Editing Mr. Game & Watch (SSB4)

|ranking = 39

'''Mr. Game & Watch''' ({{ja|Mr.ゲーム＆ウォッチ|Misutā Gēmu ando Wotchi}}, ''Mr. Game & Watch'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. After making a cameo in {{SSB4|Pac-Man}}'s trailer, Mr. Game & Watch was announced during the [[Nintendo Direct#Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: 50-Fact Extravaganza|''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' 50-Fact Extravaganza]] on October 23rd, 2014.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0BBGzfw0pQ Wii U - Super Smash Bros. for Wii U 50-Fact Extravaganza]</ref> Like in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', he uses ''Game & Watch''-esque sound effects to represent his "voice".

Mr. Game & Watch is ranked 39th out of 55 on the tier list, placing him at the top of the E tier. This is a significant drop from his ranking in ''Brawl'', where he was ranked 16th out of 38. Mr. Game & Watch's strengths include great combo and air games, as well as a high overall damage output in spite of his size and weight. His overall mobility is also decent, with his recovery in particular being impressive due to [[Fire]]'s long-ranged distance, large [[Edge sweet spot|edge sweetspot]], and general safety.

Mr. Game & Watch is also good at [[edgeguard]]ing, due to his recovery and moderately fast aerials. His landing lag, while not supplemented by autocancels, is actually quite low and is among the best in the game in terms of the total amount of frames in aerial move lag upon landing.

However, Mr. Game & Watch possesses notable weaknesses as well. One of his biggest flaws includes a surprising inability to KO at higher percentages despite dealing a lot of damage quickly. This is due to his finishers being plagued with either inconsistent KO set-ups (such as down throw into up aerial), KOing options that are too sluggish, or have large sourspots (such as forward and down smashes, respectively).

Additionally, while he has surprisingly good range for his size due to his disjointed hitboxes, he still has shorter range than a handful of the cast, such as {{SSB4|Shulk}}, {{SSB4|Ike}}, {{SSB4|Marth}}, and {{SSB4|Cloud}}. He is also the third lightest character in the game, making him prone to getting KO'd quite easily, which is further exacerbated by the loss of [[Bucket Braking]] and the introduction of [[rage]].

 

Overall, Mr. Game & Watch's strengths are generally on par with his weaknesses. While his tournament representation is poor overall due to his noticeable character flaws and unpopularity in competitive play, he has still achieved above average tournament results, such as {{sm|Regi}} placing 17th at [[EVO 2016]] and {{Sm|Maister}} placing 13th and 17th at [[GENESIS 5]] and [[2GG: Hyrule Saga]], respectively.

Mr. Game & Watch's archetype as a lightweight slightly differs from the majority of his fellow lightweights. While he is small, has the third lightest [[weight]], the fifth slowest [[falling speed]], below average [[gravity]], low [[jump]]s and is tied for the seventh fastest [[air acceleration]], he has average [[walking]] and [[dashing]] speeds, a low short hop and above average [[air speed]]. Overall, Mr. Game & Watch's speed when moving is quite exceptional for a lightweight, but his low falling speed can be somewhat detrimental. His short size also makes him difficult to hit, especially when crouching.

Unlike most lightweights, Mr. Game & Watch has moves with disjointed hitboxes, with some of them reaching relatively far from him. His damage output is above average, and he has a good combo game, allowing him to easily rack up a decent amount of damage with few moves. His down throw is a reliable combo starter, being able to be followed by his up tilt (on floaty characters) or neutral attack (on fast-fallers) at low percents, Judge, up smash or Oil Panic from low to high percents, all aerials except down aerial from mid to high percents, and Fire at high percents. His combo game is further compounded by his great air game, with his neutral, forward, back and up aerials having good combo utility and being fairly damaging.

His neutral aerial has pretty high range above him and does very high damage if all hits connect and the last hit has moderate knockback, making it difficult to punish, as well as being rarely escaped by SDI and able to be followed up by other moves. His forward aerial has decent range and knockback (when clean), making it useful for edgeguarding, and the late hit can be followed up by another attack when late despite the moves' ending lag. His back aerial, while less damaging than in ''Brawl'', is still pretty useful due to its disjointed range and low knockback that allows it to be followed by another one, giving it effective [[wall of pain]] ability.

Mr. Game & Watch's up and down aerials are mainly used for KOing. His up aerial is his strongest one, but its windbox can make it difficult to connect into the second hit, which carries all the knockback. Nevertheless, its windbox can also safely space the move and juggle opponents. Meanwhile, his down aerial is an effective meteor smash as well as being a [[stall-then-fall]], giving Mr. Game & Watch an effective move for edgeguarding, ending a stock early, and getting out of juggles.

While he has fairly damaging moves, Mr. Game & Watch also has plenty of reliable and powerful finishers for his weight class, which can put him on par with some heavyweights. The most notable examples include his forward and down tilts at high percents, all of his smash attacks, his aerials, Judge 9 and Oil Panic. Finally, his special moveset is pretty decent, albeit polarized. His neutral special, Chef, is weak but can effectively stun players, as well as work as an efficient anti-pressure option from afar. His up special, [[Fire]], grants exceptional vertical distance and deals average knockback, as well as slows his descent down after usage, giving Mr. Game & Watch an amazing recovery that is also difficult to edgeguard.

Mr. Game & Watch's side special, [[Judge]], is infamously polarized due to being luck-based; its effects range from causing no knockback while damaging Mr. Game & Watch himself (1) to inflicting extremely high knockback that can KO even at very low percents (9). Finally, Oil Panic can absorb three energy-based projectiles (or one extremely powerful energy-based projectile) before unleashing a powerful attack that can score a [[one-hit KO]] depending on how much damage it has absorbed. However, it only works on characters with absorbable projectiles such as {{SSB4|Zelda}} and {{SSB4|Samus}}, making it very situational and generally not that useful.

While Mr. Game & Watch does have many positive traits, he also possesses many notable weaknesses. Due to his two-dimensional nature, he is one of the lightest characters in the game, which makes him susceptible to early KOs, especially vertically. He has a very short roll that is quite slow, often punishable even when used sparingly. His grab game is also very poor outside of grab combos: his grab still has very short reach, his pummel is slow and he has no useful throws other than his down throw.

Despite possessing large, disjointed hitboxes, Mr. Game & Watch's overall range is mostly mediocre. Their range was also nerfed from ''Brawl'', with his attacks being much less wide and far. While the majority of his moveset has quick startup, it suffers from particularly high ending and landing lag in most of his attacks, allowing him to be easily punished when his moves are whiffed. Finally, some of his special moves are considered to be situational depending on the matchup, with Judge being an unsafe move in general due to its randomness, and Oil Panic being only useful when facing a character with an absorbable projectile.

Mr. Game & Watch has a few noteworthy [[Character customization|custom moves]]. Short-Order Chef is weaker, but much faster, allowing him to space more easily. Chain Judge has no special effects but deals more damage the higher the number is, significantly improving the move's consistency and damage racking capabilities. Heavy Trampoline grants less distance at the cost of being stronger, while Trampoline Launch has no parachute at the cost of granting more distance and being stronger as well.

All in all, Mr. Game & Watch can be considered a glass cannon due to his ability to quickly rack up damage and high KO potential. By these same merits, he himself is susceptible to being finished off earlier than most characters.

In ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', Mr. Game & Watch was typically seen as an upper mid tier/lower high tier character. Mr. Game & Watch was a small target with solid aerial mobility, who possessed surprisingly powerful attacks, many disjointed attacks with large hitboxes, a great recovery and he possessed a very powerful tool in his [[Oil Panic]] bucket. Oil Panic was not only a very powerful tool to deal with projectiles, but it was also an incredible [[momentum canceling]] tool, allowing Mr. Game & Watch to have solid horizontal endurance, despite his low weight. On the other hand, Mr. Game & Watch suffered from having slow startup on many of his attacks, having an array of multi hit attacks which could be [[SDI]]ed out of and he generally did not have strong approach options, or reliable ways to rack up a ton of damage. Because of this, Mr. Game & Watch was an overall solid character, but he was outclassed by a sizeable portion of the cast, and he overall struggled against most top/high tier characters.

In ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' Mr. Game & Watch has seen a mix of buffs and nerfs but he was overall nerfed. Many of his moves have increased lag, such as his neutral aerial having a shorter duration, more ending lag, more landing lag and no longer [[auto-cancel]]ing with short hops, which weakens his options to [[approach]] or [[Punishment|punish]] opponents. His other aerials (except forward aerial) having increased landing lag especially his down aerial. Mr. Game & Watch's overall range, damage output and KO potential have been reduced making it harder for him to rack up damage and land KOs. The changes to [[hitstun canceling]] can be considered a double-edged sword for Mr. Game & Watch: they indirectly removed [[Bucket Braking]] and [[momentum canceling]], which greatly hinders his endurance especially horizontally and it makes him more susceptible to combos, yet it improves his combo game due to his altered down throw which is now a very strong combo starter. He also suffers from the removal of [[edge momentum shifting]] as he could previously making solid use of it using [[Judge]]. The inclusion of [[rage]] also does not benefit Mr. Game & Watch as much as some other characters as while it improves his KO potential, his very poor endurance prevents him from making great use of it.  

Mr. Game & Watch has seen some buffs though. As previously mentioned, his down throw is now a potent combo throw which can potentially lead into an up aerial for a KO. While [[Oil Panic]] has had its valuable Bucket Braking ability removed, it also fills faster, letting Mr. Game & Watch use one of his most situational moves more frequently. His recovery has also been improved due to his faster air speed, [[Fire]]'s increased vertical distance which also no longer suffers from the [[grab release glitch]], and Oil Panic's newly acquired jump boost mechanic.  

As a result, Mr. Game & Watch is a significantly less effective character overall as while most of his strengths are still there, they were nevertheless toned down and his weaknesses were not properly addressed. He also did not benefit from the changes to the game's mechanics as much as some other returning veterans. Despite this, he still had some dedicated players, such as {{Sm|GimR}}, {{Sm|Regi}} and {{Sm|Maister}}, who have occasionally received some solid results with the character.  

*{{change|Mr. Game & Watch's design has changed. He now has a rounder head; a slightly smaller and rounder nose; a slightly wider torso; circular hands, shorter arms, and slightly smaller feet; and a thinner outline that is layered gray and white. Altogether, these changes make Mr. Game & Watch appear much more in line with his appearance in ''{{s|mariowiki|Game & Watch Gallery 4}}''. His animations are also choppier, which better simulate the frame-by-frame movement within the ''Game & Watch'' series.}}

*{{change|Walk's animation has changed. Mr. Game & Watch now walks more flippantly while he repeatedly looks back and forth. This originates from ''Helmet''.}}

*{{nerf|Unlike almost every other returning veteran, Mr. Game & Watch [[dash]]es marginally slower (1.553 → 1.5264), going from the 15th fastest out of 39 characters to only the 34th fastest out of 58 characters.}}

*{{buff|Mr. Game & Watch's [[fast fall]]ing speed is higher (1.736 → 1.984) although it has gone from the 9th lowest out of 39 characters to the 5th lowest out of 58.}}

*{{nerf|Rolls have a shorter duration (frames 4-19 → 4-16).}}

*{{nerf|Air dodge has a slightly shorter duration (frames 4-29 → 2-26).}}

*{{nerf|[[Spot dodge]] has a shorter duration (frames 2-20 → 2-16).}}

**{{nerf|The attack button now needs to be mashed at least three times in quick succession in order to initiate the neutral attack infinite, if the first hit does not connect. This makes it more difficult to initiate the infinite, as it can no longer be buffered.}}

**{{buff|Additionally, this improves the move's damage racking potential against opponents from behind, especially at a wall.}}

***{{nerf|However, this new finisher also has much more ending lag (FAF 9 → 24).}}

***{{buff|Despite this, it still has greater combo potential overall due to the changes to [[hitstun canceling]] and [[Directional Influence]].}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt's animation has been altered so Mr. Game & Watch's arch is much more shallow. This hinders it's ability to hit in front of or behind Mr. Game & Watch.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt has smaller hitboxes (6.5u/4.5u/3.8u → 5.5u/3u) and the body hitbox has been removed. This along with its altered animation decreases up tilt's range, especially inside of Mr. Game & Watch, despite the hand hitbox being moved closer to Mr. Game & Watch (y offset: 0 → -1.5).}}

***{{buff|This angle is lower than the previous angle which along with it sending opponents forwards, improves the move's edgeguarding potential.}}

**{{change|Forward smash has a slightly altered animation. Mr. Game & Watch now swings the torch with both hands, instead of just one.}}

**{{nerf|The sweetspot is much smaller, only possessing one hitbox (6u/5u → 3u), it now has lower priority than the sourspot and it has been moved closer to Mr. Game & Watch (z offset: 17/10 → 11), now merely covering his hand. This drastically reduces its range and makes it much harder to land.}}

**{{nerf|The sourspot also launches opponents at a higher angle (361° → 53°), hindering its KO potential despite its higher knockback scaling (98 → 100).}}  

**{{nerf|The sourspot is larger (3u → 5.3u) and it has been moved closer to Mr. Game & Watch (z offset: 0 → 17). This combined with it now taking priority over the sweetspot (ID# 2 → 0) makes it much easier to land, hindering forward smash's overall effectiveness.}}

**{{buff|Mr. Game & Watch's head now gains [[invincibility]] rather than intangibility, making it more effective at stuffing out attacks.}}

***{{buff|In addition to this, up smash gains invincibility much sooner and for a much longer period of time (frames 24-28 → 4-25), allowing him to evade attacks long before the hitboxes even come out.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash has increased ending lag (FAF 34 → 42), no longer having the shortest total duration out of every down smash.}}

**{{nerf|The sourspot deals much less knockback (60 (base), 68 (scaling) → 30/65).}}  

**{{nerf|The sweetspots have smaller hitboxes (7u → 5u). When combined with the increased hammer size, this reduces their range and results in the move no longer fully covering the hammers, rather than being deceptively disjointed.}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial has more ending lag (FAF 35 → 43). Notably, this prevents Mr. Game & Watch from double jumping after performing neutral aerial in a short hop.}}  

**{{buff|The changes to shieldstun significantly benefits back aerial due to its above average hitlag multipliers. This is because the opponent not only has more shieldstun, but they are also no longer put into shieldstun while Mr. Game & Watch is still in hitlag. Because of this, the opponent can now only perform [[out of shield]] options on the same frame that the next hit comes out (assuming the attack connects on the first possible frame), as opposed to four frames prior, preventing the option from rolling, spot dodging or using an intangible up special (if they have access to one) to avoid the rest of the attack.}}  

**{{nerf|Back aerial has more landing lag (12 frames → 19).}}  

**{{buff|Clean down aerial has a longer duration (frame 12 → 12-13).}}  

**{{buff|The clean hit now consistently [[meteor smash]]es opponents (270°/60° → 270°). This along with the removal of meteor-canceling significantly improves its edgeguarding potential.}}

*{{buff|Mr. Game & Watch releases his opponents from his throws much sooner (frame 56 → 26), making them much harder to DI.}}  

**{{buff|Down throw now launches opponents vertically (270° → 80°). While this does remove its tech chasing potential (which it would have lost anyway due to the changes to meteor smashes against aerial opponents), it also significantly improves its reliability and combo potential when combined with the changes to hitstun canceling and DI.}}

***{{nerf|However, this new angle does also remove down throw's edgeguarding potential.}}

**{{buff|Down throw has much less base knockback but much more knockback scaling (80 (base), 30 (scaling) → 35/120). When combined with its new launch angle, this significantly improves the move's combo potential at lower percents as opponents are no longer put into [[tumble]] until mid percents and at high percents, it can even lead into an up aerial for a guaranteed KO (known as the "Toot-Toot").}}

*{{nerf|The removal of [[edge momentum shifting]] has hindered Mr. Game & Watch's approach potential with his specials, reducing their utility.}}

**{{change|Judge can now have the same number appear consecutively, instead of having to cycle through three subsequent swings.}}

**{{buff|The weakening of SDI makes Judge 5 significantly more difficult to escape from.}}

**{{buff|The changes to shields significantly benefits Judge 3 and 9's shield pressuring potential.}}

**{{buff|Fire is no longer affected by the [[grab release glitch]] allowing Mr. Game & Watch to re-use Fire if he has been grab released out of it in midair.}}

**{{change|Aerial Oil Panic no longer halts Mr. Game & Watch's horizontal momentum, and only stalls once in the air. While this significantly hinders it's use of absorbing projectiles offstage, it allows Mr. Game & Watch to combine it with his mid-air [[jump]] to increase the distance of his jump, improving its recovery potential.}}

|neutralname=&nbsp;

|neutraldesc=Rapidly presses an insecticide pump, pumping gas onto the opponent. Excellent for escaping pressure and hard to escape from. The last hit can KO at very high percents near the edge. Originates from ''Green House''.

|ftiltname=&nbsp;

|ftiltdesc=Thrusts a chair forward to hit with its legs. It is powerful and the chair is a fully disjointed hitbox. Has decent KO potential at high percents when clean, especially near the edge. Originates from ''Lion''.

|utiltname=&nbsp;

|utiltdesc=Swings a flag overhead. Good as a follow-up from down throw, but its very small hitboxes make it inconsistent at connecting both hits. The second hit launches opponents upward and backward, which can combo into his back aerial at medium percents. Combos into itself with fast-fallers and heavyweights at lower percents. KOs at very high percentages. Originates from ''Flagman''.

|dtiltname=&nbsp;

|dtiltdesc=Flips a manhole. Has a windbox capable of juggling opponents from above, as well as destroy or derail projectiles with proper timing. It is a semi-spike and deals strong horizontal knockback, making it capable of KOing under 150% near the edge. Very useful for pushing recovering opponents high up, especially against those who cannot immediately grab the edge with their special moves, such as {{SSB4|Little Mac}} and {{SSB4|Cloud}}. Originates from ''Manhole''.

|dashname=&nbsp;

|dashdesc=Performs a sliding headbutt while wearing a helmet. It has good range and is very fast, sliding Mr. Game & Watch forward in a choppy frame-by-frame manner, making it difficult to react to. This move is a tool for both risky approaching and safe punishing. Low ending lag, good knockback, and high amount of active frames make it a decent KOing option near the edge and useful for edgeguarding before an opponent can grab the edge. Originates from ''Helmet''.

|fsmashname=&nbsp;

|fsmashdesc=Swings a lit torch downward. The sweetspot is at the flame, while the sourspot is at the torch. Has a disjointed hitbox with great base knockback and even greater knockback scaling, as well as coming out relatively quickly and having good interruptibility. Its sweetspot KOs at 106%, while its sourspot KOs at 130%. Originates from ''Fire Attack''.

|usmashname=&nbsp;

|usmashdesc=Performs an upward headbutt while wearing a diving helmet. The hitbox extends a short way above the helmet. Has noticeable start-up lag, but an [[invincibility]] frame window upon start-up. This lets Mr. Game & Watch perform a pseudo-counterattack against almost all attacks that hit him during start-up, which makes it good for interrupting aerial approaches or attacks. It also has low ending lag, making it a viable strategy to spam at KO percents. One of the strongest up smashes in the game, KOing at 102% uncharged and 60% fully charged. Originates from ''Octopus''.

|dsmashname=&nbsp;

|dsmashdesc=Swings two hammers downward and on both of his sides. Solid range. Hammer heads deal vertical knockback while the handles semi-spike. When sweetspotted, this is one of the most powerful down smashes in the game, KOing at 105%. However, the sourspot cannot KO reliably below 150%. Its fast interrupting ability can surprise people by using it again after a missed one. It is effective at edgeguarding as the sourspot semi-spikes, and even though the sweetspot has vertical knockback, its great knockback can still KO a recovering opponent. Originates from ''Vermin''.

|nairname=&nbsp;

|nairdesc=Tosses out a pair of fish from a bowl. Multiple hitboxes enable it to covers every area except below him. This move deals 17% if all four hits are used, making it a potent down throw combo. It also combos into itself at mid-range percents. However, the hits fail to connect together at high percents, and the opponent will fall out. The last hit has moderate knockback, allowing it to KO at high percents, but only lasts for 1 frame. Originates from ''Tropical Fish''.

|fairname=&nbsp;

|fairdesc=Swings a boxed package. A fully disjointed hitbox. Clean hit lasts for only a frame, and the weak hit can be used for a [[lock]] after a [[footstool]]. Can be used for edgeguarding at higher percents. According to the official melee website, this move originates from ''Mario's Cement Factory'', however the object looks closer to the boxes from ''Game & Watch'' version of ''Mario Bros.''

|bairname=&nbsp;

|bairdesc=Swings a snapping turtle. A fully disjointed hitbox. If shielded, opponents often drop their shields too soon due to the turtle's hitlag causing it to have unexpected duration when it is landed. With proper spacing, it is quite safe on shield as well despite a lack of shieldstun. Can combo into itself up to 3 or even 4 times depending on opponent DI. The landing hitbox launches opponents vertically, while landing the final aerial hitbox launches opponents horizontally. Because of the last aerial hitbox's properties, it can be used for a [[wall of pain]] in conjunction with [[reverse aerial rush]] effectively. Originates from ''Turtle Bridge''.

|uairname=Spitball Sparky

|uairdesc=Blows air upward twice. Notorious for its huge wind area outside the main hitbox, with the wind being more powerful the closer the opponent is to Mr. Game & Watch, while its second hit has high knockback. Connecting both hits can KO from 70%-120%, although getting the second hit is difficult without proper alignment. Down throw into up air is a true [[kill confirm]] at specific percentage windows. Spamming this move can make it difficult for opponents to land. The wind hitbox can be used to help teammates with their vertical recovery, and can also be used to possibly gimp certain character's recoveries like {{SSB4|Ness}} or {{SSB4|Lucas}}' should they not be ready to change the direction of [[PK Thunder]]'s arc. Originates from ''Spitball Sparky''.

|dairname=&nbsp;

|dairdesc=Drops downward while holding a key beneath himself. A [[stall-then-fall]], it [[meteor smash]]es powerfully on the first frames. Can be moved left or right a bit. While it can cause Mr. Game & Watch to [[self-destruct]] while using it off-stage, his effective recovery and the move being being slower than other stall-then-falls makes this unlikely. It is a safe option when edgeguarding and has KO potential at high percents. Originates from the ''Game & Watch'' version of ''Donkey Kong Jr.''

|grabname=&nbsp;

|grabdesc=Reaches out. Originates from ''Mario's Cement Factory''.

|pummelname=&nbsp;

|pummeldesc=Hits the opponent with a bell. It is tied with {{SSB4|Luigi}}'s as the fourth most damaging pummel in the game, but is also the fourth slowest pummel in the game. Originates from the Game & Watch's alarm feature.

|fthrowname=&nbsp;

|fthrowdesc=Juggles the opponent and tosses them forward. Originates from ''Ball''.

|bthrowname=&nbsp;

|bthrowdesc=Juggles the opponent and tosses them backward. Originates from ''Ball''.

|uthrowname=&nbsp;

|uthrowdesc=Juggles the opponent and tosses them upward. Combos into Fire, as well as up aerial and rarely neutral aerial at low percents. This makes it good for short, high damage burst combos early on. Originates from ''Ball''.

|dthrowname=&nbsp;

|floorfdesc=Swings a hammer downward in front of himself and then behind himself. It is very fast. Originates from ''Vermin''.

|nsdefdesc=Flips food out of a frying pan. Tapping the special button flips food faster. Moves slowly through the air in varying arcs. The food can be used defensively to cancel attack animations of opponents as a zoning tool as well as to prevent aerial approaches and can be used for edgeguarding against opponents with linear recoveries. Hitting with the pan itself is much more rewarding when edgeguarding, as the pan is a semi-spike and can gimp opponents with short-ranged recoveries, such as {{SSB4|Ganondorf}}.

|nsc1desc=Flips a single, large piece of food that deals more damage, but each flip takes significantly longer, while the food projectiles travel much slower. Special button must be tapped and doesn’t fling food faster. Bacon has some vertical KO potential at very high percents. Each flip visibly shakes the screen.

|nsc2desc=Flips three weaker food items out of a frying pan horizontally. Like Chef, tapping the button flings food quicker (in this case, much quicker), but like XXL Chef, the button can’t be held indefinitely. Opens a zoning and approach option. Causes minimal hitstun, and fish cause none.

|ssdefdesc=Swings a hammer in front of him, and raises a flag with a random number from 1-9 with his other hand. It can have any one of 9 effects, which vary based on number; 1 only damages himself, while 9 is a is strong enough to be a virtual [[one-hit KO]]. An infamous follow-up from his down throw, but timing for a [[true combo]] is very strict.

*Judge 3: A weak swing, although it launches the opponent backward. It deals significant [[shield damage]].

*Judge 6: A swing that has a [[flame]] effect and is a semi-spike. Has the second strongest knockback of all Judge attacks.

*Judge 8: A swing that has a [[freeze]] effect and deals very low knockback. Emits the "[[ping]]" sound effect heard from a [[Freezie]] making contact, which is easily mistaken for the [[one-hit KO]]’s ping. The only swing with a lower total damage output than previous numbers.

*Judge 9: An extremely powerful swing that deals very high knockback. It is the most damaging Judge attack and emits the "ping" sound effect like Judge 8. Similar in nature to a charged swing from the [[Home-Run Bat]], but the hit's base knockback is much lower, which makes it generally unable to KO at extremely low percents.

|ssc1desc=Only chooses numbers 1 and 9, though 1s are more common, and 9s have reduced damage and knockback. However, 1s are strengthened and inflict less self-damage (5% rather than 12%).

|ssc2desc=Instead of additional effects, the number displayed equals the number of hits the attack will deal. The initial hits trap opponents while the final hit knocks opponents away, making the move more consistent at the cost of limiting its range of effects. 1s will also not deal self-damage.

|usdefdesc=Jumps off a trampoline and then descends while wearing a parachute. Significant vertical and horizontal recovery. Capable of canceling into any move when falling. Has KO potential at high percents near the left and right blast lines. Very good at [[Stage spike|stage spiking]], due to out-prioritizing most aerials and dealing strong knockback, making Mr. Game & Watch very difficult to edgeguard. The move can also be used as a possible follow-up option after up throw at low percentages against fast-fallers and heavyweights.

|usc1desc=The jump deals more damage, but grants less height.

|usc2desc=Functions like a traditional recovery move, as Mr. Game & Watch simply jumps and deals damage. The jump grants more height, deals more damage and has KO potential at high percents near the upper blast line, but has no parachute or lasting hitbox.

|dsdefdesc=Holds an oil drum, which absorbs energy-based projectiles. Once three units are absorbed, it turns into a powerful attack consisting of Mr. Game & Watch sending out a large splash of oil from his oil drum. It has very minimal start-up lag that inflicts 2.8× the accumulated damage of the absorbed attacks, capping to 60%. OHKOs when it inflicts 60%. Despite its appearance, the oil spill is not a projectile and thus cannot be reflected. Stored energy isn’t lost upon being KOed.

|fsdesc=Transforms into the large octopus that appears in its eponymous game, ''Octopus''. It lasts for 15 seconds and damage is dealt on contact, while its range can be increased by pressing the attack button. Its front tentacles have the highest maximum range, and vice versa. The Octopus is also able to float on top of water during its use, and can fast-fall.

|+'''Judge Damage Data'''

|desc=Moves along a row of ''Game & Watch'' LCD frames until reaching the foreground.

|desc-up=Rings his bell at a high angle. Similar to his side taunts, it originates from the Game & Watch's alarm feature.

|char=Mr. Game & Watch  

|desc-1=Hops about in choppy poses, tripping halfway, before teetering on one foot.

|desc-2=Rings his bell left and right.

|desc-3=Jumps with legs high in the air.

==In competitive play==

''Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the [[PGR 100]], which recognizes the official top 100 players in [[Super Smash Bros. 4]] of all time.''

*{{Sm|KOSSismoss|USA}} - The best Mr. Game & Watch Player in the United States. Ranked 2nd on the [[Washington Power Rankings#Super Smash Bros. for Wii U|Washington Smash 4 Power Rankings]]. Placed 7th at [[2GGT: The False Awakens]], 9th at [[2GGT: Mexico Saga]], and 33rd at [[GENESIS 5]].

*{{Sm|Maister|Mexico}} (#81) - The best Mr. Game & Watch player in the world. Ranked 7th on the [[Mexico City Power Rankings]] and 44th on the [[Panda Global Rankings|Panda Global Rankings v5]]. Placed 13th at [[GENESIS 5]] with wins on {{Sm|Pink Fresh}}, {{Sm|Mistake}}, and {{Sm|Fatality}}. and 17th at [[2GG: Hyrule Saga]] with a win on {{Sm|Marss}}, but most notably won [[Combo Breaker 2018]] using only Game & Watch, defeating {{Sm|ESAM}}, {{Sm|Chag}}, and {{Sm|tyroy}}.

*{{Sm|Songn|Japan}} - The best Mr. Game & Watch player in Japan. Placed 4th at [[Super Sumabato]] and 9th at [[Sumabato for THE BIG HOUSE]]. Has a win over {{Sm|MkLeo}}.

*{{Sm|Elegant|USA}} - The best {{SSB4|Luigi}} player with a strong Mr. Game & Watch secondary. Considered the best Mr. Game & Watch player in SoCal, having taken sets off {{Sm|VoiD}}, {{Sm|Zenyou}}, and {{Sm|K9sbruce}}.

*{{Sm|Kakpu|Luxembourg}} - Arguably the best Mr. Game & Watch player in Europe. Has won tournaments in Luxembourg and has had close sets with {{Sm|LoNg0uw}} and {{Sm|vyQ}}.

Since the early metagame, Mr. Game & Watch has maintained a mixed perception in regard to his tier placement and viability, due to the fact that he had been nerfed overall in his transition from ''Brawl''. Players acknowledged his heavily damaging combos, raw power and having one of the best recoveries in the game, but also his very light weight, lackluster range and sub-par grab game. Mr. Game & Watch's results had always been rather obscure until [[EVO 2015]], where {{Sm|Regi}} placed 13th there, and opinions of his potential became more positive over time due to some decent results brought by {{Sm|GimR}} as well. This led him to being ranked 35th on the first ''4BR'' [[tier list]].

However, Mr. Game & Watch's overall tournament results and representation still stood out to be rather low in competitive play, even with the recent high placings of {{Sm|KOSSismoss}} and Regi's relatively higher placing of 17th at [[EVO 2016]]. Although these results allowed Mr. Game & Watch to only negligibly drop to 37th on the second tier list, the inclusion of {{SSB4|Corrin}} and {{SSB4|Bayonetta}} would harm him, since their respective combo and camping games would prove them to be quite oppressive across the cast. The addition of the DLC characters would cause his tournament representation to decline. As such, he dropped to 40th on the third tier list, before rising to 39th on the fourth and current tier list. While his placings remained scarce, those few achievements have allowed him to find a rather solid placement as a mid-tier character due to the expansion of the tiers in the fourth tier list.

::{{Flag|ntsc}} {{GameIcon|ssb4-wiiu}} ''Game & Watch was a series of handheld video games that started in 1980, which pretty much makes Mr. Game & Watch the father of the Game Boy and Nintendo DS. Or maybe an older sibling? Anyway...in Smash Bros., Mr. Game & Watch uses distinct retro moves to damage his foes. However, he only has two dimensions, so he's pretty easy to send flying.''

::{{Flag|pal}} ''Game & Watch was a series of handheld video games that started in 1980, before even the Game Boy. In this game, you can play as the guy who starred in them, moving about in his quirky, oh-so-retro little way. He can string together some pretty powerful attacks but, unfortunately, being 2D makes him very easy to launch.''

 

{{Trophy games|console1=none|game1=Game & Watch (04/1980)}}

 

::''Mr. Game & Watch's Oil Panic special catches shots and turns them into oil. After catching three, the bucket will be full and you'll be able to throw oil all over your enemies. Some shots, like Samus's fully powered Charge Shot, will fill the bucket in one go! Throwing the oil you get from a shot like that can KO your foes in a flash!''

 

{{Trophy games|console1=none|game1=Game & Watch (04/1980)}}

 

::''The Game & Watch title Octopus featured a hero collecting treasure while avoiding a bothersome giant octopus's tentacles. Activate Mr. Game & Watch's Final Smash to transform into that octopus! Ram into opponents, and use the attack button to extend the tentacles. The only thing you can't do is change the direction you're facing.''

 

MrGame&WatchTrophy3DS.png|Classic (3DS)

MrGame&WatchAltTrophy3DS.png|Alt. (3DS)

MrGame&WatchTrophyWiiU.png|Classic (Wii U)

MrGame&WatchAltTrophyWiiU.png|Alt. (Wii U)

OctopusTrophyWiiU.png|[[Octopus]]

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

===Solo Events===

 

===Co-op Events===

*As he has an outline of his own, Mr. Game & Watch does not use a black outline like the rest of the characters in {{for3ds}}. As a result, it is his gray and white outline that changes colors to denote his team affiliation and other such effects.

*Mr. Game & Watch has many various animations in {{for3ds}} that are different in comparison to how they appear in {{forwiiu}}.

**The parachute used in Fire and its custom variations spreads further out in {{for3ds}} than in {{forwiiu}}.

**When using up aerial, his head visibly inflates then deflates in {{for3ds}} and remains stagnant in {{forwiiu}}.

**His hands in {{for3ds}} are spread out when running, but in {{forwiiu}}, his hands are clenched fists.

***Oddly, when Mr. Game & Watch uses his taunts, his hands change back to how they appeared in ''Brawl''. This only occurs in {{forwiiu}}.

*In {{for3ds}}, Mr. Game & Watch does his hopping idle pose, rather than a taunt, after choosing a path in [[Classic Mode]].  

*Mr. Game & Watch, {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}}, and {{SSB4|Bayonetta}} are the only three characters to have special [[charging]] sounds for their smash attacks, with his being a low-pitched beeping noise.  

*Although he lacks visible eyes, Mr. Game & Watch's character select screen portrait in {{forwiiu}} still emits the small sparkle effect when he is selected, with the sparkle appearing where his eyes would be positioned.