Pac-Man (SSBU): Difference between revisions

|tier = A

|ranking = 23

'''Pac-Man''' ({{ja|パックマン|Pakkuman}}), stylized in-game as '''PAC-MAN''', is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was confirmed alongside the rest of the [[veteran]]s on June 12, 2018. Pac-Man is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #55]]. Like in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', Pac-Man reuses sound effects from various {{uv|Pac-Man}} games and [[Bandai Namco]] arcade games.

Pac-Man is currently ranked 23rd out of 82 on the tier list, placing him at the bottom of the A tier and marking a significant improvement over his appearance in ''Smash 4''. Pac-Man's greatest strengths lie in his zoning capabilities thanks to his barrage of projectiles in [[Bonus Fruit]] and [[Fire Hydrant]]. Bonus Fruit is notable for having different projectiles with distinguishing properties, with Bell being the most effective one as it confirms into KOs. His Hydrant is notorious for creating a barrier that a lot of characters can struggle to deal with up close, allowing Pac-Man to continue setting up shop behind it. His recovery is among one of, if not, the best recoveries in the game due to its outstanding travel distance of [[Power Pellet]] and mixup potential and [[Pac-Jump]] giving him a high vertical boost. This makes Pac-Man one of the hardest characters to edgeguard due to his amount of options. Pac-Man's normals are also amazing in their own right as most of them have amazing frame data and shield safety, which allows him to box out his opponents at ease. Finally, his grab, previously seen as one of the worst in ''Smash 4'', has been buffed significantly to increase its hitbox detection, allowing it to even beat spotdodges.

Despite his abundance of strengths, Pac-Man has some flaws. Pac-Man has few reliable ways to KO his opponent, with his smash attacks and aerials being pretty predictable, so holding shield can be effective against him. His projectiles can also be used against him, with the Bonus Fruit being able to be caught when shielded and used freely against him, as well as his Hydrant being able to be hit back at him by a strong enough move. His recovery, while amazing, is relatively exploitable, as both moves can be interrupted: Power Pellet can be canceled if the pellet is hit before Pac-Man dashes, and while Pac-Jump allows up to three total uses, it can be used by opponents to recover themselves, or force Pac-Man into helplessness if the trampoline is used three times.

Overall, Pac-Man's strengths outweigh his nerfs, and he his representation has been above average for most of the game's competitive lifespan, with especially strong performances from {{Sm|Tea}}.

Pac-Man, like {{SSBU|Diddy Kong}}, is reliant on his item-producing [[special move]]s to control the flow of a battle and win in the [[neutral game]]. Two special moves, [[Bonus Fruit]] and [[Fire Hydrant]], grant him numerous mix-ups for almost any situation. The fruits and objects generated by Bonus Fruit each have different attributes; in addition to functioning as useful [[spacing]], [[combo]], and [[edge-guarding]] options, some of them (primarily the apple, melon and key) notably boast respectable KO potential as a way to circumvent the sluggishness and short ranges of Pac-Man's smash attacks. As a result, Bonus Fruit allows Pac-Man to confuse and force movements from his opponents to put them in disadvantageous positions, especially off-stage.

When used in the air, [[Fire Hydrant]] functions similarly to [[Stone]], which makes it useful for covering landings or breaking combos. It is also Pac-Man's most powerful projectile when launched, which makes it a viable KO option from a distance. In addition to its offensive potential, Fire Hydrant has defensive potential, thanks to its bursts of water possessing a [[Windbox#Pushing attacks|push]] effect. As a result, the water can be used to create space, [[gimp]] poor recoveries, and even force opponents into Pac-Man's attacks.

Aside from his projectiles, Pac-Man also possesses a slow, but potent KO option in [[Power Pellet]]. Power Pellet also functions both as a great recovery and [[mindgame]] option: it can be aimed prematurely and made to curve in creative angles using his Fire Hydrant's push effect, and can function as a KO confirm from Bonus Fruit's bell. [[Pac-Jump]] is an effective vertical recovery should all of its trampoline jumps be used, and makes it safe to edge-guard off-stage, as Pac-Man will likely make it back onto the stage. It is also difficult to gimp, especially from an overhead perspective, thanks to Pac-Man's jumps having unblockable hitboxes. Due to its quick start-up and aforementioned hitboxes, Pac-Jump also functions as a good [[out of shield]] option when used properly.

Outside of his specials, Pac-Man has a good combo game. Though his ground attacks are weak with slight ending lag, Pac-Man's [[neutral attack]] and [[tilt attack]]s are fast. His tilts, in particular, also give him slightly extended hitboxes ([[forward tilt]] and [[up tilt]]) or slide him forward ([[down tilt]]), letting him attack out of shield easily or poke opponents at a safe distance. Pac-Man's [[dash attack]] is one of his best approach options, thanks to it hitting multiple times and having extremely minimal ending lag, the latter of which is very atypical for dash attacks. Pac-Man is also capable in the air; his aerial attacks are fast and can chain into themselves (especially his [[forward aerial|forward]] and [[up aerial]]s). In addition, his [[neutral aerial|neutral]] and [[back aerial]]s are effective edge-guarding options; their clean hitboxes also make them useful from out of shield and for KOing, respectively.

Unlike in ''SSB4'', Pac-Man has a respectable [[grab]] game; he possesses a rather long ranged grab with long lasting hitboxes, giving him a good grab range. His [[throw]]s have some utility: [[up throw]] has combo potential (primarily into neutral and up aerials) at low to medium percentages, whereas [[down throw]] has a decent damage output and can set up [[tech-chase]]s (most notably into Bonus Fruit's key, Power Pellet, dash attack, or a short hopped forward aerial into neutral aerial). Although the lattermost combo does not work on characters whose hurtboxes are low after missing a [[tech]], it is still beneficial, as Pac-Man can instead [[lock]] the opponent with a short hopped forward aerial at low to medium percentages. [[Forward throw]] can be used for mix-ups due to its minimal ending lag and awkward launching angle, whereas [[back throw]] is a decent KO option.

Pac-Man has a few noticeable weakness, however; arguably his biggest one is his inability to KO early because of the overwhelming majority of his moves having low base knockback. Although his tilts and aerials are fast, only Pac-Man's down and clean back aerials can KO at reasonable percentages and especially while near the left or right [[blast line]]s. Although Pac-Man's smash attacks can KO easily while near the edge thanks to their respectable damage outputs and knockback growth values, they are very punishable and predictable because of their considerable start-up and ending lag.

Although Bonus Fruit's key and a launched Fire Hydrant are viable KO options, the former needs to be charged in order to be accessible, whereas the latter can be easily used against Pac-Man just as he is about to launch it. Additionally, Pac-Man's average overall range and awkward hitboxes can make landing hits or spacing difficult against opponents with long range. His below-average overall mobility can also make it difficult to chase down opponents, create space and/or cycle through Bonus Fruit, especially against rushdown-oriented characters.

Pac-Man's grab game, while nowhere near as awful as it was in ''SSB4'', is still flawed in some ways. His grabs, despite being much more consistent, are still somewhat risky due to retaining fairly high ending lag that tether grabs are known for. Although Pac-Man's up throw now has combo potential and his back throw remains a reasonably strong KO option, his forward and down throws leave a lot to be desired. The former throw's higher damage output and base knockback make it only mediocre at best for mix-ups, whereas the latter throw has all but lost its already minimal combo potential due to its ending lag being increased.

Despite their perks, all of Pac-Man's special moves can be used against him. Bonus Fruit's objects are [[item]]s that can only exist once at a time, hence opponents can grab them out of the air, nullifying one of Pac-Man's only projectiles so long as they hold onto it. So long as Bonus Fruit is nullified, Pac-Man is disadvantaged at spacing, KOing and mindgames, while a competent opponent can even use Bonus Fruit's items against him. Fire Hydrant can be turned against him as well; it can be knocked back or reflected by opponents, even in the first few frames when it is released, making it possible for Pac-Man to immediately be dealt noticeable damage. Its push effect also affects him, and can inadvertently cost Pac-Man if he is careless.

Despite being strong, Power Pellet is highly predictable and can be interrupted by any attack, which drops a healing Power Pellet that can be used by the opponent. Pac-Jump, despite propelling Pac-Man very high vertically, can also be used by opponents for [[gimp]]ing Pac-Man's own recovery. Due to these possibilities, a good Pac-Man player must keep watch of where his items are in order to inflict the highest knockback possible at a safer range, and avoid his items' abilities being turned against him.

Overall, Pac-Man excels at mindgames and damage racking, yet his moveset's overall low base knockback and average range make it difficult for him to KO opponents early. As a result, he is dependent on utilizing traps and zoning in order to continually deal damage and set up a KO, such as collectively using his air game, Bonus Fruit, and varied recovery to edge-guard. While Pac-Man's special moves grant him a uniquely versatile moveset, they can also hinder him in battle, as one careless move can ultimately decide the momentum of not only himself, but even the whole match itself.

Pac-Man was considered to be a low-tier character in ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' (where he is ranked 45th out of 54 on the final tier list), owing to a somewhat underwhelming normal moveset, over-reliance on his special moves, constant micromanagement of his resources, the potential of all his special moves being used against him, poor KO potential and an extremely infamous [[grab]] that was burdened with huge lag and a tendency to miss due to its misleading and intermittent grabboxes. Potentially owing to his poorly regarded status, Pac-Man was dramatically buffed overall in his transition to ''Ultimate''.

One of Pac-Man's biggest buffs involves his previously infamous grab: it is now drastically quicker overall, functions as a single and continuous hitbox instead of separate and short-lasting ones, and is more in-line with the rest of the cast due to the universal increase to ending lag within grabs. When combined with his [[up throw]]'s newfound combo potential and his [[back throw]] remaining a reasonably strong KO option, Pac-Man now possesses a much more useful grab game.

[[Bonus Fruit]] now cycles significantly faster and allows Pac-Man to [[charge cancel]] by jumping, granting him more options in the process. If Pac-Man picks up one of Bonus Fruit's items he previously dropped, he can begin the cycle at the one he is currently holding. This technique, dubbed the [[Fruit Recycle]], allows Pac-Man to constantly pressure with his Bonus Fruit's items by allowing him to switch items and set up new combos after catching an item. Bonus Fruit's bell, in particular, can now [[paralyze]] opponents if it is Z-dropped, granting him a new item set-up.

Aside from his grab and Bonus Fruit, many of Pac-Man's moves have seen miscellaneous improvements. [[Down tilt]] is less punishable due to the changes of the move's momentum and reduced ending lag, [[dash attack]] has an additional hit while possessing even less ending lag (relative to its final hit), [[down aerial]]'s initial hits link together much better and inflict more damage, his new [[up tilt]] possesses greater frame data and increased vertical range to improve its utility as an anti-air, and some of his best aerial combo starters (such as [[neutral aerial]] and [[forward aerial]]) have altered knockback, allowing his attacks to flow better into each other. His [[recovery]] reaches further, as [[Power Pellet]] is faster and less punishable, grants even more distance, suffers much less lag on a wall-collision, and no longer causes [[tumbling]] when he runs into the ground, instead allowing him to move along the floor.

Pac-Man's mediocre KO potential, one of his biggest weaknesses from ''SSB4'', has also been improved considerably, as his [[smash attack]]s have less start-up, Power Pellet's fully charged sweetspot and forward smash are much stronger, back aerial launches at a lower angle, down aerial's final hit is much stronger and launches at a much lower angle, and Bonus Fruit's aforementioned buffs allow Pac-Man earlier access to its key, which has strong KO potential on its own. All of these changes alleviate one of Pac-Man's biggest weaknesses from ''SSB4''. Finally, the universal alterations made to the mechanics in ''Ultimate'' have been beneficial to Pac-Man overall. The universally faster mobility improves his previously mediocre mobility, thus benefitting his approach. The universal reduction to [[landing lag]] further improves his respectable combo ability by allowing him access to his quick aerials, while [[dash-canceling]]'s expanded prevalence improves the utility of his tilts, thus granting him newfound approaching options by performing one of his tilt attacks out of a run.

However, Pac-Man received some noticeable nerfs, especially to his combo game. The mechanics of his Bonus Fruit's items have been altered drastically, heavily limiting the variety of item-based techniques he can perform: the time-window for catching the items is now very narrow, as most of the items disappear almost immediately after hitting an opponent, while the cherry and strawberry now have a set distance and no longer linger on the ground. Bonus Fruit's items also cannot be picked up again after being Z-dropped; when combined with the changes to [[footstool]]s and [[lock]]s, Pac-Man can no longer perform his notorious [[zero-to-death]] footstool combos. While all these changes prevent the opponent from capitalizing on his own fruits, it also homogenizes his item play. [[Fire Hydrant]]'s physics have also been changed, as it loses more momentum and height from each bounce, making it less effective for coverage and set-ups when it is launched. In addition, several moves are less useful for launching Hydrant, lessening the variety of coverage and pressure.

Pac-Man's aforementioned new up tilt is more situational than his previous up tilt in ''SSB4'', as it can no longer hit opponents directly next to or behind him, and it is unable to launch Fire Hydrant backward. In addition, Pac-Man's neutral and forward aerials have lost their ability to [[lock]] (though this is compensated by their newfound combo potential). Lastly, [[Pac-Jump]] is even more exploitable than before, as opponents can now hit the trampoline to reduce its availability.

Overall, Pac-Man's moveset is more consistent for close-quarters combat, and his tools have been improved to catch up with the quick and aggressive pace of ''Ultimate''. The changes overall make Pac-Man more formidable, although his playstyle has less of an emphasis over item-stalling and rewards item-positioning and setups more than before. However, he still retains several of his former issues from ''SSB4'', such as mediocre melee-oriented range, a slight dependence on setups to KO, the necessity for micromanagement, and the ease of his special moves potentially being turned against him. Nevertheless, despite the buffs to other characters and the introduction of powerful DLC characters in game updates, Pac-Man has immensely improved from ''SSB4'', and is considered one of the most buffed characters in the transition to ''Ultimate'' and a highly effective character as opposed to non-viable.

Pac-Man received a mix of buffs, nerfs and glitch fixes via game updates, but was buffed slightly overall. Update 1.2.0 introduced a universal nerf by removing the ability to Z-drop items out of hitstun. This nerf hurt Pac-Man more than any other fighter, as it removed the defensive strategy of opponents getting hit by [[Bonus Fruit]]'s item that Pac-Man is holding while attacking, allowing Pac-Man to run away and possibly punish the opponent. Update 2.0.0 then buffed Pac-Man's combo potential by making his forward and down aerials autocancel earlier and having Bonus Fruit's items last longer after making contact, widening the window to follow up and more easily keep opponents in hitstun.

Update 3.0.0's near-universal nerf to projectiles' shield damage outputs noticeably affected Bonus Fruit and [[Fire Hydrant]]. Update 3.1.0 improved up smash's first hit ability to link into its second hit by adjusting its launching angle. Update 4.0.0 fixed a notorious flaw with Pac-Man being forced to drop charging Bonus Fruit while being reversed; this no longer makes Pac-Man vulnerable after being reversed and now possibly lets him punish the opponent. Update 7.0.0 enlarged Pac-Man's shield as part of a near-universal buff, while update 8.0.0 nerfed his rolls slightly by standardizing their lag with the rest of the cast's rolls.

Overall, Pac-Man fares mildly better than he did at the launch of ''Ultimate''. Although his optimal game plan has changed from that of a zoner to more of a bait-and-punish style because of the universal item and projectile nerfs and his combo-oriented buffs, Pac-Man's competitive standing has not changed much and he remains among the most significantly buffed veterans in the game (similarly to {{SSBU|Palutena}}, {{SSBU|Roy}} and {{SSBU|Pichu}}).

|neutraldesc=An alternating pair of hooks followed by a bycicle kick. Each hit has quick start-up (frame 4), but the third hit has slight ending lag and minimal knockback. it's reminniscent of Pac-Man's punch combos from ''Pac-Man World 3''.

|uairdesc=A bycicle kick. It has decent start-up, a very long duration (frames 9-16), minimal knockback and 20 frames of ending lag (FAF 37). It can also auto-cancel in a short hop, and is the only aerial in the game that can perform a functional [[drop cancel]]. It resembles the Flip Kick from ''Pac-Man World 2''.

|dairdesc=A series of stomps. Due to coming out on frame 6 and having low ending lag after the final stomp, it's one of the fastest down aerials in the game. Its last hit has massive base knockback and launches diagonally, which make it able to KO reliably below 50% while very close to the left/right [[blast line]]. Onstage, however, it does not KO until after 150% due to its mediocre knockback scaling. Pac-Man's most damaging aerial if all of its hits connect. Outside of KOing, it is also very useful for edge-guarding or as a combo finisher offstage, notably being able to KO early after 2 forward aerials.

|pummeldesc=A headbutt. Average power and speed.

*'''Up Taunt''': Performs the [[Namco Roulette]], which involves him summoning a sprite and associated sound effect from a classic Namco game.

*'''Up:''' Chases a vulnerable ghost in his large 2D form, then poses in 3D form. This is based upon the first "Coffee Break" cutscene in ''Pac-Man''.

[[File:Victory! (Pac-Man).ogg|thumb|A remix of the jingle that plays when starting a new game in ''Pac-Man''.]]

*{{Sm|Sinji|USA}} - One of the best Pac-Man players in the world in 2019 thanks to strong major placements such as 7th at both {{Trn|Collision 2019}} and {{Trn|MomoCon 2019}}, leading him to be ranked 25th on the [[Spring 2019 PGRU]]. In the post-online metagame, he remains one of North America's best Pac-Man players who still sees some strong major results, including 9th at {{Trn|Luminosity Makes BIG Moves 2024}} and 13th at {{Trn|Collision 2024}}.

*{{Sm|Tea|Japan}} - The best Pac-Man player of all-time and the only Pac-Man player who has won major-level events, including {{Trn|Thunder Smash 3: Clash of the Pandas}}, {{Trn|Kagaribi 3}}, and {{Trn|Temple: Hermès Edition}}. He is one of three players who have won majors in all three ''Ultimate'' superregions.

Ever since the release of ''Ultimate'', Pac-Man has seen a highly positive response thanks to buffs to his mobility, [[Bonus Fruit]], and grab game, all of which improved his combo potential. As a result of the buffs, Pac-Man has seen strong results from players, most notably {{Sm|Sinji}} and {{Sm|Tea}}, ever since the early metagame. Tea in particular has won several majors and established himself as a top 10 player by 2021. Due to Pac-Man's buffs and strong playerbase, he is often considered a high-to-top tier character, which was reflected in his placement on the first tier list, where he was ranked 14th in S- tier.

 

However, following the first tier list, Pac-Man's results saw a sudden decline. This was attributed to his high learning curve, the rise of oppressive characters that either outranged him or could absorb his projectiles, such as Cloud and Mr. Game & Watch, or DLC characters such as Aegis and most notably Steve, who is considered to power creep Pac-Man due to his similar yet more effective campy playstyle. Additionally, Tea's results in 2023 were far more inconsistent than what he had in the early metagame, and although Pac-Man saw success from players such as JDV or DDee, either they were unable to match Tea's best performances with the character or only used him as an occasional counterpick. As such, Pac-Man dropped to 23rd in A tier on the second tier list.

Pac-Man's opponents are fighters who debuted on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) or appeared in an NES game at least once. These fighters are listed in accordance with the dates of their debuts, similarly to [[All-Star Mode]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. The exceptions to this are {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} and {{SSBU|Young Link}}: the former uses his red [[alternate costume]] to reference {{s|mariowiki|Cranky Kong}}'s color scheme during his time as the first Donkey Kong, whereas the latter is a substitute for the [[zeldawiki:Link#The Legend of Zelda|Link from the original ''The Legend of Zelda'']] due to being the closest to his age compared to {{SSBU|Link}} and {{SSBU|Toon Link}}. The [[boss]] of this route, [[Dracula]], also fits this theme due to the original ''Castlevania'' (his game of origin) debuting on the NES.

Pac-Man's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}}. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Pac-Man has been unlocked. Unlocking Pac-Man in World of Light allows the player to preview the spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork in ''Ultimate''.

PacManForwardSmash.PNG|Using his [[forward smash]] on [[Kalos Pokémon League]].

*Despite also debuting on the Nintendo Entertainment System or appearing at least once on the NES, {{SSBU|Peach}}, {{SSBU|Bowser}}, {{SSBU|Zelda}}, {{SSBU|Palutena}}, {{SSBU|Wario}}, {{SSBU|Ridley}}, [[Koopalings]], {{SSBU|Daisy}}, {{SSBU|King Dedede}} and {{SSBU|Meta Knight}} do not appear in Pac-Man's Classic Mode route.