---Super Smash Brothers: Jigglypuff FAQ--- v. 1.0 Nintendo 64 Written by Stewart Bishop Copyright 1998 by Stewart Bishop This FAQ may be reproduced electronically, altered or unaltered as long as this disclaimer remains intact. If this document is altered in any way, shape, or form, you must give credit where credit is due, as well as state that the file is in actuality an altered work of the original. This FAQ may NOT be used for any profitable or promotional purposes _what-so-ever_ in *ANY* way unless I am contacted beforehand. All questions, comments, additions, submissions, flames, etc. should be sent to Stewart Bishop (Cidster@rotfl.com). If for some reason you have contributed to this FAQ and I have not acknowledged or given you credit, please correct me at the above e-mail address. Super Smash Brothers is copyrighted 1999 by Nintendo, Rareware and HAL. ***************** TABLE OF CONTENTS ***************** I. Revision II. Introduction III. Basics IV. Attack List V. General Strategies VI. Character Strategies VII. Level Strategies VIII. Ranking IX. Conclusion ******** REVISION ******** 6/6/99: FAQ first created. ************ INTRODUCTION ************ If you're a regular at Super Smash Brothers, you're probably laughing at me right now. If not, I can tell you why...For some particular reason, everyone seems to have a bias against Jigglypuff, stating that she is the worst character in the game. I for one, do not support this, but you may have your opinions, you can just leave if you want. Jigglypuff is all about real guts and skill. True that she is knocked easily off of the stage and doesn't have any decent way of recovery on the vertical means, but if you play it smart enough, Jigglypuff is one of the best characters to play. Note that this guide was _meant_ for more experienced players. Newbies, you can read this guide, but if you haven't played much, you'll find yourself having a bit of trouble, because Jigglypuff IS hard to learn. Because she can be easily knocked out, you'll find yourself handing points to all of your opponents. Once you do learn however, you're in for a real treat. With the general prejudice in the SSB world these days, being beaten by Jigglypuff is usually a most embarrassing encounter. ****** BASICS ****** No, these aren't an overview of true basics of the game, these are things you must know to be effective with Jigglypuff... 1) You MUST be fast, and you MUST know how to dodge and block attacks. Without these skills, Jigglypuff is practically useless because she is knocked out so easily. 2) Stay on the offensive. Jigglypuff is weak, but has excellent recovery time with her moves. Don't be afraid to tag on tons of lengthy combos, she _is_ the weakest character (strength-wise). 3) Juggle! I'll get into more detail on this later. I sometimes refer to Jigglypuff as Jugglypuff, and you'll see why. 4) Jigglypuff is fast! Use the speed to your advantage to tag opponents and run away. 5) Jigglypuff has NO projectiles. Know this and live with it! HOW TO GET JIGGLYPUFF: Beat the game, that's it! Any skill level, and whatnot. ******* ATTACKS ******* (Coming in later revision: Percentage of damage) Punch: A Basic attack...you punch...need I say more? One-two combo: A, A Basic one-two combo. Fast, but weak. Squatting punch: Hold Down, A Also very weak, a good poking attack. High kick: Hold Up, A This is a good juggling move when your opponent is around 0-25% damage, since they are usually unable to recover via means of a vertical downwards attack. Splits: Down + A This move is excellent. Very fast and good recovery time, use it to finish combos or when your opponent is charging at you. Headbutt: Up + A Another excellent move. Also very fast and great recovery time. Use this to start juggle combos from the ground. To interrupt downward aerial attacks, perform this move when your opponent is about 1.5 characters distance from your head. Flying Kick: Forward + A Good move, especially on flat surfaces, as it hits characters on the ground. If your opponent doesn't know how to quick-recover (Z as your character hits the ground on his/her/its back), you can literally do this move an infinite amount of times until they reach about the 30% damage mark. Drill Kick: Hold Down, A (While in air) This will be the starter of most of your combos. This is best used with Edge Guarding (more details later), but can do it's damage on the stage. After this move, it's best to go after a Throw, a Headbutt, or Splits attack. Splits if you're near the bottom, and headbutt if you're near the top of the arena. If your opponent blocks the entire thing, you have a guaranteed throw afterwards. If your opponent takes all of the damage, and is at 75% or more, do the Rest attack. Slap: Hold Up, A (While in air) This is where your main juggling skill will show its usefulness. As your opponent lands, you can juggle them back up with this attack, puff up (Jump while in midair), juggle them again, puff up, and repeat as necessary. While the opponent CAN do a downwards aerial attack, you can still slap them, only you'll take a bit of damage yourself (Unless you time it perfectly). Use this move often, I don't call her Jugglypuff for nothing. Jump Kick: A (While in air) Rather useless move, doesn't even count as a Smash hit. You're better off with the Drill Kick or Slap attacks. Charge: Dash (Tap Forward and Hold), A Nice attack, good recovery. Faster then most other dash attacks. Pound: B Good to use against edge-guarders. Pound just as you reach the edge, usually it'll connect and you'll be home free. Also use this to escape deaths horizontally (Pound, puff up, pound, puff up, pound...etc...). Don't use it too much though, there's a bit of lag as Jigglypuff lifts her arm up to punch. Also, remember that it's range is rather far, as Jigglypuff steps forward as she does it. Sleep: Hold Up, B This attack puts opponents around your FULL SHIELD radius to sleep (That means it can hit opponents that are farther than the notes will reach). Don't use this move often, it's way overrated. Just do the move that you intended to do in the first place. The only exceptions are when opponents are clustered together. Sleep, then smack them away. Rest: Hold Down, B Jigglypuff's strongest single attack. Very useful, actually, you just need to know when to use it, as it leaves her open to attack for about 6 seconds. Use it to finish off opponents, it's real embarrassing to them, I'm sure of it. Hurl: R, Any button except backwards. This is Jigglypuff's basic throw. Another Juggle starter, it's good to use against those turtling blockers, they do get rather annoying. Suplex: R, Back This is Jigglypuff's secondary throw. It does more damage, but has no juggling potential. Use this at the edge of stages. Roll: Hold Z, Forward/Backward Makes you roll out of the way. Use this when people keep trying to throw you. Jigglypuff!: L Jigglypuff's Fighter Stance. Stomach-churningly cute. I believe that's all of the moves, I'm pretty sure. If not, tell me... ****************** GENERAL STRATEGIES ****************** -======PUFFING======- Use Jigglypuffs ability to puff (Inflate every time you try to double jump) to your juggling advantage. Throw/Headbutt, then puff and slap, puff and slap, repeat as necessary. Also good to get back on the stage. Puff, pound, puff, pound... -======BREAKING SHIELDS======- Shields ARE annoying, but fear not...Jigglypuff has a few good counters to this. The first is to combo with Drill Kick, then follow up with a good smash attack. Another, simply, is two throw them out of it. However, I believe the best option is to break it. How, you ask? Well, as you know, if the shield gets too small, it'll shatter, cause opponents damage, and leave them stunned for a while. Do this by Resting...It'll take some skill, but if you pull it off, the six seconds will wear off and you can do another good follow-up move. -======JUGGLING======- Jigglypuff's main strength. On the Juggle scale, she ranks #1, with Fox and Pikachu following closeby. The reason is because of her excellent Slap attack. A fast, powerful move, Slap + Puff = Juggle. Start with a Throw or Headbutt, then Juggle with Slap or Pound. It gets annoying for them, trust me. -======EDGE GUARDING======- Edge Guarding is best done with Jigglypuff and Kirby since they can puff, allowing them more freedom. If you see an opponent trying to come back to the stage, jump out, and do the Drill Kick attack. This downwards attack will cause the opponent to slam into oblivion at a high velocity, and unless they have lightning fast reflexes (Or is Kirby or Pikachu), they'll fall, and you can puff back to safety. Even if you don't knock them off, you have the chance to try again. Just try not to do doing it, Jigglypuff runs out of 'puffs' after 5 total (Including the first jump). -======ROLLING======- Roll out of a tight situation, it helps. Exceptions to this are when you are being pounded on by multi-hit attacks (Links Sword, Kirby's Multi-Slap, Captain Falcon's Fists, etc.), or the Fireflower attack. You CAN'T roll out of these, it's better to just take the damage (It isn't much, really), then counter with a good air attack. If you don't, you risk the chance of having your shield shattered (Once the shield is up, it doesn't go down until you clear the whole barrage), and having even MORE damage inflicted on you. Roll out of the way of those throw happy people, but don't just block, you leave yourself open to throws. Against people who DO roll, do the Splits and Headbutt attacks, as well as Pound, they tend to hit often. -======COUNTERING HAMMERS======- I admit, it's difficult to counter hammers. The only real way to do so without use of weapons are to get under them and Juggle them. While they're in the air, they are unable to counter your Slap attacks with any other attacks of their own, so feel free to Juggle as you wish. If they come jumping at you, try the sleep attack. If the hammer is above their head as they charge at you, it'll hit, if not, prepare yourself for some good air time (or even removal from the stage). Also remember that your shields can take a good amount of hammer attacks (3 if they're at full), so don't be afraid. -======HOMERUN BATS======- Sleep attack, Homerun bat. Any questions? ******************** CHARACTER STRATEGIES ******************** (These are applicable to most human opponents, it is not written in stone. Adapt to your opponents.) Luigi: Luigi is ONE TOUGHT COOKIE against Jigglypuff. He jumps higher, hits harder, and has faster moves (Note that this means they are faster to pull off, most of his moves give him significant recovery time. I suggest keeping away from trying to beat him from the top, as his headbutt attack is faster than Jigglypuff's, and he also has the flaming coin jump attack (I hate that move, even without the flames). Don't be afraid to get hit by a few Fireballs to bum-rush Luigi, since Luigi tends to fly rather far when hit hard enough. Resting after a missed Flaming Coin Jump Attack is great. Mario: Mario is also rather hard, but not quite as difficult as Luigi. This is because against Jigglypuff, you need to match her with Power, not with cheezy, weak multi-hit spinning combos. Mario's Spinning Fists attack can be blocked even after the initial fist connects, but if your opponent's smart, he'll throw immediately after. If not, you'll be thrown in the air and set up for either another drill or a coin jump attack. The choice is yours. Mario's Fireballs are also more annoying than Luigi's, as they bounce around in an unstable path. Mario can't jump quite as high as Luigi, so don't worry too much about jumping Flip Kicks. Sleep this bastard after a blocked Spinning Fists attack. Donkey Kong: No problem here. His huge size is susceptible to LONG juggle combos and massive amounts of throws. Don't underestimate the speed and power of his spinning splits kick, though, or you'll find yourself off the arena in seconds. He is one of few opponents you can actually successfully pull off a few Sleep attacks against. Use rest at about 125% against him. Link: Not too hard, you just need to change your strategy. Rely on hit and run Drill Kick combos. More often than not, many Link players either go heavy on bombs, or heavy on sword. Bomb characters won't pose much of a problem as they often hit themselves, but against sword players, it gets nasty. The main reason is because of Link's downward sword press (The one where he slams on you with his sword from above), it's very hard to juggle him. The fact that this attack can be done more than twice in one volley (Because of bouncing) makes it double dangerous. Samus: One word-Annoying. Samus is the cheeziest character in the game (Can you say Screw Attack?) Screw Attack nullifies any chance of getting any attacks in from the air, and when Juggling, the screw attack sometimes will 'suck you into it'. Pack that in with the fact that she has the most powerful projectile, and you have a problem. Your best chance is to go hard on the throws. If the opponent tries to follow suit, you've got the advantage (Samus has THE slowest throw in the game). Bombs can also foil Juggling, so be careful. Jigglypuff: Jigglypuff vs. Jigglypuff. Can't say much here, it all comes down to skill using Jiggly. If your opponent misses a Rest attack, try to push them off the edge while they're still asleep (just walk into them while they're on the edge of a ledge). That's all I can really think of. Ness: Very annoying in the hands of a skilled player, but the good thing is that there aren't many good Ness users out there. Jigglypuff is faster though, so use that to your advantage. Ness dominates air, so try and keep the game on the ground. PK Thunder and PK Fire get annoying fast, so try and below Ness. Yoshi: Yoshi isn't much of a problem. The only thing to be worried about is his multi-kick combo. This combo can do over 50% damage in one volley if all kicks connect, so BE CAREFUL, and you should be alright. Also, Yoshi has only one recovery move: His Double Jump, so edge guarding is very effective. Don't charge a Yoshi waiting at the edge, they're just trying to egg you off of the level. Instead, run at them, and stop just out of tongue range, then dash again and attack! Kirby: Another fairly difficult matchup. I still think that Kirby is the best in the game, but that's another story. Stay away from Kirby, and instead, wait for weaknesses. People tend to overuse stone and final cutter, making them VERY predictable. If he flies over you, just stand there like you're stupid. When the Stone comes, roll out throw, and Juggle (Remember that stone has a slight delay before actually occuring, so don't be afraid to Juggle. Fox: I think that Fox is the most difficult to beat as Jigglypuff. This is because Fox ranks #2 as the best Juggler in the game. Fox's upwards jump kick juggles HIGHER than Jigglypuff, but it's hard to pull off more than one at a time, that's why I think Jigglypuff's the better of them. But Jigglypuff's juggles can be stopped with Fox's Deflector Beam, which gets annoying, since it has nearly no delay before beginning. Fox has the faster Splits attack, so try and beat him in the throwing department, Jigglypuff's grab is slightly faster than Fox's. Use Pound on him, it's not expected much. Pikachu: Pikachu is #3 as a Juggler, but isn't so hard to beat with Jiggly. Pikachu is also very easy to push off of the stage, so just go hard on fast smash attacks, like headbutts. Steer clear of Pikachu's electric drill attacks though, they set you up for throws...Pikachu has the fastest grab in the game. Captain Falcon: You might have a problem with this match, depending on how you decide to play it. If you try to Juggle, you may be successful, but if the Falcon Kicks comes, you'll have to resort to heavy throws. The problem is that throws are practically nullified with the ground Falcon Kick. Instead, try to get your opponent to Falcon Kick off of the stage, then Drill Kick him down to oblivion. **************** LEVEL STRATEGIES **************** Peach's Castle: A pretty cool level for Jigglypuff. The bumper at the top makes it a good idea to throw them up into it if you doubt your Juggling skills. The ramps on both sides will serve you well, as opponents will find it harder to knock Jigglypuff off without launching it into the air or slamming it into the ground. While under an opponent, Juggle like crazy, the platforms aren't seperated very far, so you can pull off one, then another while they're still on the ground. Hyrule Castle: Big level, good for Jigglypuff, since it'll be harder to knock her off. Stay away from the edges, and try to keep the fight in the center of the battle. The little platforms on the one tower are ideal for Jigglypuff's juggles, so you can 'recharge' on 'puff' (inflates) every now and then. Beware the tornados, though, they can knock Jigglypuff out even at 50%. Yoshi's Island: Interesting level, but more oriented towards Kirby. The 3 clouds around the level disappear if you stand on them too long, but that shouldn't be a problem. Again, use the platforms on the stage to juggle more effectively, just try not to get hit too hard, this is a small level. Kirby's Dreamland: A fine level for Jigglypuff. Flat surface means a lot of dash attacks and flying kicks. Just don't get caught sleeping (after rest) when the wind blows in, or say bye-bye. Great Fox: Big level. If you see the Arwing coming, grab your opponent and wait for the Arwing to fly by. When you throw them up, the Arwing will fire its lasers and do heavy damage to the opponent. Not a very good place to Juggle, though, since there aren't any platforms, so keep up with your headbutts and throws. DK Congo: I hate this level. All of the foreground disrupts play, plus it's the smallest level in the game. Oh well...the rotating platforms can make or break Jigglypuff's juggles, and the barrel can eliminate your chance of Drill Kicking your opponent to oblivion. Definately an anti-Jigglypuff level, oi... Planet Zebes: Possibly my favorite level. Most people hate it, but it requires skill to actually dodge the lava while at the same time dodging your opponent(s) AND while at the same time trying to Juggle your opponents. Frustrating to most, fun for some, NEVER Sleep or Rest unless you want to be breathing in acid. Saffron City: Fun level. The two moving platforms are great for Jigglypuff's recovery. If you can, try to use Rest to knock your opponents into the open door where they will be smacked down by the incoming Pok,mon. Keep away from the tower on the very right, leave that to Kirby and Pikachu, they can actually get OUT of those narrow gaps should they fall in. Pok,balls are abundant here, so watch out. Mushroom Kingdom: SECRET LEVEL. To get it, you have to beat the game using all the characters (I think that's right)...Anyway, it's a neat little level. No real advantages for Jiggly, but there are a few basic things, like using pipes to escape POWs and Hammers, as well as POWs to counter hammers. Try to run your opponent off the edge of the stage if you can with a well placed Rest or Suplex. ******* RANKING ******* How well Jigglypuff fares against other characters. (From easiest to hardest). 1. Donkey Kong 2. Yoshi 3. Link 4. Pikachu 5. Ness 6. Jigglypuff 7. Mario 8. Captain Falcon 9. Kirby 10. Luigi 11. Samus 12. Fox ********** CONCLUSION ********** Jigglypuff takes skill. Mastering her is very difficult and will require patience. I can tell you something, though...Winning 3v1s with Jigglypuff is a heck of a lot more gloat-worthy than winning 3v1s with Samus or Kirby. Copyright 1999 Stewart Bishop