Pikachu advice?

[kinbobbobkin]

Hello,

I'm starting to play Smash 64 again along with Smash 4 to practice on tournaments(and fun). My main is Pikachu, and I'm really really rusty.
So I ask on how to play a very good Pikachu and what I should watch out for.

 

[Saltsizzle]

This is a guide for beginners and should provide you with a good starting point for basic strategies:
http://smashboards.com/threads/updated-and-organized-character-guide.391310/

 

[kinbobbobkin]

This is a guide for beginners and should provide you with a good starting point for basic strategies:
http://smashboards.com/threads/updated-and-organized-character-guide.391310/

Thank you very much for the guide, it was a very informative guide. =)


Questions:
How do taunt cancel? Is it necessary to taunt characters for some characters like Pikachu? Does wavedashing exist in Smash 64?(curious)

 

[Saltsizzle]

Thank you very much for the guide, it was a very informative guide. =)


Questions:
How do taunt cancel? Is it necessary to taunt characters for some characters like Pikachu? Does wavedashing exist in Smash 64?(curious)

Taunt cancelling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTBS6TfLFw4&t=0m26s

Taunting isn't necessary. I just added that in there for humor because someone suggested to in the thread (mainly because Pikachu's f smash has a huge hitbox, stays out forever, and has large knockback making it a great edge guarding move and move in general which can frustrate opponents).

There is no wavedashing in 64. Pivoting is an important tech in 64 for mobility and spacing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIMzY1UdyTo

 

[kinbobbobkin]

Taunt cancelling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTBS6TfLFw4&t=0m26s

Taunting isn't necessary. I just added that in there for humor because someone suggested to in the thread (mainly because Pikachu's f smash has a huge hitbox, stays out forever, and has large knockback making it a great edge guarding move and move in general which can frustrate opponents).

There is no wavedashing in 64. Pivoting is an important tech in 64 for mobility and spacing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIMzY1UdyTo

Ah ok I understand.

There's no lag at the end of a pivot, right?

 

[Saltsizzle]

Ah ok I understand.

There's no lag at the end of a pivot, right?

Right.

 

[kinbobbobkin]

Right.

Ah, ok. Thank you.

 

[ShadowKing]

Plus remember number one rule use electric ball thingy don't know what to call it when jumping ;D

 

[Kimimaru]

I wouldn't consider Thunder Jolt (Neutral B) a very good move, but it does have situational uses for edgeguarding characters like Samus, Fox, and Falcon.

 

[ShadowKing]

I see that's what it is called lol don't use pikachu often untill 4 xD

I wouldn't consider Thunder Jolt (Neutral B) a very good move, but it does have situational uses for edgeguarding characters like Samus, Fox, and Falcon.

Lol so thats what it is called thunder jolt only mained him in 64 and now in 4 but ya true its good for edgeguarding and in some situations spacing

 

[Kimimaru]

I wouldn't consider it a good move for spacing either. There's too much lag and too little knockback and shield stun for it to have much of a benefit. Pikachu has many other great moves he can space with, like most of his aerials.

 

[ShadowKing]

I wouldn't consider it a good move for spacing either. There's too much lag and too little knockback and shield stun for it to have much of a benefit. Pikachu has many other great moves he can space with, like most of his aerials.

That's how I space and use it when jumping works for me so ya

 

[Kimimaru]

I'm not completely shooting down the idea of using Thunder Jolt, but there is a good reason top Pikachu players don't use it in neutral. I'm not sure which smash game you're referring to, but I'm talking about Smash 64.

 

[kinbobbobkin]

I can see why Pikachu players don't use Thunder Jolt, it's has decent amount of lag. Thunder also "much" lag making it open for an opponent to attack. So is it better to just use tilts and save the specials later or it something else?

 

[ShadowKing]

Same I main pikachu in 64 and I do use thunder jolt to space

 

[Sangoku]

Well that's a bad move.

As it was already said, it has too much ending lag, it doesn't have enough hitstun, it doesn't deal a lot of damage, and it is easily avoidable.

Pikachu has a lot of great moves to space, and using neutral b is a bad idea.

 

[Technical_Knockout]

i think using pika's neutral 'b' to cover the ledge while edgeguarding high is a decent option.

 

[Capos]

It's ok there, but based on top players there are usually better options. It's clearly terrible in neutral though.

 

[kinbobbobkin]

It's ok there, but based on top players there are usually better options. It's clearly terrible in neutral though.

In neutral?

 

[Tom Bombadil]

In neutral?

When neither player is in an advantageous position (not in combo or tech chasing etc.) and trying to land an attack. Every game starts in the neutral until someone gets hit. "Neutral game" and "spacing" refer to the same thing in general (there are some subtle connotation differences though)

 

[Sangoku]

i think using pika's neutral 'b' to cover the ledge while edgeguarding high is a decent option.

That doesn't make it a spacing tool.

 

[KingDozie]

Whats the best ways to approach with pika?

 

[Technical_Knockout]

neutral 'b'.

j/k sangoku don't ban me please...

do whatever you want you're playing pika. up-air & back-air seem best but neutral-air & down-air could be good if you have an opportunity.

just grab & forward smash & you'll probably beat 90% of the people you play...

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Whats the best ways to approach with pika?

Of course it depends on the matchup but in general bairs are good. SH dair against kirby is pretty standard too. Dash grabs are always good. You're really just dancing around and hoping to force your opponent into a bad situation or react to one of their minor mistakes

If you're playing combo pikachu then you want to land an upsmash at low percents and then utilt into a uair chain. For gimp pika just do a little damage and then throw off the edge with dash grab (preferably after a tech chase).

Uair can be an interesting approach tool of you can time its forward hitbox as it's way bigger than people generally think. I don't think I would ever recommend fsmash during the neutral.

Also, a good rule for people who are learning: you should only use the B button to recover.

 

[kinbobbobkin]

Can it also be used to prevent someone from recovering also?

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Can it also be used to prevent someone from recovering also?

If you're making a joke about the earlier discussion in the thread then lol, gj

If not, then I would say smash is about optimizations and it is rarely optimal to use down-B or neutral-B to prevent opponents recovery. Is it stylish and funny? Yes. But in smash it is almost always better to hit someone consistently than to hit them hard. Just dtilt, fsmash, or neutral air 99% of the time. I will add that I've seen @KeroKeroppi do some cool things with neutral-B against Samus' up-B, maybe he has more to say about it. Also, down-B is sometimes a decent option to break Yoshi's armor. But in general B moves are far too inconsistent and far too punishable

 

[MrMarbles]

i actually find neutral b to be a decent option for edgegaurding and i use it often. Since it moves so slowly you can use it to cover a low recovery while you cover another option with an aerial. That being said i don't recommend a beginner attempt this because if you dont time it right you are just making it easier for your opponent to recover. Also it's super important to get really good at more basic edgegaurds and using neutral b just takes away from that

 

[Annex]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12rUniklE1s&feature=youtu.be&t=489
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12rUniklE1s&feature=youtu.be&t=757
Boom used neutral b a few times this set
greginator thought it was to get damage on Yoshi's superarmor but I also think it could've been to force Yoshi out of the space where he wanted to use his second jump at since the hitstun would've made him unable to recover. Because of it he jumped earlier and had to come back to the stage in a bad spot (too high to sweetspot and too low to downb)

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I agree exactly with what Marbles said, as usual

 

[KingDozie]

Pika dittos im really bad in maybe the guy i played was just better, I really struggle with pika constant aerial attacks and its a pain to edgeguard pika recovery.