smash_brothers_fox_a.txt - OMG, it's HUGE!  What a mess...I never quite
                           expected this to happen...2137 lines...

---------------------- (72 character width file) -----------------------

             PentaroX's SB Fox Multiplayer FAQ ( 3/11/2001 )

       px@pentaro.net | see bottom for copyright/duplication info

Written in memory of that Korean guy who died from playing videogames =P

Also written in honor of Smash Brothers, one of the greatest timewasters
of all time.  I haven't counted, but rest assured, I've wasted countless
hours on SSB (although I have slowed down lately).

------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.01) TABLE OF CONTENTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
#) Topic .............................................  Approx. Line No.

0.05) Why a Fox FAQ?                                                  52
0.1)  What's new?                                                    102

1)  Basic Move List - Covers important multiplayer moves PLUS        232
                      important factors like delay, recovery time +
                      distance (as opposed to damage).  Only covers
                      a few moves, but is particularly detailed.
                    - Also covers Duration now that it's been
                      re-written ... and it also has a usage
                      recommendation.

1.5)The Fox Spike / Reflector Shield.                                712

2)  Multiplayer Strategies - self-explanatory                       1098
     a) General (includes 1v1 as well as 3-4 player games)
     b) Time FFA / "Battle Royal" 3-4 players
     c) Stock FFA / "Battle Royal" 3-4 players
     d) Time Team - 4 players
     e) Stock Team - 4 players
     f) Edge Guarding - 1-4 players

3)  Quick Credits List                                              1779

3.1)Feedback                                                        1812

3.1516) Copyright, duplication information                          1833

I think this should be a fairly comprehensive (although specific) FAQ
on StarFox.  No, I don't provide history, or cute wittle pictures, or
trivia facts, but I do have the important stuff. :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.05) Why write a SB-Fox FAQ?
------------------------------------------------------------------------

- If only because Fox is so unpopular.  Frankly, I would attempt to pull
a Kao Megura ;) and do an entire SB FAQ, but it's been done...over and
over again.  So, no need to do a complete FAQ, but I happen to be known 
as "The Annoyance that is Fox" by my friends.  Yes, I eat, sleep, dream,
and think Fox.  Admittedly, I really don't, but pay no attention to that.

- Having looked over the Fox FAQs on GameFAQs - I found only one, done 
by Dr. Seuss.  It's good, but it doesn't cover multiplayer very well -
rather, it doesn't cover multiplayer, period. :)  Thus, I see no need
to cover singleplayer, but I will do multiplayer.  I've filled this
FAQ with information which I hope is all original and useful.  At least
mostly original.

- I've been playing SB for almost two years, I think.  In any case, I've
played Mario, Luigi, Jigglypuff, Pikachu, Falcon, Fox, Ness, Yoshi,
and more or less mastered (often less ^_-) them all.  I don't play Link
very well, nor Samus, nor DK.  The only two which I see a little bit
of need for (in the way of FAQs) are Fox and Yoshi.  Two of my friends
have completely mastered Yoshi, and having watched them play, ... IMHO
the Yoshi FAQs need a little work.  But anyhow, I use Fox as my primary 
character, if you hadn't already guessed.  And I thought that it 
couldn't hurt to have a Fox FAQ written by someone who plays Fox. =P

- Just for the heck of it, I think I'm going to list all of the
characters that I use, in order.

- (12/19) As you might mave noticed, I've started playing other
  characters a LOT more than before.  Also, since most of the people
  I play with have also improved in skill considerably over the last
  year, I've moved a couple of the "good" characters into "fair."

Skill: Good        Fair         Bad
       ---------   ----------   -----
       Fox         Yoshi        
       Ness        Jigglypuff   Samus         
       Luigi       DK           Link           
       Pikachu     Kirby
       Mario       Falcon

(Q:  Kirby doesn't suck!
 A:  No, he doesn't.  I'm kidding...yeesh.  I know a LOT of good Kirby
     players.  He has a lot of potential for cheese, and he's a good
     beginner's character, yet it takes real skill to use him properly.
     I know quite a few Kirby players.  Although why they don't try to
     steal Link's power more often is beyond me ;)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.1)  What's new?
------------------------------------------------------------------------

03/11:  Got another email, this time a real question.  Basically, (I'm
        lazy and don't want to quote exactly) a guy asked me what to do
        when fighting Pikachu and Kirby, often considered the two big
        evil-things-that-kill-Fox.  Well, I figure why not post my reply
        on the FAQ?  I did email reply, but then I got logged out of my
        webmail client and crap happened...so, I'll put it here ^_^

        Kirby edge-guarding info has been updated.  Really, sometime I
        have to update the WHOLE edge-guard section, but I'm quite busy
        at the moment (finals week).  Um, Pikachu as well.  And I'll put
        the rest of my response here.

        BTW, I've gotten other emails, but I haven't had the time ot get
        to them yet.  I will, soon :)

*** Beginning of response *** 

     When you're fighting Pikachu or Kirby, count your percentage point
damage.  You don't have to do so carefully, but if you're dealing out
equal % for %, and lives for lives, that's good enough.  It seems obvious
if I simply say it like this, but winning SSB is about killing the "other
guy" more than the other guy killing you.  =P  Yes, it sounds stupid, but
in reality, that's what your basic strategy SHOULD BE.

     Pikachu and Kirby are lightweights, but with some extremely powerful
moves which can knock any Fox out quite easily.  Pikachu, unfortunately,
is much worse than Kirby, because he gets more priority in general.  Vs.
Kirby, you mostly have to watch out for the air-drill, the spike (D+A),
and most importantly, the ground powerhit (F+A).  With Pikachu, the idea
is to simply stay out of his path.  Sounds stupid, but believe me, it'll
keep you alive.  :)

     I've played against a lot more Kirby players than I have Pikachu
players, so my Kirby strategy tends to be more complete, since I know a
few Kirby "masters" and only one Pikachu master.  Different people have
different playing styles; you have to watch and adapt to them.  A really,
really good player will be almost unpredictable, but even so, it's not
too hard to know what you're up against, and a player only has a certain
number of good options.

Kirby:  Most Kirby players use a few choice moves:

             F+A Powerkick     (complete overuse)
             D+A Air Spike     (all the time)
             F+A Air Drill     (very often)
             Back+A Air Kick   (edge-guard)
             A   "Tricky Kick" (edge-guard)
             D+B Brick in air  (on occasion!)
             B   Eat/A to spit (on occasion)

             Learn the timing on all of these, if you can!
             U+B is only a recovery move (see edge-guarding section 2F)
             ... most Kirby players will NOT overuse this move.  It
                 does crap for damage anyhow =P

        You will RARELY see anything other than these moves.  Just know
which direction you are in relative to Kirby.  I.e, if you're underneath
Kirby, expect him to Brick straight down, Spike straight down, or curve
to the side and either tricky-kick, air-kick, or air-drill.  Experienced
Kirby players tend to use the air-drill.  Joke-loving players (moi) tend
to use the B (suck-in) move to annoy you.  Plan accordingly!  Know what
range Kirby has.  If he moves to the side, run/roll away, then run in and
attack (throw, powerhit, reflect).  If he bricks/spikes, roll (don't
shield, by all means!) and run in and throw.  If he's near the edge when
he recovers, immediately reflect and then try to pull off Spike Combo 1
(see Fox Spike section 1.5 for details)--dive off, shield, shield twice,
jump back up and FireFox to recover.  As always, use your own judgement
before trying to pull off any kind of move or combo:  if there are others
nearby, you probably don't want to try a Fox spike-combo.

        Alright, one more example before we move on.  If you're in the
air above Kirby, judge for yourself whether or not you want to attack
him.  A good Kirby player knows EXACTLY what options you have and will
him/herself plan accordingly:  You can curve to the left or right and
use a Fwd/Back+A air kick, you can fall right on Kirby and reflector-
shield, or you can simply run away.  Obviously you don't have many good
choices in this situation, so you may simply want to run away :) -- a
Kirby will probably find some way to block and then throw, or maybe
powerkick you.  Even worse, Kirby will powerkick several times if you're
in a bad area... say, GreatFox's right edge, or maybe the right platform
on top of Hyrule Castle.  Yes, I hate Kirbies who do that too...but
that's their strategy, and you'll have to deal with it accordingly.

        Oh, and don't call the Kirby powerkick combo "cheap" -- a better
idea is to figure out a way to circumvent it.  Basically, run away, and
run in RIGHT when his powerkick ends (learn the timing!!), and then
throw.  If there are other enemies around, throw Kirby in their general
direction, because you can use Kirby as a projectile EITHER forwards or
backwards.  (Note:  Why do I mention this?  Take a look at Pikachu:  his
forward throw can use the enemy as a projectile, but his backthrow can't
hit anybody.  Well, useless to some extent, but it's always good to
know... =P)  In any case, if you can get Kirby to call you cheap, then
that means you win ;) ... More in the "edge-guarding" section (2f).

Pikachu:  Pikachu players have a wider general arsenal--

             F+A Air Drill     (ALL the time / may edge-guard)
             Back+A Air Kick   (all the time / may edge-guard)
             D+B Lightning     (juggle / edge-guard. Ouch.)
             D+A Down "stab"   (occasional.  Most prefer F+A though)
             U+A Air Flip      (occasional...U+A is NOT a juggle,
                                it's more like Falcon's, but weaker)
             U+A Powerflip     (POWERFUL melee attack)
             D+A Breakdance    (POWERFUL melee attack)
             A   "Tricky Kick" (edge-guard, mostly)
             F+A Forward Zap   (edge-guard/occasional)

        Erk...well, at least Kirby was easy (yes, medium easy) to Fox
Spike.  Pikachu is nearly impossible, although it can be done once in a
long while (send him far down enough... but at that %, he's probably
easier to kill with a powerhit).  Well, again, know where Pikachu is
relative to you.  Stay BEHIND him.  I know, easier said than done, but
Pikachu loves to Fwd+A and then immediately backthrow when he lands on
the ground.  

        Same as before, don't call Pikachu cheap, just find a way to
beat him and then you've won.  It's easy to hate Pikachu...believe me,
I KNOW =P ... but Pika is also quite easy to kill.  With Pika, count
your percent damage until you've got him at 60-80%--then powerhit when
you have a good chance to do so.  SSB doesn't offer all that much in
the way of strategy, so basically you just have to wait until Pikachu
tries to pull off something, misses terribly, then has to wait for
the move's duration/recovery to end.  At that point, attack...again,
quite obvious, is it not?  Timing and lives are the two big important
SSB "things" ... damage is almost irrelevant from that standpoint,
since Pika and Kirby are both lightweights, and both can still kill you
at low % due to spikes or edge-guarding.

        I'm sorry I can't really give you much strategy there... but
Pika is simply like that.  Throw him and try to stay on the edge as
much as you can.  Do check section 2-F though for the edge-guarding
info; that's what you're looking for if you're one a Fox player 
anyhow :)

Okay, that's it for now.  Skip to section 2F. =P  I will move this 
update response section accordingly at some point; but that's when
and if I decide to reorganize this FAQ.

*** End of response ***

02/18:  Forgot to upload on 1/27.  Received an odd email.

>Date: Sat, Feb 17th 2001 19:28:35
>From: willem poes <email withheld>
>To: px@pentaro.net
>Subject: try this if you think your the best at fox
>
>
>        pick 3 level 9 characters (how about link). use any options you 
>like.play them on team battle, you against 3 of them,if you beat them 
>which you wont then you might be as good as me.
>_______________________________________________________________________
>
>         no using game shark...
>

	Computers are easy to play against; you should be able to kill
level 9's repeatedly.  Yes, three on one.  Really now.  As a reminder,
you need not attempt to prove yourself to anybody, 'kay?  Thanks--

-Pentaro

01/27/2001:

A few more corrections.  Added stuff about the Bumper Spike under the
Spikes/Fox Spike section, plus a "combo" or two.  I'd add more combos,
but I figure most people can combo quite well on their own, and besides,
SSB doesn't allow for consistent combos (besides those ridiculous
"infinite" combos which do absolutely nothing).

It's good to see that more FAQs are coming out, many of which are pretty
good as multiplayer FAQs!  ^_^  Also, I'm very happy to see that "spike"
is now becoming common terminology *grins* *bows* thankyewverymuch :)

This is it for quite awhile...I'm shifting into high gear for the MCATs
(med school admissions exams)...and I need to boost my score quite a bit
before I go take the test.  My email, like always, is px@pentaro.net,
or you can try ex@pentaro.net if that doesn't get you a response.  I am
still busy, though, so I only check email once or twice a week now.

12/19/2K:

Corrections left and right.  Almost rewrote section two COMPLETELY.
(section two:  multiplayer strategies)

> I've been working on technique lately, and so a lot of my techniques
have changed.  I.e., I use the shield less than before, but I don't
even TOUCH the Down+A these days.

> I fixed the info under the Laser (under Moves).  The recovery time
is shorter in air...which is great if you play Kirby ^_^ ... Jump...
shoot-shoot-shoot, jump, shoot-shoot-shoot.  It's not just annoying,
it's REALLY annoying.

> Added line numbers to the table of contents.

09/23/2K:

Much more info on the Spike, and a section was added specifically for it
(so that it would be separate from everything else).  Yes, I HAVE been
able to Fox Spike a Pikachu.  Darn rodentia.

I've also removed the flame and all that.  It was getting old, and a few
people didn't realize what tone of voice I was speaking in (sarcastic/
comical)...so I received a lecture on the Roman Empire. ^_-

07/28/2K:

Minor revisions.  Added section A-2 to General Strategies, as a treatise
on the assassin strategy was very much needed.

07/05/2K:

Added some feedback guidelines to the bottom.

Added a little to the Moves list (Why so-and-so statistic is important,
under the Key/Glossary)

Otherwise, this version is basically the same as the last one.

06/04/2K:

Laziness strikes again.  I didn't upload my faq on 5/8.  Sorry.

I added Yoshi to several sections.  Oops!  Apologies to all Yoshi fans.

I think this is nearly final, unless people request another update or
send me information.  I'm finally getting a new PC soon, and I'm going
to be wasting my time on FF7, FF8, and Lunar: Silver Star Story.  So,
that means less time to SSB.  Furthermore, the copy of SSB that we at
our little 'rec room' use has been _stolen_, and to compound that, I'm
going back home over the summer (I refuse to take any more classes
during summer quarter).  So...that means that I won't have much more to
offer you in the way of this FAQ from this point on.  I might still
rewrite that Edge Guarding section, though.

05/08/2K:

Did a lot of testing with shells and reflecting shields.  If you feel
like doing something REALLY stupid, play a free for all with four Fox
players on shells-only, very high, and wait for red shells.  Throw
the red shell on a small platform.  Sit there and shield.  After your
shield(s) break (three hits), watch the damage rack up.  Even at 999%,
the red shell doesn't send you flying off, so you'll come back alive.
Ridiculous, isn't it?

Also rewrote the Moves section for some better clarity.  I need to
rewrite everything else sometime; this FAQ is just too big now.

Impressive how the game is almost a year old, yet it's still a good
multiplayer game...I hope they hurry up with that sequel.

04/03/2K:

Added a section in General Multiplayer Strategies, corrected info on the
Down+A (air) drill kick (VERY IMPORTANT stuff).  Yes, I know I didn't
upload the 3/19 version.  I'm lazy.  Sorry.

03/19/2K:
Added a few strategies mentioned by Kyle Hawk, some of which I should
have originally added, ans some of which I didn't think of.  Also added
an Edge Guarding section.  I didn't see much use for one, but because
of Kyle's email, I figured I should create one.

I know I've forgotten to add something, but sadly I don't remember what
it was.  Maybe later.

03/16/2K:  
Accidentally forgot to add in stuff about the Up+A arc abuse.
Couple of minor grammatical corrections, and fixed a few typoes.

I think that's about it, though.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.5)  Very Quick Singleplayer Note (I know, I know)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Singleplayer is already covered by Dr. Seuss's excellent FAQ.

However, I wanted to mention one thing - Giant DK should be killed
by using the Reflector.  Since he doesn't move, you can easily rack up
around 350% damage by simply sitting there and shielding.  The only way
he can hit you is by using his Down+A attack, which only sends you up-
wards, so you should be fine.  As for your teammates...they'll probably
all be dead, but oh well.

And I still haven't gotten that %@#$ Yoshi Rainbow award yet.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
1)  Basic Move List
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    0.   Fox's Moves (overall)
    1.   Chun-Li Kick (Tap A repeatedly - ground)
    2.   Dash Attack (Dash+A - ground)
    3.   Upwards Powerhit (Up+A - ground)
    4.   Power Kick (Fwd+A - ground)
    4.5. Non-Smash Power Kick (Fwd, A non-powerhit - ground)
    5.   Clearout Powerhit (Down+A - ground)
    6.   Low Roundhouse Tail-Kick (Down, A non-powerhit - ground)
    7.   Drill Kick (Down+A - air)
    8.   Two-hit Juggle (Up+A - air)
    9.   Laser (B - ground / air)
    10.  Reflector (Down+B - ground / air)
    11.  FireFox (Up+B - ground / air)
    12.  Throw + Backthrow (R or Z+A)
    13.  Roll (Z+direction)

I tend only to use power moves, rolls, jumps, and throws.  And 
last, but not least, reflectors...I won't be covering ALL moves.  For
lists of moves go see Dr. Seuss' FAQ.  For exact damage percentages
see anybody else's FAQ.  I only cover the moves I consider to be 
important in a multiplayer game.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Key/Legend/Glossary:

Delay Time:     Delay before you do the move. 
                Excellent = short, Terrible = long.

   Why it's important:  You want to hit the enemy now, don'tcha?
                        If you and an opponent attack each other at the
                        same time, two factors come into play:  delay
                        time (who hits first) and then priority - if
                        you end up timing the hits exactly at the same
                        time, one or both people will be hit depending
                        on priority.  With certain moves, you will want
                        to *memorize* the delay so that you can time it
                        properly.  Well, not "memorize," but you know
                        what I mean.

Recovery Time:  Delay after you do the move.
Duration:       Amount of time where you can hit someone during a move

   Why it's important:  If you don't hit somebody, how long does it take
                        before you can roll out to safety / etc?
 * This is especially important, since Fox is a lightweight character. *

Damage:         Relative - %-wise, from low to high

   Why it's important:  You may have the greatest move in the world, but
   hey, if it does 1% with no hit stun, it's not going to be worth much
   to you...

   "Stun" next to Damage denotes moves which have exceptional - and I 
   mean EXCEPTIONAL - hit stun on contact.  Otherwise, stun is basically
   proportional to damage and distance - the more distance and damage,
   the longer the hit stun lasts.  This is important.  I mean, really
   important.  (See "Fox Spike," section 3)

Distance:       Distance against most enemies - low to high

   Why it's important:  Because the % damage often is misleading.  Just
                        because Fox's power kick forward does as much as
                        an Up+A, it doesn't mean that it gets the same 
                        distance.  Distance is usually the important 
                        factor in whether or not you *KILL* an enemy.

                        Also note that if you send people directly up,
                        you're almost definitely going to need more
                        distance than if you use a forward-hit...so
                        distance can be a little misleading.

  ** Distance and damage are usually proportional to speed as well
     as hit stun!  Notice how Jigglypuff's Sleep move sends you flying
     FAST, and you can't recover for a bit, while a Fox Down+A spike 
     sends you flying down very slowly...

Direction:      Direction enemies go flying in.

   Why it's important:  Horizontal moves are better than diagonal-up
                        moves, because they destroy an opponent's
                        comeback far more efficiently, and keeps them
                        generally lower, making it much easier to edge-
                        guard as they come back.

                        The reflector is the only move in the game which
                        consistently throws enemies downwards along with
                        adding some hit stun.  This is really important.

Priority:       Priority against other moves.  Laser priority is against
                those with "air immunity" (Yoshi/DK during comeback).

   Why it's important:  Priority ensures that if you are attacking at
                        the same time as somebody else, you get the hit
                        and they don't.  Yes, spikes included...
                        anti-spike maneuvers are vital to winning in
                        multiplayer games.

NOTE-  Regarding Spikes:  "Spikes" are Down+A / Forward+A attacks which
send the enemy flying _downwards_ which are used off the edge.  Yes,
OFF the edge and IN the air =P, because these can send an enemy flying
straight down into the abyss.  Often considered cheap by most players.
Note that if you don't understand what I mean, try Kirby, who has six
jumps and a drill kick which sends characters flying downward.

Moves which are effective spikes include:  DK's F+A and D+A, Kirby's
D+A, Samus' D+A, Falcon's D+A, Yoshi's F+A, Ness' D+A.  There are more,
but you'll find that these are the ones used most often.  Except for
the Fox Reflector (see Strategies).

Spikes may be done with the bumper.  Stand above, throw the bumper
straight down, and voila, super-hi-priority spike.  This is more handy
in team games, though, because you can't use throw / A attacks while
you hold the bumper :( It's okay though...you can still shield ^_^

X1372 (Robert Pollack) has a Cheap Moves FAQ now available at
GameFaqs.com...so you probably want to go check it out.  If you're
confused, note that he calls spikes "Super Send Downs."  Either way...
spikes are an integral part of SSB play.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

0.  Fox's Moves (overall)
-----------------------------------------
Delay:    Excellent  Duration: Varies
Recovery: OK         Distance: Medium
Damage:   Low        Priority: Low

Edge Comeback Distance:  Very Good
Edge Comeback Priority:  Terrible w/o Reflector
-----------------------------------------
Fox is second in speed only to Falcon.  Note that his recovery times
tend to be high while his delay low.  In other words, you as a Fox
player have to use a strike-fast, strike-once, ... run-the-hell-away
kind of strategy.  At least, while you're not juggling.

Note that even though Fox is second to Falcon in speed, he COMPLETELY
outclasses Falcon in his roll and jump movoes.

Also note that Fox is a really easy spike target.  (Read:  If you're a
newbie Fox player, switch to someone else against a good Kirby player.)
The reflector shield is his only way of maintaining some priority in
the air against spikes and other moves *before* you can pull off a
FireFox.  By the time you're a good player, you should be able to stay
ON the edge, and avoid Kirbies and the like fairly easily.

After talking to R. Pollack (X1372) a bit, I've realized that I know few
good Pikachu edge-guarders.  Well, the main idea with Pikachu is to try
faking a comeback in the hopes that Pikachu will use some form of edge-
guarding move, allowing you to get back.  Remember that you have crap
priority without that reflector, and that it is no good whatsoever
against Pikachu and the forward powerhit.  Don't try the FireFox against
the Call Lightning move (where the lightning hits Pikachu), as Pikachu
has more priority THERE too.  ... Ugh.

You CAN Fox Spike Pikachu.  It's hard, but it is still possible.  See
Section 1.5 for details (below this section).

1.  Chun-Li Kick (Tap A repeatedly - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Don't Use

Delay:    Good       Duration: Long
Recovery: Bad        Distance: None
Damage:   Very Low   Priority: Very Low

Direction:  Forward / N/A
-----------------------------------------
No distance, terribly recovery time, and a REALLY low priority make
this move very bad.  Don't use this.  Not unless you intend to try
pulling off an infinite combo, and even then, the priority is too
low to be effective enough.  I.e., Samus can easily Up+B her way out
of it, and besides, it only does what...1% per hit?  Kirby and Link
have considerably better Tap-A moves.

2.  Dash Attack (Dash+A - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Fairly Effective

Delay:     High     Duration:  Low
Recovery:  Good     Distance:  Very Low
Damage:    Low      Priority:  Low

Direction:  Diagonally Forward / Up
-----------------------------------------
The dash attack, while without as much priority as that of Falcon /
Samus / Link, is still a fairly good one.  You don't want to use it
that often because of its low priority (DK can grab you out of this),
it is still an effective move, and I find that it has a bit of combo-
ability after a D+A powerhit.  Note that you should only use this on
characters with higher health, because of the low distance it gets; 
an enemy at low health can easily counter your hit.

For those who have never figured this out, dash attacks are vital,
since they can start combos, end combos, and generally annoy people.
Nonetheless, try not to overuse the dash, because you'll find that
people will wait for it and whack you mid-dash.  Among better players,
you're going to have to try to sneak in and take any opportunities
that you can get.

3.  Upwards Powerhit (Up+A - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Use Sparingly

Delay:     Good     Duration:  **High**
Recovery:  Good     Distance:  Excellent
Damage:    Good     Priority:  Good

Direction:  Up - Arcs Forward
-----------------------------------------
This is one of the best moves that Fox has.  Use this sparingly,
however, because the duration is very high - you'll notice that Fox
also kicks BEHIND him, with no distance, essentially counting as
recovery time.  Not as good as Mario's Up+A, but still pretty good.

Damage for this move is determined by distance from Fox...the further
away they are from you, the less damage you do to them.  However, that
only applies to the _FRONT_ of Fox, enemies behind and above Fox will
take almost nil damage, and next to zero hit stun.

Note - see Strategies for information on taking advantage of this move.

4.   Power Kick (Fwd+A - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Effective in small doses

Delay:     OK       Duration:  High
Recovery:  OK       Distance:  Good
Damage:    Good     Priority:  Really Low

Direction:  Diagonally Forward/Up
-----------------------------------------
Almost works as a dash.  Damage is good if you can connect at the
beginning of the move, but hitting an enemy at the _end_ of the move
isn't quite as good.  Recovery is good for a Fox move, but since the
duration (just like the upwards powerhit) is high, the move isn't all
that great.  Priority is SO VERY LOW that DK and some others can grab
you out of this move.  Yikes.  I have a tendency to forget this myself
occasionally; the only thing I can tell you is to be careful. =P

4.5. Non-Smash Power Kick (Fwd, A non-powerhit - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Use sparingly

Delay:     Good     Duration:  Low
Recovery:  Good     Distance:  Good
Damage:    Low      Priority:  Low

Direction:  Diagonally Forward/Up
-----------------------------------------
Just a simple roundhouse kick; it comes out a lot faster though.
Don't use this all too much because it hardly gets any distance; keep
in mind that you don't need quick moves like these because you can
easily run away from any troublesome spots anyhow.  You may want to 
angle the move (aim diagonally up/down before pressing A)...it does
the same damage, and has the same speed.

5.  Clearout Powerhit (Down+A - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  OK as clearout move
                         Great edge-guard move

Delay:     OK       Duration:  Short
Recovery:  BAD      Distance:  Good
Damage:    Good     Priority:  Really Low

Direction:  Forward / Arcs a little upwards
-----------------------------------------
This move is one that you should probably be using pretty often.
However, you have to remember that the recovery time is terrible,
so if you use the move, you had better hit the enemy or you'll be in
trouble.  I tend to use this as an edge-guarder; the direction is
great and particularly effective against those nasty Link players. :)

Be careful, however, because good players will be watching for the
move, and if you're too close to the edge, you may accidentally fall
OFF the edge, using a Down+A air-spike (which makes you fall FASTER).
In other words, instant death for no particular reason.

6.  Low Roundhouse Tail-Kick (Down, A non-powerhit - ground)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Effective in small doses

Delay:    Excellent Duration:  Low
Recovery: Excellent Distance:  Med-high
Damage:   Low       Priority:  Low

Direction:  Up, Arcs Forward
-----------------------------------------
Don't use this all too much; the only reason I have it here is because
it sends people upwards and has no delay / recovery.  Use the move
to buy yourself some time when you have to, or as a comeback move after
someone has hit you.

7.  Drill Kick (Down+A - air)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Avoid like the plague

Delay:    Excellent Duration:  Med-High
Recovery: High      Distance:  None
Damage:   Low       Priority:  Low

Direction:  Down
-----------------------------------------
Don't use this.  It doesn't work as a spike, has a really high recovery
time, and doesn't even do enough damage.  To compound things, the
duration is so high that if you try to spike you'll find that by the
time you've recovered, you're too far down to jump back up or FireFox to
the edge.  Believe me, I've tried. :)

Another note:  You get very little hit stun with this move... this is
yet another reason to stay away from the drill kick like the plague.

If you really feel like being wacky, jump up from beneath and use the
Down+A.  You'll get in at least five hits, for decent damage, and you
should be able to recover instantaneously.  However, the Up+A does more
damage to begin with.

8.  Two-hit Juggle (Up+A - air)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Use often

Delay:    Excellent Duration:  Medium
Recovery: Excellent Distance:  Good
Damage:   Good      Priority:  Decent

Direction:  Up
-----------------------------------------
Use this move extensively.  Juggle like a madman.  Does two hits, it's
faster than Ness' U+A move, and Fox's jump is a good one, so it is very
easy to pull off.  I believe this does the most damage of all Up+A
moves, but I'm not sure.  Note that this is not to be used against a
spike, since the priority isn't good enough.  Use the Reflector instead.

9.  Laser (B - ground / air)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Use sparingly

Delay:    Excellent Duration:  Med-High
Recovery: High      Distance:  Low
Damage:   Low,Stun  Priority:  Low

Direction:  Forward, Stuns
-----------------------------------------
It annoys people.  I use this only in two cases:  to chalk up a little
extra damage off the edge and to support my teammate in a team game.

You can steal jumps if you're good enough with the move.  Hit someone
with a powerhit, then IMMEDIATELY jump forward and shoot.  (Don't jump
UP...jump _FORWARD_.)  If you hit, do another 5% (which is good)...but
if they aren't careful and jump first, they lose their jump.

The laser has a special recovery time deal.  On the ground, you have
a constant recovery time (Fox pulls out gun-shoots-puts back gun).
However, in air, Fox doesn't put back the gun until you STOP tapping
B, so you shoot lasers a whole lot faster in the air.

For this reason, don't shoot lasers while you come back from the edge,
or else be VERY careful when shooting lasers off the edge.  You have
to wait for Fox to put away the gun before you can use your Up+B
recovery--otherwise Fox will shoot another laser, and you'll be too far
beneath the edge to come back by the time you finish.

10.  Reflector (Down+B - ground / air)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  OVERUSE.  ANNOY.  KILL.

Delay:    Excellent Duration:  Low
Recovery: Good      Distance:  Low-Med
Damage:   Low,Stun  Priority:  Good(!)

Direction:  Forward or Backwards, Arcs Down, Stuns
-----------------------------------------
If you play Fox...you're going to have to learn to use this move.  It
gets amazing hit stun.  It toasts.  It sends people flying _downwards_
into stealthily planted mines, whirlwinds, acid, and most importantly,
into the abyss (see Saffron City).  It has a LOT of priority and can
counteract Samus, Kirby, and DK spikes, and it can spike people itself
to boot.

The Fox Spike (my name for the Down+B) works extremely well as a
clearout-and-escape move, and is extremely useful in team battles,
because you can send those airborne "hawk" players into the waiting and
open arms of your teammates--and they will be in hit stun long enough
for your teammate to hit them.  (Extremely useful when your teammate has
a baseball bat!).  It's an extremely quick move, so it doesn't hurt
to use it often.

Also, this move reflects BOMBS (!) thrown horizontally (not vertically,
alas).  Remeber that the reflector increases damage by about 1.5x each
time you reflect a projectile (red shells can be reflected three times
before your shield breaks).  Also remember that if someone throws a mine
and you reflect it before it lands, it becomes _your_ mine.

Finally, don't expect to do any damage with the Reflector:  it does 5%
initially, and if you use it as much as I do, it'll go down to 3% per
hit.

See section 1.5 for details; the Fox Spike is THE most useful surprise
move a Fox player has.

[when I said bombs, I meant bombs and bob-ombs.  sorry for any confusion
 that causes ^_- ]

11.  FireFox (Up+B - ground / air)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  Only to be used as a comeback

Delay:    Terrible! Duration:  Long
Recovery: Good      Distance:  Good
Damage:   Medium    Priority:  Good

Direction:  Usually upwards; depends on where you hit.
-----------------------------------------
The FireFox is a neat-o spiffy keen kind of comeback move.  It looks
cool, and it gets a hell of a lot of distance.  On the minus side, it
has the worst delay imaginable (i.e. you're spikebait for a second or
two), and it has next to no priority near the end of the duration, much
like many other Fox moves.

Generally, try not to use the FireFox, it hits people _upwards_ most of
the time anyhow.  If you're feeling lucky and/or have mad timing skills,
you can try to pull it off so that you hit people the minute the move
starts off--because you have mad priority at the beginning of the move.
Just be careful, because if you miss, you can probably expect to be
powerhit mid-move.

When coming back to the edge, aim the FireFox straight forwards instead
of upward-forward.  It gets you to the edge faster, and also prevents
you from being spike-bait.  However, versus someone with a strong
powerhit (Link, Falcon, Samus, etc), you'll want to try to aim down-
forward and hit them with your higher priority (as it stands, it's
better to risk it than to simply get killed anyway at that point)

If you're feeling lucky, you can try to fall down low enough to be able
to catch the edge as soon as you finish the FireFox move.  Useful
against standard edge-guarders--just not against airborne spikers.

12.  Throw + Backthrow (R or Z+A)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  To be overused

Delay:    Good      Duration:  Variable
Recovery: Good      Distance:  Good
Damage:   Medium    Priority:  Low

Direction:  Diagonally up - forwards/backwards
-----------------------------------------
This move doesn't get all that much distance; Fox has short stubby arms,
and low priority to boot - but because Fox is so quick, this move is
very effective.  Run back and forth and throw people; note that forward
and backthrows get similar range / damage / whatever (unlike Falcon who
has to backthrow) so use whichever direction suits you best.

Also remember that you are *invulnerable* for a period of time during
your throw...which is another excuse to try to get that judo-warrior
award.

13.  Roll (Z+direction)
-----------------------------------------
Overall Recommendation:  OVERUSE

Delay:    Good      Duration:  N/A
Recovery: Good      Distance:  N/A
Damage:   N/A       Priority:  N/A

Direction:  Diagonally up - forwards/backwards
-----------------------------------------
This is simply the best roll in the game.  Roll lots and lots and lots.
It's fast, quick, and you're a small target, plus you have good recovery
from this move.  I find myself rolling _INTO_ people and then using the
Reflector before they have a chance to do something about it.

Fox is the only character around that has a good run, a good roll, and a
good jump, plus speed to boot.  Take advantage of this.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

************************************************************************
1.5)  The Fox Spike:  Its importance, its invincibility, and most of
                      all, its general coolness factor...

UPDATED 01/27/2001
************************************************************************

A Brief History of Spikes
-------------------------

        The term "spike" was coined when a friend of mine (a certain P.
Cheong...wait, that's too obvious...then Paul C. will do) was playing DK
and managed to pull off a Fwd+A/air/off the edge, knocking a Kirby
senselessly down into the abyss.  Kirbies do look somewhat like
volleyballs, don't they?

        There are approximately *FIVE* kinds of spikes.  The first, and
standard, kind involves using a Down+A/air/off-edge(heretofore referred
to as "Down+A/spike") move to knock someone into the abyss.  This is an
instant kill, at most forms of health (say, 20% and up).  Everyone has
one of these 'cept Pikachu and Link, and they vary in priority and speed
from Fox (worst) to Samus (2nd) and Ness (best), in order.  Watch out
for Samus and Ness...remember that.

        The second form of Spike involves using a Fwd+A/spike move.
These are rare:  only Yoshi and DK have them.  However, Fwd+A/spikes are
considerably more dangerous, as it is harder to hit Fwd+A/spike users
(and ESPECIALLY Yoshi) with a comeback move.  Link and Falcon have a 
little bit of luck here, as they have some range to the side when using
Up+B/air.

        The third, and most difficult, form of spiking involves using a
special move to knock people down.  This can be done with:

   Kirby's Final Cutter - The downward slash hits downward.
   Kirby's forward throw - Stand at the edge, facing inward.  Use a
                           forward throw.  You commit suicide, but you
                           still get the kill.
   Falcon's forward throw - From the edge... I think?
   Mario/Luigi's tornado - Hard!! - Hit them with your feet
   Fox's reflector shield - simply Down+B.

        This kind of spike is generally HARD to pull off, and therefore
unexpected.  With the exception of Fox's reflector shield...which is
fairly easy to do.

        A fourth "spike" can be seen in Peach's Castle:  use an Up+A to
knock someone under the pinball bouncer thingy (the guides on the two
sides of the pinball dealie); if they are at high enough damage
they will be sent flying downwards.  How does that work?  They bounce
off, and since Up+A moves get much more distance than Fwd+A moves (as it
takes more distance to send someone up and off the edge), and by the
time they recover and can jump, they are too far down to come back.  You
can also pull this off with forward throws, powerhits, et cetera--it's
generally harder that way, but it's also easier to kill in that way,
because they fly down-forwards.

        The fifth spike is done using a bumper.  Most items when thrown
knock enemies forwards/up, with the exception of the fan (up-only, great
juggle item!), the fireflower (forward; stun), and the bumper (depends on
how you hit).  Simply jump above an enemy, and use Down+A.  You'll throw
the bumper and knock the person below you to Kingdom Come.  The
disadvantage, of course, is that you have to bother with using ONLY B
attacks, and you may as well use the forward throw... but it's easier for
enemies to evade the forward throw by simply jumping / using Up+B.

        Also, don't bother spiking with the fireflower unless you feel
like it--in my experience, it doesn't have enough priority.  Well, try it
if you like...if I'm wrong, email me ;)

The Fox Spike(tm)
-----------------

        Those of you who have played Fox before or have been carefully
reading my FAQ know that Fox has no Down+A/air or Fwd+A/air spike.
However, he does still have a spike, which is little known to the
majority of SSB players:  The Reflector Shield.  Fox Spiking (as I call
it) is extremely hard to pull off if you have not practiced it, but when
it is mastered, it is extremely hard to counter due to its high priority
and speed.  No, I don't recommend the Spike for beginning players...if
you play with beginners, eventually they will expect you to attempt a
fox spike as you begin to master the technique and they begin to master
their characters.  But it is still kinda fun to pull off from time to
time...especially versus Jigglypuff.

Mastering the Fox Spike
-----------------------

        I suggest you practice Luigi and his Up+B, or Jigglypuff's
Down+B for some practice.  Try it on the ground; in the air, ("you can
take it anywhere") ... you need to get the timing right, and remember
that you have to essentially be TOUCHING them to hit.  This happens more
often than one might suspect, so keep watching.  Try jumping from below
and using the special move--you might be surprised by the number of
people who don't expect a Jigglypuff to Down+B sleep from below!

What about reflecting?
----------------------

        Yes, you can and should still use the reflector shield as much
as possible - watch for items, predict when the opponent will throw, and
in which direction, and also for the special attacks in each level
(Pokemon/Saffron City, Arwings/Great Fox, etc).  I used to have a list
of items you can reflect; I'm cutting that down to these important
items:

>  Pokeballs.  Great evasion maneuver:  shield the ball, and if you can
get it to drop down into a hole, otherwise, you will have just
enough time to run away!  The Fox Shield will most likely be used as a
parry maneuver, as opposed to a counterattack deal.  How many
experienced players will actually throw a *green* shell at you at a
nice, opportune time?  None...unless you jump in between the opponent
and his target.  Also note that yes, you can reflect those Starmie
thingies and the Meowth, but it won't do jack for you most of the time.
You'd be better off trying to send people INTO the Pokemon with the
shield.

>  Eggs / capsules / boxes:  Another parry maneuver.  Very useful...
   unless the egg / capsule explodes ;) ... well, that usually doesn't
   happen, of course, and if you parry properly, you can pick up the
   item that drops before someone can get close enough to attack you.

>  Shells.  You can reflect a shell three times before it begins doing
crazy (upwards of 100%/hit) damage.  Try a red shell, as a booby trap.
Set it, shield three times, and then try to send people into it.  They
won't die, but one hit from anything else and they most definitely will.
Once in awhile, they'll get stuck "in" the red shell, which will do
multiple hits (causing ~300+% damage.)

>  More on green shells:  Two reflections and a green shell should kill
at about 20% health; three and it kills at 0%.

* By the way, to send people into traps you've set, you can shield them
  in from above, or hit/throw them from below.  For this reason, set
  traps at the bottom, so opponents can't hit/throw you into the traps
  you set yourself!

>  Mines:  Yes, mines.  They become your property.  Remember that, and
try to shield mines whenever you can--other players will throw them at
you, thinking that you couldn't possibly care less about the 5% damage
if you're hit; and that it doesn't matter anyhow.

>  Arwing blasts.  The Pokemon in Saffron City don't really matter, as
you can't hit anyone consistently enough; however, the Arwing blasts do
a ton of damage when multiplied 1.5x by your shield.  Try to catch
people unawares; you'll be guaranteed a kill that way.

>  Bombs and Bob-ombs.  Please note that with only a few small
exceptions, you can ONLY only reflect bombs which are thrown sideways.
This includes Bob-ombs, which do massive damage when reflected.  But
nonetheless, most Link players love their boomerang and bombs, and you
ought to love them too.

>  Bumpers...this is like gambling, though.  Be careful when you
   reflect a bumper, because you'll have to remember to keep the shield
   up as long as the bumper is still bouncing back and forth.  Also,
   remember that when you touch the ground, the shield disappears and
   you have to Down+B again!  ... Um, anyhow, if you're lucky, you'll
   be able to send people off in various directions and stuff.  Use
   this against the people who like to throw items when they come back.

>  Finally, and most importantly:  People!  Shielding people is often
more useful than the "spike" aspect of the Fox Spike.  Always remember
that the Fox Spike gets a lot of hit stun, speed, and priority.  If you
can't use Down+A/ground to clearout, and you can't run, then use the
Down+B.  The Fox Spike has a lot of other uses--it makes a great juggle
finisher, among other things.  Send people into the air, jump up, send
them back down with your Spike (and maybe into your teammates' hands).
That's about all there is to comboing...the spike does very little
damage, so it's somewhat like using a jab in Capcom fighters.

Why Fox Spike?
--------------

> For the element of surprise.  Catch people off-guard.  Even if they
  think they have their super ultra powerful move (minus Ness and Samus,
  who actually DO have priority moves), 

> It has priority, and is quick.  High priority, high speed - if you and
  an opponent try to attack at the same time, chances are you'll hit
  first, with enough time to run away or combo.

> Lots of hit stun.  See below (How to Spike) and you'll understand :)

How to Fox Spike
----------------

Align yourself properly.  Press Down+B.  Voila.  You get enough time to
run away if you managed to hit.

To Spike with the Fox Shield, do it at the edge and in the air (again,
"you can take it anywhere").  If you hit people when they have just
finished their second jump and have not yet used their recovery move,
they will go into hit stun, and by the time they (1) realize they have
no second jump or (2) use their Up+B move, they will have fallen down
too far to grab the edge.  If they manage to get close enough to the
edge, spike them again.  Try to only use your first jump, though, if 
you use your second jump you become a sitting duck.  Also note that
this works a lot better (obviously) at higher damage, because the hit
stun lasts longer, sending them further down.

If you find that you are spiking with ease now, move on to the next
level ;) and jump off the edge to pull off the spike (but only when it
is safe!).  Or, you can spike them while right at the edge, then jump
off to repeat spiking until they are far down enough...then jump back
and firefox back to safety.  (Which, BTW, is the only way to spike
some characters, ie Kirby, Mario, Pikachu).

The next-next level is learning to use the Immediate Fox Spike combo #1,
as thus:

	1)  Throw off edge.  Why?  Well, you could powerhit, but then
            you'd have to wait until you recover.
        2)  Immediately jump off.  Use only ONE jump.
        3)  Shield.  This eliminates the opponent's first jump.
        4)  If you like, fall down a bit and shield again.
        5)  Use your second jump to recover.  If you know you can
            FireFox *safely*, do so.  I.e., don't keep falling in step 4
            if you can't hit your opponent, because otherwise you may
            get hit before you can FireFox.
        6)  If you skipped step 4, and jumped straight back onto the
            platform, you may edge-guard at will.

The Fox Spike combo above is probably the easiest way to go into edge-
guarding mode.  It seems obviously simple, and it works very well.  If
you're more conservative in using the Spike, this is DEFINITELY when you
shouldn't hold back when using the Shield.

Immediate Fox Spike combo #2 (Double Fox Spike) involves the following:

        1)  Check opponent's health:  if it's enough, Fox Spike them
            while you're still on the edge.
        2)  Don't even jump off:  FALL off.  Spike, and repeat as 
            necessary.

Why am I calling these combos?  Well, because you can pull off the moves
in conjunction without any real penalty, and besides, there are no real
combos past four or five moves in SSB, because of the game mechanics (%
damage makes things REAL difficult to combo/chain consistently).

No, none of those 30-hit combos like in SFEX2+AlphaOmegaTurbo... although
those big-hit combos ARE kinda fun to pull off ^_^

Who to Fox Spike
----------------

It is possible to spike _ANYONE_ (see the end of this section for
details on Pikachu, Kirby, and other pain-in-the-%@#$ characters).
However, you ought to focus your spiking efforts on:

>  People with low vertical distance.  Samus, Link, Falcon.  Unless
they know how to play well, they're probably mostly dead.  Send them off
the edge, Fox Spike, goodbye!  Um, watch out for the high priority
attacks, though.  DK would be a candidate for spiking, but he has good
priority with the Spinning Kong and takes little damage (and therefore
takes little hit stun).  Hit him out of it instead, or spike only if you
know you have a guaranteed kill.

>  Jigglypuff and Ness are special instances to the above.  Ness can be
hit while he tries to pull off his recovery move.  A smart Ness player
will try to PK Thunder while far away (to avoid being hit by most
people), but since you're Fox, you can jump out there (use only one
jump!), Fox Spike, and jump/firefox back.  If he's far away, as
previously mentioned, he will be sent too far down to PK Thunder back in
most cases.  As for Jigglypuff...the poor thing is a complete sitting
duck with no vertical recovery.  One spike or two spikes (Jigglypuff
moves too slowly, to boot!), and the puff will simply be all poofed out.
Cheesy, if you prefer.  You can hit them with Down+A/ground, but the Fox
Spike is much more amusing and cruel, and advantageous on a Time game.
Watch them try to puff-punch!-puff!-puff! their way to the bottom of the
screen.  Some Jigglypuffs know when to quit and will sing on the way
down ;)

>  Kirby.  Try to force him to Up+B.  Roll backwards.  Reflect the beam
from the sword.  Fox spike again, repeat.  At enough damage, or when
Kirby gives up and/or runs out of jumps, Down+A/ground.  Actually, if
Kirby runs out of jumps, if you don't feel that you will have ample
opportunity to pull off the Down+A, then don't--simply go for the double
Fox Spike (spike once, fall, spike twice--Immediate Fox Spike Combo #2).
Same end result...Kirby doesn't get quite enough horizontal distance on
his Up+B.

>  Pikachu.  If you can force him to teleport, you can quickly run to
where he will go(predict it!) and hopefully throw him.  A large, flat
surface(Great Fox) is really good.  Dash as you press R to get a
little more distance on the grab.  No, don't expect to KILL Pikachu with
your spike...you're just trying to get him into a vulnerable position.

Where?
------

> Anywhere when mines or bumpers are nearby.  Throw mines discreetly,
then cautiously lead your enemies to them...try to aim your spike so
that they land in the vicinity of the mine.

> Saffron City - the level which has "FOX" imprinted all over it.  The
skyscrapers mean death for just about anyone else(even Kirby, Pikachu,
and other Fox players!) if you Fox Spike correctly.  Against those
people with little vertical recovery, you are almost guaranteed to win.
Include DK this time, as he dies a lot on this level.

> Planet Zebes, Hyrule Castle.  Standard edges, but they have "traps"
(the acid / the whirlwinds).  Try to Fox Spike them not off the edge,
but rather into the traps.  If you want to do a regular Fox Spike, lead
them onto the left edge, which is much better than the right side.

On Zebes, if you throw people into the acid, and they're flying below
the main platform, try to line yourself up with where they come up when
they fly up.  Use a Down+A, and you're guaranteed either a kill or a 
crapload of additional damage if you hit.

> Great Fox.  Standard edge, good enough to spike.  Left edge is
preferable--because it's convenient when the Arwing comes.  Roll out of
the way and let the Arwing hit people to the left, then jump into the
shots and shield to hit people to the right.  Eventually, players will
simply scatter (and run!) whenver they see the Arwing coming...but it
has such good range that you can still catch experienced players off
guard (or busy, rather).  Careful on the Great Fox, though!  Since the
Arwing flies very close to the ground, make sure you know when you'll
fall on the ground:  when you touch the ground, good-bye Down+B--and
you'll have to do it again.

> Kirby's Dreamland, Yoshi's Stage:  Nice, nice, SMALL level = lots of
opportunities for kills.  The minus side is the tree, of course, and the
platforms above the edge.  The tree can be fatal...don't use
Down+A/ground if you're on the edge, because if you manage to fall off
the edge because of the tree before you use Down+A, you'll end up losing
a life (presto, whammo, BAM! -- see, I can do an Emeril, too).

  On Kirby's level, there's that annoying upper ledge that people can
catch onto, conversely, there are clouds on Yoshi's stage.  Well, oh
well.  If people fly onto the clouds on Yoshi's level, simply shoot them
a bit to up the damage counter.  In a game with skilled players, damage
does count quite a bit, so an extra 5%/hit is good.

> Peach's Castle:  Even smaller than Kirby's Dreamland!  Spike on the
lower level.  On the top level, either dash-throw, or else spike them
downwards so that you can spike them again >:)  And it's DEFINITELY
easier to spike on this level than on Kirby's / Yoshi's levels.

> Don't spike on the DK stage, unless you know you have a good chance to
kill.  That barrel...ugh...I hate the DK stage.  Even Jigglypuff stands
a good chance against your spikes...but luckily, Link/et al still have
trouble getting back up.  Try timing a Down+A when people shoot out of
the barrels, and you can get essentially an instant kill; if they learn
and begin to use the edges, jump out and whack them with a Fwd/Back+A
(air) when they come out.  I think Back+A gets more damage, but I'm not
sure, really.  If you're really going for insults, try using Down+B when
people come out ;)

> The OG-Mario stage is actually alright, since you can kill the
platforms in the center.  Lurk around the center and try to spike.  If
you're good at throwing, though, you should do that instead.

Spiking Pikachu (and other long-recovery chars)
-----------------------------------------------

(Note:  This is kind of obsolete when you look at the Double Spike
        combo, but oh well. )

        How _DO_ you spike a rodent who can double-teleport?  What about
those plumbers, and Kirby?  In most cases, you shouldn't; instead, you
should only spike into traps and resort to regular moves.  However, you
can indeed spike these characters if you have enough skill and a little
bit of luck.

        Now, when you spike, you should still be on the edge.  Walk off
(don't jump, or most specifically, don't use your second jump!), and
continue hitting them with your reflector shield -- move along with them
as they fall from hit stun, continuously pressing Down+B when you manage
to touch them.  When they have fallen far enough, use your jumps to
recover, and they shouldn't be able to get back up.  It's easiest to
follow them and time your shields if you are already falling, but if you
do have to use your first jump, go ahead and try...

        Against a Pikachu, this works best on Saffron City or the OG
Mario level, as you can spike down the pit (thus preventing Pikachu from
teleporting back easily.  Against Mario/Luigi, this can be done
anywhere.  You may be wondering why they can't just use Up+B and be on
their merry way...well, if you pull it off correctly they will
continuously be in hit-stun and can't move at all.  Make sure they have
lost their second jump before you spike them, or else you'll have done
all this for naught.

        Kirby players will try to take you down with them using their
Up+B to spike you in a last ditch effort.  If you KNOW you will be in
their path when you FireFox, then use the move _FORWARDS_ so that they
won't hit you.  Though you die, they don't get the kill.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Multiplayer Strategies
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A. General
~~~~~~~~~~
        General more or less applies to 1v1 games AS WELL AS to 3/4
player games.  Time, Stock FFA and Team tend to talk specifically about
3- or 4- player games.

	The moves I tend to use are the ones listed above, and as I've
mentioned, I don't use the Tap-A move very much - I don't find it to
be useful.

	If you intend to play Fox, here's a list of priorities to
master.  These are especially important in a Team game.

        1)  Dashing and rolling.  Very important.  If you can't, then
            don't play Fox, play a slow character that hits hard, like,
            say, Link, Ness, or Samus.  Fox has the best overall jump,
            dash and roll of the entire SSB cast.

        2)  Up+A attacks.  To practice, I would suggest Mario, who has
            one with insane priority and DISTANCE.  Remember, Up+A has
            priority over Down attacks, with the exception of Ness,
            Samus, Link, Kirby, and Yoshi.  With Mario, you have
            priority over Ness and Samus as well, and often Link too.
            Keep in mind that Kirby/Yoshi's Down+B's are very hard to
            counter, Yoshi's especially (since Yoshi's Down+B clears
            out as well).  Yes, of course you should realize that Kirby
            is invincible during his brick form, however this is easy to
            counter (evade and throw throw).

            This can be faked.  Let them try to come down and attack you,
            either from the side or from above, then roll out of the way.
            At this point you can do any attack you so choose.  Kyle
            suggests that you do this if someone is guarding the towers
            on the side of Saffron City.  IMHO you should be the one
            guarding the towers (or the helipad) because that's where you
            use the reflector shield.

            - Note:  This isn't so great with Yoshi, because Yoshi's
              "Hip-Drop" or diving attack as I would prefer to call it
              clears the area out.  Even if you block, or roll, there's
              a chance you won't be able to run back and throw.

            *** NEW 3/16 ***

            Abusing the Up+A forward-arc:  In certain levels, but most
            specifically the Mario level, you can send an opponent
            flying into the flat thing above the moving platform.  This
            should effectively knock them down and forwards, which can
            very often result in a kill because of the distance it gets
            (keep in mind that Up attacks tend to yield more distance -
            it takes a lot more distance to kill with a star finish than
            by hitting someone off the edge).  I can't believe I forgot
            to put this in, but I did.  *shrug*

            *****************

        2.5)Juggling attacks.  This goes without saying.

                 - Juggling a Kirby is a little different:
                 - 1)  Up+A ground if possible
                 - 2)  Up+A air, as many times as needed
                 - 3)  As Kirby decides to stone, jump up and reflector.

        2.7)Attacking from above, which can be done in three ways:

                 - Using the Down+A Air Drill.  It's quick, but IMO most
                   people will expect it and counter using an Up+A.
                   Furthermore, even if you hit, you can expect a quick
                   counter because you have a terrible recovery time on
                   the drill kick and close to no hit-stun.  Oofah.
                 - Coming down straight above, then moving in one
                   direction and using the Forward+A air kick thingy.
                   If you can trick your opponent into using an Up+A,
                   then you can hit them during their recovery time.
                   (Credit to Kyle Hawk for mentioning this)  Kyle was
                   suggesting Fwd+A, but I would prefer to land and use
                   a throw or something that does more distance/damage.
                   Try to keep some variety, though, to keep opponents
                   guessing - if you're predictable, none of this will
                   be of any use.
                 - Using the Reflector Shield.  This is my personal
                   favorite, but that's because I tend to be kind of
                   reckless as they come ^_-.  It works really well if
                   the enemy/opponent is still recovering.  I would
                   suggest doing this only during advantageous
                   situations, i.e. if you're in Saffron / Zebes or
                   if they're at low health (this allows you to do some
                   damage, stun, and have an opportunity to do another
                   attack for more damage.)

        3)  Throwing with R.  Run.  Throw.  Roll.  Throw.  Dash.  Throw.
            This HAS to be practiced, because Fox's throw has very low
            priority, and Fox's stubby little arms can barely reach in
            front of him.  As previously mentioned, Fox has speed on his
            side; and as such his throw becomes very effective, as
            terrible as it would normally be.

            I should have noted this on earlier versions...oh well.  You
            have to learn when to use R to throw, and when to use Z+A to
            throw.  Z+A should only be used if you are already blocking
             or wish to block.  R should only be used if you are ALREADY
            DASHING FORWARDS.  If you're sitting in place, block with Z
            and later press A while blocking.

        4)  The Reflector Shield and Fox Spike.  See section 1.5 for
            details, and other such.  (it's before this section)

        5)  Locating items.  If you find capsules and eggs, don't throw
            them at people - jump up and throw them down, pick up the
            item (if there is one), and use it.  If it's a mine, then
            discreetly throw it down.  You're Fox.  See Fox.  See Fox
            Run.  Run, Fox, Run.  And if you see a bumper, get it
            simply because it makes cool noises when it hits :) ..or you
            CAN spike with it (see the above sections...oh, somewhere)

Having mastered those (phew!), you will probably find that Fox is:

Good against
        - Jigglypuff.  No, not everybody is good against Jigglypuff,
          believe me.  Jigglypuff has no vertical comeback.  So,
          shield a lot.  On the edge, off the edge.  The Fox Spike
          is extraordinarily useful against Jigglypuff.  Of course,
          your Up+A and other powerhits should do well too.
        - Link.  Link has no comeback either.  Two words - Fox Spike.
          Note, however, that Link's comeback, although with less
          priority than Samus', has more range, and so I find myself
          getting hit occasionally by it.
        - Ness.  Ness may be a pain normally...but the important part
          is to send Ness off the edge.  Fox Spike (in the air) when
          he uses a PK Thunder.  Either you'll hit him and send him
          further off the edge, or else you'll reflect his Thunder.
          If you're just off the edge, though, he'll spike you.
        - Most Pikachu players.  You can throw them like mad.  Don't
          overuse your shield or you'll be really sorry.  And try to
          stay ON the platform by all means.  Juggle, too.

So-so against
        - Samus.  Samus' comeback doesn't get too much vertical, but
          it has priority.  And of course you can't easily kill Samus
          using regular techniques, because of the insane Bomb-bomb-
          screw comeback distance - not to mention that Samus is
          quite a heavyweight.  However, your edge-guard is really
          effective against her / it.
        - DK, who has no vertical comeback but can effectively
          out-throw (remeber, he has long arms =P) you, among other
          things.  Again, use your edge-guard.
        - Yoshi.  Yoshi is a lightweight's nightmare; luckily Fox isn't
          _that_ much of a lightweight.  Stay BELOW Yoshi.  BELOW.  You
          don't want Yoshi to come from below and then Down+A you to
          high health, and then combo with an Up+A to send you into
          oblivion.  Yikes.

Not so great against
        - Kirby.  Has a good spike, hard to Fox Spike, doesn't have
          to use Final Cutter often.  Luckily, Kirby is weak.  You'll
          have to resort to throws and regular moves.  I don't know
          very many kirbies who actually absorb powers because they
          like being able to eat people and spit them out.  A good
          Kirby will be a pain to kill...
        - Falcon, who can EASILY out-throw you.  Plus, Falcon has
          really good moves like an Up+A (air), the Falcon Kick,
          a good spike, and ... some other stuff.  Luckily, you can
          pull off a Fox Spike on him, provided his comeback doesn't
          hit you first.
        - Link on certain levels is actually hard, because his attacks
          have fairly good priority.  So you want to meet a Link on a
          small stage.  Some Link players are REALLY good and tend not 
          to fly off the edge very often...
        - Good Pikachu players can edge-guard.  Pikachu is THE edge-
          guarding master, with attacks which hit above (Down+B), below
          (B projectile goes either 45 degrees down OR crawls the edge),
          and forward (the Forward+A attack gets a lot of range).  I
          don't know about you, but I would use Mario or Luigi against
          Pikachu instead.
        - Good Ness players on big stages.  Ness is slower than Link but
          has priority like no other...and his throw.  Whew.  Use only
          A attacks, and try to get him off the edge ASAP.  Preferably
          with the Fox Spike, as that forces him to use PK Thunder.

A-2.  Treatise on playing the Assassin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        This FAQ has a tendency to assume that you are playing against
skilled human opponents.  In any game against human opponents with a
considerable level of skill, you will find that you're counting on lives
and damage - because each time you fall off the edge, you can consider
yourself dead.  Thus, against humans, you want to keep an escape route
available at all times.  Play the assassin, and stay back.

        If your opponents are less skilled, you will have many more
opportunities to dash in and attack.  Oh, and believe me on this one -
a skilled opponent knows the priority of his attacks over yours and will
be able to effectively anticipate and parry most attacks you attempt.
I received a very wordy email from a particular Von Agojo on how you
should dash attack to combo.  The dash has its uses - it's quick, and it
gets a lot of range - which makes it ideal for going in to attack.
However, it has such low priority that an experienced player will
instinctively throw you out of it, or else use a priority smash hit.

        That's not to say that you shouldn't use the dash against a
skilled opponent - you should use everything that you have.  It's just
that you can't afford to dash in, attack, attack, and attack against
anyone with enough experience to know that they can simply whack you
out of your attack (which you can't do against Link, btw).  Know when
you have a good opportunity to dash; if you've been playing for long
enough you'll know immediately if you've made a mistake by dashing
("Uh oh...Falcon is going to throw me before I can recover, and I won't
get enough priority/range because I pressed A too early..." et al).

        High-skill games involve counting percentage, and lives.  Count
your own percentage, count your lives, and check everyone else's.  Try
to stay ahead, of course. :)  If you're at high percentage, play a lot
more conservatively and such.

A-3.  Hi-Damage Multiplayer Games
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Shielding gets a lot more distance on high-damage (say 150-200%)
games.  I find that I can instantly kill most enemies at 0% when near a
ledge, and even more so when they're at higher damage.  Link, Samus,
Falcon, DK, Jigglypuff, et al.  That's right, I said 0%.  Try to con
your friends into playing games at 150%, because that happens to be the
best way to go (other moves can't kill you instantly - at 200% you have
no distinct advantage over anyone else).

B.  Time FFA, or Battle Royal as you might call it
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Fox is great on Time FFA.  He's fast.  He's cute.  He's really
stunning with those good looks.  Um, actually what I mean to say is that
he's effective.  And quite so, at that.

        Having said that, Fox is an assassin of sorts.  To play him, you
need to be able to go in quickly, running, jumping, and/or rolling,
strike fast (his better moves have little delay time), and run ASAP.
Remember that most of his better moves also have a recovery time,
besides the Reflector, which means that you have to be precise in your
attacks.  The idea is to throw them far away enough to make your
getaway.

        Since we're talking FFA, your main strategy is to run in, attack
and escape.  Steal kills whenever you can, because that is how you win
in a Time FFA game.  Let everyone else duke it out while you run off,
grab an item (always listen for that clink sound!), and then obliterate
everyone with it (hope for Pokeballs).  Note that if you find capsules,
ALWAYS - ALWAYS jump up and throw them on the ground.  Most of the time
you want the item inside the capsule.  Even if it's a fan, which you can
use in juggles (Use your Up+A, then jump upwards and throw the fan
upwards, because the fan makes people fly towards the sky).

        The Laser is completely worthless in FFA unless you have enough
distance between you and the enemy.  Plus, remember the recovery time is
bad.  Remember that even if you rack up a lot of damage, that doesn't
mean you'll get the kill, especially if you're too far away to use a
proper power-hit.  Use mostly throws, because of their speed.  Juggles
take time and don't send people far enough; use them sparingly and only
when you're certain that everyone else is far away.  You probably also
will want to use the regular powerkick.

        In all FFA games, use the Reflector shield rather than the
Down+A move to clear out.  Why?  Because unless you're certain you can
clear everyone out, somebody will come in and attack you.  The reflector
stuns and clears out the enemy with just enough distance for you to
attack again.  This is particularly important to remember.  That doesn't
mean that you shouldn't use the D+A, though, keep in mind that the D+A
gets more distance in a very favorable direction.  So, in summary, use
the D+B when among several, and D+A when you've weeded one player out.

        Alright, I suppose I should note that if you feel that you can
hit everybody, use a Down+A, because it will buy you more time than the
Down+B.  So there.

        Dash attacks, as you may have guessed, are vital.  I don't know
who was silly enough to imagine that I didn't know what a dash attack
combo was, but oh well.  Don't overuse your dash, because other people
tend to have priority when throwing over your dash.  (Puts a whole new
meaning into "pulling a leg" ...)  Combo if you like, but Fox's dash is
the worst of the long-range dash attacks, and you have a recovery time
which may get you into a jam (mines).

        For those who have been playing lots of 1v1 games, keep in mind
that this is quite different from 1v1.  You don't have quite as much
time in 1v1 to pick up items, because you're constantly being followed.
In 1v1 multiplayer games, you get an opportunity to run about, dash, 
combo, twirl your baton, and reflector-shield in time to go home for
dinner without being attacked by some other people...but you tend to
have a whole lot less time to item-scavenge.

C.  Stock FFA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Stock probably isn't one of Fox's strong points, because he's a
weak character...especially on FFA.  Because this is Stock FFA we're
talking about, you want to stay away from everyone else.  Let them
kill each other as they please while you pick items up, heal, and such.

        You may as well consider Stock to be your test as a Fox player,
because Stock forces you to count lives and percentage.  When you have
a decent amount of skill, you should be able to *at least* keep up in
lives with the other players around you.  Run (but carefully ;) when you
have a high % damage, and look for health items.  ISOLATED health items
that you can get safely, mind you!  ^_^

        1v1 Stock, which it will eventually be, is probably a bit
tougher.  Expect a heavyweight (DK, Samus, etc) to emerge victorious as
your final opponent (assuming you're still alive), and so you'll need
to use every last trick in your inventory. :)  Consider it to be a test
of skill.

        In summary - Stock is the same as FFA but considerably harder,
so use a lot more running and a lot less attacking.  Remember, it
doesn't really matter who gets the kills--what matters is how many lives
you have.

D.  Time Team
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Time Team is a completely different story altogether.  You now
have a teammate.  Fox works best as a "primary" character and not as
a support character, but can do both fairly well anyhow.

        Once your skill level is decently high, and you're used to
throwing left and right, you can play a VERY good support character.
Try the classic "divide-and-conquer" technique:  throw left, throw right
... try to keep your two opponents across opposite sides of the screen.

        ... Item hoarding is fun, simple, easy...okay, actually it
isn't, because while you're looking for items, your partner is getting
his butt kicked.  Still, you're fast enough to run for items when you
need them.  If you find a bumper, have your partner send an enemy off
the edge, and immediately throw the bumper, or else use the bumper as 
a spike item (Down+A throw/in air).  Bumpers are horrendously under-
rated, as they only do 1%.

	If you have a partner like Ness or Samus with strong powerhits,
shield them into your partner's arms.  Be gentle and loving. :)  Kill.
Never forget that the shield stuns.  This helps whether you're the
primary or support character.  If you're primary, you can stun people
and then hopefully power-hit them.  But as support, you want to stun
enemies to help your partner out of a jam, clear yourself out, or of
course to allow your partner to kill said person.

        Team games, of course, make the Blaster Shot USEFUL.  While it's
not necessarily quite as good as Mario's Fireball (believe me), it still
comes in quite handy.

        Keep in mind that in all team games you often have the same
tactics, i.e. throw one guy off the edge and concentrate on another,
stick around your teammate, et cetera.

        3v1 Time Team: if you're part of the 3 (keep in mind that 3v1
usually occurs with a nice handicap for the 1), be careful.  3v1 Time
is much like 3v1 stock, because you die a lot and you probably won't
get too many kills.  If you're the 1, run around a lot and throw until
the cows come home.  If you've got a big handicap, use Fox Spike like
mad, since it *will* get some _amazing_ distance/stun.

        In all Time Team games, feel free to run in to the fray with
your partner and kill lots of things.  Hopefully enemies and not
teammates. :)  However, as in a FFA game, you want to take advantage
of Fox's speed to pick up items.  If you see a tomato/heart, you may
need to pick it up yourself, because Fox can't guard all too well.

        As far as reflecting PROJECTILES and not PEOPLE (wow!) goes,
remember to stand in _front_ of your partner.  Kinda helps. :)  And
if you see a bob-omb nearby...why not let an opponent pick it up and
throw it at you?  If you reflect it, that is.  Of course, if you don't
reflect it, your partner gets the kill, which is perfectly fine too.

        More on Teams:  I see very little need to list the characters
that Fox makes a good team with.  There are plenty.  The only chars
which I find are very bad with Fox are Ness and Jigglypuff, who make
for very bad support and are completely offensive characters - which
Fox will probably have trouble supporting.  It's possible, just not
very. :)

E.  Stock Team

        Stock is one of Fox's worst nightmares; as this is a test of
your skill as a Fox player.  On a 2v2, you'll have to try playing 
support by throwing players off the edge and then double-teaming the
remaining player.  Remember that credit for kills means nothing; you
simply want the opponents to lose lives.  (Careful with mines; make
sure your partner knows where they are.)

        3v1 is a much happier story.  Let the other two people on your
team attack, while you run off and monopolize the item supply.  And if
you're the one against three opponents, hope for a handicap because any
handicap makes the Fox Spike much more effective.  I find that a 9-5
handicap is completely and utterly deadly to the opposing team.

        If your teammate is gone, I suggest you let him/her steal a life
because having a damage sink is always good.  I find that Fox is pretty
good as an independent character because of his awesome speed and self-
preservation capabilities. :)

*******************
F.  Edge Guarding *
*******************

        Keep in mind that excessive edge guarding is considered to be
cheap.  Really cheap.  However, Fox can easily be edge-guarded himself
(since the FireFox has a terrible delay time)... at some point, "cheap"-
ness doesn't really exist...strategy is strategy, and you've simply got
to find a way around your opponent's "cheap" moves.  Even Ness, the
so-called master of cheapness, is quite simple to defeat if you know
what you're doing.  ... Pikachu is different, but challenges are good
and "build character" ... so MOVE OUT EVERY FOX... okay, I'll stop
there; Zero Wing jokes are already old, and no longer "just."

        Credit for this section goes to Kyle Hawk, as I wouldn't have
created the darn thing if he hadn't emailed me. =P

        This section is divided up by character.  Each section contains
information about edge-guarding the individual character, and getting
back onto the edge against said character.

        Furthermore, I'm going to rewrite this section in the next
version of this FAQ, because it's messy, among other things.

1.  In General

        Edge guarding is usually best served by staying a little bit
away from the edge.  You're going to have to ensure that nobody else
is coming after you, or else there will be no edge guarding for you...
Anyhow, the general tactic is to let them get back on, and then use a
forward powerhit or something like that during their recovery time.
A lot of people like Forward+A, a bunch like Up+A, a lot like Down+A.
Most people like to use Down+A, because of the clearout range.  It's
case dependent, really, but I prefer Down+B, as I've mentioned.

        Admittedly, however, the Down+A is VERY effective as an edge
guarder because of the direction.  I find that I've been using it a
lot more lately because of that one reason.  The recovery is still
particularly bad, though, so make sure you're safe enough.

        The second Fox edge-guard tactic is to jump off the edge and
use a forward air attack to send the enemy flying further off the edge.
I wouldn't recommend this at low health because it doesn't get much
damage, but at higher damage it can (obviously) be fatal.  In general,
I would Fox Spike instead (i.e. use the reflector shield instead of a
forward air-attack).  This allows you to send them downwards, which
as previously mentioned is quite useful.  Obviously a Fox Spike can
be countered easily, so be careful.

        A bunch of people use the Laser.  Self-explanatory.  Don't
overuse it, because it just isn't that effective.  It's just a few
extra 5% hits.  You can steal jumps if you're very lucky...but probably
not.  A good way to hit people, though, is to throw/powerhit, then
immediately JUMP forwards a little bit (more forwards than jump), and
tap B twice.  You should hit once or twice if you've done it properly.

        When someone is guarding against you, you may not have much of
a future with your particular life.  If you must use the Fire Fox, then
do so away from the edge so you can't be spiked as easily (Kirby will
have to jump three times which is enough time for you to get your move
off).  Try to hang onto the edge instead of coming back on...it's safer,
since you can use a comeback attack or else roll back on.  Remember-
if you don't have to use a Fire Fox, DON'T.

        3+ player games are favorable for Fox, simply because you're
more likely to get back.  That almost goes without saying:  the other
players may be fighting each other.

2.  Mario

        To edgeguard Mario, follow the general strategy.  A good Mario
probably has a habit of fireballing as he falls, and so you could 
reflect those or just shield/evade.  Doesn't really matter, unless you
can manage to get them to hit Mario.  Mario has an anti-spike comeback,
so you can't use the Fox Spike.  Just use your standard moves.

        Coming back against a Mario edge-guarder is a bit more painful.
Mario can spike and he can send fireballs if you go below him.  So,
use a FireFox at a decent horizontal distance if you must; otherwise
try to land on solid ground and roll out ASAP.  Stay away from his
breakdance(Down+A ground), it can easily be deadly.

        You can quite easily Fox Spike a Mario.  Obviously, Saffron City
is still the best place to do this... You have to spike Mario at low
damage, either way, because at high damage, Mario has an opportunity to
Coin Punch you before you can POSSIBLY hope to hit him.  Use the Spike
Combo #1 (described in section 1.5) -- dive off, shield, shield again,
return.  Judge your distances, you may not have to shield twice.  With
Mario, you're trying to get horizontal distance.

3.  Luigi

        See Mario.  Possibly more annoying, because the fireballs go out
forwards, so you can't FireFox from a horizontal approach, you have to
be above or below and thus closer to the edge, which means that Luigi
can spike you.  Not good.  However, the worst part is that if you
FireFox, he can easily Fire Punch you.  I don't get it.  I would imagine
that Johnny's Fantastic Four Flame On is much cooler than Ken's Flaming
Shoryuken.  Oh well.

4.  Fox

        Fox only has one spike - the Fox Spike - but it is really
effective against Fox.  Why?  Because the Fire Fox is a piece of junk.
Jump out.  Fox Spike.  Fox Spike again if you need to, but otherwise
come back yourself.  Yes, of course watch out for everything mentioned
in the "General" section.

        Also note that if you let the FireFox run long enough you have
priority over it with the Up+A kick.  (That is, when the duration of the
FireFox is about to end)

5.  Samus

        Samus wouldn't be all that bad, if it weren't for the fact that
Samus can often get back without having to use a comeback attack (Down+B
if you don't know about the trick), and that you can't Fox Spike because
of the Screw Attack.  So use your standard stay-on-the-edge tactic.
Laser if you must.  I find that Down+A works better against Samus than,
say, Link because of the limited range of the Screw Attack.

        Coming back against Samus is really terrible - Samus has a
blaster, a spike, bombs, a good powerhit, the works.  Hope that your
teammate saves you. =P  Also remember that you can counter the spike
with your shield - but it takes timing.  Try to FireFox straight forward
because it has a tendency to help you avoid being spiked; Samus may or 
may not learn from this.  You may even want to FireFox downward a little
if you're at the right spot.

6.  DK

        Edge-guarding DK isn't such a problem because he's a large
target for laser shots, you can hit him easily with a fox spike, and
you can hit him out of the Spinning Kong.  Furthermore, DK can be
sent into the abyss if you use your regular stay-away-from-the-edge
tactic, and then use the reflector shield - remeber, DK has very
little vertical comeback distance.

        But coming back, DK is worse than Samus for a reason:  DK's
spike has more priority, is larger, and DK can go out further than
Samus because the Spinning Kong lets him come back.  And DK has two
spike moves to boot.  Once again, if you don't have to Fire Fox,
DON'T.  If you value your life, don't use it.  Unless you have to. ;)

        An experienced (or not so experienced) DK player will use the
Spinning Kong to edge-guard.  If so, EVADE!  DK's spin is very hard
to control, and so it gets a very predictable trajectory.  Go above,
under...just stay away from his sides!  If you're hit, believe me...
you're doomed.

7.  Pikachu

        Pikachu has the best recovery move, hands-down.  Such a pain,
because there is no point in Fox Spiking, and your Spike can be
countered easily with the electric air drill.  Do whatever you can.
In this case, a laser or two might be nice, you're just trying to rack
up the damage so you can whack him out of the skies later with a good
powerhit.  Watch for him to teleport (Agility/Quick.  Yeesh...who comes
up with those Pokemon names anyhow?).  Know exactly where he can
teleport and attack accordingly.  You can run up to where he lands and
throw him.  If you're good, you can spike him BETWEEN THE FIRST AND
SECOND TELEPORT.  If you're really good, you can spike him to death in
that fashion.  It's hard though...damn hard.  I've only done it twice
or so.  Then again, I don't play against many Pikachus.

        ... Coming back, Pikachu is worse than any other edge-guarder
known to man.  Breakdance, Powerhit, Up+A (out of your FireFox if you
try to hit him), Down+A, B (projectile), Tricky Kick (A), back kick
(back+A -air), and worst of all, the Fwd+A drill attack!  This is why
you've absolutely got to count your percentage AND lives against a
Pikachu, because if he throws you off, you are so completely and 
utterly screwed... You have two good options, though.

        1)  Firefox OVER Pikachu.  If you get hit by Call Lightning
(D+B), you may be sent upward or backwards toward the ledge, which is
good for you.  If not, you're screwed ;) ... Pikachu may still drill
you, but you've got some chance of recovering and attacking before he
can throw you.  Try mashing on that Down+B or something...be creative.

        Oh, and NEVER, EVER firefox INTO Pikachu, because although it
gets good priority, Pikachu will hit you if he calls thunder, or he
can hit you out of the move if he uses Up+A.

        2)  Firefox right onto the ledge.  This is risky, because
Pikachu may drill, attack, send projectiles, or breakdance... but if
you are successful, you're granted invulnerability.  If you latch on,
QUICKLY tap A as fast as you can to attack!  You'll do your recovery
attack, and Pikachu will be sent flying just a little.  Again, be
creative -- if you can throw him at that point, do so... if you can
attack him, do so... and if you want to run away, do so!

8.  Jigglypuff

        Jigglypuff is second to Ness as far as Fox Spiking goes.  The
Puff Punch or Pound or whatever you call it has a terrible recovery
time.  Use that time to Spike.  Jigglypuff is as good as dead.

        Jigglypuff isn't that much of a problem to come back from,
either.  However, be careful because Jigglypuff CAN indeed spike
(although he/she/it has to sacrifice a life in order to do so) - and
if you use the Fire Fox and land on solid ground, your recovery time
allows the enemy Jigglypuff to Sleep like the Whore (tm) that she is
and ... um ... kill you, pretty much.  Fox is a lightweight as far
as damage intake goes, and the Sleep gets really good distance, so be
careful.  Oh, and Jigglypuff can Sleep you out of your Fox Spike, 
although she is much more likely to Powerhit/Up+A.  Also beware
Jigglypuff's Down+A split-move, which is quite powerful(!), goes both
directions at once, and generally kills things.

        There exist a few players who prefer to float above you and
attempt to pull off a Down+A drill kick combo, following up with a
Down+B or Up+A.  Here, you have a few options.  I prefer to hold down
and jam on the B button rapidly, because the delay time on the
Reflector is faster than that of the sleep.  However, watch your
opponent's style, because some prefer Up+A, which can easily be faster
than your shield.  In that case, block or roll out of harm's way...
this will not happen often AT all.   Also, if you get knocked up a
little by the drill kick (this happens often) immediately try to roll
again and again... if you manage to land on the ground, you will
hopefully roll out to safety.  Chances are, though, you're going to get
hit by a Jigglypuff Up+A and go flying.  Or, a Down+B, but these days
the Jigglypuffs I play against have gotten smarter ;) and will use Up+A.

        I've never met a Jigglypuff who does this, but Down+B gets some
awesome priority over other moves.  If she does this, she's probably
dead, but you may die too...the Fox Spike is, however, a bit faster.



9.  Captain Falcon

        Eh?  I forgot to add in Falcon last time.  Oh well.  Anyhow,
Falcon is much like Link.  Has a terrible comeback, but the comeback
attack itself DOES have a bit of priority - in fact more than Link's,
and if you get hit by it then you've just saved Falcon.  In other
words, let him get BACK on before you spike him.  Lasers will probably
do well too, since his comeback is a lot worse than, say, Samus'.  If
you can, also use the Down+A as much as possible - but watch the timing,
you want to hit him without getting caught by the comeback throw.

        Falcon, I find, is quite a pain when edgeguarding, because he
has the Falcon Kick and a very good power kick - often I find that a
good Falcon player will stay away from the edge and power kick as soon
as you get back.  He has a spike and an air throw, which can mean
trouble.  If you can FireFox past him and all, try to do so.  Otherwise
just hang onto the edge.  Even worse, SOME Falcons (experienced ones)
will aim their Up+B airthrow in mid-air and WILL kill you.

        Note:  Some Falcons I've met try to throw you *forwards* off
the edge, and THEN spike while you're recovering from the throw.  I
haven't yet met a Falcon who can do so effectively, but if he could,
then life would probably suck.  So watch out for those good Falcon
players out there.

10. Ness

        Throw away your regular edge-guarding tactics against Ness
for the most part.  What you want to do is to jump above him and
shield as soon as his second jump is used up.  Ness is pretty much
dead as soon as that happens.  This is a GREAT way to steal kills
... or simply to kill, for that matter.
        You can also let him finish his comeback, and then throw him
off afterwards.  Not much of a problem.

        When coming back - Ness has a good spike, but his jumps are
mediocre, so his spike isn't always effective.  As always, if you 
have to firefox, get some horizontal distance - and make sure it's
far away enough from PK Fire range.  Also keep in mind that if he 
decides to use PK Thunder cheese, you may be in for some trouble.
If he stays away from the edge, expect a baseball bat or (more
likely) a yo-yo.  If you manage to land on solid ground without
using a FireFox, I suggest you jump back up immediately.

        Also, I don't remember which FAQ I noticed this in, but it
was quite correct - most Ness players don't understand how to play
Ness and so they sit there and throw.  In other words, a novice
Ness player is no problem, but a good Ness can be annoying, because
of his priority and that annoying throw. :)  (Yes, I've played Ness
myself; I tend to edge guard with ... the yo-yo, PK Fire, the bat,
and PK Thunder, from most to least.)

        One more thing - I don't know how cheap it is considered to be
using the Reflect PK Thunder (off the edge) technique, but if the Ness
player is a novice, I suggest you don't do this.  Rather, do this
against a good Ness player, because a good Ness player would sooner do
the same sort of thing against you.

11. Link

        Link can be Fox Spiked at high health, because his comeback
just isn't that great.  Otherwise, follow the usual tactics.  Down+A
works like a charm -- that is, if you can pull it off.  His comeback
is bad, but being able to chop people to the sides is a nice perk...for
Link, that is.  If Link comes back with Up+B, STAND BACK before you go
in for the kill.  Always watch for opportunities to steal jumps.  If the
Link you're playing against is a newbie, though...be nice, okay?  Don't
win by more than one or two kills and/or lives...not until the newbie
becomes experienced, at which point you can have fun whooping his butt
(and vice-versa) ^_^

        On the other hand, Link doesn't have a spike, just a bunch
of really good edge guarding techniques.  Watch out for the air
slash attacks (Up+B / Fwd+A), the boomerang and bomb, and the sword.
I suggest a firefox from below if you must--Link's sword has priority
over the FireFox.  Also note that using the Fire Fox from below is
dangerous because Link may have enough time to take out a bomb and
throw it downwards.  Or, even worse, throw a boomerang downwards.  The
way I see it, though, is that the Up+B from below gives you more of a
chance at survival.  ... Erk, I hate that boomerang.  It's an awesome
move... I do play against several experienced Link players.  They hate
me because I spike them ;) but our games are even, because they can
edge-guard me quite easily and their melee attacks are well-timed.

Oh yeah, and avoid Link's downstab...it's quite powerful.  If you're
feeling lucky, you CAN Down+B Reflector your way out of it if your 
timing is good enough (I have done this once in Saffron City; killed
Link at 0%, did 3% damage >=P).  I haven't experimented with it much,
and I recommend that you don't either--but at least it's better than
risking using the Up+A.  DON'T USE THE UP+A--only Reflector if you're
trying to counter a downstab.

However, in the immortal words of a particular Myerknas:
"The best way to avoid Link's downstab is to be above him."


12. Kirby

        Kirby is fun to edge-guard!  Kirbies hate me.  ^_^;;

        Alright.  Here's the divvy:

        A smart Kirby will NEVER use the Final Cutter unless
absolutely necessary.  In those cases, he'll drop to the ledge.  Know
how his jumps work, because it's good to know when he's recovering
and will have trouble using moves.  Fox Spike!  Kirby is actually
quite easy to fox spike once you get the hang of it--you'd be surprised.
You probably won't get kills *directly* from the Fox Spike, but in the
least you'll get a second chance to attack, or a Final Cutter to
counter.  This is very good for you =) ... Oh, and throw Kirby lots too,
Kirby gets quite annoyed when you throw him lots.  Watch out though,
because Kirby's throw is extraordinarily fast and will catch you many
times.  (I.e., never block a Down+A spike when you're on the ground--
ALWAYS roll away, because you're gonna be thrown after he lands)

        If Kirby has to use the Final Cutter, strategy brances out in
several directions.  Look for where Kirby is when he starts using the
Cutter; it'll definitely help you out a bit.

        1)  Smart Kirby:  Way below the edge, will latch onto edge as
                          SOON as he reaches the apex.  Try to Down+A
                          these folk if you can; otherwise, wait a few
                          steps back and attack when you can.

        2)  Smart Kirby:  Right below the edge, will try to land on an
                          upper platform (Kirby/DK levels).  Juggle
                          as they come down, if you can.  Otherwise,
                          jump straight up (or forward-up) and reflect
                          the Cutter Beam back at him.  It's only a few
                          % damage, but it's fun and annoying.

        3)  NewbieKirby:  Simple Final Cutter.  Ooh, you now have more
                          options.  If you're far away from the ledge,
                          reflect his Cutter Beam.  Again, pointless
                          but annoying.  If you're close, stand right
                          where Kirby will land (NOT IN FRONT--or else
                          the sword will hit you).  Up+A when he comes
                          down, or Reflector shield.  Judge based on %
                          damage--if it's low, reflect him downward and
                          try to Spike Combo; if it's high, simply Up+A
                          for an instant kill.

        Coming back, Kirby will probably spike.  Know how he can spike
(Go check X1372's Cheep Moves FAQ) ... and try to avoid the Type 1 and
2 spikes.  Type 1 (Down+A) -- you can either time a Reflector (D+B),
hit (F+A/air) Kirby before he realizes he can spike, FireFox (if he's
far away enough), or simply try to avoid him.  It's not easy, but you
can avoid him if you try.  Often, a straight-horizontal FireFox will
trick a typical Kirby spiker.

        Again, always latch onto the edge, because Kirby's Powerkick/
Down=A spin are both quite deadly if they hit you.  If he does either
right when you latch on, hold Z and forward to roll onto the edge, then
throw him.  Otherwise...well, attack him.  =P  You're invincible
(almost) when you do a recovery attack, but make sure Kirby's close to
you when you do so.


13.  Yoshi

        Yoshi is easy to edge-guard.  That is, if you like Fox Spiking.
I find it cheap, but it's kind of fun-- so I recommend that although you
have to do this at least once(^_^), keep the number to a maximum of two
or three times.  However, Yoshi has that amazing air priority during his
jump, so you won't be able to spike him very often--wait until his jump
has *finished* and he's floating downwards, then go ahead and whack him
with a reflector shielding.

        Stay away from the edge when edge-guarding Yoshi, as some Yoshi
players like to egg you off the edge when coming back.  However, the
advantage of staying near the edge is to use your Down+A, which can
often guarantee a stolen jump.  I tend to let Yoshi come back though,
and attack afterwards.

        Yoshi isn't too bad against, coming back.  However, there are a
few things which you should keep in mind.  His eggs are a pain.  His
edge-guard Down+A is CRAZY.  His Up+A hit is WORSE.  And he has a spike
to boot.  Luckily he doesn't have the jumps to pull off the spike, and
you should be able to FireFox past him or else cling onto the edge;
however I find that good Yoshi players can spike pretty consistently,
and have the air priority to do so.  (Several will sacrifice their lives
from time to time using the Down+A/air spike, as opposed to Fwd+A/air).

------------------------------------------------------------------------
3)  Quick Credits List
------------------------------------------------------------------------

In no particular order:

Friends - Quasipun, Darkforce, CowGoddess, Syveril, a particular J.
          Rheuben who spent a little too much time on this game,
          J. Kubicki (a Fox player), and some others.  All of which
          play SB. ... P.Cheung (DK) for coining the term "spike,"
          and some others.  Yes, I know about 30 or so people who play
          SB.  Often a scary thought, is it not?

          Mogster11 for having come and gone.  Like it or not, we all
          miss that half-assed giggle of yours ^_- good luck in your
          endeavors, wherever you are!

          J. Hsieh for learning Fox to about the same length as I have,
          and B. Pancost for having the courage to learn Jigglypuff =)

Contribs- Kyle Hawk for a bunch of edge-guarding strategy and other
          information.  Good stuff.  Thanks a lot. :)

          X1372 (Robert Pollack) for pointing out that I had forgotten
          Yoshi, and some other edge-guarding stuff.  I think he's going
          to have a FAQ at some point, so if you see it, you might want
          to take a look at it.  And I'd like to see him beating down
          that Pikachu's butt sometime.  >:)

          Other people who have contributed feedback - thanks!

Von Agojo - For amusing me.  My friends and I had a good laugh at your
            correspondance.

You     - I suppose for reading this.  :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.1)  Feedback Guidelines
------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the purpose of reminding those who wish to send me feedback:

1)  In case I haven't mentioned it, email address is px@pentaro.net.
2)  I prefer constructive criticism.  I don't like flames, or
    self-righteous people who wish to tell me that I am being childish
    and irrational.  When I posted up those earlier flames, that was
    because I was a little ticked off.  If you can't read through a
    little bit of humor, don't bother sending me a lecture or two.
3)  Please don't tell me how worthy you are as a Fox player.  I keep an
    open ear, and I *always* read emails (although I have had some 
    problems trying to reply, since my mailserver hasn't been terribly
    reliable).
4)  I'm busy.  If you don't receive a reply, I'm sorry, I've just fallen
    behind on emailing people, or else I'm just busy.

Thanks much. ^_^

------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.1416) Copyright / duplication information.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This document is copyrighted work by PentaroX(1999, 2000, 2001).

If you wish to use this document in any way, such as on your website, 
give me an email, and don't alter this text file.  And no, you may not
use this commercially or sell it translated into Swahili in printed
form.  Have a nice day.
