Pikachu
Page 2
Characteristics
-Shield
-Running
-Roll
-Jump
-Flight Path and Falling
Cpu Tendencies
Strategies
-Hit and Run
-Air Superiority
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: Pikachu's shield is like the shield of most other character's.
It is a translucent sphere that shrinks every time it blocks an impact.
Pikachu's shield is on the small side, so he can't take a lot of hits
before his shield breaks.
Running
Buttons: Tap control stick sideways while on the ground.
Description: Even though Pikachu stands on his hind legs when not moving,
he walks and runs on all fours. This gives Pikachu a lower profile and
makes him harder to hit, so you should walk or run as Pikachu whenever
possible so the projectiles will sail over Pikachu and miss him. Pikachu
can run pretty quickly.
Rolling
Buttons: Z or hold R + push stick sideways
Description: Pikachu actually rolls on his left side (a log roll) for
the forward roll and rolls backward twice for the back roll. Like most
rolls, Pikachu's rolls are pretty fast.
Jump
Buttons: Tap stick upwards or press any C buttons
Description: Pikachu somersaults forward once in mid air if jumping
forward or straight or he will somersault backwards once for his first
jump. He will do a weird flip if jumping up or forward or he'll flip
backwards twice if jumping backwards for his second jump. Pikachu is
a pretty good jumper and can obtain good height with his jumps.
Flight Path and Falling
Since Pikachu is a lightweight, he flies both far horizontally and vertically from a power hit. Pikachu falls quite slowly, which enables him to drift more distance before having to attempt the jumps during comeback.
Cpu Tendencies
There's nothing really special about the cpu Pikachu, since he doesn't seem to stick with one particular strategy. He'll use all the moves he has against opponents, but he doesn't try to do anything special. He will react when you attack. If you are below him, he'll use the air down A... etc. He fights like a general cpu player without any specialized plan, which means he is not that good as a cpu fighter. He is not the worst cpu out there, but definitely not the best either. There is one thing you should be aware of, and that is sometimes cpu Pikachu will Quick Attack himself to death. This happens espcially on stages with gaps in the middle of the stage. Pikachu will teleport from one gap to another and die. Sometimes he will also teleport the wrong way and die. It's such a pathetic thing to see. Anyways, cpu Pikachu shouldn't give you too much problems if you practice a lot and read my guide.
Strategies
Hit and Run
Pikachu has a pretty fast run that also gives him a lower profile than when he is standing. Pikachu also has a one of the fastest grabs in the game and a very strong back throw in his arsenal. You put two and two together, and you'll know that Pikachu is a great candidate for the run 'n grab technique. By running and grabbing at the same time, the reach of Pikachu's grab is increased, so he can grab people further away. Of course, you should also mix in some running attacks to even set up for smashes and other moves.
Air Superiority
Pikachu has a great set of air attack (okay, the up A is mediocre at best, but the other ones are good), and Pikachu is also a good jumper, so fighting in the air will usually give Pikachu an advantage. Pikachu can easily combo people in the air will the forward drill plus either the up or down A attack to do some serious damage. Pikachu can also jump out at people coming back and send them away with an air attack. All of Pikachu's air moves are quick, so he'll have a speed advantage over most characters.
Pikachu vs...
Luigi
Pikachu is faster than Luigi, so he can run around Luigi and use the running moves and run 'n grab to get Luigi. Use the thunder jolts to get Luigi from a distance if he's not paying attention. Watch out for Luigi's smash attacks, especially the up smash. Even though Pikachu's air down A has good priority, I wouldn't recommend going at Luigi from above, especially if Pikachu has a lot of damage. The fire punch will also send Pikachu flying into the air, so watch for that as well. Use Pikachu's quicker speed and attacks to out hit Luigi. Finish Luigi off with a smash or a throw. 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. 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 Pikachu's run and grab technique. Keep in mind though that DK is a very good thrower and he has a longer reach than Pikachu. Bring the battle into the air if possible, since DK can't use his powerful smashes and back throw, and also his air moves are not that good. Use the thunder jolt to get DK from a distance. Always watch out for the giant punch, which will probably instantly kill Pikachu if fully charged. Use Pikachu's faster smashes and grabs to raise DK's damage and knock him off the edge, then edge guard him until he dies.
Link
Link is another powerhouse like DK. Pikachu will want to avoid Link's powerful sword attacks, especially his down and forward smash, spin slash, and forward and down air attacks. Good thing a lot of Link's attacks (especially his air moves) takes a long time to recover from and he has a slow grab, so Pikachu has plenty of opportunities to hit LInk back. 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 up and then hit him off the stage. Edge guard him and he should die easily.
Samus
The key to beating Samus is to stick close to her, and use Pikachu's smashes and fast speed to raise Samus' damage. Try your best not to let Samus get away to get an opportunity to charge her charge shot. Also watch out for Samus' quick forward smash and her aerial back kick, both of which can send Pikachu flying. Pikachu can easily out grab Samus, so throw her whenever you can. Knock Samus off the stage and edge guard her since she will usually be able to make it back.
Captain Falcon
Falcon is very fast, but Pikachu can slow him down with the thunder jolt. Catch Falcon when he is recovering from his hard hitting attacks and give him one of Pikachu's power moves. Falcon has pretty good moves in the air, so be aware of them, especially his up A juggle which is pretty strong. Watch for Falcon's forward smash, and his special moves. The Falcon punch may be slow, but a hit will send Pikachu 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. As Pikachu, you should definitely avoid Ness' throws. Counter by rolling around Ness and give him a taste of Pikachu's smashes or throws. Avoid getting juggled by Ness. If Pikachu gets caught in a combo, Quick Attack out of there and regroup. 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 Pikachu 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 Pikachu the chance to hit back. If Yoshi is in the air, don't jump up from below because he will probably ground pound. Instead, use thunder to fry the dinosaur before he can do anything bad. Yoshi is also not bad as a juggler too, so watch for that. Pikachu is generally faster than Yoshi, so you should be able to keep on the offensive. 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. Pikachu is similar to Kirby in playing style, but Kirby is a bit cheaper since he has that lunge kick. You can choose to go mano a mano with Kirby because Pikachu doesn't lose out too much in speed and quickness of attacks. Both of you are good jumpers and have good air moves. This is pretty much an even match except Kirby has some cheap moves that may give him a slight advantage, but Pikachu can still win if the player is more skilled.
Fox
Fox is quick and nimble, and he love to juggle. Avoid being juggled by Fox since his juggle can do a lot of damage and can easily kill a lightweight like Pikachu. His smashes are also pretty good, but Pikachu doesn't really lose out in that department. Don't bother using the thunder jolt since Fox wil probably dodge it of send it back at Pikachu. Use Pikachu's fast grabs to throw Fox. Although Fox has a pretty good grab himself, his throws suck. Hit Fox off the stage and edge guard him with the forward smash or kick him out further with an air attack.
Pikachu
Pikachu against another Pikachu. It's the battle of the Pokemons!!! Pikachu, I choose you!! Okay, we are getting off track here. There isn't a special strategy to beat another Pikachu since any strategy you use, the other Pikachu can use it too. You just have to outplay the opponent to win, or be luckier. Both works.
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 and edge guard him. Since he has no third jump, he'll die pretty easily.
Pros and Cons List
Pros:
-good jumping and recovering ability
-good edge guarder
-quick grab
-strong back throw
Cons:
-light weight = easy to kill
-recovery move a bit difficult to perform
Final Verdict
Pikachu is another one of those light, quick and nimble characters who can easily move around the stage and combo people with his speedy attacks. Pikachu is also an offensive minded character, since if he doesn't go on the attack, he will get killed pretty easily by other characters. Pikachu has the best recovery move in the game that can allow him to transverse under certain stages and come back on the other side. Pikachu relies on his quickness to win, so keep him moving so Pikachu will get his chances.
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