Super Smash Bros. Ultimate/Mario

Moveset Analysis

Standard Attacks

Control			Attack	Info
Joy-Cons / Pro Controller	Single Joy-Con	GameCube Controller
(+)	(+)	(+)	Basic Combo	Mario punches with each hand, then kicks. This moves is fast and good for getting foes off you if they're too close for comfort, and it is faster and better than in any previous game. The first two hits are capable of forcing characters lying on the ground to remain in their grounded state (a techique referred as locking). Deals 2.2%, 1.7%, and then 4% damage for a total of 7.9% damage.
( or )+	( or )+	( or )+	Forward Roundhouse	Mario does a roundhouse kick forward, which can be angled up or down if you tilt the movement input slightly in the respective direction. It has good range and knocks opponents rather far, which can help set up an edgeguard. It is also able to lock, but neutral attack is better saved for that. Deals 7% regardless of the angle.
+	+	+	Uppercut	Mario does a spinning uppercut, like the second hit of his Mega Glove combo in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. As in Smash 4, this move is one of the plumber's primary combo moves and can chain into itself at low percents and launches opponents just high enough to combo into your aerials. Unfortunatley, it recived some nerfs in the transition to Ultimate, and can no longer hit certian grounded opponents due to a higher hitbox and slower startup time. It is still a great move, but expect to put in more effort to gain reward, and expect to be left open more frequently when using it. Deals 5.5% damage.
+	+	+	Crouch Kick	Mario does a crouching roundhouse kick that has moderate endlag. It is a decent launcher with similarly weak knockback to his Strong Up Attack, but it has a bit more range in exchange for being slower. Its low trajectory can let it poke through the shields of more defensive players. Its relatively poor speed means that you can't use this liberally, so be careful when committing to it. With the nerfs to his strong up, though, this move becomes an even more important function of Mario's combo game by virtue of being a more consistent option overall. Deals 5% on the foot and 7% on his leg.
while dashing	while dashing	while dashing	Rushdown Kick	Mario does a baseball slide, based somewhat on a similar move from Super Mario 64. The move has a fairly long duration and moves Mario forward, being stronger at the beginning of the slide than at the end. It can be used to punish missed attacks when you're just out of range and 2-frame opponents hanging on the ledge, but the duration and knockback of the slide makes it difficult to get any follow-ups; in addition, the move has a new animation that involves Mario sliding in a higher profile making him more suspectible to attack and further lowering the utilty of the move. Deals 8% at the beginning and 6% if hit at any other point.

Smash Attacks

Control			Attack	Info
Joy-Cons / Pro Controller	Single Joy-Con	GameCube Controller
Smash ( or )+	Smash ( or )+	Smash ( or )+	Burning Palm	Mario reels back and sends out his palm, creating a strong fireball that surrounds his hand. Pretty much the quinessential Smash Attack, it's changed little aside from dealing consistent damage on all angles. A pretty straightforward smash attack which KOs at normal percentages. The initial animation can let Mario narrowly evade attacks by reeling back, and the fireball lets him hit enemies just out of range. However, it is fairly slow, so it is best used to punish whiffed attacks and careless recoveries rather than as a move one randomly throws out hoping for a KO. Deals 14.7% if hit at the body and 17.8% on the fireball.
Smash +	Smash +	Smash +	Brick-Breaking Headbutt	Mario swipes his head in an arc above him, knocking enemies skyward. Mario's head is invincible during the attack, making it a strong anti-air. The move can be used to end early Up Tilt chains to rack up more damage. It is also probably his most reliable kill move overall. In spite of only having decent strength, it covers large range all around and has very fast interruptibility (Frame 40) for a move of it's type. Deals 14.6%, 19.6% at full charge.
Smash +	Smash +	Smash +	Breakdance Sweep	Mario does a breakdance, hitting foes in front of and behind him. Based off his breakdancing in Super Mario 64, though it's altered animation also conjures images of his breakdance in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. Of Mario's three smashes, this is his fastest smash attack. It does have less knockback than his other smashes, but the speed more than makes up for it, and it can still KO if unstaled. The multi-directional nature of the attack also makes it good for hitting foes out of their roll dodges. Usually you should use this attack simply to get opponents offstage as it sends foes away horizontally, setting up an edgeguard scenario on your favor. The first hit isn't anything impressivley strong, dealing 10%, but the back hit is where it's at, dealing a modest 12%.

Air Attacks

Control			Attack	Info
Joy-Cons / Pro Controller	Single Joy-Con	GameCube Controller
			Drop Kick	Mario kicks, hitting any nearby enemies. This move hits the hardest at the very beginning, with both damage and knockback gradually decaying with time, although it's worth noting that even the strength of the inital hit is subpar, in spite of Mario meaning to be a centered character overall. Even then, this is one of Mario's best aerials, as it covers a pretty wide range and is very fast, with nearly unnoticeable startup and endlag (It hits on Frame 3). It is good for intercepting midair opponents if you're uncertain that other air attacks will hit, as well as for air-to-ground assaults. You can also use it defensively, using the immediate knockback of the move to get out of an enemy's combos or a crowd of foes. Deals 8% clean, 5% late.
+	+	+	Meteor Knuckle	Mario swipes his fist downward. It is a moderately strong meteor smash for the first half of the attack, which hits enemies straight down. It is very powerful; if your enemy is hit at 50% damage and dosen't have an excellent recovery, they're not coming back. After the starting sweetspot, the move deals weaker horizontal knockback instead, which is easier to recover from. While it is a slightly risky edgeguard, owing to it being the slowest move out of Mario's standard attacks and being the only one of his aerials that does not autocancel in a short hop, landing the meteor smash part of the move offstage will all but guarantee a KO. Does 12%, 14% if hitting the meteor, and 10% if hit late.
+	+	+	Back Kick	Mario kicks backwards with both legs. Another one of Mario's excellent aerials, this attack is both quick and has good reach, making it an awesome spacing tool to keep opponents at bay. At low to mid percentages against certain characters, it can combo into itself. It is also one of Mario's most reliable edgeguarding moves, and can even serve as a KO move if left unstaled at around 112%. Deals 10.5% clean, 7% at any other time.
+	+	+	Backflip Kick	Mario kicks in an arc upward. As in Smash 4, this is an attack you will use very frequently in combos. It has weak knockback, great speed and good horizontal range, making it naturally strong at juggling opponents. Use this liberally to rack up guaranteed damage on your opponents. Deals 7%.
+	+	+	Mario Tornado	Mario spins rapidly, dealing multiple hits before when final strike that knocks enemies skyward. It's not particularly powerful, but it can do quite a bit of damage if all hits connect (more than in Smash 4). You can use it as a finisher to Up Air strings, keeping your foes above you for possible follow-ups. It is also particularly good in free-for-alls, as it has a large enough hitbox to draw in multiple opponents at once. The move actually has special hitboxes when it hits the ground, which can catch nearby opponents dropping their shield or trying to punish your landing animation. Deals 1.4% on the first 5 hits and 5.5% on the final hit for 12.5% total.

Throws

Control			Attack	Info
Joy-Cons / Pro Controller	Single Joy-Con	GameCube Controller
after grab	after grab	after grab	Nosebutt	Mario hits the grabbed foe with his nose. Deals 1.3%.
after grab	after grab	after grab	Spin Throw	Mario turns around once and throws the grabbed opponent forwards. It is a quick and straightforward throw simply meant to keep foes out or get them offstage. Deals 8%.
after grab	after grab	after grab	Spin Chuck	Mario turns around multiple times and throws the grabbed foe backwards. This is Mario's strongest throw in terms of both damage and knockback (and Mario can use the grabbed foe as sort of a battering ram, as the grabbed foe has a damaging hitbox) but also the slowest. It's another move to get opponents offstage, and serves as Mario's sole KO throw at high percentages. Deals 11%, deals 8% to people hit by the swung character.
after grab	after grab	after grab	Upwards Hurl	Mario tosses the grabbed foe upwards. This move has awkward knockback, in that it does too much knockback to be used in combos reliably past low percents, and too little to be a good KO move until past 180%. However, with the nerfs to down throw, the faster falling speeds, and the universal Frame 3 jumpsquat all combine to help greatly boost up throw's combo usability. Deals 7%.
after grab	after grab	after grab	Throwdown	Mario throws the grabbed foe into the ground, bouncing them back up. This was one of Mario's most pivotal combo moves in Smash 4, since it keeps the thrown opponent close enough to easily follow-up at low percentages. It still keeps it's knockback and damage specs, but it's useability recevied a big hit in another way; the nerfs to up tilt's range mean that Mario's pivotal down throw to up tilt strings from Smash 4 are no longer possible on all but the largest characters. This means that Mario's combo game now requires much more thought and are no longer quite as effortless. However, down throw remains a great follow-up into aerial moves at mid-high percents, or you could simply use a quick smash attack to knock them away for raw damage. Deals 5%.

Special Attacks

Control			Attack	Info
Joy-Cons / Pro Controller	Single Joy-Con	GameCube Controller
			Fireball	Mario throws out a fireball that deals 5% damage, 4% in it's later stages. The fireball behaves like in its home series, bouncing along the ground. This simple projectile is what you should be throwing out whenever you're not close to an enemy. The bouncing trajectory of the fireball makes it impossible to duck under, although it is easily avoided by jumping over. It is still pretty spammable, so throw out fireballs whenever it is safe to deal chip damage as well as to frustrate your foes. Be sure to mix up your fireball trajectories by throwing them either standing or from different jump heights.
( or )+	( or )+	( or )+	Cape	Mario swings his cape, briefly reflecting projectiles for 1.5x their original damage and thrown items as well as reversing the direction of any nearby opponent. Due to the interval between each cape use, this moves is better used to counter single, powerful projectiles like Samus's Charge Shot rather than continued projectile spam. Using it on opponents will often cause their attacks to miss and briefly disorient them, which can create an opening for your own attacks. However, it is best used to disrupt a recovering foe, and can often spell doom for them if they rely on a recovery with a set trajectory. The Cape can also help your own recovery by stalling your momentum in the air. It deals 7% if you directly hit an opponent. but you really shouldn't be using the move for damage in the first place.
+	+	+	Super Jump Punch	Mario jumps diagonally into the air, hitting enemies in his path and knocking out Star Coins or Metro Kingdom Regional Coins. This attack is Mario's designated recovery move, and is certainly adequate enough for this purpose. While its range is average, it suffers from a predictable recovery path, which lets foes intercept you easily. As it leaves you in helpless freefall when the move ends, it is usually not very good for purposefully attacking enemies, since you are very vulnerable if you miss or if there are other opponents nearby. However, it is a great finisher to a series of up air strings, and it might even score a KO if close to the top of the stage. If the stage has platforms within reach, you can reduce the time you're helpless for by using Super Jump Punch on to the platform. This attack becomes a decent move to knock away foes pressuring your shield in such situations. Deals 5% on the first hit, 0.6% on hits 2-6, and 3% on the last hit for
+	+	+	F.L.U.D.D.	Mario charges up the F.L.U.D.D., which he can then activate to propel a stream of water. The water pushes opponents away, but doesn't actually damage them or cause them to flinch. This is still an odd addition in an otherwise beginner-friendly moveset, but it has recived significant buffs that boost it's usability noticeably. The main advantage of the F.L.U.D.D. over Mario's other edgeguard options is the ability to push opponents further from the stage without knocking them out of a helpless state, which can range from comedically and salt-inducingly effective to absolutely useless depending on the character you're battling and their proximity from the ledge. It can also mess up a foe's movement even when they're not helpless, potentially putting them in a disadvantageous position, but once again, these situations are unpredictable and seldom occur. Regardless, if you're serious about using the F.L.U.D.D., be sure to charge it whenever it is safe to do so, using to store a partial charge, since the move requires a full charge to have a significant effect. New to Ultimate is the ability to cancel the charging animation with a jump.

Taunts

Control			Info
Joy-Cons / Pro Controller	Single Joy-Con	GameCube Controller
	+		He turns his back to the camera and gives a thumbs up.
( or )	+( or )	( or )	He spins Cappy around him in a circle, then puts him back on..
	+		He flips over in midair and falls down.