Fox
Page 2
Characteristics
-Shield
-Running
-Roll
-Jump
-Flight Path and Falling
Cpu Tendencies
Strategies
-Running and Gunning
-Juggling with Fox
-Using the Reflector
Versus
-Luigi
-Mario
-DK
-Link
-Samus
-Captain Falcon
-Ness
-Yoshi
-Kirby
-Fox
-Pikachu
-Jigglypuff
Pros/Cons list
Final Verdict
Characteristics
Shield
Buttons: Z or hold R while on the ground.
Description: Fox's shield is like the shield of most other character's.
It is a translucent sphere that shrinks every time it blocks an impact.
Fox has an average size shield, suited for an average sized character
like him.
Running
Buttons: Tap control stick sideways while on the ground.
Description: Fox holds his arms and tail up behind him as he runs forward.
Fox is only second to Captain Falcon in terms of running speed.
Rolling
Buttons: Z or hold R + push stick sideways
Description: Fox actually rolls for both his forward and backward rolls.
His rolls are pretty fast.
Jump
Buttons: Tap stick upwards or press any C buttons
Description: Fox flips forward once in mid air if jumping forward or
straight or he will flip backwards once for his first jump. He will
somersault backwards or forwards three times for the second jump, depending
on which way to control stick is being pulled. Fox can jump quite quickly,
which makes it easier for him to juggle people. Fox is an average jumper
in terms of jump height.
Flight Path and Falling
Fox doesn't fly all that high from hits, and he falls pretty quickly, especially when doing the drill kick. He is still much better than Link or Falcon in terms of recovery ability though.
Cpu Tendencies
The cpu Fox is one of the best cpus out there, and certainly the most annoying one. He will use all the attacks available to him. Fox likes to peg people with his blaster. Running straight at him or blocking will only make him shoot a few more times. Fox will use his smashes and also his downward strong attack to hit people away. In the air Fox will use all his air attacks, but his favourite is definitely the juggle kick. Cpu Fox is very good at juggling, so if you are not careful, he can easily kick you into the air several times. He'll use the juggle kick even if he is falling downwards. If you try to drift away from above him, cpu Fox will use his sideway kicks to give you a good bye shot. He rarely uses his drill kick, because even he knows that it sucks. Unless Fox is preoccupied, he will always turn on his reflector when a projectile flies at him. He also like to use the reflector to bounce people away. Fox also will use his running attack to surprise people and seems to know how to do the run and grab technique. Cpu Fox does do one stupid thing though. Cpu Fox likes to use the Fire Fox to attack people. This move is a decent recovery move, but too slow for attack. You can hit Fox easily when he is charging up. Sometimes Fox will rocket off the edge and die in an attempt to hit someone near the edge. It's such a pathetic and sad sight to see Cpu Fox kill himself in the dumbest possible way. Other than this, cpu Fox can be a challenge and might annoy even the best players.
Strategies
Running and Gunning
Fox has a very fast running speed, so use that to your advantage when
you fight as Fox. Use Fox's running move to get into the battle or combo
people several times with the running kick. Fox can also utiltize the
run 'n grab technique and run over and throw people, since he is very
quick and his grab is also quick. Even though his throws and running
move are weak, you can still use these moves to bring up the opponents'
damage and get ready for a knock out hit.
Fox also has that annoying blaster of his that can shoot quite fast.
If someone happens to stand in Fox's line of sight, start pegging the
person. Chances are Fox is going to get some hits in, which is good,
since Fox didn't put any risk to himself when he damaged the opponent.
If the person shields or tries to run straight at Fox, keep on shooting
unless the target gets out of the way or someone else gets near Fox.
Since Fox is so fast, he can out run an opponent and then turn back
and peg the person.
Juggling with Fox
Fox is the best juggler in the whole game, thanks to his quick jumps and the juggle kick. It's pretty easy to juggle with Fox, once you get the timings right. First Fox will have to get the target to go above himself. If the target is already in position, that's great. If the target happens to be on the ground, launch the person up with either the up or down strong or the up smash. Juggling is quite simple after you get the opponent into the air. Jump up with Fox and juggle kick the person. It's best to perform this in the rising part of the jump because Fox will miss the second hit if he is right at the peak of the jump. If the opponent has low damage, use Fox's second jump to jump up and juggle kick again. Now Fox will have to land on the floor but since Fox falls quite fast, he'll land pretty quickly and be able to jump again. Double jump again and juggle kick. Repeat until the opponent dies, gets away, or if something else needs Fox's attention. The places to juggle is where there is one or more platforms above Fox. In these places, Fox can land even more quickly on the platforms and jump up higher to kick the victim, so the victim flies higher from the kicks.
Using the Reflector
The reflector is one of Fox's "defining" moves. Even new players know that Fox can use the reflector to reflect projectiles, but that's not the reflector's only use. The reflector, because of its very short start up and high priority, the reflector can be used as a close combat weapon. It will always get rid of enemies who are too close because of its constant power, and its long stun enables Fox to get the upper hand. Couple that with Fox's fast running speed and quick moves and you can start comboing your hapless opponent. The reflector is also a very formidable spike. The technique is a bit more difficult than the usual send down moves because of the short reach and the short hit period, but due to the constant power of the reflector, Fox can potentially send an opponent down at very low percentage. Spiking with the reflector requires Fox to jump into the opponent and activate the reflector. This is fairly risky since the opponent's comeback or other air attacks probably has more reach than the reflector, so in many cases, a better thing to do is just to kick the opponent back out. A slightly better way to get the reflector to work is by using the drill kick, but don't hold the stick down during the drill because Fox falls very fast. Of course, you won't have to worry about that while over land. Fox can drill kick, Z cancel, and use the reflector to bounce the opponent away to start a combo. The reflector also can be used to throw off edge guarders' timing during recovery because activating the reflector will halt all lateral movements and slow Fox's fall. The reflector is an integral part of Fox's game and all good Fox players know who to use it well.
Fox vs...
Luigi
Fox is faster than Luigi, so he can run around Luigi and use the running moves and run 'n grab to get Luigi. Peg Luigi whenever you can, and reflect the fireballs back at Luigi. Watch out for Luigi's smash attacks, especially the up smash. The fire punch will also send Fox flying into the air, so watch for that as well. Luigi is not that hard to juggle since he doesn't have a downward stomp attack. Finish Luigi off with a smash or the juggle. Edge guard him if he doesn't die immediately.
Mario
Mario is about the same as Luigi, but he has no fire punch but a better running move and fireball. Anyways, reflect the fireballs back at the plumber and juggle him whenever you get a chance. Again, watch out for Mario's smashes, especially the down smash and headbutt. Star finish Mario or hit him off the edge and edge guard him until he dies.
Donkey Kong
DK's big size and slow speed makes him an easy target for Fox's quick blaster shots. Keep pegging DK from far away to raise his damage. Fox can go in and fight DK but it's much safer pegging him from a distance, since DK can't fight back, and Fox wil be out of reach. Watch out for DK's powerful smashes, back throw and the very lethal giant punch. DK is also pretty easy to juggle, so do that as well, but it's much easier jumping and running back and forth on the stage and shooting DK with the blaster. Once DK has enough damage, hit him off the stage and edge guard him.
Link
Link is another powerhouse like DK. Fox will want to avoid Link's powerful sword attacks, especially his down and forward smash, spin slash, and forward and down air attacks. Reflect the boomerang back at the elf if you can. If Link tries the down A, dodge it and hit Link while he's recovering. Another opportunity is if Link tries to grab with his hookshot. Dodge the hookshot and Fox gets a free hit. Since Link is quite heavy and hard to kill outright, it'll take more work to star finish him. It's much easier to kill link over the sides since Link falls fast and is bad at jumping back. Raise Link's damage by pegging him with the blaster and juggling. Edge guard him and he should die easily. Juggle Link if you can, but it may not be a great idea since Link's downward sword stab is powerful and has a lot of priority. After Link has enough damage, send him off with a smash attack.
Samus
Samus players don't like Fox, since their renowned charge shot now becomes a very big danger to themselves. Stick close to Samus, and use Fox's smashes and fast speed to raise Samus' damage. Fox can also shoot Samus from far away with the blaster, especially when she tries to charge her charge shot. Fox can also juggle Samus, but her down A spike has pretty good priority. Knock Samus off the stage and edge guard her since she will usually be able to make it back. When coming back against Samus, Fire Fox either from below or shoot him up real high so Samus can't spike him.
Captain Falcon
Falcon is a bit faster than Fox, but the speed advantage is not overwhelming. Feel free to get Falcon with the blaster since he has no projectiles to counter Fox. Catch Falcon when he is recovering from his hard hitting attacks and give him one of Fox's power moves. Fox is a better juggler than Falcon, but Falcon isn't too bad himself, and his other air moves can be dangerous as well. Watch for Falcon's forward smash, and his special moves. The Falcon punch may be slow, but a hit will send Fox to kingdom come. Falcon is hard to star finish but easy to kill over the sides since he can't recovery all that well. Edge guard to make sure he dies.
Ness
Nesses like throw, spike and juggle. Good Ness players will also use their step kick to combo, so avoid that as well. The PK fire can also cause headaches, but Fox can reflected right back at Ness. Be careful when coming back agaisnt Ness, since he can edge guard with the yo-yo or do the step kick send down, so come back from below if you can and try to catch Ness with the Fire Fox. As Fox, you should definitely avoid Ness' throws. Use Fox's fast running and juggling ability to damage Ness. Pegging Ness using the blaster is not recommended since Ness can absorb the hits, but if Fox use the blaster up close, Ness might not be able to react in time. Ness is light, so it wouldn't be hard to launch him off the stage. Don't try to jump out at Ness unless you think you can get him before the PK Thunder hits him because his recovery move can cause a lot of damage. Just continue to bash Ness off the stage when you get the chance.
Yoshi
Even though Yoshi is pretty heavy, he is quite easy to kill. Get his damage up then knock him off the stage. When he tries to jump back with his second jump and he's starting to fall downwards, jump out and hit him back out. Since Yoshi has no third jump, he's basically screwed. If Yoshi is in the rising part of the jump, leave him alone since Fox can't knock him away during that period of time. You don't want to get smashed by Yoshi, especially the up smash which is the most powerful smash attack for sending people over the side boundaries. Good Yoshi players will combo with the flurry kick (air down A) withe the up smash and that could do some tremendous damage. The ground pound is dangerous as well but it is easy to avoid and its slow recovery gives Fox the chance to hit back. The ground pound also makes juggling a bit dangerous since Fox can't block in the air. Yoshi is also not bad as a juggler too, so watch for that. Fox shouldn't be too worried about Yoshi spiking him down if you always aim for the edge or come back from way above. Some Yoshi players will try to egg you over the side. If you get turned into an egg near the edge, use the analog stick to control where the egg lands and mash the buttons to get out faster. Just use the usual power hits to get Yoshi off the edge.
Kirby
Kirby is quick and he has fast and powerful smash attacks. Fox doesn't have an advantage when going against Kirby up close so it's better to stay away and shoot Kirby with the blaster. In the air, Fox can juggle Kirby around and the juggle kick will kill Kirby pretty often since Kirby is so light. If Kirby flies too high, abandon the juggle since Kirby will probably try the stone on Fox. Watch out for Kirby's smashes, especially the lunge kick, and his fast grabs. Kirby also has pretty good air moves and his drill kicks can do a lot of damage. It shouldn't be too hard to hit Kirby off the stage or kill him by using Fox's power moves. Don't let Kirby get Fox's blaster since he will become even more annoying.
Fox
Fox against another Fox.... You'll just have to out fox the other Fox. Haha. Okay, that was kinda lame. Anyways, avoid using blasters since the other Fox will probably send it right back at you, and use Fox's array of moves to beat the other Fox up.
Pikachu
Pikachu is pretty fast and nimble. Pikachu players like to throw a lot and for good reason. Pikachu has one of the fastest grabs in the game and has a very strong back throw. Pikachu's forward smash is great for edge guarding, but too slow for hand to hand combat, so make him pay by dodging the hit and then pay him back with a power move. His other smashes are pretty quick, so some quick dodging and blocking are needed. Do not block for too long or Pikachu will throw Fox, but Fox has a pretty quick grab himself, so grab Pikachu whenever you get a chance. Pikachu is pretty light, which means he'll get killed pretty easily. Pikachu will usually recover from attempts to knock him out of the stage sideways, unless of course you send him over the boundary outright. Watch out for Pikachu's thunder jolts (reflect htem back if you can) and try to avoid being straight above Pikachu because he'll probably thunder Fox. When coming back against Pikachu, it's better to come in as high as possible since Pikachu's forward smash can extend off the edge and last for a long time. Coming back real high will make it harder for Pikachu to hit Fox, and Fox can hit Pikachu back in the process. Juggle Pikachu around, but he does have the downward headbutt that has pretty good priority. Even though, Fox should still be able to kick Pikachu a few times before he can retailiate.
Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff is an easy opponent unless the player is extremely skilled. Jiggly is basically a weakened and lightened version of Kirby with less jumping ability. Jigglypuff is simply too light to do much. He'll get killed at absurdly low percentages, so you shouldn't have too hard of a time killing Jiggly. The two things you should watch out for against Jiggly is the up smash, which isn't any weaker than Mario's headbutt and the drill kick/rest combo which can kill at really low damages. Don't get hit by his other smashes as well since they still hurt pretty bad. Jiggly also has a pretty good back throw, and the pound move can become annoying over time. Anyways, Jiggly shouldn't be too hard for anyone. Just hit Jiggly off the stage or juggle him into the sky. You can also peg Jiggly since he can't shoot back. Jigglypuff shouldn't be too hard for Fox to beat.
Pros and Cons List
Pros:
-good juggling ability
-fast runner
-can reflect projectiles
-cheap blaster
Cons:
-bad throws
-mediocre smashes
Final Verdict
Fox is a character who is not all that powerful, but he is fast and can become a big pain in the behind to people who don't watch out. I find that Fox is better against human players than he is against comps. I can't get many KOs with Fox against computers because of his lack of really powerful moves but I seem to win most of the time against humans when I use Fox, because the opponents have a hard time trying to get me. Fox is a pretty good teammate in a team battle but can also fare okay for himself.
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