Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the latest entry in Nintendo's ongoing premier platform fighter series. It's also slated to be the company's biggest release of the holiday season. After almost 20 years of battle between top characters of some of gaming's biggest franchises, Ultimate will bring together every single fighter from every Smash Bros. game to date (along with a few more) in one single game.
With so many characters to choose from, Shacknews is taking a look at each and every one of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters individually, leading up to the game's big release tomorrow.
That's right, the game is out tomorrow! Because many aspects of the game are subject to change, especially as people go hands-on with non-pirated copies of this game, these profiles should not be considered final and can be updated at any time. Any guide that has been updated will be clearly marked.
Here's what we have up so far:
#01 - Mario
#02 - Donkey Kong
#03 - Link
#04 - Samus
#06 - Kirby (Updated 9/8/18)
#07 - Fox
#08 - Pikachu
#15 - Ice Climbers
#17 - Zelda
#21 - Marth
#23 - Ganondorf
#31 - Snake
#32 - Ike
#33, #34, #35 - Pokemon Trainer
#38 - Sonic (Updated 9/3/18)
#46 - Mega Man
#49 - Little Mac
#61 - Cloud
#62 - Corrin
#64 - Inkling
#65 - Ridley
Today, we look at another member of Super Smash Bros.' original core eight.
Who is Pac-Man?
Before there was Mario, there was Pac-Man. What Mario did for the console game, Pac-Man arguably did for the arcade game. He's known the world over, one of the true household names in gaming. His arcade game is the simplest of the simple. He runs through mazes munching dots and avoiding ghosts until it comes time to turn the tables on them and eat them.
Pac-Man has evolved immensely over the years, dabbling in platformers, puzzle games, and even other fighters like Street Fighter x Tekken. He's also gone back to his arcade roots to great success with Pac-Man Championship Edition. He debuted in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U and now he's back to take his spot as gaming's top mascot.
Pac-Man's Moves and Fighter Overview
Pac-Man is a bit of an oddball, slightly slower than his size would indicate. He's also a better aerial fighter than he looks. His specials are what truly sets him apart, as he's able to maintain his distance and also strike hard while moving in unorthodox patterns.
Here are Pac-Man's special moves:
- Bonus Fruit (Neutral B): Pac-Man cycles through his power-ups from his old arcade game and tosses them as a projectile. Like the arcade game, the more points they're worth, the more damage they do. In this case, the Key will do heavy damage, while the Cherry only hits for minor damage. Fruits cycle faster than they did in Smash 4.
- Pac-Jump (Up B): Pac-Man bounces on a trampoline for decent recovery distance. If he contacts an enemy on the way up, he'll inflict minor damage.
- Power Pellet (Side B): Pac-Man lays out a trail of dots and goes into his wedge form to eat them. The dot trail can go in any direction, allowing Pac-Man to go straight across or vertically. If he bops the opponent at the start of the move, the end of the move, or both, he'll inflict heavy damage and deal significant knockback. While Pac-Man does get super armor, this move can be interrupted before it begins. If it's stopped, the discarded Power Pellet can be eaten for minor health recovery.
- Fire Hydrant (Down B): One of Pac-Man's stronger moves, the fire hydrant itself can hit for heavy damage if it hits an opponent on the way down. Once it lands, it spews out water, which can keep opposing fighters at a distance. A useful edgeguarding tool, the Fire Hydrant is a great utility move and one that all Pac-Man players should endeavor to master.
- Super Pac-Man (Final Smash): Pac-Man consumes a Super Pellet and grows to giant size, where he's able to eat any of his opponents. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Pac-Man now moves automatically, rushing across the screen faster and KO-ing most opponents.
Pac-Man was a good aerial fighter going in and a majority of his aerials are improved. They hit faster and knock opponents back farther. Pac-Man also benefits from less landing lag and from the new short hop mechanic that allows him to strike quicker. His dash attack is also stronger, as it scores more hits than it did in the previous game.
Meanwhile, outside of Bonus Fruit, Pac-Man's special moves are largely unchanged. Fire Hydrant will still be his bread and butter, especially for beginners.
Esports Observations
Samuel "Dabuz" Buzby sees much more in Ultimate's Pac-Man than I do, citing a number of positive changes. This includes a better jab, a better down-tilt, improved throws, and a much more solid Bonus Fruit special. Dabuz offers up a full frame-by-frame analysis.
James "VoiD" Makekau-Tyson also sees a lot of potential in Pac-Man. He cites an improved up-tilt, a greatly improved down-tilt, better Smash moves, and a cleaner Fire Hydrant.
Lastly, Ricardo "Sinji" Mathison was considered the top Pac-Man player in the world before he retired from Smash 4. While he remains retired for the time being, he did pick up his old main during his time at CEO 2018. And here he is pulling off one impressive comeback against Shuto "Shuton" Moriya, who was trying out Ridley.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is set to arrive tomorrow, December 7 on Nintendo Switch. It should be obvious by now that we won't get to everyone before the big release date, but we'll continue our analyses well beyond the game's release date. Look for this to continue as a daily feature for the next couple of weeks. Beyond that, find more information concerning Nintendo's latest brawler by stopping by Shacknews' Super Smash Bros. Ultimate walkthrough and guide.
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replyOzzie Mejia posted a new article, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Character Profiles: Pac-Man
