Falco (SSBB): Difference between revisions
m (→Changes from Melee to Brawl: I don't think his increased air speed is a buff.) |
m (→Aerial attacks: This section still needs a little more work done to it.) |
||
Line 84: | Line 84: | ||
===[[Aerial attack]]s=== | ===[[Aerial attack]]s=== | ||
*[[Neutral aerial]] - Falco does a series of windmill swipes with his wings, hitting five times. Last strike has medium knockback. It is an excellent close-range setup move, as well as for hitting from beneath platforms. It's possible to fast fall this to make it the first 3 swipes hit to combo into other moves. 3% damage on the first two hits, 2% damage on the third hit, and 4% damage on the fourth hit. Total 12%. Has a start-up of 3 frames. | *[[Neutral aerial]] - Falco does a series of windmill swipes with his wings, hitting five times. Last strike has medium knockback. It is an excellent close-range setup move, as well as for hitting from beneath platforms. It's possible to fast fall this to make it the first 3 swipes hit to combo into other moves. 3% damage on the first two hits, 2% damage on the third hit, and 4% damage on the fourth hit. Total 12%. Has a start-up of 3 frames. | ||
*[[Forward aerial]] - Falco turns horizontally and spins, hitting multiple times with his beak, similar to Pikachu's or Sonic's forward aerial. | *[[Forward aerial]] - Falco turns horizontally and spins, hitting multiple times with his beak, similar to Pikachu's or Sonic's forward aerial. It possesses knockback on all the hits, but the last is fixed, and is minimal regardless of damage. Last strike is the most powerful, providing a small amount of knockback, which has very low knockback scaling. Long aerial duration and landing lag makes this move dangerous to use in most situations. However, if used in a [[short hop]] it can knock Falco's opponent to the ground and set up perfectly for a laser lock. Does 2% damage on the first four hits and 3% damage on the fifth hit. Total 11%. Has a start-up of 6 frames. | ||
*[[Back aerial]] - Falco sticks his leg out horizontally behind him in a [[sex kick]]. Very good knockback, high speed and long duration make it very useful. Can be followed by a midair-jumped second back aerial in some situations. Useful for aerial-intercept edge guarding, and can be used effectively with the [[reverse aerial rush]]. This attack also hits slightly in front of Falco, so it can be used as a surrogate forward aerial in some situations. Initial hit is 13%, otherwise does 9% with lower knockback. Hits on frame 4. | *[[Back aerial]] - Falco sticks his leg out horizontally behind him in a [[sex kick]]. Very good knockback, high speed and long duration make it very useful. Can be followed by a midair-jumped second back aerial in some situations. Useful for aerial-intercept edge guarding, and can be used effectively with the [[reverse aerial rush]]. This attack also hits slightly in front of Falco, so it can be used as a surrogate forward aerial in some situations. Initial hit is 13%, otherwise does 9% with lower knockback. Hits on frame 4. | ||
*[[Up aerial]] - Overhead vertical flip kick. | *[[Up aerial]] - Overhead vertical flip kick. This move exhibits different knockback properties depending on when and where it hits the opponent. Best knockback directly above Falco when his foot is extended at it's maximum reach. The sourspot has no knockback at all, and has set knockback. Moderate speed and a moderately good KO move, great as a follow-up at higher percentages after landing a down aerial on a grounded opponent due his high jumps. 11% damage. Hitbox out on frame 10. | ||
*[[Down aerial]] - Falco turns diagonally and spins. At the start of | *[[Down aerial]] - Falco turns diagonally and spins. At the start of this attack, the hitbox from his knee to his lower body, can execute a spike at his spinning heel. It has extremely fast start-up, with a long-lasting normal hitbox, and only has 12 frames of landing lag upon landing, making it good at initiating ground-based juggles (such as down aerial→down throw or down aerial→tap reset.) If the opponent is hit with the spike toward the ground and doesn't guard upon impact to the ground, the opponent will bounce on the ground and Falco can combo into any smash attack or start his laser lock. Spike hit is 13%, otherwise 8%. Hits on frame 5. | ||
===[[Grab]]s and [[throw]]s=== | ===[[Grab]]s and [[throw]]s=== |
Revision as of 08:58, March 17, 2015
Falco in Super Smash Bros. Brawl | |
---|---|
Universe | Star Fox |
Other playable appearances | in Melee in SSB4 |
Availability | Unlockable |
Final Smash | Landmaster |
Tier | A- (7) |
Falco (ファルコ, Falco) is a character appearing in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He reprises his role from Super Smash Bros. Melee, although his moveset has been somewhat altered, with many of his moves being decloned from Fox. Hailing from the Star Fox universe, Falco serves as one of the group of mercenaries captained by Fox McCloud.
Falco currently clocks in at 7th position out of 38 on the tier list, at the lowest position of the A- Tier and top tier. Falco's Blaster shots are very fast, hard to punish, very long-ranged, transcendent, and allow him to camp and punish approaches easily. At low percents, Falco can rack up damage quickly using lasers and his down throw chain grab with many follow-ups such as the Gatling Combo or the meteor smash in his down aerial. He also has incredible vertical mobility, fast attack speed, a strong all-purpose attack in his back aerial, the aforementioned down air meteor smash (the fastest meteor smash in Brawl with only 5 frames of startup lag), a long-ranged Reflector, and other tricks such as his BDACUS. Falco still has significant problems, however. While his vertical mobility is excellent, his horizontal mobility is sub-par as Falco has lackluster dashing speed and air speed. Falco can have difficulty KOing his opponents who can survive his meteor smash offstage from his chain throw, possessing few reliable KO moves that are not particularly powerful and stale quickly (made worse by the fact that some of his finishers are used frequently). Falco also has a poor recovery; while his Falco Phantasm provides great horizontal distance, it can be predictable and leaves Falco vulnerable for the duration of the move, allowing opponents to easily hit him out of it. Additionally, his Fire Bird travels a short vertical distance, has a very small ledge sweetspot, and is easily edgehogged. His fast falling speed also hinders his recovery, and the fast acceleration of it makes him vulnerable to chain throws from characters like Pikachu who can chain throw him from low percentages to a KO. Regardless of his disadvantages, Falco still has an amazing amount of favorable matchups, having only three disadvantageous ones, and has achieved some very strong tournament results.
How to unlock
Complete one of the following:
- Play 50 VS. matches.
- Complete 100-Man Brawl.
- Have Falco join the player's party in the Subspace Emissary (The Swamp).
With the exception of the third method, Falco must then be defeated on Lylat Cruise.
Attributes
Falco is gifted with a diverse moveset featuring quick attacks, great follow-up ability, capable finishers, the ability to wall jump, the highest initial jump in the game, and a fantastic projectile. Outside of his forward aerial, all of his aerials cancel quickly upon landing, including his down aerial. Falco's blaster has great range, transcendent priority, and decent speed. The ending lag of aerial blaster shots also cancel quickly upon landing. This gives him an incredible ability to approach or shutdown approaches, as short-hopped Blaster cancels can be immediately chained into many of Falco's other attacks at close or mid range. Although he has a great camping game, he also has a very good close-range game. He has a very fast jab which is can be used to rack up damage or set up for a grab, and his spot dodge is one of the fastest in the game. Falco can also bolster his approach with his dash attack, a quick, strong move that is difficult to defend against. Falco has a chance to forcibly trip opponents with his quick down special, Reflector to further harass their approach due its great range, although it is unsafe on shields and spot dodges due its fairly long ending lag and low amount of shield stun. Reflector can go through walls and also has the ability to reflect uncommon projectiles, such as Pikachu's Thunder. It can also be used in conjunction with his blaster to safely disrupt recovering opponents from a distance.
One of Falco's most potent moves is his down throw. Although impractical for KOs, it instead provides Falco with an excellent and easy to use chain-throw, chaining into itself up to damage percentages as high as 50% on most characters including the down aerial finish, and it affects more characters than King Dedede's down throw chain. When Falco gets to the edge during the chain-throw, he can unavoidably meteor smash opponents to their doom; should they be able to recover, he can simply edge-hog at the right time to prevent their return (on some characters, it doesn't work against most characters). This attack chain is particularly fatal to all the space animals, including himself, due to the delay and movement limitations in their up specials, though Fox can still recover thanks to his buffed up midair jump in the form of Rising Fair. Falco's down throw also combines well into down aerial and dash attack, and a popular alternative finish to the chain-throw is the Gatling Combo where Falco will hit with dash attack before instantly canceling into an up smash. As for characters on which he cannot initiate his chaingrab, his down throw still makes for a good setup move as he can follow the throw up with a wide range of attacks from his arsenal, such as his neutral & down aerials, side smash, DACUS, Blaster, Reflector, jab, and forward tilt. However, while chain throwing with Falco's down throw is easy, actually grabbing opponents is not. Falco's grab range is sub-par at best and as such, he can have trouble grabbing nimble characters who can potentially out-camp him such as Meta Knight or Fox, who would otherwise be helpless against Falco's chain grab. It should be noted though that if Falco lands close to his opponents after successfully connecting a Short Hopped Double Laser, he is almost guaranteed a free grab.
For finishing moves, one of Falco's lackluster areas, Falco can use his forward and up smashes to good effect, though his forward smash is slow and is weak in the tip (although it has a fast charge release, has fairly long range and the hitbox lasts some frames with the weak hitbox being during the last frames). His up smash has strong, purely vertical knockback if it hits during the upswing of his kick, and can be used as a DACUS to gain the jump on opponents further away (while charging, even), though it's hitboxes have poor range. The hitboxes of the latter portion of Falco's up smash have little knockback and cannot KO below 200%. However, at high percentages, it acts as a somewhat effective semispike, which can prove fatal to opponents with poor recoveries. Falco is also armed with a fast and powerful meteor smash in his down aerial that can KO at percentages as low as 50%. However, this move has little range (although a slight horizontal disjoint) with a small sweetspot (only the very start on the move which isn't the head hitbox spikes, and sourspotting the attack knocks back horizontally with fairly low knockback) and lasts a long time while in the air, which makes it dangerous to use off the edge given Falco's fast falling speed. Falco's down aerial excels at spikes near the edge and at spiking opponents above the stage, setting them up for punishment or even a different finisher as they get up from the floor. Falco also has an infinite in the form of his laser lock which can be set up up somewhat easily with his down aerial or down throw followed by a buffered jab (see the techniques section below for more thorough information). It can also potentially set up KOs from his BDACUS.
Falco's major weaknesses lie in recovery and finish ability. Although Falco Phantasm (side special) gives moderately good horizontal distance, Fire Bird (up special) has very short distance, leaves Falco vulnerable during the charge, and is easily edgeguarded, and its only real use is recovering from below or diagonally. His falling speed has some hindrances, such as making him a candidate for Pikachu's 0%-100% chain-grab (although he has resistance against chain-grabs that are ineffective against lightweights such as King Dedede's down throw chain-grab). Although planking can pose a problem for Falco, this issue is ameliorated in the tournament scene where it's usually limited or banned altogether. The main causes of Falco's poor finish ability stem not from a lack of KO moves, but rather his difficulty in landing them, particularly against quick, mobile characters, due to the fact that some of his moves used for racking up damage also happen to be his only KO moves, have poor range, and stale when his foes get within KO percentages, and his forward smash has its aforementioned power though slow start-up and ending lag.
Other than his recovery and poor finishing ability, Falco has no critical problems. Smart, experienced Falco players can easily overcome these setbacks with his defense and adaptability.
Changes from Melee to Brawl
Falco exhibits some of the most significant changes from Melee to Brawl, with his moveset being changed so that he is only a semi-clone of Fox, rather than a clone. Despite remaining a top to high tiered character in the current Brawl metagame, Falco was nerfed overall in his transition from Melee.
- Many of his moves have been given better range, giving Falco superb camping abilities.
- Increased weight and improved horizontal endurance.
- New jab is significantly better than the one in Melee, as the first two hits have better hitbox placement and less endlag.
- Up smash and up aerial are stronger.
- Down throw can now chaingrab and has better followup options, and can no longer be teched out of.
- Falco Phantasm travels farther; combined with his slightly faster air speed and lower falling speed, he boasts a slightly better horizontal recovery overall.
- Introduction of the DACUS gives Falco an additional KO, approaching, and followup option, as well as a quick move that can deal damage in excess of 20% at lower percentages (via the Gatling Combo).
- Overall, Falco has lost considerable combo ability and KOing power.
- Slightly slower dashing speed.
- Drastically worse vertical endurance, as falling speeds no longer have such a large impact on a character's vertical endurance than they did in Melee.
- New up tilt is a little stronger, but it has much less combo ability, range, and speed.
- Down tilt is significantly weaker, and is no longer a reliable KO move (could KO at 100% in Melee but can't KO at 170% in Brawl.)
- The first two hits of Falco`s jab cannot combo as easily as his old one in Melee (Due to it having set knockback).
- New forward smash is slower, has a considerably weaker sweetspot, and has a larger and significantly weaker sourspot hitbox that can no longer KO early. Additionally, the sweetspot was moved closer to Falco's body, making it significantly harder to land the strong hit without a hard read, despite the longer overall reach of the forward smash.
- Down smash is 1 frame slower, significantly weaker, and has significantly less range, greatly decreasing its utility. Combined with the loss of intangible frames on the leg hurtboxes, it is a much poorer edgeguarding option.
- New neutral aerial is significantly weaker in terms of knockback, but does not hit confirm into other moves as well as his previous neutral aerial since foes can SDI out of it. Its reduced knockback also makes it less effective for approaching and pressuring.
- New forward aerial can no longer be used as a combo extender, and has much more landing lag.
- Back aerial does 2% less damage.
- Down aerial's sweetspot does 1% extra damage, but it can now only meteor smash in the first half of its duration. While this was also the case in the PAL version of Melee, the initial hit's duration in Brawl was drastically shortened to 3 frames as opposed to 8, making the move much less useful, although it still remains one of Falco's most powerful KO options.
- Falco can no longer fast fall while firing lasers, taking away his ability to finely control the laser height. In particular, Falco can no longer short hop laser lower than a grounded laser and cannot fire consecutive low lasers as frequently. This means despite Falco's new ability to fire 2 lasers in a short hop, lasers are actually less effective for pressuring and approaching since Falco cannot get to the ground quickly after firing them.
- Falco Phantasm's meteor smash is weaker.
- Although the move has charging hitboxes and deals more damage, Fire Bird travels a smaller distance, is much weaker (no longer capable of KOing), and causes Falco to lose all momentum after using the move (meaning that his already low air speed is drastically lowered until he lands).
- Reflector now acts like a boomerang; it has longer reach and can trip opponents occasionally. However, it is largely inferior to his old Reflector as it is harder to time, no longer has 1 frame of startup, and can no longer be jump-canceled, held infinitely, or used to stall in the air. This means that Falco's shine combos, which were perhaps Falco's most lethal form of punishment in Melee, no longer exist. Additionally, it is unsafe on hit if it fails to trip the opponent, since the move has considerable ending lag and deals insufficient knockback to render Falco safe after using it offensively.
- Increased air speed.
In purely cosmetic terms, he has a new dash animation and voice actor for the NTSC and PAL versions. His Blaster now fires blue lasers (rather than the red lasers in Melee. He also has a different design based on Star Fox Command, with his default colour scheme being white rather than tan, with a yellow-orange colour scheme being added that is quite similar to the tan scheme from Melee. He also received a "dark" costume that makes his feathers black and his jacket brown.
Moveset
Ground attacks
Normal
- Neutral attack - Falco does a jab, another jab, and then tilts diagonally and spins very quickly with his arms out. This move can trap an opponent if they're in a corner. Good for racking up damage. If this is used on a character that is in the metal status it will constantly spin them around, as Mario's Cape does, but a lot faster. 1st jab is very fast and can set up for a grab. It is considered by many to be one of the best jabs in the game due to how quick it is and its safety on shields. It is possible to lock a grounded opponent by canceling the 2nd jab. While the foe is trapped in the last part, Falco can lead into a powerful forward smash. Hits on frame 2. Does 4% on first hit, 2% on second, 1% on the rest.
- Dash attack - Falco jumps slightly off the ground while running and performs a kick. Vertical knockback allows to set-up an up smash from 0% until mid damage percentages, as it can be dash canceled into his up smash. Good knockback, at very high damage percentages like 200% it's a KO move. 9% damage. Hits on frame 4.
- Down tilt - Tail swipe. It lost KO power from Melee and cannot KO reliably until around 170%. Average knockback. 12% damage when close, 9% on tip. Hitbox out on frame 7.
- Forward tilt - Kicks his leg out. Can be angled up or down with the control stick. Below-average knockback. Best used for spacing purposes, counter another move due to its high speed, or edgeguard planking opponents. Does 9% damage. Hits on frame 6.
- Up tilt - Swings both of his wings above his head. Hits twice. A good move for juggling to rack up damage, or as an anti-aerial attack. Average knockback but doesn't KO until very high percentages. Does 4% on first hit, 5% on second. First hit on frame 4, second hit on frame 12.
Smash attacks
- Forward smash - Falco swings his wings in an overhead powerful swipe, slashing anyone who is caught in it. Is Falco's strongest finisher in terms of knockback, but is weak if it connects at the sourspot at the tip of Falco's wings instead of on the sweetspot on his arms. When fully charged, it KOs at 84%. It's the strongest side smash out of all 3 Star Fox characters, similar to how Fox possesses the strongest up smash of the three and how Wolf possesses the strongest down smash of the three. Does 10%-14% if tipped, 15%-21% non tipped. Hitbox out on frame 16-18.
- Down smash - Falco does a split kick that comes out on frame 7. It is a semi-spike functionally similar to that of his Melee down smash, though it is slower, has significantly less reach and power, and no longer possesses invincibility on its feet. Although it is one of Falco's better KO tools, it falls short on many occasions due to its aforementioned nerfed power and range. Does 15%-21%.
- Up smash - A flip kick. While weaker and having a smaller sweetspot than Fox's, this move can be used to cancel his dash attack for a swift combo, or for a far-reaching, sliding up smash (DACUS). The knockback is entirely dependent on where it hits; stronger in the front, fairly low in the rear. Moderately high knockback. It is also possible to combo a silent laser (see below) into either a normal or boosted up smash for a KO provided the laser is close enough. 14%-19%. Hits on frame 8.
Other
- Ledge attack - Drop kicks onto the stage whilst holding onto the edge. Quick with good range, and returns Falco closer to the edge upon completion. 8%
- 100% ledge attack - Climbs up over the edge and does a forward flip kick while holding the edge. 10%
- Floor attack - (on belly) Punches in front of and then kicks in back of himself. (on back) Kicks behind and then in front of himself. 6%
Aerial attacks
- Neutral aerial - Falco does a series of windmill swipes with his wings, hitting five times. Last strike has medium knockback. It is an excellent close-range setup move, as well as for hitting from beneath platforms. It's possible to fast fall this to make it the first 3 swipes hit to combo into other moves. 3% damage on the first two hits, 2% damage on the third hit, and 4% damage on the fourth hit. Total 12%. Has a start-up of 3 frames.
- Forward aerial - Falco turns horizontally and spins, hitting multiple times with his beak, similar to Pikachu's or Sonic's forward aerial. It possesses knockback on all the hits, but the last is fixed, and is minimal regardless of damage. Last strike is the most powerful, providing a small amount of knockback, which has very low knockback scaling. Long aerial duration and landing lag makes this move dangerous to use in most situations. However, if used in a short hop it can knock Falco's opponent to the ground and set up perfectly for a laser lock. Does 2% damage on the first four hits and 3% damage on the fifth hit. Total 11%. Has a start-up of 6 frames.
- Back aerial - Falco sticks his leg out horizontally behind him in a sex kick. Very good knockback, high speed and long duration make it very useful. Can be followed by a midair-jumped second back aerial in some situations. Useful for aerial-intercept edge guarding, and can be used effectively with the reverse aerial rush. This attack also hits slightly in front of Falco, so it can be used as a surrogate forward aerial in some situations. Initial hit is 13%, otherwise does 9% with lower knockback. Hits on frame 4.
- Up aerial - Overhead vertical flip kick. This move exhibits different knockback properties depending on when and where it hits the opponent. Best knockback directly above Falco when his foot is extended at it's maximum reach. The sourspot has no knockback at all, and has set knockback. Moderate speed and a moderately good KO move, great as a follow-up at higher percentages after landing a down aerial on a grounded opponent due his high jumps. 11% damage. Hitbox out on frame 10.
- Down aerial - Falco turns diagonally and spins. At the start of this attack, the hitbox from his knee to his lower body, can execute a spike at his spinning heel. It has extremely fast start-up, with a long-lasting normal hitbox, and only has 12 frames of landing lag upon landing, making it good at initiating ground-based juggles (such as down aerial→down throw or down aerial→tap reset.) If the opponent is hit with the spike toward the ground and doesn't guard upon impact to the ground, the opponent will bounce on the ground and Falco can combo into any smash attack or start his laser lock. Spike hit is 13%, otherwise 8%. Hits on frame 5.
Grabs and throws
Falco shares his throw techniques and animations with Fox.
- Pummel - Falco holds his opponent and knees them; a relatively fast pummel. Deals 2% damage.
- Forward throw - Punches his opponent forward. 7% damage.
- Back throw - Throws his opponent in a upward trajectory behind himself, and shoots them with his blaster. The total damage is dependent on the number of laser shots that connect; the throw itself deals 2%, and the lasers deal a total of 6% if all connect, for a total of 8%.
- Up throw - Throws opponent upward and shoots his blaster straight up. The throw deals 2%, and the lasers deal 6% for a total of 8% if all shots hit. Nearly useless at higher percentages due to it being easy to DI out of, allowing the opponent to avoid all laser shots.
- Down throw - Throws his opponent to the ground, hops up and shoots them with his blaster. Unlike the up & back throws, the laser shots are guaranteed to hit unless Falco is interrupted. It can chain grab most characters at low percentages, and may be finished with a down aerial meteor smash at the edge of the stage (though it is possible to SDI the knockback back onto the stage). Falco can also finish chain grabs with a DACUS to deal as much as 60% damage in total. The down throw is also an effective tech chase move once opponents are past chain grab percentage. A certain technique often used against floaty characters involves the use of a down throw, then a short hopped down aerial, and then another grab. Another technique is the DFS (Drill Footstool Spike) - a very situational follow up to the move where a dair meteor smash is used, and when the opponent meteor cancels, Falco footstool jumps off of them. The throw itself deals 3%, and the laser shots deal 6% for a total of 9%. This attack does the most damage out of Falco's grabs and throws.
Special moves
On-screen appearance
- Ejects from an upside-down Arwing.
Techniques
- Silent Lasering: A silent laser refers to canceling the ending lag of a single blaster shot by short hopping and using his Blaster instead of using it in the ground. This allows Falco to SHDL and combo a laser into an up smash, DACUS, or BDACUS for a KO. Another interesting advantage to this technique is that a perfectly performed silent laser will cancel about 6 frames of the blaster's landing lag. This will allow Falco to land in front of his opponents and grab them before they can spot dodge. He can proceed to start his trade mark, deadly chain grab combos. It should be noted that this will not work if the blaster is stale, as a stale silent laser will only cancel 4 lag frames.
- Laser Cancelling: Using Falco's Blaster before touching the ground cancels landing lag and shortens response time upon landing. The optimal timing is noticeable because Falco will draw his laser, but not fire a shot. This is used for mind games, because of its look of Falco immediately becoming neutral. It is more useful for flail recovery than tapping the shield button upon landing because there are no frames on landing, and Falco is able to attack more quickly. In Melee, the response time reduction is more significant, but it lacks in flail recovery. In Brawl, the flail recovery is better, but the response time reduction is almost unnoticeable. They both cancel flail (assuming the player has control) equally.
- Laser lock: Some of Falco's moves have enough hit stun to cause opponents to bounce on the ground. If one's reflexes allow it, Falco can use his lasers to trap opponents in the bouncing animation, effectively giving him a potent and inescapable lock.
Taunts
Falco is one of only four characters to speak in all three taunts in Brawl, the others being Zero Suit Samus, Peach and Pikachu (though Peach uses real words in only one of her taunts, and Pikachu, like most Pokémon, only ever says variations of its name). Additionally, in the English version, Falco speaks in his taunts with a Brooklynese Italian-American accent (his surname, Lombardi, is Italian).
- Up: Kicks his reflector around like a hackey sack, and says "Piece of cake."
- Side: Stands on one foot with his wing raised, posing and says "Don't try me."
- Down: Spins once and crosses one arm, (same as in Melee) and says "Hands off my prey." (Note: because of his accent, many people believe that Falco actually says "Hands off my bread". This has led to many memes)
- Smash Taunt: When fighting as Falco on the Lylat Cruise stage or Corneria stage, quickly tap down on the directional pad once and he will kneel down and seem as though he's trying to communicate with someone through a device, and then stand back up, at which point a conversation will begin with another character from the Star Fox universe.
Cheer
Fal-co!
Victory poses
- Crosses arms, turns his head to the side, and says "You aren't worth the trouble".
- Jumps extremely high and lands kneeling. He then looks up at the camera.
- Rapidly kicks and says "Had enough already?". Then puts his foot down and crosses his body over to look at the camera. If Falco wins a battle against Fox, he performs this victory pose, but his line is changed to: "You're off your game, Fox".
In competitive play
Matchups
According to the current SWF matchup chart, Falco's matchup spread has the fourth highest unweighted rank, fourth highest total (tied with Marth), and sixth highest weighted total. Falco is countered in two matchups, soft countered by one matchup, and has seven even matchups. He soft counters ten characters, counters eight characters, hard counters six characters, and has one close-to-unloseable matchup. He does have trouble against some other top/high tiers, being countered by Ice Climbers, whom Falco lacks safe options to approach without getting grabbed (allowing their 0-death chaingrab), and Pikachu, who can take advantage of his fast falling speed acceleration attribute by chaingrabbing him (if started at 20%, which can be reached with two forward throws, it can also buffer down throws and finish with a Thunderspike, as a 0-death combo). Falco is one of the few characters to have an arguably even matchup against Meta Knight, due to his ability to projectile camp against him, though this is stage specific, with him only coming close on neutral stages (specifically Final Destination). One major disadvantage against said character is that he can easily be gimped and edgeguarded however.
Notable players
- See also: Category:Falco professionals (SSBB)
Tier placement and history
Falco has always been one of the top/high tier characters in Brawl, though he is ranked slightly lower in the most recent tier lists than in the previous ones. Falco was ranked 5th place on the first tier list (September 2008) in the top tier, and rose to 3rd in the second (January 2009; his highest position so far). He then remained at 4th from the third tier list to the sixth, before dropping to 6th on the seventh (April 2012), then 7th on the eighth and current list, as of April 2013. While Falco has had many notable players contributing to his metagame, as well as having always had great matchups against the majority of the cast, he does have trouble against some top/high tiers, and his less successful recent tournament results holds him back, though he still remains a top tier character.
In event matches
Single Player Events
- Event 32: Bird in Darkest Night: As Falco (with a dark alternative costume), the player must defeat Mr. Game & Watch in a 2 stock battle. The stage gets dark very frequently in this match.
- Event 34: All-Star Battle Melee: Falco is one of the eight opponents fought in this event. All the opponents debut in Melee and reappeared in Brawl as veterans.
- Event 38: The Wolf Hunts the Fox: As Wolf, the player must defeat Fox and Falco. The player has 2 stocks while the opponents have 1.
Co-op events
- Co-Op Event 19: Shadow of Andross: Fox and Falco team up to defeat Wolf in a 1 stock battle while an Andross assist trophy is used against them.
- Co-Op Event 21: The True All-Star Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.
Role in The Subspace Emissary
Ejecting from his Arwing, Falco shows up in the nick of time to save Fox from trophyization at the hands of Bowser and a Shadow Bug clone of Diddy Kong by flip-kicking the Dark Cannon from Bowser's hands and destroying it with dual lasergun fire, forcing Bowser to leave. He is shown to use two blasters, but only uses one when he is used in-game. This makes Falco the only character who destroys a Dark Cannon in SSE, no matter which princess the player rescues. The Diddy clone begins to absorb more Shadow Bugs, becoming gigantic, and after Fox revives the real Diddy, the three fight the giant clone. Falco then turns to leave, but is dragged back by Diddy and reluctantly comes along. A stupefied Fox shrugs his shoulders and walks off after them as he received the same treatment from Diddy earlier.
As Captain Falcon and Captain Olimar look down at the ship carrying Donkey Kong's trophy, Falco's Arwing shows up, ejecting Diddy Kong from the cockpit. Diddy then activates his Rocket Barrel Jet Pack and shoots the ship with his Peanut Popguns. Landing on the ship, he quickly detrophifies DK, and after DK, Diddy, Captain Falcon, and Olimar defeat the Primids that board the ship, Falco gives Diddy and Donkey Kong a thumbs up as he leaves.
He makes his next appearance in the battle against Duon on the Halberd, where he teams up with Fox, Peach, Zelda, Snake, and Lucario. When it's defeated, Peach revives Mr. Game and Watch as Meta Knight takes back control of his ship. He uses his Arwing during the attack on the Subspace Gunship and maneuvers effectively to avoid the cannons. He enters Subspace and stands loftily, as if he is above this. When he is turned into a trophy, he is rescued by Luigi, Ness and Dedede, and joins them in the Great Maze. He aids them in the fight against Tabuu.
Playable appearances
After Outside the Ancient Ruins is finished, Falco will be removed from the player's team until the Duon battle in Battleship Halberd Bridge.
- 18. The Swamp
- 25. Battleship Halberd Bridge
- 28. Entrance to Subspace
- 31. The Great Maze - If he's rescued in Subspace (Part I)
Exclusive stickers
These stickers can only be used by Falco or a select few including him.
- Andrew: Launch Resistance +7
- Arwing: [Leg] Attack +6
- Falco (Star Fox 64): [Weapon] Attack +11
- Falco (Star Fox Adventures): [Specials: Indirect] Attack +11
- Falco (Star Fox Command): [Energy] Attack +14
- Falco (Star Fox: Assault): [Tail] Attack +20
- Fox (Star Fox 64): [Energy] Attack +18
- Fox (Star Fox Adventures): [Arm, Leg] Attack +15
- Fox (Star Fox Assault): [Energy] Attack +33
- Krystal (Star Fox Adventures): [Electric] Attack +28
- Krystal (Star Fox Command): [Energy] Attack +12
- Krystal (Star Fox: Assault): [Tail] Attack +17
- Miniature Dachshund: [Tail] Attack +28
- Panther: [Tail] Attack +18
- Pigma: [Arm] Attack +7
- ROB: [Electric] Resistance +15
- Wolf: [Arm, Leg] Attack +15
- Wolfen (Star Fox 64): [Tail] Attack +16
- Wolfen (Star Fox: Assault): [Tail] Attack +30
Alternate costumes
Trophies
Falco's first trophy is obtained by clearing Classic Mode as Falco, and the other two are obtained randomly.
Description
Main trophy - A Star Fox pilot whose real name is Falco Lombardi. He once roamed the starways as the head of a galactic gang, and his piloting skills are superb. He affects an air of cool disdain and is sometimes uncooperative, but in reality his passion for Star Fox is second to none. He once left the team to fly solo for a time.
- : Star Fox (NTSC), Starwing (PAL)
- : Star Fox Command
Assault trophy - A somewhat arrogant and smart-mouthed member of Team Star Fox. He often seems perturbed, especially when antagonized by Panther, and claims to dislike the cold. Although separated from the team, he joins back up for the battle on Sauria and pretends that the reason behind his loyalty to the team is purely monetary.
Command trophy - Tired of the daily grind and monotony of work after the events of Star Fox: Assault, Falco seeks more stimulating adventures with his buddies from his days as a space delinquent. He meets up again with Fox, who is battling a new enemy, the Anglar, on the planet Venom. Falco again vows to fight alongside Fox as a member of the Star Fox team.
- : Star Fox Command
Trivia
- Falco holds the world record for Level 2 Target Smash, by completing it in 3.95 seconds. He also holds the Co-op Target Smash world record for Level 1 with Toon Link (2.66 seconds), and holds the top two records in Level 2 (Co-op) with:
- Falco's up and down smashes have the lowest uncharged base knockback of all the uncharged up and down smashes.
- Strangely, the Prima game guide gives Falco a "10" ranking on speed, even though his dash speed is actually only average (although his walking, falling, and attack speed are among the fastest).
- The lasers fired during Falco's up, down and back throws can be reflected, and damage Falco instead, if his opponent is wearing a Franklin Badge.
- All of Falco's smash attacks can hit on both sides of him.
- Falco and Wolf run noticeably faster than Fox in Star Fox: Assault (they are, in fact, the two fastest characters in that game), but in Brawl, they are much slower. Falco's case is also true in Melee.
External links
- Falco's page at Smash Bros. DOJO!!.
- Falco character guide at SWF
- Falco's hitbox size of each of his moves
Fighters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl | |
---|---|
Veterans | Bowser · Captain Falcon · Donkey Kong · Falco · Fox · Ganondorf · Ice Climbers · Jigglypuff · Kirby · Link · Luigi · Mario · Marth · Mr. Game & Watch · Ness · Peach · Pikachu · Samus · Yoshi · Zelda / Sheik |
Newcomers | Diddy Kong · Ike · King Dedede · Lucario · Lucas · Meta Knight · Olimar · Pit · Pokémon Trainer (Charizard · Ivysaur · Squirtle) · R.O.B. · Snake · Sonic · Toon Link · Wario · Wolf · (Zero Suit Samus) |
Star Fox universe | |
---|---|
Fighters | Fox (SSB · SSBM · SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Falco (SSBM · SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Wolf (SSBB · SSBU) |
Assist Trophies | Andross · Krystal |
Stages | Sector Z · Corneria · Venom · Lylat Cruise · Orbital Gate Assault |
Items | Smart Bomb |
Other | Leon Powalski · Panther Caroso · Peppy Hare · ROB 64 · Slippy Toad |
Vehicles | Arwing · Great Fox · Landmaster · Wolfen |
Trophies, Stickers, and Spirits | Trophies (SSBM · SSBB · SSB4) · Stickers · Spirits |
Music | Brawl · SSB4 · Ultimate |
Masterpiece | Star Fox 64 |