VG Advanced Strategies: Super Smash Bros. Melee

Super Smash Bros. Melee redefined what a fighter could be. SSBM had a ton of physics "errors" that allowed for extremely competitive and hardcore play. SSBM players are familiar with terms like short hopping, wavedashing, SHFFLing. Almost all of the advanced techniques were eliminated in the Wii version of Super Smash Bros. (Brawl), which really destroyed the competitive community.

I pretty good at SSBM, but I never mastered all of the advanced techniques that reduce your delay between attacks and confuse your opponent. Normally with the Advanced Strategies segments I share with you my advice and thoughts. This week is going to be a little bit different because I found a set of YouTube videos (created by someone with the alias of Wak) that break down the advanced techniques extremely well. Even if you don't play the game, you might enjoy the videos, as they will give you an inside look as to why SSBM garnered such a following.

If you still play SSBM, watch these videos to really improve your game. It will take a lot of practice, but you'll be pleased with how fast your favorite character can move. Personally, I like Melee more than Brawl mostly because of the smoother gameplay. Both games have their flaws, but the mechanics are much more sophisticated in Melee, so much so that beginners can pick it up quickly while the game itself is impossible to master.

Here's the first one, which goes through the very basics of the game and then goes into short hopping, fast falling, SHFFLing, wavedashing and wavelanding. Don't worry about the terms if you don't know them, he explains them very well.



Part two covers shield techniques, recovery techniques, and edge techniques. Most of these are pretty simple but can save you a life if used correctly.



Part three is very long but has a wealth of information. Dash Techniques, Jump Canceling, Directional Influence, and Meteor Canceling are just some of the strategies told here.



Just because Brawl is out doesn't mean you have to stop playing Melee. Try out some of these moves if you have the game. You'll be amazed how much more dynamic SSBM can be.

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