________    ____________________
                       ,'  ___ \ |  | | __  \   ___|  _  \
                       |  '._ \| |  | | |/  |  |_  | |_) /
                        '-._ ^.| |  | | ' _/|   _| |    /
                        |\   ) | '--' |  |  |  |__/| |\ \_
                        | '-'  |______|__|  |______|_| \__/
       ______           '~---~^ _______   ___
     ,'      \___    ___   _   /  __ \ | |  / __________  
    /  ,-~--.||  \  /  |  / \ /  (  \] |_| |  \ __ \ __ \ _____  ______
    |  '-.__ '|   \/   | /() \'-._`-.|  _  |  | |/ / |/  )  _  \/  ___ \
     '._    \ | \   /  |/ __  \\__)  ) | | |  | _ (     /| | | |  /__ \|
     |\ '-.  || |\ /|  |_/  \__\____/__\ /__\ | |\ \ |\ \| '-' |___  \ '
     | '--'  /__| ' |___\                    /_____/_| \_\_____/___)  |
     '--...-^                                                  /______/
                                                      _____
                    _,...._             ___           \    )     __,...__
            ,--~~~^  __    '.   ___    (   \         _'   ;.--~^^     __.-=~
    '-._    '-.     [__)    / .^ _ `-. / , |~-. _-~,'/   /      _.-~^^
       \ `-..__'/   __     '\/  /_) ,'/ /| |\ '/ \/ /   /    ,-^
        \     ,'   / _)    ,/  ,-.  )/ '-' | |     /   '---~~~-.
         \  ,'    /-^ _,.-'/  /   \ /  /\  |_|_/\_(____,--~~-._/
          ('   ,---~'^    (_,'    |/--'  `-'
           \--^             _,.-~^'
            \           _,-'
             \       _.^
              `~---~^


==============================================================================

                           SUPER SMASH BROS. BRAWL

                               FAQ/Walkthrough
                 Copyright (c)2008 DomZ Ninja and TripleJump

==============================================================================

 Authors: DomZ Ninja/TripleJump
 E-mail (DomZ Ninja): domzninja[at]hotmail[dot]com
 E-mail (TripleJump): triplejumpfaqs[at]gmail[dot]com
 Updated: 06/01/08
 Version: 1.0

 NOTE: This guide does contain spoilers!


 A note by DomZ Ninja:
 ---------------------
 For a lack of a better term, I consider myself a newbie at Brawl. I don't
 find myself to be that good and despite the greatness of this game, I do not
 eat and sleep Brawl. Despite those two "flaws", I decided to write a FAQ on
 the game. I'm not really fluid with the terminology used in the Smash series,
 but I will try my best to satisfy all Brawl players with the guide: newcomers
 or seasoned vets. If you find anything wrong or slightly innacurate with the
 FAQ, please feel free to email me and let me know.

______________________________________________________________________________

                              TABLE OF CONTENTS
______________________________________________________________________________

See that series of numbers to the right of each section? If you want to find 
a specific section in the FAQ, press CTRL + F to open a search box. Type in 
the series of numbers for the desired section that you're trying to find and 
press Enter. Whabam! The search function will take you there in an instant.


1] - Introduction..................................... [0100]
2] - Controls......................................... [0200]
3] - Characters....................................... [0300]
       3.01] Mario.................................... [0301]
       3.02] Donkey Kong.............................. [0302]
       3.03] Link..................................... [0303]
       3.04] Samus.................................... [0304]
       3.05] Zero Suit Samus.......................... [0305]
       3.06] Yoshi.................................... [0306]
       3.07] Kirby.................................... [0307]
       3.08] Fox...................................... [0308]
       3.09] Pikachu.................................. [0309]
       3.10] Bowser................................... [0310]
       3.11] Peach.................................... [0311]
       3.12] Zelda.................................... [0312]
       3.13] Sheik.................................... [0313]
       3.14] Ice Climbers............................. [0314]
       3.15] Meta Knight.............................. [0315]
       3.16] Pit...................................... [0316]
       3.17] Wario.................................... [0317]
       3.18] Ike...................................... [0318]
       3.19] Pokemon Trainer - Squirtle............... [0319]
       3.20] Pokemon Trainer - Ivysaur................ [0320]
       3.21] Pokemon Trainer - Charizard.............. [0321]
       3.22] Diddy Kong............................... [0322]
       3.23] Lucas.................................... [0323]
       3.24] King Dedede.............................. [0324]
       3.25] Olimar................................... [0325]
       3.26] Ness..................................... [0326]
       3.27] Marth.................................... [0327]
       3.28] Luigi.................................... [0328]
       3.29] Falco.................................... [0329]
       3.30] Captain Falcon........................... [0330]
       3.31] Lucario.................................. [0331]
       3.32] R.O.B.................................... [0332]
       3.33] Mr. Game & Watch......................... [0333]
       3.34] Ganondorf................................ [0334]
       3.35] Jigglypuff............................... [0335]
       3.36] Toon Link................................ [0336]
       3.37] Wolf..................................... [0337]
       3.38] Snake.................................... [0338]
       3.39] Sonic.................................... [0339]
4] - The Basics....................................... [0400]
       4.1] General Strategies........................ [0410]
       4.2] Advanced Strategies....................... [0420]
5] - Subspace Emissary................................ [0500]
6] - Bosses........................................... [0500]
7] - Classic Mode..................................... [0700]
8] - Event Mode....................................... [0800]
       8.1] Single-Player Events...................... [0810]
       8.2] Co-Op Events.............................. [0820]
9] - Brawl Mode....................................... [0900]
10] - Home-Run Contest................................ [1000]
11] - Target Smash.................................... [1100]
12] - Multi Man Brawl................................. [1200]
13] - Stages.......................................... [1300]
        13.1] Brawl Stages............................ [1310]
        13.2] Melee Stages............................ [1320]
14] - Items........................................... [1400]
        14.1] Items................................... [1410]
        14.2] Pokeballs............................... [1420]
        14.3] Assist Trophies......................... [1430]
15] - Music........................................... [1500]
16] - Stickers........................................ [1600]
17] - Trophies........................................ [1700]
18] - Challenges...................................... [1800]
19] - Secrets......................................... [1900]
        19.1] Secret Characters....................... [1910]
        19.2] Secret Stages/Parts..................... [1920]
        19.3] Secret Stickers......................... [1930]
        19.4] Secret Trophies/Assist Trophies......... [1940]
        19.5] Secret Events/Modes..................... [1950]
        19.6] Secret Music/Masterpieces............... [1960]
20] - Thanks/Credits.................................. [2000]

______________________________________________________________________________

 1] INTRODUCTION                                                        [0100]
______________________________________________________________________________

DomZ Ninja's Introduction:
--------------------------
FAQ/Walkthrough #31

I'm still in awe that the day has finally come where Super Smash Bros. Brawl 
has finally been released in the states. I can't even believe that I'm writing 
a FAQ for it either! One of the most anticipated games in the past decade, 
Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the third installment of the Super Smash Bros. 
series. If you have been living under a rock for the past ten years and don't 
know what the series is, imagine any Nintendo mascot. Then imagine them 
fighting alongside (or against) other memorable characters from Nintendo 
games. Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, you name it.

Brawl not only includes many new features, but improves nearly all aspects 
from Melee. Aside from the popular Versus Mode, the Single Player Mode in 
Brawl is much more fleshed out than in the previous two. You have Classic 
Mode, which has you complete sets of stages, and All-Star Mode, where you are 
pitted against waves of fighters. Brawl also introduces the Subspace Emissary, 
which is basically a game inside a game. On top of everything Brawl has to 
offer, Subspace Emissary is a large adventure that can span to over 10 hours 
on some of the harder difficulties.

The main feature of Brawl are the fighters. This game offers us 35 fighters, 
with 15 new to the series. Of course, anyone who has heard of Brawl has heard 
of the bombshells known as Snake and Sonic, who are playable characters. Aside 
from the players, you have many new stages, a custom stage builder, an 
insanely large music tracklist, new-and-improved Target Test, Home-Run 
Contest, Multi-Man Brawl, and plenty of other goodies. Super Smash Bros. Brawl 
is an incredibly large game that should satisfy gamers for years to come.


TripleJump's Introduction:
--------------------------
Well, welcome to another guide I worked on. This time, I had a co-author
who was sharing the load of designing a guide that will help you master
Super Smash Bros Brawl.

I've been a big fan of the Super Smash Bros. games ever since the Nintendo 64
release of Super Smash Bros. I was also a fan of the sequel, Melee and was
both a Roy and Falco player. Unforunately, Roy was removed from Brawl and
Falco's amazing gameplay was smoothed out so it was more balanced. I took the
best of both worlds and am currently maining Marth.

Brawl is incredibly balanced, so it's a little harder to write specific
strategies, but I will bring you the best we can to help you out as you try
for the only thing that matters, the big W. (Win, by the way, not weiner). I'm
fairly certain my skill in Brawl should help you win.

Remember, any questions or submissions go to triplejumpfaqs[at]gmail[dot]com,
or you can contact DomZ at domzninja[at]hotmail[dot]com.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 VERSION HISTORY
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Version 1.0 (06/01/08) - FAQ/Walkthrough complete and submitted.

______________________________________________________________________________

 2] CONTROLS                                                            [0200]
______________________________________________________________________________

 - WII REMOTE -

.-----------------------------.----------------------------------------------.
|  Wii Remote                 |  N/A                                         |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  D-Pad                      |  Move, Duck, Jump                            |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  A Button                   |  Taunt (A + D-Pad)                           |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  B Button                   |  Shield                                      |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  1 Button                   |  Special Attack, Smash Attack (1 + 2)        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  2 Button                   |  Standard Attack, Smash Attack (1 + 2)       |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  + Button                   |  Pause                                       |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  - Button                   |  Grab                                        |
'-----------------------------'----------------------------------------------' 


 - WII REMOTE + NUNCHUCK -

.-----------------------------.----------------------------------------------.
|  Wii Remote                 |  N/A                                         |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  D-Pad                      |  Jump                                        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  A Button                   |  Standard Attack, Smash Attack, Grab (A + B) |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  B Button                   |  Special Attack, Grab (A + B)                |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  1 Button                   |  Taunt                                       |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  2 Button                   |  Taunt                                       |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  + Button                   |  Pause                                       |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  - Button                   |  N/A                                         |
'-----------------------------'----------------------------------------------'

.-----------------------------.----------------------------------------------.
|  Control Stick              |  Move                                        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  C Button                   |  Jump                                        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  Z Button                   |  Shield                                      |
'-----------------------------'----------------------------------------------'


 - CLASSIC CONTROLLER -

.-----------------------------.----------------------------------------------.
|  D-Pad                      |  Taunt                                       |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  Left Analog Stick          |  Move                                        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  Right Analog Stick         |  N/A                                         |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  A Button                   |  Standard Attack, Smash Attack               |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  B Button                   |  Special Attack                              |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  X Button                   |  Jump                                        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  Y Button                   |  Jump                                        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  + Button                   |  Pause                                       |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  - Button                   |  N/A                                         |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  ZL Button                  |  Grab                                        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  ZR Button                  |  Grab                                        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  L Button                   |  Shield                                      |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  R Button                   |  Shield                                      |
'-----------------------------'----------------------------------------------'


 - GAMECUBE CONTROLLER -

.-----------------------------.----------------------------------------------.
|  Control Stick              |  Move                                        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  D Pad                      |  N/A                                         |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  Start                      |  Pause Game                                  |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  A Button                   |  Standard Attack, Smash Attack               |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  B Button                   |  Special Attack                              |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  X Button                   |  Jump                                        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  Y Button                   |  Jump                                        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  Z Button                   |  Grab                                        |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  L Button                   |  Grab (L + A)                                |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  R Button                   |  Grab (R + A)                                |
|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|  C-Stick                    |  Smash Attack                                |
'-----------------------------'----------------------------------------------'

______________________________________________________________________________

 3] CHARACTERS                                                          [0300]
______________________________________________________________________________

 NOTE: We are including unlocked characters in this section, so be prepared
       for a nasty wave of spoilers!


==============================================================================
 3.01] MARIO                                                            [0301]
==============================================================================

The face of Nintendo and one of the many faces of the Super Smash Bros.
series, Mario has been in all three of the games so far and hails from the
Mushroom Kingdom. Anyone who has owned a Nintendo-related product knows who
this moustached plumber is: widely known for battling his arch nemesis, Bowser
and rescuing Princess Peach from all sorts of danger. Oh, and apparently he
has a brother, but the attention is always on the red-clad hero. 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Fireball
--------------------
Mario's Fireball attack is a fairly decent projectile. When used, it will 
slowly bounce in front of him, taking the direction of the ground in front of 
it. This attack is Mario's only projectile attack, so try and use it from afar 
to stun enemies.


Side B - Cape
-------------
When used, Mario will pull a cape out of nowhere and twirl it in front of him. 
While it may seem useless on its own, this cape can be used to turn enemies 
around if they're hit. This move is very quick and can easily be used as you 
are about to be attacked to protect yourself. Not only that, but Mario's cape 
can also be used to reflect projectile attacks back to the sender.


Up B - Super Jump Punch
-----------------------
This attack is mainly used as a method of recovery. Mario will leap high in 
the air on a slight curve. If it connects with an enemy, the attack will 
repeatedly hit them as they fly upwards with Mario. Each hit only deals 1%, 
but Super Jump Punch can connect around 14 times.


Down B - F.L.U.D.D.
-------------------
Entirely new to Mario's arsenal, F.L.U.D.D. can be used to charge up a stream 
of water. When used, the attack will begin to charge up. Unlike some charge 
attacks, you cannot move or Shield Dodge when charging up. Press the button 
input again to shoot out a jet of water. This attack does not hurt opponents, 
but it will push them back slightly. F.L.U.D.D. is best used at a strategic 
standpoint: try keeping enemies off of a stage with the water attack.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Mario Finale
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mario combines his hands and shoots out a powerful Hadouke-- err, giant 
fireball thingy. This massive swirling hellfire isn't very tall, but can cover 
the horizontal distance of many stages. The beam of fire actually grows upon 
distance, so it will become literally impossible to avoid if fired from far 
away. On smaller stages, Mario Finale is almost impossible to avoid, but on 
larger stages is is possible for one to get away, especially on a stage with 
many tiers. It's best used when any and all opponents are in front of you. 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Mario
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Try and keep your distance from any opponents, especially fast characters. 
Charge up F.L.U.D.D. and keep it on reserve for the right time. Your fireballs 
aren't good at keeping enemies at bay, so it's best to fight up close. The 
Super Jump Punch is a nice attack to initially build up damage. Mario also has 
many strong Smash Attacks, especially his Forward Smash. Advanced players can 
use F.L.U.D.D. to keep enemies off of the stage when they get knocked off. 
Also, Mario's Forward Aerial is a very powerful Meteor Smash. 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Mario
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mario is generally a close-range fighter due to his only projectile attack 
being relatively weak and unreliable. He has the power to reflect back 
projectiles, so avoid using them out of the blue. As a result, your best bet 
is to get up close and personal when fighting Mario. Try and close any 
distance between you and Mario before he can charge up F.L.U.D.D. Try not to 
use overly powerful Smash Attacks, especially ones that have a long recovery 
time; he tends to knock you backwards with his cape a lot.


==============================================================================
 3.02] DONKEY KONG                                                      [0302]
==============================================================================

Donkey Kong has come a long way from his days in the arcade. He's ditched the 
odd hobby of kidnapping women and has now moved onto enjoying life in the 
jungle with his family, and most important: his bananas. Donkey Kong is a real 
force to be reckoned with: just ask King K. Rool and the Kremlin hordes that 
have been getting their behinds handed to them day in and day out!


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Giant Punch
-----------------------
Donkey Kong's most powerful attack is the Giant Punch. It may not look like 
much at first, but this attack can be charged up to perform a punishing blow. 
Press B to have Donkey Kong start winding up his arm. If in a pickle, you can 
press left or right to postpone the charging for a later time -- just so you 
aren't a sitting duck while winding up. Once fully charged, steam will pour 
from his head. Press B once more to use the charged Giant Punch. This attack's 
only flaw is that it's very slow, so try to use it on an unsuspecting foe.


Side B - Headbutt
-----------------
When used against an opponent on the ground, the Headbutt does not deal 
damage. It does smash their entire body into the ground, leaving them helpless 
for a second. Use this time to get a quick hit off while they are vulnerable. 
This attack is best used to set up a powerful attack, like a charged Smash 
Attack or Giant Punch, since the opponent will not be able to block or avoid 
such a powerful hit. When used in the air, the Headbutt will deal minor damage 
and send the opponent down. Not useful at all when airborne.


Up B - Spinning Kong
--------------------
Spinning Kong can be used to deal repeated damage to an enemy, but this move
is primarily used as a recovery method. It has fantastic horizontal range; one
of the best in the game, but the only real downside is that you do not move
vertically at all. This attack is great when you are far away from the stage,
but if you are below the ledge even by a tiny bit, don't expect to come back.
As an offensive maneuver, try using Spinning Kong in a group to scatter all
competitors.


Down B - Hand Slap
------------------
It may not look special at first, but Hand Slap can be pretty chaotic in 
crowded areas. Donkey Kong will slap the ground and can keep attacking if you 
repeatedly press the button input. Shockwaves will form on the ground, which 
hits anyone in front and behind DK Hand Slap does not have the greatest range,
but you can use it as a form of protection of sorts due to the difficulty of 
actually reaching Donkey Kong when it's in use. Don't get too carried away
with Hand Slap, because the recovery time is long after the attack is in use.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Konga Beat
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Use the Smash Ball to have DK pull out two bongos. Yep, it's time for some 
musical mayhem! Donkey Kong pounds on the bongos as shockwaves are released 
all around him. The shockwaves are pretty weak and will keep enemies at bay 
(doesn't really matter, since DK is invincible during the attack), but you can
increase the power of the attack by pressing B over and over again. The best
time to use this Final Smash is in the middle of a group to ensure that all
get trapped in the attack. To be honest, Konga Beat is not that strong of a
Final Smash.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Donkey Kong
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donkey Kong is a powerhouse, so it's all about dishing out damage while taking 
it yourself. Most people who use Donkey Kong obsess over his Giant Punch, so 
much of your arsenal should revolve around that one move. A great combo to use 
is your Headbutt attack, which plants the enemy into the ground. As they are 
stuck in the ground, use a charged up Giant Punch to deal massive damage. 
Donkey Kong's Down Aerial and Forward Aerial are powerful Meteor Smashes, but 
the latter is extremely slow when executing. A cheap yet funny technique; use 
DK's Forward Throw to carry enemies right off a cliff. You will most likely 
end up killing yourself, but at least you will take someone down with you!


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Donkey Kong
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donkey Kong loves to use his Giant Punch, so try your best to stop him from 
charging up the attack. One minor blow is enough to cancel the attack, so use 
projectile attacks to stop it before the attack is fully charged. Try and use 
DK's lack of speed to your advantage by overwhelming him with much quicker 
attacks. Not many characters are slower than him, so this should not be a big
problem. Since Donkey Kong is so big and strong, he can rack up a lot of 
damage before biting the dust. Remember that his Spinning Kong attack is 
useless when below the ledge, so use Meteor Smashes when he's off the stage.


==============================================================================
 3.03] LINK                                                             [0303]
==============================================================================

The pretty-boy from Hyrule is back. While almost totally silent, Link seems to 
show some affection for Princess Zelda along with determination to save Hyrule 
from any evil force that messes things up. That "evil force" tends to be 
Link's arch nemesis most of the time: Ganon. While known for his fierce sword 
skills in the Legend of Zelda series, Link has taught fans and players that he 
is more than your ordinary swordsman.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Hero's Bow
----------------------
The first of Link's many projectile attacks, the Hero's Bow can be charged up 
for better use against enemies. Press and hold B to whip out your bow and 
arrow. Once the arrow is pulled back as far as it can go and Link sparkles, 
you can let go to perform a fully-charged attack. One tap of B will cause an 
arrow to flop right in front of you, but a charged up Hero's Bow attack will 
go much farther and straighter. A charged up shot has a very long range.


Side B - Gale Boomerang
-----------------------
Link's old boomerang from the other Smash games have been replaced by the 
Twilight Princess version. Link will pause before tossing the Gale Boomerang 
straight ahead. It is fairly slow, but the boomerang will create a mini 
tornado that can suck up enemies and items alike. Like all boomerangs, the 
Gale Boomerang will then return to you. Not only does it deal minor damage, 
but this attack can draw enemies closer to you. Some types of items can also 
get sucked into the Gale Boomerang's tornado, like bombs and other explosives!


Up B - Spin Attack
------------------
Like in all games in the series, Link has his patented Spin Attack. Press Up 
and B to have Link spin around in a circle with his sword outstretched. The 
sword has a long range and can knock enemies away once they hit the blade. The
Spin Attack can also be charged up by holding down the button input. The only
thing you need to watch out for is the the slow recovery time after the attack
is used; make sure you clear the area of enemies when using the attack. The
Spin Attack can also be used to save yourself from impending doom.


Down B - Bomb
-------------
Bombs are another pesty projectile attack in Link's array of weaponry. You'll 
pluck a Bomb out of your pocket and hold it in your hand. The bomb is lit, so 
get rid of it rather quickly by tossing it anywhere -- preferably at your 
opponent. The bomb only deals a little amount, but it is very good at stunning 
enemies. Beware, the bomb can be treated like any normal item, so enemies can 
pick it up and toss it right back at you!


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Triforce Slash
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Link's Final Smash can only target one character, but it's very strong and has 
a high chance a KOing an enemy. When used, Link will execute a slash; this 
slash must connect with a target in order for the Final Smash to be used. If 
someone is in Link's line of sight (represented by a horizontal beam of 
light), the attack will connect and they'll be barraged by a flurry of sword 
slashes while encased in a large Triforce symbol. Triforce Slash has a very 
small range, but try drawing enemies in with your Gale Boomerang or stunning 
them with Bombs to ensure a clean hit.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Link
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Many of Link's attacks are projectiles, so try and use all three (Hero's Bow, 
Gale Boomerang, and bombs) to target enemies from afar. However, don't spam 
these three attacks through the entire battle: they are easy to avoid after a 
while. His Smash Attacks take a while to get used to, since his Forward Smash 
and his Up Smash consist of two and three separate strikes respectively. When 
in a group of opponents, break up the crowd with bombs or your Spin Attack. 
Also take note that his grab (the Clawshot) can be used as a Tether Recovery.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Link
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Link usually tends to mix his projectile attacks in with his standard attacks. 
Try and counter this by eliminating any ground in between Link and yourself. 
Since he is a swordsman, Link has a pretty good range with his attacks. Like I 
stated before, Link's Forward Smash and Up Smash are long and complicated 
attacks, so if you manage to avoid either one, use that time to move in for 
the attack. Link can be hard to KO due to his weight and his Tether Recovery, 
to try stealing the ledge from him after knocking him away. 


==============================================================================
 3.04] SAMUS                                                            [0304]
==============================================================================

The armored bounty hunter made her appearance on the Nintendo Entertainment 
System. Generally regarded as the first female protagonist, Samus is much more 
than a pretty face (most people didn't even knew Samus was a girl at first due 
to her Power Suit!). Her cunning fighting style coupled with her Power Suit 
can add up to some dangerous situations. Samus is familiar with facing off 
against unknown enemies due to her unique job, so facing off against various 
Nintendo characters shouldn't be much of a problem.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Charge Shot
-----------------------
While in the air, Samus will fire a tiny ball of energy. Lame. But when used 
on the ground, you can charge up the attack. Like DK's Giant Punch, charge 
it up by pressing B (you can roll to the left and right to preserve it) and 
press B again to release a massive ball of energy. Samus will begin to glow 
when she is finished charging her shot. The Charge Shot is very powerful and 
best used for KOs on a weakened enemy, though the shot can be dodged in many 
situations.


Side B - Missile
----------------
There are two types of missiles that can be used, and they are both fairly 
useful. If you press left/right and B at the same time, Samus will fire a 
missile straight ahead. The missile will lose speed the farther it flies until 
it eventually explodes if it hasn't hit anything. If you press left/right 
first, then hit B, Samus will launch a homing missile. This missile is very 
slow, but you can control its movement with the Control Stick.


Up B - Screw Attack
-------------------
Hm, this move seems to be more powerful in the Metroid series than the Smash 
games. Oh well. When used, Samus will jump in the air with the Screw Attack 
enabled, allowing her to quickly spin around. The attack tosses Samus high in 
the air, so it is best used for a recovery method. When you hit an opponent 
with the Screw Attack, they will become trapped inside and repeatedly take 
damage. Just be careful about any enemies on the ground below you, since you 
will be vulnerable as you fall back down.


Down B - Bomb
-------------
Samus will turn into her Morph Ball form and quickly drop a Morph Ball Bomb, 
which explodes a second later. You can drop three at a time. Those familiar 
with the Metroid series know that you can be launched in the air if hit with 
one of your bombs. You'll hop in the air, but it's nothing really useful. The 
bombs are very weak and frankly aren't too useful.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Zero Laser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This attack is very similar to Mario's Final Smash. Samus will unleash a 
massive laser that stretches horizontally across the screen. It is not very 
tall, but you can guarantee that anyone caught in the beam will be killed. 
Make sure to stand on one side of the stage and use the Final Smash on the 
same horizontal plane as your opponents. The Zero Laser may be really slow, 
but characters shouldn't be able to avoid it unless they end up below or 
behind Samus. After using the Final Smash, Samus will lose her suit and revert 
to Zero Suit Samus. It's not all bad though: you can use pieces of the Power 
Suit to damage others!


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Samus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Always keep your Charge Shot fully charged for a time where the enemy is 
unguarded. I personally like to use a Missile/Charge Shot combo. Use one right 
after the other at a target; they'll dodge the missile, but fall right into 
the Charge Shot blast. If you happen to end up above an opponent or two, stun 
them by dropping bombs from above, then attack while they are distracted by 
the explosives. Samus is best known for her two long-range projectiles, but 
her Standard and Smash attacks are powerful.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Samus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Try your best to stop Samus from charging up her cannon, because she can be a 
threat when the attack is fully charged. She tends to attack from far away 
with missiles and Charge Shots, so close the gap by attacking her up front. 
She is pretty quick for a character her size, so you won't have many surefire 
weakpoints to utilize. If Samus uses a Screw Attack during the battle, make 
sure to attack her as she's unguarded. Like Link, Samus's Grapple Beam has 
long range for a grab attack and can also be used for Tether Recoveries.


==============================================================================
 3.05] ZERO SUIT SAMUS                                                  [0305]
==============================================================================

Well, this is a rare sight: Samus without her Power Suit on. Usually only seen 
during ending sequences of Metroid games (usually as a reward for getting high 
completion percentages and stuff like that), Samus is donned in a skin-tight,
blue suit and wields a gun/Plasma Whip contraption. Other than Brawl, the only 
other time I can remember playing as Zero Suit Samus was in Metroid Zero 
Mission. Since she is without her suit, Samus is much more nimble.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Paralyzer
---------------------
No, not that overplayed Finger Eleven song. Samus has a handgun that can be 
used to paralyze her opponents (lol I get it now). The attack deals little 
damage, but a charged shot can stun the target long enough for you to execute 
a combo. The attack is slow and doesn't travel nearly as far as Samus's Charge 
Beam, but it's still a rather handy tool.


Side B - Plasma Whip
--------------------
Zero Suit Samus will use her nasty Plasma Whip in this attack. She lashes it 
forward as the whip spirals in front. It has a long reach and can stun a 
target if hit. The attack deals a decent amount of damage and is fairly quick 
for such a good attack. Her Plasma Whip can also be used as a Tether Recovery.


Up B - Plasma Wire
------------------
Wow, it's basically the same attack. Shows how much effort was put into Zero 
Suit Samus's moveset. Instead of using her whip to the left or right, she will 
use her whip and swing it upwards. The Plasma Wire has a much bigger reach 
than the Plasma Whip and is also more powerful. When used against an enemy in 
the air, they will be damaged and dragged down towards Zero Suit Samus. If you 
manage to use the Plasma Wire on an opponent on the ground, they will be flung 
up in the air and pulled down to the ground. This can also be used for a 
Tether Recovery.


Down B - Flip Jump
------------------
Samus will do a rather athletic backflip that sends her away from any danger. 
This move should be used to retreat from opponents or projectile attacks. The 
move is very quick and she jumps quite high, making it one of Zero Suit 
Samus's more useful moves. The Flip Jump does not deal any damage, but you can 
attack players if you press B while in midair.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Power Suit Samus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If Zero Suit Samus activates a Smash Ball, she will be surrounded in a wave of 
electricity as her Power Suit reforms. This is the only way for Zero Suit 
Samus to get her suit back, so it's rather crucial to get a Smash Ball if you 
are without your trusty armor. Not only do you get to wear your Power Suit, 
anyone next to Zero Suit Samus while the Final Smash is used with get damaged 
(around 70%) and launched quite the distance. It can be used for a simple KO, 
but this Final Smash is more of a recovery in order to fight as Samus again.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Zero Suit Samus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Personally, I'd say Zero Suit Samus is my least favorite character. While very 
agile, she is arguably the lightest and weakest fighter in the entire game. 
Her Smash Attacks aren't that good on its own, so whenever I play as her I 
just spam the Paralyzer. Since a charged-up shot can stun an enemy for a short 
period of time, use the gun and quickly follow up with a Smash Attack. Her 
Down Aerial attack is also a fairly strong (and useful) Meteor Smash. A few of 
her attacks have the ability of Tether Recovery, so if you manage to fall off 
the stage, you'll most likely be able to return with your Plasma Whip.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Zero Suit Samus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zero Suit Samus doesn't need to take much damage to get launched off the 
screen. With that said, fighting her isn't necessarily a cakewalk. If you 
manage to counter her speed game, you will win. If you're a quick character, 
you can match her speed, but any other type can use powerful attacks to slow 
her down. Watch out for her Paralyzer and Plasma Whip/Wire, since those three 
attacks have a much longer range than her others.


==============================================================================
 3.06] YOSHI                                                            [0306]
==============================================================================

Yoshi is actually a name of a species of dinosaurs found in Mario's universe, 
but it's never really known if the same Yoshi has participated in all three 
Smash games. Yoshis are all identical aside from the wide assortment of colors 
they come in. They are also known for their signature tongue and their 
insatiable appetite. While at first nothing more than Mario's transportation 
device, Yoshi has grown into a fan favorite and has starred in several games 
on his own. These games usually match Yoshi's carefree nature. 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Egg Lay
-------------------
It may not look like much, but Yoshi's signature attack is very handy. Yoshi 
will stick his tongue out in front of him; any player that gets stuck will get 
eaten and turned into an egg. They will be stuck inside the egg and the only 
way to escape is to wiggle the Control Stick or repeatedly tap any button. 
While they try to escape, they'll be susceptible to any attack. While the egg 
won't budge, you can rack up damage while the character tries to escape their 
prison. This is a great attack to start off a big combo.


Side B - Egg Roll
-----------------
Yoshi encases himself in an egg of his own and will begin to roll around the 
ground. He will build speed the longer he rolls in one direction and can 
barrel through anything that stands in his way. You can press B again to 
revert to your normal form or wait several seconds to end the attack on its 
own. Egg Roll deals a decent amount of damage if you hit the opponent more 
than once, but you don't want to lose control and accidentally fall off of the 
stage.


Up B - Egg Throw
----------------
Another egg-related attack, yay. Yoshi will toss an egg in front of him, which 
will explode when it comes in contact with an object. This time in Brawl, you 
can charge up the attack by holding down the button input to have the egg go 
higher or farther. It may take some practice, but you can control the 
trajectory of the egg by messing around with the Control Stick. Mastering this 
technique can be useful for targeting players from above or far away. Unlike 
most Up B attacks, Egg Throw isn't used as a recovery method (Yoshi's Flutter 
Jump should be able to take care of most problems though).


Down B - Yoshi Bomb
-------------------
When used on the ground, Yoshi will jump forwards and dive straight into the 
ground to create a big impact. Yoshi spins in the air before smashing into the 
ground, so the attack is fairly slow (giving the target time to dodge or run 
away). Yoshi Bomb should be used while in midair to reduce some of the time 
needed to pull off the attack. A direct hit is enough to KO a player if they 
have high enough damage. It's definitely one of Yoshi's strongest attacks.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Super Dragon
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yoshi sprouts angelic wings (not exactly what I expected from a dragon) and 
gains the ability to shoot out fire. You can fly around with the Control Stick 
and shoot out fireballs by pressing B. You will only be able to shoot 
fireballs every two or so seconds, so it isn't a steady stream. Still, one 
shot is enough to deal crazy damage to a character. If Yoshi is motionless for 
several seconds, he'll begin to breath a stream of fire. This attack is also 
powerful, but it's best to go with the standard fireballs instead. Since this 
Final Smash lets you freely attack on your own, it's one of the rare (and 
good) ones that has the capability of KOing an opponent twice.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Yoshi
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yoshi was my favorite character in Super Smash Bros., and I'm glad that he 
hasn't been changed all that much in the series. Yoshi has several methods of 
racking up damage. The first is using Egg Lay to trap an enemy, then following 
up with Yoshi Bomb. Yoshi's best attack is his Down Aerial by far. This attack 
will trap enemies in his lightning fast kicks, easily dealing around 40% by 
the end of the attack! A cheap tactic is to use Egg Lay with your back against 
the ledge so that the egg falls right off of the edge. It's not recommended 
against compusters due to the fact that they break out too quick, but it can 
be used against friends for a dirty win.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Yoshi
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yoshi likes to spam Egg Lay and Egg Roll a lot, which makes him a very 
annoying character to fight. Make sure he doesn't use Egg Lay off of the 
cliff, so try and break out if your egg is sent off of a cliff. Don't bother 
trying to attack Yoshi if he uses Egg Roll; just get to another area or jump 
onto a separate ledge and wait for him to finish. Yoshi isn't too hard to KO, 
but you shold watch out for his patented Flutter Jump. Since he doesn't have a 
recovery attack, using Meteor Smashes while Yoshi is fluttering in the air is 
the key.


==============================================================================
 3.07] KIRBY                                                            [0307]
==============================================================================

I thought he was a talking marshmallow, some people assumed he was a cloud. No 
one knows exactly what Kirby is, but he is certainly an weird fellow. Hailing
from a distant land, Kirby is best known for his gigantic, vaccum-like mouth. 
Not only can he eat virtually anything he desired, Kirby also has he unique 
property of copying the abilities of his meals. This neat power has aided 
Kirby in defeating all types of evil, including King Dedede and Meta Knight.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Inhale
------------------
With this attack, Kirby can suck up anything in front of him. You can suck up 
and eat items so that other players can not use them or you can ingest a 
character to gain their ability. Once you have sucked a fighter in your mouth, 
press B again to gain their ability. Now you can use that character's Neutral 
B attack by pressing B. If you want to ditch the ability, simply taunt. If you 
do not want a character's ability, press A to spit them out in front of you. 
This move is useful for the sole fact that you can use a character's Neutral B 
attack.


Side B - Hammer
---------------
With the swing of a massive hammer, Kirby can knock enemies into the sky. 
Swinging such a big weapon can take a while, but the impact is good enough. 
Since there is a delay once the attack is used, it's very easy to avoid or 
counterattack. You can swing the hammer much faster when airborne, so your 
best bet is using it while floating in the air. Since Kirby is so small, the 
hammer doesn't have the best range.


Up B - Final Cutter
-------------------
Kirby's recovery attack is a decent offensive maneuver as well. Kirby will 
launch into the air and come down with a giant cutter in hand. A shockwave 
will emit from the impact and can hit enemies very close by. It only deals 
around 10%, but Final Cutter is good for launching enemies or clearing out 
groups. Of course, it's also essential for recovering from a big hit. There is 
a delay at the start of the attack, which can leave you open for enemy 
counters. The attack also has a long recovery time once used, so make sure the 
attack clears away all fighters.


Down B - Stone
--------------
This is another great attack to clear out groups of enemies. Primarly used 
when in the air, Kirby will transform into a rock or similar object (sometimes 
a Thwomp or Gordo) and come smashing down to the ground. Any enemy caught 
underneath will be sent flying. Not only is the attack powerful, but you will 
be impervious to any attack while in this form. Kirby will revert back to his 
normal self after a few seconds. Make sure not to use Stone on slopes, or you 
will slide right down (usually to your doom if the slops leads off the stage).


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Cook Kirby
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirby puts on the chef's hat and whipps out the pots and pans for his Final 
Smash. No matter where you stand, all opposing fighters will somehow get 
sucked into Kirby's giant pot and is cooked alive. After the attack ceases, 
the ingredients will get shot out -- usually rocketing off of the screen. This 
is a fantastic Final Smash due to the fact that you can use it anywhere you 
want and still have all targets get damaged by it. There is a great chance of 
an instant KO with this Final Smash. And not only that, but various items 
(usually food) will pop out of Kirby's pot after the attack.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Kirby
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I personally never use Kirby strategically. The only time I use him is when I 
want to piss people off. That's because Kirby is great at being a sacrificial 
lamb. Some of his throws, when used next to a ledge, can launch both him and 
the target right off of the edge. Another suicidal strategy is to suck up an 
enemy, then walk right off of the edge. Kirby is best used Edge Guarding, 
which is self explanatory: guard the edge of a stage so that a recovery 
opponent cannot get back on. Since Kirby can float up to five times, he can 
jump off of the stage, attack a recovering opponent, and float back to safety. 
Use Stone and Kirby's Smash Attack to build damage, then guard the edge like a 
watchdog.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Kirby
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two strategies noted above are to be really watched out for. Most 
computers who play as Kirby will not perform suicide acts, but they will Edge 
Guard. Try either avoiding or attacking Kirby if he tries to keep you away 
from the stage. Projectiles are out of the question since most go right over 
Kirby's head. You don't really need much power to KO Kirby, since he and 
Jigglypuff are the two weakest characters when it comes to getting KOed. He 
can float in the air for a long period of time, so it's easy for Kirby to get 
back on track after getting launched off of the stage.


==============================================================================
 3.08] FOX                                                              [0308]
==============================================================================

He's a talking fox that flies in a spaceship alongside a team of woodland 
creatures in order to stop other evil woodland creatures. Odd. He is the main 
star of the Star Fox series (no pun intended), which feature Fox and his team 
fighting through space against Andross and his cronies. At first, Fox was 
nothing more than a pilot behind the cockpit, but recent games have showed 
that Fox can certainly tango without his signature Arwing.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Blaster
-------------------
Fox's blaster hasn't changed much throughout the series. Good. This high-
powered gun can rapidly fire red lasers at a target. It has fantastic range 
and is incredibly quick; two or three shots per second. Each shot only deals 
around 3%, but the damage can build up to significant amounts if you keep your 
finger on the trigger. The blaster shots do not stun an enemy if hit, but 
they'll still take damage. This is the ultimate pesky weapon to use against 
opponents who do not have reflective or healing capabilities from projectile 
weapons (don't use against Fox, Falco, Wolf, Ness, or Lucas; they'll reflect
or heal). Stand at a distance and fire away as the enemy closes in, then stop.


Side B - Fox Illusion
---------------------
When used, Fox will use his speed to flash to the left or right, almost making 
it look like a teleportation (hence the name "Fox Illusion"). Fox halts, 
dashes, then stops again. There is a delay at the beginning and end of the 
attack, so make sure you hit an enemy with it. Fox Illusion is weak (only 
deals around 4%), but it is very good for knocking the target in the air. 
Great for halting a fighter in their tracks and capitalizing with an attack of 
your own. You cannot control Fox when the attack is being used, so memorize 
the distance traveled and make sure never to accidentally use Fox Illusion 
right off of a ledge: you won't be able to recover.


Up B - Fire Fox
---------------
Fox will "charge up" at the start of the attack, then blasts off in a fiery 
path leading upwards. Fire Fox is fairly powerful as you can trap enemies 
inside the flame stream. If you manage to pull off a perfect connection, the 
target will sap up damage until the move ends. It is best used when under a 
fighter, but you can control the Fire Fox to move in any direction. It is 
difficult to pull off close by, since enemies can easily attack Fox as he 
charges up. Fire Fox doesn't go as far as Falco's, but it can be used as a 
method of recovering.


Down B - Reflector
------------------
Fox's Reflector has only been slightly modified in Brawl, as it can be used 
much quicker and in faster succession. When used, a blue hexagon will appear 
around Fox. Any projectile that hits the hexagon will be reflected right back 
in the direction it game. It can be used in the air and in the ground and is 
fantastic for knocking back almost any type of projectile. The Reflector can 
also be used to deal very minor damage when used next to an enemy. This move 
can be a real life-saver at times.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Landmaster
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fox summons upon his trusty Landmaster for his Final Smash. You can control 
the Landmaster with the Control Stick and fire its cannon with B. You can also 
press Down to... DO A BARREL ROLL! Sorry, I had to. Press and hold Up to have 
the tank hover in the air. Any character that touches the treads or get hit 
when the tank is rolling will get hurt and flung aside. The cannon fire is 
slow, but two hits are usually enough to KO an opponent. If a player decides 
to try and hide by standing on top of the Landmaster (which they can do 
without getting hurt), hover to the top of the stage so they get KOed. Fox's 
Landmaster lasts a long time, so it's possible to KO an opponent twice.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Fox
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fox is one of the quickest characters in the game and has a much better 
blaster than Falco and Wolf. His blaster can be used not only to deal high 
amounts of damage over time, but it's a great kill stealer. The key to racking 
up damage with Fox is to pester opponents from afar with your blaster. When 
they get close, either jump away or use Fox Illusion to momentarily stun them. 
Fox is great at juggling characters with his Fire Fox and Up Aerial attacks. 
Build up their damage with his blaster and the occasional Smash Attack, then 
use his Up Aerial once an enemy is airborne to send them packing.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Fox
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The key to winning is to reduce Fox's speed (or matching it). He will ALWAYS 
use his blaster to try and build up damage when at a distance, so either 
shield yourself or avoid the blasts as you close the gap. Remember to never 
use any type of projectile against Fox since he will just reflect it back at 
you. Fox is a lightweight and fairly easy to KO, so you should be able to seal 
the deal if you knock him off of a ledge. Use a Meteor Smash or any other 
attack with good launch power as Fox begins to use Fire Fox in order to reach 
the stage. 


==============================================================================
 3.09] PIKACHU                                                          [0309]
==============================================================================

Pikachu is one of many Pokemon to appear in this game and is without a doubt
the face of the Pokemon franchise. Pikachu has starred alongside Ash in the
cartoon series and was even the main attraction in Pokemon Yellow. Aside from
the Pokemon games, Pikachu has starred in his own video games and various
products, such as Hey You, Pikachu! This yellow mouse has been featured in all
three Smash Bros. games and uses his electrical techniques to do battle.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Thunder Jolt
------------------------
Pikachu will fire a small ball of electricity. If used while on the ground, 
the attack will travel across the floor similar to that of a slinky. If it 
comes in contact with an object, it'll disappear. The attack can deal around 
7% to an enemy if they are hit. The good thing about Thunder Jolt is that it 
travels across most of the perimeter of a stage. It will travel upwards and 
sideways, but does not move upside down (underneath a stage or ledge). If used 
while in the air, Thunder Jolt will move diagonally towards the ground, then 
revert to its slinky form once it touches the floor.


Side B - Skull Bash
-------------------
Similar to Luigi's Green Missile technique, Pikachu's Skull Bash can be 
charged up for extra damage. Hold down Left/Right and B to start charging up 
the attack. The longer it's charged up, the farther you'll go and the more 
damage you will deal. You can let go at any time to initiate the attack, but 
Pikachu will automatically rocket forward once it's fully charged. As Pikachu 
hurls forward like a missile, he can smash into foes to deal incredible 
damage. This attack can go pretty far, so it can be used to reach a stage if 
knocked off. Overall, Skull Bash is powerful, but it can take a long time to 
fully charge up.


Up B - Quick Attack
-------------------
Quick Attack is mainly used for movement and not attacking. Just a simple 
button input will cause Pikachu to quickly dash up in the air. However, you 
can control the direction Pikachu moves. He can dash up to two times when 
using the attack, so use the Control Stick once the move starts to move in 
nearly any direction. Quick Attack can deal very small amounts of damage to an 
enemy if they are hit, but it's best used to regain yourself from getting 
knocked off a stage.


Down B - Thunder
----------------
Thunder seems fairly basic, but it can be used in many different types of 
situations. When used, Pikachu will yell as a thunderbolt drops down from the 
skies onto the yellow mouse. Anyone who hits the bolt of lightning will get 
hurt and knocked away. Thunder cannot go through platforms, so the thunderbolt 
will stop once it hits a platform. It's a great attack for juggling opponents 
in the air until they are eventually killed. Thunder can be forseen by 
opponents since the attack is fairly slow, so it's best used to try and catch 
groups of enemies off guard with it. 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Volt Tackle
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pikachu's Final Smash is downright crazy. He will encase himself in a giant 
ball of electricity. You can use the Control Stick to move the ball lightning, 
but it is VERY difficult to do so, even with the ability to move right through 
platforms and the stage itself. If you manage to hit an enemy, they will take 
great amounts of damage. You only need to hit an opponent two or three times 
to completely obliterate them. You can hold down A to slow him down slightly, 
which also launches enemies farther when you come in contact with them. Volt 
Tackle lasts a long time, but make sure that you are above the ground as the 
Final Smash ends.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Pikachu
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pikachu is weak and fast. That's the basics. He is not that powerful and very 
few of his attacks have great launching power. As stated before, Thunder can 
be great in certain situations and can be used to juggle opponents. His 
Forward Aerial and Down Aerial are good for racking up damage, as are his 
Smash Attacks. Pikachu's Forward Smash has long range and good launching 
power. Slowly build up damage, then start to juggle the target with your Up 
Smash and Thunder. If needed, you can use Thunder Jolt to annoy opponents from 
a distance. Pikachu is about speed, so you must be quick with your attacks.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Pikachu
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Again, Pikachu is very quick. He may have some long-range attacks, but they 
are all noticeable (Thunder Jolt, Skull Bash). Like Kirby, Pikachu can also be 
hard to target with projectiles since he is so short. Pikachu likes to use 
Thunder a lot, so you should try and recognize when he's using it (not too 
difficult, just notice if Pikachu stands on his hind legs and lets out a loud 
yell). Remember that Thunder does not go through platforms, so either take 
cover underneath a platform or just run the heck away. Pikachu may be speedy, 
but he is also a lightweight and very easy to KO. His Quick Attack is great at 
recovering.


==============================================================================
 3.10] BOWSER                                                           [0310]
==============================================================================

Bowser is the King of the Koopa race and Mario's sworn enemy forever. He is a
very large turtle that has spikes on his shell and can breathe fire. Very slow
but very powerful, Bowser always does his best to command his army to kidnap
Princess Peach (the exact reason why is unknown) but Mario always thwarts his
efforts. Well now it's time for a little payback as you use his superior
strength to stomp your opponents and win the brawl.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Fire Breath
-----------------------
The Fire Breath can be held down for long periods, it will have Bowser stand
still and breathe fire in a single direction. The attack is overall rather
weak but can be used to break up enemy attacks. The stream of fire will begin
as a very strong, far ranged attack but will eventually decrease over time as
Bowser uses up his flames. The attack must then be stopped and you have to
wait a little for it to charge up again. This move isn't half bad at stopping
enemies from grabbing a ledge.


Side B - Flying Slam
--------------------
Bowser will grab the opponent and jump into the air, you get to do a quite
powerful body slam that you can aim. All you have to do is land on the ground
to deliver this mighty blow. However, if you are up by one stock or more then
it might be a good idea to do a Bowsercide, which means you grab the opponent
and leap off the edge because they will die first (being on the bottom) and
you can repeat this until you win the match. A very cheap tactic but if
winning is all that you need then it works very well.


Up B - Whirling Fortress
------------------------
Bowser will retract into his shell and start spinning in circles, the spikes
on his shell hitting the enemies around you. You can do this on the ground and
slide all around in a chosen direction, or you can do it in the air as a
recovery move. This move is primarily for horizontal recovery and does very
little for verticle distance, but is the only attack Bowser has to recover
with properly.


Down B - Bowser Bomb
--------------------
Bowser will jump in the air and then slam his butt down on whoever is below
him. This attack is fairly powerful but you have a short lag time in the air
and it can be easy to dodge. If you hit the enemy on the way up they will get
dragged up with you as you slam down. Be careful while doing this by the edge
because you will always jump in one direction and you want to make sure it is
the right way.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Giga Bowser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bowser's Final Smash is insane, he will grow to at least twice his normal
size, his attacks will double in knockback and damage, he cannot get knocked
back (although he can suffer damage). This works best in smaller areas because
then the opponents have no where to run as you chase them down and utterly
devastate them with your extreme power. If anyone even trys to damage you then
they are being an idiot and simple to destroy.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Bowser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bowser's strengths primarily lie in his power and his quicker special moves
such as Whirling Fortress and his Down + A smash attack as they rely on
multiple hits and are most likely to damage. Spend some time learning Bowser's
range and practicing using your moves to set up the bigger hits as landing
those moves will be vital. Edgeguarding is also an important skill to practice
with him as he has very few moves that come in handy while edgeguarding.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Bowser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bowser is similar to Donkey Kong except he is a little quicker and his attacks
are more "pop pop pop" than "POW!", meaning that he will damage you with 
several hits more often than just smashing you with his power. Aerials will be
useful as long as you try to stay around the mid area of Bowser. Unlike most
enemies, he can counter your aerials. He has Up + B for the top, fire for the
middle and the big butt slam for the bottom. His fire is the weak part, so try
to get him good. Try not to get too close either because his Smash Attack,
however hard to land is absolutely LETHAL.


==============================================================================
 3.11] PEACH                                                            [0311]
==============================================================================

The princess of Mushroom Kingdom and well... I never really know what her
and Mario's relationship is. When you think of Peach, I bet you think of that
useless idiot that gets captured a million times over in the exact same way
every time by Bowser and still doesn't upgrade her castle security. This is no
longer true in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Sorry Mario, but Peachy's got her own
can of ass-whoop open.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Toad
----------------
Toad is mostly useless in protecting Peach in all the games, and this one is
no exception, now Peach has to literally force Toad in front of her to take
the blow. If you use this move, you cannot move but it will act as a counter
move and damage anyone who attacks her. The damage dealt I cannot say exactly
but it can miss entirely if the opponent is too far away from Peach.


Side B - Peach Bomber
---------------------
Peach will swing those hips and just like a dancer will gracefully smash her
butt into your opponent, who will then take some damage and fly away in a
cloud of pink hearts. While not very intimidating, if you can land this
several times in a row it makes a great combo move. It's not really all that
good for recovery and since you can float and use the umbrella it is not that
needed for it either.


Up B - Peach Parasol
--------------------
Peach will spring upwards and hit enemies in her way multiple times with her
umbrella, then open it and start floating slowly downwards. This floating can
help recovery if you are very far away from the ledge. If you want to cancel
the slow fall you can press down to quickly start falling faster. This is only
really used for your recovery and basically is useless as an offensive move
because of that slower fall. Be careful when below a stage because you can
only spring upwards at an angle and can hit the lip of the edge by accident
and fall to your death.


Down B - Vegetable
------------------
Peach will pull a vegetable out of the ground and you can use it to throw at
the enemy. There are several different kinds of vegetables (all are turnips)
that have different expressions on their face. Each one will deal a specific
amount of damage (these values are unknown and not really important) and are
more used to break up enemy attacks and create offensive openings. If you are
lucky you will sometimes pull up Beam Swords, Mr. Saturns and Bob-Ombs even if
items are turned off. This will really give you the edge over your opponent.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Peach Blossom
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peach will blow you a kiss and everyone that is in the stage will be stunned
for a VERY long time. 10-15 healing Peaches will then land on the stage,
giving you ample time to pick them all up and still be able to beat the crud
out of. You also cannot be harmed while you start to use the move, which means
that from activation until after they wake up you won't get hit. Also, if they
are near to her they will take some damage (usually no more than 20%).


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Peach
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peach has a number of moves that she can use to her advantage. One combo that
isn't well known among amatures is that if you use her float to go very low
above the ground you can continually fly towards your opponents and use aerial
moves to hit him away. You can also keep doing this off the edge to KO them
sideways off the screen. Try to do this instead of using forward smashes as
she uses three different weapons that can send them at unpredictable and
inconsistent angles. Also using your down and up smashes are wise because they
have several weaker hits before finishing with a big one, racking up damage
and often killing.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Peach
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fighting Peach is harder to describe as she has no real fighting weaknesses
that you can take advantage of. Try to stay below her as her few downwards
moves are very poor and she can't spike you properly. Try to get in her face
so that she has trouble pulling out toad and trouble finding time to float
down low as that can take some time to set up properly. Remember also that you
can catch turnips out of the air and throw them back at her, however this will
rely on your timing and won't always be your best course of action.


==============================================================================
 3.12] ZELDA                                                            [0312]
==============================================================================

No, Zelda is the PRINCESS, not the man with the green hat. However, as a
Nintendo fan I expect you'll already know this because the Zelda series is
probably better than the Mario series simply because of how amazing it is.
Zelda is the Princess who is usually captured quite a bit, however does show
up to support Link in battles from time to time. Now it's time to show how
she doesn't suck and defeat the enemies here.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Nayru's Love
------------------------
Nayru's Love is a defensive move on the whole, but can be used offensively.
What it does is surround you in a blue crystal that will reflect any
projectile sent her way. If you time this wrong, which is likely because of
how short it lasts, you will take the damage. If you are close up to an enemy
you can use this to cause some small damage. On the whole it isn't a very good
move to pull off.


Side B - Din's Fire
-------------------
Din's Fire will make Zelda swing her arms and send a small fireball out at
your opponent that won't go far or do a lot of damage. This is okay though as
you don't want to use it close up, you want to go with longer range attacks
because you cannot move once you have activated it. The further it goes, the
faster it travels and the more damage/explosion happens. It's good for some
cheap shots but won't serve you the best on the whole.


Up B - Farore's Wind
--------------------
Farore's Wind is primarily used as a recovery move. You can use it to
disappear and reappear somewhere else. The range you travel goes quite far and
you can do small damage as you disappear and reappear. It's not wise to use it
as an attack because of how high you go and your inability to dodge afterwards
so use it to recover only and be careful that you don't miss when you do it
from below a stage. When you use this, the enemy won't know where you will
appear until you do (or if you have a nametag they will always see you).


Down B - Transform
------------------
Transform will turn Zelda into Sheik. You are invincible during this time and
I've found that while turning into Sheik there is often a short lag time that
does not exist with Sheik turning into Zelda. Playing as Sheik is often more
recommended just because of her raw speed and simplicity of play.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Light Arrows
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zelda will pull out a massive bow, take aim and fire a large arrow that will
travel in a straight line all the way across the stage horizontally. This is
best used in stages such as Final Destination where the only place to go is
above or below your opponents. It will travel very quickly across and will
almost always result in a one hit kill. If your opponent can crouch really
low (Sheik or Snake, for example) you can probably miss it right there.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Zelda
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Zelda you want to play an impenetrable defense style. Zelda is not a very
fast character but she does have SOME power so try to use that to your
advantage, especially with your aerials and smash attacks. While practicing
your fighting moves be especially fearless and leap extra far off the edge to
try and edgeguard enemies and then recover with Farore's Wind. The long range
recovery will help you get back and it will eliminate your doubts about your
abilities. Use grabs to slow the pace of the match down and create space
between your opponents. When you have some space, spam the Din's Fire move to
do damage from afar.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Zelda
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zelda is similar to Peach in that she doesn't have any attacks that really
leave her open except for missed smashes and such. If you use a speedy
character then obviously you will have a speed advantage and use that to get
up in her face and try to go fast enough to keep her from attacking a whole
lot. If you can force her to the edge where she has little room to maneuver
she becomes a lot simpler to kill off both because of the reduced range and
the places you can go to dodge her attacks that will surely at that point be
poorly executed.


==============================================================================
 3.13] SHEIK                                                            [0313]
==============================================================================

Sheik is the alter ego of Zelda, she went into hiding when Ganondorf took over
Hyrule and posed as a male member of an extinct tribe called the Sheikah.
Using the training her mentor Impa gave her, she carved her life for the seven
long years it took Link to reappear from the sacred realm. In Brawl, you can
play as Sheik and switch back and forth between her and Zelda throughout the
game.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Needle Storm
------------------------
The needle attack, it can be charged up for a long period of time to add more
needles to your throw. Basically, you cannot move while charging (it's similar
to Samus's giant beam attack) and when you release you release all of them at
once. Try to save it for a useful moment where you will be needing them. They
don't do a lot of knockback but can be staggering for a bit if you throw a
load of them, allowing you to move in on them. If you jump in the air and
release, then you will shoot them down at a slight angle.


Side B - Chain
--------------
The chain attack has no real bearing in this game except as an edgeguarding
tool. Pressing forward B will pull the chain out and you use the control stick
to swing it around in circles, it does a little damage to hit them with most
of the chain and the tip will do more damage. You can also use this to latch
onto the ledge with a tether recovery and pull yourself up, which is the most
useful purpose it will serve for you besides edgeguarding.


Up B - Vanish
-------------
Vanish is essentially the same move as Farore's Wind, you will disappear and
cause damage, then reappear and cause damage there too. The range is reduced
quite a bit but as Sheik is a more athletic character than Zelda she can jump
and run further making it combined a bit better for horizontal recovery. When
you use this, the enemy won't know where you will appear until you do (or if
you have a nametag they will always see you).


Down B - Transform
------------------
Down B will transform you into Zelda again, unless you aren't acheiving a lot
of success as Sheik I suggest you remain as Sheik because she is faster,
stronger and easier to make decent combo's with. The lag that is found in the
other transform move that Zelda uses is also not really found.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Light Arrows
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sheik will pull out a massive bow, take aim and fire a large arrow that will
travel in a straight line all the way across the stage horizontally. This is
best used in stages such as Final Destination where the only place to go is
above or below your opponents. It will travel very quickly across and will
almost always result in a one hit kill. If your opponent can crouch really
low (Sheik or Snake, for example) you can probably miss it right there.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Sheik
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sheik is a much faster, agile user that is better for comboing. Always start
by charging your needles, just in case you might have to use it in the future.
Now we need some good starter moves, I recommend the dash attack as it is
quick and sends your enemy upwards. You can then follow up by doings some
aerials (back, front and neutral work best) but avoid using the down aerial.
You want to try to KO them horizontally off the screen as Sheik can't do
downwards too well and there aren't a whole lot of easy to hit options to go
up. The forward aerial if timed properly can work very well for this.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Sheik
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fighting a Sheik is a bit easier at finding weaknesses. Obviously the weakness
is her knack to always fight in one direction, try rolling behind because most
moves like her forwards smash will take her away in one direction allowing
you to get in there and hit her hard. The fast falling can be an exploitable
advantage as she doesn't stay up for too long while you are in the air with
her. Try to fake her out so she'll make a mistake for you to capitalize on.


==============================================================================
 3.14] ICE CLIMBERS                                                     [0314]
==============================================================================

Ice Climbers, probably the most unknown characters in the game to date. They
were the stars of a single NES game (which you can play a demo of in the
Masterpieces) and were never seen again until Super Smash Bros Melee. They are
kind of cool when you consider you control one but two characters can fight.
Most of their moves end up depending on having both characters alive and
nearby, and while you will survive if the second character survives if the
first one dies then they both go down.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Ice Shot
-------------------
Both Ice Climbers (unless the pink one is dead) will swing their hammer at a
piece of ice and it will slide across the ground for a while until it falls
off the edge or disappears from view. There is a small chance that a hit with
one of these can encase an enemy in a block of ice for a short period of time,
thus making this move useful for breaking defense and creating holes for you
to move in and start offensive combos.


Side B - Squall Hammer
----------------------
The Ice Climbers will both spin around in circles swinging their hammers, you
can aim where they spin to with the control stick and it will do a fair bit of
damage if you hit them multiple times. It's a good move to use to regain
control of an area you need to get to. It can be used as a recovery move but
only in specific circumstances: you need to be very high in the air and need a
small push to get back to the ledge.


Up B - Belay
------------
You will need the team of Ice Climbers for this to work properly. One will
jump, then the other and the force of the first one falling will propel the
second up high, the move is quite good at recovery but using it far from the
edge can often result in the death of one Ice Climber as they won't make it.
Fortunately, it's the unimportant one and not the one you need to survive.

If you only have one climber, you get a tiny lil' puff of distance added when
you recover. It's only really good if you are just below the ledge and need to
get back in that scenario. If you use it while somewhat close to the ledge you
will simply grab the ledge without the animation. This move is not really
useful with offence, it's possible to do damage but no real point to doing it.


Down B - Blizzard
-----------------
Both Ice Climbers will stick out their arms and summon an icy wind to help the
enemies chill out. Any enemy hit will take some constant damage and sometimes
will freeze in a block of ice. If you do this on the ground then the climbers
will cover both sides of you as the second will fire backwards. Doing it in
the air results in both doing it the same way. It's useful but not really
spammable or of incredible tactical importance.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Iceberg
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Basically, you will summon a gigantic Iceberg that will stick itself up right
where the Ice Climbers were standing. If you are close enough to touch the
cold clouds then you will take damage, and you are unable to move and will sit
there being damaged. If this thing pops up, I recommend you get away from it.
If you can follow this move up by attacking enemies into it, then that is
great but it can be a bit difficult to jump over this very large iceberg. If
you are lucky, sometimes it will encase enemies in ice blocks as well.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Ice Climbers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Ice Climbers have a fair bit of priority, particularly in front of them.
They aren't too great at edgeguarding, and it takes a perfect hit to KO an
enemy downwards off the edge. The best bet is to keep your climbers together
and don't do a whole lot of moving, defending a position or retreating is your
best option unless you are a playing against a character with absolutely no
range (Meta Knight, for example). The throw the Ice Climbers use are quite
nice as well because they do more damage with the two of them. If your main
Climber dies, remember that you can still try a last ditch smash attack on the
enemy with the second one (C-Stick).


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Ice Climbers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ice Climbers are particularily weak against characters with more range because
there is more than one target to hit. You preferably want to go for the one
that killing will actually remove from play, but if you can't then go for the
other because killing one will drastically reduce the damage and recovery
abilities of your opponent. When edgeguarding, if you can simply hit one of
the two characters away from the other then they won't properly be able to use
Belay to get back. Try to stay either below them or in front of them but in
the air, using aerials as this eliminates their best chances of striking you.


==============================================================================
 3.15] META KNIGHT                                                      [0315]
==============================================================================

Imagine a Kirby, but in silver battle armor, no pink and looking much more
mighty and badass than Kirby. You get Meta Knight, he is a fighter from the
Kirby series that is considered Kirby's rival. I think he'd look far more
intimidating if he was less fat, taller and carried a bigger sword. In Brawl,
he's probably one of the most comboable characters in the game although has
almost no finishing moves.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Mach Tornado
------------------------
Meta Knight will spin in a circle as a tornado that you can control as you
move. If someone gets caught in it they will take some damage, then get thrown
away from you at the very end. If you keep pressing B then the attack will
last longer and allow you to deal more damage to the enemy (and you'll slowly
rise in an upward manner). Sweet!


Side B - Drill Rush
-------------------
If you press this then Meta Knight will start spinning and again you move him
sideways. His front is like a giant drill and he can get multiple hits of
damage in before stopping. If the enemy is above you, then you can tilt the
control stick in that direction and move your direction up. This can also be
done downwards but is unwise because after you finish you'd then fall to your
doom.


Up B - Shuttle Loop
-------------------
Shuttle Loop will launch Meta Knight very high into the air, taking anyone
that touches him with them. He then does a midair manuever that will change
his direction to horizontal recovery that will cover a shorter distance than
the vertical distance. It's overall a very good recovery but doesn't do a lot
of damage or have many offensive capabilities because of how long you have to
stay in the air.


Down B - Dimensional Cape
-------------------------
Meta Knight will wrap himself up in his cape and then epically he disappears
and reappears. If you hold sideways when disappearing you will reappear in
the direction you pointed except a little bit away from where you started! It
is a pretty cool looking move that provides you with a way to take over a
certain spot in the stage and surprise the opponent. You can also hold down A
to do a quite nice damage slash the second you reappear.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Galaxia Darkness
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Basically you will swing your cape in front of you and if anyone touches it
then the screen will go dark and you fill deliver a blow that will likely kill
anyone caught in the cape. Anyone not caught in the cape but that is nearby
will take a small bit of damage as well. It's similar to Link's in that you
have to be very close up to actually die from it. This move looks really cool
though, so keep a lookout for it.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Meta Knight
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meta Knight is a great character for comboing, however he is quite horrible at
finishing off opponents because he doesn't have any attacks that will send an
opponent in the proper direction at the proper times. If you have a teammate
then have yourself be the one that is stopping everyone from attacking with
your mad skills, just look at your neutral A: it can hit enemys a TON of times
on it's own. Bust out some aerials and smashes and you'll have more % success
on your enemies than the Canadians did at Vimy Ridge.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Meta Knight
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meta Knight is one of the characters where small-medium hits that will simply
break up their attacks can be devastating to them. You want an offensive style
to face him, preferably a character with some range because getting too close
to a Meta Knight is suicide. If you can stay in his face and use powerful
smash attacks (something he lacks) then you should be able to fight him off.
If edgeguarding, don't wait too long because his up + B will make for an
unpredictable recovery and leave you unable to intercept him.


==============================================================================
 3.16] PIT                                                              [0316]
==============================================================================

Pit is an angel, he carries a large bow (as most angels should) and has wings
to fly with. Unlike Cupid, he is out there to make war not and his bow assists
him greatly as it doubles as two short swords. His wings allow him some great
recovery as he can fly back long distances. He's from a somewhat well known
game called Kid Icarus that was for the NES a long ways back, not forgotten
but he really needs a sequel.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Palutena's Arrow
----------------------------
This is a simple arrow that will travel forwards towards your enemy. If it
connects, it does minor damage and little knockback. You cannot move while
using this attack, however you can aim where the arrow will go. If you hold
down the attack button, it will charge it up and do more damage and knockback,
however it is harder to aim because of the faster speed. It's a good move for
canceling forward momentum on recoveries but is somewhat limited by where you
can use it because close range it's fairly simple to dodge.


Side B - Angel Ring
-------------------
Angel Ring is probably one of the most spammed move in the game. Pit will take
his bow and start swinging it around in circles. This circle can be kept going
for a long while by mashing special attack and anyone caught in it will have
a tough time escaping, it doesn't do massive amounts of damage but can really
slow your opponent down at first, then piss them off so they don't fight like
they should. This move will also reflect all projectiles.


Up B - Wings of Icarus
----------------------
This is probably one of the best recoveries in the game, after using up all
your wing flaps, press up and B and you will glow blue. Continue tapping jump
to fly up even higher than before. This is perfect for reaching edges and
covering long distances, however can leave you very open for someone to hit
you again (hitting them one cancels the move). Always stay lower and aim for
the ledge to make sure you don't get killed.


Down B - Mirror Shield
----------------------
The mirror shield will deflect physical and projectile attacks, protecting Pit
from harm. He can only use it in one direction and it takes a short time spot
to pull it out so be careful they don't roll behind you when you use it. If
you pull it out right up close to someone it will do some small damage to them
however this move is so inefficient that it should rarely be used unless you
are at a distance.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Palutena's Army
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Palutena's Army will summon a bunch of winged warriors to attack the enemy for
you, there are quite a few of them and they do a nice amount of damage and
knockback. Enemies can still move and attack while this happens but the winged
warriors are fairly smart in that they will alter their aim and home in on
the enemies. They will continually hit the enemy until they are bounced off of
the screen, and usually they will end up being KO'd as well.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Pit
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pit is a very balanced character, having almost no advantages to using but at
the same time having few disadvantages. He has above average speed, medium
power and great recovery but loses points for not having practical attacks to
use in many situations. Try to stay low to the ground and attack across to the
side because his best areas to attack are either straight up or right across.
His aerials really aren't that poor when you look at them but he can't
consistently hit a lot of them in a row.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Pit
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When fighting a Pit you want to come at him from the top and at a slight angle
as his points of attack are directly horizontal or vertical, if you can sneak
in a hit there you can begin a combo quite nicely. Be constantly ready to
dodge as you can expect him to spam the forward B move and the arrow attacks.
This poses a problem as standing too far away allows him to arrow you but too
close allows him to forward B move you. Try to do a hit and run tactic except
if you have to get near him to do a finishing move.


==============================================================================
 3.17] WARIO                                                            [0317]
==============================================================================

Best known as the arch rival/evil brother of Mario, Wario's name is actually a 
combination of the Japanese term "warui" (meaning "bad") and Mario. Put two 
and two together, and Wario's name basically means "bad Mario". Ya know, just 
a little fun fact for the day. During the years, Wario's popularity has grown, 
and he has been known to star in his own games. However, Nintendo basically 
scrapped this awesome character by making him a loon and starring him in 
random and outrageous series known as WarioWare. At least they did him some 
justice by giving us his old costume back.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Chomp
-----------------
Wario unhinges his jaws like a snake and chomps down on his prey, repeatedly 
damaging the opponent if you tap B. It isn't a very strong attack, but Chomp 
has other uses. Kirby and King Dedede aren't the only characters that can eat 
items: if you use Chomp next to an item, Wario will eat it! He can also eat 
his bike after using it. However, if you use Chomp on an explosive item such 
as a Bob-omb, Wario will take a very small amount of damage.


Side B - Wario Bike
-------------------
Ah, one good thing that came out of the WarioWare franchise. Wario pulls out 
his infamous bike and rides around on it. You can control Wario's movements on 
the bike. You can run into enemies to damage them and even use it as a weapon 
on its own. There are numerous ways to get off of the bike: make a quick turn, 
go so slow to the point that Wario falls off, or simply press A (the latter is 
usually the best way to get off).

If Wario is off of his bike, then he can pick it up and use as a weapon. Of 
course, other fighters can also use it as a weapon (though they cannot ride 
it). If the Wario Bike takes too much damage, it will blow up (you can use the 
wheels as throwable items as well). If a bike is destroyed or falls off of a 
cliff, you'll have to wait a few seconds to use it again. Surprisingly, Wario 
Bike is a fantastic recovery move when paired up with his Up B move.


Up B - Corkscrew
----------------
Wario's Up B attack sends him flying upwards in a spiral. Wario flys straight 
up; if he catches an enemy in the attack, they will take multiple hits along 
the way. It is fairly powerful and a good recovery move. The main downside is 
that Wario has a long way to fall, and he is left defenseless after using 
Corkscrew. The attack is best used as a recovery move when paired with Wario 
Bike. The vertical range of Corkscrew combined with the horizontal range of 
Wario Bike make it a great combo.


Down B - Wario Waft
-------------------
This move can actually be "charged up" during the fight. The longer you go 
through a fight without using the Wario Waft, the stronger it gets. When it's 
fully charged up, Wario will start to glow red (it usually takes just short of 
two minutes to fully charge the attack). Upon using a charged up Wario Waft, 
Wario will unleash a fart of epic proportions, dealing around 42% to a fighter 
if hit dead on. If you use Wario Waft before charging it up, Wario will set 
off a tiny squeak. It does not deal any damage, but it causes the opponent to 
fall over. It's best to let the attack charge up before using it.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Wario-Man
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wario eats a piece of garlic, turning into Wario-Man! With his odd superhero 
costume also comes super powers. The biggest asset is that Wario-Man is 
impervious to all attacks and his much faster. All of Wario's attacks increase 
in power and some even have special effects (Corkscrew is now electricity-
based). You can even fly in the air by using his aerial attacks!

I consider Wario-Man to be one of the best Final Smashes, since you have the 
ability to KO an opponent more than once. His Smash Attacks also gain some 
range (particularly his Forward Smash) and it becomes very easy to juggle 
opponents in the air with his aerial attacks. I only have one warning when you 
are in control of Wario-Man: don't use Wario Bike. The bike will roll through 
the stage so fast, you will most likely end up killing yourself.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Wario
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'd say that Wario is my best (and favorite) character in Brawl. While I 
probably made him sound real good up above, he does has major flaws. The 
biggest flaw is that Wario has no long-range attacks. Your best bet at some 
sort of a projectile attack is using his destroyed Wario Bike as weapons. The 
best way to enter a fight is to roll in with your bike. While they're 
distracted by the hunk of metal, hop off and begin your assault.

Still, Wario is a very powerful character. His Forward Smash is probably his 
most powerful attack (aside from a charged-up Wario Waft). Despite the lack of 
Meteor Smashes, Wario's aerial attacks are powerful when you combine his Down 
Aerial and Corkscrew. Wario also has incredible recovery; when tossed off of 
the stage, use Wario Bike, then jump off with A and use Corkscrew. Wario is a 
weird character, so use your unpredictability to confuse opponents (perform 
wheelies on the bike by pressing Down and do other wacky stuff).


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Fighting Wario
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Again, remember that Wario has no long-range attacks and will be in your face 
the entire battle. If you are using a character with projectile attacks, use 
them non-stop to keep Wario the heck away from you. This can actually be 
difficult because Wario has many different ways of dodging projectiles. Aside 
from a normal dodge, Wario can crawl on the ground by holding Down. It may not 
sound much, but it's surprisingly useful on his part. Keep Wario at bay and 
knock him away when you get the chance, which actually isn't that difficult 
considering his status as a heavyweight.


==============================================================================
 3.18] IKE                                                              [0318]
==============================================================================

Ike is the leader of a mercenary company and has been since a few days after
he joined it. He is one of the most powerful Lords to ever come out of a Fire
Emblem game and this shows in Brawl as he is one of the most powerful people
to play as in this game, and can KO people at percents as small as 9 (at the
edge of a stage with a fully charged smash, albeit). With his mighty two hand
sword Ragnell being wielded with one hand, he is a force to be reckoned with.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Eruption
--------------------
Ike will raise his sword above his head and glow in flames for as long as you
hold it down. This move is chargeable, and when you finish charging it Ike
will slam his sword down on the ground and an explosion occurs. If it is fully
charged it will deal Ike 9% damage from the force of the blow, but if it hits
an enemy it will almost always kill them. You can release the button early to
avoid the full blast and not take any damage. It works fairly well as an
edgeguard tool but should not be spammed.


Side B - Quick Draw
-------------------
You can hold down the B button after using this to charge it up and when you
release it you will slide across the ground horizontally VERY QUICKLY ending
with a large blow from his sword. This can send enemies flying if they are
damaged and if not will deal some damage. The only way to dodge it is to see
them crouch over at first because if they release it suddenly then they'll
move fast enough that you might not get out of the way in time. It can be used
as a recovery move but the range isn't all that great.


Up B - Aether
-------------
Probably one of the other most spammed moves in the game, Ike throws his sword
up into the air, then leaps after it and slams it back into the ground for
knockback and damage. It can be used as a recovery move however it has almost
no horizontal range and only goes upwards. It also helps a lot with your edge
hogging enemies and edgeguarders because as he throws his sword up first it
hits them before you get there. In some levels if there is a block you can't
run through, you can actually throw his sword through it with this attack and
damage them.


Down B - Counter
----------------
Working similar to Marth's counter, Ike will take a defensive stance and any
character who attacks him will receive 1.2x the damage they would have dealt
him. This is a good move but you have to time it properly. If someone is
charging up a big move, it's a good idea to use this beforehand because they
will get the damage they tried to deal to you and MORE. As an emergency you
can use this to block a single projectile. If you miss the counter, expect to
be beat around though because you will be very vulernable.

I've had two emails about new things for Counter- first is the use of
countering against Final Smashes. If you can time it properly, then you can
negate or even hit back the enemy with more power than they hit you with. It
DOES NOT work against all characters, below is a list of characters that this
can be used against:

USE AGAINST:
Pikachu
Sonic

DON'T USE AGAINST:
Ike
Link
Toon Link
Peach
Luigi
Kirby
Snake
Zelda/Sheik
Samus/Zero Suit Samus
Mr. Game and Watch (You will block one hit, but not all)
Fox
Falco
Wolf
Bowser
Mario
Ice Climbers
King Dedede
Diddy Kong
Donkey Kong
Jigglypuff
Lucario
Pokemon Trainer

I will be testing all the characters to see who this works against and who it
doesn't. Thank you to Trunkssummit for bringing this to my attention. Also
thank you to yoshimitsukiller911 who told me even more characters you can
counter against.

The second email was about using counter to land safely from the air. Jay told
me that it's far easier just to use a Down + B than it is a Down + A, the only
issue is timing this attack properly because if you mistime it then you most
likely take a big hit. Be careful if the enemy jumps as well. Not only is this
useful for recovering, but you can take over a control point of a stage
because you will land in the exact spot they were in.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Final Smash - Great Aether
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Great Aether isn't nearly as powerful as you could hope for something that Ike
uses, he will swing his sword a short way in front of him and anyone hit by
that will be forced into the air. He then takes several hard blows onto the
enemy and will finish with a large slam to the bottom of the stage, where
they finish at about 60% damage more and fly away. They probably won't die
from this unless they are at about 30-40% damage already. The big bonus with
this one that makes it passable is that you can hit several people at once
with this, which is something you can't do with Link's.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Strategy - Using Ike
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ike is slow, yet extremely powerful so you need to focus on slow but strong
combos. Good things to do with Ike are to use grabs to stop the enemy from
attacking you, then using moves like forward aerials to send them away and
give them some damage. Timing is crucial to learn with Ike because of his lack
of speed and performing these moves too early will result in you losing your
advantage and most likely a life.

His smash attacks are best used near edgesbecause they can easily KO someone
at a low percentage and if you really need to starta comeback just use Aether
a hundred times until they have some damage. NEVER come off the platform to 
intercept someone because your recovery will mostlikely not make it back.


==============================================================================
 3.19] POKEMON TRAINER - SQUIRTLE                                       [0319]
==============================================================================

The Pokemon Trainer- I doubt there's anyone that plays Smash that has never
watched an episode of Pokemon, or played a Pokemon game and did not wish to
train their own Pokemon. In Brawl, you get to play as this trainer although as
usual the Trainer does not fight! You get to control one of three Pokemon,
each with their own pros and cons that are suited for different scenarios.
When one dies, you send out the next one but can switch at any time. If one
Pokemon is out for too long, it gets tired and auto switches you, so choose
wisely for each scenario.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Special Attacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neutral B - Water Gun
---------------------
Similar to Mario's F.L.U.D.D. attack, Squirtle will charge up a jet of water
and it can be released in the direction of an enemy. When it hits them, it 
doesn't do damage but can be used to push enemies off of stages because it 
doesn't cause knockback so they can't do a second recovery after being hit. 
I've never found it to be very useful, but then again, I rarely play as the
Pokemon Trainer.


Side B - Withdraw
-----------------
Squirtle tucks himself away in his shell and slides across the ground, doing a
little bit of damage to anyone caught in it. He can do this for basically as
long as he wants back and forth and cannot take damage but if someone jumps on
his back (similar to a Koopa) then he is flipped over and cannot shield or run
for several seconds. Use it quickly, get a hit in and then stop using it. It
can be used for short range recovery.


Up B - Waterfall
----------------
Squirtle will be propelled upwards at a diagonal angle and hit any enemy in
his path. While each hit isn't very powerful it hits many times in a row and
can add up after a while. It is used as a recovery move and is a pretty good
one at that. There is not a whole lot to truthfully say about this attack.


Down B - Pokemon Change
-----------------------
This is a universal move for all Pokemon. The trainer will recall the pokemon
into t