Little Mac (SSB4)

Little Mac in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Punch-Out!!
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Giga Mac
Tier	F (39)

“	Little Mac Punches In!	”
—Introduction Tagline

Little Mac (リトル・マック, Little Mac) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. He was revealed on February 13th, 2014 during a Nintendo Direct to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Punch-Out!! series, which debuted in Japan in 1983, but later debuted in the West in 1984.

Instead of retaining Hisao Egawa, who voiced him as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, or Matt Harty, who voiced him in the Wii version of Punch-Out!!, Little Mac is now voiced by Kōsuke Toriumi in all versions of SSB4. Rather than reusing his original design from the NES version of Punch-Out!! like he did as an Assist Trophy in Brawl, he now sports his updated design from the Wii version of Punch-Out!!

Little Mac is currently ranked 39th out of 58 in the tier list, placing him in the F tier. Little Mac has unarguably the best grounded attributes in the game: he possesses incredible grounded movement and dodging speeds, while his traction is among the highest in the game. These traits allow him to position himself quickly and effectively, while heavily complimenting his frame data while grounded, which is the fastest overall.

Little Mac also possesses a surprisingly effective grounded combo game (with his neutral attack being one of the best in the game due to its high priority, combo potential, and speed), and a very reliable out of shield game due to the speed of his attacks (such as his neutral attack, tilt attacks, and Rising Uppercut). His neutral attack and tilts additionally benefit from anti-rebounding priority, allowing him to force opponents into clashing with his ground attacks while his own tilts go on uninterrupted.

Little Mac is also notable for his array of finishers: despite being a lightweight, his special moveset and all of his grounded attacks are among the strongest of their kinds (sans down tilt). Additionally, his smash attacks boast impressive speed, high power, and grant super armor from start to finish (when the hitbox ends). Finally, his KO Uppercut is arguably the best comeback move in the series, and can be performed from multiple set-ups even at low percents. Overall, this makes Mac's punishment game very effective, allowing him to make the best of any mistakes from his opponents, and he is often stated as the most fearsome fighter on the ground.

However, while Little Mac's outstanding speed and power would normally grant him an above average neutral game, he is incredibly predictable as a consequence of needing to stay grounded to deal any meaningful damage. He is burdened with a deliberately underpowered air game and infamously terrible off-stage endurance due to being a fast-falling lightweight with extremely weak recovery moves and below average aerial mobility, in stark contrast to his ground movement. Even though Mac can quickly deal outstanding amounts of damage and score KOs rather easily, his attributes allow opponents to gimp him just as quickly, and additionally render him very susceptible to juggles and combo-oriented characters.

Finally, while his grounded moves are impressively fast, several of his attacks lack the shieldstun necessary to prevent punishment despite their near unrivaled speed. This makes characters with high movement speed and/or range difficult for Mac to safely approach even if he spaces correctly. Additionally, most of his attacks deal ironically weak shield damage despite their high power, which is further burdened with the fact that his throws lack the utility to effectively punish opponents who overuse their shields.

As a result, Little Mac's high potential can be offset by his polarized attributes and dangerously risky playstyle, both of which hinder more than help in high-level play. This is especially evident against characters with good aerial games or even while fighting on stages that force him to jump, such as Battlefield, as a single mistake at medium percents is often enough to result in his defeat. This is reflected in his tournament presence, as his average level of representation has resulted in only a few high-ranking results, largely thanks to dedicated mains such as Sol, Vash, and Alphicans.

Attributes

As displayed in his trailer, Little Mac is a lightweight boxer who performs optimally on the ground, but cannot fight effectively in the air. His mobility is measured in a way that reflects this: he has the eighth fastest walking speed, the third fastest dashing speed and the third highest traction, all of which give him arguably the best out of shield punishment game of any character. His grounded presence is further supplemented by his sidestep and rolls being the fastest in the game, with the latter also being long-distanced. His below average gravity and fast falling speed also give him exceptional vertical survivability for a lightweight. In addition, his fast air dodge (surpassed only by Mewtwo's) and high wall jump (surpassed only by Lucario's) give him decent protection against edge-guarders so long as he is near the stage. However, Little Mac is deliberately burdened with the fourth lowest jumps, below average air speed, and the second slowest air acceleration, making it mandatory for him to stay on the ground whenever possible.

Little Mac's greatest strength is his incredibly powerful ground game. He possesses the overall fastest set of grounded attacks, with none of them having more than 15 frames of start-up or 30 frames of ending lag (excluding up smash, which has 35). This makes Little Mac's ground game immensely useful and hence forces his opponents to play very cautiously. Additionally, all of his ground moves are highly damaging, making it easy for him to bring opponents at KO percents. His jab canceled neutral attack, up tilt and down tilt are great combo starters, with his down tilt being especially effective due to its vertical knockback and low knockback scaling allowing it to combo into any move except his back aerial, down aerial, Straight Lunge, and Slip Counter (although it could combo into said move should Little Mac be quick and read his opponent's offensive reaction correctly). Altogether, these moves grant him a very fast and unique ground combo game.

The speed of Little Mac's tilts can even allow him to perform shield break combos by pressuring his opponent to keep their shield up while whittling down its health. However, if this is not possible to do in a given situation, the speed can instead initiate shield stabbing on many characters, with a prominent example being Ganondorf. He additionally possesses a very fast semi-spike in his down smash, giving him a deadly edge-guarding move. Finally, some of his moves have increased hitlag (such as a downward angled forward smash), which makes said moves difficult to punish out of shield.

In addition to their strength, Little Mac's grounded attacks are nearly impossible to interrupt. Little Mac's neutral attack and tilts have a unique priority property that makes clanking with another move impossible, otherwise known as anti-rebounding attacks. What this means is that when an opponent's attack within priority range clanks with one of these attacks, Little Mac's move will continue uninterrupted while the opponent's move not only cancels out, but also results in them suffering from lag relative to how powerful the attack they used was. However, this only applies to grounded attacks. With this level of priority, Little Mac can take advantage of the opponent's more powerful attacks, putting them in large amounts of lag while allowing Little Mac to punish immediately due to the low ending lag of his neutral attack and tilts. Besides these, his smash attacks are also difficult to interrupt as well. While they follow standard rules of priority, they have launch resistance during start-up to the end of the final hitbox, making them impossible to interrupt during this period of time. All these factors make Little Mac arguably the hardest opponent to deal with on the ground.

Little Mac's special moveset also has some very useful options. Straight Lunge can be long-ranged, boasts very high power and grants damage-based launch resistance, allowing him to tank low damage hits and retaliate immediately after. It can also be used to escape some weak multiple hit moves, such as neutral attacks, Witch Twist, and Greninja's up aerial, if he gets caught in the middle of them. It can also be used as a situational move mid-battle to enforce a bad approach or input from a reckless opponent. However, Straight Lunge is held back by its very low speed and considerable ending lag even if uncharged, limiting its usage and making it easily intercepted in almost every other case, which offsets its overwhelmingly high strength. Jolt Haymaker is a strong attack that travels far, can be unleashed on command and grants intangibility during start-up, making it ideal for tech-chasing, re-positioning, and escaping/punishing laggier moves. Despite this, it should not be used excessively, as this move does not stop at an edge upon performing it, therefore leading to an inevitable self-destruct if used near an edge.

Rising Uppercut is a spiraling uppercut that covers fairly long vertical distance and grants brief intangibility upon start-up, making it Little Mac's most reliable aerial finisher and a very good out of shield option. It is useful as a deadly combo finisher due to its exceptional knockback, along with its ability to combo from an up-tilt and down/up throws. It additionally boasts extremely fast start-up, allowing Mac to use it out of even the smallest pause between an opponent's combos to potentially turn the tides. Slip Counter is a highly damaging counterattack that is fully invincible during the counterattack. Aside from being great for escaping pressure (especially aerial combos), it is the overall fastest counter in the game, as well as the only one that can activate on frame 4, and one of the few that slides a distance before attacking, alongside Vision.

Lastly, the Power Meter is a mechanic unique to Little Mac. It is a visible meter that charges by either dealing or taking damage. When it is fully charged, Straight Lunge is replaced by the KO Uppercut, a move strong enough to KO any character at roughly 30% (along with KOing Jigglypuff at around 15%). It also has fast start-up, is unblockable (except on Witch Time), and can be combined with Little Mac's tilts for almost guaranteed KO combos, allowing it to easily turn the tide of a match upon a successful hit. However, it is lost after holding it for 4 seconds and then being launched by any move, which enforces quick and precise use. Additionally, Little Mac must either receive 100% or deal 350% (assuming the player is never hit) in order to be granted the usage of KO Uppercut, and has considerable ending lag regardless of whether or not it hits, making it an excellent example of a "high-risk, high-reward" move.

Despite his impressive strengths, Little Mac is held back by two very easily exploitable weaknesses. The most serious and notorious of the two is his recovery. As mentioned earlier, Little Mac's aerial mobility significantly hinders him, with his horizontal survivability being one of, if not the, shortest among the cast, along with his aerial mobility being unarguably one of the most unrewarding among the entire cast. His fast falling speed makes meteor smashes, semi-spikes and even footstool jumps capable of almost instantaneously gimping him, even at 0%, especially if he has no double jump. His special moves also receive drastic downgrades when used in the air, further worsening his aerial performance. Straight Lunge loses its long distance and high power, to the point where it can never KO even well beyond 150%. Aerial Straight Lunge also suffers drastically induced ending lag, to the point where one could jump from the edge of a stage and use it, and would not be able to recover afterward. Jolt Haymaker loses half of its momentum and start-up intangibility, Rising Uppercut loses half of its distance, Slip Counter loses its invincibility and KO Uppercut loses the majority of its power, to the point that it only KOs around 150%.

The severe lack of aerial distance on both his recovery moves burden his already poor off-stage survivability, which are further compounded by their small edge sweetspots and lack of invincibility frames until each move ends; Little Mac cannot grab an edge unless he is directly beside it, and an opponent can knock him off before he grabs on, even if his arm pokes above the ledge. Even though all of his special moves can be used as recovery options, half are situational and require extremely precise timing to be considered safe. As such, Little Mac unsurprisingly has the hardest time recovering out of any fighter in the game, which in turn results in him being commonly cited as having the overall worst recovery in the game.

Furthermore, Little Mac has an infamously weak air game. His neutral aerial can initiate intricate combos (which can be used to footstool combo heavyweights or large hurtbox characters before concluding with Rising Uppercut near the upper blast line to score KOs early), his forward and back aerials are semi-spikes, his up aerial is a fast anti-air attack and his down aerial is the fastest meteor smash in the game, and all but his up aerial can auto-cancel from a short hop. However, they are all overwhelmingly offset by a combination of high landing lag, very short ranges, and no realistic power, which grants Little Mac's aerial moveset the lowest damage output in the game. These factors make Little Mac an easy target in the air, as he has no means of defending himself outside of point-blank range. This is further compounded with the fact that none of his aerials make the opponents reliably flinch until medium to high percents, along with his down aerial not being able to reliably meteor smash opponents until around very high percents, along with having a sweetspot that lasts for 1 frame and terrible range, in a similar vein to Palutena's down aerial.

Additionally, he has no way of KOing reliably in the air without Jolt Haymaker, Rising Uppercut or, in extreme cases, Slip Counter, all of which are very likely to result in inevitable sacrificial KOs if used off-stage, despite both his forward and back aerials launching the opponents at semi-spike angles. As a result, Little Mac is very prone to momentum shifts, as his underwhelming aerial performance can allow opponents to combo him very easily, and in some extreme situations, zero-to-death him even if he has been dominating the entire match. These issues are what force Little Mac to almost always stay grounded, as he cannot afford to take 50% just by initiating an aerial approach.

Finally, even though Little Mac's ground game is immensely effective, it is not perfect. While his attacks have decent range and high speed, spacing is still essential if he wants to avoid getting punished. Neutral attack, up tilt and dash attack are particularly prone to this, as they lack hitlag and have just enough ending lag to be punished out of shield. With the exception of downward angled forward smash and sweetspotted up smash, none of his attacks deal extra shield damage, making it deceptively difficult to get free punishes on opponents who overuse their shield.

His grab game also leaves much to be desired. Even though his throws deal respectable damage, he is tied with Cloud for the third shortest grab range among the cast and has no redeeming throws: down throw is able to score a KO combo with Rising Uppercut but is escapable with DI, back throw is a KOing option but only at very high percents near the edge, and forward throw is able to combo into Jolt Haymaker or dash attack but only if the opponent misses a tech, with the low knockback scaling and ending lag preventing all his throws from starting combos of any sort. As such, Little Mac's throws are generally only used to add extra damage more often than not, as he cannot add any grab options that can truly give him the upper hand when an opponent is shielding, with few guaranteed follow-ups depending entirely on percents. While his pummel is fairly fast and deals average damage, it is generally not worth using due to the aforementioned grab range issue and his neutral infinite being much more effective for racking up damage if in a pinch. Characters with counterattacks can also be detrimental to Little Mac, as a countered smash attack is often enough to be fatal due to his attack's high power. Lastly, Little Mac is the character most adversely affected by stale-move negation. As only half of his moveset has great utility, Little Mac may find his finishers KOing later than usual compared to other heavy-hitters.

Little Mac has a number of useful custom moves at his disposal. True to its name, Flaming Straight Lunge is a flaming variation that also hits multiple times and is a semi-spike that charges almost twice as quickly, but is considerably weaker and travels less distance. Stunning Straight Lunge is an electrical variation that travels farther and faster than Straight Lunge, but at the cost of damage and launch resistance. Grounding Blow moves higher and can bury grounded opponents or meteor smash aerial opponents, but its lower power and downward momentum make it much less effective at recovery. Compact Counter is weaker and faster, opening up opportunities for follow-ups, but removes the default's immense power and potential ability to one-hit KO. Dash Counter is a double-edged sword, since its added momentum can either greatly help or greatly hinder his recovery. It should be noted, however, that none of these moves are unarguably better than Little Mac's default special moves. As such, the best option depends entirely on the player's preference.

Unsurprisingly, optimal Little Mac play requires the user to think just like a boxer, constantly controlling the middle of the stage and reacting to the slightest openings, while minimizing any damage taken with his extreme grounded mobility, all while staying out of the air as little as possible. However, due to his highly polarized strengths and weaknesses, he can be deceptively difficult to use at his fullest despite his straightforward fighting style, with even a single mistake often being enough to completely turn the tides of battle against him. This has resulted in considerably average tournament representation and, outside the efforts of dedicated mains such as Sol, Vash and Alphicans, poor results in singles play. Regardless, he should not be underestimated, as in the hands of a competent player, his ground dominance, deceptive air game, and very effective KO set-ups are guaranteed to pose a challenge.

Update history

Little Mac has received a mix of buffs and nerfs via game updates, both directly and indirectly, but is overall considered to be buffed, despite one of his few nerfs lessening his already poor survivability. His recovery was noticeably nerfed in update 1.0.4, though he has received minor buffs since update 1.0.6, such as giving some his specials longer lasting hitboxes, and also receiving knockback increases on Jolt Haymaker, making it a reliable KO option, even when stale. However, the changes to shield mechanics brought about in updates 1.1.0 and 1.1.1 have also considerably affected Little Mac for the better, as it allows his ground game to pressure his opponents on shield, or even break shields more reliably due to the changes to shieldstun.

Little Mac was then further buffed in update 1.1.4, in which the damage of each of his smash attacks was increased, not only making them even more devastating on hit than they already were, but also making them safer on shield thanks to the added damage. In particular, his down angled forward smash now has enough shieldstun to combo into his down or forward tilts, shattering full shields in only two moves. In addition, his up tilt's start-up was decreased by 1 frame while it received 1 more active frame, eliminating the blind spot it had near the front of Little Mac's torso.

Overall, Little Mac's ground game has been drastically improved, making his most dominant trait even more imposing, but the worsening of his already terrible recovery has resulted in it becoming even more exploitable.

1.0.4

• The period Little Mac can be at his maximum fall speed before using hard landing lag has been shortened: 4 → 3 frames.
• End of roll intangibility: frame 17 → 15.
• All hits of neutral attack except the first deal less damage: 3% → 2% (second), 8% → 7% (third), 1% → 0.7% (infinite).
• Due to their lower damage, neutral attack's second hit and infinite connect better into the following hits.
• The first hitbox of forward tilt's each hit has a lower X-offset: -5 → -3.8
• Neutral aerial's SDI multiplier increased: 1x → 2x.
• Aerial Jolt Haymaker's distance decreased by 10% and its speed decreased.

1.0.6

• Jolt Haymaker's knockback increased.

1.1.0

• Neutral infinite's finisher comes out 1 frame faster.
• Straight Lunge improved. Its early sweetspot and later hitbox durations increased by 2 and 4 frames, respectively and its fully charged start-up lag decreased: 7 frames → 6.
• Jolt Haymaker's hitbox duration increased: 5 frames → 7.

1.1.1

• Uncharged Stunning Straight Lunge deals 1% more damage: 10% → 11%.
• Fully charged Stunning Straight Lunge's knockback scaling increased: 60 → 70.

1.1.4

• Up tilt has less startup (frame 5 → 4) and lasts one more frame (6 frames → 7).
• Up tilt angle: 85° → 88°
• Forward smash deals 1% more damage: 19%/17% (up and side), 22% (down) → 20%/18%, 24% with compensated knockback (85/22 → 81/21).
• Up smash deals 1% more damage: 20%/15% → 21%/16% with compensated knockback (80/100 → 76/96)
• Down smash deals 1% more damage: 12% → 13% with compensated knockback (100 → 96).

Moveset

• All of Little Mac's smash attacks grant super armor upon start-up, making him able to tank through an opponent's attack as a unique way of punishing them.
• Little Mac can wall jump.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2%	A jab, followed by a hook, followed by an uppercut. If button mashed, Little Mac performs an extremely fast flurry of punches followed by an uppercut that deals high knockback, but can only be initiated if first two hits connect with an opponent. Coming out on frame 1, it is tied with Zero Suit Samus' neutral attack as not only the fastest neutral attack in the game, but also the fastest attack in general, making it extremely useful as an out-of-shield or to cover whiffed attacks. In addition to its speed, it has anti-rebounding priority that allows the move to clash against significantly stronger attacks and out-prioritize them, such as negating Fox Illusion's hitbox. Due to its outstanding speed and quick interruptibility, it can be jab canceled for almost guaranteed KOs at high percents, including Rising Uppercut and KO Uppercut, or pressure opponents to keep their shield up, which can lead to shield break combos.
			2%
			7%
			1% (loop), 3% (last)
Forward tilt			4% (hit 1), 8% (hit 2)	Two alternating jabs. Not only is it the fastest forward tilt in the game, but both hits have the best range of Little Mac's tilts. Combined with its knockback comparable to a smash attack, it is a fast and reliable KOing option at high percents. Also has anti-rebounding priority. Based on the two alternating jabs Mac used in Brawl as an Assist Trophy.
Up tilt			9%	An overhead arcing backfist. Covers all of Little Mac's body, which allows him to use it as a quick option to cover his attacks. Like his other tilts, it has anti-rebounding priority, making the attack uninterruptible. Can combo into itself at low percents if the opponent is close to him. It is also useful for catching rolls and can be pivotted while dashing as a somewhat safe approach option, especially since it cannot be interrupted midway through the move.
Down tilt			8%	A crouching short straight-punch. This move has anti-rebounding priority like Mac's other tilts and comes out on frame 3, tying it with Lucas', Ness', Meta Knight's and R.O.B.'s down tilts as the fastest down tilt in the game. This move slightly launches opponents up into the air and is unarguably Little Mac's best combo starter, being able to lead into almost all his attacks, most notably itself, forward smash (with its super armor during start-up making it impossible to interrupt with attacks after the initial hitstun ends), Jolt Haymaker, Rising Uppercut, forward air, and KO Uppercut. When edge-guarding, this move can also lead directly into a forward smash for potentially deadly results.
Dash attack			10%	A lunging overhand. Its sheer speed and low ending lag allows it to combo into itself against heavier characters and fast-fallers, and it can be used as a quick punish when an opponent is stuck in ending lag. However, it is notoriously risky as an approach option due to it having enough ending lag to be extremely punishable on shield, especially when near an edge due to Little Mac's inability to recover well if he is grabbed and thrown even at 0%.
Forward smash	↗		20% (hand), 18% (arm)	Steps forward and throws one of three punch variations depending on the angle of the attack. Extremely fast start-up for its strength and respectable ending lag. However, this move can miss if the opponent is touching Little Mac due to him stepping forward to perform it. Up: An uppercut that deals vertical knockback. Has the largest hitbox out of all three attacks, which makes it the easiest to connect. Useful for KOing light opponents. Has super armor from frame 8-15. Forward: A cross that deals high knockback. Sweetspot deals higher knockback and slightly higher damage than usual, KOing noticeably earlier than when hit at the arm. When spaced correctly, it is safe on shield against slower characters. Useful overall, but loses power quickly if used repeatedly. Has super armor from frame 8-15. Down: A body hook that deals more damage and shield damage, but less knockback. It is safer on shield due to high shield stun and breaks shields more reliably than any of Little Mac's other attacks, to the point that it can almost break a full shield when fully charged. As of update 1.1.4, its deals enough damage and shieldstun to break full shields if a forward tilt is used immediately after it. Has a slightly shorter super armor duration (frame 9-15).
	→		20% (hand), 18% (arm)
	↘		24%
Up smash			21% (clean), 16% (late)	An uppercut. Its first frame has a sweetspot that deals stronger flame damage and significant shield damage. Great for aerial protection or chasing down an opponent, as grounded opponents are likely to be hit by the sweetspot. Has noticeable ending lag, having the highest ending lag of all his grounded moves (35 frames), making it punishable if shielded. Despite its looks, the move can only hit in front of Mac, although the sourspot can reach an opponent standing on Battlefield's lower platforms. This move also slightly moves Little Mac backward when used. Has super armor from frame 8-11.
Down smash			13%	Spins 180° to perform a quick, downward-angled hook that hits quickly in both directions. While weak compared to his other smash attacks, it is his fastest, with quick start-up, low ending lag, hitboxes on both sides, and high range, making it difficult to punish. The move can hit opponents attempting to grab the edge, and due to its semi-spike angle, it is one of Little Mac's only reliable edge-guarding moves and is useful for hitting off-stage opponents who exhaust their edge invincibility. Has super armor from frame 7-10 and 15-17.
Neutral aerial			2%	A short, downward angled jab. It is the fastest neutral aerial in the game, coming out on frame 2, but it has limited use due to its low range and damage output. However, its incredible speed allows it be used as a combo breaker of sorts when in the air. It is also useful for dragging aerial opponents back onto the ground with its quick hits or starting intricate footstool jump combos. It can also be used after an edge jump to stop an opponent standing at the edge from reacting while Little Mac returns onto the stage.
Forward aerial			5% (hand), 4% (arm)	A low-ranged hook. It has slight start-up and a low damage output. Can combo after a down tilt, although this can be difficult to perform. Its speed can make it useful for edge-guarding, especially against characters with poor recoveries, but it is limited at doing so due to its point-blank range.
Back aerial			6% (hand), 4% (arm)	A backfist. Slightly stronger compared to forward aerial, though with less start-up, more ending lag, and more landing lag. Because it comes out incredibly quickly, skilled players can use it either to edge-guard or as a way to fend off opponents, although its minuscule hitbox makes this difficult to do reliably.
Up aerial			5% (hand), 4% (arm)	An upward arcing hook. Its tied for the second fastest up aerial in the game, coming out on frame 5, making it a somewhat useful aerial combo move, but its considerable ending lag and high landing lag makes it punishable if missed. If done low to the ground, it can combo into Little Mac's up tilt and Rising Uppercut at high percents.
Down aerial			5% (hand), 4% (arm)	A downward palm thrust. Its middle hitbox can meteor smash and it is the fastest meteor smash in the game, as well as the second fastest down aerial, coming out on frame 7. However, it is also the weakest meteor smash in the game and hence extremely ineffective against anyone but fast-fallers unless Little Mac footstool jumps on the opponent immediately after. Experienced players can use it to jab reset opponents by short hopping and then hitting a floored opponent before finishing them off with any of Little Mac's attacks.
Grab			—	Clinches the opponent. One of the most ineffective grabs in the game due to its moderate ending lag and extremely short range (being tied with Cloud for the third shortest-ranged grab), sometimes requires Little Mac to actually be touching the opponent in order to grab them. Pivot grabbing increases the grab's range, which is useful and easy to perform thanks to Mac's outstanding ground speed. Another option to improve the grab's range significantly is to perform a roll cancel grab, which is a very useful tool to catch the opponent during unexpected combos.
Pummel			2.1%	A short straight-punch. A fairly fast pummel, which somewhat makes up for Little Mac's mediocre grab by giving him a decent damage racking option.
Forward throw			4% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	Hooks the opponent, sending them forwards. Has low knockback scaling, which can allow it to combo into Jolt Haymaker or dash attack at low percents if the opponent misses a tech. Can also reliably set up edge-guards.
Back throw			4% (hit 1), 5% (throw)	Spins the opponent around and does an uppercut. Has the highest knockback scaling out of all of his throws, which allows it to KO near the edge, but only at very high percents.
Up throw			4% (hit 1), 3% (throw)	Uppercuts the enemy's chin, sending them upwards. Has very minimal use compared to Little Mac's other throws due to his reliance on grounded attacks; its base knockback and ending lag renders it unusable for combos, while its knockback scaling renders it impractical for KOing. It can lead into an aerial attack if the player reads the opponent's reaction correctly, although this is mostly unrewarding.
Down throw			4% (hit 1), 5% (throw)	A double axe handle. A decent combo starter, as it can be followed up with a short-hopped Jolt Haymaker at 0% or Rising Uppercut at percents as high as 200% for a KO, but only if the opponent does not DI away.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Gets up while throwing a punch behind himself, then in front of himself. Very fast for a get-up attack.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Gets up while throwing a punch in front of himself, then behind himself.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Gets up while throwing a punch in front of himself, then behind himself.
Edge attack Edge getups			7%	Throws a lunging punch while climbing up.
Neutral special	Default	Straight Lunge	14%/12%/9% (uncharged grounded), 25%/20% (fully charged grounded), 10%/7% (uncharged aerial), 15% (fully charged aerial), 35% (KO Uppercut grounded), 13% (KO Uppercut aerial)	A chargeable, dashing cross. It covers more distance the longer it is charged, although its damage output does not increase. It grants minimal heavy armor while charging and has high ending lag when fully charged, but it becomes one of the strongest moves in the game when fully charged, making it optimal to use after a shield break. However, the fully charged variant has a blind spot at the start, making it whiffable even on characters was large hurtboxes, so positioning is crucial. If the Power Meter is fully charged, it turns into the KO Uppercut instead, an immensely fast and powerful uppercut. Despite its name, is not a true one-hit KO, but instead KOs at roughly 30% while also granting super armor on frames 8-9. However, the KO Uppercut possesses a considerable amount of ending lag, making it punishable regardless if it hits or not.
	Custom 1	Flaming Straight Lunge	1.5%/3% (uncharged grounded loop/last), 1.8%/6% (fully charged grounded loop/last), 1.2%/3% (uncharged aerial loop/last), 1.4%/5% (fully charged aerial loop/last), 35% (KO Uppercut grounded), 13% (KO Uppercut aerial)	A flaming version that charges faster and hits multiple times, but does not travel as far. It can be used as for horizontal recovery if timed properly.
	Custom 2	Stunning Straight Lunge	11%/7% (uncharged grounded), 20%/18% (fully charged grounded), 8%/5% (uncharged aerial), 12% (fully charged aerial), 35% (KO Uppercut grounded), 13% (KO Uppercut aerial)	Travels much farther and faster, and paralyzes targets when fully charged before its knockback activates, but grants no super armor and deals slightly less damage. It propels Little Mac forward with horizontal momentum if partially charged, giving him a relatively useful recovery option that does not render him helpless.
Side special	Default	Jolt Haymaker	14%	A Superman punch. The attack can be executed early by pressing the button again. It propels Little Mac quite a distance and grants intangibility during the first 4 frames. It is advised not to use this attack around the edge of a stage, since it renders him helpless. However, it can be one of Mac's more useful recovery options off-stage, since it will quickly snap the edge. It is noticeably worse when used in the air, as it grants less distance, loses its intangibility, and gains even less distance if the punch is thrown early.
	Custom 1	Grounding Blow	9%	Leaps much higher and buries opponents if performed on the ground. While in midair, it will result in a meteor smash if it hits an opponent. However, it is even worse for recovery, as it grants less horizontal movement and propels Little Mac downward when off-stage.
	Custom 2	Guard Breaker	18%	Grants super armor and is unblockable, though it travels slower and cannot be made to attack early. It also does not grant Little Mac any distance if used immediately out of hitstun.
Up special	Default	Rising Uppercut	1% (loop), 3% (last)	A right-handed, jumping corkscrew uppercut followed immediately by a left-handed uppercut. The first uppercut hits multiple times while the second uppercut hits once and deals respectable knockback. Goes higher with more maneuverability if used on the ground, while it only grants half the distance and maneuverability if used in the air. Deceptively powerful, to the point that it can reliably KO at high percents and is Little Mac's only reliable aerial finisher. Grants some of the lowest distance and horizontal maneuverability of any recovery move, and only snaps to the edge if it starts or ends right next to one.
	Custom 1	Tornado Uppercut	3%/4%	Travels farther with better movement and has a push effect due to emitting a gust of wind, but deals less damage overall and deals set knockback.
	Custom 2	Rising Smash	16% (hit 1), 4% (hit 2)	An electrical version that deals noticeably more damage and knockback, but only hits twice with high start-up and ending lag, as well as covering considerably less distance.
Down special	Default	Slip Counter	1.3x (min 10%)	Assumes a full crouch stance. If Little Mac is hit, he then dodges backward to avoid the hit and then immediately counterattacks by slipping inside to perform an invincible uppercut. Counter window activates on frame 5, making it one of the fastest counterattacks in the entire game. In the air, this can be used to either give Mac a slight boost forward for horizontal recovery, though it can also hinder him due to its slip and the direction his opponent is at.
	Custom 1	Compact Counter	0.8x (min 4%)	Has a lower damage multiplier and deals less knockback, but is faster overall, which allows Little Mac to initiate follow-ups and improves its speed as a recovery option.
	Custom 2	Dash Counter	1.1x (min 7%)	Has a slightly lower damage multiplier and its counter window does not last as long, but Little Mac dashes forward upon counterattacking. The dash results in Mac being unable to attack opponents directly in front of him due to the dash generating a windbox, but it is more useful for both countering projectiles in order to close the gap between Mac and as a horizontal recovery option.
Final Smash		Giga Mac	—	Transforms into Giga Mac, which makes his grounded attacks even more powerful than his normal form. Some of Giga Mac's attacks can one-hit KO opponents when fully charged, such as his non-angled and upward angled forward smash, his sweetspotted up smash, and a clean Straight Lunge. Even his back throw also becomes a viable KOing option, due to it becoming stronger than Ness'. However, Giga Mac's aerial attacks are still weak, so as to fit in line with Little Mac's ground-based offense.

Power Meter

As shown in his trailer, Little Mac has a unique mechanic called the Power Meter. When fully charged, it replaces his neutral special with the KO Uppercut, an extremely powerful uppercut. It was claimed by Masahiro Sakurai to be a one-hit KO attack, but this is not true. Despite this, it is strong enough to KO opponents as low as 12%. However, the higher the character's weight, the more damage is needed to KO them. In keeping with Little Mac's abysmal air game, an aerial KO Uppercut deals significantly lower damage and knockback, to the point that it cannot KO unless the aerial opponent is at least around 150%.

The Power Meter charges when Little Mac deals and/or receives damage. However, when he is attacked, the Power Meter will fill by double to quadruple the amount compared to if he hits an opponent. Additionally, the Power Meter will be maxed out if Mac receives exactly 100%.

On-screen appearance

• Enters the stage while throwing a series of punches before tossing his hooded sweatsuit off. If one of his sweatsuit costumes is being worn, he will still perform the tossing animation while keeping his sweatsuit on.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Turns his back to the screen, bends down, then raises his fist triumphantly. Doc Louis may say "Hit 'em, baby!" (叩け！マック！, Thrash! Mac!)
• Side taunt: Pulls the string of his right boxing glove tight with his teeth, then gets back to his battle stance while scoffing. Doc Louis may say "Let 'em have it, Mac!" (ぶちかませ！マック！, Hit them hard! Mac!)
• Down taunt: Performs a series of punches while facing the screen. Doc Louis may say "Show 'em what you've got, Mac baby!" (お前のパンチを見せてやれ！, Let them see your punch!)

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Shuffles his feet.
• Shifts his head back and forth in front of his fists.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Little Mac! Get 'em back!	Go! Go! Mac!
Pitch	Group chant	Male

Victory poses

This article or section is incomplete. You can help SmashWiki by expanding or finishing it. The editor who added this tag elaborates: Doc Louis' Japanese voice quotes with translations

A remix of the Won Match! jingle from the NES version of Punch-Out!!

• Doc Louis holds up Little Mac's arm like a referee would after a boxing match, and cheers him on.
• Shadowboxes with Doc Louis, then turns to the camera while holding his fist up triumphantly while Louis cheers him on.
• Runs and turns his back towards the camera, does a brief shuffle, then spins before throwing a triumphant uppercut while Doc Louis cheers him on.

Unless the match is a Team Battle, all of Little Mac's victory poses involve Doc Louis. If Little Mac's team is victorious but he does not have the most points, Doc Louis will not appear and Mac will perform his second victory pose.

In all of Little Mac's victory poses, Doc Louis will say one of the following at random:

• "(in tandem with the announcer) And the winner is... Little Mac! Hahaha!"
• "Y'know, that belt looks good on you, son."
• "Ya got what it takes, Mac!"
• "Nice work, Mac. You got it all figured out."
• "Way to go, Mac! You're the champ, baby!"
• "Awesome win, Mac. Way to go!"
• "You win, Mac!"
• "Alright! I think I hear a chocolate bar callin'."
• "Was that a little too easy for ya, son?"
• "World Circuit's all yours, Mac!"
• "Ahh, winnin' feels good, don't it?"

In all of Wireframe Mac's victory poses, Doc Louis will say one of the following at random:

• "Nice moves, Mac. I could barely keep my eyes on ya, son."
• "Ain't you flashy? You making my eyes water, son."
• "You're lookin' mighty good, son. Just like old times, huh?"

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Little Mac	2111	2113	2112	2211	2213
	2212	2311	2313	2312	2121

Notable players

Active

•  //
•  Achillis
•  Alphicans
•  Duffo
•  Cagt
•  Chota
•  Destany
•  Earl
•  JCC
•  JungleJim48
•  Naoto
•  Pu55yk1ng
•  Rekzius
•  Senpai
•  Sol
•  Vash
•  ZekkenB

Inactive

•  Espy
•  MVD
•  Vex Kasrani

Tier placement and history

Since day one, Little Mac has been a massive point of contention among casuals and hardcore players alike. He was very controversial among less experienced players who struggled against him on For Glory, due to his strengths granting him no equal on the ground with his fast ground mobility, excellent rolls, abundance of KO moves and outstanding frame data, to name a few. However, he has never been considered a serious threat in competitive play, due to two severe weaknesses balancing this out, namely his abysmal recovery (which often makes him get KO'd at a distance where other fighters can recover from), and almost useless aerial game. Players were quick to note that Mac's vulnerability to juggling and gimping would allow a skilled opponent to swiftly dispose of him more often than not, and with his inability to move safely between platforms, he was derided as only being able to fight on Final Destination. With a lack of high-level results during the early days and the gradually shifting perceptions of the community, Little Mac's popularity diminished immensely, and he was frequently considered as a gimmick in competitive play, especially after slight nerfs in 1.0.4. This was reflected in him being ranked 43rd/44th (tied with Duck Hunt) on the first tier list, which placed him in the G tier and resulted in both he and Duck Hunt being the second lowest ranked low-tier characters.

However, the efforts of dedicated Little Mac players like Sol have shown that he can perform well when played intelligently, even on stages with platforms, proving that Little Mac's comeback ability was significant enough to be a considerable mindgame despite his aerial weaknesses. Furthermore, additional buffs gained from updates 1.1.0/1.1.4 granted Little Mac even more reward for landing his already hard-hitting moves, along with better angles in his up tilt and throws granting him more reliable combo strings. Improvements in Little Mac's metagame have also opened up even more techniques for the character (such as the Gazelle Punch and edge-canceled jab-to-KO Uppercut), granting even more fearsome comeback power. While Little Mac is still considered too polarized to be truly viable in singles play, these factors saw Little Mac gain a slight rise to 39th in the second tier list, placing him in the F tier and making him the third highest ranked low-tier character. It should be noted that Little Mac is considered to fare much better in doubles play thanks to a teammate covering his weaknesses and assisting him in setting up his powerful attacks.

Reveal trailer

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Trophies

Little Mac

This little boxer from the Punch-Out!! series makes up in heart what he lacks in height. He wasn't afraid to take on the boxing champs, and he's not afraid of the Nintendo stars. In Smash Bros., he packs a serious punch. When his KO Meter fills up, wade in and trigger a devastating uppercut.

The little guy from Punch-Out!! has come a long way since his humble beginnings fighting the almost literal boxing giants. Above his damage display, you'll notice he has a little meter that fills up as he fights. When it's full, you'll see a flashing "KO" there. That means you can unleash a devastating uppercut!

: Punch-Out!! (10/1987)

: Punch-Out!! (05/2009)

Little Mac (Alt.)

No matter his opponent, Little Mac always puts his best fist forward. He enters a charge state before unleashing his Straight Lunge special and can unleash it while charging by pressing the button again. He won't flinch while charging. At max charge, the launching power of this move is scary!

Little Mac always puts his best fist forward, especially when you use Straight Lunge! You start by charging, then unleash the punch whenever you press the button again. Charge it to the max and its launching power is formidable! Also, attacks won't make you flinch while you're charging or once you've fully charged the move.

: Punch-Out!! (10/1987)

: Punch-Out!! (05/2009)

Giga Mac

This Final Smash turns Little Mac into a hulking monster of a man. In Punch-Out!! for Wii, Little Mac could take this form by building up the gauge with some well-timed blows. In this game, it seriously powers up his attacks and makes him even faster. He'll completely dominate on the ground, but air battles are outside his weight class.

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• LittleMacAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Giga Mac

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• Below the Belt: As Mario, the player must protect a damaged Little Mac from a giant Little Mac. Little Mac will be at 60% on Easy, 80% on Normal and 100% on Hard.
• New Challengers 1: Little Mac is one of the seven opponents fought in this event, alongside Rosalina & Luma, Wii Fit Trainer, Villager, Duck Hunt, Bowser Jr., and Lucina.
• No Mere Sparring Match: A damaged Little Mac must defeat three Wireframe Macs. The Wireframe Macs have three stocks on Easy, four on Normal and five on Hard.

Co-op Events

• Getting Healthy: Little Mac and Wii Fit Trainer must defeat Kirby and Pac-Man.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Alternate costumes

Little Mac has sixteen alternate costumes, half of which sport a wireframe design based on the original arcade version of Punch-Out!!

Gallery

• 

  Punch-Out!!-inspired artwork.

• 

  Little Mac's splash art.

• 

  Artwork of Little Mac from the boxart of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

• 

  Little Mac's "Wireframe Mac" alternate costume.

• 

  Little Mac's amiibo.

• 

  The Pic of the Day revealing Little Mac.

• 

  Two of Little Mac's alternate costumes. One is his signature hooded sweatsuit, while the other is his attire in Contender Mode when fighting in the World Circuit in the Wii version of Punch-Out!!

• 

  A second picture posted on the initial Miiverse post, displaying what happens when his Power Meter is fully charged.

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  Using Straight Lunge in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

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  The first hit of his neutral attack on Link.

• 

  Using a fully charged Straight Lunge.

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  Using KO Uppercut on Mega Man and Bowser.

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  Using KO Uppercut on Sonic.

• 

  Using Rising Uppercut.

• 

  Using Rising Uppercut on Link.

• 

  However, Rising Uppercut does not provide much recovery.

• 

  Using Slip Counter against Mario.

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  Little Mac on Smash Ball standby.

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  Using his Final Smash, Giga Mac.

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  The second hit of his neutral attack on Mario.

• 

  Using his down smash on Fox.

• 

  Using his dash attack.

• 

  Little Mac tumbling.

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  Little Mac facing the screen.

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  Using his dash attack against Villager's neutral attack.

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  Little Mac taunting alongside Pikachu and Olimar.

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  "Little Mac can deliver some solid punches while fighting on the ground."

• 

  "...However, he's not the strongest fighter while airborne."

• 

  Little Mac taunting alongside Samus.

• 

  Using Rising Uppercut alongside Diddy Kong's up smash.

• 

  The three different variations of Little Mac's forward smash.

• 

  A trophy of Little Mac as he appeared in Captain Rainbow.

• 

  Little Mac wearing his World Video Boxing Association (WVBA) Champion alternate costume and sporting battle damage.

Trivia

• Little Mac makes a number of references to his home series:
  • His alternate costumes include his signature hooded sweatsuit used during his training segments with Doc Louis, his World Video Boxing Association (WVBA) Champion attire from the Wii version of Punch-Out!!, a design based of the blonde-haired protagonist of Super Punch-Out!!, and a wireframe design based on the first-person perspective from the arcade version of Punch-Out!!
    • He also has the most alternate costumes in the series, with a total of 16. Oddly, his wireframe alternate costumes do not appear in hordes in Special Orders in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U or Classic Mode in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
  • He is the only character to display visual battle damage, although this feature is only shown in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Upon reaching or passing 100% or upon being screen KO'd, bandages and bruises appear on his face. This is a reference to the Wii version of Punch-Out!!, where Mac will gradually begin looking bruised and battered if he gets hit too many times.
  • His official poster showing him fighting Donkey Kong references DK's appearance as a secret opponent during Mac's Last Stand in the Wii version of Punch-Out!!
  • He wears the World Video Boxing Association (WVBA) Championship belt for all three of his victory poses.
  • His KO Uppercut is a reference to the Star Uppercut, his signature move in the Punch-Out!! series. By extension, his Power Meter originated from the arcade version of Punch-Out!!
  • His Final Smash, Giga Mac, is a transformation that can be used in the two-player mode of the Wii version of Punch-Out!!
• According to Masahiro Sakurai, Little Mac has the lowest online win ratio of all characters as of November 2014.
• Prior to update 1.0.5 in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and update 1.0.6 in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Little Mac could not properly hold Hammers, as they would be positioned at his sides instead of between his hands.
• Interestingly, Little Mac shares a few animations with Captain Falcon. This includes some of his poses when knocked back with a weak attack, swing animations for battering items such as a Beam Sword or a Home Run Bat, and animations while buried or stunned. This has led many to believe that this indicates Captain Falcon's model was used as a base for creating Little Mac.
• Although Little Mac has the third lowest jumps in the game, he has the second highest wall jump in the game, which is surpassed only by Lucario's wall jump.
• Little Mac possesses some of the fastest attacks in SSB4. This includes his neutral attack (which is tied with Zero Suit Samus' as the fastest in the game), his forward tilt, his down tilt (which is tied with Ness', Lucas', R.O.B.'s and Meta Knight's as the third fastest in the game), and his neutral aerial (which is the fastest in the game).
  • Despite his terrible air game, Little Mac's outstanding attack speed also extends to his aerial attacks. His neutral aerial is particularly notable, as it can be performed three times in a single short hop and has been demonstrated by skilled players as being capable of performing intricate combos.
• Little Mac and Cloud are the only characters who have special moves that affect the in-game camera, with both KO Uppercut and all of Cloud's Limit Break moves (barring Limit Break Blade Beam) zooming in and slowing down time upon hitting their targets. Coincidentally, both moves involve dealing or receiving damage in order to be available for use.
• Despite being symmetrical in some moves (such as his taunts and entrances), Little Mac is not mirrored when he faces left and right. This is because he uses an orthodox stance, the most common stance in boxing, in his home series.
• Occasionally, Little Mac's mouth will jarringly close during the results screen.
• Due to mostly inexperienced For Glory players infamously using Jolt Haymaker too close to a stage's edge and thus inadvertently causing a self-destruct, the move itself became somewhat of a meme among the community shortly after SSB4's release, with the phrase "Jolt Haymaker to Victory", "Side B Off the Stage", or "For Glory Little Mac" being used to commonly describe inexperienced or mistake-heavy Little Mac players, that of which usually perform the infamous mistake mentioned above.