Super Smash Bros. 4

Fox (SSB4)

Revision as of 02:04, January 31, 2016 by N1N (talk | contribs) (corrected "devestating" to "devastating")
This article is about Fox's appearance in Super Smash Bros. 4. For the character in other contexts, see Fox McCloud.
Fox
in Super Smash Bros. 4
Fox
StarFoxSymbol.svg
Universe Star Fox
Other playable appearances in SSB
in Melee
in Brawl
Availability Starter
Final Smash Landmaster
Fox (SSB4)

Fox (フォックス, Fox) returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. He was one of the characters confirmed to return in the game during the E3 2013 trailers on June 11th, 2013. He was also among the first wave of amiibo figures that are compatible with SSB4.

In Japanese, Fox is once again voiced by Kenji Nojima. In English, instead of being voiced by Jim Walker like in Brawl, he is now voiced by Mike West, his voice actor from Star Fox 64, its 3DS remake and Star Fox Zero.

Attributes

Fox fits in with the "hit-and-run" archetype, as he has very fast grounded movement and above average frame data. His mobility is overall proficient: he has the 3rd fastest walking speed, the 4th fastest dashing speed, below average air speed but high air acceleration, the highest gravity and the fastest falling speed out of the entire cast. Despite his falling speed, he is also one of the lightest characters in the game (6th lightest).

Along with his mobility, his attack speed is remarkable. Most of his moves come out in fewer than 10 frames, and some, such as his up smash, also boast terrific power. Though his aerials have noticeable landing lag, they have favorable auto-cancel frames, with his up and back aerials auto-cancelling in a short-hop, and the latter two deal high knockback as well. Fox's frame data grants him a formidable approach, as he can pressure and poke with his tilts and aerials without leaving himself open to punishes. His Blaster, despite being nerfed, is an invaluable tool in Fox's arsenal. Its rapid-fire abilities and range give it great utility in zoning, camping, forcing approaches, and racking on damage. All of the above factors give Fox a powerful neutral game.

Another shining strength is Fox's combo game. All of his tilts and aerials are capable of starting combos. His up tilt can combo into itself at low- to mid-percents, and can lead into his aerials at higher percents. Dash attack deals vertical knockback, leading into aerial combos and juggles. Due to its high hitlag, down aerial has reduced landing lag if it connects, allowing different follow-ups at a variety of percentages. Fox's down throw is also a reliable combo-starter at lower damages. Forward aerial has several set-ups, and if Fox lands while doing the move, he can jab lock the opponent with low-angled forward tilt, and may extend the combo after they are forced into their neutral get-up.

Fox has good KO power for a character of his weight class. Up aerial is quick, powerful, and has a wide auto-cancel frame, making it relatively safe. Forward smash, while fairly weak, has moderate start-up and ending lag and long range. Down smash can catch opponents off-guard and gives them little chance to DI, along with its decent power and semi-spike angle. Back aerial has low start-up and is a deadly semi-spike if sweetspotted. Finally, Fox's most potent KO move is his up smash, with minimal start-up and powerful knockback. He also has a few notable set-ups into it, as both his neutral and down aerials can combo into it at high percentages.

However, Fox has a few weaknesses. His recovery, while far-reaching, is average at best. Fox Illusion is fast and grants long horizontal distance, but is linear and can no longer be shortened. Fire Fox can be angled in any direction, but is also linear and slow. Though Fox Illusion can now be followed up with Fire Fox, his recovery is nonetheless predictable. His very high falling speed and low weight leave him at the mercy of meteor smashes, and he usually cannot survive them even at lower percentages.

Despite having several high-power moves, Fox sometimes has difficulty KOing his opponent. Most of his finishing moves are easily predictable even considering their speed, most notably his up aerial and up smash. Up aerial is hard to land without an air dodge read, and because it is commonly used to rack up damage, it is prone to staling. Back aerial and down smash have short reach and durations, and the former has a small sweetspot, while the latter is punishable. Forward smash is one of the weakest of its kind. His main KO move, his up smash, is difficult to connect without a read or set-up, and is highly punishable.

Fox's grab game is overall mediocre. His down throw is easily DIed past low percentages, and none of his other throws can combo effectively. He lacks a reliable KO throw, which further hinders his ability to close out stocks, and this gives him trouble against foes who continuously shield his finishers and set-ups. Fox does not have a particularly strong edgeguarding ability. He cannot maneuver effectively offstage due to his fast falling speed and slow air speed. He lacks a meteor smash, and his aerials either have long durations, high ending lag, or both. In such situations, because of his falling speed, Fox often has to use Fire Fox to return to the stage, which is risky and can backfire if the opponent survives the attempt.

Finally, Fox has terrible endurance. His light weight and high gravity allow many characters to KO him below 100%. Not only that, but his falling speed leaves him extremely susceptible to combos, though less vulnerable to juggles. Thus, he loses the main advantage that light-weights possess while suffering from their most glaring weakness. Some characters can easily rack up 50% on Fox off of one combo, a prominent example being Luigi, and he along with other characters can potentially bring Fox to KO percents with one or two combos. His aforementioned recovery issues only exacerbate Fox's frailty. Since Fox aims to rack up heavy damage but can struggle KOing, he is in even greater danger of losing his stock to opponents with heavy rage, and his endurance prevents him from making effective use of the mechanic.

With custom moves on, Fox does gain some benefit. Impact Blaster acts similar to his Blaster in Smash 64. It fires slower, but does more damage, knockback, and makes the opponents flinch similar to Falco's Blaster. Charge Blaster fires a single, powerful laser that has slower startup, but deals good damage, hitstun and knockback. Wolf Flash, originally belonging to Wolf, goes at 35° instead of straight horizontal and can spike airborne opponents. Flying Fox doesn't go as far and deals no damage, but has almost no start-up and flies faster, making it harder to gimp. Twisting Fox has more start-up, doesn't fly as far and flies slower, but is much powerful and can K.O. as low as 60% off the top blast zone. Big Reflector, while not doing any damage upon activation and slightly decreased power on reflected projectiles, is much bigger, as the name implies, giving it a larger reflection hitbox and in close range, pushes opponents away in they are in front of Fox, giving him some space and possibly gimp. Finally, Ampliyfing Reflector, while slower and being unable to stall in midair, doubles the speed and power of projectiles, which is particularly devastating against foes reliant on projectiles to KO.

Overall, Fox is a very capable fighter with his great mobility, fast attack speed, strong combo ability, and decent finishers, and, aside from his poor endurance, he has no crippling weaknesses. He has secured excellent tournament representation, being used by high-level players such as Larry Lurr, and he has strong results at all levels of play.

Changes from Brawl

Fox received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition from Brawl to SSB4, but was objectively nerfed in terms of frame data. Fox's neutral game is less effective, with increased lag on his aerials and a weakened camping game due to the removal of auto-canceling on his Blaster. This means Fox can no longer safely bait as many bad approaches from his opponents. Additionally, some of his finishers (such as up smash and back aerial) have been weakened. He is lighter, and the removal of hitstun canceling makes him even easier to combo and worsens his endurance. One of his most significant nerfs was to his Reflector, which can no longer allow him to stall in the air effectively due to its drastically increased ending lag, and can no longer semi-spike, making it much less effective overall.

However, Fox benefits from the general changes of SSB4. This most notably includes the removal of chain grabbing, which was a major reason for his mid-tier placement in Brawl, and hitstun cancelling, which restores his ability to perform short combos with some of his more versatile attacks, such as his up tilt and neutral aerial. Additionally, while Fox's neutral game was nerfed, it still remains better than most due to his retained mix-ups and the universal nerf in mobility options. Fox also benefits from a better jab cancel, which can set up KOs more reliably. His recovery has also improved, with Fox Illusion no longer leaving him helpless and Fire Fox traveling farther. Finally, his Reflector was given a slightly longer hitbox duration and a larger hitbox in update 1.1.0, making it more effective than it was initially for edgeguarding. As a result, he is considered to be much better relative to the cast than he was in Brawl, reflected by his much greater tournament success compared to Brawl with many more dedicated mains pushing his metagame.

Appearance

  •   Due to the new visual aesthetics in SSB4, Fox's overall color scheme is brighter in comparison to his appearance in Brawl. Additionally, his fur is of a higher visual quality than before, much like Donkey Kong's and Diddy Kong's, and his teeth are more pronounced than in previous installments.
  •   Fox's Blaster has a redesigned appearance and the lasers appear to have a lighter hue to them, being more pink in color.
  •   Landmaster is now light blue instead of dark blue.

Attributes

  •   Fox is lighter than in Brawl (80 → 79), slightly worsening his already poor endurance. However, due to the removal of hitstun canceling and his fast falling speed, he is actually easier to combo despite his lighter weight, giving him a much worse endurance overall.
  •   Fox dashes slightly faster (2.08 → 2.184).
  •   Fox's air speed is slightly faster (0.89 → 0.96).
  •   Fox falls much faster (1.831 → 2.05), especially relative to the cast, as he now has the highest falling speed, which makes him more susceptible to combos.
  •   Fox's already high gravity has been noticeably increased (0.175 → 0.19), worsening his endurance and making him easier to combo.
  •   The removal of chain grabbing is a significant benefit for Fox in his match ups against other characters.
  •   The loss of meteor canceling seems to have crippled Fox the most, as the position of being the game's fastest faller, combined with his light weight, makes meteor smashes far more dangerous against him than any other character, as his falling speed makes it almost impossible to recover even at lower-mid percentages.

Ground attacks

  •   Neutral attack now links into a finisher, where Fox extends his leg for a strong kick.
  •   Dash attack (7%/5% → 6%/4%), up tilt (10%/8% → 9%/6%) , down tilt (9%/7% → 8%/6%), up smash (17% → 16%), and forward smash (15% → 14%) deal less damage.
  •   Forward smash is slightly stronger (10 base/96 growth → 20 base/98 growth).
  •   Up smash has lower knockback growth (96 → 94), slightly shorter range, and increased ending lag (IASA frame 44 → frame 51).
  •   Down smash has higher knockback scaling (65 → 75), but less base knockback (50 → 30), making it weaker overall.
  •   Down smash has a different charging animation.
  •   Fox can no longer DACUS, worsening his approach.

Aerial attacks

  •   Neutral aerial (9 → 11 frames), forward aerial (18 → 27 frames), and down aerial (12 → 25 frames) have increased landing lag.
  •   Forward aerial (23% → 7%), back aerial (15% → 13%), and down aerial (21% → 11%) deal less damage.
  •   Forward aerial is harder to SDI out of and is easier to combo into. It can now send opponents at the autolink angle, which when combined with fast falling in the middle of the attack can lead into a footstool jump, potentially gimping characters with poor vertical recoveries such as Little Mac and Donkey Kong.
  •   Forward aerial gives a shorter "hover" effect than in Brawl. It has slightly increased start-up (6 → 7) and can no longer autocancel in a short-hop.
  •   Back aerial's reduced damage makes it weaker, despite its added knockback growth (85 → 88).
  •   Down aerial's final hit no longer weakly meteor smashes with low set knockback, removing its utility against characters with poor vertical recoveries.
  •   Down aerial has a new landing hitbox that weakly sends opponents vertically in the air. It has high hitlag which moderately reduces its high landing lag, but this only works on-hit. It's capable of linking into his dash attack or up smash.

Throws/other attacks

  •   With the removal of hitstun canceling, down throw acts as a better combo starter at low percentages.
  •   Down throw deals less damage (9% → 7%).

Special moves

  •   Blaster no longer autocancels upon landing and can only be fired twice from a short hop, lessening its utility.
  •   Fox Illusion no longer leaves Fox helpless after the move is performed in the air (though it can still only be used once in the air) and no longer dashes over the edge when used on the ground. It also has less landing lag when used in a short hop (8 frames) as an approach option.
  •   Fox Illusion is one frame slower (20 → 21) and can no longer be shortened, removing its mix up potential.
  •   Aerial Fox Illusion has much less horizontal momentum at the end of the dash.
  •   Fire Fox travels a greater distance, now nearly as much as it does in Melee (NTSC).
  •   Reflector now protects Fox from all types of explosives when active (with the exception of sudden death Bob-ombs), therefore nullifying any damage that could've been taken.
  •   Reflector has far more cooldown and no longer semi-spikes aerial opponents, removing shine spikes entirely. It also deals 3% less damage (5% → 2%).
  •   Landmaster is less powerful and lasts a shorter duration.
  •   Landmaster's cannon can fire while airborne.

Update history

Fox received a mix of buffs and nerfs in 1.1.0. His jab cancel was weakened and his jab lock was completely removed, but his Reflector and Blaster were improved to compensate. Fox also doesn't seem to be notably affected by the changes to the shield mechanics.

 1.0.6

  •   Neutral infinite has less visual whiffs.

 1.1.0

  •   Neutral attack's first and second hitbox properties have had their knockback and endlag increased, removing his jab lock and weakening his jab cancel.
  •   Neutral infinite contains a new hitbox that deals 0.4% appearing on frame 3, linking the infinite better.
  •   Reflector's hitbox duration increased: 1 → 2 frames. Its hitbox size and horizontal displacement also increased.
  •   All variations of Blaster have had their ending lag decreased by 3 frames.

  1.1.1

  •   Down throw deals less damage per Blaster shot: 2% → 1.5%. However, Fox now fires one more shot, leaving the total damage output unchanged.

Moveset

  Name Damage Description
Neutral attack   2% Punches twice, then attacks with a flurry of kicks ending in a stronger kick. Prior to update 1.1.0, Fox could lock his opponents with his double jab, allowing for an easy KO.
1%
0.7% (loop), 2% (final hit)
Forward tilt   8% Kicks his leg out. Can be angled up or down. Below-average knockback.
6%
7%
Up tilt   9% (clean), 6% (late) Fox does a fast scorpion kick that covers his back. Excellent for follow-ups, such as down smash, forward aerial, and up aerial.
Down tilt   8% (close), 7%, 6% (far) Fox swipes at the opponent with his tail.
Dash attack   6% (clean), 4% (late) Fox jumps slightly off the ground while running and performs a kick.
Forward smash   14% Fox does a spinning jump kick, with good range since he rolls forward. Has possibly the lowest base knockback in the game for a forward smash, but decent knockback scaling.
Up smash Flip Kick 16% (clean), 11% (late) Fox flip kicks the opponent, losing strength the farther it is into the animation. Despite its looks, it can only hit in front. The clean hit has the slash effect. Hits on frame 8 and has very high power, making it Fox's most potent finisher. However, it has extremely high ending lag (45 frames).
Down smash   14% (feet), 12% (legs) Fox does a split to attack both sides of him. Very fast startup and sends opponents at a horizontal angle.
Neutral aerial   9% (clean), 6% (late) Fox does a sex kick that loses power the longer it's out. The late hit of this move can be useful for setting up a slide smash.
Forward aerial   2% (hit 1), 1% (hit 2), 0.6% (hit 3), 0.8% (hit 4), 3% (last hit) Five kicks in succession. Makes Fox "hover" until the move ends. Good for building up damage, as foes will "stick" to Fox for the duration of the attack. Suffers from moderate landing lag, but auto-cancels from a full hop.
Back aerial   13% Fox spins to kick behind himself. Auto-cancels out of a short hop. A useful edgeguarding attack, and deadly at the sides of the stage due to its good knockback, though not to the extent of Falco's.
Up aerial   5% (hit 1), 11% (last hit) Fox flips himself upward for a tail whip and follow-up kick. Auto-cancels out of a short hop. His strongest aerial, deals above-average knockback, KOing near the upper blast line starting at 110%. Stronger than Falco's.
Down aerial   1.4% (hits 1-5), 3% (last hit), 1% (landing hit) A spinning drill kick that hits multiple times in succession. Auto-cancels out of a full hop, useful for reading jumps. The final hit deals low knockback. The landing hit knocks opponents away, and at high percentages, a running up smash can be connected.
Grab    
Pummel   1.2% A quick but weak knee strike.
Forward throw   4% (hit 1), 3% (throw) Fox releases his foe and knocks them away with a punch. Can lead into a dash attack or up smash at low to high percentages if the opponent doesn't DI away or tech. It's also Fox's strongest throw, but it doesn't start KOing until extremely high percentages.
Back throw   2% (throw), 2% (shots) Fox throws his foe backwards and shoots them with three rapid shots from his blaster.
Up throw   2% (throw), 2% (shots) Fox throws his foe upwards and fires three rapid shots from his blaster. Can occasionally follow up into up aerial if the opponent's reaction is read.
Down throw   1.5% (shots), 1% (throw) Fox forces his foe onto the floor and fires four point-blank shots at them with his blaster. Can link into a neutral or forward air.
Forward roll
Back roll
Spot dodge
Air dodge
Techs
Floor attack (front)
Floor getups (front)
  7% Fox does a kick in front and in back.
Floor attack (back)
Floor getups (back)
  7% Fox punches forwards, and kicks backwards.
Floor attack (trip)
Floor getups (trip)
  5% Fox spins around, hitting foes with his tail.
Edge attack
Edge getups
  7% Fox twirls at his opponent, doing a long range kick.
Neutral special Default Blaster 1.4% (far), 2%, or 3% (close) Fox fires his blaster, which can fire rapidly but does not stun the opponent. The lasers lose power as they travel.
Custom 1 Impact Blaster 2% (far), 3%, 4% or 4.3% (close) Fox fires slower blaster shots that deal more damage and knock opponents back. Similar to Fox's old Blaster from Super Smash Bros.
Custom 2 Charge Blaster 10.5% Fox fires a single, powerful laser. Has a slower startup time but has considerable hitstun and good knockback. Less start-up time if used while airborne.
Side special Default Fox Illusion 3% Fox suddenly dashes through opponents at a seemingly invisible speed, leaving behind after-images. Fox will send opponents at an upwards angle on contact.
Custom 1 Fox Burst 13% Fox cannot hit opponents with the dash itself, but will generate a large explosion wherever he stops. It can also be used to stall in midair.
Custom 2 Wolf Flash 3% (dash), 9% (end of the move), 10% (sweetspot hitting airborne opponents) Fox dashes at an upwards angle, meteor smashing opponents at a downwards angle if it hits with the sweet spot at the move's end. Based on Wolf's side special move from Brawl.
Up special Default Fire Fox 2% (charging hits 1-7), 14% (clean dash), 8% (late dash) Fox charges up in fire and suddenly launches himself in one of many directions, depending on what direction is held.
Custom 1 Flying Fox 0% A variation that is faster and travels a shorter distance, but deals no damage.
Custom 2 Twisting Fox 1% (charging hits 1-3), 1.2% (hits 1-7), 2% (last hit) Fox spins rapidly, dragging opponents in as he fires himself off, dealing rapid damage, reminiscent of Fire Wolf. Can KO as low as 60% in the air. Has a very slight decrease in distance to compensate.
Down special Default Reflector 2% (activation), 1.4x damage (reflected projectiles) Fox activates a Reflector around him. All projectiles are deflected and do more damage than they normally would. The Reflector damages nearby foes upon activation.
Custom 1 Big Reflector 1.2x damage (reflected projectiles) A larger Reflector that has a small decrease to the power of reflected projectiles, but it has a slightly larger reflecting hitbox. It pushes back enemies at close range instead of damaging them from the front, and pulls enemies in from the back.
Custom 2 Amplifying Reflector 2.1x damage (reflected projectiles) Has a longer startup time, but doubles the power and speed of reflected projectiles. It cannot deal damage or pushback at close range and does not stall in midair.
Final Smash Landmaster 5% (activation), 5-17% (ram), 13% (turning around), 11% (roll), 12 (landing) 8% (cannon while firing), 15% (cannon projectile) Fox calls in a Landmaster. While piloting it, Fox can drive it around and hover by holding down the jump button. The Landmaster also has many methods of attacking, such as firing the laser cannon and running over foes. Fox's version lasts longer than Falco's, but has a lower air speed.

On-screen appearance

  • Ejects from an Arwing.

Taunts

  • Up taunt: Fox charges up fire similar to Fire Fox and says "Here I come!". (行くぞ!, Let's go!)
  • Side taunt: Fox throws his Blaster into the air, then allows it to land back into its holster.
  • Down taunt: Fox backs up, bends down a bit, and says "Come on!" (かかってこい!, Come at me!), whilst waving his hand in a beckoning gesture.
  • Smash taunt: When fighting as Fox on the Corneria stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS or Lylat Cruise in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, quickly tap down on the directional pad once and he will kneel down and seem as though he is 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.
Up taunt Side taunt Down taunt
     

Idle poses

  • Does a Tae-Kwon-Do fighting stance and takes a deep breath.
  • Holds out his hand and makes a beckoning gesture, as if performing his down taunt.
   

Crowd cheer

English Japanese
Cheer
Description Fox! Fox! Fox! Fo-x! *claps 3 times*
Pitch Group chant Group chant

Victory poses

 
This victory theme is based upon the main theme of Star Fox 64, most specifically the title screen theme. It is also reminiscent of the music that would play when a mission was completed or accomplished.
  • Poses with his blaster, saying "Mission complete!"
  • Spins his blaster and puts it in his holster, saying "This is Fox. Returning to base."
    • If Falco is present after a match, he might say "Better luck next time, Falco."
  • Crosses his arms, looks upward, and raises his tail. (His "character chosen" animation and taunt in Super Smash Bros.)
     

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character Custom sets available
  Fox 2132 2332 3132 2122 2322
3322 1131 1331 2131 3131

Notable players

Trophies

Fox
  Fox is the leader of the mercenary unit Star Fox, often enlisted to defeat the evil Andross. His piloting skills are top notch, but in Smash Bros. he brings speed and fast attacks to the battle. His Reflector move allows him to turn projectile attacks against his foes, increasing their power for a punishing blow.
  Leader of the Star Fox team, Fox is a skilled pilot with a strong sense of justice. In this game, he's quick on his feet and can use his speed to toy with opponents, attacking relentlessly and giving them no room to breathe. Even if they try to attack him from afar with projectiles, his Reflector move just sends them flying right back!
 : Star Fox (03/1993)
 : Star Fox 64 (07/1997)
Fox (Alt.)
  Fox is at home in the air, and many of his moves, like his up smash, Flip Kick, will send foes up there. It's great for KOing a damaged opponent. Another handy move is his up special Fire Fox. The flames that surround Fox deal damage to nearby foes, and you can launch yourself in any direction once charged.
  The Flip Kick that Fox does for his upward smash can really send foes flying. It's well worth pulling out this attack in combos against airborne opponents. Try following it up with his red-hot Fire Fox special to hammer them repeatedly. The fact that you an fly in any direction with this move is a real bonus too!
 : Star Fox (03/1993)
 : Star Fox 64 (07/1997)
Landmaster (Fox)
  Originally designed for exploration, the Landmaster in Fox's Final Smash has been converted into an ultra-high-performance, anti-air, rolling combat vehicle. When Fox hops aboard, he can drive or roll into foes and blast them with cannon fire. It can even fire in midair. And best of all, Fox is safe from damage inside this metal beast!
  Originally designed for exploration, the Landmaster in Fox's Final Smash has been converted into an ultra-high-performance, anti-air, rolling combat vehicle. When Fox gets on board, he can drive or roll into foes and blast them with cannon fire. It can even fire in mid-air. And best of all, Fox won't take any damage while inside!

In Event Matches

Solo Events

Co-op Events

Alternate costumes

 
               

Gallery

Trivia

  • Fox has three English voice actors in both versions of Super Smash Bros. 4. He has Mike West for his battle voice and the Orbital Gate Assault Smash taunts, Jim Walker for the Lylat Cruise Smash taunts, and Steve Malpass for the Corneria Smash taunts.
  • Super Smash Bros. 4 is the only Smash Bros. game where Fox is not holding his blaster in his official art.
  • Fox is the only character in Smash 4 whose normal falling speed is higher than 2.0, at 2.05.
    • This is also the first iteration where Fox has the fastest falling speed out of all characters in the game.