************************************************************************** Super Smash Bros. Brawl Mario Character Guide By (MarioGamer) Copyright© (MarioGamer) Mario, Smash Brothers, and all other Nintendo references are Copyright© of Nintendo. This was written by the user MarioGamer. If I request this document to be taken down due to miss-use, it must be taken down immediately. ************************************************************************** *********************************** WARNING, SPOILERS *********************************** If you have not played through the game entirely yet, please remember that there will be a few spoilers mentioned throughout this guide. Keep in mind that things such as hidden characters, stages, and other forms of game play that are not available right at the start of the game may be mentioned throughout this guide on occasion. *********************************** Guide Goal *********************************** I wrote this guide with both the serious brawler and casual gamer in mind. In it you will find advanced strategies for players who want to move beyond the normal Mario game and basic strategies for first time smashers. *********************************** Contents *********************************** 1. Updates (000) 2. Character Game History (100) 3. Character Smash Evolution (200) 4. Why Mario? (300) - Pro's (301) - Con's (302) - How to Play (303) 5. Move Set (400) - Basics (401) - Smash Attacks (402) - Air Attacks (403) - Special Moves (404) - Throws (405) - Final Smash (406) 6. Mario Combo/Stage Strategies (500) - Final Smash Strategies (501) - Advanced Combo's (502) - Recovering (503) - Charging FLUDD (504) - Bomb Juggling (505) - Sudden Death (506) - Playing Smart (507) - Choosing Stages (508) 7. The Item Game (600) - Projectile Items (601) - Bouncing explosives (602) - Hammers (603) - Explosive Box Technique (604) - FLUDD Crates (605) 8. Character Match-ups (700) - Mario (701) - Link (702) - Donkey Kong (703) - Samus (704) - Yoshi (705) - Fox/Falco (706) - Ike (707) - Wolf (708) - Captain Falcon (709) - Pit (710) - Bowser (711) 9. Subspace Emissary (800) - Cutscenes (801) - Mario's Story (802) - Basic Strategy (803) 10. Stadium (900) - Targets (901) -Level 1 (901A) -Level 2 (901B) -Level 3 (901C) -Level 4 (901D) -Level 5 (901E) - Multi-Man Brawl (902) - Homerun Contest (903) - Boss Battles (904) 11. Extra's (EXT) - Trophies (E01) - Costumes (E02) - Taunts (E03) - Snake Codecs (E04) 12. Credits (END) ***************************************** 1. Updates (000) ***************************************** Current Version: 1.8 07-21-2008: Added more to the Character Strategies 07-23-2008: Taunts info updated 07-24-2008: Sudden Death Strategy added 07-24-2008: Stages info updated 08-10-2008: Added more to combos 08-10-2008: The "Under the Platform" Strategy added 08-10-2008: Trophy Section added 09-02-2008: Character Smash History added 09-02-2008: Character Match-Ups added 09-04-2008: Supspace Emissary added 09-06-2008: Why Mario? added 09-06-2008: Added more to Character Strategies 09-11-2008: The Item Game 09-23-2008: More strategies added 09-27-2008: Stadium Added 09-28-2008: Extra features added 09-28-2008: Trophies, costumes, and taunts added to extras 09-28-2008: Added more to moveset, organized moveset ***************************************** 2. Character Game History (100) ***************************************** Mario originally appeared in the arcade game, Donkey Kong, with the name jumpman in 1981. This makes him and Donkey the very first Nintendo franchise characters to appear. He would jump over barrels and other obstacles thrown by Donkey Kong in order rescue his girlfriend, Pauline (thats right, it wasn't Peach). Since then, the mustached hero has become a worldwide phenomenon. The game that really began his popularity was Super Mario Bros., the very first game launched in America with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The story of the game was simple. The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach, was kidnapped by the evil Koopa King, later to be named Bowser. Mario and his younger brother, Luigi, would set out on an adventure that would take them across 8 different worlds. Each level would start the player at the left side of the screen and they would have to work their way around obstacles to the right side where the end of the level awaited them. Occasionally, a player would face a boss, the difficulty of the bosses increasing with each cleared stage. Mario and company have had a long series of sequels since then. Some took Mario on new adventures and other were party games, much like Super Smash Brothers. ***************************************** 3. Character Smash Evolution (200) ***************************************** When it comes to party games, Mario often times holds the place of the most well balanced character. Super Smash Brothers is no different. So, not surprisingly, Mario hasn't changed much since his appearance in the original Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64. Veteran Mario players should find a lot of what they liked about the characters fromt he older days still present in Brawl. In the original Super Smash Bros. (1999), Mario was set up as a character for new smashers and veterans alike. This often places Mario in the middle of most ranking lists. He had a variety of combo moves and powerful smashes to send his enemies flying. His fireballs could be spammed for constant damage at a distance and his throws were great finishers. His two other Specials, the tornado punch and coin punch, could both be used as recoveries and could rack up multiple hits and plenty of damage. He was the only character in the game to be cloned in the form of his brother Luigi. Mario's middle rankings made him a forced to be reckoned with in the right hands. In Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001), his character had some changes, but most of plumbers old moves remained. His most notable change in Melee was the cape, a tool many Mario smashers enjoy using today. It could be used to reflect projectiles, turn players around, and as a second recovery. The tornado punch's power was tuned down a bit, but it could still be used to rack up constant damage when need be. His fireballs and coin punch also remained relatively unchanged. Another notable change to Mario in Melee was the addition of fire to his forward Smash. The further away a character was, the more damge the smash did and the further they went flying on impact. Mario also obtained a wall jump. Veterans of Melee also used a new ability called wave dashing, which Mario could use with ease. Mario has one clone in Melee, Dr. Mario. Seven years later, Mario appears in Super SMash Bros. Brawl (2008). Just as before, Mario remains well balanced and players from Brawl will find very little change with the exception of a few special moves. Many players still consider him in the middle of most character ranks, though some argue that Brawl's new method of play eliminate rankings. ***************************************** 4. Why Mario? (300) ***************************************** So, why Mario? Mario is the only character that is perfectly balanced. This gives him at least one advantage of some kind against every player in the game. This makes him a great choice for both beginners and Pro's alike. He's an easy character to master with plenty of advantages. Not only that, but he is Nintendo's mascot! ---Pro's--- (301) - Mario is extremely well balanced - Good aerial combat - Cape can turn around recovering opponents - Cape can aid in helping Mario recover - Cape turns projectiles back on whoever shot them - FLUDD can be used in edgeguarding - FLUDD can be used to cancel some attacks and push projectiles - Has a very quick recovery - Can wall-jump - Excellent at combo's - Fireball can be used for approach - Has a decent meteor smash - Good at juggling opponents - Has a spike move ---Con's--- (302) - Recovery is limited in distance - Lacks range beyond the fireball - Most KO's require some kind of combo set-up - FLUDD has some lag time - Forward smash has some lag time - FLUDD does not do damage - Very short grab range ---How to Play--- (303) Mario is well balanced. That means he can be played both defensively and offensively. Players who choose to use Mario will need to have some skill in aerial combat. If you don't already, Mario is actually a great place to learn. Mario can fit a player of almost any skill level and can fit almost any fighting preference, which makes him a great sub to pick up if you already have a main. ***************************************** 5. Move Set ((GCN Controller)) (400) ***************************************** ---Basics--- (401) --- Tap A: Punch (Tap A three times for a quick combo) This is a very basic, yet effective move. The first hit does 3 damage, followed by a second punch that does 2 damage and a kick that does 4 damage. Together, this does a total of 9 damage. It may not seem like much at first, but doing this over and over again quickly while using other moves can deal a lot of damage fast. --- --- Tilt Forward A: Side Kick A basic kick that does 8 damage once. It isn't a smash move, but it will send the opponent forward a short way. It works well when getting ready to launch a smash attack or trying to deal a bit more damage in between basic punch combo. --- --- Tilt Up A: Uppercut Punch This is a surprisingly powerful attack for something that isn't a normal smash move. It sends your opponent skyward and, if damage is high enough, out of the ring. It deals about 7 damage and is a nice way to start a bunch of aerial combos. Using it in a Sudden Death match may be a good idea as well. --- --- Tilt Down A: Low kick A small kick that basically sends your opponent into the air a bit. It does 5 damage, not bad for a basic attack. Again, a great way to start aerial combos. After using this, use an Uppercut punch and begin a quick combo of aerial attacks. --- --- Running Attack If you run and attack with A, Mario does a sliding kick. It can do about 6% damage if successful. A nice way to get a quick hit in. --- ---Smash Attacks--- (402) --- SMASH Forward A: Flame Punch This is one of Mario's stronger moves. Dealing about 14 damage without being charged, it can send someone flying great distances. Against a character at the average weight ((which is another Mario)) it will send them flying to a point of no recovery at about 80 damage without charging, not bad for a plumber huh? When fully charged, it delivers about 19 damage and sends the average weighted character flying to the point of no recovery at 50 damage. It takes time to use, so make sure you have plenty of room and time to attack. --- --- SMASH Up A: Head-butt Smash Like the Flame Punch, it does 14 percent without being charged. Unlike the Flame Smash, it takes about 130 percent to send someone flying. Fully charged, it delivers 19 percent of damage and sends someone flying at 70 percent. Using it against a character like Link or Kirby is not recommended unless they have a lot of damage on them already. What makes this move really useful is its range and how fast it strikes. Its a good move to use if you want to deliver a lot damage to someone very quickly. --- --- SMASH Down A: Spinning Kick Smash This is surprisingly a bit more powerful then Mario's two previous smash's. It does 15 percent damage without being charged and sends someone flying at the point of no recovery at 70 percent. Fully charged, it does a whopping 21 percent (strong for Mario) and sends someone flying at about 60 percent. A very powerful move to use when surrounded by enemies, especially since it strikes going both ways. Only downside is that its a bit slow. --- ---Air Attacks--- (403) --- Aerial Tap A: Kick A basic kick in the air. Its actually not a bad technique. Does 10% damage if you hit right away. A slight delay brings it to 9% damage. A full delay delivers only 5%. This can be used to do damage quickly or to knock around opponents quickly in the air. --- --- Aerial Up A: Flip Kick This is a nice move to use in aerial combat. It does about 11 percent damage and can send opponents flying off the screen at high enough damages. It has a very wide range as well, allowing Mario to strike from almost any angle above him. --- --- Aerial Back A: Back Kick A very nice move to have, does about 12 damage and can take someone by surprise while jumping backwards. It can send someone flying if their damage is high enough can can rack up damage quickly. If the hit is indirrect, it does only 7 damage. --- --- Aerial Front A: Meteor Smash Mario's meteor smash does 13% damage normall and can send people flying downward. If you can pull if off, makes for a great edgeguarding technique. It can also be used to stun people by knocking them into the ground so you can set up more combo's. This attack can also be used as a spike attack rather then a meteor smash, doing about 10% damage when used this way. --- --- Aerial Down A: Mario Tornado I'm happy that Nintendo finally made this easy to use and useful. Damage on this ranges from 2 - 11%, depending on how many hits you can get in. Whats nice about it is that the final impact is pretty tough and can potentially send someone flying great distances or even just stunning them. This can be used in approaches with with the fireball. --- ---Special Moves--- (404) --- Tap B: Fireball A basic fireball. It does about 5 damage. It weak by itself, but it has a similar effect to Mario's normal punches. At a distance, you can get damage in fast. It basically gives Mario a long range attack he can use to help him in his approach. --- --- Forward B: Cape An excellent move and probably one of Mario's best. It has several uses. It does about 7-8 damage and will not send anyone flying. However, if it strikes a player, it will turn that player around in the opposite direction. This is useful considering that attacking someone from behind is generally safer then attacking someone from the front, not to mention you just avoided a harmful attack. Once turned around, use basic moves to deal more damage or a smash to send them flying. Its second purpose can be used against projectiles. This works well against characters like Samus, Link, and Lucario, who rely on powerful long-range attacks. I will use Samus as an example here. Her fully charged power beam sends just about anyone flying at the right damage. However, Mario's cape can turn that around and, if Samus has enough damage, send her flying instead, earning you a sneaky and easy ko. Another great use is the fact it can be used as a second recovery move. If you get sent flying off screen and know the coin jump will not be enough, use the cape over and over again to simply hover back to the stage. Since the cape turns attacks around, players will also have a harder time picking you off while trying to recover, a nice little bonus. --- --- Up B: Coin Jump This attack seems useless at first glance, good for nothing but recovery. Nintendo really changed that, turning it from a simple annoyance into something powerful. It can deal anywhere between 1-7 damage and sends someone flying off their feet and stunned. Here's what I like about it now; you can send someone flying off a cliff and into the background in Sudden Death. This makes it easy for Mario to win sudden death matches on stages that have a lot of platforms. As I mentioned earlier, it also acts as Mario's recovery move and leaves Mario helpless after use, so be careful. --- --- Down B: FLUDD SOOOOO many people complained when they first saw FLUDD did no damage. I find this move to be a gift. That’s because you can, potentially, knock someone out with it at 0 damage (I know, I've done it). True, as an attack, it does no damage. However, it can push the opponent off the platform they are standing on. Target characters that are charging attacks close to the edge of a stage and hit them. Since they are charging, they won't be able to recover easily. It also works good while recovering, pushing powerful fighters like Ike back while you land. Finally, another nice bonus is that if someone is trying to recover and uses their B up, FLUDD can basically hold them in place in mid-air and cause them to fall. Since it does 0 damage, they won't be able to jump or recover again after that. Just remember; like Samus's Power Beam and Squirtle’s Watergun, it needs time to charge up. Tap the control stick back and forth to dodge while charging it. --- ---Throws--- (405) --- Throw-Forward This technique is a basic throw. It does about 9% damage. Its not too bad for a throw, if you enemy has a high amount of damage they can go flying fairly far. You can follow up with the cape or FLUDD for a quick KO. --- --- Throw-Backward A much better throw move then Mario's forward through. If your opponent has a high amount of damage, you can get an easy KO. It does about 12% damage. If your enemy can still return, you can always follow up with the cape, FLUDD, Meteor Smash, kicks, etc. --- --- Throw- Down Mario's weakest throw, though it can be used to create combo's against heavier characters. Does about 6% damage. If the character is heavy enough, they may still be in range for an Uppercut or a Head Smash. --- --- Throw- Up Another basic throw. I don't use it often since I have trouble getting my opponent into a combo afterward, but maybe I'm just using it wrong. Does about 8% damage. --- ---Final Smash--- (406) --- Mario Finale This technique looks very cool and is great for beginners to use. It basically is a giant fireball that hits everything in its path. It does about 22 damage if your enemy is completely consumed by this wave of flames, not a bad bonus. Its real strength is the fact that once it hits, its very hard to break lose. Character will literally be carried off the screen and into a ko. Tips for using it goes beyond aim. Rolling dodges are an easy way to dodge the Mario Finale along with sidesteps and good old fashion jumping. Use it right next to your enemy. Even if they are behind you, they will still be sucked into the attack. Also, gravity seems to not affect Mario when he uses this. Jump off the ledge and use it against players who are trying to recover. Just make sure you can recover yourself once you release it. --- ***************************************** 6. Mario Combo/Stage Strategies (500) ***************************************** ---Final Smash Strategy--- (501) The Mario Finale puts on quite a show when it works. Unfortunately, if you know how to play the game well, chances are you will know how to dodge this easily. There are a few tricks you can use to get veteran players caught in this storm of flames. When in a 1 on 1 match, grab your opponent and throw them off the edge. If you can't grab them, any trick you can use to get him or her off their feet and off the stage will do. This can include SMASH attacks, kicks in the air, etc. Once in the air, jump off the stage to greet your opponent. Your timing can't be off since they'll probably try to attack you moments later. In the air, use the Mario Finale right in their face. They will immediately be swept into the flames. Chances are they won't come back as they are pushed off the stage. Once you get the KO, use your cape to hover back to the stage and throw out a final coin punch to grab the ledge and end the finale. In a group match where there are 4 players, the finale is much easier to use. Grab the smash ball in the chaos to obtain and, when you're close to a large group, use it. The Finale can suck players into the flames when they are standing relatively close to Mario. This will push them in the direction you shot in and may get you a few KO's as well. Using the Finale on the edge of small stages where dodging will be difficult will also work. ---Advanced Combo's--- (502) Mario has a couple of juggling moves you're going to want to use to get enemies into the air. Why do you want to get them into the air? Well, I will explain that soon. For starters, the juggling moves. Mario's Up tilt can juggle opponents and cause a lot of damage while you do so. I've seen this range from about 30% - 50% (depending on weight of characters). You can also use Mario's Up smash to same effect. This has more range to it, but its power won't allow you to repeat it quite as often. After they break free of the juggle, you need to fight them in the air. Juggling won't always work, occasionally your enemy won't be close enough to pull it off. Mario's fireballs work nicely as a stun approach. You could use the fireballs from a distance to rack up plenty of damage this way as well. Yes, its all about the air game. Keep in mind that many of Mario's KO combo's revolve mostly around his air game. Use his Down Air to take opponents into combo's they will have a difficult time leaving. His Up Air can be used to rack up multiple hits agains enemies above or to either side of him. His neutral air move is nice kick you can use to send enemies flying behind or in front of you. His Back air is a powerful kick that can be used for KO's or the final blow. The meteor smash, or front air can be used as both a meteor smash and a spike move. To use the spike, make sure the hit is delayed a bit. How you used these moves and in what order you decide to use them all depends on the situation. A nice special Mario has in the air is the cape. The cape can be used to turn attacks around as you already know, hover, and turn opponents around. The cape is normally the last move you use can can be used in between combos to save you. When you knock someone off the edge with the last blow, use the cape to send them in the opposite direction, disorienting a recovering opponent at best and sending them helpless towards a KO and at worst delaying their return and giving you time to set them up again. As far as edgeguarding goes, this is where you use FLUDD. FLUDD can be used to delay returns and keep people from coming back if you are good enough. This could be done in so many ways. Just be sure to perfect your aim. Also make sure that you are not left open afterwards, FLUDD does have some lag while being used, so watch yourself. The cape can also be used as an edgeguarder. As mentioned earlier, the cape is best used when turning around recoveries. Hang on the edge of a platform and use the Cape juse before they use their recovering move. If all goes well, they will either be turned around or you will grab the edge a second time before they can come back. This will KO them as they fall helplessly. Smashes and ground strategies will have to be used as well. Mario's best smash is the down smash, which covers both sides of Mario quickly and nicely. You can actually use Mario's running attack to throw an enemy off their feet for a moment and then launch them with the Down Smash. This is pretty nice since its quick and, for the most part, effective. The Forward smash has a lot of power, but its a bit laggy and slow. Make sure your timing on using it is good, otherwise you will be combo'd by a good player. Mario's basic attack is a great way to rack up quick damage when the opportunity presents itself, so use it whenever you see the moment. ---Recovering--- (503) Bad stuff happens. Make sure you can come back from it in one piece. Mario's recovery abilities are somewhat limited, but a creative Mario main will know how to make the best of them. For starters, you've just been shot out and need to come back. Slow yourself down by dodging and the cape and use it over and over again to hover back. However, don't just fall back onto the edge. Make sure you are below it to grab the ledge. Watch out for players looking to jump out and kill you instead of patiently waiting for you to come back. Once hanging on the ledge, you get a brief invincibility, but it won't last long on its own. You need to make it last longer. Let go and use the cape by the edge over and over again. This will result in Mario letting go just next to the ledge every time. So, when you grab back on, you're invincible. There will be small windows of opportunity in between each ledge grab, but they can be hard to pin if you're creative. Also, since the cape reverses projectiles and players alike, don't worry about someone jumping out to the edge of the stage to nail you. If you have good timing, their plan will back fire as they shoot off in the wrong direction. Finally, once the time is right, let go and throw up another Coin Jump. The jump will knock the opponent silly and you're back on safe ground. If you're good, you can bide your time and make them come after you. The coin jump can bounce others off the ledge and into a knock out. Pretty nice since you've just turned the situation around on them. One other trick worth mentioning: FLUDD moves Mario in mid-air. If at full blast...you MIGHT be able to push yourself out of a one-way road to a KO. I haven't mastered it yet, but it may work. Characters stuck under the platform rarely come back unless they have a super recovery like Metaknight, Pit, etc. Mario can create this annoying scenario for an opponent if you know how to kick well. If you are an advanced player, this technique will be easy for you. As someone is try to grab the edge, jump of the platform and kick them towards the bottom of the stage. This will cause them to fly under the platform with 0 chance of recovery at this point. You should still be close enough to the edge to coin jump to safety. ---Charging FLUDD--- (504) Excellent question. The best time to charge FLUDD up is in between KOs and when you're opponent is off stage. Often times the first KO with Mario is directly off the stage and FLUDD will see little use. When they fall, charge up FLUDD for the next round. Then use the combo's I mentioned earlier to catch them at lower damages. That...OR you can knock them far enough that by the time they come back, you will have charged FLUDD completely and ready for use. ---Bomb Juggling--- (505) Toon Link, Link, and Snake all have explosives they can use as items. Mario's FLUDD can be used to push the bombs away from Mario. In a 1 on 1 match, this doesn't help too much unless you can push the bomb back at the user. But if you can, try it. It will really throw them off. In a group match, its pretty nice since you can actually push bombs and even attacking players into groups of people. If the rules are survival, you can use that to push attacking players into eachother and make your move in the chaos. Also, its pretty funny to watch. ---Sudden Death--- (506) There are a couple of ways you could approach a sudden death scenario while using Mario. Mario has a couple of moves that may give you the upper hand when you and your opponent are at 300% damage. Depending on where you are placed at the start of the Sudden Death scenario, you can do one of two things. The first one will end things in a single jump, literally. Mario's coin jump finally packs enough punch to send highly damaged enemies flying into space if you manage to land the hit directly. You just need to make sure you hit, missing could mean death afterward since the Coin Jump leaves you helpless after using it. The second approach is to not attack at all. As time passes, the game gets tired of waiting and begins chucking bob-ombs at you to end the match. However, the bob-ombs only impact inside the stage, not outside of it. If you jump off the stage and use Mario's cape to float outside the explosions, grab the ledge and then repeat, chances are you will last a lot longer then anyone standing on the stage where the bombs are going off. Its a cheap victory, but its a clever one and you should feel proud of yourself afterward. ---Playing Smart--- (507) As I mentioned earlier, Mario is well balanced and meant to be played in a variety of ways. He can be played both defensively and offensively, so try to switch up your game depending on what you need. Play smart and be flexible. Thats probably the best advice I can give. ---Choosing Stages--- (508) ((Not including Final Destination and Battlefield)) Keep in mind that when choosing a stage to fight on as Mario, anything without a ledge to grab onto may not work well. Mario has no really "Strong" and "Weak" stages to fight on, but I always feel that he does better when he can fight on a ledge and make use of his meteor smash, cape, FLUDD, and his specials in general. Also keep in mind that stages without ledges make Mario vulnerable to projectile players like Samus, Link, etc. Even though he has the cape, a lot of projectiles at once are never easy to get around when you have no platform above or below to use as cover. --Mario's Stages of Choice: Rainbow Cruise Delfino Plaza Yoshi's Island 2 Castle-Siege ---Mario's Least favorite stages: Hyrule Temple New Pork City Pirate Ship Eldin Bridge ***************************************** 7. The Item Game (600) ***************************************** Items, some people love them and some people hate them. If you have an item match with Mario, here are a few tips to follow to keep Mario alive. You're going to have to put up with items at one point or another, so you better know how to get around the occasional bob-omb. ---Projectile Items--- (601) Ray guns, superscopes, Star-rods, they can all be a pain to get around if someone catches you with them. The trick is simple: Use the cape. The cape can turn around the blasts of most projectile items back on their users. Many of the items have a good stun ability, like the ray gun. Once the blast hits, your enemy will be stunned for a few short moments. This will be your chance to combo him or her. ---Bouncing Explosives--- (602) If someone throws a bob-omb at you, throw up your shield. Do not try to dodge it unless you are sure you can escape the blast zone. With your shield up, you will be bounced away. If you're really lucky, your opponent will have underestimated the blast range and SD. ---Hammers--- (603) Hammers will be tempting to grab, but I found it best to use the hammer as bait instead of an item to use against someone else. Some characters have attacks that can be used to stand against hammers. Chances are, your opponent will come to the hammer. Use the hammer as bait to draw your enemy into some quick combos. After damage is built up, grab the hammer and catch them off guard. Deliver the KO hit. Be careful, your enemy will come back with a brief period of invincibility, so don't chase after them with the hammer until it vanishes. ---Explosive Box Technique--- (604) Explosive boxes greatly benefit Mario. A single fireball from Mario will blow the box up and anyway caught near it will be sent flying. Combo your enemy and knock them towards the box. Time the fireball just right and blow the box up while you enemy is close to it. This attack will be a gauranteed at high damage and cause a lot of damage at low damage. ---FLUDD Crates--- (605) It does not take much to move rolling crates and barrels. Use a full blast of FLUDD to send the crate or barrel flying towards your enemy. The rolling crate will push enemies off the cliff and send them straight to a KO. The barrel will cause a lot of damage on impact and at high damage result in a KO. ***************************************** 8. Character Match-ups (700) ***************************************** Looking for an easy match? These character Match-Ups should help you determine who to pit Mario against. ---Mario--- (701) In this match, you will be fighting yourself. The man with the most skill in the character will win. Keep in mind everything you learned from the guide and through personal experiences with Mario. Remember the old saying "you learn more from defeat then from victory?" From past battles and what I told you in this guide, you should be able to develop a good strategy for fighting other Mario users. His recovery is quick, but limited in distance. Its also fairly predictable and just as open to the cape as any other characters recovery is. You also know how good Mario is in aerial, so always be on your guard when using combo's against a clone. When you knock Mario out of the ring, do not give him a chance come back. Jump out to greet your look-a-like to make recovering harder for him, but don't get killed in the process. As I mentioned earlier, the coin jump lacks distance. If you push him out far enough, you will be able to get a knock-out. ---Link--- (702) All I have to say is this: Do NOT let Link take advantage of his projectiles. From the moment you realize Link is your opponent, you need to be planning things out. Try to pick a stage that has plenty of platforms. Even just one to allow you to jump over incoming arrows, bombs, and that pesky boomerang. The cape will be a great tool in this battle, as you will constantly be using it to turn Link's smashes around and reflect projectiles back at the swordsman. Links bombs cannot be reflected as easily by the cape, but throwing up your shield will bounce the explosive briefly, allowing you to roll out of the way. If you can get close or force Link into hand-to-hand combat, Mario carries a great advantage. Link's sword is strong, true, but Mario is faster and can easily bring Link into a series of combos. Link's weight will allow players to juggle him using the A-Tilt + Up, or Mario's uppercut. Watch out when you get Link into the air: His Down-Air notoriously powerful. I would normally advise aerial combos, but if you find yourself in a situation where you are under link, move carefully. Rather then try to jump after him, use a sidestep dodge. This will cause Link to miss at the last moment and get his sword stuck in the ground. This is your chance to get in plent of combos, power hits, and other attacks to send Link well out of bounds. Link's recovery is not the best, but it can be used in a variety of ways. If he uses the clawshot, jump off the edge and kick him before he zips back up. This will make him recover again or even better: bounce him off the stage and into a KO. If he uses the swordspin, aim FLUDD carefully and use the water pump to prevent Link from grabbing the ledge. ---Donkey Kong--- (703) Mario's first rival may look big and tough, but he's pretty easy once you know how to hit him. Donkey Kong attacks and moves slower then Mario, but he hits hard enough to KO Mario as low as %75! Make sure to use Mario's juggling and combo abilities to your advantage. Also, Donkey Kong's recovery is almost completely horrizontal. That means that you shouldn't be afraid to use the cape or FLUDD against the apes recovery. Do not attempt a meteor smash. While his recovery is easy to predict, its pretty offensive and dangerous to attempt a meteor smash with. Also, a good Donkey Kong may turn the tables and take that moment to Meteor smash you. Best to stick with the cape and FLUDD. ---Samus--- (704) This bounty hunter can be a tough player to beat if player right. She has plenty of projectiles to really make things tough for Mario users. The best way to defeat a samus user is to keep the cape ready and hit quick. Remember: Samus is heavy. That means that you can juggle and combo her a lot more easily then you would be able to a light character. Don't get comfortable: Samus is pretty deadly hand-to-hand as well. Her attacks seemed aimed at juggling characters of all shapes and sizes and knocking them into range of her projectiles. If you do find yourself at a distance from samus, use your cape to knock back any projectiles that are coming at you. Unlike Link, her main projectiles can cause ko's, most notably the charged arm cannon. A good Samus will use both missiles to deal damage and disrupt your attacks before releasing the big guns. Use fireballs to disrupt her own attacks and do your best to get close again. If she has a fully charged arm cannon, don't panic. When fired, deflect it with the cape. If Samus is at high damage, she will go flying. ---Yoshi--- (705) Yoshi is one of the more bizzare characters is the Smash Brothers series. This can be both a good and bad thing for anyone using Mario. Allow me to explain why its more of a good thing. First, the bad. Yoshi's second jump leaves him insanely defensive. The cape will not work during this jump. It will do damage, but Yoshi will not be turned around. Thats it for the bad. The good is that Yoshi has no third recovery. Thats on top of being very light. You can knock Yoshi very far, force him to use his jump, and then after the jump ends you can use FLUDD, the cape, aerial attacks, or any of Mario's attacks to push the dinosaur away from the edge. This makes Yoshi one of the easiest characters to knock out in the game. The only thing I really need to warn you about is Yoshi's special moves. Each seems geared at making Yoshi very defensive. You'll need to play your combo moves smart and have a some patience. ---Fox/Falco--- (706) The duo is still considered to be at the top of many of the ranking lists despite Brawl having toned down their moves a bit. I can't gaurantee a flawless strategy to beat the two, but I can give you a couple tips you can use to combat a good Fox or Falco user. First: Do NOT let yourself be grabbed by Falco. Falco has a devastating chain grab that could end the match if used by a good player. Watch yourself and time your rolls perfectly. Second: Like Wolf, Fox and Falco's recoveries are pretty predictable. Unlike wolf, they are much faster. You need to have a good eye and patience to stop them from coming back. If they decide to use B-forward recovery, use FLUDD and aim perfectly. FLUDD will stop them in mid-air and push them back to where they came from. If they use the jet pack, or B-Up, FLUDD is once again an option. However, I find the cape and fireballs to be more effective at stopping that particular special. As I mentioned, Fox and Falco will probably be two of Mario's toughest opponents, but they can be beat with a little patience and strategy. ---Ike--- (707) Ike is one of the hardest hitters in the game. He's powerful and many players find him annoying and cheap. Beginners will excel with Ike, often sending characters flying with a few hits. However, Mario players should find Ike to be one of the easiest match-up. Keep in mind that Ike is very slow. Mario players should, by instinct, use the rolling dodge a lot. For starters, use Mario's fireballs to begin your approach. Time Ike's hits and roll behind the heavy swordsman. Use Mario's superior speed to Ike to get in quick hits and smashes to deliver damage. Watch out for Ike's counter attack, as he willautomatically turn in Mario's direction and end whatever combo you started. Beware: Ike can KO Mario at low damage, so watch yourself. Ike is heavy, so he won't go flying long distances easily. Once off the edge, you can do one of two things. First, if Ike is too far away to use his B+Up, then he will like use his B+Forward special to fly back to the platform. Take out your cape and turn him around mid-flight. Don't be afraid to jump off the platform to accomplish this. Mario is a great in the air should be able to get back to the stage. If Ike is directly under the platform, Use FLUDD. Shoot Ike as he is seen flying up and you will push him away from the platform. Chances are he won't grab the ledge and he will fall helplessly to a knock out ---Wolf--- (708) Wolf is the heaviest Fox clone in the game. Despite being heavier then Fox and Falco, he is still pretty agile and shouldn't be underestimated. However, Wolf's recovery is among the easiest in the game to predict and probably the easiest move for Mario to use the cape the against. Players should take great advantage of this. To start, watch out for Wolfs smash attack. Its quick and be spammed for a lot of damage. His laser is the same way. While it doesn't travel as far as Fox and Falco's laser, its still powerful and has a good disruption ability, which could ruin a lot of Mario's combos. To start the approach, jump towards Wolf and throw fireballs at him. Since you're jumping, it will be difficult for wolf's reflector to bounce back the fireballs. As I mentioned before, the fireball is Mario's disruptor and can be spammed if need be. Once close enough to Wolf, waste no time in beginning a combo. Remember that Wolf is still pretty fast and if you aren't quick, you may find yourself on the receiving end of the attack. A nice way to end things would be with a throw. If you get the chance, grab Wolf and throw him off the ledge. Once off the ring, watch Wolf carefully. After his jump, he will begin his recovery move. There's going to be some delay beforehand. Thats when you strike. Use the cape to turn him around and he will shoot off in the opposite direction. With no chance of recovery, Wolf will fall into a KO ---Captain Falcon--- (709) ((FALCON PUNCH! ...Sorry)) The captains powerful punch will not save him from Mario. Mario can easily defeat Capt. Falcon. Use fireballs to approach and offer up quick combo's before Captain Falcon can even attack. Remember: captain Falcon is a quick runner...but has VERY slow attacks. So, while he can fly back and forth at incredible speeds, his attack delivery is slow enough for Mario to deliver combo's. Use the leg sweep and head smash have a good range, so if the Captain tries rolling behind you, just use these moves to catch him off guard. Captain Falcon is also fairly heavy, so, just like Link, you can juggle him in the air with the A-Tilt + Up. Once off the edge, Captain Falcon has two recoveries, neither of which are any good. Both can be easily reflected by the cape and both will leave Captain Falcon plummeting with no recovery. Also: all these tricks work on Ganondorf. ---Pit--- (710) Probably one of the hardest characters in the game to KO. In fact, Mario is not a very good match up for Pit users. Still, if you're feeling brave, I have a few ideas that could help you out. This next trick should be useful to any character you use. Pit's B+Up can be disrupted at any point and by any attack. Further more: he won't be able to use it again. First: use a Meteor Smash to send Pit flying below the stage. He's light, so with enough damage, he'll go pretty far. Jump back to the stage to get more jump power and watch Pit. If his wings glow blue, jump off the stage and throw a fireball. This will end Pits return. Pit will still be able to move, but don't let that deceive you. The angel will be able to use every move EXCEPT his B+up again for a little while. This will leave Pit falling with no descent recovery. You need to remember that in a lot of stages Pit can actually fly UNDER the stage and to the other side. So just because you sent Pit off in one direction does not mean he will be recovering there. Pit's arrows can also circle in the air around you, which could be used to disrupt combo's. Be prepared for anything when facing Pit. ---Bowser--- (711) Mario's arch enemy and one of the main villains of the game, Bowser, is also one of the easiest characters to defeat when using Mario. It seems that even in Super Smash Brothers, King Koopa will always be beat by the heroic plumber! For starters, remember that Bowser is very slow. This means that you can get in plenty of combo's and attacks before Bowser can even begin his attack. Watch out for Bowser's fire breathe. While not Bowser's best attack, it can disrupt combo's and leave you wide open for attack. Rolling works well against Bowser, as each of his moves have some kind of lag to them and it will be difficult for the tyrant to turn around. The uppercut punch is a great move to use against Bowser. As before, he can be juggled for easy combos. Follow up with flip kicks and other aerial combo's and you're good. Bowser may be heavy, but he's easy to launch off the stage with Mario. Just keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't get into recovery range. If he does, meteor smashes, the cape, and FLUDD all work well at stopping him. Once you win, take off your hat in a taunt and go on to save the Princess. All in a days work for a plumber. ***************************************** 9. Subspace Emissary (800) ***************************************** The Subspace Emissary is the main adventure mode within the game of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Players must navigate through a series of mazes and boss fights from the Nintendo world. This section will contain everything relating to Mario from the Subspace Emissary. ---Cutscenes--- (801) 1. The World of Trophies 2. Mario beats Kirby 3. Kirby beats Mario 4. Pit Watches From Above 5. Attack on the Stadium 6. The Ancient Minister 7. Peach is Taken 8. Zelda is Taken 9. Mario and Pit Meet 10. The Arwings Pursuit 11. Ancient Minister Escapes 12. False Zelda Battles Mario 13. Mario's Misunderstanding 14. Link's Misunderstanding 15. King Dedede Nabs Mario 16. King Dedede Nabs Link 17. The Caverns Entrance 18. King Dedede's Castle 19. Bowser Kidnaps Peach 20. Bowser Kidnaps Zelda 21. Hidden Castle Passage 22. The Five Warriors 23. The Entrance to Subspace 24. The Ruinous Defeat 25. The World Returns ---Mario's Story--- (802) The game begins with Mario and Kirby fighting in a large arena. It is a friendly fight in which both competitors are fightings. If you choose Mario, Mario wins the fight and defeats Kirby. This turns Kirby into a statue, but Mario turns him back to normal. The two shake hands and the adventure begins. Soon after, A dark force is unleashed on the stadium. Wario attacks with an army of primids and the assistance of Petey Piranha. Depending on who you save, Peach or Zelda are kidnapped by the greedy Wario and Mario is knocked into Skyworld. He remains there until Pit saves. The two then set off to save the kidnapped princess and stop whatever evil is unfolding. Kirby manages to keep the princess that wasn't kidnapped safe. However, after being taken off guard, the remaining princess is also taken and a false copy is made. If Zelda is the false copy, you fight her as Mario and Pit. If Peach is the false copy, you fight her as Link and Yoshi. This leads to Mario and Link's encounter. The two mistake the other for an enemy. However, quick thinking made by Kirby as King Dedede attempts to interfere unites five hero's to form an unstoppable team. Mario, Link, Pit, Yoshi, and Kirby now embark on a quest to rescue both princcesses, find the source of the evil army, and save their world from destruction. At the end of their journey, the five heroes and the rest of the Smash Brothers fighters team up to fight Tabuu. To do so, they must travel through the great maze. They are then joined Sonic and bring an end to the evil being. ---Basic Strategy--- (803) Playing through subspace is a lot different from competitive play. For starters, your opponents don't die from flying off the stage. Each one requires you to do so much damage before they finally fall. Only in select boss fights will the traditional Smash Bros. play be brought in. To beat the game with Mario in SSE, you must master combos that allow you to do a great deal of damage quickly and efficiently. The best way to do this is to power-up your fireballs, punches, kicks, and head smash. Unlike previous smash titles, Super Smash Brothers Brawl allows you to use Stickers on fighters. These stickers will power-up a characters abilities depending on the sticker was. Some Stickers can only be used for certain characters while others can be used on anyone. With Mario, make sure you use a balance of stickers that increase his fireballs and physical attacks. Remember: Once a sticker is added, it can't be taken off and put away again. If you remove a sticker, its gone for good until you find it again, so make sure you choose wisely. 
Use fireballs to destroy enemies that are difficult to get close to.  
This will keep Mario safe and at low damage so he's fit to fight against
bosses.  Also boost his hand-to-hand attacks to help score damage against
enemies that are best handled in close range fighting.  If you have room,
add smaller stickers that increase the effectiveness of food and other
health related items.  Again, this will increase the odds of Mario making
it through the stage and you not losing a life.

Keep in mind that some stickers make the odds of a trophy stand, sticker
book, or other useful items appear more often.  If you're going through 
the SSE a second time, use these to help clean up any unlockables you may
have remaining.  


*****************************************
10. Stadium   (900)
*****************************************


---Targets--- (901)

The target test in Super Smash Brothers Brawl has been a little bit differently
when compared to previous games.  For starters, each character no longer has
his or her own target maps.  There are now only 5 target maps, each one made
to be approached by each character and in a variety of different ways.  This
takes away a lot the strategy that went into trying to beat them all.  There 
may be a couple of places you may find trouble, though.  

-Level 1- (901A)

An easy level.  You can approach this in a variety of ways.  The easiest is to
keep moving forward and break all the targets in your way.  Its not hard.  

-Level 2- (901B)

Similar to before, only the targets a little bit spread out.  Jump up and break
the first two targets using kicks.  Grab the smart bomb and throw it above you.
This will destroy a small group of targets at the top right-hand corner of the 
stage.  Move on and destroy the targets in the air.  You will come across a 
rolling crate.  Throw a fireball at it or just throw it in front of you.  It
will roll down a hill and destroy the targets below you.  Jump up and then 
finish the stage.  

-Level 3- (901C)

This is a little tricky.  The level is pretty big and there will be a variety
of items for you to use.  All you really need to worry about is the big gap 
below you once you approach the targets towards the bottom of the screen.  
Make good use of the ray gun the provide you to shoot targets safely without
having to jump out and hit them.  This level is pretty simple if you can jump
well and Mario naturally has good aerial, so you should be good to go.  

-Level 4- (901D)

This is a bit tricky.  The level is probably the biggest of the target tests. 
There are no items around to assist you this time, so you will have to rely on 
Mario's natural moveset to win.  First, jump to the right and wait for a target
there.  Many of the targets here move through the ice, so keep your eyes open.
Break the first target there and then continue through the stage.  When you
reach the bottom, there will be a gap you have jump and a target in the middle.
Throw a fireball at the target, don't attempt to break with a kick.  Its harder
to grab the ledge if there's ice and this entire stage is ice.  After you break
that target, finish the stage.  The last target takes a bit of skill to reach,
but you should be able to get it with the coin jump.  Remember to use the cape
to help give you that extra boost to reach it.  

-Level 5- (901E)

This is the final stage.  To start off, jump up and use a flip kick to destroy
the target above you.  Then walk over to the edge and throw a fireball at the 
target that hovers just off the stage.  After you get those first too, jump 
over and grab the cannon that sits on a nearby platform.  Carefully hover down
and shoot any target in your aim.  Remember you have to tap quickly to turn 
around with the cannon.  The elevator of platforms eventually leads to spikes,
so be careful.  There will be another target at the bottom left of the stage 
just off the ledge.  Throw the cannon at it.  Continue to the right and finish
the level.  Remember: your cap can go through the walling and hit the right-
most target.  You can finish off the last two targets that sit in the middle
of the stage just above that hole by throwing the beamsword at them.  It will
bounce and hit each target perfectly.  


---Multi-Man Brawl--- (902)


The new enemies in multi-man brawl are just as weak as they were before.  You 
need to remember that many of Mario's aerial moves are key to winning these 
matches.  

In each one of the fights, Mario's Down Air and Coin jump can quickly send
enemies flying into the sky.  Mario's Down Smash, Up Smash, and Up Tilt are
all just as effective as well if you plan on winning from the ground.  
Endurance is key in these fights, never leave yourself open.  The enemies like
to attack in mobs, so try to keep fighting at all times.  

Items are always on in these fights.  Use the items strategically.  I found it
best to throw mines, sticky bombs, and explosive crates out of bounds to
prevent being blown up.  Throw bumpers and smart bombs close to where enemies 
spawn to make sure they die the moment they set foot into battle.  The blasts 
from the ray gun result in a one-hit kill, so if you find one don't hesistate
to grab it.  The fan is also pretty useful in timed matches.  You can spam it
to keep a group of enemies caught in the fan for as long as you want.  

Every 25 enemies you kill in some modes will result in a normal CPU player
appearing.  This may seem cheap, but place yourself at the point that the
CPU spawns.  Spam the up or down smash over and over again and chances are
you will get the knock-out before the CPU player has any chance to attack.

Cruel Brawl is a bit different since this time, you are the one who is weak.
Don't let the odds get to your head.  Remember your enemies weakness.  They
can't recover after their jump and they can't pick up items.  Knowing this, 
lead them off the cliff.  They will probably follow you or gather on the edge.
Just kicks and other edge-hog moves to try to get them below you.  All you need
to KO is 10 in this mode in order to get the checkmark on the list.  


---Homerun Contest--- (903)


The homefun contest is a little bit different then it was in Melee.  There is a
new barrier around the stage which can allow for more damage.  Pick up the bat
and throw it at the sandbag.  This is the quickest way to rack up damage when 
using Mario.  The Cape can also be used in the air as it falls.  Make sure
you are holding the bat when it falls and swing.  To be honest, Mario isn't the
best character for this mode.  Fox is probably the best character to use here.

---Boss Battles--- (904)

The best advice I can give here is know the bosses and play it smart.  Never 
get too close for too long.  You will take damage if you get too comfortable.
You only get 3 heart containers, so use them wisely.  I would save one of the
hearts for the Tabuu fight.  When fighting Tabuu, make sure you have mastered
all your dodges.  Tabuu can knock you out with one hit in many cases.  If you
lose once, you have to start all over again.  


*****************************************
11. Extra's    (EXT)
*****************************************


---Trophies--- (E01)


These are the trophies earned when you beat the game on Classic and All-Star 
mode.

-Classic Trophy

Mario

Description: "A familiar overall-clad figure who is Nintendo's flagship 
character. His courage and jumping ability have seen him through countless 
adventures. He's a multitalented plumber with the knowledge of a physician, a 
top-notch golfer, and a veteran tennis umpire. Is his jumping prowess a boon 
from his girder-climbing days?"

-All-Star Trophy

Mario Finale

Description: "Mario with a smash ball unleashes his ultimate attack. The twin 
dragons of flame he releases wallop all characters in range. The flames spread
up and down, so its best to release from the edge of the screen at the 
appropriate height. His flaming eyes are proof of his excitement for this 
explosive attack."


---Costumes--- (E02)


-Standard Mario:

The famous red cap, red shirt, and blue overalls the plumber is famous for 
wearing.

-Fire Mario:

This is a new addition, the costume Mario gets after grabbing a fire flower. 
Like in the Super Mario Bros. series, Mario will be wearing a white cape, 
white shirt, and red overalls.

-Standard Mario Inverted:

Things get a bit plain after Fire Mario. The first color swap is just Mario's 
standard costume inverted, blue cap, blue shirt, and red overalls. Kind of 
reminds me of the old days where Mario's shirt was blue and overalls were red.

-Wario Costume:

Mario looks a bit like Wario. Yellow cap, yellow shirt, and purple overalls. 
Might as well just play as Wario now, though.

-"Dark" Mario.

Not really dark Mario, just darker clothing. Mario gets a black-dark brown cap
and overalls and a white shirt underneath. Even though Mario did have this 
costume in the last game (correct me if I'm wrong) Nintendo sure has added 
a lot of darker costumes this time around, huh?

-Luigi-sorta Mario

Not really Luigi's attire...but close if you haven't unlocked Luigi yet. Green
cap, green shirt, and yellow overalls. If the overalls were blue, it would be 
right on.


---Taunts--- (E03)


Taunt 1:

Yes, plural, as in more then one. Mario now has 3 taunts to choose from like 
most other SSBB characters. His first taunt is activated by pressing up on the
D Pad (control pad). Its his classic taunt in which he grows large, as if he 
just ate a mega mushroom, and then shrinks again.

Taunt 2:

The second taunt is activated by pressing left or right on your D pad. When 
you do this, Mario takes off his cap in respect for the crowd, his opponent, 
and himself. Its a pretty cool taunt to do after you send someone off the 
edge.

Taunt 3:

This one is funny. Its activated by pressing down on the D pad. Mario spins 
in the air, doing a 360 a couple of times, then falls on his back with his 
feet in the air. If you want to get a quick laugh after a ko, use this. This 
taunt actually comes from the Donkey Kong arcade. When Mario dies, he 
performs this taunt only in 8 Bit. 


---Snake Codec--- (E04)


Colonel: Snake, do you know who that is?

Snake: You're kidding, right?  It's Mario.
  
Colonel: Mario made his first appearance in 1981, and since then he has become
a worldwide phenomenon. There's probably not a single person who doesn't know
Mario, he's that famous.

Snake: Good thing I survived long enough to meet him on the field of battle,
huh.

Colonel: This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, snake.  Now get out there and 
show him what you're made of.  No regrets.

Snake: Got it.


*****************************************
12. Credits    (END)
*****************************************


I hope this guide was useful for you on some way. It was one of my first 
times attempting to make a guide, but I think I did ok. If you have any 
comments, suggestions, noticed a mistake, or just want to say something in 
general, you can send me an e-mail at aac900@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading my guide, I look forward to brawling with you soon!

Writer: MarioGamer
Nintendo: For Making Brawl
Wikipedia: For some little known facts on Mario
Super Smash Bros: For being an awesome game
Host Sites: www.neoseeker.com, www.allisbrawl.com, mariogamerac.conforums.com,
and www.gamefaqs.com
-If I do not want this guide used on a different website, then it must be 
removed from that site immediately upon request.
You, the reader. You rock, seriously, you're awesome

**************************************************************************