The master gunman from the world of Metal Gear Solid makes his debut in SSBB.
Snake is an extremely powerful heavy-weight character that has all manner of gadgets and weaponry. He has very good smashes, great projectiles, and strong throws, making him very powerful.
Sadly, he can't do very well in the air, and should be kept on the ground most of the time.
A powerful recovery technique used by the pros is the 'C4 Jump'. What you do is, when you get knocked off, use your Cypher to get close to the stage, and then, right before the cypher disappears, drop a C4 and blow it up. If you time it right (when to drop it during the Cypher boost, in particular) you will hit Snake with the blast of the C4, allowing you to use another Cypher! This lets Snake recover over incredible distances!
When using the final smash, try and hit a little bit below the opponent about 3-5 times to successfully K.O. your opponent.
Punches twice then kicks. Good for doing a quick 14% and knocking the opponent back to use snakes projectiles. Able to kill most characters around 120%, so it's better for doing damage instead of KOing.
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Knee Lock
Damage:8%,9%-12%
Total Damage:17%-20%
Urgency:High
Snake knees the opponent then punches them out. Does more damage depending on where the opponent is hit. Usually a better choice than his neutral A combo because it does more damage and still launches about the same distance. This move can also lock opponents with its first hit.
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Leg Blow
Damage:12% if hitting an airborne opponent, 13% if hitting an opponent on the ground.
Urgency:High
Snake kicks upwards. This move is known for its ridiculous speed, range and power. This is easily Snake's most reliable KO move, able to kill most characters at about 100%.
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Low Sweep
Damage:10%
Urgency:Low
Snake crouches down and kicks. Although it is fast and has good power, Snake's up A is just as fast with more damage and vertical range and the same horizontal range, so this move shouldn't be used too often unless you're worried about staling your up A.
while dashing
while dashing
while dashing
while dashing
Dash Lunge
Damage:11% to opponents on standing on the ground or in midair, 9% to targets laying down on the floor.
Urgency:Medium
Lunges straight into the opponent. A great move because it can be used to hit an opponent before a dacus uses the up smash and it has great range for a dash attack. The only problem is if it is used right next to an opponent then it will completely miss the opponent.
Smash Attacks
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Smash Attack
Info
Smash +
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(Smash +) or
(Smash +) or
Rocket Launcher
Damage:22% uncharged, 30% fully charged.
Urgency:Low
Fires a rocket at the ground in front of him. While it does huge damage and knockback, it is slow with about a second of starting lag and about half a second of ending lag, the entire move takes about two and a half seconds. However, its good range and huge power make it a decent smash, but don't expect to get many hits in on experienced players unless you read an expected move, such as getting off the ledge.
Smash +
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(Smash +) or
(Smash +) or
Mortar
Damage:4% from taking out the mortar, 10% from the shell.
Total Damage:10%-14%
Urgency:Medium
Fires a mortar straight up. Taking out the mortar on an opponent will deal 4% and launch them up where the mortar shell will hit them, letting this move do 14% instead of 10%. Unlike most smashes, charging will not increase the damage of the mortar shell, but will instead launch the shell farther up. Great for edgeguarding any character, but not particularly useful anywhere else due to most aerial attacks being able to go right through it, although you could try to punish a landing opponent who hits it.
Smash +
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(Smash +) or
(Smash +) or
Land Mine
Damage:14% uncharged, 19% fully charged.
Urgency:Low-Medium
Plants a land mine in the ground. Although it is good to plant in strategic positions such as near ledges or plant one to launch an opponent into, it will explode from anyone, even you and your teammate(s), so it isn't advisable to use this often in teams since your grenades and C4 are already enough your teammate has to pay attention to. Low urgency in doubles, and medium urgency in singles. It's slow to plant, however, so you should only plant it when an opponent (or both if you want to use this in doubles) is KO'd or recovering from offstage. Planting one while one is already out will make the other one disappear.
Pummels and Throws
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Pummel/Throw
Info
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
Neck Snap
Damage:2%
Urgency:Low-Medium
Snake chokes his opponent. It is relatively fast for a pummel attack, but it shouldn't be used too much unless you are certain the opponent cannot break free in time.
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
Flip Throw
Damage:9%
Urgency:Low-Medium
Snake flips the opponent away. At low damage you can easily combo it into a dash attack, but generally outclassed by Backflip Toss due to having lower knockback, although it could still be good to use based on direction to throw the opponent offstage.
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
Backflip Toss
Damage:9%
Urgency:Medium
Snake throws the opponent backwards. Almost the same as Snake's forward throw, it can also potentially combo into a dash attack. However, this throw will cause opponent to lay on the ground instead of land standing like Snake's forward throw. Higher knockback than forward throw.
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
High Toss
Damage:10%
Urgency:Low
Snake tosses the opponent upwards. At low damage it can easily combo into an up tilt or up aerial, but other than that it is generally outclassed by every other throw unless you are really good at juggling an opponent with a poor down aerial such as Marth. Can also be used to throw opponents straight into a C4 or Proximity Mine that is on a platform above you.
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
Lay Down
Damage:12%
Urgency:Medium-High
Snake lays the opponent on to the ground. Not only is it Snake's most damaging throw, but it can also chain grab if you run the right direction when an opponent rolls, but they can do a attack on the ground instead, so be quick to shield if you mess up. If you can predict the opponent you can also get great combos off from this, such as a forward A on most characters if they roll forwards or an up A on any other getup option.
Air Attacks
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Air Attack
Info
Quadruple Kicks
Damage:6%,5%,4%,13%
Total Damage:28%
Urgency:Low-Medium
Kicks four times. The last kick has very high knockback. If you know how to use this well, use it a lot, for 28% is huge damage and you can kill in only 3 or 4 of these attacks if you land all hits.
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Leg Slam
Damage:14% in leg, 15% on tip of foot.
Urgency:Low
Brings his leg down like an axe. A powerful meteor smash. Although it is a good meteor smash, it is slow and only the tip of Snake's foot will cause a meteor smash, whereas the leg just launches the opponent up (still with good knockback.) Only use if you can easily hit moving opponents on the tip of Snake's foot.
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Rear Kick
Damage:10% if sour spotted, 14% if normal hit,16% if sweet spotted.
Urgency:High
Thrusts his legs behind him. It has great speed, great knockback, and a disjointed hitbox. One of Snake's best moves, it has a sweet spot at snakes center of mass at the beginning of the attack and a sour spot anywhere a little after the move starts. Only downside is it's long landing lag.
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Up Thrust
Damage:10% if sour spotted, 14% if sweet spotted.
Urgency:High
Thrusts his legs upwards. Just like his back aerial with just a little less landing lag and facing up. However, it doesn't have a third hitbox for 16% like Snake's back aerial.
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Quadruple Stomp
Damage:6%,5%,5%,12%
Total Damage:28%
Urgency:Medium
Stomps downwards four times. Does huge damage and the last stomp does huge knockback. Snake can get all four hits on his opponent in a single short hop right next to an opponent. Use as a huge damage attack.
Special Attacks
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Special Attack
Info
Hand Grenade
Damage:2% from impact of regular throw,3% from impact of back tilt throw,4% from impact of forward tilt throw or from impact of regular item throwing,12% from explosion.
Urgency:Medium
Hold the button to hold on to the grenade; release the button to throw it. Tilt the control stick to alter the distance of the throw. You can have two grenades out at a time, and anybody can pick up the grenade after thrown. The best use of grenades is to bring one out, shield (which causes the grenade to drop), and then picking it up and throwing it as an item. The grenade's fuse is about 3 seconds, so you can "cook" the grenade so opponent's won't have enough time to throw it back. One last tactic for Snake's grenades are to throw one, then get another out and shield. This will make the other grenade fall instantly, stopping all horizontal movement. This will also make a grenade fall out of an opponents hand or a teammates hand, making it fall right next to the person who was holding it.
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Nikita Missile
Damage:7% if it hits an opponent after releasing control of the missile,14% if it hits while you are still controlling it.
Urgency:Low
Use the control stick to steer the missile. Press the shield button to release control of the missile. Unfortunately, this makes you completely vulnerable, and the missile is slow, especially while making it turn. Also, opponents can attack it with any attack and change its direction and cause it not to explode while they are attacking it. The missile will make it about one and a half final destination lengths before you automatically lose control. You can have multiple missiles out at the same time.
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Cypher
Damage:6% for hitting an opponent after Snake releases it.
Urgency:Very Low
Only ever use it as a recovery move. The cypher will continue to fly up after Snake releases it, possibly hitting an opponent. Unlike most recovery moves, Cypher will allow Snake to use a move in the duration of the recovery or after the duration of it, not putting you in the helpless state. Another interesting thing about Cypher is it gives you invincibility from being launched by low knockback moves. However, strong launching moves such as smash attacks and meteor smashes will not be stopped, and you always take the damage of the move, even if it is a low knockback move. This recovery does have one major flaw though: if the Snake is grabbed in his cypher, and not hit with a pummel or throw, when the character is released he will not be able to use his cypher unless he gets hit while falling. If this happens, try the C4 technique I mention in the next move.
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C4
Damage:17%
Urgency:Low-Medium, depending on mode.
Perform once to set the charge on the ground (or on an opponent!); perform again to blow it up. If you set the charge on an opponent, it will eventually be able to switch who it is on with the same noise than is heard when you first set it on an opponent. This makes it great for team; you can set it on a teammate and when it switches from your teammate to an opponent you can blow it up. Can also be used to save yourself from falling, as blowing yourself up lets you get another cypher. It can also be used to set traps. Also, if it is on an opponent, you can blow it up and shield to perfect shield so you can do it next to it, however this does not work if it is on the ground, so be careful.
Taunts
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Taunt
Whips out a cardboard box and hides under it.
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Whips out a cardboard box in a slightly different way and hides under it.
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Whips out a cardboard box in a 3rd way and hides under it.
Press it for only a split second when on Shadow Moses Island, and Snake contacts Colonel Campbell, Mei Ling, or Otacon on the codec to talk about one of his opponents. If you do this while fighting Falco, Slippy calls him instead. This works for everyone he faces, including himself. If interrupted, the message will not appear.
Final Smash
Grenade Launcher: Damage:16-18% for each grenade that hits
Snake yells 'It's showtime!' before calling in a helicopter and starts firing grenades from the passenger area. The weapon only has two magazines, with six rounds each, so it is best to simply unload as many grenades as possible before the time expires. The grenades deal a considerable amount of damage and has a fairly large area of effect. They do have a slight delay, though, so aim where you think an enemy will be in half a second, instead of where
they are at the moment.
Match Ups
Ganondorf
Should be easy. Just attack him before he issues his final smash moves or if he uses his final smash you're doomed.
King Dedede
King Dedede is a big target for all of Snakes basic and special attacks. Just watch out for many of dededes hammer attacks.
Bowser
Always throw things at him, including grenades ,before he gets close to you. If he does get close, his direct attacks are very devastating against Snake. Remember that you are much faster than Bowser. If Bowser gets close, use one of Snake's powerful knock backs repeatedly or use a dash attack to put some distance between you and Bowser.