Pichu (SSBM)

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This article is about Pichu's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee. For other uses, see Pichu. Also, for information about the character of whom Pichu is a clone, see Pikachu (SSBM).

Pichu
Pichu
Universe	Pokémon
Appears in	SSBM
Availability	Unlockable
Tier	Bottom (26)

Pichu (ピチュー, Pichū) is a Pokémon character in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It is unlocked by completing Event Match 37: Legendary Pokémon or by playing 200 vs. matches. As of 10/14/2008, Pichu was demoted to the worst character designation of Melee.

Attributes

The most noticeable thing about Pichu is its tiny frame: Pichu is the lightest and smallest character in Melee, even lighter than Jigglypuff and Mr. Game & Watch. While being small enables it to evade attacks rather well, it flies farther than anyone else when it is hit. It's also easily comboed despite its light weight due to the long amount of hitstun it suffers.

Being small hurts its range greatly: its physical attacks, while possessing decent priority, have extremely poor range. Pichu needs to get very close to do damage, which is a very dangerous place for any character to be. It also has the shortest forward, backward, and tech/ledge roll in the game. Its grab hitbox is the third smallest in the game, another problem. On the upside, its grab extends slightly above and behind Pichu.

Its electrical attacks help out slightly with range, but each one comes with a catch: Pichu takes damage on using the attack. Simply put, if an electrical hitbox (or that of its non-electric special move, Skull Bash) connects with Pichu, it takes "recoil" damage, anywhere from 1-4%. This adds up quickly, as Pichu is lighter than any other character.

This doesn't mean Pichu doesn't have its advantages, though: its killing power is unusually solid, with three strong smashes and many options to build up damage. Its recovery is very good, and it can chaingrab fast fallers with its up throw, and it can also chaingrab several characters with its forward throw (although it takes damage with each throw). Pichu has a great and fast SHFFL that can set-up grabs with any air move. Pichu has two solid projectiles (thunder jolt and thunder) and an effective SHFFL. As expected, Pichu is rather agile, and it has a shorter landing lag than any other character.

In the end, Pichu is an inferior version of Pikachu, but it has some qualities that may make it worth a look.

Special Moves

Pichu's special moves

Neutral special	Thunder Jolt
Side special	Skull Bash
Up special	Agility
Down special	Thunder
Final Smash	—	Volt Tackle

Trophy Descriptions

In addition to the normal trophy about Pichu as a character, there are two trophies about it as a fighter, unlocked by completing the Adventure and All-Star modes respectively with Pichu on any difficulty:

Pichu (Smash Red)

Compared with Pikachu, Pichu is a tad more nimble and a little more difficult to hit. Those are the only two advantages, however, and since Pichu damages itself when it uses electrical attacks, it's best suited for handicapped matches. Even though Pichu's tough to catch, it's easy to throw its tiny frame great distances.

• B: Thunder Jolt
• Smash B: Skull Bash)

Pichu (Smash Blue)

Pichu is the lightest character in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and it's top of the class in weakness, too! For Pichu, it's all about scampering here and there to pick up items that will help it survive. The first warp in Agility causes 1 point of damage to Pichu, and the second causes 3, so try to limit the number of times you use the move.

• Up & B: Agility
• Down & B: Thunder

Costume Gallery

File:Alt-pichu.jpg

Pichu's changeable clothing in SSBM

Trivia

• Pichu has two taunts: when facing left, it will do a dance, when facing right, it will lie down. This feature is shared with Captain Falcon. It is also worth noting that while he has two different taunts in Melee, he can't learn the move Taunt in the Pokemon games.
• When Pichu crouches, it falls asleep. This is clear because it's eyes are closed and bubbles come out of it's nose, similar to when Jigglypuff uses it's Rest attack, although Pichu will awake instantly when the player presses any other button.
• Other than Super Smash Bros. Melee or by using Volt Tackle, Pichu had never been hurt by using electrical attacks in other games although they could faint for overuse of their electricity in animé as seen in the third Pokémon movie.
• Pichu is the only Melee veteran not returning to Brawl to not have any data to be playable in the game (excluding Young Link who was replaced by Toon Link).
• Pichu ducks lower when holding the super scope.
• In Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow (and Green), There was a TM for Skull Bash, which Pikachu could learn. Pichu however was not introduced until Gold and Silver, and it is therefore impossible to legally have a Pichu with Skull Bash without trading and breeding.

External links

• Pichu Video List
• Pichu Player List