying.

Pit: Power of Flight Pit’s wings glow and then send him flying in the direction you choose. This move travels a long way, making it an excellent recovery move.

Jigglypuff: Rest This move is hard to hit with but can really send opponents flying! You’ll need to get very close or use it right when your opponent tries to attack.

Jigglypuff: Pound A simple punch that travels horizontally. You can use it repeatedly in midair combine it with jumps to stay aloft for a very long time.

Yoshi: Egg Lay This move grabs opponents with Yoshi’s tongue and traps them in an egg. They’ll take less damage while trapped, but you can hit them all you like!

Robin: Thunder A red glow means that Thunder has charged into Arcthunder! A current with very high launching power will appear when this move connects.

Robin: Thunder When Thunder is fully charged, it becomes Thoron! The high-speed beam can deal damage to multiple opponents at once.

Rosalina: Luma Shot This sends Luma hurtling forward with a high chance of launching opponents. Charge up this move to send Luma flying farther.

R.O.B.: Robo Burner R.O.B. will use his burner to fly up. Don’t jump just press the special-move button repeatedly to save fuel and let yourself fly longer.

Mii Brawler: Ultimate Uppercut This fierce uppercut can be charged. When fully charged, it’s super strong and has an extra-long super-armor effect at the start.

Mii Brawler: Exploding Side Kick Input in the opposite direction right after pressing the button to turn around and deliver this kick the other way! It’ll also deal more damage.

Mii Brawler: Foot Flurry On the ground, this flurry of kicks will move forward, ending with an upward kick. In the air, you’ll hover in place and kick downward.

Mii Swordfighter: Power Thrust This dashing thrust will travel sideways on the ground but diagonally down in the air. The sword’s tip is especially powerful.

Mii Swordfighter: Skyward Slash Dash Slash repeatedly while dashing in the direction you’ve pressed. Use it in the air to ambush opponents waiting below!

Mii Swordfighter: Gale Strike The tornado will become weaker as time passes, but the force of the wind will still push opponents even after it stops dealing damage.

Donkey Kong: Giant Punch When this move is fully charged, steam will come out of Donkey Kong’s head. It deals a powerful blow, but your foes will see it coming.

Mario: Cape This move has the effect of turning your opponents around. This can really mess them up if they’re trying to get back onto the stage!

Mario: Cape Use this in midair to slow down Mario’s falling speed for a moment. In particular, the first time you use it, he’ll float up a bit great for dodging!

Luigi: Luigi Cyclone Press the button repeatedly while using this attack to move upward. This effect is stronger in midair, so use it to chase people or for recovery.

Olimar: Red Pikmin Red Pikmin perform attacks that deal 1.2 times the standard damage. They’re also immune to fire attacks, but their throw is weak.

Olimar: Purple Pikmin Attacks performed using Purple Pikmin deal 1.4 times the standard damage and launch foes farther too! They’re lacking in reach and speed, however.

Olimar: Yellow Pikmin Yellow Pikmin attacks have 1.25 times the reach of the other colors, but they do less damage. The Pikmin can’t be killed by electric attacks.

Olimar: Blue Pikmin Throws performed with Blue Pikmin deal 1.6 times the standard damage. The rest of their abilities are average, with no real weaknesses.

Olimar: White Pikmin When attacking a grabbed opponent, White Pikmin deal twice the normal damage. They’re also speedy and can jump very high.

Wii Fit Trainer: Deep Breathing If you use this move repeatedly, it’ll take much longer to charge. It leaves you open to attack, so think carefully about when to use it.

Ness: PK Thunder Ness can hit himself with the ball of electricity to launch himself like a missile. If you’re good with the angle, it can be used for recovery.

Villager: Timber If the felled tree hits an opponent, it deals some serious damage. The pieces of wood that pop out as it falls can be thrown as projectiles, too.

Robin: Regenerating Tomes and Swords If you’ve used up a tome or your Levin Sword, try KO’ing some opponents. That’ll shorten the time you have to wait to use them again.

Robin: Reaching Nosferatu’s Limits Nosferatu is a useful technique that can recover health, but it can only be used four times in a row and takes up to 40 seconds to recharge.

Duck Hunt: Wild Gunman This move summons a pixelated gunman who shoots straight ahead. The gunman selected is random, and each one works a little differently.

Robin: Reaching Arcfire’s Limits Arcfire can be used up to six times in a row. Once it’s used up, it’ll be about 12 seconds before you can use the move again.

Robin: Reaching the Levin Sword’s Limits After eight uses of the Levin Sword, you’ll throw it away and be unable to use it for 10 seconds. It reverts to the Bronze Sword after holding it for 8 seconds.

Robin: Reaching Thunder’s Limits Thunder can be used up to 20 times in a row, but stronger tomes use it up faster. Elthunder counts as 3 uses, Arcthunder as 5, and Thoron as 8.

Robin: Reaching Elwind’s Limits Elwind can be used 18 times, after which you can’t use this move at all for eight seconds. This seriously affects your recovery, so beware!

Lucina: Strong Up Attack Lucina cuts an arc through the air with her sword. This does the most damage at the back, so try using it on foes standing close behind you!

Dr. Mario: Super Sheet This move doesn’t have as much horizontal range as Mario’s Cape, but it has more range vertically, so lure your foes in and then strike!

Toon Link: Midair Hookshot Land with the Hookshot out, and you’ll put it away quickly. It’s handy as a feint use it just before landing, and then surprise ’em with a different attack.

Toon Link: Boomerang The boomerang is able to go through enemies as it returns. It flies to wherever you are, so move up or down after you throw it to hit more opponents!

Toon Link: Hero’s Bow If you don’t charge the attack, the arrow won’t fly very far and will drop toward the ground. Do this close to an edge to attack enemies below!

Toon Link: Hero’s Bow Unlike Link, if Toon Link fires his bow in midair, he puts it away almost immediately when he lands. This makes it easy to use a quick follow-up.

Toon Link: Standard Air Attack Swings his sword in front and behind. The attack doesn’t have much power, but it’s quick enough to use repeatedly in a short time frame.

Toon Link: Midair Hookshot Using the grab button will fire the Hookshot even in midair, but you can’t grab opponents with it. You can, however, use it to attack or grab edges.

Dr. Mario: Dr. Tornado Press the button repeatedly midattack to rise into the air. However, after it ends you are vulnerable, so be careful using it to recover.

Kirby: Lucario Copy Ability Kirby gains the ability to use Aura Sphere from Lucario. No matter how high his damage gets, though, the attack won’t get any stronger.

Kirby: Rosalina & Luma Copy Ability Kirby gets a Luma of his very own after inhaling Rosalina! It doesn’t stay long enough to team up with him, though it flies forward and then vanishes.

Fox: Reflector Using Reflector in midair slows down Fox’s fall back to the ground. Using this when an enemy is about to attack from below can throw off their timing.

Fox: Front Air Attack Try timing the fifth strike to hit your opponent just before you hit the ground. When your opponent bounces, that’s your chance for a follow-up attack.

Pikachu: Quick Attack Pikachu is vulnerable before landing after using Quick Attack in midair. However, if you direct the attack at the ground, the recovery time shortens a little.

Pikachu: Thunder Hit yourself with Thunder to cause a discharge that damages nearby foes. The lightning bolt can also pass through platforms close to the cloud.

Pikachu: Skull Bash Execute this move like a smash attack, and it’ll start off slightly charged already. This way, fully charging it doesn’t take as long.

Pikachu: Standard Attack Press and hold the button to attack repeatedly. Be careful, though, because Pikachu shifts slightly as it attacks. You’ll eventually end up out of attack range!

Luigi: Fireball Luigi’s green fireballs don’t travel as far as his brother’s, but they don’t lose power the farther they move away from Luigi.

Pikachu: Volt Tackle The smaller of the two lightning balls moves in front of the large one, so watch the small one to make it easier to control and hit other fighters.

Luigi: Super Jump Punch Get close to your enemy before using this. Hit them right at the start of the uppercut for maximum damage and launching power.

Luigi: Luigi Cyclone If you land during Luigi Cyclone after using it in midair, you can slide left or right, leaving you much less vulnerable to attack.

Luigi: Standard Air Attack This attack launches opponents almost straight upward. Since you know which way they’re going, it’s easy to move in and attack again.

Luigi: Shield When shielding against powerful attacks, such as smash attacks, Luigi will slide backward. This makes him harder to hit multiple times.

Luigi: Up Smash Attack Hit an enemy in front to launch them backward. Hit an enemy behind you to launch them forward. The green guy’s kooky like that!

Captain Falcon: Falcon Dive Press left or right the moment Captain Falcon crouches to adjust the angle of the attack. If you were already facing that way, you can even grab opponents.

Captain Falcon: Falcon Kick The attack is at its most powerful right after pressing the button and loses power as it goes. However, it’s a little stronger when used in the air.

Captain Falcon: Raptor Boost Used in midair, his hand has a meteor effect on the downswing. The trick is to hit the foe when they’re below Captain Falcon.

Captain Falcon: Strong Up Attack If Falcon’s heel hits an airborne enemy during this attack, it will dunk them. Try using it on an opponent after they’ve pulled themselves up from an edge.

Captain Falcon: Blue Falcon Depending on if he used it in the air or on the ground, Falcon’s pose after striking will change. Of course, he won’t be happy if he didn’t hit anyone…

Ness: PK Flash The power and radius of the charge grow as you hold down the button. It can do up to 37% damage, but it’ll disappear when it touches the ground.

Ness: PK Thunder Since you can move the attack yourself, you can stop enemies from recovering by moving it near an edge and waiting for them to climb up.

Ness: PK Thunder The lightning won’t disappear if an enemy hits its tail. It’s also invulnerable for a very brief moment after Ness initially fires it.

Ness: Backward Throw Enemies with a higher damage percentage are much easier to launch with this. You can knock them out completely if they’re damaged enough!

Ness: Pursuing off the Stage When an enemy is trying to get back on the stage, you can ruin their day with your side or down air attack. But try not to self-destruct!

Peach: Peach Parasol Peach can’t grab the ledge if she’s facing away from it and her parasol is open. Tap down to close it, though, and she’ll grab on safely.

Peach: Vegetable Of the eight types, the wrinkle-faced vegetable is the strongest. If you throw it while tapping in a direction, it can do over 30% damage!

Peach: Vegetable Rarely, Peach will pull up a Bob-omb or Mr. Saturn. How rarely? Well, you have a 1/250 chance of a Bob-omb and a 1/166 chance of a Mr. Saturn!

Bowser: Fire Breath You can change the angle of Bowser’s flame. Try aiming slightly above the enemy to make it harder for them to escape! Bowser’s not above dirty tricks.

Bowser: Fire Breath Once Bowser’s used up his fire once, he needs time to recharge. Give him 10 seconds, and he’ll be ready to roast!

Bowser: Whirling Fortress Try using this right after shielding an enemy attack. Cancel the shield and whirl toward the enemy to counterattack!

Bowser: Bowser Bomb You can grab on to an edge while bombing, but only if you’re really close to it. It’s a quick albeit risky way to descend quickly.

Bowser: Bowser Bomb If you land this on a shielding enemy, you can break their shield in one hit. Just make sure you capitalize afterward with a dropkick!

Bowser: Flying Slam Bowser’s target has a bit of control over their direction in the air, too. The lower their damage, the more influence they have (but still not much).

Zelda: Farore’s Wind Hold a direction before disappearing to warp that way. Zelda will follow the direction of any platforms she encounters during the warp, as well.

Zelda: Farore’s Wind If you direct the move downward while standing on the ground, you’ll reappear in the same place. It can really throw your opponent for a loop!

Zelda: Phantom Slash If the Phantom takes 13% damage or more, he’ll be destroyed. After that, you’ll have to wait six seconds before summoning him again.

Zelda: Din’s Fire You can adjust the flame’s path while the button is pressed. The flame will explode if it hits the stage, too much time passes, or you let go of the button.

Sheik: Light Arrow The arrow will penetrate enemies and platforms, but it gets weaker with every person it hits. The farther away the foe, the less damage done.

Sheik: Needle Storm You can start charging this attack in the air. The more charged it is, the more needles are fired, but they lose power the farther they get from Sheik.

Sheik: Bouncing Fish Press the button again to make Sheik use the axe kick faster. Use it again right after the first kick hits, and you won’t freeze up when you land.

Sheik: Bouncing Fish Hold left or right to greatly affect the range of the attack. In this way, you can use the attack as a feint or really surprise an opponent!

Sheik: Burst Grenade Hold the special-move button to throw the grenade farther. It doesn’t move much once it lands, but it can travel three times as far in the air.

Sheik: Up Smash Attack On an enemy with low damage, this attack can hit multiple times. On an enemy with high damage, the first hit can launch the enemy pretty far.

Sheik: Strong Side Attack This attack is fast and can lift the enemy up a short distance, making it easier to strike the enemy multiple times in a combo.

Marth: Dancing Blade Use Dancing Blade midjump to make Marth rise slightly in the air. Even during low jumps, you’ll be able to use the attack multiple times with this method.

Mr. Game & Watch: Chef You can change the timing of the flying food by varying the length of time you hold the button. Push it repeatedly to throw more food more quickly.

Mr. Game & Watch: Fire You can launch enemies sideways by hitting them on your ascent. This is a good way to turn the tables on someone waiting for you to pop up from a ledge.

Mr. Game & Watch: Oil Panic Absorbing a particularly powerful energy blast can fill the gauge in one go. However, even the weakest of attacks will always fill it by one segment.

Mr. Game & Watch: Oil Panic You can use this to absorb explosions from Link’s bombs or from Bob-ombs. Don’t try it with the Bob-ombs that fall during Sudden Death, though.

Mr. Game & Watch: Oil Panic The gauge doesn’t reset when Mr. Game & Watch is KO’d. Try surprising enemies with a bucket full of boiling-hot oil as soon as you respawn!

Ganondorf: Warlock Punch This attack is much more powerful when used in the air. However, you’ll have to use a Bunny Hood or high platforms to find enough time to pull it off.

Ganondorf: Flame Choke An enemy hit by this in the air will be slammed to the ground and can’t recover quickly. It’s also slightly more powerful than when used on the ground.

Ganondorf: Flame Choke You can use this to grab an enemy and drag them offstage with you. However, the point will go to the last person to strike that enemy before your grab.

Ganondorf: Strong Up Attack It’s a slow attack, but it can do more damage than a smash attack. Even if defended against, the attack can break all but a perfect shield.

Falco: Fire Bird Inertia makes this move slower than Fox’s Fire Fox. If you use it while moving horizontally in midair, you’ll slide along in midair for a moment.

Falco: Reflector The energy shield can also knock down enemies, so it can be used to slow an opponent down in addition to reflecting projectiles.

Falco: Low Air Phantasm You can use Falco Phantasm at low altitude by jumping while running and immediately pressing the special-move button. I hear he prefers the air, anyway.

Falco: Standard Air Attack If you land just before the final attack in Falco’s midair combo, you can move straight into a standard combo on the ground.

Falco: Strong Down Attack This move can launch an enemy off the stage with one hit if their damage is high enough. You’re not left vulnerable, so it’s a low-risk way to KO foes.

Wario: Wario Waft Fully charged, it will rocket Wario into the air, launching nearby foes and totally grossing them out. This can be very handy while recovering.

Wario: Wario Bike Press up to do a wheelie and then down to lower the wheel again. Any enemy hit by that front wheel has a good chance of getting launched.

Wario: Dash Attack Even if you don’t land a direct hit with this, just hitting an enemy at the tail end of the attack can send them flying! WAHAHA!

Kirby: Copy Copying Kirby can steal a copy ability from another Kirby who’s already copied someone else’s ability. Confused yet?

Meta Knight: Shuttle Loop This powerful attack is useful for pursuing enemies directly above you. However, you’re vulnerable during the postmove descent.

Meta Knight: Shuttle Loop You can use the attack slightly more quickly in the air. However, the first strike is more powerful when executed from the ground.

Meta Knight: Dimensional Cape While Meta Knight is invisible, he’ll move in the direction you input. He won’t move if you don’t input a direction, which is useful as a feint.

Meta Knight: Drill Rush If you direct Meta Knight toward the ground, he’ll cancel the move and do a little hop. Use that to avoid an enemy who is about to counter you.

Meta Knight: Downward Throw Your enemy will fly diagonally upward after this, so that’s a good time to use a combo. If their damage is low, try a dash attack and then a front air attack.

Pit: Palutena Bow The arrow fires automatically once it’s fully charged, but it won’t fire while Pit’s changing his aim. You can delay firing that way.

Pit: Power of Flight This move travels very far, making it great for recovering. However, what goes up must come down, so use it wisely.

Pit: Guardian Orbitars If the shields take too much damage, they’ll break. When that happens, it’ll be 10 seconds before they can be used again.

Kirby: Inhale When Kirby copies a Mii Fighter, he’ll wear a mask that looks like the Mii Fighter’s face. Only the face itself is taken, though headgear not included.

Zero Suit Samus: Plasma Whip If you try to grab in midair, you’ll attack with the Plasma Whip instead. If the whip reaches an edge, you’ll grab on to it. Handy!

Zero Suit Samus: Gunship Samus jumps into her Gunship and opens fire on her opponents. She’ll jump back out after five blasts or 15 seconds.

Olimar: Pikmin Flowers After being plucked, it takes some time for the flower on a Pikmin’s head to bloom. The flower doesn’t really affect its abilities, though…

Olimar: Pikmin Order If they’re separated from Olimar for any length of time, the Pikmin will flicker and then disappear. If that happens, call them back with Pikmin Order.

Olimar: Down Smash Attack If there are at least two Pikmin with Olimar, they’ll attack on both sides of him. If there’s only one, it’ll attack in front of him.

Olimar: Smash Attack All three of Olimar’s smash attacks count as projectiles, which can be reflected by moves like Reflector.

Olimar: End of Day When Olimar jumps into the S.S. Dolphin, nearby enemies will be buried. If the ship hits anyone while it’s airborne, they’ll be slammed to the ground.

Olimar: End of Day You can adjust the trajectory of the S.S. Dolphin as it comes back down. If you aim it well enough, you can even get it under floating platforms.

Diddy Kong: Peanut Popgun The peanuts you fire can be caught by enemies if they time it right. Charge the move to make the peanuts harder to catch.

Diddy Kong: Rocketbarrel Boost You can also move horizontally. You’ll go right through enemies even if they’re shielding, but if you go over the edge, you’re done for!

Diddy Kong: Rocketbarrel Boost If you fly up through a platform and land on it, the Rocketbarrel Pack will explode on contact with the platform, blasting nearby enemies.

Diddy Kong: Banana Peel If you’re holding an item when you throw the peel, you’ll throw both at the same time. However, if it’s a two-handed item, you won’t throw it.

Diddy Kong: Monkey Flip You can use this move again in the air after jumping off the first enemy you attack. Useful for when you’re fighting a lot of enemies…

Diddy Kong: Monkey Flip If you don’t jump when you’re finished attacking, you can use another move immediately. That’s a good time to escape with Rocketbarrel Boost.

King Dedede: Jet Hammer If King Dedede’s damage goes over 100%, he can keep charging this move past maximum without taking damage.

King Dedede: Gordo Throw Gordos will stick to any walls they hit. Try doing this on walls close to edges to cause serious trouble to enemies trying to climb up.

King Dedede: Gordo Throw With the right timing, an opponent can hit a Gordo back at you. You can then hit it back again, quickly turning a fierce battle into a game of Gordo tennis.

Ike: Quick Draw You’ll be left defenseless after using this move in midair, but you’ll be good to go if you use it right before you hit the ground.

Ike: Down Smash Attack The backward strike of Ike’s down smash deals more damage and launches farther than the forward strike.

Ike: Back Air Attack This is the quickest of all Ike’s air attacks, and one of the most damaging too. A valuable weapon for a fighter whose attacks tend to be slow.

Lucario: Aura Sphere Aura Sphere can damage opponents while it’s charging. Try dropping onto a foe from above while charging it!

Lucario: Extreme Speed The end of this move launches nearby foes. With enough Aura, you can dash in and attack from far away, but try not to zoom right off the screen!

Lucario: Grab Attack If Lucario has taken a lot of damage, it can pull off this move quickly and do a lot of damage thanks to Aura.

Lucario: Aura Lucario’s Aura power increases as it takes damage. At 190%, Lucario’s attacks are 2.5 times normal strength, but it’s possible to grow even stronger…

R.O.B.: Color Variations R.O.B.’s red-and-white second color is based on the Japan version of R.O.B. In fact, it’s even his default color in the Japanese version of this game!

R.O.B.: Robo Beam You can’t fire a beam if you don’t have any energy charged, but the sparks will still harm enemies right in front of you!

R.O.B.: Robo Beam The beam will constantly charge while it’s not in use, reaching three levels of power. R.O.B. starts each battle at the second charge level.

R.O.B.: Robo Beam If the beam is fired at a low angle toward the terrain, it’ll bounce once. If fired at a more extreme angle, the beam will disappear.

R.O.B.: Robo Burner The Robo Burner won’t recharge while R.O.B. is hanging from an edge. You’ll need to spend some time on the ground to make sure you’re fueled!

R.O.B.: Robo Burner Even if you stop midflight or attack, you can still use Robo Burner as long as it has fuel. Good for chasing foes off the edge to finish them!

Toon Link: Down Air Attack Unlike Link’s down air attack, Toon Link’s doesn’t bounce up when it hits a foe. If you try to dunk someone with it, you’re gonna have a bad time.

Toon Link: Hero’s Shield Toon Link’s shield blocks lower down than Link’s and can better cover his smaller body. However, he can’t guard while moving faster than a walk.

Charizard: Midair Jump Charizard can perform two successive midair jumps. The second one doesn’t get as much height as the first, though.

Charizard: Mega Evolution Mega Charizard X takes less damage than usual and won’t flinch from attacks. However, taking damage reduces the time it can stay transformed.

Sonic: Spring Jump Even after a Spring Jump, Sonic can still attack and dodge in the air. However, he can’t perform a midair jump or use any more special moves.

Sonic: Spin Charge Jump while charging a Spin Charge to do a Spin Jump. After a midair jump, you won’t be able to Spin Jump until you hit the ground.

Sonic: Spin Dash You can jump and move left and right in the air while charging this move. It’s a good way to evade attacks while charging!

Sonic: Spin Dash If this move isn’t fully charged yet, you can cancel the charge by pressing the shield button. Use this to fake out your opponents.

Sonic: Down Air Attack If you jump, Spring Jump, and then use this attack in quick succession, it will end right before you land, which means no landing delay!

Jigglypuff: Rollout When you hit a foe with this, you’ll bounce up and then be unable to do anything until you land. Try to avoid hitting foes with it if you’re trying to recover!

Jigglypuff: Rollout While rolling on the ground, press in the opposite direction to make a quick turn. It won’t work if you’re airborne, but it’ll slow you down.

Jigglypuff: Pound This move can lay waste to opponents’ shields. You can adjust the direction slightly by inputting up or down in the air right before attacking.

Jigglypuff: Down Smash Attack This move attacks in front of you and behind you at the same time, and your legs are invincible as they kick. It launches foes perfectly horizontally.

Dr. Mario: Capsules The capsules bounce higher than Mario’s fireballs. Also, since they’re physical projectiles, energy- absorbing specials won’t work on them.

Dr. Mario: Capsules The capsules Dr. Mario throws are selected at random from nine different combinations of red, blue, and yellow. The difference is only cosmetic.

Dr. Mario: Front Air Attack Unlike Mario’s similar move, this will never have a meteor effect regardless of your timing, but it is strongest when his fist is directly in front of him.

Dr. Mario: Downward Throw Unlike Mario’s down throw, Dr. Mario’s always sends the foe bouncing upward, so you can follow it up more easily with an air attack.

Lucina vs. Marth Marth’s sword deals more damage at the tip, but Lucina’s is the same all the way along. That aside, their moves are fundamentally pretty similar.

Lucina: Critical Hit Lucina dashes forward and launches any foes in her path. It goes quite far if nothing gets in its way, so swing your sword before you go off-screen!

Dark Pit: Silver Bow Compared to those from Pit’s Palutena Bow, these arrows disappear more quickly and can’t be steered as much. But they deal more damage in return.

Dark Pit: Dark Pit Staff This Final Smash shoots in a straight line, going through foes and terrain. If it hits more than one opponent, the closer foes will take more damage.

Rosalina & Luma: Luma Shot Luma keeps going for a bit after it hits a foe, but it slows down and deals less damage. Charge this move fully, and it’ll be invincible as it flies!

Rosalina & Luma: Launch Star If you input backward just before Rosalina takes off, she’ll fly straight up. Useful when you need as much height as possible.

Rosalina & Luma: Gravitational Pull This move pulls in projectiles from a wide area around Rosalina. Use it to pull Ness’s PK Thunder off course when he’s trying to recover!

Rosalina & Luma: Standard Attack If Rosalina hits a foe with a standard attack while up close, Luma will slip past them. Then use a strong down attack to hit ’em from both sides!

Rosalina & Luma: Side Smash Attack When Luma is behind Rosalina, this attack won’t send him charging as far forward as usual. Better keep that in mind while aiming!

Rosalina & Luma: Standard Air Attack When Luma is next to Rosalina, if you perform a standard air attack right before landing and then go straight into a dash, Luma will attack while dashing.

Rosalina & Luma: Luma’s Reactions When Luma is next to Rosalina, it starts dancing if she grabs an opponent. When she gets hurt, you can see it flailing its little arms in panic!

Rosalina & Luma: Rebound When it’s on the way back after Luma Shot, Luma can attack as normal. Use this to surprise fighters heading for Rosalina or as a diversion.

Rosalina & Luma: Luma’s Color Lumas come in various colors, but their abilities are identical. The six colors you can get are yellow, red, green, blue, cream, and Polari.

Rosalina & Luma: Power Star This Final Smash creates a gigantic Power Star, which fires shooting stars and then explodes. Throw foes into the explosion for big damage!

Wii Fit Trainer: Super Hoop Press the button repeatedly to float up higher, making recovery easier. If foes are trying to stop you getting back to the stage, just fly out of reach!

Wii Fit Trainer: Header The ball’s trajectory depends on when you press the button again. You can also attack with the headbutt directly, which has a meteor effect.

Wii Fit Trainer: Strong Side Attack It’s not just the front arm thrust that deals damage the leg raised up behind is also a powerful attack that launches foes straight up.

Little Mac: Straight Lunge This attack gives you super armor while charging up and while dashing forward. This is especially prominent when it’s fully charged.

Little Mac: Jolt Haymaker Press the button during the jump, and you can deliver the punch more quickly. You won’t move as far, though, so consider that before using it.

Little Mac: Unique Traits At high damage levels, bruises and a bandage appear on Little Mac’s face. Also, since he’s a boxer, he never attacks using his legs.

Little Mac: Giga Mac As Giga Mac, Little Mac has more power and speed than usual. He also won’t flinch from attacks, but he’ll still take damage as normal.

Villager: Pocket Projectiles and items you put in your pocket will disappear after 30 seconds or so. Take them out every so often to keep them longer.

Villager: Timber The Villager can move sideways while using the watering can. It’s also possible to water and chop down trees planted by other Villagers.

Villager: Side Smash Attack If you stand next to a cliff above your opponent, you can use this smash attack to drop a bowling ball on them from above like a projectile.

Palutena: Autoreticle This move locks on to an opponent in front and fires three shots. However, it won’t lock on to a foe who’s currently invincible due to dodging.

Robin: Down Air Attack This attack doesn’t have a meteor effect with the Bronze Sword, but it does with the Levin Sword.

Robin: Levin Sword When you’ve used up the Levin Sword, perform smash attacks with the Bronze Sword to reduce the time until you can use the Levin Sword again.

Robin: Tome and Levin Sword When Robin discards tomes and Levin Swords after using them up, they can hurt opponents they hit. They can even be grabbed and thrown!

Robin: Tome and Levin Sword As a general rule, the remaining uses of tomes and Levin Swords won’t reset until they’re all used up or Robin gets KO’d.

Robin: Tome The third strike of Robin’s standard attack combo uses the same tome as Arcfire. When you run out of one attack, you also run out of the other.

Robin: Tome Robin’s flurry attack uses the same tome as Elwind. If you use it up with the flurry attack, you won’t be able to use Elwind for recovery!

Robin: Pair Up If Chrom’s attack connects and you perform this successfully, all of Robin’s tomes and the Levin Sword will be fully recovered afterward.

Duck Hunt: Trick Shot If the Duck Hunt dog and duck are near the can when it’s shot, the duo will crouch down and cover their ears, leaving them vulnerable for a moment.

Duck Hunt: Trick Shot Even while grabbing opponents, being grabbed, or using Duck Jump, you can keep shooting the can.

Duck Hunt: Clay Shooting If the clay pigeon from this move and the can from Trick Shot are on-screen at the same time, the shooter will aim for the clay pigeon.

Duck Hunt: Wild Gunman The gunmen can be defeated if they take enough damage. For a surprise, hit the one in a black suit near the top or hit the lanky one near the bottom!

Duck Hunt: Wild Gunman The gunmen’s order is random, but all five will take a turn before cycling. Remember the first four, and you can predict the last one!

Duck Hunt: Wild Gunman The gunmen’s firepower, from best to worst: the sombrero guy, the cool leader, the guy in a suit, and then a tie between the lanky and beardy ones.

Duck Hunt: Wild Gunman The lanky gunman has a longer range than any of the others, and the one in the sombrero has the shortest range. The others are pretty much equal.

Duck Hunt: Wild Gunman The gunmen from fastest to slowest: the cool leader (earning that title!), the one in a suit, the one in a sombrero, the lanky one, and then the beardy one.

Bowser Jr.: Abandon Ship After leaping out of the Junior Clown Car, Bowser Jr. can swing a hammer with the standard attack button. This attack is great for launching.

Bowser Jr.: Mechakoopa After taking out a Mechakoopa, Bowser Jr. can pick it back up himself. It’s a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of ways to corner foes.

Bowser Jr.: Clown Kart Dash Input a jump while performing this, and you’ll cancel the dash. This can be handy for recovery, as a lead-in to other moves, or as a feint.

Shulk: Monado Arts Shulk can switch between Monado Arts even while being launched. If you get launched off a cliff, switching to Jump mode might save you!

Shulk: Monado Arts In Jump mode, it’s not just Shulk’s standard jump and midair jump that go higher his Air Slash move gives him more height than usual, too.

Shulk: Monado Arts You can’t use a Monado Art immediately after it’s run out. If you wait about 10 seconds, it will become available for use again.

Shulk: Monado Arts To cancel the current Monado Art, press the special button quickly three times in a row or hold the button for about a second.

Shulk: Air Slash Press the standard attack button while using an Air Slash to perform another slash forward and rise a little farther. It won’t work after you start falling.

Shulk: Vision Shulk’s Vision is a powerful counter move, but its activation timing becomes stricter when used repeatedly. It recovers slowly while not in use.

Shulk: Vision Input toward your foe when you pull off a counter, and you’ll swing around them to attack from the other side. This launches farther but won’t work in the air.

Shulk: Chain Attack There are two variations on this attack, depending on whether Shulk calls for Dunban or Riki. They don’t change anything but the lines spoken, though.

Shulk: Chain Attack Shulk’s Monado Arts even affect his Final Smash. If you select Buster, destroying the Smash Ball will be easier and the attack will do more damage.

Greninja: Water Shuriken The longer this attack is charged, the shorter its range is. The uncharged version can be more useful for keeping a foe from approaching.

Greninja: Substitute After successfully countering with this, input a direction and you’ll reappear in that direction and attack.

PAC-MAN: Pac-Jump Anyone can use the trampoline from PAC-MAN’s up special, but it breaks on the fourth use. The one who broke it will fall helplessly to the ground.

PAC-MAN: Fire Hydrant The water that sprays from the hydrant will even push PAC-MAN himself. You can use this to sneak up on a foe while charging an attack!

PAC-MAN: Fire Hydrant If you drop a hydrant on a steep slope, it’ll go tumbling down. The tumbling hydrant can deal damage to enemies it hits.

PAC-MAN: Power Pellet If an opponent attacks the Power Pellet, this attack will be canceled. It’s a useful move for recovery, but be careful when foes are around!

Mega Man: Metal Blade The Metal Blade will deal more damage if you let it get stuck in a wall and then pick it up and use it as an item. Your foes can pick it up too, though!

Mega Man: Rush Coil When Rush is standing there after you use this move, he’ll bounce you higher than when you first use it. Other players can jump on him too!

Mega Man: Leaf Shield You can’t use other specials while the Leaf Shield is up, so if you’re offstage and need to use your up special, better get rid of this first!

Mega Man: Strong Up Attack The start of this attack strongly launches foes straight upward. It leaves you quite open if you miss, but a clean hit can really turn things around!

Mega Man: Down Air Attack After Mega Man’s fist flies a little way from his body, it has a meteor effect. To send foes flying down, you’ll want to leave a little distance.

Mega Man: Mega Legends The Black Hole Bomb will explode when it hits a foe, or you can blow it up by pressing the special button. Use that method to draw in nearby foes.

Mii Brawler: Soaring Axe Kick When recovering with this move, it often goes past the edge, leaving you open to attack. Try waiting until exactly the right height to grab on to the edge.

Mii Brawler: Head-On Assault If you’re facing an edge, you can grab it in the middle of this move but it won’t work if you’re facing away from the edge. Careful, kiddo.

Mii Swordfighter: Blade Counter You can use this move in midair to slow your fall. This can be useful for throwing off the timing of a foe waiting below you to attack.

Mario: F.L.U.D.D. F.L.U.D.D.’s water is great for stopping fighters like Ness and Ike from recovering with their up specials. Try to keep it charged and ready!

Mario: F.L.U.D.D. F.L.U.D.D. isn’t just for pushing fighters it can also push some items, like capsules and crates, and even deflect incoming Bob-ombs.

Donkey Kong: Shield Break Donkey Kong can use his side special Headbutt and his down special Hand Slap to damage or even shatter his foes’ shields…and spirits.

Link: Triforce Slash If a foe has gotten in close to try and avoid your Final Smash, double-tap them with your standard attack to push them back to the ideal range.

Link: Bomb While holding a bomb, press the grab button just before landing to drop it at your feet without it going off. Leave this present for your foes!

Link: Standard Attack Opponents struck by the full three-hit combo will get launched, or you can combine the first two hits with up or down smash attacks to keep things fresh.

Link: Midair Clawshot When you fire the Clawshot by using a grab in midair, it extends a long way, making it useful against tall foes or those approaching from below.

Samus: Midair Grapple Beam Hop backward with a small jump, and then fire the Grapple Beam by using a grab in midair. Retreat while keeping your foes at bay!

Samus: Screw Attack When recovering with the Screw Attack, you can’t grab edges behind you until you’ve finished rising. Make sure to face the right way when you use it!

Samus: Standard Attack Foes can often put up their shields in between the first and second hits of this combo. It’s safer to just hit with the first attack and then flee.

Yoshi: Egg Throw You can throw the egg straight up by inputting the direction Yoshi’s facing away from just before throwing. Fake out your foes with this technique.

Yoshi: Egg Throw Unlike other fighters, Yoshi doesn’t have a vertical move used mainly for recovering. However, Yoshi will flutter a little bit if this move is used in midair.

Yoshi: Yoshi Bomb Yoshi Bomb is great for breaking shields. Start off with multiple standard attacks, and then use Yoshi Bomb to finish that shield off.

Yoshi: Down Air Attack This attack is very powerful if the foe is directly beneath Yoshi. On heavier fighters, you can deal over 30% damage.

Yoshi: Midair Jump Yoshi’s midair jump won’t stop if a foe attacks him in the middle of it. This is key to recovering for him, since his up special doesn’t travel far.

Kirby: Hammer Flip When Hammer Flip is fully charged and used on the ground, Kirby is invincible for a brief moment at the start of his swing.

Pit vs. Dark Pit Pit and Dark Pit are similar in some ways, but they both summon different weapons and both celebrate victory to a different tune.

Donkey Kong: Konga Beat Donkey Kong’s pose at the end of his bongo solo will change depending on if you missed any of the beats.

Captain Falcon: Falcon Punch If you input in the opposite direction right after the attack begins, Captain Falcon will turn around and deal a stronger punch. This works in midair, too!*

Mushroom Kingdom U If Nabbit catches you, he’ll put you in his sack. Wriggle about to escape before he carries you off the screen!

Mushroom Kingdom U Kamek’s magic totally transforms the stage. This can result in platforms sinking beneath your feet, so be careful you don’t fall!

Mushroom Kingdom U If one of the giant icicles hits you when it falls, you’ll be frozen. If you notice any drops of water falling from above, get out from under them fast!

Wily Castle The Yellow Devil explodes when defeated, which counts as your attack if you defeated it. Use this to KO other fighters!

Mushroom Kingdom U A spray of water from below is the sign that a pillar of water is about to erupt. If there’s an Urchin on one, don’t touch it or you’ll get hurt!

Jungle Hijinxs There are platforms in the foreground and the background. Use the Barrel Cannons to travel back and forth between them!

Jungle Hijinxs When the ground starts to quake, it’s about to fall out from underneath you. Jump in a Barrel Cannon to flee before it’s too late!

Jungle Hijinxs After being fired out of a Barrel Cannon, you’ll smolder for a bit. Don’t use another one until you stop…unless you think you’d like exploding! (You won’t.)

The Great Cave Offensive When treasure chests appear on this stage, break them to get items! Some chests explode, though, so it might be safer to use projectiles.

The Great Cave Offensive The burning red Danger Zones are as dangerous as their name implies. Touch them with more than 100% damage, and you’ll be instantly KO’d.

The Great Cave Offensive On this stage, mine carts will sometimes appear. They start moving when someone gets inside or on their own after a while. Try not to get run over!

PAC-LAND Unlike in other stages, you can’t float at all in the water here. You’ll fall through it like it’s not even there, so be careful not to belly flop to a KO!

PAC-LAND You can’t grab any of the edges on this stage. There aren’t many holes, but if you do fall into one, try to recover with plenty of room to spare.

Pokémon Stadium 2 When the stage is in its Ice form, the floors are slippery. Changing direction will be more difficult, and you won’t be able to attack while skidding.

Pokémon Stadium 2 When the stage is in its Ground form, a small mountain appears just left of the stage’s center. Mountains are great for stopping projectiles.

Temple When your damage is high, try to fight in the cave around the middle of the stage. It’s easy to break your fall against the walls and stay in the game.

75 m If you touch the enemies that move around on the platforms and ladders, you’ll be launched. Try throwing your opponents into them!

75 m Watch out when Donkey Kong steps forward. Jacks will come flying from the left, which can hit multiple times and launch you off the screen.

Bridge of Eldin When King Bulblin is flinching after being attacked, fighters he rams into won’t get hurt.

Bridge of Eldin Sometimes a Bulblin will appear, following along after King Bulblin. It won’t really do much, but you can attack it and defeat it. You meanie.

Bridge of Eldin When the ground shakes, King Bulblin will come riding in from the left or right. The explosive he drops on the bridge is strong enough to blow it up.

Smashville Different residents appear randomly in the background of this stage. You’ll see as many as 34 different ones, depending on the time of day.

Smashville The background changes based on what time it is in real life. Play on Saturday night at any time from 8:00 to 11:59 to see K.K. Slider perform!

Jungle Hijinxs When the Barrel Cannons start flashing, it means they’re about to vanish off-screen. You can’t use them once they’re pointing straight up, so hurry!

Pokémon Stadium 2 This stage randomly shifts into four elemental forms: Electric, Flying, Ice, and Ground. The Pokémon in the background match each theme.

Pokémon Stadium 2 This stage’s Electric form has conveyor belts on both sides. They’ll carry you right off the edge; be careful where you stand when you’re taunting.

Pokémon Stadium 2 This stage’s Flying form has a constant updraft, making fighters fall more slowly. It extends past the edges of the stage, so it’s useful for recovering.

Skyloft On the small island with a waterfall, you’ll want to be careful of falling. That swift current can easily prevent you from recovering.

Wii Fit Studio This stage’s background demonstrates seven different poses, and the Wii Balance Board platforms can appear in 125 different ways!

Luigi’s Mansion Each pillar supports a part of the building that collapses when that pillar is destroyed. A first- floor pillar can’t be destroyed before a second.

Luigi’s Mansion Wait a little while after the whole mansion is destroyed, and with a mighty rumble, it will rise up from the ground, good as new!

Mario Circuit (Brawl) The karts on this stage do more damage than the ones in the new Mario Circuit. The helpful map in the background always shows where they are!

Onett St