Kirby
Page 2
Characteristics
-Shield
-Running
-Roll
-Jump
-Flight Path and Falling
Cpu Tendencies
Strategies
-Go on the Offense
-Send Downs with Kirby
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: Kirby's shield is like the shield of most other character's.
It is a translucent sphere that shrinks every time it blocks an impact.
Kirby probably has the smallest shield of all characters, which means
his shield can't take many hits without breaking.
Running
Buttons: Tap control stick sideways while on the ground.
Description: Kirby runs upright while holding his arms up. Looks likes
he's running from something really scary. Kirby can run pretty quickly
for a guy with such short (non-existent) legs.
Rolling
Buttons: Z or hold R + push stick sideways
Description: Kirby sort of rolls on his sides for both his forward and
backward rolls. His rolls are pretty fast.
Jump
Buttons: Tap stick upwards or press any C buttons
Description: Kirby jumps straight up for his first jump. Then unlike
most other characters who only have one air jump, Kirby has a total
of five jumps in the air. Kirby will puff up like a balloon during his
second jump and wave his arms. Every time Kirby jumps in the air, he
releases a little bit of air. His jumps become weaker and weaker as
he progresses to his last air jump. Kirby can also turn around o each
of his air jumps. Most characters can't turn until their last jump.
Since Kirby has 6 conventional jumps plus the final cutter, he is probably
the best jumper in the game. To illustrate Kirby's amazing jumping ability,
I'll give some examples. Well, Kirby can star finish himself by jumping
from the top platform of Hyrule Castle. The only other character who
can do so is Pikachu. Kirby can also jump below the main stage on Dream
Land and Yoshi's Island and get back on the stage on the other edge.
His jumping ability means that Kirby usually will be able to make it
back to the stage from hard hits, if he doesn't die. The only bad thing
about this jump is that Kirby gains altitude rather slowly, so he might
not be able to escape a juggle or some other attack by jumping away.
Flight Path and Falling
Since Kirby is a lightweight, he flies pretty far and also pretty high from hits. Since he is mostly full of air, Kirby falls pretty slowly which is good for drifting back on to the stage.
Cpu Tendencies
The cpu Kirby is pretty dumb. He doesn't really use Kirby's fast smashes as often as he should, and doesn't use Kirby's quick grab to get people very often either. Cpu Kirby will use most of the moves available to him, but he doesn't really use them wisely. He loves to copy powers, and he will never spit a person back out. In the air, Kirby will use all his attacks but his favourite seems to be his weakling up A cartwheel, which only annoys people. Kirby will also do final cutters for no apparent reason and if he uses stone, he won't transform back for a long time, giving you a lot of time to grab and throw him. He also self destructs when he stones on to a slanted edge. He'll just slide off the edge and forget that he could transform back. As I have said, cpu Kirby is pretty damned dumb.
Strategies
Go on the Offense
The "K" in Kirby stands for King. King of Cheap that is. Kirby is the cheapest character in the game, and that is the only way you can win with Kirby, so ignore the complains of others and don't be ashamed of playing cheap. Cheap basically means that you don't give your opponents a chance to hit back. You have to keep attacking when you are using Kirby. This is because Kirby has a great arsenal of fast and powerful attacks and also attacking others will make it harder for them to beat Kirby up. Since Kirby is basically a balloon, he'll get killed pretty easily. Better you kill them first than they kill you, isn't that right? Kirby's basic combo is his running ground combo. This combo basically consists of one lunge kick after another. If the opponent gets too far, run towards him/her and use the running attack. The tackle is weak but it'll set up the victim for another lunge kick. If the victim blocks, Kirby can use his quick grab to get a throw in. If the opponent roll behind Kirby, Kirby can either lunge kick the other way or do the splits. The point of this exercise is let Kirby to do all the hitting. In the air, Kirby can stone people who jump up and is below him. He can also use his drills to get many hits in to deal lots of damage and knock people away either with stone or another aerial power hit. Kirby can also juggle people from the ground with his up strong and smash attacks. When Kirby knocks someone off the edge, Kirby can jump out and spike or kick the person, or he can edge guard using the all powerful lunge kick. Kirby is the most offensive minded character in the whole game, so when using him, you should go on the attack whenever possible, unless of course Kirby has sustained a lot of damage. In this case, jump away using Kirby's multiple jumps and regroup.
Send Downs with Kirby
Kirby is a very good spiker, because he has many air jumps and a good
recovery move to help him get back to the stage. The multiple jumps
make Kirby a very flexible spiker. Kirby is the only character who can
hover around in the air and wait for people to come by for him to send
them down. Kirby can spike people well below the level of the edge.
Kirby is the best character for a newbie to try and learn spiking. Anyways,
remember that when you do the drill kick, don't hold the control stick
down after the move starts because you'll lose more altitude that way,
and also if possible do the drill kick during the rising part of a jump,
so again you won't lose altitude. Kirby's drill spike is a bit weaker
than the single hit stomp moves that other spikers have, and it'll take
at least moderate damage to send people down effectively, so keep that
in mind when attempting to spike someone.
The drill kick is not Kirby's only spike option. Kirby can also send
people down with the final cutter. This is a bit more difficult to pull
off but remember that a spike with the cutter will kill at any damage.
The best way to spike someone with the cutter is when the victim is
standing right on the edge. Get Kirby to stand right beside the victim
and perform the final cutter. The cutter will pick the victim up and
then spikes the person down at a slight angle, so the victim will just
miss the edge and fall down into the abyss.
Kirby vs...
Luigi
Kirby has quicker smashes than Luigi, so feel free to lunge kick him around the stage. Kirby can also bounce Luigi (or anybody else) against a wall with his fast attacks. Kirby can also steal Luigi's fireball and fireball Luigi back. Things to watch out for are of course Luigi's smash, which will send Kirby on a far flight. The most dangerous move to Kirby is the headbutt, which will KO the pink puffball at pretty low damages, so avoid attacking Luigi from above, unless you are using stone. Of course, using stone too much will likely get Kirby thrown a lot, so don't over use the move. Oh yeah, Luigi's fire punch will also rocket Kirby's behind into the sky at absurdly low damages, and since Kirby is so light, the tornado will kill him pretty easily too, so watch out for those as well. Luigi's like their down smash a lot, and it's pretty strong, so either hit Luigi first or roll away. Knock Luigi off the stage anyway you can and then edge guard him with the lunge kick or spike or kick him back out in the air.
Mario
Mario is about the same as Luigi, but he has no fire punch but a better running move and fireball. Mario's fireballs are a better steal than Luigi's, so feel free to take it and use it against the plumber. Remember to dodge Mario's fireballs, since they can cause a bit of damage, and as Kirby, you don't really want much damages on you. Again, watch out for Mario's smashes, especially the down smash and headbutt. Basically just keep on attacking and comboing Mario and then kill him or knock him off and edge guard or spike him.
Donkey Kong
DK's big size and slow speed makes him an easy target for Kirby's quick barrage of attacks. Don't give DK a chance to fight back, because once he does, Kirby will be sailing throught the air. Since DK is really heavy, Kirby needs to raise his damage up a bit before sending him off stage. Take the fight into the air where DK can't use his powerful smashes. Don't let DK's smashes get Kirby. The giant punch is also very lethal, so avoid it by all means possible. Kirby can steal the giant punch, but Kirby can't use it as effectively since his arm is too short. Kirby can out grab DK, but DK has that back throw which will send Kirby for a trip through the sky. Hit DK off the stage. DK is an easy spike target, so just jump over DK and send him down to the abyss, or you can edge guard with the forward smash.
Link
Link is another powerhouse like DK. Kirby will want to avoid Link's powerful sword attacks, especially his down and forward smash, spin slash, and forward and down air attacks. The boomerang is annoying too so get out of the way or block if you see it coming. 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 Kirby 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. Edge guard him or spike him down and he should die easily. Just use the usual combination of smashes, air attacks and specials to get Link. Kirby has faster moves than Link, so keep attacking.
Samus
The key to beating Samus is to stay close to her, since Kirby has a faster grab and better smashes. Staying close also prevents Samus from charging her charge shot, which can pack a wallop. Steal her charge shot and Kirby gets himself a powerful weapon. Always watch out for the screw attack that might come from nowhere. Use Kirby's variety of attacks to raise Samus' damage when her damage is high, hit her off the stage. Kirby can then edge guard or spike Samus. Watch for Samus' forward smash and her aerial back kick. The charge shot also shouldn't be ignored, since a good Samus player will manage to get away some of the times. When coming back against Samus, come back from below since Samus is a pretty good spiker.
Captain Falcon
Falcon has a speed advantage over Kirby on the ground, but Kirby is can jump better. Catch Falcon when he is recovering from his hard hitting attacks and give him one of Kirby's smashes. Watch for Falcon's air moves, especially the up A juggle which can kill Kirby. Watch for Falcon's forward smash, and his special moves. The Falcon punch may be slow, but a hit will send Kirby to kingdom come. Kirby can steal the punch and give Falcon a taste of the punch. Falcon is hard to star finish but easy to kill over the sides since he can't recovery all that well. Edge guard or spike him 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. 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 final cutter. As Kirby, you should definitely avoid Ness' throws. Use Kirby's faster power moves to combo Ness. 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 Kirby 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 (especially for Kirby) but it is easy to avoid and its slow recovery gives Kirby the chance to hit back. Kirby 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 cheap plays to get Yoshi off the edge.
Kirby
Kirby vs Kirby. To win, you'll have to out smash, out grab and outsmart the other Kirby. Both of you can hit hard, but both of you are pretty light. Just use the Kirby combos against Kirby. The "cheaper" Kirby shall win!
Fox
Fox is fast and nimble, and he juggles real well. Don't try to be above Fox because his juggle kick and up smash are very powerful, and will kill Kirby pretty easily, so don't try to go above Fox unless you are attempting a stone from far above. Fox also has his annoying blaster that he likes to peg people with. Avoid getting hit by the blaster and never run straight at Fox because he'll peg you like crazy. Stealing Fox's blaster doesn't do much since Fox and deflect it back at Kirby. Kirby still has the superior smash attacks so battle Fox on the ground, bash him off the stage and then edge guard or spike him for the KO.
Pikachu
Pikachu is pretty fast and nimble also, but he doesn't juggle like Fox. 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, or else Kirby will fly around in the air. Do not block for too long or Pikachu will throw Kirby, but Kirby has a pretty quick grab himself, so grab Pikachu when he blocks. 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 and try to avoid being straight above Pikachu because he'll probably thunder Kirby. 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 Kirby, and Kirby can hit Pikachu back in the process.
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.You can also send Jiggly down if you like. Any of Kirby's power moves will kill Jiggly pretty easily.
Pros and Cons List
Pros:
-great offense
-multiple air jumps
-good recovery
-copy ability
-good spiker
-quick grab
-small profile means he's harder to hit
Cons:
-very light
-jumps are a bit slow
Final Verdict
Kirby is good for beginners or experts. Kirby is easy to control and you probably won't self destruct too much since Kirby has so many jumps. Experienced players likes Kirby for his variety of quick and powerful attacks that can KO people really fast. Kirby has to keep attacking, since he can't take many hits himself. Kirby is really fun to use, and can be one of the best when you master him.
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