Editing Fox (SSB4)

|name         = Fox

|image       = [[Image:Fox SSB4.png|250px|Fox]]

|game         = SSB4

|ssbgame1     = SSB

|ssbgame2     = SSBM

|ssbgame3     = SSBB

|ranking = 7

'''Fox''' ({{ja|フォックス|Fokkusu}}, ''Fox'') returns as a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. He was one of the characters confirmed to return in the game during the [[E3 2013]] trailers on June 11th, 2013. He was also among the first wave of [[amiibo]] figures that are compatible with ''SSB4''. Kenji Nojima reprises his role as Fox in the Japanese version with re-recorded voice clips. However, Mike West, Fox's original English voice actor who voiced him in ''Star Fox 64'', reprised his role in the 3DS remake, ''Star Fox 64 3D'' and in the Wii U title, ''Star Fox Zero'', now once again voices Fox, replacing Jim Walker.

Fox has been ranked 7th (currently tied with {{SSB4|Sonic}}) in all versions of the [[tier list]] to date, currently in the A tier, which is the lower end of the top tier. This is a significant improvement from his previous position from ''Brawl'' where he was ranked 15th of 38 characters as an upper mid tier character, and marks Fox's return to being ranked as a top tier character, like in ''64'' and ''Melee''. Fox's strengths include very quick mobility, a fast and [[transcendent]] projectile in his [[Blaster (Fox)|Blaster]], and an anti-[[camping]] move in his [[Reflector (Fox)|Reflector]]. Altogether, these grant him one of the fastest and safest [[approach]]es in the entire game and allow him to easily keep up with almost any opponent. Fox also boasts a versatile combo game thanks to his quick, low knockback moves, along with capable KOing power, with a quick and powerful finisher in his up smash.

However, Fox's fast falling speed, high gravity, subpar air speed and light weight make him one of the easiest characters to both combo and KO, making him prone to momentum shifts. His [[recovery]], while long-distanced, is linear and predictable, allowing for players to edgeguard him. His grab game is also poor, as his throws lack utility due to having no follow-ups past medium percentages or being realistic KOing options. The introduction of [[rage]] further burdens Fox, as the efficiency of his combos drops dramatically with it, as well as  becoming even easier to KO. Fox also has a number of poor match-ups against characters ranked below him, such as {{SSB4|Rosalina & Luma}} and {{SSB4|Ryu}} and, even some matchups against low-tiered characters, such as {{SSB4|Kirby}}, are considered poor for him.

Regardless, Fox's weaknesses are not enough to keep him out of the top tier, which is evident by his high tournament representation, such as from {{Sm|Larry Lurr}}, and Fox has attained great results.  

Along with his mobility, his attack speed is remarkable. Most of his moves come out in fewer than 10 frames, and some, such as his up smash, also boast terrific power. Though his aerials have noticeable landing lag, they have favorable [[auto-cancel]] frames, with his up and back aerials auto-cancelling in a short-hop, and the latter two deal high knockback as well. Fox's frame data grants him a formidable [[approach]], as he can [[pressure]] and poke with his tilts and aerials without leaving himself open to [[punish]]es. His [[Blaster (Fox)|Blaster]], despite being nerfed, is an invaluable tool in Fox's arsenal. Its rapid-fire abilities and range give it great utility in zoning, camping, forcing approaches, and racking on damage. All of the above factors give Fox a powerful [[neutral game]].

Finally, Fox has terrible endurance. His light [[weight]] and high gravity allow many characters to KO him below 100%. Not only that, but his falling speed leaves him extremely susceptible to combos, though less vulnerable to juggles. Thus, he loses the main advantage that light-weights possess while suffering from their most glaring weakness. Some characters can easily rack up 50% on Fox off of one combo, a prominent example being {{SSB4|Luigi}}, and he along with other characters can potentially bring Fox to KO percents with one or two combos. His aforementioned recovery issues only exacerbate Fox's frailty. Since Fox aims to rack up heavy damage but can struggle KOing, he is in even greater danger of losing his stock to opponents with heavy [[rage]], and his endurance prevents him from making effective use of the mechanic.

==Changes from ''Brawl''==

Fox received a mix of [[buff]]s and [[nerf]]s in the transition from ''Brawl'' to ''SSB4'', but his direct changes nerfed him overall. Fox's neutral game is less effective, with increased lag on his aerials and a weakened camping game due to the removal of auto-canceling on his Blaster. This means Fox can no longer safely bait as many bad approaches from his opponents. Additionally, some of his finishers (such as up smash) have been weakened. He is lighter, and the changes to hitstun canceling makes him even easier to combo at low percentages and worsens his endurance. One of his most significant nerfs was to his [[Reflector (Fox)|Reflector]], which can no longer allow him to stall in the air effectively due to its drastically increased ending lag, and can no longer semi-spike, making it much less effective overall.

While he was directly nerfed, Fox benefits from the general changes of ''SSB4'' enough to overcome these nerfs. This most notably includes the removal of [[chain grab]]bing, which was a major reason for his mid-tier placement in ''Brawl'', and early [[hitstun]] cancelling, which restores his ability to perform short combos with some of his more versatile attacks, such as his up tilt and neutral aerial. Additionally, while Fox's neutral game was nerfed, it still remains better than most due to his retained mix-ups, excellent [[foxtrot]] and [[short hop]] and his overall mobility. Fox also benefits from a better [[jab cancel]], which can set up KOs more reliably. His recovery has also improved, with [[Fox Illusion]] no longer leaving him [[helpless]] and [[Fire Fox]] traveling farther. Fox benefits from the untechable [[reeling]] animation arguably more than any other character, as it now allows Fox to combo his weaker moves (such as down or neutral aerial) into his smash attacks for a K.O. Finally, his Reflector was given a slightly longer hitbox duration and a larger hitbox in update [[1.1.0]], making it more effective than it was initially for edgeguarding. As a result, he is considered to be much better relative to the cast than he was in ''Brawl'', reflected by his much greater tournament success compared to ''Brawl'' with many more dedicated mains pushing his metagame.

*{{change|Due to the aesthetic used in ''SSB4'', Fox's attire is sleeker, his overall color scheme is more vibrant, and his fur is of a significantly higher visual quality than in ''Brawl''. His teeth are also more pronounced.<ref>[https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAADbUgNpF0YEgw Pic of the Day: October 17, 2013]</ref>}}

*{{change|[[Blaster (Fox)|Blaster]]'s design has slightly changed.<ref>[https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAABAABnUYnXcxfMqw Pic of the Day: October 7, 2013]</ref>}}

*{{change|[[Air dodge]]'s animation has changed.}}

*{{nerf|Fox is [[Weight|lighter]] (80 → 79). This hinders his endurance. While this would also make him less susceptible to combos, his faster falling speed, higher gravity, and the changes to [[hitstun]] canceling collectively result in him being more susceptible to combos.}}

*{{buff|Fox [[dash]]es faster (2.08 → 2.184).}}

*{{change|Fox [[falling speed|falls]] faster (1.831 → 2.05), as it is now the fastest in the game. This improves his vertical endurance, but makes him more susceptible to combos.}}

*{{change|Fox's [[gravity]] is higher (0.175 → 0.19). This improves his aerial mobility, but hinders his horizontal endurance.}}

*{{nerf|[[Double jump]] is lower.}}

*{{change|The changes to hitstun cancelling both help and hinder Fox. They improve his combo potential, but make him more susceptible to combos.}}

*{{buff|The removal of [[chain grab]]bing significantly improves Fox's endurance.}}

*{{nerf|The removal of [[Meteor smash#Meteor canceling|meteor canceling]] makes Fox significantly more susceptible to [[meteor smash]]es.}}

*{{buff|Neutral attack second hit now has an altered animation where Fox slightly scoots forward with a slightly more-upright straight punch. This increases its range and also has significantly less recovery, allowing Fox to jab cancel out of it.}}

*{{nerf|Neutral attack's first and second hits have more ending lag (IASA 16 (first hit)/18 (second hit) → 18/21).}}

*{{buff|Neutral infinite has received a finisher,<ref>[https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAABnUYnly14CnA Pic of the Day: February 26, 2014]</ref> a side kick.}}

*{{change|Forward tilt has an altered animation where Fox swings his leg more horizontally inward, as opposed to thrusting his leg out forward.}}

*{{nerf|[[Up tilt|Up tilt]], [[down tilt|down tilt]], and [[dash attack]] deal less damage|10%/8% (up), 9%/7% (down), 7%/5% (dash)|9%/6%, 8%/6%, 6%/4%.}}

*{{nerf|Forward smash deals 1% less damage (15% → 14%) and has increased ending lag (IASA 42 → 46).}}

*{{buff|Forward smash's knockback slightly increased (10 base/96 growth → 20/98), while having Fox's right foot enlarge more, giving it a more visual range indicator.}}

*{{nerf|Up smash deals less damage (17% → 16%), has slightly decreased knockback growth (96 → 94), slightly less reach behind himself, and more ending lag. ([[IASA]] frame 44 → 56).}}

*{{nerf|Down smash has yet another new charging animation where Fox stands upright on one leg while bracing himself when looking up; this somewhat enlarges his hurtbox while charging compared to the previous animation.}}

*{{buff|Down smash's knockback was altered (50 (base)/65 (growth) → 30/75), making it slightly stronger overall (KO'ing 3% earlier from center stage).}}

*{{nerf|Neutral, forward and down aerials have increased landing lag (9 frames → 11 (neutral), 18 frames → 27 (forward), 12 frames → 25 (down)).}}

*{{nerf|Forward aerial deals drastically less damage (23% → 7%). Forward aerial gives a shorter "hover" effect than in ''Brawl''.}}

*{{buff|[[Forward aerial]] is harder to SDI out of and is easier to combo into. It can now send opponents at the [[autolink angle]], which when combined with fast falling in the middle of the attack can lead into a footstool jump, potentially gimping characters with poor vertical recoveries, such as {{SSB4|Little Mac}} and {{SSB4|Donkey Kong}}.}}

*{{nerf|Back aerial sweetspot deals less damage (15% → 13%) making it weaker despite its increased knockback growth (85 → 88), and the sourspot hitboxes in front of Fox were removed.}}

*{{nerf|[[Down aerial]]'s last hit no longer weakly meteor smashes with low set knockback, removing its utility against characters with poor vertical recoveries. It also deals less damage (21% → 11%).}}

*{{buff|Down aerial has a new landing hitbox that weakly sends opponents vertically in the air. It has high [[hitlag]] that makes it benefit from [[frame cancelling]], allowing it to link into his dash attack or up smash. It additionally can now get [[KO]]s above the upper [[blast line]] due to its changed angle.}}

*{{buff|The changes to hitstun canceling enables [[down throw]] to function better as a combo starter at low percentages.}}

*{{nerf|Down throw deals 2% less damage (9% → 7%).}}

*{{nerf|In a similar vein to {{SSB4|Falco}}, [[Blaster (Fox)|Blaster]] no longer auto-cancels upon landing and can only be fired twice from a short hop, weakening its utility.}}

*{{buff|[[Fox Illusion]] no longer leaves Fox [[helpless]] after the move is performed in the air, though it can still only be used once in the air. Fox also no longer dashes over the edge when using it on the ground. It also has decreased landing lag when used from a short hop.}}

*{{nerf|Fox Illusion deals less damage (4% → 3%), is one frame slower (frame 20 → 21) and can no longer be shortened, removing its mix-up potential. Aerial Fox Illusion has much less horizontal momentum at the end of the dash.}}

*{{buff|[[Fire Fox]] travels a greater distance, as it covers nearly as much distance as it did in the [[NTSC]] version of ''Melee''.}}

*{{nerf|[[Reflector (Fox)|Reflector]] deals 3% less damage (5% → 2%), has increased cooldown, and the removal of [[shine spike|shine spikes]] weakens its edge-guarding ability.}}

*{{buff|Reflector now protects Fox from all types of explosives when active, with the exception of [[sudden death]] Bob-ombs, which results in the total nullification of any damage that could have been taken.}}

*{{nerf|[[Landmaster]] is weaker and its duration decreased.}}

*{{buff|Landmaster can now fire its cannon while airborne.}}

*{{change|Landmaster is now light blue, instead of dark blue.}}

Fox has been slightly buffed overall in game updates. His jab cancel was weakened and his jab lock was completely removed, though his [[Blaster (Fox)|Blaster]] and [[Reflector (Fox)|Reflector]] were improved. Fox also does not seem to be notably affected by the changes to the shield mechanics brought about by updates [[1.1.0]] and [[1.1.1]].

*{{buff|[[Reflector (Fox)|Reflector]]'s hitbox duration increased|1 frame|2.}}

*{{buff|All variations of [[Blaster (Fox)|Blaster]] had their ending lag decreased by 3 frames.}}

|neutralname=&nbsp;

|ftiltname=&nbsp;

|ftiltdesc=A roundhouse kick. Can be angled up or down, but has below average knockback. When angled downwards, it can [[jab reset]].

|utiltname=&nbsp;

|utiltdesc=A scorpion kick. Excellent for follow-ups, such as back aerial, forward aerial, or up aerial. It comes out extremely fast, being frame 3, making it a good surprise attack for foes approaching from behind. Combined, it's extremely fast start up and low reaching start up hitbox means it can be used as an easy "two frame" ledge snap punish, which of course can be followed up with.

|dtiltname=&nbsp;

|dtiltdesc=Swipes at the opponent with his tail. Slightly less range than the animation would indicate.

|dashname=&nbsp;

|fsmashname=&nbsp;

|fsmashdesc=An outward crescent kick. It has good range since Fox somersaults forward. Has possibly the lowest base knockback in the game for a forward smash, but decent knockback growth.

|usmashname=Flip Kick

|usmashdesc=A bicycle kick, similar to Yoshi's up smash. It loses strength the farther it is into the animation. The clean hit has the [[slash]] effect. It hits on frame 8, has high power, and has intangiblity on both of his legs, making it Fox's most potent finisher. However, it has high ending lag (45 frames).

|dsmashname=&nbsp;

|dsmashdesc=A split kick. Very fast start-up, hits on both sides and launches opponents at a horizontal angle.

|nairname=&nbsp;

|fairname=&nbsp;

|bairname=&nbsp;

|uairname=&nbsp;

|uairdesc=A somersault kick. Auto-cancels out of a short hop. Fox's strongest aerial, as it deals above average knockback that enables it to KO near the upper blast line starting at 110%. However, the first hit of up aerial can be SDI to avoid getting hit by the second hit.

|dairname=&nbsp;

|dairdesc=A [[Drill (archetype)|corkscrew stomp that hits multiple times in quick succession]]. Auto-cancels from a full hop, making it useful for reading jumps. The last hit deals low knockback. The landing hit launches opponents away and at high percentages, a running up smash can be used as an immediate follow-up.

|grabname=&nbsp;

|pummelname=&nbsp;

|fthrowname=&nbsp;

|fthrowdesc=Releases the opponent and quickly performs a cross, launching them forward. Can lead into a dash attack or up smash at low to high percentages if the opponent does not DI away or tech. It is also Fox's strongest throw, but it does not start KOing until extremely high percentages.  

|bthrowname=&nbsp;

|uthrowname=&nbsp;

|dthrowname=&nbsp;

|dthrowdesc=Forces the opponent onto the ground and fires four rapid, point-blank shots at them with his Blaster. A semi-reliable combo starter into forward aerial, back aerial, or up aerial, depending on DI, but since it has high base knockback and scaling, such follow-ups become impossible past very low percentages unless the opponent DIs poorly.  

|nsdefdesc=Takes his Blaster out of its holster and fires at the opponent. The Blaster's lasers are fired rapidly, but do not make the opponent flinch and they lose power the farther they travel.

|nsc1desc=The Blaster fires slower lasers that deal more damage and knock opponents back, making it function similarly to Fox's Blaster in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''

|nsc2desc=Fires a single, powerful laser. Has a slower start-up time, but has considerable hitstun and good knockback. Less start-up time if used while airborne.

|ssdefdesc=Dashes forward at a blindingly fast speed, leaving behind afterimages. Fox will launch opponents at an upwards angle on contact.

|ssc1desc=Fox cannot hit opponents with the dash itself, but it will generate a large explosion wherever he stops. It can also be used to stall in midair.

|ssc2desc=Dashes at an upwards angle, [[meteor smash]]ing opponents at a downward angle if it hits with the sweetspot at the move's end. It was {{SSBB|Wolf}}'s side special move in ''Brawl''.

|usc1desc=Faster and travels a longer distance, but deals no damage.

|dsdefdesc=Activates a Reflector around himself. All projectiles are deflected and do more damage than they normally would. The Reflector damages nearby foes upon activation.

|desc-side=Fox throws his [[Blaster (Fox)|Blaster]] into the air, then allows it to land back into its holster.

|desc-jp=Fo-x! *claps 3 times*

|desc-2=Spins his Blaster and re-holsters it, saying "This is Fox. Returning to base." Japanese: {{ja|こちらフォックス、これより帰還する。|Kochira Fokkusu, kore yori kikan suru.}} (''This is Fox, returning feedback here.'')

|desc-3=Crosses his arms, looks upward, and raises his tail. It is his "character chosen" animation and [[taunt]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''

==In competitive play==

====Inactive====

During the game's release, Fox was considered a mid-tier character by the ''SSB4'' community. Players believed the reductions to his overall damage output, the weakening of his up smash, the heavily increased landing lag on his aerials, the loss of [[Blaster]] [[auto-cancelling]] and shine-spikes, and his increased frailty resulted in him being worse than his ''Brawl'' incarnation. However, they slowly reassessed their thoughts on the character, as the removal of [[chaingrabbing]] and [[edge-hogging]] and the heavy changes to [[hitstun]] cancelling would prove beneficial to Fox, as such mechanics plagued him in ''Brawl''. Opinions on Fox improved further as players discovered the first two hits of his jab could perform [[infinite]]s and easily combo into other moves, including his main finishers. As a result, a massive amount of Fox players rushed into the competitive scene and quickly gained results, with many spamming the infinite as their battle strategy. Ultimately, this "infinite" carried even casual players to victories over experts. While his jab received nerfs in patch 1.1.0 (which removed the infinite and reduced its combo utility, and caused his large playerbase reliant on the infinite to either drop Fox or perform noticeably worse), his results have continually improved, with smashers like {{Sm|MegaFox}}, {{Sm|Sodrek}} and {{Sm|Larry Lurr}} getting excellent tournament results, and the latter winning against {{Sm|ZeRo}} 3-0 in a dominating fashion at [[CEO 2016]]. He has also notably benefited from the nerfs to {{SSB4|Sheik}}, {{SSB4|Luigi}}, and {{SSB4|Bayonetta}}, who were among Fox's most challenging match-ups prior to their nerfs, though he still struggles against the latter two.

These points have led Fox to be considered a top tier character by the community as the metagame has advanced, which is reflected on him ranking at 7th on all iterations of the ''4BR'' [[tier list]]. This also makes Fox the only character to consistently stand on the same placing on each iteration of the tier list. However, some smashers such as {{Sm|Dabuz}} are claiming that Fox is too low and that he should be ranked higher on the tier list due to {{Sm|Larry Lurr}}'s dominant results.

==Trophies==

 

:'''Fox'''

::{{Flag|North America}} ''Fox is the leader of the mercenary unit Star Fox, often enlisted to defeat the evil Andross. His piloting skills are top notch, but in Smash Bros. he brings speed and fast attacks to the battle. His Reflector move allows him to turn projectile attacks against his foes, increasing their power for a punishing blow.''

 

::{{Flag|Pal}} ''Leader of the Star Fox team, Fox is a skilled pilot with a strong sense of justice. In this game, he's quick on his feet and can use his speed to toy with opponents, attacking relentlessly and giving them no room to breathe. Even if they try to attack him from afar with projectiles, his Reflector move just sends them flying right back!''

 

{{Trophy games|console1=SNES|game1=Star Fox (03/1993)|console2=N64|game2=Star Fox 64 (07/1997)}}

 

::{{Flag|North America}} ''Fox is at home in the air, and many of his moves, like his up smash, Flip Kick, will send foes up there. It's great for KOing a damaged opponent. Another handy move is his up special Fire Fox. The flames that surround Fox deal damage to nearby foes, and you can launch yourself in any direction once charged.''

 

::{{Flag|Pal}} ''The Flip Kick that Fox does for his upward smash can really send foes flying. It's well worth pulling out this attack in combos against airborne opponents. Try following it up with his red-hot Fire Fox special to hammer them repeatedly. The fact that you an fly in any direction with this move is a real bonus too!''

{{Trophy games|console1=SNES|game1=Star Fox (03/1993)|console2=N64|game2=Star Fox 64 (07/1997)}}

::{{Flag|North America}} ''Originally designed for exploration, the Landmaster in Fox's Final Smash has been converted into an ultra-high-performance, anti-air, rolling combat vehicle. When Fox hops aboard, he can drive or roll into foes and blast them with cannon fire. It can even fire in midair. And best of all, Fox is safe from damage inside this metal beast!''

::{{Flag|Pal}} ''Originally designed for exploration, the Landmaster in Fox's Final Smash has been converted into an ultra-high-performance, anti-air, rolling combat vehicle. When Fox gets on board, he can drive or roll into foes and blast them with cannon fire. It can even fire in mid-air. And best of all, Fox won't take any damage while inside!''

FoxTrophy3DS.png|Classic (3DS)

FoxAllStarTrophy3DS.png|Alt. (3DS)

FoxTrophyWiiU.png|Classic (Wii U)

FoxAltTrophyWiiU.png| Alt. (Wii U)

LandmasterFoxTrophyWiiU.png|[[Landmaster]]

==In [[Event Match]]es==

===Solo Events===

*'''[[All-Star Battle: Regulars]]''': Fox is one of the opponents fought in this event. All the opponents are starter characters that debuted in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''

*'''[[Behind Enemy Lines]]''': Fox must survive against {{SSB4|Bowser Jr.}} and {{SSB4|Mega Man}} for 1 minute. All characters start at 200% damage.

*'''[[Up to Speed]]''': {{SSB4|Sonic}} must defeat Fox, {{SSB4|Falco}}, and {{SSB4|Captain Falcon}} in a high-speed 1 stock battle.

===Co-op Events===

*'''[[Keep 'Em off the Ship!]]''': Fox and {{SSB4|Falco}} must prevent a group of {{SSB4|Mr. Game & Watch}}es from landing on the stage. The opponents have more stock on higher difficulties.

*'''[[Visiting Onett]]''': Fox is one of the opponents fought in this event. The opponents are outer space-oriented characters or characters from other planets.

*'''[[The Ultimate Battle]]''': Two players choose a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Blaster SSB4.jpg|His [[Blaster (Fox)|Blaster]].

SSB4 Fox Reflector.jpg|Using his [[Reflector (Fox)|Reflector]] to [[reflect]] {{SSB4|Samus}}'s attack.

**However, despite his current Japanese voice actor being Takashi Ōhara since ''Star Fox 64 3D'', Kenji Nojima reprises Fox in Japanese by the time of both ''Smash 4'' and ''Star Fox 3D'''s release dates. This trait is also shared with [[Falco (SSB4)|Falco]].

*''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' is the only ''Smash Bros.'' game where Fox is not holding his Blaster in his official art.

*Fox is the only character in ''SSB4'' whose normal falling speed is higher than 2, at 2.05.  

*In {{for3ds}}, Fox will appear to have two upper jaws if the game is paused right after getting hit, but only while using an attack that makes him visually open his mouth. This appears to be a graphical error similar to the "double mouth" glitch experienced by {{SSB4|Sonic}}.