Chapter 5
Item training
In most tournaments, official rules forbid the use of items. There's a very good reason for this: they can be cheap and suck any true skill out of a match. For those looking to play some at-home games with a lot of items, this lesson will teach you how to be cheap.
Players can determine which items will and will not appear in a match, and with what frequency, or otherwise opt for random appearances. Several items in the game allow players to instantly destroy characters, such as the hammer and home run bat. Some items expire, like guns and fire flowers. Others can be close-range weapons, and some are special Pokemon or franchise characters looking to lend a helping hand. Crates, both empty and explosive, will appear on the screen to grant additional items.
So what makes them so cheap? Availability. Playing a game with a lot of items only means waiting to see who is lucky enough to have the item spawn around your character. In the case of the hammer, it is extremely difficult to attack the character using it. Some tournaments only allow certain items in the match for this reason, and likely will have similar rules for the Smash Ball. Some players argue that the items keep the game moving at a steady pace, and that's certainly valid, but hardcore players expect nothing less than real skill, not random chance, to beat others.
Home run bat versus Mr. Saturn. Snake lucked out!
Most items can be dropped, but this is never the way to dispose of an item. While running or walking, players can release the weapon to throw it at their enemies. This is especially important for the homerun bat and gun weapons, because they are easier to throw than a fire flower or parachute. After a set number of uses, items will vanish. Some items can be thrown twice or more, so watch your surroundings and determine what's best in any given situation.
In a stage like the Zelda II's Temple, there is a small, earthly passageway that moves diagonally from the top half to the bottom half. Stages like these are ideal for throwing weapons. By throwing an item like the homerun bat against the wall on top of the passageway, it will bounce downward and knock out enemies trying to emerge. Because the slope is at an angle, it's very difficult to dodge a speeding baseball bat without some excellent jump-and-dodge timing.
Best place to throw your weapon in this stage? Stand on the
flat platform on the left, throw towards the hill. Watch it bounce!
For expert gamers, pressing the standard attack button when an item is about to hit will cause the character to pick up said item in mid air! Grabbing fast-moving items can be difficult, especially without a good amount of practice, so train with a friend in practice mode. The CPU characters won't be much of help because they don't like playing catch, so throw a pokeball back and forth to see how often you and another player can toss the ball without dropping it.
Oh, and be careful with your items! Using a hammer on a floor that can break or disappear is a very bad idea. Know your items by experimenting with them. Is your jump affected? Can you deal damage if you throw the item? What advantages are there to throwing a pokeball at someone's face, or throwing it down at your own feet? These are all tricks that take time to master.
What's so special about this hammer? Know your items!
The final trick with items is opening crates and barrels. There are two ways, and only two ways, a player should open a crate or barrel: throwing it into the air, or shooting a strong enough projectile to break it. If you throw either at an enemy, they can dodge it and pick up those items. If you throw a crate downwards, an explosive crate will cause some troubling damage. By throwing upwards, players have full control over where the items will land. Stand about one inch away from where the barrel will land, prepare your guard, and dodge into the broken crate. This gives just enough space not to have the thing explode on you, and the dodge will be fast enough to swoop in for the items. Time this perfectly for the best results.
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