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Hi I'm Yussef Sholough I am 13 I'm really good at Super Smash Bros games.In the first one I got murdered.In melee I murdered any one who came in my path.And in Brawl pretty good I'd play online my connection is perfect I can get on Xbox Live to.My favorite character is Falco.He has a secret his < or > smash is not just close range but if you use your over and (a) attacks training on in slow motion you will see wind with spikes if there in radius of the wind it still hits with out touching them and I discover this when fighting Jmk77 at his house yes I learn from one of the best and from mistakes but when it come to Falco I'm the best there is.sure fox has the same attacks sure he faster but Falcos stronger and much better Falco deflector can go threw walls.His blaster lasts very long.Close combat is OK.His smashes great meteor smash perfect if you hit it right.Falco final smash is pretty cheep but it gets 1-3 KO's depending who you face.Falco is one of the three best character in the game hands down.For finishing moves, Falco can use his forward and up smashes to good effect. His up smash has purely vertical knockback if it hits during the upswing of his kick. The forward smash has even more knockback (this time diagonally up and forward), at the expense of some noticeable start-up and ending lag. Falco also is armed with a strong spike from his down aerial that can kill at damages as low as 40%. When Falco himself is hit by a strong move, he relies on his side and up specials to recover. His side special is a quick recovery that goes purely horizontal, while the up special is multi-directional at the cost of more start up time.
AND PLEASE IF YOU WANT TO ADD SOMETHING DONT HESITATE!!!
~ FALCO LOMBARDI GUIDE ~
Nintendo Wii Super Smash Brothers: Brawl Falco Guide
~ Table of Contents ~
- Introduction [#1]
- Terms [#2]
- Universal Techniques [#3]
- Falco's Pros & Cons [#4]
- Move List [#5]
- Combos [#6]
- Finishing [#7]
- Final Smash [#8]
- General Tips [#9]
- Character Strategies [#10]
~INTRODUCTION~ [#1]
Welcome, aspiring Falco players. My name is Yussef Sholough. I've been smashing since 1999. Falco was my main man in Melee, and since he hasn't really been nerved for Brawl, he's still good to use. If you like the bird and want to use him competitively, this FAQ will have everything to get you started. If you're already proficient at using the Han Solo of Nintendo, then this FAQ will still be useful to you as a reference for specific info.
A bit of history: Falco Lombardi is one of Fox McCloud's wingmen in the Star Fox team. He has the coolest personality and always shows up to save your hide when you need him most. Falco has appeared in the following Nintendo games:
-Appearances-
-Super Nintendo Entertainment System
- Star Fox
-Nintendo 64
- Star Fox 64/Lylat Wars
-Nintendo GameCube
- Super Smash Brothers: Melee
- Star Fox Adventures
- Star Fox Assault
-Nintendo DS
- Star Fox: Command
-Nintendo Wii
- Super Smash Brothers: Brawl
~TERMS~ [#2]
(Letter)smash -- whatever letter comes before "smash" is the smash attack's direction. Fsmash = forward smash, Dsmash = down smash, Usmash = up smash. These can be done with the c-stick.
FALCO8251 (talk)
(Letter)tilt -- a tilt is holding the control stick in a direction, but not smashing it all the way. The words are the same as for smashes.
FALCO8251 (talk)
(Letter)air -- any attack you can perform in the air. The codewords are the same as the above two, with the addition of Nair (neutral air) and Bair (back air).
FALCO8251 (talk)
Sex Kick -- a move that stays in the attack animation after it's been activated. It does damage as long as the animation stays, but gets weaker and weaker.
FALCO8251 (talk)
Short Hop -- as it sounds, a smaller jump than normal. It is performed by tapping the jump button and releasing it before the character's "kneebend" animation. Useful for launching aerial attacks on grounded players.
FALCO8251 (talk)
Spike -- an attack that sends an opponent straight down at high speeds. Great killing move when your enemy has no ground under him.
FALCO8251 (talk)
Edge Hog -- jumping back onto an edge and holding onto it while your opponent tries to recover. When you're grabbing an edge, nobody else can.
~UNIVERSAL TECHNIQUES~ [#3]
This section outlines the things every character can do, and you should master them as a first priority.
-Teching-
After you're struck by an attack, your character flies away. When you're tumbling in the air, press the L button just before you hit the ground, wall, or ceiling. You will bounce right back up without lying there. Hold the control stick left or right during a tech, and you will roll in that direction.
- Note: the tech is activated if you press the L button 20 or fewer
frames before hitting the surface. However, if you press it once then it will be inactive for 40 frames after that, so time it, don't mash it.
-Directional Influence (DI)-
Controlling the trajectory of your character after you're sent flying. This is crucial to staying alive as long as possible. All you need to use is the control stick. After you're struck, smash and hold the control stick in the direction perpendicular to your flight.
Say you're sent to the right, and about to hit the edge and die. If you smash the control stick up, you'll influence yourself toward the ceiling, therefore away from the wall of death. You could also smash down to hug the ground. On the other hand, if you're sent flying upward, influence yourself to the left or right.
One can also DI out of combos. A simple example is Pit's Side-B. If you're caught in it, simply hold the control stick in a direction away from his spinning sword. Rather than taking a bunch of hits, you escape it.
-Air Dodge-
A technique that gives you a second of invincibility in the air. Press R or L to do it. Unlike in Melee, you can air dodge as many times as you want in one jump, you go with your momentum rather than changing direction, and you can attack and jump again after you air dodge. Learn to use this to avoid being juggled or hit by projectiles.
Another use for air dodging is to get out of tumbling after you're sent flying. In Melee you had to rapidly press left, right, etc. on your control stick to regain control, but here it's simply a press of the L or R button. Learn to do this simultaneously with DI survival tricks.
~FALCO'S PROS AND CONS~ [#4]
-Pros
- High jumper
- Wall jumper
- Good projectile
- Has a spike
- Decent comboing ability
- Awesome final smash but cheep
-Cons
- Not many finishers
- Below average recovery
- Below average running speed
- Easy to edge-guard.
~MOVE LIST~ [#5]
In parenthesis after all the following moves, I've listed the amount of damage they do the first time you use them. The more you use a particular attack in one life, the less knockback and damage it will do. So mix it up and don't spam.
-Standing Moves-
- A: One punch (4%)
- AAA: Punch, punch, spin. (7%)
- A x Infinite: Spinning attack. If your opponent is stuck
somewhere, such as getting hit repeatedly against a wall by a Pokèmon, use this to rack up damage. After the punch-punch combo, every hit does: (1%)
-Tilts-
- Ftilt: A forward kick which you can also angle up or downward.
Low knockback + high reach = good combo starter. (9%)
- Dtilt: Tail whip. Sends your opponent skyward. (12% -- 9% from
distance)
- Utilt: Sweeping upward punch. Great combo starter. (9%)
-Smash Attacks-
- Fsmash: Two handed overhead punch. Good finisher. (15% -- 10% at
distance)
- Dsmash: Falco does the splits, kicking in both directions. Also
a good killer. (15%)
- Usmash: Backflipping bicycle kick. Upward finisher, sometimes a
combo starter. (14% -- 12% if enemy is behind you)
- When smashes are fully charged, they do 21% damage.
-Aerials-
- Nair: Spinning-slap attack. There are four hits in it. (12% when
all hits land)
- Fair: Barrel roll. It has five hits. Final one has decent
knockback. (11% when they all hit)
- Dair: Drill kick. It is a spike when it hits from above. (13% --
8% at end)
- Uair: Mid-air backflip kick. Good for juggling. (11%)
- Bair: A sex kick. (13% -- 7% at end)
Running + A: Dragon kick. Sends opponent up at an angle. (9% -- 6% at end) Recovery attack coming up from ledge or ground: (8%)
-Throws-
- Fthrow: (5%)
- Dthrow: (7%)
- Uthrow: (6%)
- Bthrow: (6%)
- Punching your opponent during a hold does 2% damage.
-Specials-
- B: Blaster. Fires a laser which stuns your opponent for a
moment. This should be your most used attack; whenever you're at a distance, shoot your enemy constantly. Good for approaching. (3%)
- Side B: Falco Illusion. A dash attack. Also a spike. Your best
horizontal recovery move. (7%)
- Down B: Shine Throw. Reflects projectiles at double damage, and
hurts enemies it touches. Great surprise attack; always use it when your opponent has a Pokéball. (6%)
- Up B: Firebird. You propel yourself in any direction while on
fire. Generally, you should only use this when you need vertical recovery. (6%)
~COMBOS~ [#6]
These are some basics to get you started, and I'm sure you'll find some of your own. That includes variations of these. If you do, e-mail them to me. I'll include them in the FAQ, and they'll help me, too.
-The Barrel Spike-
Uthrow -> jump -> Fair -> double jump -> Dair
This combo involves throwing your opponent upward then jumping after them. Then you DO A BARREL ROLL; try to land all the hits in this Fair. They will be knocked back slightly, so use your second jump to chase and hit them with a spike. Even better if you can do it over the edge, because then it's a death combo.
This one works best between 0-50%...after that, the Fair will knock them too far out to hit them with the Dair.
-Slapped Silly-
Utilt -> short hop -> Nair -> (Finish)
The upward punch will knock your opponent up; short up after him and try to hit him with all your Nair slaps. It won't have too much knockback, so when he lands you can finish this with a move of your choice...Usmash, Fsmash, running kick, or even a shine throw. What you choose will probably depend on which direction your opponent DIs to, or his percentage.
This is a low-percent combo, usually best from 0-30%. You better be fast after the Utilt, so they don't recover or jump away before you can hit them again.
-Set me up the juggle!-
Utilt -> Utilt -> Usmash -> Uair (x3)
Hit your opponent upward with a Utilt, then hit him again (the knock-up isn't too far). On his way down, Usmash him; this sends him nicely upwards. Jump instantly after him while he's tumbling and Uair him, again and again and again.
Start this combo between 0-40%. After that, just cut back to one Utilt.
-The Throw-Down-
Grab -> Punch -> Uthrow -> Shine
This is a simple combo that will do about 17% damage really quick. Make sure you get that punch in while holding your opponent, then slam him on the ground and throw your shine in his face.
This combo works anywhere between 0-50%.
-Falcowned-
Fthrow -> Running kick -> Utilt/Usmash -> Nair -> Dair
I love this combo because you start in Falco's hands and end up in the air, getting kicked around. Throw your opponent forward, then dash after him. The running kick sends people slightly upward; use that to your advantage with a Utilt (or Usmash, when they're at lower percentages). Jump after them, hit them with a Nair, double jump, and Dair them down.
Works between 0-50%. At lower percentages, use a short hop to get up to the Nair.
~FINISHING~ [#7]
You know the situation; your opponent is over 100%, and you're beating on him, screaming "WHY WON'T YOU DIE?" Let me help your lungs out with some tips on finishing off your enemy.
-Over the Top-
Falco's most powerful up-hitting is his Usmash. There are plenty of ways you can land this; you can perform one straight out of a run, just by dashing and hitting the c-stick up. Your opponent might see this one coming, so you may have to catch him off guard. Try a running kick to set yourself up, then quickly Usmash. Also, when your opponent is above you and trying to dive-bomb you, don't defend: counter-attack! Your Usmash has good priority, so let your opponent come down on your head, then surprise him.
Also good for over the top finishing is the Uair. First you'll need your opponent in the air (which, at high percentages, is quite likely). Utilt or Usmash gets the job done, if it doesn't kill them. Then, just jump up and Uair them from under. If it doesn't kill them the first time, you can keep doing it over and over and juggle them until they die.
-Off the Side-
On the ground, your best horizontal launcher will be the Fsmash. It's fairly fast and has good power and knockback. Try the Usmash out also; it will hit people on either side of you, and is your fastest smash attack.
In the air, it's all about Bair. Try to hit with it right as it comes out; launch the attack when you're close to the enemy, rather than relying on its sex. The longer it's out, the less knockback it has. Also, check out Chapter 9 for a good Bair tip.
-Into the Abyss-
The most reliable way to slam an opponent down to his death is Falco's Dair: the spike. Simply knock them over the edge with anything. As they're trying to recover, jump over the edge after them, preferably coming from above. Try to save your second jump until after the spike; it will make it easier to recover. It's no good spiking your opponent if you're going down with him.
For the spike to work in this game, you have to hit with Falco's feet. Ironically, I find it to work more often when I'm coming from below, and hit the opponent when I get to their upper area. You'll find the right positioning; just practice.
Vertically, Falco can come back from just about any height, so jump to the bottom of the screen to spike someone if you want (just make sure you still have your second jump). If it's too far away from the edge horizontally, then wait for a better moment.
When both you and an opponent are over the edge trying to recover, you can spike him and recover at the same time with Falco Illusion. If you hit somebody with that, it sends them straight down. I've used this countless times in three or four player matches, when two of us have been knocked off at the same time. Here's the situation drawn for you:
_________ X <---- O
___ = Stage // X = Enemy // <---- = Falco Illusion // O = Falco
Another, more indirect way to make your opponent fall to his death is by shooting him repeatedly. Falco's blaster stuns and cancels second jumps, so when your enemy is trying to recover, stay level with him and shoot at him. Land enough hits, and he'll be pushed back too far to grab the edge. And if not, just spike him or edge hog him.
~FINAL SMASH~ [#8]
Personally, I prefer the air! ...So Falco comes down and owns up the ground. Now THIS is the finishing move to end them all.
-The Landmaster-
Falco jumps to the sky (apparently into Great Fox) and returns with a giant tank. You can damage others with the following:
-Landing on them -Running into them -Shooting them (you can fire about one blast every two seconds)
And then there is my favorite killer; get under your opponent and hold the jump button. The tank will fly upward, with your enemy on top of it. Easy over-the-top kill. Just come back down when they're dead...
To turn your tank around, you have to hold the control stick in the opposite direction, not just press it.
Oh, and to do a barrel roll, tap down twice. What's the purpose of this? To satisfy Peppy, of course. You gotta have some barrel rolls.
-Destroying the Smash Ball-
I've found that the most reliable way is to land all the hits in the Nair or Fair, then finish it with a Bair. If it's close to you on the ground, just charge up a smash attack, but don't let it get away from you. And if the smash ball is far and some other people are fighting over it, shoot it with the blaster. It's hilarious destroying it with a snipe, and it can really piss off some friends...and that's what Brawl is all about.
If the only way you can get the ball is by jumping to your death, then go ahead and do it, because death is an illusion. You've gotten the ball, but can't recover! Wait...simply press B and activate the final smash. Falco will fly all the way back up, as that's where he gets his Landmaster. Very slick move...but you better be sure you're going to destroy it, or else you'll make an idiot out of yourself.
~GENERAL TIPS~ [#9]
-Approaching-
You and your opponent are staring each other down. Eventually you'll have to clash. What's the best way to run at him and attack? By jumping/short hopping and shooting your blaster at him. As you approach, you should always be shooting to either stun him or force him into an air dodge, after which you smash him.
You can get off four shots in a jump, and two in a short hop. The best
timing is to double-tap B at the peak of the short hop. You don't want to be stuck firing on the ground, as you'll be a sitting duck.
-Bair Reversal-
As you know by now, Falco's Bair is deadly. But if you're running straight at your enemy and want to Bair him, you'll have to find a way to turn around. No problem: just before you jump out of your run, smash the control stick in the opposite direction. When you're in the air, your back should be turned. Bair away. You can also use this technique to turn around and fire your blaster at pursuers, Matrix style. Just make sure you press the side, then B, not both at the same time, or you might get yourself killed doing a Falco Illusion.
-Short Hop->Fast Fall-
That's SHFF for short. It's a technique carried over from Melee, except it used to be SHFFL before l-canceling was removed. This is useful for hitting grounded opponents with aerial attacks. Short hop at your enemy, hit him with an aerial (for Falco, Dair and Nair is best) and smash the control stick downward at the peak of your jump. That way you fall down faster and are ready for combat again. Use this if your aerials over-prioritize your opponent's moves, and you want to dodge their ground hits. Also good for moving toward him while attacking.
-Recovering-
Always aim to grab the edge if you need to use your third jump. If you're sure your recovery move can hit your edge-guarding opponent, go ahead and come back directly. I always aim to get to the ledge's height, then ->B to it. It's quicker and longer than the Firebird. Falco can also wall-jump; just hug the wall and tap the other direction on the control stick. That extra jump should come in handy (he has five total wall jumps).
If both you and an opponent are recovering at the same time, you can footstool jump him (get on his head and press jump). This will send him down and you up...ideal situation. Also a good technique is doing the - >B dash attack, with him between you and the platform. That attack is a spike, so you'll send him down as you recover. Not bad.
-Taunts-
Everybody has to know that you're the ****. Falco has three basic taunts, and you can also have a conversation with the Star Fox gang. These are all done with the d-pad.
-Up: He plays keepy-uppy with his shine, then orders a dessert. Piece of cake! -Sides: The ballet-dancing taunt from Melee, with the added "Go on, try me!" -Down: Falco says "Hands of my bread!" He runs a bakery on the side.
Now, if you go to Lylat Cruise or Corneria with Falco, you have a secret taunt. Tap down on the d-pad very quickly. You have to be fast so he doesn't do his normal down-taunt. If you get it right, he will make a call on his comm. It takes a while, so make sure you're in the clear. A minute later, the Star Fox gang will appear and have a conversation during the battle.
~CHARACTER STRATEGIES~ [#10]
It's a different battle against every character. Although your general strategy may stay the same, you'll have to adjust some things and watch out for others depending on which character you're facing.
-v. Mario-
You may have some trouble with Mario because he can reflect your blaster shots...quite a large part of your game. Keep shooting at him anyway; his cape isn't fast enough to reflect them all, and he'll be so preoccupied with reflecting them that he'll be open to get smashed as you approach.
Look out for his meteor smash as you're recovering (his -> A sends you straight down). Mario is a rather floaty character, which makes it easier for him to get away from your aerial combos, but also easier for you to juggle him. Use that to your advantage. On the other hand, Mario is a great juggler himself, but your Dair will smash through any attempt he makes at coming from below.
Mario's final smash is relatively easy to avoid; simply jump over it and propel yourself to the other side. Falco has one of the highest first jumps in the game.
-v. Luigi-
Pretty much the same as fighting Mario, except he can't reflect your lasers. He can shoot fireballs that move in a straight line, though. Luigi players will probably use this in midair a lot, so turn it to your advantage by reflecting them back.
You can see his Negative Space final smash from a mile away. Just run and jump away from it.
-v. Peach-
Be careful during close-combat with Peach; she has a counter-attack, Toad. Keep your distance and get little hits in, and when she mistimes Toad, punish her. She's vulnerable if she misses that counter. Either way, she can't do anything about your lasers or shine. When she's doing her sideways floating recovery, she's easy enough to spike. You'll see her turnips coming from a mile away; reflect them.
Don't let her get that smash ball, because she'll heal herself and get free shots on you.
-v. Bowser-
You'll kick Bowser's ass if you know what you're doing. He's a huge target and relatively slow. You should use a hit & run game on him to build up some percentage, because he's so heavy that your air combos won't work early on. Get him hurt, then start comboing; it will take a high percentage to finish him.
There's not much you can do to avoid his final smash other than run away and shoot at him (he still takes damage, just doesn't flinch).
-v. Donkey Kong-
Kong's a huge target for you to shoot at. DK players tend to charge up their standard B punch every time they get a moment in the clear. But nobody gets a moment in the clear with Falco; every time you see him charging up a punch, just hit him with a blaster shot. It cancels the charge and annoys them. He's also heavy and hard to knock back, but also tall enough to fall victim to your Bair reversal.
DK is insanely easy to spike. When he's recovering, he's completely open from above. Just jump at him from high up and Dair him. You may get stung a bit, but your spike will get through every time.
All of Kong's attacks are pretty powerful, but slow. Your distance game with the blaster and shine throw, combined with your speed, completely owns Donkey Kong. To avoid his final smash, get as far away as possible, generally to an edge. Hang onto the edge, and when you see his beats getting close, drop off, jump back on, rinse and repeat.
-v. Diddy Kong-
If you stay too close to Diddy, he can tail whip you; his tail has long range and can trap you. He's also tough to combo because he's light and will get knocked away easily. Turn this to your advantage by smashing him off the stage early, then edge guard. He's very vulnerable after his Up-B. Diddy's peanut gun is a joke; he'll be open for hits after he fires, so don't even bother reflecting them unless it's a charged peanut.
His final smash is flying back and forth and dropping bombs down on you. Run opposite his direction every time, and when your paths intersect, jump and air dodge through the explosions.
-v. Yoshi-
Yoshi also has a distance game: throwing eggs. You should be able to react and reflect them. He's trouble to edge guard, because he's invulnerable to knockback during his massive second jump. The best thing to do is jump down and spike him before he starts it, or be waiting high up at the tail end of his jump to Bair him when he finishes. If he starts spamming the egg roll, your Dsmash can blast him out of it. Be careful if you come up to attack Yoshi from below; his Dair is deadly if it catches you. Don't let yourself be caught by his tongue grab, either; your shine throw has more range than that.
To dodge Yoshi's final smash, jump over him while air dodging the flames he spits. He'll fly back and forth; if he comes high, then just dash under his path.
-v. Wario-
The trouble with Wario is that he has priority over many of your attacks. If you're coming at him from above, you can hit him with a Dair, but he could Usmash you and hit you also. He has a deadly Dair himself, so try not to come from below. Play the hit & run game, just like with Bowser. Shoot lasers at him whenever you can. Luckily, he's easier to smash off the edge. He's big enough to do the Bair reversal on while he's grounded, and then simple to spike.
To avoid the final smash, jump up, and he'll jump after you (he has insane jump height during the Wario-man phase). As you're coming down and he's coming up, air-dodge as you intersect. You'll go right through him. Do the same thing on the way up. It's a great way to frustrate your opponent.
-v. Link-
Link lives off a distance game; three of his specials are projectiles. The boomerang isn't dangerous, but it can be reflected anyway. Bombs and arrows are deadly when you reflect them back at the thrower, because they're powerful and fast, respectively.
Avoid too much close combat with Link; his sword has priority over most of your attacks. Stun him with your blaster first, then smash him. Make sure you combo him with grabs, he's the perfect weight to be owned in the air. Unfortunately Link has a tether recovery, his hookshot. This makes it tougher for you to spike him; you'll have to get to him over the edge before he gets close enough to hook on.
His final smash is Triforce Slash. It will either connect or it won't; it's a one time chance, so all you can do is run and jump as fast as you can and hope he fluffs it.
-v. Zelda-
I find Zelda to be Falco's bogey character. She has superior priority; you can't come at her from above if she's grounded, because her Usmash will counter it. Many of her attacks have purple magic, which makes it tough for you to engage in close combat. Even at a distance, she can hurt you with her magic fireball, which you can't reflect. Lucky for you, it's easy to dodge.
The best thing you can do is to keep your distance, and stay in the air. You can strike her with Bairs and Uairs from below, throw your shine at her when she gets close (she'll fall on her arse and be open for hits), and of course shoot at her. She's floaty, making her easy to juggle, and light, making her easy to KO at lower percentages. Keep in mind that she'll be hard to spike, because her third jump is a teleportation.
Zelda's final smash is a light arrow. For avoiding it, see the advice I gave about Link's.
-v. Sheik-
This battle is incredibly fast paced. You'll basically have no choice but close combat; Sheik is so fast, she'll be on you in a second. So, use everything you know about Falco's hand-to-hand game; combos out of throws, juggling, shine throws, etc.
I also highly recommend lots of SHFFing; it will increase your speed and beat Sheik's priority. When she tries to charge up needles, shoot her. When she throws them at you, shine them right back. Be careful for the tether recovery; you'll have trouble spiking this one.
The final smash is the same as Zelda's.
-v. Ganondorf-
There are three things you should never do: incest, river dance, and underestimate Ganondorf. This guy looks like a slow bastard, but he can KO Falco at incredibly low percentages if he lands the right hits. Do NOT stand around; if you keep moving, he'll never land these heavy hits that can take you out early. Your high jump and relatively fast speed foils him. When attacking, he's easy to combo and shoot because he's a big target. Combo him in spurts, finish him opportunistically.
Be extra careful when you're going for a spike, because his third jump may beat it, shock you, and send you flying. And Ganondorf has a spike of his own; watch out for that when you're recovering.
Twilight Princess fans will recognize this final smash; he turns into a beastly pig and charges at you once. It's an instant kill if it connects, and he also does damage while morphing into it. You can either jump over it or spot-dodge between his legs if you want to get fancy. Here's a demonstration:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WemnE0scXFE
Doesn't Ganon remind you of one of the monsters from Attack of the Clones?
-v. Toon Link-
Your strategy against Toon Link will vary slightly from Link's, because he's faster, lighter, and a smaller target. He also plays a projectile game, but that's no problem for Falco players. His arrows are slow; you'll react easily to reflect them. Watch out for his boomerang; it hurts you on the way back.
Toon Link's speed means he'll be harder to hit with your blaster. Ditto for his small size. He'll also be more eager to fight you in close combat. That's where you'll find yourself most of the time while fighting him. His sword isn't as long as Link's, so you can get many of your smash attacks through it.
I recommend SHFFing Toon Link a lot, also; he's floaty so he's less effective during short hop combat. When you're in the air against him, do NOT stay below him; his Dair is a dive bomb and a spike, and he can throw bombs down at you as well.
Toon Link is definitely a trouble character. Smash him in close combat, be wary of his projectiles, and you'll be fine. He's easy to KO at low percentages. He does have a small tether recovery, though.
His final smash is the same as Link's with slightly shorter range.
-v. Samus-
Samus is slow, but has some powerful hits. She lives off a ranged game, similar to Falco. She may spam missiles (which you can reflect), charge up her standard gun (if you're brave enough, just let her do it, then reflect it back), or drop bombs on you from above (initially, they do a surprising 9% damage). You can tear Samus apart in the air, because her jumping is fairly weak. On the ground, be quick, and SHFF a lot; she'll try to grab you, and if you've short hopped, it will go under you. She has to have the worst grab in the game; when she whiffs it, make her pay.
Avoiding her super-shot final smash is simply a matter of getting behind her. Stand there and wait for her invincibility to wear off, then smash her up when she becomes Zero Suit Samus. Which brings me to my next point...
-v. ZS Samus-
If you've just met her from Samus's final smash, throw the pieces of her suit at her. They have good knockback. After that, the battle will get fast. This form is quick and has an insanely long tether recovery. Her Nair and Fsmashes have good range because they use the whip, so try to attack her from above and below, or while she stunned from throws. Use the shine throw and the blaster a lot, because they let you keep your distance while doing damage. When you're below her, look out for the Nair; it's a fast-falling attack like Toon Link's. Of course, if you're recovering and she tries to spike you with it, air dodge around it and she'll kill herself.
Her final smash is turning back into Samus. She spins in a vortex when this happens, and it hurts anyone who's really close to her. I can't see any intelligent Falco player getting hit by it.
-v. Pit-
Lots of things to watch out for: fantastic air game, high priority attacks, good projectile, reflector, and great recovery. Don't engage him in the air; you may be a bird, but Pit has wings and you don't. His swords will beat your fists. Stay close to the ground, but not always on it. When you see him pull out his blue arrow, reflect it quick. Unlike Link, he can influence its trajectory. Keep shooting at him; if he tries his Down-B shield, he'll be vulnerable. If he tries to reflect them with Side-B, he'll be open from above.
Speaking of Side-B, if he starts spamming it, don't let yourself get caught; simply DI yourself away from it. Don't be afraid to jump after him for a spike; if he's doing his blue-wing flight, he can't attack you. You really need to play smart against Pit. He doesn't have many finishing moves, so he'll have trouble killing you as well.
I find that the most reliable way to dodge Pit's final smash is to spot-dodge and roll when you see those flying things coming at you. Short hop air dodging works well too. You really have to be quick and improvise. I've gone through his entire FS phase without being hit once. Remember, he's not invincible after it's in progress.
-v. Ice Climbers-
Keep your distance from these guys, away from their short grab range. Why is their grab so dangerous? Because they can chain-throw you. That means Popo grabs you as you get smashed by Nana, then throws you. They catch you again, and this goes on until you're at high enough percentage to escape it. Other than that, the Ice Climbers are sissies. They have short range and aren't too strong in close combat. Focus on attacking Popo (the one in front) because he's the only one you can damage, and when he dies so does Nana. You can take these guys either close or ranged, and I doubt Falco players will have any trouble.
Their final smash is a mountain of ice which hurts when you touch it, and racks up percent when you're close to it because of a freezing effect. Just jump away from it, find a spot to land, and jump away again. You'll take some damage, but nothing deadly.
-v. R.O.B.-
This guy's a joke. Battle him in the air, because on the ground he's got some decently-ranged attacks. Watch out if you're coming at him from below or behind, because he can fart in your face; a flaming attack that can spike you or knock you back quite far. There's nothing to be afraid of, just be careful of his projectiles. They move pretty fast, but it's even better when you reflect them. He has to charge his gyro up, so shoot him if he tries. The laser charges automatically. R.O.B. has one of the highest vertical recoveries in the game, but it's also predictable. If you hit him during his massive hover, he can't use it again.
His final smash is similar to Wario's, just with a constant laser beam coming out of his mouth. Dodge it the same way as you would the fat mustached man's.
-v. Kirby-
Kirby can juggle and edge-guard well because of his flight ability. To counter that, use air-dodges and Falco Illusions while recovering. You can fight Kirby in the air or ground; either way, Falco overpowers him. Distract all his jumping with blaster fire, and move in for the kill. I prefer smashing Kirby with hard hits; combos tend to work on him only at lower percentages, because he's so floaty. Just hit him away and keep him in the air. His light weight makes him easy to KO.
His Cook final smash only works when you're at close range, and I think you can even air dodge it if you hit the button right as he brings his oven out.
-v. Meta Knight-
This guy can fly like Kirby, but you should NOT engage him in the air. His sword has too much priority and range. He also has good combos and throws; an all-around tough character for Falco players to fight. I tend to SHFF him a lot, making him whiff ground attacks and get smashed from above. Then start hitting him with combos and shine throws. Keep moving in this fight and don't let him get into a rhythm. If he uses his glide to get back on the stage, he'll be open for attack and can't do it again. Fortunately, Meta Knight doesn't have many finishing moves, just little ones that rack up damage.
This final smash isn't too dangerous, although it has insane knockback. He has to be close to you and facing you for it to work. Good Meta Knight players will save it for when they get into an ideal situation, though, so rather than trying to avoid it you should either smash it out of him or kill him before he can use it. Or stop the situation at the root; never let him get the smash ball. It's hard for Meta Knight to break it anyway, because he has no smash.
-v. King Dedede-
Slow and fat, but powerful; you know what you have to do. There won't be much of a difference between fighting him and fighting Bowser or Kong; just watch out for his chain grab and super recovery. Stick to the air if you can; he's weak there, and on the ground his mallet can sometimes be deadly. You can reflect his Waddle Dees, but they're pretty worthless anyway. Don't get near him when he's charging a smash; he has one of the most devastating Fsmashes in the game. And don't underestimate the range on his mallet. On top of everything, Dedede is a huge target for your blaster.
For his final smash, he calls down a bunch of Waddle Dees, with a smaller chance of Waddle Doos and Gordos coming down (the frequency ration on those three is 35:10:4). Both Waddles come at you fast once they land, and the Doos fire laser beams from their eyes. The Gordos damage you more severely. Avoiding this one will be similar to dodging Pit's final smash, except you can attack the Waddle Dees and Doos.
-v. Olimar-
Kill his Pikmin first; he relies on them for range on his attacks AND for recovery. Without them, he's helpless. He won't be able to smash you on the ground, his you in the air, throw them at you, etc. Don't ever let him pull new ones out of the ground; stay on him constantly, and if he gets any space, fire lasers at him to deny him of Pikmin.
His Rocket Ship final smash is almost impossible to avoid completely; even if you get far away from the ship, you'll be burned by the fire. You'll just have to accept some damage, but try to live through it.
-v. Fox-
Epic showdown. Fox is similar to Falco when it comes to B moves; he can reflect your lasers easily, and shoot his own at you. He can fire faster, and good Fox players will fire a lot while approaching, but you won't flinch if you're hit. Fox can kill you early with his Usmash. I can't stress enough, be careful when coming from above. He can do this right out of a dash as well.
This will come down to a lot of close combat; increase your speed with lots of SHFFing, and hit him/his lasers with your shine throw frequently. Fox has great directional influence, so he can get out of your combos quite easily. You should aim to take him over the edge; you can get an easy spike on him when he's charging up Firefox. Fox has no spike, and has a bit of a disadvantage in the air against Falco.
Oh dear, how can you dodge the Landmaster? I can't say anything other than frantic movement and jumping.
-v. Falco-
You gotta love these "Dark Link" moments. Falco players, you know all your strengths and weaknesses. Keep them in mind when fighting yourself. There should be a lot of reflecting lasers back and forth, and SHFFing in close combat. You can both spike each other, so beware of it and use it.
Final Smash: See Fox. This one can hover for longer, though.
-v. Wolf-
Wolf can kick some serious arse. He's fast and powerful, so you won't want to get too close. Your blaster is better than his anyway. Fight Wolf in the air; his second jump gets him almost no height. His recovery is great, however. Firewolf has very little start-up lag and great distance, and Wolf Illusion has an upward angle on it. You'll have some trouble spiking him unless you combo him into it next to an edge, so play close to the ends of the stage. Be very careful of Wolf's deadly spike; air dodge it while recovering if you can.
Final Smash: See Fox, and add a little power.
-v. Captain Falcon-
The F-Zero king has no projectiles, so his only option is close combat. He'll have no problem making that happen, because his running speed is so fast he'll be on you in a second. He can juggle and combo really well because of his good Uair, and has one of the best aerial finishing moves in his Fair (Knee of Judgment). So my advice to you is to dodge a lot; play pretty defensively and get hits in when you can, then you can get him into a combo. Don't go looking for the fight. Remember, Falcon's a fast faller, so juggling him won't be easy. Edge hogging him is, though.
Falcon's final smash is the Blue Falcon. He needs to be pretty close to you for it to work, just like Ike's or Link's. Don't let him get near you. Whoever he catches in this one will be run over by his racer and killed instantly (when there are multiple brawlers, he can even run over 2-3).
-v. Pikachu-
You can smack this rat all over the stage because of his lightweight. He's not too floaty, but easy to juggle and finish. You won't be able to spike him easily because he teleports during Up-B, but you can predict where he'll appear. You should be waiting there with a Bair or Fsmash. When you're high above him, he can snipe you with his Down-B thunder attack, so air dodge it or move out of the way. He has a couple shock attacks that can beat you in priority, so don't go headfirst into aerial battles. Wait for him to make the first move, then punish him.
His final smash is annoying; he just flies around as a blue ball and hurts you on contact. Fortunately it's just as hard for the player to control it as it is for you to dodge it.
-v. Pokèmon Trainer-
There are three different characters you will fight here. When one Pokèmon is out for about two minutes, it will get tired and the player will probably switch. A fatigued Pokèmon does a third less damage and has reduced knockback.
I can tell you now that they all have the same Final Smash: Triple Finish. Don't let yourself get close, because it only works when one of them is right next to you...unless it's Ivysaur. His solar blast can reach you at any horizontal distance as long as it's in line with you, so don't let that happen.
FALCO8251 (talk)
-Squirtle
This one's the featherweight, so he's the best to juggle and finish at low percentages. His Up-B has decent priority and height, though. You won't have too much trouble with this one.
FALCO8251 (talk)
-Ivysaur
I recommend a distance game, because Ivysaur has decent power on the ground. If you're in close, stay close to the ground but not on it. This is a good one to SHFF against. He's also the perfect weight to combo. The Bullet Seed may give you problems in the air.
FALCO8251 (talk)
-Charizard
The heavy dragon. He has a lot of strong priority fire-based attacks, which means you should let him try to hit you with them and punish from above. If he tries to breath fire at you, reflect it back at him and combo him from there. Hit & run, like against all heavies.
-v. Lucario-
You have to be unpredictable with your attacks because he can counter them. It's sometimes useful to run at him, dash the other way before hitting him to bait him into counter-attacking, the dash back and own him. He can do it in the air, and sometimes you can fake him out by jumping at him and air dodging through his counter. Don't let him charge up his standard B projectile; just shoot him out of it. It's slow anyway, so you'll reflect it with ease.
You won't be able to avoid his final smash unless you can fly, because there's just nowhere to go; the laser sweeps through the entire level. You could jump through it while air dodging, though, if you don't get caught in if first.
-v. Jigglypuff-
Jiggly is the best flyer, floatiest, and lightest character in the game. This means a couple things: she can run (fly) away from you easily, she can DI out of your combos like a fish in water, and she can be KOed easily if you can get to her. I recommend juggles; she has a lot of time to fly, though, so she can recover and air dodge through you. You should anticipate this and follow her down to the ground. Once she's at a medium percentage, she'll be smashed around like a sandbag. Be prepared for her to play a hit & run game against you. Don't go easy on her.
Her final smash is growing huge, like Giga Bowser. Same strategy.
-v. Marth-
That sword of his can give you a lot of trouble, especially to disrupt your air game. It has high range and priority. He also has a counter- attack. Your answer to both of these things is waiting for him to make the first move. Don't always go looking for the fight; hit him with combos when you can, and edge guard/hog him when you can. He has a rather lame horizontal recovery. Don't fight Marth on the ground; fight him close to the ground. You get the idea now.
His final smash is a single-attempt shot. He has to be facing you and be on the same level when he launches it. Be quick and jump a lot; eventually he'll try to hit you with it, and if he whiffs, he's lost it and may even kill himself (side effect). It is a one-hit kill no matter what, though, so you know what you're up against.
-v. Ike-
This guy is dangerously powerful, has long range, and unlike other heavyweights, isn't super-slow. Most Ike players stay near the ground; you're fast enough to beat on him in the air before his aerial attacks even start up. So stay in the air yourself, and come down on him when you see openings. Irritate him with your blaster from distance. He also has poor horizontal recovery. And one last thing: he has a counter- attack. It takes longer to activate than Marth's though, so attack him quickly.
This guy's final smash, Great Aether, is pure sex. It does about 70% damage and most likely kills you if you're above 30. On top of that, he can take out a smash ball in two hits. Don't let him get near it; you're faster. There isn't much you can do to dodge the smash other than stay far, far away.
-v. Ness-
This kid can be tricky, especially in the air. His second jump is awkward and he can DI around with ease. Luckily, his actual attacks up there aren't too powerful. You should take him up there, because on the ground he has a yo-yo, a baseball bat, and an assortment of other ranged smash attacks.
He's easy to spike, because when he's bringing his PK Thunder around to shoot himself back on the stage, he's wide open. Beware of his PK Fire; when in the air it shoots at a downward angle, and always keeps you in the flame. If you shoot Ness, he can absorb your lasers and recover energy. It may also leave him open for physical attacks, though.
Ness's final smash rains meteorites onto the stage. If you get hit by one, it will be a chain reaction, so dodge them all.
-v. Lucas-
Lucas is a very dangerous opponent. He has shock attacks, giving him high-priority aerials. I recommend fighting him on the ground and from a distance. Don't ever give him too much space, because he'll abuse PK Fire at you. If he does, reflect them for double damage and nice knockback.
He has a freezing attack which you should see coming at you as a big blue orb. When he's controlling this, he can't move. Take advantage of that; same with PK Thunder. Combo him early next to the edges; he's not too heavy and will be knocked back early. Don't EVER come at Lucas from above; his Usmash is probably the best in the game. Like Ness, he's easy to spike.
Lucas has the same final smash as Ness.
-v. Mr. Game & Watch-
This guy is no match for a good Falco player. He's light enough to be juggled with ease, but still easily combo. His predictable recovery makes him easy to spike. He's slightly stronger on the ground than in the air because of his range, but there's really nothing to worry about. Just don't get close enough to be grabbed; his throws can start some dangerous hits.
His final smash is turning into an octopus and crawling around the screen (basically floating). Run under it and jump over it when possible. Remember, the octopus has two large jumps.
-v. Snake-
Snake is slow and relies on projectiles. I don't have to tell you by now what to do against all his projectiles, do I? Reflect, reflect, reflect. Kick his grenades back into his face, do the same with his torpedo. If you're above him, he can shoot a missile straight at you; be careful. In close combat and aerials, his attacks have long start- up, so hit him before he gets a chance to use them. Other than his B moves, he's quite short-ranged. During his ->B, he can't move because he's concentrating on his rocket. Punish him. Beware Snake's spike and long vertical recovery (he can move afterwards).
If you get the rhythm down, Snake's final smash is easy to dodge. You just need to practice knowing the parabola of his grenade launcher, and how long it takes for them to hit the ground. Once you understand, you can air dodge each of them individually.
By the way, when Snake is playing on Shadow Moses Island, he can make a codec call to get intel on his enemy. Here's the conversation about Falco, with a special guest:
S: This is Snake... ST: Copy, Snake! This is Slippy! S: Whaa--! Who is this? What are you, some
kind of frog?!
ST: Easy there, buddy! Just thought I'd hop
on the wireless and give you a holler. Don't get mad!
S: Hacked right into my channel, huh... ST: But I'm not here to mess nothin' up. Don't
worry.
S: ... ST: Just so ya know, Falco uses a Blaster and
Reflector that I designed, just like Fox does.
ST: But Falco will kick his Reflector and send
it flyin' around. Just showin' off, if you ask me.
S: No reason a weapon can't have more than
one use.
S: In fact, I'd say its versatility shows how
well you designed it.
ST: Hey, maybe so! I feel all fuzzy now!
Thanks, Snake!
S: Maybe next time we meet, you can design
me a weapon...
-v. Sonic-
The hedgehog only has super speed if you let him use it. That's why I don't recommend fighting him on the ground. With the fastest running speed in the game, he'll be on you quicker than Sakurai on delays. In the air, you have priority over everything but his Dair (which is a fast faller, and a suicidal move if he tries it over the edge). His B moves are very predictable; you'll see him roll into his ball, and you can short hop-Dair him out of it, or just stand there and Dsmash him. Sonic has a huge Up-B recovery and can move afterward, so try to jump after him and spike him as quick as you can.
If there are walls in the level you're playing on, keep one between Super Sonic and you. That's the best way to dodge his final smash, because he can't get through it. It's pretty hard for the Sonic player to control it, also. Keep jumping and air dodging.
