Editing Falco (PM)

{{ArticleIcons|pm=y|p+=y}}
{{Infobox Character Mod
|name = Falco
|image = {{tabber|title1=Assault (PM)|content1=[[File:Falco SSBB.jpg|250px]]|title2=Assault (P+)|content2=[[File:PPlus Falco.png|250px]]|title3=Melee|content3=[[File:PMFalcoAlt.png|250px]]}}
|mod = Project M
|base = SSBB
|altcostume = [[Falco (SSBM)|Classic Falco]]
|moveset1 = Falco (SSBM)
}}
'''Falco''' is a playable character in the ''[[Brawl]]'' mod ''[[Project M]]''. He was remade to be nearly identical to his ''Melee'' counterpart in terms of attack hitboxes and animations.

Falco ranks 22nd out of 41 on the [[Project M#Tier list|official]] [[tier list]], near the lower half of the B tier, a significant drop from his 4th out of 26 and 7th out of 38 positions on the ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'' tier lists, respectively. His standing is slightly improved in ''Project+'', where he ranks 20th in the {{h2|Project+|official tier list}}, at the end of the A tier.

==Overview==
Falco Lombardi is a very respected and equally feared name among the competitive Smash community, so it's no surprise that expectations for him are high going into Project M. He was one of the most changed characters from Melee to Brawl, losing many of his tricks and techniques that defined him in the previous game. Project M sees the return of the old bird of prey though, with his technical prowess restored in its entirety.

Falco's greatest strength is his fantastic on-stage game. All of his attacks come out very quick and have a short cooldown time, and most of Falco's aerial attacks are even safe on shield when he applies the proper advanced techniques. Falco's Blaster was one of Falco's greatest tools in Melee, and it comes back with all of its glory. Combine all his Blaster tricks with his finishing attacks, and it's easy to see why Falco is so dominating on the stage. His weaknesses lie in the fact that he has one of the fastest falling speeds in the game. He's also a light character, though not as light as Fox. However, what hurts Falco even more than his relative ease of being comboed due to his fastfall speed and how easy it is to knock him off the stage towards the side boundaries, is his recovery. Falco's recovery was notoriously bad in Melee and continues to be so in Project M. All of these together make Falco's survivability incredibly low, so he must take great care to avoid getting hit, even at lower percents.

It is this style of high-risk/high-reward play along with his high learning curve and technical skill required to play him at high levels that made Falco such a dynamic and memorable character in Melee. It is with that in mind that the Project M development team is proud to welcome back this re-imagining of Falco.

==Restoration==
As one of Melee's well-known Top Tier characters, great care was taken to recreate Falco's Melee-styled gameplay. Most of Falco's attacks that he lost in the transition from Melee to Brawl are back. Up-Tilt, Forward-Smash, Neutral-Air, and Forward-Air have all been reverted to their Melee counterparts. Use them in the same way that they were used them in Melee.

==Specials==
Falco's special attacks in Melee defined the character for better or for worse and Project M returns all of Falco's special attacks to how they were in Melee. His Blaster can no longer fire two lasers in a single short hop anymore, but they can be fast fallen at the peak of his jump, and they even regain ability to control Falco's horizontal movement. Falco holds his Reflector once again and is able to jump cancel it as well, creating many pressure opportunities in addition to reflecting projectiles. While those two specials were the cornerstone to Falco's metagame, his two other specials defined Falco in a different way: his lackluster recovery. His Falco Phantasm has been reduced to Melee length and priority, making it much easier to intercept Falco when he is coming back onstage. Firebird also loses the start-up flames that it gained in Brawl, but regains momentum after the move is completed and can grab the ledge during its start-up frames. In addition, it is no longer a multiple hit attack, but a single hit move like it was in Melee – complete with decent kill potential.

==Pressure==
With his old tools returning, Falco's pressure game from Melee returns as well. Down-Air is usually the better of the two because of greater shieldstun, but if the extra range is needed Neutral-Air will do in a pinch. The crux of Falco's pressure, however, lies in the Reflector. Like Fox's, Falco's Reflector is jump cancelable on the fourth frame which opens up a wide array of follow ups depending on what you think the opponent will do. One of the most common actions to perform out of a Reflector is a Down-Air, which has enough hitstun to link back into another Reflector. If timed properly, there are a very few number frames the opponent can act out of, and unless the opponent knows the blockstring precisely, he or she will either get hit by the Reflector or the Down-Air, or alternatively they will be trapped in their shield. This technique was known as Pillaring in Melee. Pillaring isn't a true shield lock however, but there are many other options out of the shine than simply Pillaring. Falco can jump cancel his shine into a grab, Wavedash behind the opponent and use Reflector again to limit their options (Wavedashing in general is a good option if Falco predicts a roll), or even jump cancel his Reflector into another Reflector.

==Attributes==
Falco retains his strength of having an above-average on-stage game, as he possesses a rather powerful and formidable comboing game in his repertoire.

However, Falco has some major issues with his survivability, which compose most of his weaknesses. He is among the lightest characters in the game (he weighs as much as {{PM|Lucas}}, {{PM|Pikachu}}, and {{PM|Pit}}), and is therefore easy to knock off the stage horizontally. Additionally, his recovery continues to be one of the worst in the game; this is due to a few factors, including a very low [[air speed]], an extremely fast falling speed, and his two recovery options, [[Fire Bird]] and [[Falco Phantasm]], not providing enough distance.

In addition, other characters have been buffed in ''Project M'' to the point where Falco's matchups are not as favorable as they were in ''Melee''.

Given that Falco was among the best characters in ''Melee'' however, and has transitioned better than other ''Melee'' top tier characters (such as {{PM|Jigglypuff}}) he remains a significant threat to most of the roster.

==Changes from ''Melee'' to PM==
Falco was slightly nerfed overall in the transition from ''Melee'' to ''Project M''. He was reverted to become a clone of Fox again, rather than a semi-clone (as he was in ''Brawl''). While he gained situational options from his ''Brawl'' incarnation, he lost a fair amount of his camping prowess due to the damage decay of lasers. Additionally, the strong hitbox of his down aerial now lasts less than half of its duration from ''Melee'', forcing Falco to time his down aerial far more precisely than he had to before to approach, pressure, and KO with it.

Overall, Falco is still very strong and has the tools to take on any character. However, he is less effective in the metagame because he must now contend with not only his nerfs, but the prevalence of more [[floaty]] characters that he cannot combo as easily.
===Aesthetics===
*{{change|Has ''Brawl''{{'}}s running animation.}}
*{{change|Falco uses SFXs from ''Melee'' for certain moves, such as his [[down aerial]] and Reflector.}}

===Ground Attacks===
*{{change|Falco's jabs use their animations from ''Brawl''.}}
*{{buff|Falco retains his rapid jab from ''Brawl'' having shorter gaps between hits (7 → 5 frames), set knockback (10 (base), 80 (scaling) → 3 (set)/100), and different angles (80° → 30°/50°/80°). Altogether, these changes make it connect more reliably.}}
*{{nerf|Falco's rapid jab has a higher hitlag multiplier (1x → 1.3x) making it easier to SDI.}}
*{{buff|Falco retains the ability to [[DACUS]] from ''Brawl'' although it covers less distance than it did in ''Brawl'' and Falco cannot perform the Gatling combo due to his decreased DACUS window.}}

===Aerial Attacks===
*{{nerf|Down aerial's strong initial hit duration was decreased to 4 frames, and the late hit does slightly less damage.}}

===Special Moves===
*{{nerf|{{h1|Blaster|Falco}} shots decay in damage based on distance.}}
*{{nerf|Reflector no longer has intangibility on the first frame of activation.}}

==Revisions==
===v2.5===
*{{nerf|Falco's Jab 1 reduced SDIability corrected to be normal.}}
*{{change|Falco's back throw and up throw lasers work like in ''Melee''.}}
*{{change|Falco's down throw now has an animation for the victim while being lasered and no longer freezes them in place before being thrown.}}
*{{change|Reflector's initial graphical effects sized down to match the hitbox, and the hitbox made clankable.}}
*{{change|Falco's hurtboxes adjusted.}}

===v2.6===
*{{nerf|Lasers decay in damage based on distance.}}
*{{nerf|Shine invincibility removed.}}
*{{change|Forward Smash animation adjusted to match ''Melee''.}}
*{{change|Up aerial animation adjusted to match ''Melee''.}}
*{{change|[[Fire Bird]]'s distance ported from ''Melee''.}}<!--This is either a buff or a nerf, if a PM experienced player could compare distances, please do so.-->

===v3.0===
*{{change|Shine start-up animation has been improved.}}

===v3.0.1===
*{{change|Forward smash charge graphical effects moved from his hands to his feet.}}

===v3.5===
*{{buff|Fire Bird now matches ''Melee''{{'}}s version of the move. It travels a slightly greater distance and Falco falls later into the move.}}
*{{nerf|First hit of up aerial deals slightly less damage.}}
*{{nerf|Down aerial's clean hit window has been reduced from 10 frames to 4. Its late hit does 1% less damage.}}
*{{nerf|Can no longer jump cancel Reflector's recovery frames after reflecting a projectile.}}
*{{nerf|Can no longer Gatling Combo due to the DACUS window shortening to 2 frames.}}
*{{nerf|Ending Landmaster in the air now puts Falco in a helpless state.}}
*{{change|AI is more intelligent when using Falco, utilizing his down special, but is very prone to SD's.}}

===v3.6 Beta===
*{{bugfix|Side Special no longer slides during startup, preventing a bug related to a sliding off and down of platforms.}}

==Moveset==
Up to date as of version 3.6.

{|class="wikitable"
! colspan=2| !!Name!!Damage!!Description
|-
! colspan=2 rowspan=3 | Neutral attack
| rowspan=3 | || 4% || rowspan=3 | Falco does a chop, another outward chop, and then tilts diagonally and spins very quickly with one of his arms out.
|-
|4%
|-
|1% (loop)
|-
! colspan=2| Forward tilt
| || 9% || Sticks his foot out to the side. This move be aimed up or down.
|-
! colspan=2| Up tilt
| || 9% || Does a quick upwards back kick that can be useful for [[juggling]] opponents.
|-
! colspan=2| Down tilt
| || 13% || Falco performs a quick tail swipe.
|-
! colspan=2| Dash attack
| || 9% (clean), 6% (late) || Runs forward and sticks his leg out. Sends opponents upwards.
|-
! colspan=2| Forward smash
| || {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|17}} (clean), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|14}} (late) || Flips his body in front and kicks in front of him. Similar to Fox's f-smash, but much stronger.
|-
! colspan=2| Up smash
| || {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|14}} (clean), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|12}} (late) || Performs a quick bicycle kick. Drastically weaker than Fox's u-smash, but has better juggling potential. Unlike the Melee version of the move, Falco's head does not gain intangibility frames.
|-
! colspan=2| Down smash
| || {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|16}} (legs), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|13}} (body) || Does a quick split kick. The move deals high knockback and [[semi-spike]]s opponents, making it is an excellent edgeguarder, though it has short range. Both of Falco's legs are [[intangible]] whenever he starts up the move, even while he's charging, all the way until the hitboxes come out.
|-
! colspan=2| Neutral aerial
| || 12% (clean), 9% (late) || Does a [[sex kick]] that loses power the longer it's out.
|-
! colspan=2| Forward aerial
| || 9% (hit 1), 7% (hits 2-3), 4% (hit 4), 3% (hit 5) || Kicks forward five times. The move as high duration due to the number of kicks, and it is very difficult to connect all the hits.
|-
! colspan=2| Back aerial
| || 15% (clean sweetspot), 9% (clean sourspot/late) || Does a quick kick backwards, with sex kick properties. A good move for [[edgeguarding]] due to its high KO potential.
|-
! colspan=2| Up aerial
| || 5% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2) || Whips his tail up and kicks immediately after.
|- 
! colspan=2| Down aerial
| || 12% (clean), 8% (late) || Spins around in place at a downwards angle while extending one foot. Always acts as a [[spike]], even in the lingering hitbox.
<!--Grab aerial-->
|-
! colspan=2| Grab
| || &mdash; ||
|-
! colspan=2| Pummel
| || 3% || Knees opponent. A fairly quick pummel.
|-
! colspan=2| Forward throw
| || 4% (hit 1), 3% (throw) || Falco bashes the opponent forward.
|-
! colspan=2| Back throw
| || 2% (throw), 2% (laser) || Falco throws the foe backwards and then blasts them with his blaster. 
|-
! colspan=2| Up throw
| || 2% (throw), 2% (laser) || Falco throws the foe upwards and shoots at them.
|-
! colspan=2| Down throw
| || 1% (laser shots 1-4), 1% (throw) || Falco forces his foe onto the floor, and fires directly at them. The foe now lands at the place they were thrown at, taking away Falco's [[chain grab]] ability. 
|-
! colspan=2| Floor attack (front)
| || 6% || Falco does a kick in front and in back.
|-
! colspan=2| Floor attack (back)
| || 6% || Falco punches forwards, and kicks backwards.
|-
! colspan=2| Floor attack (trip)
| || 5% || Falco spins around, kicking foes with who are close.
|-
! colspan=2| Edge attack (fast)
| || 8% (legs), 6% (head) || Falco lunges at the opponent with a kick.
|-
! colspan=2| Edge attack (slow)
| || 9% || Falco slowly gets up and hammers the ground with a kick.
|-
! colspan=2| Neutral special
| [[Blaster]] || 1-3% (laser) || Falco fires his blaster. Unlike Fox's Blaster, it is slow but does stun the opponent. Falco fires his Blaster faster when used in midair. The lasers now lose power the farther they travel.
|-
! colspan=2| Side special
| [[Falco Phantasm]] || 7% || Falco dashes forward, leaving an afterimage behind him. Enemies hit by the move will be [[meteor smash]]ed.
|-
! colspan=2| Up special
| [[Fire Bird]] || 16% || Falco charges up in flames and suddenly launches himself in one of many directions, depending on what direction is held.
|-
! colspan=2| Down special
| [[Reflector]] || 8% (activation), 1.5x damage for reflected projectiles || Falco activates his Reflector around him. When activated, it can do damage to opponents. Any projectiles are reversed back at opponents and do more damage than normal.
|-
! colspan=2| Final Smash
| [[Landmaster]] || Varies || Falco summons his Landmaster. It has more aerial mobility than Fox's, but is slightly weaker and has less ground mobility.
|}

==In [[competitive play]]==
===Most historically significant players===
<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->

''See also: [[:Category:Falco players (PM)]]''
*{{Sm|Captain Birdman|USA}} - Formerly ranked #37 on [[PMRank 2019]].
*{{Sm|FingerStripes|USA}} - Ranked 8th in Arizona.
*{{Sm|Ivayne|USA}} - The best active Falco player in the world. Ranked #37 on [[PMRank 2023]].
*{{Sm|Silver|USA}} - Considered one of the best Falcos in the world. Was ranked B+ tier (Top 24) on [[PMRank 2021-22 Mid-Season Contenders List]].
*{{Sm|Westballz|USA}} - 9th at {{Trn|The Big Balc}} and {{Trn|BroCal's Gym: Bulking Season}}. Formerly ranked 3rd on the SoCal ''Project M'' Power Rankings.

==Alternate costumes==
===Project M===
Falco now has an alternative costume based off of [[Falco (SSBM)|his appearance]] in ''Melee'', and ''Star Fox 64''. There are four variations of this costume: the original and the three [[Team Battle|team]] colors used in ''Melee''.
{|style="margin:1em auto 1em auto;text-align:center"
|-
|colspan=8|[[File:Falco Palette (PM).png|frame|center|Falco's alternate costumes in PM]]
|-
|[[File:FalcoHeadSSBB.png]]
|[[File:FalcoHeadOrangeSSBB.png]]
|[[File:FalcoHeadBlueSSBB.png]]
|[[File:FalcoHeadRedSSBB.png]]
|[[File:FalcoHeadGreenSSBB.png]]
|[[File:FalcoHeadBlackSSBB.png]]
|-
|
|[[File:FalcoHeadClassicPM.png]]
|[[File:FalcoHeadClassicRedPM.png]]
|[[File:FalcoHeadClassicGreenPM.png]]
|[[File:FalcoHeadClassicBluePM.png]]
|
|}

===Project+===
Falco has three new recolors for his default costume; a sky blue one similar to one in Smash 4, a pink one loosely inspired by Katt Monroe from early ''Star Fox'' titles, and a purple one inspired by his rival Panther Caroso from ''Star Fox Assault''. The pink Melee outfit is similar to a hidden costume in the 20XX Melee training pack.
[[File:Falco Palette (P+).png|800px|thumb|center|Falco's alternate costumes in P+]]

'''Z-Secret Costume:''' ''Star Fox Adventures'' Falco

'''R-Secret Costume:''' ''Star Fox Assault'' Falco

==Trivia==
*Oddly, Falco's ''Melee'' portrait in the Character Selection screen is mirrored, with his reflector and holster being on the wrong positions, and he faces right. Whenever any of his costumes is used in battle, his portrait shows him facing left, which is the correct position.

==External links==
*[https://pmunofficial.com/en/characters/falco/ Falco's page at the Project M website]
*[https://www.reddit.com/r/SSBPM/comments/ct8amj/labbing_discord_results_falco/ Labbing Discord Tech Post]

{{Project M}}
[[Category:Falco]]
[[Category:Characters (PM)]]
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