• Welcome to Smashboards, the world's largest Super Smash Brothers community! Over 250,000 Smash Bros. fans from around the world have come to discuss these great games in over 19 million posts!

    You are currently viewing our boards as a visitor. Click here to sign up right now and start on your path in the Smash community!

Tips on mixing up my PAC-MAN?

Mochamico

Smash Cadet
Joined
Apr 18, 2015
Messages
70
NNID
FancyPancy
3DS FC
3437-4422-3883
Hello!

Recently I've been practicing with a friend of mine online. After playing I've realized I can be extremely predictable, especially later on in matches. How can I mix up my playstyle?

Regarding the fruit, I use the Cherry in mid-air to keep my opponent away. When I charge up to the Galaxian/Bell I use the Phantom Fruit for a while, then when I throw it I'll catch it with a dash attack so I have another shot in more directions. Sometimes I'll go offstage to attempt to throw and catch the Key, but that is risky for me. I'll often set up the Hydrant and then throw the key to launch both.

I'm sorry if this is in the wrong category or whatever, I haven't made many threads.
 
Last edited:

NouveauRétro

Smash Journeyman
Joined
May 10, 2015
Messages
319
Location
Long Island, currently upstate
NNID
Royal_Bros.
WARNING: WALL OF TEXT. I RECOMMEND READING THIS IN INSTALLMENTS:awesome:

Sounds like a ground-based player would do well against this playstyle, so I'd throw in some grounded trampolines to hinder those opponents. Also it's probably better to catch the Bel/Galaxian with fair or better yet just pick it up, the least laggy option. If you bring your stick to neutral out of run and press a fast enough you'll just pick it up.

Also, when you have key there are a million ways to set it up. Hydrant to key puts on good pressure but you lose both the items you invested time into creating, and if the opponent expects it you probably won't land it, so that's a once-a-match trick. The most important part of holding the key is to be creative and know your opponent won't just sit there and get hit by it. You have to MAKE the key land on a skilled player. I only go for zdrop key on stages where it's easy to do, but if you have it down pat that's a pretty good option after launching your opponent with bair or something to make space. Just don't plan ahead to do it, or you might end up making yourself vulnerable.

To land a key at kill percent is a tricky art. Most people still don't expect Pacman to try to tag them with keys while they're recovering, and you could kill ridiculously early with good aim. I recommend fair to key, it true combos at some rare percents. dash attack pops the opponent up, and if you read an air dodge or jump out that is a free key. Same with down throw at high percents. At medium percents you can catch a read tech in any direction with key, but you likely won't kill at such low percents.

Bell and Galaxian are awesome in the hand. I wouldn't rethrow a Galaxian though; I would start abusing its ability to launch hydrants in one Z-drop. As for Bell, I do rethrow it because its Z-drop doesn't stun or do a lot of KB or damage, but you can get REALLY tricky there. Bell is pretty much the only fruit I hydrant gush because it's so easy and unreadable. My favorite trick to to drop a fresh hydrant and run off and throw the bell straight up because it will come down on the first spout of water and go flying at the enemy. It's like a killer time bomb! I believe you can find it in fromndaman's "I Eat Dots and Fruits!" video on Youtube. There's also DICIT, pressure strings...

Basically, there are a LOT of things you can do with your fruits. But that's Pacman! Try to learn as many tricks as you can.

As for Cherries, they're good, but don't use them in the neutral TOO much. Then it won't be a surprise when the opponent tries to follow up on their attack and catches a cherry to the face instead! If you're using Bonus fruit in the air a lot, there are a ton of mixups you can do. You can transition into a hydrant drop(Never let too much time pass without having a hydrant out!) or throw an apple down at the opponent instead of a cherry. You could even just keep charging until you hit the ground! If the opponent doesn't fall for the bluff and rushes in you could always cancel into Trampoline to escape once you hit the ground.

So yeah, Pacman should NEVER be predictable with this many mixups:glare:
In a two stock match you should be able to keep rotating strategies as fast as the opponent adapts if not faster. It mostly sounds like you tend to become predictable because you have a system that you fall back on when you start to lose.

One last thing; DON'T ROLL UNDER PRESSURE OFTEN :roll:<--BAD
His roll is midtier, so it's pretty punishable(offline at least:bee:). As a Mr. G&W starting this game I got the roll habits beat out of me pretty quickly(his roll is trash if you didn't know:urg:) Your options out of shield are pretty meh so you have to master them, especially jump canceled upsmash and Trampoline.
 

abit_rusty

Smash Lord
Joined
Nov 7, 2006
Messages
1,544
Location
East Lansing, MI
NNID
Rontuaru
3DS FC
2895-8974-0662
I think one of the keys to being unpredictable is utilizing the various hydrant plays to your advantage. It can be launched at so many angles and speeds, from many different locations, and in so many different ways. It just takes some dedicated practice but you should try to develop a variety of plays for each situation.
 

Mochamico

Smash Cadet
Joined
Apr 18, 2015
Messages
70
NNID
FancyPancy
3DS FC
3437-4422-3883
Thank you guys for the help, this is some good stuff.
 
Top Bottom