Princess Peach FAQ Version 2.1 Table of Contents Section 1: Version History Section 2: Introduction Section 3: Why Princess Peach? Section 4: Peach Information Section 5: Peach's advantages and disadvantages Section 6: Peach's attacks and skills Standard Attacks -Ground -Smash Attacks Grabbing and Throwing Aerial Special Attacks Final Smash Other Skills Taunts Peach Combos Section 7: Character Strategies Mario Donkey Kong Link Samus and Zero Suit Samus Kirby Fox Pikachu Marth Mr. Game & Watch Luigi Diddy Kong Zelda and Sheik Pit Meta Knight Falco Pokemon Trainer Ike Snake Peach Yoshi Ganondorf Ice Climbers King Dedede Wolf Lucario Ness Sonic Bowser Wario Toon Link R.O.B Olimar Captain Falcon Jigglypuff Lucas Section 8: Boss Strategies Petey Piranha Master Hand and Crazy Hand Rayquaza Porky Galleom Duon Ridley Meta Ridley Tabuu Section 9: Contact Information Section 10: Reader Contributions Section 11: Acknowledgements and Special Thanks Section 12: Legal --- Section 1 Version History 1.0 - March 31, 2008 - Initial FAQ released 1.1 - April 1, 2008 - Updates to Peach's attacks made. Information against Pokemon Trainer revised for inaccuracy. Bits and pieces of extra information added in different areas. Also fixed some glaring grammatical errors. 1.2 - April 3, 2008 - More updates to Peach's attacks and moves. Added the Reader Contribution section. Added information according to Gironatsu another Peach user! 1.3 - April 4, 2008 - Corrected and Updated Peach Parasol. Updated information on fighting against the Ice Climbers. Added new sticker information. Updated Toad. 1.4 - April 13, 2008 - Added information according to kikyo-hater in the Reader Contribution section. Added new sticker information. Updated Tabuu information. Updated Toad. Added combo information according to Anthony. Update several of Peach's attacks. Keep your comments, suggestions, and questions coming! 1.5 - April 14, 2008 - Added sticker information. Added beam sword information. 1.6 - April 26, 2008 - Updated Peach Parasol and Peach Blossom information. 1.7 - May 2, 2008 - Updated against Lucas, Ness, and Mario and match- ups. Updated Heart Blast information. Updated Toad. Updated Combos. Updated Peach Bomber. Updated Peach Flurry. 1.8 - May 21, 2008 - Added information according to CedricIzDead. 1.9 - June 5, 2008 - Revised the Boss Strategies section. Update Turnips information. Updated drop kick information. Update Peach Sweeper and Peach Blossom. Moved CedricIzDead information to Peach Parasol. Updated floating jumps. 2.0 - June 21, 2008 - Updated Sweeping slap information. Added a brief discussion on Tap Jump, look for it under Other Skills. Updated Combos. Updated advantages. 2.1 - September 5, 2008 - Added information according to JSbahamut. Updated introduction. --- Section 2 Introduction I have to say that Smash Bros has been one of my favorite video game series ever and the installment of Brawl is no exception. This guide is for players who are interested in using Peach or for players who just want to get to know Peach a little bit better. I am aware that Brawl allows you to use four different remotes but from my point of view the gamecube controller is still best for this game. The gamecube controller is especially critical for timing with Peach especially with her floating jumps. Since I feel this way this FAQ has been written using gamecube controller terminology and buttons. Update: Thank you for all the positive e-mails I've received for my Princess Peach FAQ! It's great to know the hours I spent writing this FAQ helped one or two other gamers out there! Keep playing and keep sending me tips and I'll do my best to incorporate them into the FAQ! --- Section 3 Why Princess Peach? I am an avid fan of Princess Peach and whenever I play Smash Bros people always ask me, "Why are you playing as Peach?" I swiftly beat them and say, "That's why." For one I have a personal affinity with Peach. She's always being saved; it's nice that she can lay the smack down every now and then. Second, Peach is much more powerful than she seems. She's had some major downgrades since Melee but it doesn't take much time adjusting. Third, people always underestimate Peach especially when they haven't faced a human controlled Peach. This gives you a huge advantage since people will not see Peach's devastating might. It's also pretty satisfying to see your friends' faces get frustrated when they can't beat the silly airheaded Peach. --- Section 4 Peach Information Here I'll describe some Peach Related trophies, stickers, and other random Peach information. **Trophies** Peach - Trophy for beating Classic mode with Peach "The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. Her long blond hair is a perfect match for her pink dress. Regardless of the number of Toad retainers she has, she's often kidnapped by Bowser. Though she's usually the damsel in distress, she got a starring role in Super Princess Peach, where it was her turn to rescue Mario and Luigi." Super Mario Bros and Super Princess Peach Peach Blossom - Trophy for beating All Star mode with Peach "Peach's Final Smash. Images of the princess border the screen and a rain of peaches falls. While this is happening, all of the other characters fall asleep. So, Peach's dilemma is this-does she eat the peaches to lower her damage, or does she smack around her dozing enemies? Take stock of the situation and choose the path that leads to victory." Super Smash Bros. Brawl Paper Peach - Random Trophy "The Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. With her sparkling crown and gorgeous blond hair, Peach always looks the part, even when flat as paper. Counter Bleck kidnaps the princess and tries to force her to marry Bowser. While jumping, Peach can use a special umbrella technique that allows her to float down gently or reach otherwise inaccessible place." Super Paper Mario Wedding Peach - Random Trophy "The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom adorned in a pure white wedding dress rather her usual pink one. Peach also has her long blond hair drawn up in a ponytail. And who might she be marrying? Bowser of all people, who was also forced into the marriage by the scandalous Count Bleck. Brainwashed by Nastasia, Peach is even forced into giving her vows." Super Paper Mario Toad - Random Trophy "One of the servants at Peach's Castle in the Mushroom Kingdom. Toads give off a strong sense of peace. Most feature white heads with red polka dots, but there are other colors as well. Toad's incredible uprooting speed in Super Mario Bros. 2 is unrivaled, adding the rumor of his superhuman strength...however out of place it might seem." Super Mario Bros. and Mario Kart: Double Dash! Toadsworth - Random Trophy "An elderly, refined Toad steward of Princess Peach, with a white beard and small glasses. He advises Mario on his adventures and has appeared in many games since his debut in Super Mario Sunshine. Although he can get annoyingly flustered, it's only because he cares for Peach. In the Japanese mah-jongg game Yakuman DS, Toadsworth appears as a competitive opponent." Super Mario Sunshine and Yakuman DS (Japan Only) Baby Peach - Get 500 different trophies "Princess Peach as a baby with a pink pacifier. Even though she's an infant, she wears her crown with all the charm and elegance you would expect from a princess. In Yoshi's Island DS, she rode out for adventure just like Baby Mario-on Yoshi's back. While riding Yoshi she can use her special parasol to extend their hang time." Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and Yoshi's Island DS Perry - Random Trophy "A mysterious talking parasol Peach obtains from Toadsworth before heading out to save the captured Mario and Luigi. Perry provides a number of useful functions to assist Peach on her mission. Besides its obvious combat worth, Perry can also be used to sweep aside enemies, slide across ropes, and float on water. You can also buy upgrades for Perry." Super Princess Peach **Stickers** Here I'll list Peach related stickers... 1-Up Mushroom (New SMB) [Leg] Attack + 4 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Acro (Kirby 64) [Magic] Attack + 15 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Ashley (WarioWare: Touched!) [Magic] Attack + 22 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Bow (Paper Mario) [Magic] Attack + 8 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Bowser (DDR: Mario Mix) [Throwing] Attack + 20 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Bowser (Mario Kart 64) [Weapon] Attack + 13 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Bowser (Super Paper Mario) [Arm] Attack + 23 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Coin (New Super Mario Bros.) [Specials: Indirect] Attack + 4 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Dice Block (Mario Party 8) [Arm] Attack + 8 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Dr. Mario (Nintendo Puzzle Collection) [Head] Attack + 18 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Girl (Animal Crossing: WW) [Magic] Attack + 21 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Girl (Magical Vacation) [Magic] Attack + 19 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Horse Call (Zelda: Twilight Princess) [Magic] Attack + 9 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Kamek (Yoshi's Island) [Magic] Attack + 11 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Katrina (Animal Crossing: WW) [Magic] Attack + 13 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Kyorosuke (Densetsu no Stafy 4) [Magic] Attack + 8 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Koopa (Super Mario Strikers) [Body], [Spin] Attack + 10 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Lakitu (Mario Kart: Super Circuit) [Leg] Attack + 13 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Luigi & Baby Luigi (Mario & Luigi: PiT) Launch Power + 5 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Luigi (Mario & Luigi: SS) Launch Power + 23 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Mario & Luigi (Mario & Luigi: SS) [Flame] Resistance + 19 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Mario & Yoshi (Super Mario Sunshine) [Specials: Indirect] Attack + 13 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Mario (Mario Kart DS) [Leg] Attack + 22 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Mega Rush Badge (Paper Mario: TTYD) [Specials: Direct] Attack + 8 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Moon Fair Seren (Nintendo Puzzle Collection) [Magic] Attack + 16 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Mushroom (New Super Mario Bros.) [Arm], [Leg] Attack + 5 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Myrrh (Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones) [Magic] Attack + 15 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Naomi Hunter (MGS: The Twin Snakes) [Leg] Attack +5 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Peach & Daisy (Mario Party 7) [Leg] Attack + 27 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Peach (Mario Strikers Charged) [Flame] Attack + 41 Peach (Mario Superstar Baseball) [Slash] Attack + 5 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Peach (Super Mario Bros. 2) Launch Resistance + 29 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Peach (Super Princess Peach) [Weapon] Attack + 23 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Perry (Super Princess Peach) [Specials: Direct] Attack +6 Pinkle (Tingle's Rupeeland) [Magic] Attack + 15 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Rawk Hawk (Paper Mario: TTYD) [Arm] Attack + 5 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Red Fire (Mario Kart: DD!!) [Flame] Attack + 26 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Shahra (Sonic & the Secret Rings) [Leg] Attack + 7 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Stork (Yoshi's Island DS) [Body], [Spin] Attack + 21 Super Mario Bros. [Arm], [Leg] Attack + 15 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach The Great Fairy (Zelda: Wind Waker) [Magic] Attack + 21 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Toad & Toadette (Mario Party 7) [Head] Attack + 16 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Toad (Mario Party 6) Launch Resistance + 10 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Toadette (Mario Party 6) [Magic] Attack + 7 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Waluigi (Mario Superstar Baseball) [Specials: Indirect] Attack + 8 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Waluigi (Super Mario Strikers) [Slash] Attack + 15 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Yoshi (Mario Party 2) Launch Resistance + 35 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Yoshi (Paper Mario: TTYD) [Throwing] Attack + 5 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Yoshi (Yoshi Touch & Go) [Arm], [Leg] Attack + 8 Usable by: Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Bowser, and Peach Zelda (Zelda: Link to the Past) [Magic] Attack + 27 Usable by: Peach and Zelda Other Random Peach Information Color Schemes 1. Peach's standard Pink dress and blonde hair 2. Peach's Daisy outfit. She has brunette hair, green accessories, and a yellow dress. 3. Red Peach. Her dress and accessories are mostly red. 4. Blue Peach. Her dress is a blue or violet color with plum/red accessories. 5. Green Peach. Her dress is a scary looking green with purplish accessories. 6. Wedding Day Peach! A white dress with turquoise accessories. --- Section 5 Peach's advantages and disadvantages **Advantages** Good knock out attacks - She has a good potential to knock opponents off the screen even when they don't have a lot of damage accumulated. Easy to follow-up - When you get really skilled with Peach you can let loose a flow of attacks especially when your opponent hasn't accumulated a lot of damage. Counter - Characters with counters are always a plus and Peach has got one! Great recovery - Although her second jump has been seriously downgraded since Melee she can still come back from pretty far away with ease. Floating jump - She's the only character that's got this ability! Hold Y after performing her second jump to hover or initiate it right away by pushing down + Y. While floating you can perform aerial attack after aerial attack but you cannot pick up items, including recovery items, while you're floating. Quasi-projectiles - Although she doesn't have projectile weapons like Fox or Pit she can pull turnips out of the ground for a quick item. The best part is sometimes she'll pull out a super strong turnip, a bob-omb, or a beam sword. Of course, sometimes she'll pull a Mr. Saturn too. Turnips are handier than you think - I'll explain more later. Unpredictable - Peach is a difficult character to fight against because some of her moves show up at random. Her forward smash + A attack and her turnips have different effects at random making it difficult for your opponents to predict your next attack. In addition, the fact that you can activate her floating jump at anytime adds to the unpredictability. Great final smash - All of my friends agree that when they hear Peach's final smash music they get highly annoyed. It has to be one of the most effective final smashes. You can recover a good deal of health while your opponents can't do anything and/or you can knock them out with a charged smash attack. In addition, it's fairly hard to avoid. **Disadvantages** Way easy to knock out - She is light, much lighter than she was in Melee, and it doesn't take much to finish her off. Special abilities can be too complex to be useful - What I mean is that even though she has a counter, the timing to use Toad is pretty difficult. I do have to say it's easier to use Toad than in Melee but for a novice just starting out to use Peach it can be frustrating to pull out Toad and have it be unsuccessful. Poor second jump - All she does is bounce a little and spin. She used to float up 10x as much! That said, though she has a great recovery it's better for long distance. If she falls below a platform it'll be tough getting back up. Slow - Well she's a Princess right? Of course she's going to take her time getting around. It's difficult to follow through with combos and a beat down with Peach because she takes her time getting around. Also, even though she's got a great recovery if you're floating back with your parasol try to shake it up otherwise you'll just float into your opponent's attack range. Lacks a repeat attack - Fox for example has that Chun Li kick. Though she doesn't have a repeat attack her attacks cause pretty high damage so it balances out. Poor throws - Her throws have been weakened to the point where they won't knock out anybody anymore, at least not as effectively as they used to. Uhm, unpredictability again - It's just as hard for you to plan your next attack as it is for your opponent to predict them. It can be frustrating to get the frying pan when you need the tennis racket or when you pull Mr. Saturn out of the ground. --- Section 6 Peach's attacks Each attack will be listed in this format: Button Combination - My unique name for the attack (damage dealt) Description of the attack and advice in using it **Standard Attacks (A button attacks)** *Ground* A - One-two slap (each slap does 3% damage) It isn't much but it's pretty potent getting your opponent away from you when they are hassling you. It's also pretty good at disrupting your opponent's attacks. This attack is not reliable for knocking your opponent off the screen. Down + A - Sweeping slap (10%) This is a pretty effective attack so don't forget it! You knock your opponent into the air just enough that they can land in time for you to do another sweeping slap! It can knock your opponent off the screen but it takes a lot of damage. It is effective when there are two opponents to attack instead of just one. Update: This is a great edge guarding attack as well. If you are accurate it will send your opponent downward instead of upward and most opponents cannot make it back up (Pit and Kirby for example have a good chance of making it back up for example). The precise location where you have to connect is still a little unclear to me but it seems to be somewhat in the middle of her body. So in order for this to work you'll have to get as close to the edge as you can. It is also slightly more successful if they are hanging on the edge or falling downward toward the edge. In the latter case though, you might be better of charging up her Weapon Attack instead. Forward + A - Ballerina Kick (Between 10% and 13%) Peach shows off her flexibility here! This is a reliable attack, more reliable than her sweeping slap, and is great for juggling your opponents in the air. The ballerina kick is a little more effective at knocking your opponents off the screen but it's not as effective when facing multiple opponents at the same time. One downside is its poor range. Up + A - Heart Blast (13%) This attack is new to Peach's arsenal. In Melee it was a simple head butt but now it's a magical heart attack! This attack is very effective at knocking opponents off the screen even at low percentages. However, at higher percentages it is less accurate than Spinning Palm. If your opponent isn't hit midair by Heart Blast it might not send them flying up but rather sideways probably not knocking them out. In addition, Heart Blast may not hit opponents that are beside you. For a sure fire knock out or to hit opponents next to you, use Spinning Palm. In addition, when fighting against the bosses, especially in the boss battles mode, it deals a lot of damage quickly. Another good point to this attack is that it extends her reach past her Spinning Palm attack so if an opponent is standing on a platform above her use Heart Blast and it will connect! Players don't usually see this coming. In sudden death matches players will typically wait for Peach to come to them and knock her away easily but if you're in a level like Luigi's Mansion just walk underneath them and use a Heart Blast! Update: Heart Blast is a very effective way to prevent attackers from getting a surprise hit on you as they fall downward. Characters like Sonic, Toon Link, and Zero Suit Samus have very effective mid-air down + A attacks. Since Heart Blast puts so much distance between you and where the attack can connect it will protect you! Dash + A - Dashing Palm and Headbutt (4% each for a total of 8%) This is another change up from Melee. Before she just used use Dashing Palm but now she does two attacks. It's also much less powerful than it was in Melee so it's not as useful for juggling or even knocking opponents off the screen. However, it is very handy at setting up for combos. *Smash Attacks* Smash Forward + A - Weapon Attacks - Golf Club (15%-21%), Tennis Racket (12%- 16%), or Frying Pan (18%-25%) Peach pulls out a random weapon to beat her opponent with. The golf club is very effective at knocking an opponent off the screen in a slight arc. The tennis racket doesn't launch your opponents as high as the golf club but is just about as effective at knocking them off the screen. The frying pan launches your foes straight up, deals a huge amount of damage, and is the most effective of the three at knocking your opponents off the screen. Interesting side note: Most of my friends don't know where the frying pan came from. If you don't know either it's her strongest weapon from Super Mario RPG on SNES. Smash Up + A - Spinning Palm (8%-21%) It seems like Peach took a little ballet in her younger years. This attack is fairly strong but its best characteristic is juggling and dealing damage. Use Heart Blast to knock away your opponents, it's much faster and easier to use than Spinning Palm. However, Spinning Palm is more accurate at sending opponents straight up and out of the arena at higher percentages especially when charged up, even when the opponent is next to you rather than right above you. If you need a sure fire knock out give Spinning Palm a try. Smash Down + A - Peach Sweeper (between 3% and 7% for each hit, up to about 15%) This move used to be my favorite Peach attack but it was seriously weakened for Brawl. Before she kicked up dust that was super potent at knocking back opponents now she just spins around. Don't underestimate the peach sweeper it can push all of your attackers away from you. It's very effective when everybody is trying to get a pokeball or an assist trophy. Peach sweep them all away and claim your reward. **Grabbing and Throwing** Peach isn't the best at throwing at all, at least not anymore. If your style lends to grabbing and throwing your opponents a great deal you might want to try someone else. Peach is best for attacking full on. However, you'll want to grab occasionally to help you knock out an opponent or for those pesky shields and counters. Grab + A - Ankle Kick (2% per hit) Like most grab hits it doesn't do a lot of damage but the possibility is there. I don't recommend it though. Grab them and throw them! Grab + Forward - Betch Slap (10%) Gah! This attack was weakened so much from Melee. In Melee you could knock out an opponent instantly with 80% damage. Now it barely sends them flying! It is good to push your opponent far if their percentages are high and it helps set up combos for opponents with low percentages but it's effectiveness since Melee is way down. Grab + Back - Pop Your Hip! (11%) With Betch Slap weakened this is a little more effective at knocking out your opponents but even at high percentages they won't go far. Grab + Down - Booty Smash (7%) Meh, you might want to pass up on this throw. It doesn't deal much damage, won't send your opponent far, and it can be difficult to follow up with another attack (although it's not impossible). Grab + Up - Rising Palm (2% initially then 8% total) This is her best throw by far. It throws the target far into the air with enough damage but best of all sets up the opponent for juggling or a quick Heart Blast for a finish. If you grab your opponent this is your best bet for an attack. **Aerial** Neutral + A - Heli-Peach (13%) She jumps in the air and spins with her arms straight out. It's a quick aerial attack, good at pushing multiple attackers away, and is fairly good at knocking opponents off the screen. This is an important move for getting out of sticky situations such as being caught in an opponent's repeat attack. Up + A - Dropkick (13%) This attack was changed a lot since Melee as well. This used to be her best knock out attack but it's been weakened greatly and now it's less effective at knocking out her opponents. The animation is a little different too making it difficult for an inexperienced player to connect with it. It's good for juggling your opponent in the air, setting up for Royal Crown, but also for knocking out an opponent that has a decent amount of damage and near the top of the screen (remember this for levels like Shadow Moses Island). Update: Dropkick is super effective at hitting opponents through platforms. Much like Heart Blast the contact point for damage is further up from Peach than the center of her body. In levels like Shadow Moses Island, Luigi's Mansion, and Yoshi's Island float just underneath the platform to avoid damage from down attacks but attack with Dropkick. Your opponent's will take a good amount of damage while you're pretty safe from retaliation. Forward + A - Royal Crown (15%) It works faster than it did in Melee which is great because now it's her strongest aerial attack. She takes the crown off her head and strikes her opponent with it. It is highly effective at knocking opponents off the screen and can easily handle multiple opponents at the same time. It leaves you wide open for a counter if you miss though since she takes time to put her crown back on. Royal Crown is great for getting the Smash Ball. It's a powerful attack that you only need to do once or twice to get the smash ball and if there are other players around it will send them flying. Back + A - Badunkadunk (Between 7% and 14%) Peach lets her hips do the talking! This is the second most effective attack to knock your opponent off the screen right behind royal crown. The best aspect is that it doesn't leave you as open for a counter attack as royal crown. However, if you don't connect right at the beginning of the attack it's much weaker and won't send your opponent as far. If you have a clever opponent who jumps over you when you're floating and you just used Royal Crown, try to float backward an use a quick Badunkadunk to teach them a lesson they won't soon forget. Down + A - Peach Flurry (About 3% a hit for a total of about 14%) Peach fires off a round of kicks in rapid succession then it ends with the last kick sending your opponent away. It is great to pair up with her floating jump to juggle your opponent and really build up the damage. When your opponent is at higher percentages it pushes them away so it's not as easy to juggle. Peach Flurry is also great to use to avoid being attacked as you're coming down after being knocked away. Start Peach Flurry a moment before you come in contact with your attacker. The first few kicks will miss but the last few will prevent them from launching you away with a powerful Smash Up + A attack. Be careful against opponents with excellent up + A and smash up + A attacks though like Lucas and Ivysaur. You're better off moving off of their way instead. **Special Attacks (B button attacks)** B - Toad (If all the spores connect 18%) Peach pulls out Toad to take a hit for her. It's not the most effective counter in the game but it does have a great knock back and range. If one opponent sets Toad off and a third party opponent is nearby they'll get hit as well. Toad is easier to use than in Melee and is a little stronger but Peach is better as an aggressive fighter and players can adjust really quickly to a Toad happy Peach. Try using Toad when you are pretty even with an opponent and you are locked in heated close combat. For example: Peach gets a one-two slap in the opponent gets a punch in and it goes back and forth like that pretty regularly since there isn't enough time to pull off a smash attack. Toss out Toad and then follow up with a smash attack or Royal Crown. Toad (and for the matter Princess Peach in general) is best for when you get good at predicting your opponents moves. Update: When facing an opponent that just got a hammer or golden hammer you can use Toad to attack the hammer user! Have the attack come at you and whip out Toad and the spores will send the enemy flying. Sometimes it will knock the hammer out of their hands and if you can use Toad when they are at the edge of the stage it will blow them off and they won't be able to recover! Try it! Update: Here's two great times to use Toad. If an opponent is trying to get back on the ledge use Toad to cancel out their Up + B recovery. If that doesn't work but they grab onto the ledge many times players will press A which will pull them up over the ledge and have them attack right away. If you use Toad that attack will be blocked and they will be sent flying by spores. These are especially effective when players have high damage percentages. Another great time to use Toad is when you are going after the Smash Ball especially when it hasn't been touched yet. When several players are scrambling for the smash ball use Toad while everyone is attacking it. If it works, Toad will have gotten you the Smash Ball or at the very least pushed everyone away so that you can just float and grab it. Update: There are a few characters you have to be careful about using Toad against. Mainly it's anybody that can reflect projectiles. Mario, Ness, and Lucas are the tough ones because their attacks can activate Toad and reflect his spores at the same time. Other characters you have to be careful around include Wolf, Fox, Falco, Pit, and Zelda. Toad is also pretty good at slowing down your momentum while you're mid-air. Update: After you use Toad you can seamlessly use your floating jump. Using Toad at the right time can help prevent an attack from an opponent who is waiting for you on the stage. Forward + B - Peach Bomber (15%) Way different than it was in Melee. Hearts burst forth now instead of a fiery explosion. Still this attack is very potent at knocking opponents off the screen and can hit multiple targets if they are within range. However, if she misses you'll be wide open to attacks. One plus to Peach Bomber is that if does connect it's very easy to use again. This tactic is very effective in boss battles especially against Petey Piranha. Update: When you use Peach Bomber and you're holding a vegetable or other throwing item if after you connect with Peach Bomber you immediately use a mid-air A attack you will not throw the item but instead use your regular mid- air attack. Down + B - Vegetable Peach pulls a turnip, or an item, out of the ground and chucks it at her opponent. The damage caused by the turnip depends on its face: Smiley Face, Singing - 5-6% Sleepy Face, Circle Eyes, Girly Eyes - 4-5% Winking - 9 - 10% Dot Eyes - 15 - 16% Stiched up Mouth/Grumpy Turnip - 33-35% Of course sometimes you'll put out an item: Mr. Saturn - 5-6% Bob-omb - 35% Or even a beam sword For the naysayers Mr. Saturn is not completely useless. If you attack Mr. Saturn, even with a turnip, and he hits an opponent he causes additional damage. Also, he gets in the way a lot. Mr. Saturn can intercept Super Scope charged blasts for example. He's not super useful to attack with but he has his good moments. When Peach first pulls a beam sword out of the ground it isn't very effective. When she does a smash attack with it, instead of extending to its full range she holds it straight up and swings it. This poor range affects all the attacks that she can perform with the beam sword. While you can still attack this way it's better to use the beam sword's full range. You can wait and eventually she will use it properly or you can toss it behind you by tapping Z and picking it back up again. Beam swords are rare, rarer than bob-ombs and Mr. Saturn's, so don't expect to pull up that many. If you have any down time and you're not pursuing your opponent pull up a turnip and chuck it at him. It'll add damage, push him back a good distance, and it doesn't really hurt if you miss. Turnips are great for keeping your opponent away from the edge of the stage as well. Another great way to use turnips is to throw a bunch in the air, although one will suffice, as an opponent is coming to attack you. As they attack you, or if you're attacking them, the turnip will fall and hit them. It will halt their attack on you giving you a chance to escape or add damage to your attack. Turnips are also great for taking out laid mines and setting off smart bombs. Turnips are pretty versatile aren't they? Update: Peach throws turnips vertically much better than she can throw them horizontally. Remember this especially for the Subspace Emissary and Boss Battles. Up + B - Peach Parasol (5% for the first hit, 1% for three extra hits, then another hit for 4% more damage for a total of 12% then 3% if it connects when it's fully opened for a grand total of 15%) Here's the break down: Peach pulls out the parasol (1 hit at 5%) Peach flies upward (3 hits each 1%) The attack reaches its climax; Peach stops moving upwards and opens the parasol (1 hit at 4% and decent knock back) The parasol is opened and she is floating downward (1 hit at 3%) It's not as useful as an attack as it was in Melee but it's great for recovery and great for pushing attackers away if they have a high enough percentage. It's also great to combine with the screw attack. Jump twice with the screw attack then open your parasol. If the stage is small enough it might send them off the top of the screen even at low percentages! Remember once the Parasol is opened it will only connect once no matter how many times the same opponent runs into it (until she uses Peach Parasol again). *Update* This isn't entirely true. If you close the parasol by pressing down while in mid- air and then reopen it by pressing up you can connect again. *Update* In addition, Peach Parasol may be the only attack you need to knock out a really damaged opponent (200+ damage) if you can get that climax to connect. The fifth hit with the parasol (the 4% connection) is pretty potent for sending opponents away but it can be difficult to get that specific hit to connect against most characters unless you are precise. If you can activate the attack while you are in the middle of their body all of the hits will connect. So the best chances to get all the hits to connect are a) when you are walking by them and b) when they are coming down from a jump/recovery. Remember if you don't connect with that fifth hit you won't get the knock back (in other words, this isn't the most reliable knock out method). Update: CedricIzDead says, "Peach's Parasol can also be used to be unpredictable. If Peach is getting juggled (which can happen unsurprisingly often), use Peach's Parasol. Since this can be open and closed at will, use it to your advantage. If you are getting sent one way, pretend to float across to that direction and your opponent will most likely try to head you off there, since most difficult opponents are much faster than Peach. Then simply close the parasol and fall in the other direction. You will take about a second to recover, but at least you aren't being hit back up into the air." **Final Smash** Peach Blossom (10% - 40%) Peach dances around, puts her opponents to sleep, and peaches fall from the sky. The closer the opponents are the more damage they take and the longer they sleep. I recommend eating as many peaches as you can (each recover 5%), especially on small stages, before you attack your opponents. If they wake up they'll end up eating your peaches and if you knock them off right away they could come back and prevent you from getting them. The peaches also trigger falling blocks, like in ones in custom stages, so in a level with lots of falling blocks this move can be devastating. Also, if opponents are asleep while on falling blocks they could fall to their doom. Be careful though because if you are on a falling block when you use Peach Blossom you will fall until the move is over. Opponents who are midair or recovering back to the stage typically don't fall asleep so keep that in mind. Peach Blossom is one of the Final Smashes you can activate midair so use whenever is best! Update: Another great time to use Peach Blossom is when your opponents are far from the stage and trying to recover. Peach Blossom focuses on Peach so players can't see themselves. It's a lot harder to perform a successful recovery when you can't see what you're doing. Update: To avoid being put to sleep stay airborne or hang on a ledge. Peach, Pit and other flying characters will have a big advantage here. After the effect is over you can knock away Peach and eat all the peaches before she can make it back. To prevent opponent's from using this tactic against you make sure to attack an opponent and then use Peach Blossom. Hopefully they will be touching the ground and fall asleep. Otherwise get as close as you can to them and inflict 40% damage. **Other skills** Tap Jump under control settings - If you haven't looked around the options and set up a control style for yourself you should take a look around. An interesting setting is tap jump. With tap jump on if you push up on the control stick (this is for gamecube controllers and nunchuk controllers) your character will jump up. Otherwise with the gamecube controller if you push y you will jump. With tap jump on you run the risk of using up a mid-air jump while performing an up + A mid-air attack or just inaccurately using a mid-air jump in general. With Peach this can be helpful. If you've already used your mid-air jump and perform her aerial Drop Kick she automatically start floating with tap jump on. Without tap jump she slowly start to descend until you press and hold Y. Depending on how you like to play you may want to turn tap jump off. If you don't really know, or don't really care, about tap jump trying turning it off and playing a few rounds and see if you notice a difference in your game play. It's worth taking a look into. Floating Jumps - Continue to hold down Y while jumping, or press down + Y at anytime, and Peach will begin to float for about 4 seconds. At this time you'll move perfectly horizontally until you touch a platform (and land on it) or you run out of time. During the float you can perform any of your midair attacks but you cannot pick up items, including recovery items. Also while floating Peach cannot climb ladders, throw items, or perform an air dodge (very important to know!). However, if you couple her floating jump with a few Peach Flurries on a smash ball you'll get it right away. She is hands down the best at getting the smash ball while it's midair. In addition you can use her floating jumps to hover off the side of the stage to avoid being attacked. This is very useful during boss battles, like with Crazy Hand or Master Hand. Her floating jumps are about as fast as she is when she runs. Update: By now you may have noticed the computer on higher levels tends to use a floating jump right on the ground. This is a great way to use her floating jump because as soon as it cancels you land on the ground and you can float again. Also you can pursue your enemies without any delay since she can just float backwards as easily as she floats forwards. Be aware that since the computer uses this technique that many players will already know how to counter this (particularly by either using projectiles or using a down aerial attack). Crawling, wall jumps, and clinging to walls - I'm just putting this in here to let you know she can't do any of those unfortunately. Maybe someday we'll get ninja Peach but as for now she can't do these tactics so don't try. *Taunts* Up Taunt - Peach pulls out her parasol, twirls it, and says, "Sweet." Side Taunt - Peach grabs her skirt and dances and sings, "La la la la la la" in that annoying playground taunt voice. I like to use this one during wifi play :) Down Taunt - She spins and then leans forward and puts one finger out and says, "Uh huh." *Peach Combos* Here are a few reliable combos that I find myself performing all the time. Peach Bomber + Royal Crown - This is a very good combo. If they have a lot of damage you'll definitely sending them flying if not knock them out. Hit them with a Peach Bomber then after you recoil just push forward to fall toward them and use a Royal Crown attack right away. Peach Bomber + Heli-Peach - It's pretty much the same idea but it's better to use at low percentages since your attacker can recover faster and may disrupt your Royal Crown attack. Heli-Peach activates pretty quickly so you can use it to prevent their counterattack or if another enemy is trying to come behind you. Dashing Palm + Peach Bomber + Heli-Peach - This is basically the same combo with just Dashing Palm added. It's great when there are a lot of attackers that you are chasing, or even if they are coming after to you, because it'll send them flying in all directions. You can pull off these attacks fast enough since there's little down time. Rising Palm + Heart Blast/Spinning Palm + Royal Crown/Midair Attack - It's a little more difficult to pull off but you can rack up the damage pretty quickly. Remember the game lowers the damage dealt for consecutive attacks, so switch up the combo and keep the damage high! Ballerina Kick + Weapon Attack - Kick them up then send them flying. It's very easy to pull off and good at pushing back oppressors. Rising Palm + Dropkick + Peach Flurry + Badunkadunk/Royal Crown - Peach's best strength is her aerial prowess so be sure to exploit it. This combo takes some practice to get the timing down but once you get it down it'll be the source of frustration for many of your opponents. Peach Sweeper + Heart Blast/Spinning Palm/Ballerina kick - This is a great combo when you have a lot of enemies coming at you. Drag them in and make it difficult for them to attack you with the Peach Sweeper then send them away with an up attack. If you can try to follow up with a Heli-Peach or Royal Crown. Use vegetables and Peach Parasol to help add to the carnage but be aware that when you use her Parasol you leave yourself pretty open to a counterattack especially if you don't connect with every hit. If that's the case use the parasol to float away or just close it by pushing down and trying to fall fast. You can always reopen the parasol by pressing Up again. (Thanks to gironatsu for pointing out it's only Up not Up + B) Anthony suggested this combo: When an opponent is lying on the ground (after slipping or being knocked down) try floating over them and use Peach Flurry + Heli Peach. It will add damage when your opponents have low damage percentages or it will knock back your opponents a good distance at high enough percentages. Also, since you're so close to the ground you can follow up with a variety of attacks not just aerial. Spinning Palm + Heart Blast - This is a good combo that seamlessly flows from the first attack to the next. This is great for tacking on damage when your opponent has a low percentage of damage. Throw a turnip in mid-air + Royal Crown - This isn't really a combo but a technique. As an opponent is coming at you in the air either just trying to use aerial attacks or recovering this is a handy trick to help you push them back. As they are coming at you, jump up and throw a turnip, then quickly pursue them with a royal crown. The turnip will break their attack leaving them open for a royal crown. This isn't the easiest technique to pull off but it can come in very handy. Peach Flurry + Peach Bomber + Royal Crown + Heart Blast - This is a great combo to use on the sandbag but also on an opponent with 0% damage. Once they get past 30% or 50% the attacks might push them too far to follow-up right away. --- Section 7 Character Strategies In general Peach is very good against average characters and characters who have a lot of bulk and can't move around easily. In contrast, she is poor against strong hitters (because she's light) and fast characters (since she's particularly slow especially while falling). Hit and run tactics are especially good against Peach as well as chucking items at her face. To counter this use peach sweeper and throws to set up some combos while getting comfortable with dodging. You could always catch items being thrown at you as well. I like to pick up items and throw them off the edge of the platform, especially the cracker launcher, since it always seems to get knocked out of my hands with little effort from my opponent. Remember that Peach's aerial attacks are her best asset and to use turnips pretty freely, with some exceptions. Also, it's best to use combos that end with an aerial attack than it is to float and just use aerial attacks. For example: Set up your opponent with a ground attack or a throw then follow with a midair attack and float to pursue them. Floating pursuits are a great way to polish off an opponent who is trying to recover but remember a lot of opponents attack when they are recovering (Up + B specials) so avoid that strategy. Mario Since Mario is an all around character he is on about the same level as Peach. If you're an expert and using Peach, Mario is no problem. Watch out that he doesn't turn you around while you're charging up your Weapon Attack. If he uses a fireball counter with a Toad since Mario users typically follow up after using a fireball. Update: Be careful about using Toad freely against Mario. If he uses his cape it will activate Toad but just in time to reflect Toad's spores at you. Donkey Kong You're going to hear this a lot so I'm sorry ahead of time but heavy hitters like Donkey Kong have an edge against Peach because she's so light. Don't rely on Toad against DK instead use Peach Bomber more often than usual (but not so often that it become predictable!) Your best bet is to use the terrain to your advantage, try throwing him into a spiked object or a walking bomb- omb. Otherwise, focus on using aerial combos to bring up his damage and knock him out. Link Link is slower and bulkier now than he was in Melee so use that to your advantage and focus on aerial attacks. His down + A midair attack and smash forward + A attacks are pretty potent especially against Peach so keep your eyes open for that. You can use Toad or Turnips to block his bombs. You should be able to avoid the resulting explosion. Samus and Zero Suit Samus Samus' missiles will be a constant threat to Peach. They're strong enough to blast Peach away and it's difficult to get the timing down to use Toad. So instead, use turnips! The turnips will set off the missiles every time. Try throwing turnips while pursuing Samus to prevent those missiles from interrupting your pursuit. Zero Suit Samus shouldn't be too much trouble just watch out for her Down + A midair attack which can a good counter to times when Peach fumbles. Kirby Kirby's hammer is definitely Peach's biggest woe against Kirby. Do your best to avoid it. When Kirby turns into a stone don't be afraid to grab him and throw him to set up a combo. Since Kirby can fly back to the stage it'll take a little extra effort if you're trying to knock him off the screen on the sides. Use Heart Blast or Spinning Palm and send him sky high. When the computer is playing Kirby and has copied Peach he uses Toad a lot. Knock it out of him by grabbing and throwing him around. Fox Fox is one of Peach's worst match ups. He's has pretty strong attacks, great follow up attacks, and is speedy. Even though I love Peach I still have trouble against Fox. Don't fight him using her aerial prowess because he has great knock out attacks for opponents in the air. Instead, concentrate on pushing him away from you and using Peach Bomber to knock him out. Pikachu Pikachu is a bad match up for Peach too. Well, his Thunder is pretty annoying 
for any opponent but because Peach slowly falls back to the field it leaves 
her that much more open.  When recovering try to grab onto the edge rather 
than falling straight onto the field so that he can't use Thunder.  Pikachu 
acts pretty quickly so Toad may not be useful against him.

Marth
Marth is very speedy so Peach is at a slight disadvantage.  However, Marth is 
fairly light so a couple combos and it's pretty easy to send him flying.  When 
the computer plays as Marth he tends to be an edge hog so remember that when 
you're recovering when Marth is recovering as well.

Mr. Game & Watch
Is it just me or did Mr. Game & Watch get stronger while Peach got weaker?  
Watch out for Mr. Game & Watch's seemingly random attacks because they all 
have the potential to send Peach flying especially his torch attack.  
Otherwise he should be an easy target to send flying.

Luigi
He seems to be a little faster than he used to be but that might just be me.  
With this in mind he has a slight advantage against Peach.  Focus on pushing 
him to the edge with Royal Crown and use turnips to cancel out his Green 
Missile ability when he tries to get back on to the stage.

Diddy Kong
His speed and flamboyant movements can make it hard to predict his next move.  
Put the pressure on him and be very aggressive.  I haven't met a player who 
likes Diddy Kong so I wouldn't worry too much.

Zelda and Sheik
Zelda is very powerful and is good at sending Peach flying.  However, she is 
slower than Peach and just as light so don't be afraid to be aggressive.  When 
she is Sheik though, the battle will be a lot tougher.  Sheik is one of the 
worst match ups for Peach so play it defensively.  It may not seem like it but 
your turnips and Toad will be very handy against Sheik since it'll slow down 
Sheik's flow.

Pit
Pit has an incredible recovery thanks to Wings of Icarus so treat him like 
Kirby and send him flying upward.  Pit has a lot of repeating attacks which is 
bad news for Peach.  Do your best to avoid those attacks by dodging more often 
than usual.  Try to drag the battle into the air since Pit's specials are not 
suited for aerial combat.  Keep an eye on Palutena's arrow though.

Meta Knight
Meta Knight has a huge array of repeating attacks which make it hard for Peach 
to even get near him.  Avoid using Peach Bomber and try using turnips and Toad 
to break up those attacks.  Meta Knight is pretty light but can fly pretty 
well so try to force him off the top of the screen rather than the sides.

Falco
Falco isn't as a bad a match up for Peach as he was in Melee.  Still though 
Peach is at a disadvantage.  Put the pressure on Falco by being aggressive 
(watch out for defensive Falco players though!) and focus on using a lot of 
aerial attacks.  He may jump high but you have the advantage with your floats!

Pokemon Trainer
The Pokemon Trainer's Pokemon Change ability will definitely interfere with 
your Final Smash so try to use it while his pokemon are in the middle of 
attacking.  Squirtle's Smash Up + A as well as Charizard's Smash Down + A are 
pretty powerful and can send Peach flying in no time.  What's worse is 
Ivysaur's Bullet Seed counters Peach's aerials easily.  When fighting Squirtle 
push him back off the side of the stage but don't be too aggressive - his 
Waterfall attack is a great recovery and can push Peach far away.  Charizard 
is slow and bulky so aerial attacks work best but keep an eye on rock smash.  
Stick to ground attacks against Ivysaur and try to use Peach's Dashing Palm to 
help you set up a midair combo.  This will make Bullet seed harder to use.

Ike
Ike is very very very good against Peach.  His attacks are almost effortlessly 
powerful and can send Peach flying with hardly any damage.  He is pretty bulky 
so try to move around a lot and use a mix of aerial attacks to keep your 
opponent guessing.  Watch out for Aether if you're one of those players who 
stand on the edge trying to keep your opponent from getting back on the stage.  
It's a very good recovery against players with that strategy.

Snake
Snake's explosives are bad news for the light-weight Peach.  Use turnips to 
destroy his remote controlled missiles and the mines he lays with his Smash 
Down + A attack.  Focus on aerials since a lot of his attacks are ground based 
but watch out for his Smash Up + A attack.

Peach
Surprising, or not, Peach is pretty good against herself.  It can be alarming 
when another Peach uses Toad when you use Royal Crown so don't let your guard 
down.  Throw a lot of turnips to keep Peach off balanced and follow up with a 
powerful attack.  When she's floating back to the stage send her away with a 
Peach Bomber.

Yoshi
Yoshi is pretty aggravating for most players, including the players that use 
Yoshi.  I mean how many times have we just egg rolled right off the stage.  
That in mind, jump around a lot with Peach and hang around the edge to try to 
coax him to fall off.  Yoshi Bomb is pretty powerful when Peach is weakened so 
when you're low on health use combos, especially ones that put Yoshi in the 
air, sparingly.  Instead send Yoshi flying with a good old fashioned Weapon 
Attack.  Remember that he hardly flinches when he is using his midair jump so 
avoid attacking him during it.

Ganondorf
Ganondorf and Captain Falcon are very good at countering Peach's midair 
prowess because of their Up + B specials.  So remember that Peach's aerial 
attacks may not be effective against Ganondorf.  However, he's bulky, slow, 
and has a poor recovery.  So, use a Dashing Palm + Royal Crown combo to send 
him off the stage but don't be tempted to float off the stage and pursue him 
to send him flying because he'll just turn the tables.

Ice Climbers
I love the Ice Climbers.  I think they're so silly.  However, they can be a 
little aggravating.  They are pretty strong as they can rack up the damage on 
Peach easily and their hammers can send her flying without a problem.  Don't 
let this put you off though.  Peach can still fight in the air against them 
well and they are pretty light.  Peach is also pretty good at separating the 
two by throwing one of them and using Peach Bomber on the other creating a 
little confusion.  Their Final Smash, Iceberg, can create mass confusion and 
rack up a lot of damage.  However, when the iceberg is attacked it shrinks in 
size.  Use Peach Bomber to break it down and prevent taking damage in return!

King Dedede
I think King Dedede is really silly too.  He is very bulky and slow moving so 
aerial attacks work well against him but watch out for his hammer attacks as 
they are just as powerful as Ike's attacks.

Wolf
Wolf seems like a stronger, but somewhat slower, version of Fox.  Push Wolf 
back a lot using Peach Bomber and send him flying with midair attacks like 
Royal Crown.  Watch out for his reflector attack though because it can push 
Peach back when she's trying to put the pressure on.

Lucario
Lucario seems threatening with his innate aura ability but he's extremely 
light and very easy to knock out.  Use a lot of combos against Lucario and 
avoid using turnips to build up damage as you'll only strengthen him.  Don't 
be afraid to pursue him with a floating jump off the edge of the stage since 
his Up + B special doesn't damage opponents.

Ness
Ness is pretty strong, especially with his baseball bat, but Peach is a pretty 
even match.  Use turnips to cancel out his PK Thunder when he's trying to 
recover.  It's a mean but effective trick.  Be aggressive against Ness and use 
Peach Bomber a lot to push him back.  Watch out for his PK Fire which has to 
be one of the most aggravating attacks in the game.

Update: Watch out when using Toad against Ness.  His baseball bat smash attack 
can be used to reflect projectiles.  Just like Mario, if he activates Toad he 
will just reflect the spores back at you.

Sonic
Remember how I said fast characters have an advantage against Peach?  Well 
Sonic being the fastest character in the game is a good opponent against 
Peach.  Peach will have a hard time connecting her attacks against Sonic while 
he can run around and avoid her.  In addition he has several good attacks for 
knocking out light opponents like Peach.  Throw turnips around a lot to try to 
throw off Sonic and use Dashing Palm and Peach Sweeper a lot to counter his 
constant spinning attacks.  Eventually you'll force him off the stage.

Bowser
Bowser is a lot stronger and much better to use this time around.  Focus on 
using aerial attacks against him but watch out for his Smash Up + A attack 
with can knock Peach away even at low damage.  As a heavy character Bowser 
will be difficult to knock off the top of the stage so Heart Blast and 
Spinning Palm won't work as well to knock him out.  Use it to build up his 
damage.

Wario
Wario's erratic movements and pretty powerful attacks are a constant headache 
for Peach.  Don't be afraid of his motorcycle - one Peach Bomber should send 
him flying right off.  Wario is fairly decent in the air so mix up aerial 
attacks with ground attacks to throw players off.

Toon Link
Toon Link is more effective against Peach than Link since he's faster and can 
jump higher.  With that in mind, aerial attacks may not work well against him.  
In fact when I was trying to unlock Toon Link he beat me down a bunch of times 
- pretty embarrassing for a Peach fanatic!  Watch out for his midair Down + A 
attack which is what caught me off guard because it's much faster than Link's.  
Use turnips to counter all his projectiles and follow up with a Royal Crown to 
finish him off.

R.O.B.
Peach is pretty effective against ROB both on the ground and in the air.  
Avoid using Toad as you'll want to take a more aggressive stance against ROB.  
Weapon Attacks are actually your best bet against ROB since his Smash Up + A 
attack is pretty strong.

Olimar
You can try to use your turnips to block his pikmin but it's not very easy to 
do.  Olimar can be a pretty tough opponent seeing as how his pikmin can really 
add on the damage and then send you flying.  Instead, try a more defensive 
stance and use Dashing Palm and Toad more often.  Be careful about pursuing 
Olimar off the stage he has a pretty lousy recovery but his Up + B special can 
be enough to knock Peach out.

Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon is speedy and has great counters to Peach's aerial attacks.  
Next to Fox, Captain Falcon is a bad match up for Peach.  Focus on ground 
attacks, like Weapon Attack and Dashing Palm, to take him out.  Avoid using 
Toad since Captain Falcon grabs and throws a lot.  Don't pursue Captain Falcon 
with floating jumps because he'll just use his Up + B special to send you 
flying.

Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff is very very very light and easy to knock out but can be a pretty 
powerful attack at times.  Jigglypuff's pound attack can send Peach flying at 
decent percentages and it's midair attacks are just as good as Peach's.  Your 
big concern is Jigglypuff's throws which are actually really good and are a 
great way to counter an aggressive Peach.  Use turnips to get Jigglypuff off 
balance.

Lucas
Lucas is a bad match up for Peach as well.  His Smash Up + A attack is very 
powerful and is a great counter for her aerial attacks.  Focus on ground 
attacks but follow up with aerial attacks like Royal Crown to finish him off 
and you shouldn't have much of a problem.

Update: Just like Mario and Ness be careful about using Toad against Lucas.  
His stick smash A attack can activate Toad and then reflect his spores back at 
Peach. 
 
--- 
 
Section 8 
Boss Strategies
First let me just say thanks to MogAzure10 for writing such an in-depth boss 
FAQ.  If you haven't read it yet, you really should especially if you're going 
to read this section.  I refer to MogAzure10's guide for attack names and 
similar information so it would be in your benefit to read that guide.

Peach probably isn't the best character for the boss battles.  Since she's so 
light many bosses can send her flying even at low damage and because she 
doesn't have a projectile weapon, like Fox, for example she'll have a hard 
time in long distance fights.  However, don't underestimate her vegetable 
ability.  It can intercept bombs and sometimes you'll pull out her Grumpy 
turnip and it will devastate the boss.  With all that said, I was able to beat 
the boss mode all the way up to very hard with Peach.  Also, there are a few 
bosses that Peach can knock out without taking even 1% damage. With some 
practice I was able to get all the way to Tabuu on intense and weaken him 
almost all the way to win but he grappled me with his gold chain and that was 
the end.  The moral is it takes a lot of practice to win on intense.

Update: As of now this paragraph is out of date!  The lovely and vivacious 
Princess Peach led me to victory and I was successful on intense mode.  It's 
very gratifying I have to say and the "Wow incredible!" you hear at the end is 
not enough of a reward.  It takes a lot of patience, a lot of skill, and a lot 
of luck to win but keep going at it and you'll eventually succeed.

Some basic boss tips:
Try your best to not take your first heart until you've defeated 4 or 5 
bosses.  It may seem difficult to do but if you can hold out that long it'll 
pay off in the long run.

Start off the boss battles against Duon, Galleom, Ridley, Rayquaza or Porky.  
The further a boss is in the line up the stronger and faster they become.

Dodging is more important that shielding.  If your shield is broken you're a 
sitting duck.  There are times when air dodging, rolling, and side step 
dodging are more appropriate to use but only practice will give you a good 
feel for it.

Learn all of the animations for the bosses.  The sooner you learn them the 
sooner you can know what attack is coming and how to react.  This will be a 
key to victory.

Finally, if you're getting frustrated turn off the game and try another day.  
You didn't get Brawl for the boss battles!  You got it to play against your 
friends!  Also, while we're talking about friends try boss battles with an 
ally and it might be a little easier to win.  I don't know if that will count 
toward your challenge though (does anybody know?) [Update: According the Smash 
Bros Dojo website it does!  So if you have a friend who is good at Smash Bros 
too try it out!]

Petey Piranha

Petey is one of the bosses that Peach can beat without any problem.  From the 
get go either jump and use Peach Bomber or use Peach Bomber on the ground.  
The recoil of her attack will send you upward and you can use Peach Bomber 
again... as you should!  Keep using Peach Bomber on Petey's head no matter how 
long it takes.  Peach won't take any damage since she's out of his range.

Master Hand and Crazy Hand

You'll want to attack them both with similar strategies.  Once again it's all 
about using the same attack over and over and then just dodging their attacks.  
Whenever you can attack run underneath the Hand and use Heart Blast (Up + A) 
and just keeping going at it.  Their health will deplete quickly and if they 
attack using lasers you'll take them down before they switch to another 
attack.  They can send Peach flying if you don't use a defensive approach when 
they're attacking.  You best bet is when they are trying to use Finger Twist, 
Angry Fist, Finger Walk, Crawl, or Triple Poke is to float off the stage and 
just hang there until he's finished attacking.  This strategy won't work 
against Handgun, Rocket Hand, Flying Fist, or Grab & Squeeze and is sometimes 
successful against Slap and Sweeping Backhand.  In those cases you'll want to 
try another tactic.  Air dodging and rolling work really well to avoid most of 
those attacks so get comfortable and learn the timing.  You can also use Toad 
to defend against Handgun, Rocket Hand, and Flying Fist but it can be 
unreliable and sometimes the Hand moves too fast for Toad to get a hit in.  
Toad is a little more successful against Slap and Sweeping Backhand but 
remember that with Sweeping Backhand he attacks three times so you may leave 
yourself open by using Toad.  My best advice is just to avoid all of their 
attacks and use Heart Blast from underneath them.  Master Hand almost always 
uses his lasers early on in the battle so he'll be significantly easier to 
take out than Crazy Hand.

Rayquaza

Rayquaza is a pretty tough boss especially for Peach.  He has large variety of 
attacks and because Peach is on the slow side it's difficult for her to react 
in time.  However, if you take your time you can minimize the damage you take 
and beat Rayquaza.  While Rayquaza is standing still it is a good time to 
attack him with midair attacks and Peach Bomber.  You should get in about 3 
Peach Bombers, one right after the other, and then back off to prepare for his 
attack.  When he is coming out of the ground or diving from the sky keep 
moving or use rolls a lot. Rayquaza's biggest threat is when he's using 
extremespeed.  Most characters can just duck and be fine but often times Peach 
doesn't duck down far enough to avoid the whole attack.  If you can sidestep 
his head during this attack then duck you should be okay and as long as you 
miss the head you won't get knocked back as far.  Eventually you'll take him 
down.

Porky

Porky is either really easy or really hard, but one thing is for sure he can 
be very annoying.  It all just depends on your luck and the moves he uses.  
Start off the battle with a Peach Bomber then back away incase he is going to 
use a Claw Jab attack.  If you can run up really close to him and get him to 
start using Claw Jab then roll behind him and let loose with a flurry of 
attacks including a few Peach Bombers, Heart Blast, and Peach Flurries.  Watch 
out for when he's walking around or dashing at you because Peach will have a 
hard time reacting, especially when he's dashing off the screen, to those 
attacks.  When he is using walk and poke (he's slowly walking toward you no 
matter if you jump over him or not) he's somewhat open to attacks. If you get 
so close to Porky you're right up against the central part you won't take 
damage from the legs.  You can also try landing on top of him and using ground 
attacks.  When he does dash, do you best to jump over him when you can and 
when he dashes off the screen pursue him and attack him like crazy.  He won't 
counterattack until he gets back onto the screen.  His laser is pretty 
difficult to avoid with Peach but you can air dodge and at least avoid one of 
the hits, sometimes both if you're good.  Watch out for Float and Zap 
especially at higher difficulties because he only gets faster and stronger.  
Run around constantly and don't stop for anything.  He doesn't seem to zap you 
when you're in his sights but rather in timed intervals so keep that in mind.  
In general, if you can try to land on the machine and use a Peach Sweeper, 
it's difficult but you can score a lot of hits this way.  Don't stay on him 
too long because electricity pulses up there and it can knock you back.   
 
JSBahamut - "I always start with a Jump + Bomber to be high enough to dodge 
most of the possible Claw Jab counter. Then I switch side by jumping above its 
head, use another bomber, and repeat. The fact is, Porky does aggressive 
actions much less frequently if you switch side very often, to the point he 
once made NO attack on Intense. Of course, that tip only works when you're 
alone."

Galleom

On easier levels Peach can take down Galleom no sweat and not take any damage 
but as he speeds up Peach will have a harder time reacting.  Your best bet is 
to try to get him to face the closest off screen side by rolling.  Get him to 
begin an attack and he'll follow through on that side.  While he's busy 
attacking the side you aren't on you can strike back.  He has a pretty low 
amount of HP so Peach Bomber works well and the recoil helps keep you in the 
air which allows you to dodge many of his attacks.  In fact if you time it 
right you can hit him during his quadruple jump, stomp, and similar moves 
without taking damage.  It seems like for most of Galleom's attacks they don't 
connect while you're in the middle of his body or up in the air.  Practice 
this and you can exploit this weakness.  When he fires his missiles standing 
up, stay close to him and use Heart Blast to cause decent damage and avoid his 
missiles.  When he's hopping during Quadruple Hop you can safely use Peach 
Bomber to stay afloat while causing damage.  Don't get too close or you'll end 
up on the ground.  If he's using his ground slam try staying off screen (you 
know when you're in the little magnifying bubble) until he finishes then go 
after him.  His Body Slam attack leaves him wide open especially if you can 
get him to face the wrong direction.  His Uppercut is pretty devastating and 
even experienced players have trouble getting the timing down.  If he's facing 
you then try to get off screen or if you don't have time try to air dodge or 
use Toad.  Earthwave is really potent against Peach but if you can stay aloft 
during the aftershock you'll be fine.  It's the first attack you have to 
avoid.  If you can get behind him you can attack during the whole animation.  
Don't try to attack him when he's using Spin or Dashing at you in tank form 
because you'll only set yourself up to get knocked out.  Dodge until he's 
finished, I wouldn't recommend Toad, then follow up with an attack.  Try not 
to let this battle go on too long.  The longer you fight the more likely Peach 
will get knocked out.

Duon

Duon is very very bad for Peach to face, particularly because she doesn't have 
a reliable ranged attack.  There is one saving grace: if you can float behind 
him you can usually lay a few Peach Bombers before switches sides.  However, 
if he uses Blue Lasers they'll get you no matter where you are so get used to 
air dodging or using Toad.  Peach is very effective at getting Duon's own 
missiles to hit him.  When he uses them, run toward him, jump as high as you 
can, you might even land on his back, and then jump again behind him and land 
on the platform right behind him.  The missiles will head straight for you but 
since Duon's in the way they'll hit him instead.  At higher difficulties the 
missiles will cause more damage so this technique is critical for getting rid 
of Duon with Peach.  At the same time the homing missiles will fly more 
accurately so you'll have to get closer and closer and time the missiles 
better in order to successfully get them to hit him.  It really is all about 
getting his missiles to hit himself so get used to using them against him.  If 
he's almost finished, he's one of the last few bosses, and you have an extra 
heart container, guide the missiles right to him even if it means you'll get 
knocked out.  If he dies first you'll still succeed.  Sometimes the blue half 
of Duon will slowly chase you, he's setting up to do a triple slash.  If you 
can get him to attack the air by getting close enough to set off his attack 
but then float or roll back you can avoid the attack.  When attacking the Blue 
side jump up and use Peach Bomber then float backward away and land on the 
ground before he finishes whatever attack he uses.  While you're in the air 
use air dodge if necessary.  If the blue side of Duon uses those large mines 
throw a few turnips in the air to blow them up a safe distance away from you.  
Do your best to concentrate frontal attacks against the pink side and getting 
his own missiles to him but honestly, floating behind him is your best bet.

Ridley

Since Ridley acts so much like Master Hand you should use the same strategy: 
Heart Blast away!  Ridley's attacks are very easy to predict and most are 
pretty easy to avoid.  He can be very fast so using Toad often may be better 
than trying to air dodge or roll.  When he is blowing wind at you this is a 
good opportunity to use Heart Blast to try to finish him off.  The one problem 
you may face is when he switches sides.  Peach will have a hard time chasing 
after him so when you are, take a more defensive attitude until you catch up.  
Your biggest concern against Ridley is being overly anxious and Peach Bombing 
right into one of his attacks or not being careful and just taking on a lot of 
damage.  

Meta Ridley

Meta Ridley is much harder than Ridley but once you get the hang of countering 
his attacks you can sometimes beat him without taking any damage. From the 
beginning of the battle he'll typically try to Growl and Swoop so just get 
behind him onto the back of Captain Falcon's ship and start using Heart Blast.  
You'll avoid Meta Ridley's attack and if you can hit his tail it'll still 
damage him.  Meta Ridley's rapid fire attack is not the time to stand around.  
You may think you're safe under him (like when Master Hand uses his lasers) 
but of course you're not.  Instead of hanging around under him take the chance 
to jump behind him and hit him with some aerial attacks and Peach Bombers - 
he's wide open.  Meta Ridley has two techniques (three if you count his triple 
fireball) that will cause the ship to bounce off the screen and if you're 
standing on the ship you'll automatically get knocked out.  Get used to the 
animations and you'll be able to avoid easily by floating in the air.  The 
ship will recoil from the attack and you'll land in time to hopefully get at 
least one hit in.  His triple fireball attack is powerful but if you can do 
enough damage while he's on the edge of the ship he'll cancel the attack, but 
if you are trying to keep your percentages low I wouldn't advise it.  It's 
really easy to dodge the fireballs so use that strategy more often.  In fact 
if you timed it wrong and a fireball is heading toward you use Toad and you'll 
be fine.  When he is first lowering the ship you can pluck a turnip and toss 
it at him to get a little extra damage in - if you're lucky it'll be a bob-omb 
or grumpy faced turnip.  Also if you're hovering right at the tip of the ship 
the third fireball will come very close to hitting you but the ship will 
bounce back just in time to cancel it out.  Take your time fighting Meta 
Ridley.  If you're unsure of what's coming just jump, most of his attacks can 
be avoided by just doing an initial jump and hanging in the air. 
 
JSBahamut - "I rely on the fact that every single part of the boss makes Peach 
Bomber connect, even its thin tail! That being known, Meta Ridley reappears 
approximately on the same position of the left top corner of the screen. With 
some practice, you can stay afloat most of the fight, by hitting only its tail 
with bombers, staying out of range of ALL attacks."

Tabuu

Note: An update on the Smash Bros Dojo website reveals the actual name for 
"red rings of doom" is "off waves."  However, a disastrous attack by any other 
name is just as disastrous so I'm not going to change it within the paragraph 
below.

I hate Tabuu so much.  Mostly because I feel like his Red Rings of Doom are 
why people typically say, "The computer always cheats."  Use MogAzure10's 
guide to help you get the timing down, it was definitely a great source of 
relief to know that you can dodge it with the right strategy.  Rolling dodges, 
air dodges, and Toad have no effect but if you do a standard sidestep dodge 
and time it right you should be fine.  Tabuu is tough for Peach because he 
runs around so much but do your best to keep up.  When he stays still after 
teleporting around that's when you float and use aerial attacks or, if he's 
close to the ground, hit him with as many Heart Blasts as you can.  You can 
use Peach Bomber when he's attacking (Enormous eye lasers, golden chain whip 
after you've dodged, needle rain, and sonic slashes leave him fairly open) 
pretty reliably but you can always use turnips to keep a good distance so you 
don't accidently get caught in the attack (remember she throws turnips better 
vertically than horizontally).  Since Peach can float in the air you'll avoid 
powerful attacks like Diamond Saw, Dragon Beam, and Neon Blade easily.  
Honestly, if you can dodge his Red Rings of Doom you should win against Tabuu.  
Take your time but be aware the longer this battle lasts the more likely he'll 
either use Red Rings of Doom again, or eventually knock you out.  When he's 
using his enormous eye lasers he's wide open! Hit him with every aerial you 
can, especially Royal Crown and Peach Flurry and when you're getting close to 
the ground let loose a Peach Bomber.  Get your dodging down and you'll be 
fine.

Ironically when I was finally able to win against Tabuu on intense he didn't 
get a single hit on me.  Once again his teleporting is very annoying for Peach 
but when he sits still you can really hit him, even in the air, since she can 
float.  If you can enter the battle with no damage then you'll be able to 
survive most of his attacks the first few times.  Once you get up to 50% 
damage though (30% is even a little risky) you're one mistake away from being 
sent back to the beginning.  Just practice against Tabuu in Subspace Emissary 
or keep playing boss battles and I guarantee you'll win even on intense!  
 
JSBahamut - "When he teleports, he only stays enough on the screen at the 
fourth one, so this is useless to try to catch him on the second and third 
teleport. If you try to keep up on those middle teleports, you'll probably 
just lose your opportunity on the fourth one, don't you agree?"  Absolutely, 
sorry for not thinking of mentioning this earlier! 
 
--- 

Section 9
Contact Information

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my first FAQ!  If you have any 
comments, corrections, questions, or suggestions feel free to e-mail me at 
somebodys_sunshine@hotmail.com.  Please don't send any flames - they are 
inappropriate, childish, and unnecessary.  Plus it's just bad karma.  If you 
have any other additional information you'd like to see posted in the FAQ let 
me know and I'll see if I can fit it in!  P.S. Don't forget to put something 
like "Peach FAQ" in the subject line otherwise I might not open it!

---

Section 10
Reader Contributions

This is a special section to help give credit to my readers!

Gironatsu - Pointed out that Peach's Parasol can be closed and then re-opened 
by pressing Up (it isn't necessary to push Up + B).  Also provided a great tip 
on knocking down opponents who are trying to recover:

"When an opponent is coming up onto the platform use the Peach Sweeper (Smash 
down + A) and it'll send them straight down. You have to be precise or you'll 
end up sending them upward."

Kikyo-hater points out that Peach jumps at different heights depending on the 
controller you use.  Though its not a substantial change Peach will jump 
highest using the gamecube controller. 

Anthony suggested a combo.  Look for it in the Peach combo section.

CedricIzDead - "Peach's Parasol can also be used to be unpredictable. 
If Peach is getting juggled (which can happen unsurprisingly often), use 
Peach's Parasol. Since this can be open and closed at will, use it to your 
advantage. 
If you are getting sent one way, pretend to float across to that direction and 
your opponent will most likely try to head you off there, since most difficult 
opponents are much faster than Peach. 
Then simply close the parasol and fall in the other direction. You will take 
about a second to recover, but at least you aren't being hit back up into the 
air."  Also featured under Peach's Parasol special.

JSBahamut suggested several boss strategies for Porky, Meta Ridley, and Tabuu.  
Look for the advice in the boss section. 

--- 
 
Section 11
Acknowledgements and Special Thanks

Thank you for GameFAQs for hosting a website that has helped me get through 
many a troubling situation for years as well as posting my FAQ!  Thank you to 
Nintendo and all the people who contributed for making Smash Bros Brawl such a 
great game!  Thank you to MogAzure10 for his guide as it was a reference to 
the names and descriptions of the boss' attacks.  Thank you to all the people 
who have written a FAQ since I've used many over the years.  You all have 
inspired me to write my own!  People helping people is definitely a good thing 
in any form.  Also, check out www.smashbros.com for the Smash Bros Dojo.  It's 
the official site for Smash Bros and includes a lot information the 
instruction booklet leaves out.  It was also a source for some of the 
information found in this FAQ. 

--- 

Section 12
Legal

This FAQ is only to be posted on GameFAQs and only be used for personal, 
private use.  If you'd like to use this FAQ somewhere else, including websites 
and other public displays, you have to contact me first and we'll try to work 
out an arrangement.  

Copyright 2008 Jason Shriner