SSSSS U U PPPPP EEEEEE RRRRR SSSSS M M A SSSSS H H S U U P P E R R S MM MM A A S H H SSSSS U U PPPPP EEEEEE RRRRR SSSSS M M M M A A SSSSS HHHHH S U U P E R R S M M M M A AAA A S H H SSSSS UUUUU P EEEEEE R R SSSSS M M M A A SSSSS H H BBBBB RRRRR OOOOO SSSSS BBBBB RRRRR A W W W L B B R R O O S B B R R A A W W W L BBBBB RRRRR O O SSSSS BBBBB RRRRR A A W W W W L B B R R O O S B B R R A AAA A W W W W L BBBBB R R OOOOO SSSSS BBBBB R R A A W W LLLLL OOOOOOO LL IIIIII MM MM AA RRRRRRR OO OO LL II MMMM MMM AAAA RR RR OO OO LL II MM MM MM MM AA AA RR RR OO OO LL II MM MM MM MM AAAAAAAA RRRRRRR OO OO LL II MM MMM MM AA AA RR RR OOOOOOO LLLLL IIIIII MM M MM AA AA RR RR Super Smash Bros Brawl Olimar Character Guide Written by Travis Evans AKA Regis_Neo Legal Info: This entire document is copyright 2008 by me. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. No section of this guide can be used without my permission. This includes, but is not limited to posting on your website, making links to my guide, including parts of my guide in your own, or making reference to any material contained within. Authorized sites allowed to use this guide: Gamefaqs Neoseeker Super Cheats =================================== Table of Contents: =================================== 1. About the Guide [ABT1] 2. About the Character [ABT2] 3. Special Moves [SPECM] 4. Standard Moves and Smashes [SAS] 5. Final Smash [FS] 6. General Strategies [GENS] 7. VS Specific Characters [VSC] 8. Stadium Mode Strategies [SMS] 9. FAQs [FAQU] 10. Version and Credits [VERC] ========================= 1. About the Guide [ABT1] ========================= Well, this is my first guide here on Gamefaqs. Basically, I wrote this nifty guide as a source for people interested in picking up one of Brawl's newest characters, Olimar. I don't profess myself to be the absolute authority on Olimar, but I have had some great success with him in online tournaments and stuff. Hopefully this'll be a useful resource in getting you started out. ============================= 2. About the Character [ABT2] ============================= Hailing from the planet Hocotate, Captain Olimar (known as Orima in Japan, an anagram of Mario) is one of the new characters to Nintendo's acclaimed Super Smash Bros series. He hails from the games Pikmin and Pikmin 2, both created by Shigeru Miyamoto. In the original Pikmin, Olimar, an employee of the Hocotate Freight Company, had crash-landed on the "Distant Planet" (in which there is strong evidence that it is Earth) and your goal was to utilize the Pikmin to find and collect at least 25 (30 total) missing parts of your ship to fly back home. The game featured some pretty innovative puzzles as well as a timeline of 30 days (about 15 minutes a day), which added a sense of urgency to your quest. Pikmin 2 had Olimar and his buddy Louie (a reference to Luigi obviously) heading back to the "Distant Planet" to collect the random "treasures" (things like batteries) scattered about to help save the company from bankruptcy. This game had no timeline, 201 different treasures to collect, and introduced the Purple and White Pikmin. In Brawl, Olimar is a lightweight character (which makes sense, considering that in Pikmin he is only a couple of inches tall). Olimar fighting style is very unique, as it revolves around the use of his beloved Pikmin. Pikmin (named so because they resemble Olimar's favorite food, Pikpik carrots) inhabit the "Distant Planet" that is the setting for both Pikmin games and a stage in Brawl. About an inch tall, the Pikmin are absolutely loyal to Olimar, following any command he gives them, even to death. Without his Pikmin, Olimar is doomed to fail otherwise. Pros: - Overall a fairly speedy character - Great range from due to your Pikmin - Great anti-air capabilities and Meteor Smash - Wonderful Final Smash, practically guaranteed damage to everyone Cons: - Lightweight and easy to kill - Takes a bit of time to master properly - Somewhat limiting recovery - Dependent on Pikmin to perform smashes and aerial attacks ======================== 3. Special Moves [SPECM] ======================== I figured it'd be best if we start with the Special Moves first. Like I said, Olimar has a very unique fighting style that revolves around his beloved Pikmin, which are crucial to performing your aerial attacks as well as your smashes and other moves. Pikmin come in 5 different flavors: Red, Yellow, Blue, Purple, and White. Red Pikmin represent Fire, and add a fire element in their attacks in addition to being immune to fire themselves; they are the 2nd most damaging Pikmin overall in terms of attack. Yellow Pikmin represents Electricity, and infuse their attacks with electrical shocks; they're about the 4th most damaging Pikmin, behind Blue but ahead of White. Their range is also every so slightly more than Red or Blue and they travel in a slight arc when thrown. Blue Pikmin represent Water, and though their attacks aren't represented by a special scene, they are the 3rd most damaging Pikmin behind Red. They are also slightly more durable than the other Pikmin. When used for a throw (not thrown themselves), Blue Pikmin result in the most damage done. Purple Pikmin are the heaviest and most damaging Pikmin in terms of raw force. They are also the slowest when used and travel the least range when thrown, used for a throw, or in a smash. White Pikmin are the lightest and least damaging of the Pikmin. They can be thrown the farthest and do additional poison damage when latched onto the opponent, making them the overall most damaging when thrown. Each Pikmin also has a different distance you can either throw it or their range when you use a Smash attack; Red, Yellow, and Blue go about the same distance, Purple the shortest, and White the farthest. Now for the special attacks: Neutral B - Pikmin Pluck: Plucks a random Pikmin out of the ground. Pikmin are plucked relatively quickly as well, it's possible to get all 6 in about a secondmaking if you are hammering the B button. Red, Yellow, and Blue appear the most common, with Purple and White being more uncommon. Note that this move cannot be used in the air, as obviously plucking something out of the ground in the air just screams failure. Forward B - Pikmin Throw: Throws a Pikmin onto the enemy. Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin do about 2% damage per second roughly, and total to a maximum of 1 6% before they hop back to you naturally. White Pikmin do about 6% per second, and a maximum of 48% before hopping back. Purple Pikmin do not latch onto the enemy, but instead knocks them back for about 6% damage. Obviously, it is better to throw multiple Pikmin onto the enemy (it is possible to get all 6 to latch on), but bear your opponent can shake off/kill the Pikmin you throw on them, which will them require you to pluck some new ones. In addition, it's best to keep at least 1-2 Pikmin with you, so you will be able to use your smashes on them when your Pikmin get through attacking them. Down B - Pikmin Order: Calls any wandering Pikmin back to you, as well as reordering your Pikmin lineup. Generally, this move is useless in most cases, as it's better to just sacrifice Pikmin most of the time and just pluck new ones out of the ground. More advanced players will probably use it to order their Pikmin up to their preference though. Up B - Pikmin Chain: Olimar orders his Pikmin to form a chain, which can be used to latch onto ledges. The more Pikmin you have near you, the longer the reach. The chain is used in a horizontal manner (make sure you line up the platform correctly unless you wish to fall to death), and deals about 6% damage if you hit the opponent with the chain, 8% if hit up close. Beware that if you use this attack to pull yourself up and you try to drop down and latch on again, it will not work and you'll fall to death. =================================== 4. Standard Moves and Smashes [SAS] =================================== --------------- Basic Attacks: --------------- Neutral A: Shoulder Ram (5%) - Simple basic attack. A+A+A: Three consecutive Headbutts (15%) - Good, quick damage. Up A: Spinning Whirl (6% - 11%) - Good for multiple hits and damage. Front A: Kick (6%) - Simple and spammable. Down A: Low Punch (6% + 2% if second hit connects) - 2 hit combo. Dash + A: Rolling Cartwheel (11%) - Great attack for getting in close. Note that these moves can be performed without any Pikmin. Regarding these moves, Dash + A is the best way to rake up some damage, though A+A+A is also good. Dash + A also has the benefit of knocking your opponent upward. Up + A is also your best friend if you need multiple hits and you lack Pikmin. These moves are all your best friend should you find yourself in the bad position of not having any Pikmin. ----------------------------------------------- Smashes (Require at least 1 Pikmin to perform) ----------------------------------------------- Olimar is unique in that his smash attacks and damage vary depending on what Pikmin he uses. First of all, his Forward Smash actually has a decent amount of range to it, allowing you to potentially hit opponents further away than with a normal character; for this guide's purposes though, the below percentages will reflect damage done if you're right next to them, like you would be if you normally used a Smash with someone (the damage gets correspondingly lower the further away you are when you use the smash). For the damage, there are several different outcomes depending on the Pikmin you have out at the time (and yes, I did make up the quirky names). Also, just in general for the smashes: -Forward Smash: Olimar orders a Pikmin to leap and hit the opponent. This move has slight range to it, making it a good attack to hit with if you need to stand back a bit. Has good knockback. -Down Smash: Olimar orders up to 2 Pikmin (one on each side) to attack both sides. This is one of your best moves against other players, as it has the advantage of hitting both sides at once as well as having a slight range and being fast to get off. Also has good knockback. -Up Smash: Olimar orders a Pikmin to leap up and hit the opponent. Again, as with Olimar's other smashes, the move has a slight range to it. Not that much knockback potential, but still send the opponent flying if they have enough damage. Now, for the Pikmin specifics: Red Pikmin Front Smash - Red Fireball (15% uncharged to 21% fully charged) Down Smash - Red Headbutt (13% uncharged to 18% fully charged) Up Smash - Red Jump (15% uncharged to 21% fully charged) Yellow Pikmin Front Smash - Yellow Bolt (13% uncharged to 18% fully charged) Down Smash - Yellow Headbutt (11% uncharged to 15% fully charged) Up Smash - Yellow Jump (14% uncharged to 19% fully charged) Blue Pikmin Front Smash - Blue Wave (15% uncharged to 21% fully charged) Down Smash - Blue Headbutt (12% uncharged to 16% fully charged) Up Smash - Blue Jump (15% uncharged to 21% fully charged) Purple Pikmin Front Smash - Purple Bellyflop (18% uncharged to 25% fully charged) Down Smash - Purple Headbutt (15% uncharged to 21% fully charged) Up Smash - Purple Jump (16% uncharged to 22% fully charged) White Pikmin Front Smash - White Twirl (9% uncharged to 12% fully charged) Down Smash - White Headbutt (6% uncharged to 8% fully charged) Up Smash - White Jump (9% uncharged to 12% fully charged) --------------- Aerial Attacks --------------- With the exception of Neutral A, all of Olimar's aerial attacks require you to have at least 1 Pikmin. And yes, you must jump in order to do these attacks. Neutral A: Big spinning whirl (2% to 12% depending on number of hits) Again, the amount of damage done depends on the Pikmin being used at the time. Note the following percentages reflect damage dealt if you hit them dead center (if you're off center, you'll do about half the damage). In general: -Forward A: Olimar uses one of his Pikmin to smack the opponent away. Simple enough to do, has good knockback potential as well. -Down A: Olimar grabs a Pikmin and smacks the opponent downward. Timing it right (exactly under Olimar) will make it a Meteor Smash and send the opponent spiraling downwards; otherwise, it will do about half the damage and slight knockback to the side. -Up A: Olimar grabs a Pikmin, twirls it about and smacks the opponent upward. Does great damage if timed properly (it hits multiple times) and has good knockback afterwards. Now, for the Pikmin specifics: Red Pikmin Forward A - Red Smack (15%) Down A - Red Downdrop (16%) Up A - Red Twirl (Up to 24%) Yellow Pikmin Forward A - Yellow Smack (12%) Down A - Yellow Downdrop (12%) Up A - Yellow Twirl (Up to 16%) Blue Pikmin Forward A - Blue Smack (13%) Down A - Blue Downdrop (14%) Up A - Blue Twirl (Up to 22%) Purple Pikmin Forward A - Purple Smack (14%) Down A - Purple Downdrop (14%) Up A - Purple Twirl (Up to 22%) White Pikmin Forward A - White Smack (5%) Down A - White Downdrop (8%) Up A - White Twirl (Up to 9%) ------- Throws ------- Once again, what Pikmin you are using will affect the throw damage you do. Olimar's throws also have a slight range to them, though not as much as Link's clawshot or something. Still, every bit helps in grabbing the opponent. Blue Pikmin by far deal the most damage with throws, White has the furthest reach (but lowest damage), and Purple has the lowest reach. Red, Yellow, and Blue all have comparable range while attempting to throw: Red Pikmin Up Throw - 9% Down Throw - 9% Forward Throw - 6% Backward Throw - 7% Yellow Pikmin Up Throw - 11% Down Throw - 8% Forward Throw - 7% Backward Throw- 9% Blue Pikmin Up Throw - 12% Down Throw - 12% Forward Throw - 13% Backward Throw - 14% Purple Pikmin Up Throw - 11% Down Throw - 8% Forward Throw - 7% Backward Throw - 9% White Up Throw - 6% Down Throw - 6% Forward Throw - 6% Backward Throw - 7% ------- Taunts ------- Yes, humiliating your opponent is key to victory, lol. Up - Olimar jumps up and down in glee. Down - Olimar acts like he is hula-hooping or something. Forward - Olimar does a sort of rolling thing on the ground. ================================ 5. Final Smash - End of Day [FS] ================================ For Olimar's Final Smash, he and his Pikmin climb into his spaceship, which then blasts off the stage. From there, the scene turns to night and any remaining characters on the stage are damaged by the various unseen Pikmin night creatures. The damage done has several steps: First is where you activate the Final Smash; if you're close enough, you will plant them into the ground and do 10%, plus another 15% when the rockets turn on and hit them, for a grand total of 25%. The next step is when the actual creatures attack. If you don't hit them initially with the first step, you will deal 43% damage. If you did hit them with step 1, you will deal slightly less damage, 42% more, but note your opponent is now sitting at least at 67% damage total this way. The final step is the spaceship crash landing. The ship will crash generally in the middle of the stage (note you cannot influence its direction). If your opponent is close to the epicenter, they will take another 30% damage and be sent flying, more often than not to their doom. If they're away from the epicenter, the attack will deal about 15% damage and still send them flying. So overall, you can easily do anywhere from 43% minimum to 97% maximum damage to an entire group of opponents, either leaving them open for a KO or outright KOing them. ============================ 6. General Strategies [GENS] ============================ First of all, like it's been mentioned, Olimar is all about his Pikmin. Generally, you'll want to play a fairly defensive game with Olimar initially by putting the pressure on your opponent with your thrown Pikmin (Forward B) while you dodge around their attacks and get in a few free hits. Remember to continually be ready to pluck new Pikmin, as they do die fairly easy when your opponent is trying to shake them off. You can also compliment this damage with your basic A attacks as well as the occasional smash. Once they hit around the 40-50% and above range, now is the time to go on the offensive. Use your Dash + A to get in close, then Forward or Down Smash them off the screen. You will want to learn also what I call the basic strategies as well, which can be applied to any character. This includes: - Rolling/dodging properly: This is so you don't end up with your back to your opponent and don't start attacking in the wrong direction. - Short-hopping: Quickly tapping your jump button or the control stick to do a short jump, lets you get your aerial attacks in quickly and effectively. - Foxtroting: Dash, let go of the control stick, dash. Good for keeping your opponent guessing, and you can still smash. - Reverse aerial rush: Dash, hit back and jump while hitting the direction your momentum takes you so you can use the momentum to approach with a back aerial. - Pivot grabs: Run at your opponent as though you are going to Forward Smash, but instead run through, turn around (quickly), and grab. It gives you an extended reach. Olimar's Down A aerial if timed right is a Meteor Smash, so use this to knock them down into oblivion when they try to get back on the stage. Down Smash is really your friend here overall; it offers great knockback and hits both sides simultaneously if you have 2 Pikmin, in case your opponent is trying to dodge around you. Remember to also continue to keep up the thrown Pikmin assault as well, since any further passive damage will just greater your chances of KOing them. If you can, throw the opponent off the stage or knock them off and Meteor Smash them down the screen; it's a simple form of KO that Olimar can pull off nicely and quickly at almost any percentage. For Edgeguarding, a properly timed and distanced Forward Smash can actually hit the opponent when they're clinging onto the ledge, making it pretty nifty to practice this. Again, it's hard to do though. Olimar has a decent aerial game (remember you have to have Pikmin for Up, Down, and Forward attacks); Neutral A is great for multiple hits, and Forward A will deal some good knockback. Down A is a Meteor Smash if timed right (hit in the exact middle) and Up A will also do some good damage. Even the Pikmin Chain (Up B) is good for hitting them across a distance. While trying to get the Smash Ball, the easiest way I've found is your Neutral A aerial, which will hit the Smash Ball multiple times. Forward A aerial is also good for damaging it and playing keep-away from your opponent. Regarding the C-Stick (the tabuu topic, lol), I used to be a great advocate of not using it back in Melee, but I find myself increasing using it in Brawl. Since Nintendo WFC has the ever-wonderful lag issues, the C-Stick offers a great alternative instead of having to deal with the lag that comes trying to use your Smash attacks naturally with the control stick and A. Better yet, the C-Stick allows you to continually "spam" your smashes, particulalrly the Foward Smash; Olimar's Forward Smash has decent range and lets you have an overall better chance of hitting your opponent. In the end, what it really comes down to I guess is how you feel about it, but from my experience, a healthy combination of C-Stick and regular A useage is good for winning on wifi battles. =============================== 7. VS Specific Characters [VSC] =============================== ------ Mario ------ Difficulty: ** The usual all-rounder he is, Mario doesn't pose much of a challenge, you out-range him with your Pikmin. Just thrown on a few and move in for the KO. Seriously, Mario definately isn't much of a threat; he lacks his Down Aerial from Melee (now instead it's his tornado) and his new FLUDD definately sucks. So just kindly put him out of his misery. ------ Luigi ------ Difficulty: *** His air game is his trump card: his Forward and Down Aerials are insane. In addition, his Fireballs are more spammable than Mario's, and his Final Smash is basically a "oh boy, I'm screwed" scenario if you get caught. His Green Missile also gives horizontal recovery Mario can't even blink at. Furthermore, beware of Luigi's uppercut, it will KO you at some insanely low damage if it hits correctly since Olimar is so light. For beating Luigi, despite his advantages, the strategies against Mario work here also; throw on some Pikmin and smash away. When Luigi tries coming back with Green Missile, use your Down A aerial to clear him to the bottom. Overall, if anything be more aware if they choose Luigi instead of Mario. ------ Peach ------ Difficulty: ** Not that hard imo, Peach was never that great. Stray away from her hip... smash...thing (Forward B) and her vegetables and you should be fine. Peach has great horizontal recovery via floating and her Up B, so make sure you make good use of your Meteor Smash to prevent her from coming back all the time. ------ Bowser ------ Difficulty: * Bowser isn't that hard at all imo. He's slow and big, making him an easy target to hit with your Pikmin. His Fire Breath might be able to deflect it, but just keep the pressure on him. The tricky part with Bowser is getting in close to finish him off; Bowser is great in close combat, and he will knock you away with relative ease. Just make sure to find a safe opening before you move in, and make sure he has some good damage on him before attempting to KO. And if it's not obvious, be sure not to get hit by his Final Smash, Giga Bowser hurts quite a lot. ------ Yoshi ------ Difficulty: ** Annoying, but managable. Yoshi was never that great of a character, and this is no exception in Brawl. Watch out for his Up B, as those eggs can get some distance. Also beware not to get caught in his Neutral B if you're near an edge, as it can lead to some cheap KOs if you're bad at breaking out of his eggs. Yoshi also has some great recovery, but remember he only has one jump; this allows you to play a decent game of keeping him away from the ledge. Yoshi also isn't exactly a middleweight, letting you also get in some good KOs when he's at a lower percentage. ------ Wario ------ Difficulty: *** Annoying in the hands of a good player. Wario is decievingly quick, and can catch you off guard if unprepared. Wario also has some good smashes, making him hard to get near. In return, he doesn't have much in the way of projectiles (no, the bike doesn't count really) and is relatively easy to throw Pikmin onto. Wario also has horrible recovery if his Down B isn't working (but otherwise, beware if you get hit with it), so you can get in KOs there. Avoid running into Wario when his mouth is open (Neutral B) as well, since he'll just chew on you and spit you out. ------------ Donkey Kong ------------ Difficulty: ** Donkey Kong is harder than his counterpart Bowser, but not much. A good DK player will make use of his somewhat quicker attacks to catch you off guard and to beat you down that way, as his attacks (particularly smashes and Neutral B) will send you flying at low percentages. However, Donkey Kong is still a big, slower character, which means it's still easy to get Pikmin latched on. Playing an aerial game with DK can be fun, as DK's air game isn't top notch. ----------- Diddy Kong ----------- Difficulty: *** Watch out for his bananna peels, they're freaking annoying! Anyways, a good Diddy player will take advantage of this and his other attacks to juggle you around and eventually KO you with a smash or his Forward B. Diddy's smaller profile also makes it harder to get Pikmin onto him to top it off. What you have going for you though is that Diddy is a lightweight, making him easy to KO. And since he has to charge his Up B to recover any good distance, this gives you a window of opportunity to get in there and hit him further away. --------------- Link/Toon Link --------------- Difficulty: *** First of all, Toon Link = Young Link = faster, less powerful Link. So yes, I'm writing about both at the same time. Anyways, a good Link player will get you busy with his projectiles while he gets in and starts hitting you with that sword. Link's Down A Aerial is quite deadly, even more so with his Toon version. Link is a relatively large target though, making it easy to latch Pikmin onto him. Overall, Link is a solid, all round character that can operate at a range or up close with his sword, so beware of his range and such. Just make sure to wear him down with Pikmin and then carefully proceeding to smash him away, as neither version has a great recovery move. ------------ Zelda/Sheik ------------ Difficulty: ** Not too hard of a match. Zelda operates at a range largely thanks to her Din's Fire, but if they keep spamming it, just rush in and take advantage of the opening it creates for you. Zelda also has a decent aerial game to boot. Nowdays, it also takes her a while to transform into Sheik, letting you get in hits there as well. Regarding Sheik, she's been nerfed since Melee, making her easier to deal with. Sheik is still quick, but she also lacks any notable range (except for Neutral B, where she throws darts), so take advantage of that. Both are also easy to knock away, although Zelda has some decent recovery, more so than Sheik. ---------- Ganondorf ---------- Difficulty: * Still the Captain Falcon clone he was in Melee, and still extremely slow. His attacks will still put you in a world of hurt though, stay away while throwing Pikmin to do damage until you're ready to come in close. His Down B and Up B in particular are somewhat quick, so be aware of that. Ganondorf also has bad recovery for the most part, so long as you don't get caught in his Up B. ----- Kirby ----- Difficulty: *** Watch out for Kirby's smashes, they will do a number on you and are quick to execute. As he is lightweight, he is easy to smash away, even though he has some good recovery with his jumps. If the opponent spams Down B, jus throw him and smack away. Remember though, Kirby is no longer the wimp he was nerfed to in Melee and is now quite deadly in the hands of a good player. ----------- MetaKnight ----------- Difficulty: *** MetaKnight notably lacks in any real killing moves, but makes up for hit with multi-hit attacks and good speed, which will kill you anyways in the end. His Neutral A can also deflect Pikmin due to their rapid strikes. MetaKnight also has no projectiles, making it possible to play keep away while throwing on the Pikmin. And though MetaKnight is easy to knock away, he has great recovery potential since he can glide about, so time your Meteor Smash to end it. ------------ King Dedede ------------ Difficulty: ** Though insanely powerful if his attacks hit you (no kidding, he can blow you away with a good charged smash around 30%), all of his attacks are very slow to get off, letting you get in some good Pikmin damage before having to move in. Dedede can also chain throw you if you get stuck in a corner, leading to a very unpleasant situation, so avoid that. Dedede also has limited ranged recovery with his Up B, and people often forget to cancel so he can grab the ledge, so take advantage of that. Basically, play defensively and avoid that hammer at all costs. --------------- Pokemon Trainer --------------- Difficulty: Varies Oh boy, 3 different opponents to learn: Ivysaur: Not too bad. Ivysaur's Forward B is annoying as it'll go through your Pikmin if they're in the way to hit you. Futhermore, it has some nasty range to it as well, meaning you'll have to be careful in avoiding it. Otherwise, most aspects of Ivysaur suck; he's slow, and really lacks anything except to spam Forward B. His Neutral B is good anti-air though (spammable as well), so don't get caught in it. His Up B also gives him fair recovery by latching onto the edge, so don't let him come back by edgehogging it from him. Charizard: A bit more difficult, but not that bad again. Watch out for Rock Smash, it will do some nasty damage if he catches you, and will lead to early KOs. His Neutral B is also annoying (think Bowser's Fire Breath), and Charizard has some great recovery thanks to his flying capabilities. But, Charizard is also slow, and a big target to throw Pikmin onto and rack up the passive damage. Just Meteor Smash him down into oblivion if you can. Squirtle: A speedy turtle? Yeah, Squirtle is annoying in the hands of a right player. He outspeeds you and will take advantage of that, making him hard to hit. His smashes also have good range, making it hard to get near him as well. Overall, play conservatively, Squirtle is light and easy to knock away with a good smash. -------- Pikachu -------- Difficulty: *** Another small, speedy opponent, which doesn't help your Pikmin game. Pikachu has some range via Neutral B and (to an extent) Forward B, so watch out for those. Thunder (Down B) will also be annoying, so avoid getting juggled in it. But as with all light characters, just get some damage onto him and smash away. A good Pikachu player will have some great recovery with Up B though, but it leaves him vulnerable afterwards. ---------- Jigglypuff ---------- Difficulty: ** Kirby clone with no copy move and less deadly overall. Down B, though weakened since Melee, will still do some nasty damage if she catches you with it; otherwise it leaves a big opening for you do smash her away. Jigglypuff has good recovery offered by her jumps, but still overall is easy enough to KO. -------- Lucario -------- Difficulty: *** Make note that as you damage Lucario, his own attacks will increase in damage as well, making a "weakened" Lucario deadly. As such, don't throw on too many Pikmin, as you will only be helping him as well. Instead, focus on smashes and keeping him away from the stage, as his Up B isn't that great. However, watch out for his counter (Down B), which will hurt you if you get up close too early. ----- Marth ----- Difficulty: **** Marth is never fun to face, whoever you use. He has speed, fast attacks, good recovery, and more. However, Marth very notably lacks in any sort of ranged attack, making him an easy target to hit with Pikmin without retaliation. So if you can play a good distance game with Marth and wait until your Pikmin do their thing, you should be able to get in a good smash to finish him. However, this is a risk in that a good Marth player likes a slow game where he can analyze the situation and prepare a response, so it also helps to be a bit aggresive as well (or at least feign it). ---- Ike ---- Difficulty: *** Ike (and in general other heavyweight characters) presents potential problems for Olimar because they will often be able to send Olimar flying and potentially KOing around 40% minimum. Ike in particular is annoying, being one of the faster heavyweights. However, he lacks any serious range attacks, allowing you the perfect chance to pelt him with Pikmin, and then simply moving in for the kill. ------ Lucas ------ Difficulty: *** Annoying because players will often spam PK Fire to deflect your Pikmin and potentially hit you. Still, it is possible to get some Pikmin latched on. Beware that he can also use his Forward Smash to reflect your Pikmin onto you as well. Lucas also possesses powerful multi-hit attacks (such as his Up Smash), so avoid coming down near him if possible. His close-up fighting abilities aren't as good as Ness, but his projectiles win over him. Your friend here will actually be a more aggressive play-style; as both Ness and Lucas are somewhat light, you can move in closer sooner and get some smashes in to KO them. ----- Ness ----- Difficulty: *** Ness is really similar to Lucas, but there are distinct differences. For one, Ness' aerial game completely destroys Lucas' aerial game, making him more threatening in that aspect. His PK Fire isn't as spammable, but his smashes and PK Fire can confuse you if not careful. His Final Smash is faster then Lucas', but it spreads out more, and thus standing near Ness during it can give more protection. For beating Ness, like with Lucas use a more aggressive play-style to knock them away quickly and limit their chances of return. ---- Fox ---- Difficulty: **** Ever so annoying, Fox outspeeds you badly and can move in with some devastating hits; the fact he also has the Reflector doesn't help. He also has his blaster as well, which he can spam to rake up the damage (though you won't flinch, so maybe rush them if they're prone to spamming it). You want to play conservatively, slowly raking up damage with your Pikmin before attempting a KO. Dodge around him often (while making sure you don't get thrown obviously) and use your Down Smash to catch them. ------ Falco ------ Difficulty: **** Much like Fox, Falco is also annoying to play against. His speed and attacks can leave you in bad shape after a few hits. Falco differs in several small ways from Fox; he kicks his Reflector, his blaster shots will do more damage and stop you, and just in general his moveset is quite different from Melee; Falco is much less a clone, and has some pretty different moves, so be aware if you're used to the same old Falco from Melee. He also can chain grab like no other, so take extra care not to get caught in one. Otherwise, fighting Falco is much like fighting Fox; you'll want to play conservatively, using your Pikmin to weaken them before attempting a smash to KO. ----- Wolf ----- Difficulty: *** Wolf is more powerful in raw strength than Fox or Falco, but also suffers some speed loss. This makes him slightly easier to deal with, as you won't have to continally worry about being chased down by him. His blaster, if used up close, can deal extra damage in addition to the blaster stun. His Forward Special goes up at an angle, as opposed to Fox and Falco, and beware, it also doubles as a Meteor Smash if he hits you just right. His Reflector also has a counter-esq element to it as well. Fighting Wolf is slightly different than Fox or Falco; you have to take more care in not being hit by his harmful attacks, and you can afford to outrun him if necessary. Again though, let the Pikmin do the work if possible, then move in for a smash. Be careful again not to get caught in his Forward Special, lest you want to risk a quick exit. ---- Pit ---- Difficulty: *** Another character that's annoying since players tend to spam his attacks. Neutral B gives Pit a ranged attack, while Forward B will lead to nasty multi- hit damage, as well as deflecting Pikmin you try throwing on him (his Down B will also deflect Pikmin). And of course, his Up B will let him fly about and make some insane recoveries (unless of course you meteor him down). Play conservatively, letting your Pikmin rack up the passive damage and then smash him away. When he tries recovring with Up B, be ready to greet him with some aerial attacks of your own. ------------- Ice Climbers ------------- Difficulty: *** This duo can put the smackdown on you, as they attack in a pair (and thus, have double the damage and chance to KO you with smashes). They key to beating the Ice Climbers is first to identify which one is the main one (easy enough), and then to either focus on keeping him away from the partner or otherwise KOing the partner, leaving him severly weakened (without the partner, a sole Ice Climber will not last long). So long as you can somehow seperate them, you should be able to use your usual strategies to beat them. ------------------- Mr. Game and Watch ------------------- Difficulty: *** A good G&W player can give you some trouble, but it's very easy to get in KOs since he is so light. Beware of his throws, as a good G&W will grab you throw you downward, and then Down Smash for some nasty damage. His Neutral B (Chef) will also deflect Pikmin, making it harder to throw them on. In particular, try to make good use of your Down A aerial to get in cheap KOs while G&W is trying to recover. Down Smash as always is your friend. --------------- Captain Falcon --------------- Difficulty: ** He might outspeed you, but your attacks hit almost as quick, and Falcon lacks any sort of ranged move really. The usual "latch him and smash him" motto works just fine here as well. Just beware when you try to Meteor Smash them, as Falcon's Up B is annoying if you get caught in it accidentally. ---------- Samus/ZSS ---------- Difficulty: ** *ignores the cries of "they're both 2 different characters*. Same strategies apply really. Samus is still slow and lacks good recovery moves, so knock her away from the stage and Meteor Smash her into oblivion. ZSS lacks the ranged attacks of her armored version, but makes up for it with the most annoying multi-hit attacks possible, so don't get too close just yet. Just keep the Pikmin on here and smash away when she's taken enough passive damage, she's fairly lightweight. ---- ROB ---- Difficulty: *** ROB is...annoying. ROB is deceivingly light, he's actually quite hard to knock away for starters. His special attacks have good range to them, and a good ROB player will juggle between them to keep you guessing. And to top it off, he has great recovery with Up B with good aerials. So make sure you throw your Pikmin on and dodge around his own ranged attacks, and move in when there is an opening. ------ Snake ------ Difficulty: ** Snake can be deadly, as all of his explosives will send you flying. In particular, his Down B and Down Smash will plant explosives into the ground, with the Down B being remotely activated (the Smash one will just explode on whoever is on it at the time). So make sure you note where he plants his little explosives. His Up B also gives him decent recovery, so make note of that. Otherwise, Snake isn't the most agile guy around, letting you get in Pikmin relatively easy. Just make sure you don't stumble onto his explosives and you'll be fine. ------ Sonic ------ Difficulty: ** The fastest character in the game, Sonic has some great combo potential along with a great vertical recovery. However, none of his attacks really have that "POW" that others do, making it hard for Sonic to get in KOs. If you can, get some Pikmin onto him and move in to smash, as Sonic's B moves generally seem to be more for a distance game rather than up close. ------- Olimar ------- Difficulty: * to ***** Ah, the inevitable mirror match. Here, it all comes down to who can get in the most passive damage with Pikmin before getting in the smash to blow them away. Make good use of your A attacks here, such as Up A to rake up more additional damage. Then Down Smash to clear them away. ================================ 8. Stadium Mode Strategies [SMS] ================================ ----------- Target Test ----------- Stage 1: A no brainer really. Wander around and hit the targets. Stage 2: Same as above really, nothing particularly hard to hit. Maybe use the availible bazooka to make life easier, and avoid the mushroom on the one lower level, it'll just shrink you. Stage 3: Contributed by dramonic: "You will need a blue or red pikmin in 1st place for this to work. I've included a little plan (yes, my drawing sucks) First, fall to the right of the platform where you start and use a pikmin chain to hit 1. Fall on platform A. Jump onto the large area to your upper left and use a pikmin chain to destroy 2 and 3 (note that 3 moves up and down, so time yourself well). Next, jump and use F-aerial to hit 4 (red pikmin is now 3rd) , fall a bit, hit 5 with N-aerial, fall a bit, hit 6 with F-aerial (red pikmin is now 2nd). Next, jump back to where 5 was. Jump onto the moving platform and throw a pikmin so it drops down the wall and onto 7 (red is now 1st). jump from the moving platform to point C and throw a pikmin in midair so it hits 8. If done correctly, itll also hit 9 and 10. If you need to, you can also stand on the left edge of the platform where 8 is and throw from there, it also works. It takes around 17 seconds if you do it well." And my somewhat cruddy rendition of his drawing: Key: Numbers: Targets ==== : Moving platform -------- 1 | ---------- ------------ | |_ | | | | | | ------------- ------------ 4 B ------ --------------------- A | | | ------ | | ------ 5 --------------------- | | --- C 8 ------ | | --- 6 | | ==== -> ->| | -> --- | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 --- | | _____ | | 10 | | | ------ --- ------ --------- | | | ------------- ----- | | | | ---- 7 ---- | | | | ---------------------------- ------------------ Stage 4: Coming soon once unlocked! Stage 5: Coming soon once unlocked! ----------------- Home Run Contest ----------------- My strategy here is somewhat simple (though there are bound to be more effective ones out there). But anyways, get the Sandbag up into the air with your Up Smash, then pound on it with your Up A Aerial attacks (though beware of smacking the bag too high). Once time is almost out, charge up the bat and swing. ---------------- Multi-Man Brawl ---------------- 10-Man Brawl: Come on, 10 alloys. Just use your Up Smash and Down Smash to clear them out. No need to pluck additional Pikmin. 100-Man Brawl: This is a bit more difficult. Olimar is a lightweight, making him an easy target to KO later in the battle. Make sure you keep a full compliment of 6 Pikmin with you at all times. Smashes once again are your best friends, particularly the Down Smash. Make good use of your aerials. All of this boils down to how well your defensive capabilities are; if you can weave about your opponents and endure, you should be able to beat this. edge578 writes: "For the 100 man melee, I suggest standing under the left platform and keep spamming the up smash. If any alloys get to the side, use the over smash. You can kill a lot of alloys if you do this correctly." 3 Minute Brawl: Come on, if you can do 100-Man, you can easily last for 3 measly minutes. Smash them into oblivion and evade their attacks. Down Smash once again is your best best for crowd coverage. 15 Minute Brawl: Here's more of a test of how long you can last before you get bored in my opinion. Once again, evade and Down Smash to victory. Endless Brawl: Just follow the above suggestions and have fun taking out as many alloys as you can! Cruel Brawl: Ouch...if you want a better way to test your defensive capabilities, look no further. 1-2 hits will easily send you flying here. Don't even bother plucking more Pikmin at the start; just run in there and try to get in as many KOs as possible. *Strategy submitted by pikmin1254* Pluck 3 more Pikmin and go off the left side, jump down and use Pikmin Chain, then tap A to send some back and repeat. A video could easily explaing this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mkuuCaxTbg ------------ Boss Battles ------------ For this section, I am presuming that you'll have hopefully faced these guys at some point or at least have familiarized yourself with dodging their attacks and stuff. A great Boss guide written by MogAzure10 can be found here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/wii/file/928518/52134 Now for the strategies (not completely sure if they're in order though). This is just a general guide, meant to supplement your experience while battling them: -------------- Petey Piranha -------------- Yeah...just go for the cages obviously. Up A and Neutral A aerials work fine against this guy, as well as your Pikmin Chain. Avoiding his attacks are easy as well since they're slow. --------- Rayquaza --------- The usual strategy applies here as well; spam Forward A aerial and the Pikmin chain to bring down Rayquaza. You can also use your Down A aerial when he's under you as well for good damage. ----- Duon ----- Duon has 2 different sides he can use to attack you with: purple and blue. If you're facing the purple side, carefully draw near it and hit it with your Forward A aerials, or maybe Up B. Against the blue side, your Pikmin Throw is your best bet; they won't latch on, but they will still damage him. Not too hard overall. ------------ Pokey Minch ------------ Throwing Pikmin can deal some light damage, but Forward A aerial and the Pikmin Chain are your usual bread-and-butter. Watch out for his stampede attack, it'll kill your Pikmin in no time. ------- Ridley ------- Come on, why use Olimar here when you should be using Samus? :P But yeah, not that hard. Use your aerials here as usual. Neutral A aerial is great for scoring multiple hits, and Up A and Forward A aerials deal their usual decent damage. -------- Galleom -------- Your aerial attacks are your firend here. Forward A aerial in particular is pretty effective against him. Down A aerial works when he stands up to try attacking you as well. Not that hard to beat. ------------ Meta Ridley ------------ Your only real strategy here is your Up A aerial attacks. Meta Ridley is constantly in motion and flying about, so your only real hope is to hit him in the air. Up B can also do some damage as well. ------------ Master Hand ------------ Fairly easy imo. Your Up A aerials will work wonders with their multiple hits, and your Up Smash can also hit him from below, so have fun killing him. Watch out for his attacks though, a good hit when you're around 40% will send you flying. ----------- Crazy Hand ----------- Not much different than his brother. A bit more...crazy I guess, but the same tactics for Master Hand should work fine. ------ Tabuu ------ Obviously, your best bet is to dodge and weave about his rather nasty attacks while using your aerial attacks to wear him down. He's hard, but managable with enough practice in dodging his attacks. ============== 9. FAQs [FAQU] ============== Please submit all questions, comments, and suggestions to: magic.swordsman@gmail.com Q: What's your FC? A: Maybe I'll post this at a later date. Gonna keep it secret for now :P Q. OMG, you forgot X and/or X! A: While I try to get everything covered the first time around, this guide is still a work in progress. I'd be happy to accept any good material or inputs you have though. Q: You suck! Olimar is *insert any number of insults* A: Sounds like someone is getting tired of getting owned by the little spaceman... Q: X character is better, why bother with Olimar? A: It all comes down to how much you practice, really. Olimar isn't exactly the easiest character to pick up at first, but he grows on you over time. Q: Where is Olimar on the Tier List? A: There has yet to be an official tier list since the game is so new. However, from my experience, I'd say he'll be up there, as he can handle some of the "old" high tiers (Fox, Falco, etc) pretty easily if you're good enough. Q: What stages are best for Olimar? A: Overall, I'd have to say something like Final Destination or Smashville; bascially, any stage with little to no obstructions or obstacles in the way is great, as you have a clear line of sight to throw your Pikmin. Obstructions and stuff tend to get in the way and make it harder to get your Pikmin to do their work. Q: How do you unlock Olimar? A: ...ever try looking at the selection screen? He's unlocked from the beginning, which is nice in my opinion. Q: You have incorrect info/percentages on X attack or X combo/strategy. A: I believe most of what I have is correct, but if you see anything wrong, please say so and I'll give you credit for fixing it. Q: Can I contribute? A: Sure thing. Just send me an email with your screen name and advice, and if it's good enough, I'll add it in the next version update along with credit given to you. ============================== 10. Version and Credits [VERC] ============================== Version 1: March 25, 2008. Thought of idea to write an Olimar guide, wrote the basic guide (version 1.00), submitted to Gamefaqs. Version 1.05: March 25, 2008. Rejected first time for "lack of content" (come on, there's at least 1-2 guides even shorter). Added Stadium Mode Strategies, updated the FAQ a bit, added more general info and fancy new heading, and did a bit of general cleanup. Version 1.06: March 28, 2008. Annoying rejected again for "lack of content" (once again, there are several more guides out there with more lack of content than mine...). Added character match-ups for EVERY character and some more general advice and strategies. Version 1.07: March 31, 2008. Rejected freaking again for the same reason, and they put up another guide to add insult to injury that's shorter and not even fully finished like mine were. Added all Boss Battles, added more descriptions to the attacks, added more useage advice, expanded the VS specific character section more, and added a Home Run Contest strategy. Version 1.08: April 2, 2008. Btw, finally accepted! Added Zach (pikmin1254) strategy for Cruel Brawl and corrected treasure info in the bio. Thanks again! Also added Neoseeker and Super Cheats to the list of sites authorized to use the guide. Version 1.09: April 5, 2008. Added contributions from dramonic and edge578. Sent this version to be updated on the sites. Credits: Nintendo: For making the game obviously. Gamefaqs: For hosting this guide. Battle-frontier.com: For all the testing against friends there and being a general fun site for Pokemon and Brawl. And a special thanks to all you readers out there! (C) 2008 by Regis_Neo aka Travis Evans