Editing Master Hand glitch

The player must have a controller in slot 3, or Master Hand cannot be controlled. It is much easier to do if there is only one name entered. Using this controller, place the cursor over the name field on the character selection screen. Now press {{Button|GCN|A}} and {{Button|GCN|B}} at the same time, and the player will come to the name selection. Hold {{Button|GCN|B}}, but release {{Button|GCN|A}}, then go down with the cursor until they are over the "name entry field". Then press {{Button|GCN|A}} at the right time. The game should want to go back to the menu, because the player held {{Button|GCN|B}}, but it should also want go to the name entry screen, because they pressed {{Button|GCN|A}} over "name entry". If performed correctly, instead of going to either of these, the game should go to the stage selection screen (or, in Single Player, straight to the game). After selecting the stage, the player will be playing as Master Hand.

This method is much simpler, but only works in Melee or Special Melee mode. To perform it, simply have two controllers; one as P3 and the second one in any other port. Have the controller that's not player three select a character, and then hover over the back button, while the one in the third port goes to select a name, and have them hover over the name entry button. Both controllers must then hit {{Button|GCN|A}} at the same time, as to select their option, and if done correctly, the stage select screen will appear (there is very little leeway between selection, less than a second). On whatever stage selected, player 3 will be Master Hand.

These move names are not official and the following names are from the game's files. All directions are pressed on the [[D-Pad]], not the [[Control Stick]]. Additionally the player cannot move him; the player can only get around by doing moves.

!width=10%|Debug mode input

!Description

|Master Hand makes a vaguely plane-like shape, then flies into the background. When Master Hand is about to launch, the fire that comes out of his wrist is a meteor smash. He attempts to fly into the player, then flies in from the right.

|Master Hand flies off the screen, then appears in the background as a fist. He attempts to slam into the player, then flies back onto the stage from the top of the screen. As a meteor smash, it cannot KO grounded players until very high percentages.

|Master Hand flies off the top of the screen, then appears in the background. He attempts to flatten the player. A powerful semi-spike if the player is inside of his palm; the ground-only shockwave produced starts with vertical knockback but flattens out with distance.

|Master Hand shoots a laser beam from each of his fingertips.

|Master Hand makes the shape of a gun, and fires pairs of bullets. He fires one pair if he hasn't taken 150% damage yet, and three pairs if he took 150% damage or more.

|Master Hand's [[pummel]]. After 3 squeezes he will move to a throw based on the direction when executed.

|{{Button|GCN|Z|s=32px}} + {{Button|GCN|D-Pad|U|s=32px}}

|Master Hand throws the opponent backwards with decent knockback.

|Master Hand throws the opponent into the ground. High damage and knockback, but cannot KO under normal conditions.

|-

|5% (startup), 4% (descent), 1% (each hit)

|Master Hand hovers over the target, then quickly punches down with an explosive meteor smash.

|Master Hand slaps the ground. Buries the player.

|{{Button|GCN|R|s=32px}} + {{Button|GCN|D-Pad|L|s=32px}}

|Master Hand pokes the air three times. The third poke is more powerful.

|Master Hand makes a sweeping motion across the platform.

|Master Hand takes a big swipe across the stage.

|Master Hand "walks" using his pointer and middle fingers. When he reaches his opponent, he "kicks" them.

There is also a potential conflict of two people wanting to be Master Hand, as only one player can control Master Hand at a time. This alone is typically enough for Master Hand to be banned to avoid any conflict and hassle in deciding who gets to use a character.

If Master Hand is allowed in a game, he may at first appear to have a considerable advantage, as he does not take [[knockback]] and thus cannot be [[KO]]ed at all. This means that the only way to win against Master Hand is to survive until the timer runs out while taking less [[damage]] than him and never losing a single [[stock]]. However, even with these advantages, Master Hand's competitive viability is considered to be worse than any regular character in the game.<ref>[https://smashboards.com/threads/should-master-hand-be-tourney-legal.237539/ Early discussion about Master Hand legality]</ref><ref>[https://smashboards.com/threads/the-official-master-hand-guide.278836/ In-depth discussion about Master Hand]</ref> As typical of [[boss]]es, all of Master Hand's moves have both extremely long startup lag and ending lag, and he is unable to block or dodge opponents' attacks. This allows a skilled opponent to easily dodge all of Master Hand's telegraphed attacks, while using Master Hand's unavoidably large vulnerable periods to inflict damage, including slow high-damage attacks that would almost never successfully connect in a usual match.

Master Hand's presence in doubles is more uncertain; for example he can give his partner three [[Share stock|extra live]]s (but no longer has the single-KO win condition), and his partner may prevent an opponent from dodging a Master Hand attack (but he has difficulty avoiding [[Team Attack|friendly fire]] in that case). He also has difficulty targeting the opponent whose [[port priority|port number]] is higher.