Editing Lucario (PM)

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In ''Brawl'', Lucario's [[aura]] system increased the damage and knockback of its attacks as its own damage climbed. In ''Project M'', however, this system has been discarded in favor of giving the Steel/Fighting-type Pokémon two mechanics similar to those found in traditional fighting games, while some of its moves were altered to be reminiscent of the shotoclone, a popular fighting game archetype.

Lucario's moves deal the damage and knockback of its ''Brawl'' counterpart when at only 88% damage, but thanks to their decreased, consistent knockback and Lucario's new [http://i.imgur.com/v2Z0W0B.png magic series], they are much more suitable for extensive combos. The magic series gives Lucario limited control over order-based [[interruptibility]], where each stage in the chain can be cancelled into anything further down. On the ground, this chain is neutral/dash attack → tilt → smash attack → special move, while in the air the chain is aerial → special move. While a stage cannot be cancelled into itself, Lucario's jab, tilts, and some of its aerials can reliably link into themselves. Additionally, some setups allow for the ground chain to be started again, such as up-smash into aerial side-special grab, which can set up a tech-chase and thus an opportunity to start the magic series over with a neutral or dash attack.

Similar to the "super meter" present in the vast majority of fighting games, Lucario can build up energy through successful hits and "spend" it on powerful attacks or combo setups. Every attack Lucario lands nets it a number of "aura points" equal to the amount of damage dealt on a successful hit or 70% of the damage a shielded hit would have dealt. After amassing fifty points, Lucario will gain an aura charge, signaled to the player through a [http://i.imgur.com/nFvaVTQ.png blue flash of light]. Players can also remind themselves of any aura charge by examining the energy glow and trails on Lucario's hands (compare the appearance of [http://i.imgur.com/VEcr4rg.png no charges], [http://i.imgur.com/Sa5I0xx.png one charge], and [http://i.imgur.com/gbSt1uJ.png two charges]). Lucario can store up to one hundred aura points, or two charges, and retains whatever it has stored even if it loses a stock.

Aura charges are spent by pressing the standard attack button while executing the special move the player wishes to power up. Aura Sphere and Force Palm receive drastic power boosts; "Aura Bomb" is a massive, powerful, slow-moving Aura Sphere that can hit foes trying to recover through a ledge and lasts long enough for Lucario to easily throw enemies into it for a KO, while "Force Blast" becomes significantly more powerful and becomes a spike when foes are grabbed with it in the air. Meanwhile, spending an aura charge on ExtremeSpeed or Double Team will allow the player to cancel out of it using any attack other than itself, making powerful combo, chasing, recovery, or edgeguarding options possible.

Lucario has some reworked moves reminiscent of the shotoclone, a character archetype popularized by [[Ryu]] and [[Ken]] of {{uv|Street Fighter}}. Its up-smash is now a multi-hitting [[Shoryuken]], a leaping uppercut that can be reversed, comes out quickly, and can be cancelled into aerial grab Force Palm to set up a tech-chase. Force Palm, when used as a grab in the air, now meteor-smashes opponents powerfully in a spinning throw. Meanwhile, Lucario's ineffectual neutral-aerial from ''Brawl'' has been replaced with a powerful [[Tatsumaki Senpukyaku|hurricane kick]] that can KO at reasonably low percentages despite its quick startup. Double Team, while a counterattack in ''Brawl'', now functions as a command-dash that deals no damage and instead serves as a versatile movement option that provides Lucario with invincibility. Extremespeed now deals multiple weak hits while keeping foes close enough for more combos, especially when used horizontally across a stage.  

With these new techniques and mechanics, Lucario can deal massive amounts of damage over extended periods of time if it can get close enough to an opponent. However, Lucario has the same problems that would later befall its moveset inspiration {{SSB4|Ryu}}; Lucario is held back by average movement speed outside of its combos and struggles when approaching foes, as Aura Sphere is short-ranged and easily intercepted. Compared to ''Brawl'' Lucario, the comparative lack of power in its attacks also holds it back from getting KOs at regular percentages, forcing Lucario to rack up more damage than other characters would need to in order to secure a KO. In turn, these flaws force Lucario to keep close to the opponent so that it never misses a chance to punish and tack on damage, which is a problem against faster close-range fighters or ones like {{PM|Marth}}, who can use disjointed reach to keep Lucario from getting close enough.

PM Lucario Double Team.gif|Lucario using the updated Double Team.

==Changes from ''Brawl'' to ''PM''==

*{{change|[[Aura]] mechanics revamped. Lucario no longer gains strength the more it is hurt, but instead its attacks allow it to store up "aura charges" to empower its special moves, as described above.}}

**{{buff|Aura enhanced [[Aura Sphere]] drastically increases its size to where it is even bigger than Lucario, along with increased damage and knockback. It also travels slower, giving it edge-guarding use.}}

**{{buff|Aura enhanced [[Force Palm]] increases its damage and knockback, and also changes it from a [[Meteor Smash]] to a [[Spike]] in the air}}

**{{buff|Up [[taunt]] gives Lucario 5 aura points but also deals 5% damage to Lucario until it gains an aura charge. Up taunt can also be held to continue generating aura points.}}

*{{buff|Walk speed is higher (1.0 → 1.3).}}

*{{buff|Running speed is significantly higher (1.414 → 1.85).}}

*{{buff|Jump squat shortened (5 → 3 frames), granting Lucario more ease in heckling with aerials, in addition to a fast (albeit short) wavedash.}}

*{{change|Lucario's traction is higher (0.0734 → 0.095) although relative to the cast, it has gone from the highest in ''Brawl'' to the 2nd highest in ''Project M''. This makes it easier for him to punish out of shield although it gives him a very short [[wavedash]].}}

*{{change|Lucario falls faster (1.2 → 2) going from the 32nd fastest faller out of 39 characters in ''Brawl'' to the 9th fastest out of 41 characters in ''Project M''. This significantly improves its endurance but makes it much more vulnerable to combos.}}  

*{{buff|Up tilt deals 1% more damage and has less end lag (frame 33 → 28).}}

*{{change|Down tilt deals 1% less damage, but now has a sweetspot that deals 1% more than ''Brawl''{{'}}s down tilt.}}

*{{buff|Lucario has a new up smash: a leaping uppercut with repeating hitboxes leading to a strong final hit. It has less startup lag (frame 12 → 10), end lag (frame 57 → 44) deals 4% more total damage and can be turned around during start-up and jump-canceled on hit, making it overall much more useful than its old incarnation.}}

*{{nerf|Down smash has a slightly shorter duration (frames 17-23 → 12-17).}}

*{{buff|Lucario has a new neutral aerial: a spinning hurricane kick with longer range, deals 4% more damage on the clean hitbox and 2% more on the late, and lingers after a strong initial hit. It also has a longer duration (frames 6-7 (clean) 8-24 (late) → 9-15 (clean), 16-28 (mid), 29-41 (late) and less end lag (frame 69 → 55).}}

*{{nerf|Forward aerial has a shorter duration (frames 7-21 → 4-9 (clean), 10-12 (late)) and has more end lag (28 frames → 39). Lucario can no longer perform two forward aerials in a short hop.}}

*{{buff|Back aerial deals 2% more damage and now has a sweetspot that deals 3% more. It also no longer has a late hitbox. It also has less startup lag (frame 15 → 10).}}

 

*{{nerf|Down throw deals 3% less damage.}}

*{{buff|[[Force Palm]] [[meteor smash]]es aerially grabbed opponents.}}

*{{buff|[[ExtremeSpeed]] now deals damage and knockback with repeating hitboxes for a total of 13% damage.}}

*{{buff|[[Double Team]] is no longer a [[Counterattack]]; it is now a short dash which grants invincibility. While in the air, Lucario will dash diagonally downwards. This makes Double Team more versatile, allowing Lucario to slip behind its opponents and attack an unguarded part of the enemy, with its aerial version allowing Lucario to return to the ground more quickly.}}

*{{buff|Double Team movement during dash increased and smoothed out to provide more momentum when canceled at any length, goes a slightly longer distance overall, and in the air transitions into fall better.}}

*{{buff|Jab 1 & 2 inner hits link better into the next jab.}}

*{{nerf|Forward smash hitbox ends sooner, slightly less base knockback on weak hit, and momentum is preserved on startup to be able to slide during it.}}

*{{bugfix|Up smash charges up properly, scaling damage and knockback accordingly when charged.}}

*{{buff|Up smash animation cleaned up, has an aura trail added to the fist, and it steps into the move instead of back giving it much more range.}}

*{{buff|Forward air foot aura hitbox on strong hit does increased damage, base knockback, and has a more vertical trajectory.}}

*{{buff|Down throw speed is weight dependent and has significantly less startup to be harder to DI.}}

*{{buff|Quick get up attack does not whiff when the opponent are standing very close to the edge.}}

*{{buff|[[Aura Sphere]] charge cancel now has its own animation which allows canceling into wait instead of into Shield, and the charge hits' hitlag is increased.}}

*{{change|Force Palm's grab has more startup, but grab duration is slightly longer.}}

*{{change|Force Palm's attack hitboxes adjusted in damage and knockback, with the closest being the strongest.}}

*{{change|ExtremeSpeed hitboxes adjusted so that the final hit will actually come out before the animation ends, and has a hitbox when grabbing the edge.}}

*{{change|ExtremeSpeed uses weight dependent set knockback on multihits and super cancel instead of base knockback and no growth, and the multihits are not as SDIable.}}

*{{change|ExtremeSpeed and [[Double Team]] have priority over [[Force Palm]] for OHCs when inputting diagonally.}}

*{{change|Double Team startup increased significantly, but is intangible when it begins to move instead of partially into the dash.}}

*{{buff|Aerial Force Palm grab collisions adjusted to cover slightly more vertical area.}}

*{{buff|Double Team can be interrupted sooner on the ground.}}

*{{bugfix|Fixed a glitch with aerial Force Palm used directly out of hitstun where Lucario would fall after grabbing an enemy.}}

*{{change|ExtremeSpeed cancel end animation transitions better into fall.}}

*{{buff|Double Team has less startup and is invincible slightly longer. Same total duration.}}

*{{nerf|Wallcling can no longer be activated out of ExtremeSpeed ending.}}

*{{nerf|Powered and non-powered aerial Force Palm's angles were decreased}}

*{{nerf|Double Team's invincibility frames end 3 frames earlier (28 to 25), and does not refresh on hit}}

| || 7% || Lucario kicks in an arc over its head. The move come out quick and can juggle.

| || 9% (body), 10% (aura) || Lucario performs a low sweeping kick attack towards nearby opponents. Lucario's leg flares up while performing the attack.

| || 10% (clean) 7% (late) || Lucario does a kick attack, with the animation used from its previous version of [[Double Team]]. This attack is based off the medium and heavy kicks from the ''Street Fighter'' series.

| || 14% (body), 15% (aura) || Lucario thrusts one arm backwards, radiating a small burst of bluish white aura. It has good horizontal reach and the sweetspot is the burst of aura, which deals slightly more damage and stronger horizontal knockback. This move turns Lucario around in the air.

| || 11% (body), 12% (aura) || Lucario thrusts one leg upward, similar to its forward aerial but kicks higher, hitting in front of its head. This move has a sweetspot located at the aura burst near Lucario's foot, which deals more damage and knockback. Overall, this move has good defensive capabilities due to the hitbox covering Lucario's entire body.

| || 2% || Sends an instant pulse of aura into the opponent.

| || 10% || Lucario turns and slams the opponent onto the ground. Has relatively fast speed.

| || 5% || Lucario gets up and kicks forwards, then backwards.

| || 10% || Lucario slowly climbs onto the stage while bringing its feet over its head, and then kicks downward. Rather slow and not recommended unless as surprise attack.

|[[Aura Sphere]]/Aura Bomb|| ≈0.75% (charge hits), 6-15% (Aura Sphere), 25% (Aura Bomb) || Lucario charges a spherical aura blast. Pressing the special button again will cause Lucario to fire it. This move now has only five levels of charge, the final one being available for only two frames before full charge. The super version of this attack which can be activated by pressing both the A and B button is an extremely large Aura Bomb that moves even slower than the normal fully charged version and does much greater damage and knockback. The sphere also has hitboxes around Lucario's hands on startup, making it a viable close range option. Its monstrous size and low speed makes it a useful [[edge-guarding|edgeguarding]] tool.

|[[Force Palm]]/Force Blast|| 10%/8%/6% (aura close/mid/far), 13% (throw), 6% (escape) || Fires a burst of aura in front of itself. If the opponent is close to Lucario, the move acts like a grab, with Lucario blasting the foe with aura at point-blank range. When grabbing an opponent in the air, Lucario will throw them downwards, acting as a [[meteor smash]]. The super version of the move which is activated using the side b input along with the A button and it increases the damage and knockback of the throw, and makes the aerial version a [[spike]].

===Most historically significant players===

 

 

*{{Sm|Rongunshu|Canada}} - Co-mains {{PM|Lucario}} with {{PM|Marth}} and is considered the best {{PM|Lucario}} player in the world, notably winning the first major with {{PM|Lucario}} at the unofficial [[Riptide 2022]] side event, [[Undertow 2022]]. Ranked #6 on [[PMRank 2022]].

*{{Sm|iPunchKidsz|USA}} - "IPK" was widely considered to be the best {{PM|Lucario}} during his active years. His highly optimized use of Aura Sphere Canceling (ASC) revolutionized {{PM|Lucario}}'s [[punish]] game.

*{{Sm|Fearless|USA}} - Ranked #20 on [[PMRank 2022]] and ranked 1st on the Houston ''Project M'' Power Rankings, Fearless is known for his strong neutral game utilizing [[dash dancing]].

*{{Sm|Poilu|Canada}} - Was formerly ranked #22 on [[PMRank 2019]] and 1st on the European ''Project M'' Power Rankings prior to moving to Canada. Known for his unconventional use of [[ExtremeSpeed]] as a low-percent kill option.

*{{Sm|SipMastah|USA}} - Very strong Lucario Multi main alongside Meta Knight, Sonic, and Diddy Kong. Ranked #9 on [[PMRank 2022]].

*{{Sm|Boat|USA}} - Lucario and Pit dual main ranked #42 on [[PMRank 2023]].

*{{Sm|Fudgepop01|USA}} - Notable labber and creator of many guides and tech posts driving the development of {{PM|Lucario}}'s metagame.

Lucario has more variety with its palettes, which stand out more in team battles. Lucario would later coincidently gain an almost identical black palette swap in ''Smash 4''. 

3.5 included a costume inspired by the Black Belt class from the Pokémon franchise. It has the Fighting and Steel type emblems from the TCG on the back, an Expert Belt, and a Focus Band. This costume also has a black variation with a Choice Band and the Cobble Badge replacing the type emblems on the back.

|colspan=6|[[File:Lucario Palette (PM).png|frame|center|Lucario's alternate costumes in PM]]

*Lucario's yellow palette swap, which resembles its {{s|bulbapedia|Shiny}} coloration, has a minor cosmetic error in ''Project M'' that gives Lucario blue eyes instead of red. This cosmetic error has been fixed as of version 2.3 of ''[[Project+]]''.

**As a reference to the ''Pokémon'' series, in ''[[Project+]]'', Lucario's shiny alternate costume emits sparkles during its entrance. This trait is shared with the rest of the playable Pokémon in the mod.

*Coincidentally, ''Street Fighter'' was formally represented beginning in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' by including {{SSB4|Ryu}} as a playable fighter, and would gain more representation when he returned alongside newcomer {{SSBU|Ken}} in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. As mentioned before, many elements of ''Street Fighter'' inspired Lucario's changes in the mod:

**Lucario's alternate costume loosely resembles the character's attire, despite it being meant to reference the [[bulbapedia:Black Belt (Trainer class)|Black Belt]] class from the ''Pokémon'' series. ''Project+'' introduced recolors for this costume that resemble characters related to Ryu and Ken, such as Dan Hibiki and Sean Matsuda, with the former two appearing in ''Ultimate''.

**Lucario has attacks that match the 3 staple moves of the "shoto" characters from ''Street Fighter''; its neutral special [[Aura Sphere]] resembles the [[Hadoken]], its new up-smash is an uppercut reminiscent of the [[Shoryuken]], and its neutral aerial is a spinning kick that resembles the [[Tatsumaki Senpukyaku]]. Ryu has used all of the aforementioned moves throughout the ''Street Fighter'' series.

*[https://www.reddit.com/r/SSBPM/comments/fwkh2o/labbing_discord_results_lucario/ Labbing Discord Tech Post]