Final Smashes
By AlphaZealot | Published: April 23, 2008 10:04pm EST
 Final Smashes are a new aspect of Smash but are rarely allowed in tournaments. Almost every Final Smash is unique to the character performing it. To allow your character to perform a Final Smash you must first break the Smash Ball when it randomly appears on the stage, then to activate it, simply press B. Before going to a tournament with Final Smashes turned on it is important to check the other item rules. Each item setting, low to very high, makes the items spawn at different rates. On low, items spawn about every 20 seconds, which will be something to watch for so you can control as much of the stage as possible during that period, increasing your chances of receiving the random spawn. If other items are on, then the Smash Ball will spawn less frequently, but watching for the item spawn during the correct time frame is prudent, considering just about every item can be beneficial. Final Smashes can be knocked out of an opponent who grabs it, but the ease with which this move can happen is variable. Sometimes it can be knocked out after one hit, other times it will take an onslaught of attacks to knock it loose. The Smash Ball with most characters requires multiple hits to break, but some characters can break it with their more powerful attacks in a single hit. In addition to this, the longer a Smash Ball exists the easier it is to break; after 10-15 seconds most attacks will break it in a single hit. If you wait too long, though, the Smash Ball will simply go away. Making use of the Final Smash wisely can be highly beneficial. If you have an opponent at a high percent, it is often a good idea to wait until you KO them before activating the Final Smash, this way you’ll get more mileage from the attack and devastate the opponent twofold. This move is risky, though, so remember at all times that the opponent can knock the Smash Ball out of you and if this happens the tides can quickly turn against you. In addition to this facet of play, the act of grabbing the Smash Ball can also lead to some interesting fights. The Smash Ball is constantly on the move, so rarely will the random spawn unfairly weigh toward whoever was nearest. That isn’t to say being near the Smash Ball doesn’t have its advantages. If you’re a character that can break it in one hit, go for it, but if it requires multiple hits, you may have to fend off the opponent and control space until you have an opening to break it, all this while making sure to stay in vicinity of the Smash Ball to keep with its constant and variable movement above the stage. Just about every Final Smash can be avoided or dodged in some way, no matter how powerful they may seem. Despite this, it is much more likely you will be hit by a Final Smash, at least partly, than you will be able to avoid it. This fact is largely because of two factors. First is the very property that makes Final Smashes so important: they are powerful, usually easy to wield, and have devastating and sometimes game-changing effects. Second, the person who possesses the Smash Ball, and therefore can activate the Final Smash, is at a heavy advantage offensively. This notion is not just because the Final Smash is powerful, but because the person without the Smash Ball will enter defensive maneuvers to lower the probability of taking a direct hit or even being hit at all. These maneuvers are often limited in scope because the anticipated range of the Final Smash cuts off angles of possibilities. Since these maneuvers are rarely enough and since the person holding the Smash Ball controls when it will be used, the player without it has to play with anticipation and reaction, while the person with it can press the advantage and use it when an opening presents. During this interplay, don’t panic, stick with a strategy if you possess the Smash Ball or are trying to avoid it, and try to either minimize or maximize damage, depending on the side of the fence your on. Note #1: For more in-depth information on each character’s Final Smash view the character-specific guides. Note #2: Default control scheme using the GCN controller is assumed. |
