The diminutive boxes from the Bronx joins the Smash circuit! Little Mac is a character of extremes. He has nearly unparalleled speed and power that makes him a massive threat in close range combat, from high damage rapid hits to armored smash attacks that can tear through any enemy move. Additionally, Little Mac has his one-of-a-kind Power Meter mechanic, which lets him unleash a KO Punch, an obscenely strong attack that hits harder than even some Final Smashes. Unfortunately, Little Mac has undoubtedly the worst air game of the cast, with weak aerials and a horrendous recovery, which drastically cripples him on some stages and against certain characters. It's this massive flaw that prevents Little Mac from being an unstoppable powerhouse. If you can play around this weakness, you'll have an absolute beast in your hands that has no trouble racking up damage or getting KOs.
Little Mac is firmly in the lightweight category of battlers, being a tad lighter than Sheik. His ground speed rivals Sonic's, letting him weave around enemy attacks like the agile boxer he is. However, his air speed is below average and he drops really quickly, which further compounds his poor recovery. One saving grace for Little Mac's recovery is his ability to wall jump, which can give him just enough height to grab on to the ledge.
The Power Meter is a mechanic unique to Little Mac. It is a meter that can be seen above Little Mac's portrait, and charges whenever he lands a hit or gets attacked. The meter charges more from getting hit than from dishing out damage. Once it is full, a bell will sound a Little Mac's Neutral Special becomes the fearsome KO Punch, which passes through shields and counters and deals extreme knockback when hit. The KO Punch is available as long as the Power Meter is flashing KO, and the attack will deplete the meter once used. Getting hit while the meter is flashing will also deplete the meter, while getting KO'd resets it no matter how much charge was built up.
Contrary to its name, the KO Punch is not a guaranteed KO. Its knockback, while far higher than any normal move, still cannot reliably KO foes until around 30%. Although powerful, it is rather difficult to land a successful KO Punch, since enemies will try their best to hit you with an attack that causes you to lose your meter. It also has a blind spot point blank which can cause the punch to narrowly miss enemies. Little Mac has many options for KOing other than KO Punch, but you can still use a full meter to intimidate them into playing more cautiously. Since it is both fast and rips through shields, the move can be used as a deadly punish against a failed semi-fast attack or against a shield-happy opponent. The move becomes a lot weaker in the air, so keep in mind never to use it while airborne.
Little Mac does two punches, followed by a flurry of jabs, ending with an uppercut.
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Double Straight
Little Mac punches straight ahead two times.
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Fist Swipe
Little Mac swings his fist in an arch over him.
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Ankle Bruiser
Little Mac does a quick punch low.
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while dashing
while dashing
while dashing
Charge Hook
Little Mac slams his fist down while charging forward.
while dashing
while dashing
while dashing
while hanging
while hanging
while hanging
Little Mac punches while lunging his whole body forward.
while hanging
while hanging
while hanging
Smash Attacks
Control
Attack
Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Nintendo 3DS
Smash ( or )+
Smash ( or )+
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Variable Punch
Little Mac swings his fist forward in one of three ways depending on how the move is angled. An un-angled Side Smash results in a straight punch that deals high horizontal knockback. Angled up, the attack becomes an uppercut that launches foes at a more upward angle. If it is angled down, it turns into a low hook that deals more damage than the previous two attacks, but has lower KO potential.
Smash ( or )+
Smash ( or )+
Smash ( or )+
Smash +
Smash +
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Scorching Uppercut
Little Mac punches upward with extreme force.
Smash +
Smash +
Smash +
Smash +
Smash +
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Fist Sweep
Little Mac punches low to the ground in front and behind him.
Smash +
Smash +
Smash +
Air Attacks
Control
Attack
Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Nintendo 3DS
Aerial Tap
Little Mac does a quick punch aimed at an angle downward.
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Awkward Uppercut
Little Mac punches up while leaning forward.
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Unbalanced Backhand
Little Mac leans back and punches.
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Struggle Hook
Little Mac punches above him.
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Foam Slap
Little Mac thrusts his palm down.
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Throws
Control
Attack
Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Nintendo 3DS
after grab
after grab
after grab
Grapple Jab
Little Mac punches the grabbed opponent while holding them.
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
Forward Hook
Little Mac punches the grabbed opponent forward.
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
Turnaround Upper
Little Mac punches the grabbed opponent backward.
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
Uppercut Launch
Little Mac punches the grabbed opponent upward.
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
after grab
Mat Slam
Little Mac punches the grabbed opponent at the ground with both fists.
Little Mac charges up, then shoots forward, launching anyone in his path. Little Mac can absorb some weaker attacks without flinching during his charge.
Flaming Straight Lunge
Little Mac's lunge does multiple hits and charges faster, but travels less distance.
Stunning Straight Lunge
The lunge gains speed and distance at the cost of power and armor. When enemies are hit, they are stunned momentarily before being launched.
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Jolt Haymaker
Little Mac flies forward and swings his fist down. You can press the special button to make him punch prematurely. When initiated from the ground, Little Mac gains partial invincibility around the start of the move.
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Grounding Blow
Little Mac jumps higher but travels forward less. The attack buries grounded enemies and meteor smashes aerial foes.
Guard Breaker
Little Mac jumps forward slower, but his punch ignores shields completely.
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Rising Uppercut
Little Mac does a leaping uppercut while spinning around. The attack carries enemies with him, launching them at its peak. It has greatly reduced height when used in the air, giving Little Mac the worst recovery in the game.
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Tornado Uppercut
Little Mac travels further and pushes nearby foes away with wind, but the attack is weaker overall.
Rising Smash
Little Mac's uppercut is charged with electricity and hits twice for increase damage and knockback. However, it gains even less height than the default uppercut.
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Slip Counter
Little Mac goes into a defensive pose for a short while. If an enemy attacks him in this pose, Little Mac will swiftly dodge back and return with a punch, hitting harder than the attack he is countering.
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Compact Counter
Little Mac's counterattack is weaker than the initial attack, but hits faster.
Dash Counter
The counter requires stricter timing and doesn't hit as hard as the default, but causes Little Mac to dash forward when counterattacking.
Taunts
Control
Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Nintendo 3DS
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Little Mac raises his fist at the screen. Rarely, Doc Louis can be heard saying "Hit em, baby!"
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Little Mac adjusts his boxing gloves. Rarely, Doc Louis can be heard saying "Let em have it, Mac!'
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Little Mac shows off some punches. Rarely, Doc Louis can be heard saying "Show em what you've got, Mac baby!"
Little Mac grows to a hulking beast of a man, increasing his already excellent speed and strength to absurd levels. Giga Mac gains constant super armor, while Straight Lunge charges at a much faster rate. The Power Meter is also disabled for the duration of the Final Smash. The strategy with using Giga Mac is simple: use your unflinching super armor to spam powerful moves with impunity. The gain in size also increase your range, helping you to pursue enemies trying to evade a lethal beatdown. You are forced to wait a while when transforming back into Little Mac before you regain control. Watch out for any enemies that might use this opportunity to get free hits on you.