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Isabelle in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: A Detailed Review

Isabelle, the charming secretary from the Animal Crossing series, brings her unique style and personality to the battlefield in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As a fighter, she combines cuteness with a crafty moveset that can be both deceptive and effective in the right hands. Let's delve into her strengths, weaknesses, effective play strategies, and matchups against other characters.

Strengths

1. Zoning Abilities: Isabelle excels at zoning her opponents with a variety of projectiles and traps. Her fishing rod and Pocket move allow her to control space effectively, making it difficult for opponents to approach.

2. Recovery: Isabelle has an excellent recovery with her Up Special, Balloon Trip, which grants her great horizontal and vertical mobility. This gives her the ability to return to the stage from almost any off-stage position.

3. Traps: Her Down Special, Lloid Trap, is a versatile tool that can be used for zoning, edge-guarding, and baiting opponents. It can catch opponents off-guard and disrupt their approach.

4. Pocket: The Pocket move allows Isabelle to steal and store projectiles, giving her a unique advantage against characters reliant on projectiles. This can turn the tide in matchups against characters like Samus or Link.

5. Disjointed Hitboxes: Her fishing rod and net attacks provide disjointed hitboxes, which can be used to keep opponents at bay and create openings for follow-ups.

Weaknesses

1. Lack of Kill Power: Isabelle struggles with securing kills due to her limited kill options and lack of strong finishing moves. This can make it difficult for her to close out stocks at higher percentages.

2. Lightweight: Being a lightweight character, Isabelle is susceptible to early KOs, especially against characters with strong kill moves. This requires careful defensive play and awareness.

3. Limited Combos: Isabelle's combo game is not as robust as some other characters. Her attacks are more suited to poking and zoning rather than creating extended strings of hits.

4. Predictability: Her reliance on projectiles and traps can make her predictable. Savvy opponents may exploit this by staying mobile and avoiding her setups.

Effective Play Strategies

• Zoning and Patience: Isabelle shines when played patiently. Utilize her projectiles and traps to control space and frustrate opponents. Force them to approach on your terms and punish any mistakes they make.

• Edge-Guarding: Use Lloid Trap and her aerials to effectively edge-guard opponents. Her recovery allows her to go deep off-stage and still make it back safely.

• Projectile Management: Mastering the Pocket move is crucial. Steal key projectiles from opponents to disrupt their game plan and use them against them when the opportunity arises.

• Mix-Ups: Keep opponents guessing by mixing up your approaches and attack patterns. Use her fishing rod for grabs and to control space from a distance.

Matchups

• Good Matchups: Isabelle performs well against characters heavily reliant on projectiles, like Samus, Link, and Mega Man. Her Pocket ability can neutralize their projectile game, forcing them to fight on Isabelle's terms.

• Challenging Matchups: Characters with strong rushdown capabilities, such as Fox or Captain Falcon, can pose a challenge due to their speed and ability to close the gap quickly. Additionally, heavy hitters like Ganondorf or Bowser can KO Isabelle early, requiring careful spacing and zoning to keep them at bay.

• Even Matchups: Isabelle has even matchups with other zoning characters such as Villager and Duck Hunt. The key to these matchups is using her trap and Pocket abilities effectively while maintaining stage control.

In conclusion, Isabelle is a unique and versatile character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While she may not have the raw power of some fighters, her zoning abilities, recovery, and strategic playstyle make her a formidable opponent in the right hands. Mastering her tools and understanding her matchups are key to unlocking her full potential.