Mario

Page 1
Background Info
Costumes
Moves List
-Weak Attacks
-Recovery Attacks
-Taunt
-Strong Attacks
-Running Attack
-Smash Attacks
-Throws
-Aerial Attacks
-Special Attacks





Background Info

Mario is the most famous Nintendo character of all time and probably the most famous video game character of all time. He appeared in countless number of games and is still going strong. If I'm not mistaken, Mario first appeared in the game "Donkey Kong." As you all know, Mario is a stereotypical Italian plumber created by Nintendo, and has to go around battling villains and saving princesses.
In Smash Brothers, Mario is a middle end character. He isn't too fast, nor is he slow. He isn't very powerful, but he isn't weak either. He's got a number of close range hits and a projectile for long range battle. Mario is suited for beginners since he's pretty easy to control and his moves aren't difficult to pull off.
Personal Stage: Peach's Castle
Personal Symbol: Mushroom
Entrance: Mario comes out of a warp pipe that grows from the ground.
Character Choosing: Mario jumps up with his right fist up, spins around and poses.

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Costumes

C up: the original Mario costume we all know about with the red cap and shirt, and the blue suspender pants, white gloves, and brown shoes. This is the red team costume.
C left: Mario costume with the colours reversed. Now the cap and shirt are a purplish blue and the pants are red. This is the blue team costume.
C down: Mario with brown cap and pants with a beige shirt.
C right: It's Mario in Wario's outfit with the yellow cap and shirt and purple pants. Borrowed something from his evil twin, eh?
Green Team Costume (Only available in team battles): Mario with bright green cap and shirt, with orange pants and purple shoes. Whoa, Mario has gone wild!

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Moves List

Weak Attack

Buttons: A, A, A, while on the ground
Damage: 2%+2%+4%
KKT score: over 300% for the 4% kick
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Fast
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: This is Mario's punch punch kick combo from the game Mario 64. Mario first jabs with left, then with his right fist, then kicks with his right foot while yelling each time he delivers a blow.
My Opinion: This weak combo is fairly useless in most cases. However when the opponent has high damage, it might be possible to use this combo as a set up for a power hit. Still not that great.
Rating: 1.5 out of 5

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Recovery Attack 1

Buttons: When lying back to the floor, press A
Damage: 6%
KKT score: none, constant power
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Fast
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Mario swipes both sides beside him with his legs and gets back up. Mario is invincible when he does this.
My Opinion: Not much to say about this really, since its your only attack option when lying on the floor facing up. Can get Mario back on offense if you manage to hit an opponent. Useful for clearing people who happen to stand too close to Mario for their own good.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Recovery Attack 2

Buttons: When lying face down on the floor, press A
Damage: 6%
KKT score: none, constant power
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Fast
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Same as the face up one. Mario swipes both sides beside him with his legs and gets back up. Mario is invincible when he does this.
My Opinion: It's Mario's other recovery attack. It happen less often than the first recovery attack since most of the time victims of hard hits will lie face up.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Edge Attack 1

Buttons: When hanging on the edge with damage lower than 100%, press A
Damage: 6%
KKT score: none, constant power
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Fast
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Mario pulls himself up quickly and delivers a quick kick with both feet. Mario is invincible when he does this.
My Opinion: Edge attacks can save lives, if you can time them. This attack can get edge guarders out of the way and therefore save Mario from danger. Use it only if no one's around or the edge guarder is standing close to the edge. Experienced players will stand a bit away from the edge if you (as any character) manages to hang on to it, so you need to evaluate the situation before you use the edge attack.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Edge Attack 2

Buttons: When hanging on the edge with damage over 100%, press A
Damage: 6%
KKT score: none, constant power
Startup: Slow
Duration: Medium
Recovery: Fast
Reach: Short
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Mario slowly pulls himself back on to the stage, then delivers a light kick to the ankles with his right foot. Mario is invincible when he does this.
My Opinion: This is worse than the low damage edge attack, but better than nothing at all. Same guidelines as above.
Rating: 2 out of 5

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Taunt

Buttons: L when on the ground
Startup: Fast
Duration: Painfully Long
Recovery: Also very long, but you can press Z to shorten the recovery time.
Description: Mario grows up just like if he gets a power up mushroom. This taunt is very noticeable (since Mario becomes huge) and is accompanied by the classic sound effects. The taunt lasts a long time then Mario returns to normal size.
My Opinion: This is probably the most noticeable taunt in the game. You can't miss the huge Mario. The bad thing about this taunt is that it lasts very, very long, so only do this when no enemies are around you. Mario can shorten the recovery time by blocking.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Roundhouse Kick

Buttons: Tilt stick sideways + A on the ground. You can tilt the control stick slightly so that the kick angles a bit up or down.
Damage: 13%
KKT score: 116%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Medium Short
Recovery: Fast
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Mario spins to his right and delivers a kick with his right foot.
My Opinion: This move is not bad, but not all that useful since most people would rather smash. The power is actually pretty good for a strong attack and the speed and reach aren't bad either, but the smash attacks are much more powerful and not much slower. I think only people who are great in smash or are new in smash will use this move.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Trip Kick

Buttons: Tilt stick downward + A on the ground
Damage: 12%
KKT score: 144%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Medium short
Recovery: Medium fast
Reach: Short
Flight Path: slightly lower than regular, but not flat
Description: Mario extends his right foot out and rotates to his left, sweeping the extended foot before him to trip any opponents in range.
My Opinion: This is also not bad for a strong attack, but again, kind of useless since Mario has pretty good smashes.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Spinning Uppercut

Buttons: Tilt stick upward + A on the ground
Damage: 10%
KKT score: star finish at 112%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Medium Short
Recovery: Slow
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Straight up
Description: Mario spins to the left and punches straight upwards with his right hand. He spins 360 degrees during the move.
My Opinion: This move can kill light characters and is a pretty fast move. The lateral range for this move is short but the vertical range is okay. You can use this move to setup for a headbutt or can use it to juggle people with low damage. Not too bad, but not brilliant either.
Rating: 3 out of 5

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Running Slide

Buttons: A while running
Damage: 12%
KKT score: 121%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Medium
Recovery: Medium
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Mario slides with his right foot further forward than his left like he's trying to steal a base in baseball while yelling.
My Opinion: This is one of the better running moves in the game. It's pretty powerful for a runner, and not too slow. This is a good move to use if you want Mario to enter a brawl so Mario will be the one doing the hitting instead of the one being hit.
Rating: 4 out of 5

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Power Punch

Buttons: Smash sideways + A while on the ground. You can tilt your control stick up a bit so the punch angles up.
Damage: 17%
KKT score: 72%
Startup: Medium Slow
Duration: Medium
Recovery: Medium
Reach: Medium Long
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Mario will pull his right fist back and swings it forward with force while yelling at the same time.
My Opinion: This is a so-so move for a forward smash attack. It is in the middle fo the pack in terms of power and speed. The range isn't short but isn't long either. This punch will get Mario some KOs and will do its job just fine. Best used when an opponent is medium distance where the down smash can't quite reach them.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Breakdance

Buttons: Smash down + A while on the ground
Damage: 17%
KKT score: 78%
Startup: Medium
Duration: Medium
Recovery: Medium
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Mario does the break dance while yelling by supporting himself using his arms and sweeps both legs in front of him and then behind him. The legs rotate in a clockwise direction if looking from straight above Mario. I think the official name of the move is "leg sweep", but breakdance is such a cooler sounding name.
My Opinion: I don't believe it. Mario can actually breakdance?! I think this move came from Mario 64. In Mario 64, this move was entirely useless, but in this game, it's one of the best down smashes. It's got power, reach, and isn't too slow. I love using this knock people out of the way. This smash will earn Mario a fair number of KOs. You should use this when the opponent is rolling around Mario, very close to Mario or if there are multiple opponents around Mario. This is a great clear out move and can be used to get Mario out of tight spots.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Whiplash Headbutt

Buttons: Smash up + A while on the ground
Damage: 19%
KKT score: star finish at 59%
Startup: Medium fast
Duration: Medium
Recovery: Slow
Reach: Medium when considering the vertical reach. It can also hit people who stand beside Mario. The forward reach is longer than the back, but both are pretty short.
Flight Path: Straight up
Description: Mario yells as he pulls his head back, then headbutts upwards and forward with tremendous force.
My Opinion: This is the best up smash in the game hands down. I know it is kind of slow, especially the recovery time, but it makes up for it in pure power. This smash is very powerful and has a great KO rate, especially against light characters.Other good things about this smash is that not only can Mario his people above him, but he can hit people who stand close beside him. Also this smash has no partial hits, which means all hits delivered are at the max. allowed power. I use this smash to defend against air attacks, juggle, and of course, send people into the sky. Most of Mario's KOs will probably come from this smash.
Rating: 5 out of 5. What can I say?

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Spin Toss

Buttons: Grab (press R or Z + A) while on the ground, then push stick forward, press A, press R, or wait for a few seconds
Damage: 12%
KKT score: 106%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Fast
Reach (of Mario's grab): Short
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Mario grabs an opponent with both hands, then spins to his right while holding on to the victim, and lets go after spinning around once.
My Opinion: This is an average forward throw. The power isn't phenomenal but it is pretty quick. This throw can also get rid of people around Mario because Mario can use the victims as a weapon while he's throwing. You can start a throwing frenzy with this move.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Triple Spin Toss

Buttons: Grab (press R or Z+A) while on the ground, then push stick backward
Damage: 16%
KKT score: 86%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Long
Recovery: Fast
Reach (of Mario's grab): Short
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Mario grabs a victim with both hand, then starts rotating to the left and yelling "Yahoo!" at the same time. He spins around two and a half times with the opponent in his hands then lets go, sending the opponent away.
My Opinion: This is a pretty funny throw to watch and Mario can bash people away by using his victim as a sort of club. The throw is average in power when compared to other back throws. The throw lasts a bit long so there's more chance that it will be interrupted, but it is worth it to see Mario use other people as weapons to bash others.
Rating: 4 out of 5

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Jump Kick

Buttons: A or R while in the air
Damage: 14%
KKT score: 103%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Medium Long
Recovery: Medium
Reach: Short
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Mario extends his left foot out forward a little bit and holds this pose for a while.
My Opinion: This is a so-so move. It has acceptable power and damage, but the reach is too short. This move is also hard to time because only the initial hit gets full damage. Like almost all air move, the partial hit from this move is very weak. In the case of Mario, you are better off using their forward and backward kicks that have better reach and more power. The only case that I can think of the this move will do better is when there are opponent in front and behind Mario at the same time, since this move hits a little bit behind too.
Rating: 3 out of 5. Mario has better kicks in the air than this one.

Corkscrew Jump Kick

Buttons: A or R + push stick forward in the air
Damage: 16%
KKT score: 91%
Startup: Medium Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Medium
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Mario extends both feet forward to kick and corkscrews in the process.
My Opinion: This is a pretty good air move. It isn't too slow and it's pretty powerful. This kick will easily kill light opponents, but it'll take very high damage to kill the likes of DK and Yoshi. One annoying thing about this move is that on many occasions it tends to send the victims in the opposite direction than you expect them to fly, so when you try to KO a person but the kick sends them to the centre of the stage, it can be frustrating. This is Mario's standard air combat move and should be used often along with the back aerial kick. It's also pretty good for jumping off the stage and kicking recovering people away.
Rating: 4 out of 5.

Superman Kick

Buttons: A or R + push stick backwards in the air
Damage: 16%
KKT score: 91%
Startup: Medium Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Medium
Reach: Medium
Flight Path: Regular
Description: Mario extends both feet backwards to kick anyone behind him. For a short moment there he looks like Superman flying in the air. The kick completes and Mario somersaults foward and goes back to neutral air position.
My Opinion: Same thing as the forward kick. Use it to kick people in the air. This is also a pretty good move.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Flip Kick

Buttons: A or R + push stick upwards in the air
Damage: 12%
KKT score: Star finish at 124%
Startup: Medium Fast
Duration: Medium
Recovery: Medium
Reach: Medium Short
Flight Path: Ranges from vertical to 45 degrees
Description: Mario flips backwards, extending his left foot out to kick anyone in front, above and even slightly behind him in the air.
My Opinion: I don't really like this move. One reason is that it is real easy for you to time it incorrectly and deliver a partial hit or miss. The other reason is that this move is weak. Mario can kill Jiggly or Kirby with this move, but you are not likely to see the heavyweights get KOed by this. This move can't really juggle either, but it is your only choice as Mario for an aerial move that hits upwards, so you are stuck with it.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Drill Kick

Buttons: A or R + push stick downwards in air
Damage: 3% time max 8 hits
KKT score: none. This move can't spike and has no power
Startup: Fast
Duration: Medium
Recovery: Slow if Mario hits the ground, fast if he stays in the air.
Reach: Medium Short
Flight Path: None, since this move has no power. It does push opponents back when they are on the ground and stuns them a little bit.
Description: Mario will corkscrew downward with his body at a slight diagonal angle to the ground. This is accompanied by funny sound effects.
My Opinion: This drill isn't a very good move. It can't spike and has almost no power at all. It doesn't even do that much damage since it's very unlikely Mario will land all the hits. Kind of useless if you ask me. I rarely use this move as Mario.
Rating: 2.5 ouf of 5

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Fireball

Buttons: B
Damage: 7%
KKT score: none, no power
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Fast
Range: Medium long, about three fourth way across Kirby's stage
Flight Path: none. The fireball can push an opponent back if he/she is on the ground and cause stunning.
Description: Mario swings his right hand forward and a red fireball will come out of his hand and bounce along the ground, accompanied by classic fireball sound effect. The speed of the fireball isn't very fast. The fireball will disappear in smoke when it runs out of range. It will bounce back if it hits a wall. If there's no ground to bounce along on, the fireball will fall diagonally downwards. If the fireball hits an opponent or an item or gets cancelled out, it will explode, burning and stunning the thing that gets hit.
My Opinion: I love Mario's fireball. Because of the way it moves, the fireball can become hard to dodge. I use this move to hit people who aren't paying attention to Mario. This move is useful when trying to raise people's damage up or you can use this to hit people when they are trying to jump back on to the stage. The stun caused by the explosion will hinder their recovery.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Super Jump Punch/ Coin Punch

Buttons: Push stick up + B. You can use the stick to control whether Luigi jumps left of right.
Damage: 5% for the first hit, 2% for the second hit and 7 more 1% hits if all hits connect.
KKT score: star finish at 257%
Startup: Fast
Duration: Short
Recovery: Slow
Reach: Long since Mario jumps upwards when he does this.
Flight Path: Straight up or 45 degrees flight path
Description: One of the classic moves of the Mario brothers. Mario will holds his right fist up and jump considerable distance upwards with the classic sound effects of course. The horizontal distance is kind of short. Depending on how the punch contacts an opponent, a number of points will pop out of the victim and the victim will take damage. Mario can't do anything else until he lands on the ground or gets hit by something.
My Opinion: This isn't a move designed for offence. The power of the punch is weak but it has a pretty high priority. You can use it with the tornado to combo your victim, but that doesn't do much damage either..
This is also Mario's third jump. It's not bad because it gains Mario significant altitude and has a high priority that usually will go through an edge guarder's move. However, the horizontal component of the jump punch leaves somethings to be desired. .
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 only because this is a decent recovery move. Sucks as an attack.

Mario Tornado

Buttons: Push stick down + B. Tap B to make Mario move slightly upwards if he's on the ground or hover in mid air if he's in the air. If someone is caught in the tornado, tapping B will move Mario up even more. Use the control stick to move Mario left and right during the tornado.
Damage: 1% times up to 14 hits
KKT score: none, but this move is capable of spiking.
Startup: Fast
Duration: Long
Recovery: Slow
Reach: Medium Short, but you can move Mario a bit laterally.
Flight Path: Straight up, diagonally down or straight down.
Description: Mario holds up his fists, yells "Yahoo!" and spins around rapidly. Anyting that happens to be beside him at the time will sucked into the tornado and receive up to 14 hits and sent back out. Mario will stop with his arms and legs in jumping jack position.
My Opinion: This move is kind or useless. In most cases, it will never kill since it has constant power and it doesn't do much damage either. The only purpose for this move is to use as a combo with the jump punch. There is a possibility that Mario can spike people straight down with this move. I've seen this happen, and it is an awesome move when it can be pulled off. Unfortunately, the tornado spike is extremely difficult to pull off. I've tried many times and have never succeeded. The only players that I've seen that can do this is cpu players, and they probably did it because of chance. Anyways, don't try the spike unless you are that damned good. If you are, then there's no point reading this guide.
Rating: 3 out of 5.

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