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Mario in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: A Comprehensive Review

Mario, the iconic plumber from Nintendo's flagship franchise, is a staple character in the Super Smash Bros. series. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario returns with his well-rounded moveset and versatility, making him a popular choice for both newcomers and veteran players. This review will delve into Mario's strengths, weaknesses, effective playstyle, and matchups against other characters.

Strengths

1. Versatility: Mario is one of the most balanced characters in the game. His moveset is adaptable, allowing him to play offensively or defensively, depending on the situation.

2. Speed and Mobility: Mario boasts decent speed both on the ground and in the air, making him capable of quick approaches and retreats. His movement allows for creative combos and setups.

3. Combo Potential: Mario's aerials, particularly his up-air and down-air, are excellent for stringing together combos. His up-tilt and down-throw are great combo starters at low to mid percentages.

4. Powerful Smash Attacks: Mario's forward smash is a strong kill option, capable of KOing opponents at relatively low percentages when sweet-spotted. His up smash is great for catching aerial opponents and is quick, making it a reliable option.

5. Reflector and Cape: Mario's Cape can reflect projectiles and reverse opponents' directions, adding a layer of mind games. This is particularly useful against characters reliant on projectiles.

6. Recovery: Mario's recovery is relatively good, with his Super Jump Punch providing decent vertical distance and his Cape and wall jump adding horizontal recovery options.

Weaknesses

1. Range: Mario struggles with characters who have greater range. His short limbs mean he has to get close to deal damage, which can be a disadvantage against sword fighters or characters with long-range projectiles.

2. Edge Guarding: While Mario can edge guard effectively, his off-stage presence isn't as threatening as some other characters. His recovery can be predictable, making him vulnerable to gimping.

3. Kill Power: Although Mario has strong smash attacks, landing them can be challenging against experienced opponents. He sometimes struggles to secure KOs against characters with good defensive options or DI.

Effective Playstyle

To play Mario effectively in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, players should focus on the following strategies:

• Combo Game: Utilize Mario's grab game and aerials to rack up damage. His down throw is a great option to start combos at low percentages, leading into up-tilts and up-airs.

• Approach Carefully: Use Mario's mobility to approach safely. His neutral air can be used to poke and pressure shields, while his fireballs can disrupt opponents and force them to approach.

• Mix-Ups: Mario's Cape and FLUDD can be used for mix-ups and edge guarding. Use the Cape to reflect projectiles and reverse opponents' momentum. FLUDD can push opponents off-stage or disrupt their recovery.

• Stage Control: Maintain stage control by utilizing Mario's quick aerials and tilts. His up smash is a reliable tool for punishing landings and maintaining pressure.

Matchups

Mario's matchups vary based on the opponent's playstyle and character type:

• Good Matchups: Mario performs well against characters with poor mobility or recovery, such as Little Mac and Ganondorf, as he can capitalize on their weaknesses with his combos and edge-guarding tools.

• Challenging Matchups: Mario can struggle against characters with superior range and disjointed hitboxes, like Marth, Lucina, or Shulk. These characters can keep Mario at bay, making it difficult for him to approach.

• Projectile Characters: Mario has a decent matchup against projectile-heavy characters like Samus or Link, thanks to his Cape's reflecting ability. However, he must still be wary of their zoning tools.

• Fast and Agile Characters: Against fast characters like Sonic or Fox, Mario needs to leverage his combo potential and punish their approaches. His up smash and good aerials can help control the pace of the match.

Conclusion

Mario in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a versatile and balanced character that caters to a wide range of playstyles. His strengths lie in his adaptability, combo potential, and mobility, while his main challenges include dealing with characters who have better range or more potent edge-guarding capabilities. By mastering Mario's combos and understanding matchups, players can effectively utilize Mario's toolkit to achieve success in competitive play.