Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Luigi

The younger of the Mario brothers returns in his first ever appearance as a starter character in Smash. Luigi is similar to his sibling Mario, although he does have many unique moves of his own. Luigi excels at close quarters fighting and comboing, with an array of fast attacks that chain into each other easily. He also possesses several useful KO options, as well as a long-distance albeit somewhat predictable recovery. Luigi's main flaw is his poor mobility, with below average speed compounded by awkward movement due to his low traction. Like his brother, Luigi also suffers from range issues, having to get close to use his melee attacks and multitude of combo options. Luigi is not as beginner-friendly as Mario, but if you love stringing combos together, the green-clad Mario brother is certainly a solid pick.

Basic attributes

Like Mario, Luigi is a middleweight. However, Luigi's movement speed is generally slightly lower than Mario's, although it's still in the middle of the pack compared to the rest of the cast. His dash speed is slightly below average, while his lateral air speed is rather poor. Just like in his home series, Luigi jumps higher than Mario, and has poor traction. While Luigi cannot wall jump like Mario, he can crawl, lowering his profile enough to dodge some projectiles.

Moveset Analysis

Standard Attacks

Control			Attack	Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller	Wii Remote + Nunchuk	Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller	GameCube Controller	Nintendo 3DS
(+)	(+)	(+)	Butt Bump Combo	Luigi does two punches followed by a butt bump. This attack is quick with decent reach, so it is good for dealing damage, spacing or quick punishing. The full combo does a fair amount of damage, but you can also jab cancel either of the first two hits and follow-up with other attacks such as grab, but note that these are not guaranteed combos on every fighter.
(+)	(+)	(+)
( or )+	( or )+	( or )+	Forward Roundhouse	Luigi does a sideways roundhouse kick. It can be angled up or down with the control stick. With relatively good reach and the ability to angle the kick, this move is best used for spacing. It has better range than most of Luigi's grounded attacks, so use it as a poke or to disrupt approaches. It is also a decent attack to use out of a pivot cancel, giving you a safer option out of a dash than Dash Attack.
( or )+	( or )+	( or )+
+	+	+	Upper Hook	Luigi swings his hand over his head. This move does weak upward knockback, perfect for juggling and starting combos. It's knockback may be too low against heavier characters, so it is unwise to start a juggle with it until you've racked up a bit of damage first. At mid percentages, it is a decent launcher into an air combo, although Down Throw is usually more reliable for this purpose.
+	+	+
+	+	+	Toe Stubber	Luigi swipes his foot along the ground in front of him. This attack is awkward, with poor range and speed. Strong Up Attack is usually your better option for combo starting, but this move might poke through shields if your opponent's shield is running low due to its low hitbox. It also does more damage than Strong Up Attack, but this feature is negligible due to
+	+	+
while dashing	while dashing	while dashing	Cowardly Barrage	Luigi charges forward while throwing out many punches. This attack has decent trapping ability, and foes caught in it will usually get launched away by the finisher. It has a long duration, so it is fairly punishable when it misses, especially if it is shielded. Punish rolls and airdodge landings with this lasting attack. Since it drags foes along with Luigi, it can usually knock your target offstage, setting up for an edgeguard.
while dashing	while dashing	while dashing
while hanging	while hanging	while hanging		Luigi flips up from the edge and kicks.
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 )+	( or )++	Bladed Glove	Luigi pokes forward with his fingers. The attack can be angled up or down with the control stick. This is one of Luigi's strongest KO moves, as it is both fast and very strong. Use angling to help you land the move, especially against airborne foes or to shield poke. Interestingly, Luigi's Side Smash wears down shields extra effectively, so even if your opponent manages to block it, they will still have their shields chipped away, possibly resulting in a shield break.
Smash ( or )+	Smash ( or )+	Smash ( or )+
Smash +	Smash +	++	Headbutt	Luigi swings his head in an arc, launching foes skyward. This move is another one of Luigi's main KO options, even though it is weaker. The attack is quite fast, and has a moderate arc that extends its horizontal range. Since Luigi can use it out of a dash, it is one of the easier moves to punish with, although it is best left unstaled to keep the move at maximum strength. Luigi's head is invulnerable during the attack, so you can also use it as an anti-air.
Smash +	Smash +	Smash +
Smash +	Smash +	++	One-Legged Breakdance	Luigi sweeps both sides around him with one of his legs. The back strike is slightly stronger than the front. This is Luigi's weakest smash attack, so it's not recommended for KOs. It can be used to knock foes away when you need some space, as well as to punish rolls due to its multi-directional hits. Since it knocks foes behind you, you can often launch them offstage for edgeguards.
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
			Launching Drop Kick	Luigi performs a drop kick. This move is a sex kick, which means it has low startup and cooldown, low landing lag, lasts moderately long and gradually weakens over time. Unusually for moves of this type, Luigi sends foes upward instead of sideways.
+	+	+	Karate Chop	Luigi does a quick chop forward.
+	+	+
+	+	+	Back Kick	Luigi kicks backward with both legs.
+	+	+
+	+	+	Flip Kick	Luigi kicks in an arc upward.
+	+	+
+	+	+	Quick Drill	Luigi performs a drill kick downward which only hits once. It is a meteor smash if hit at the beginning, and does sideways knockback if hit late.
+	+	+

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	Nosebutt	Luigi hits the grabbed opponent with his nose. It does decent damage, but isn't really fast, giving it lower than average damage output. Still, there is no reason not to use this at least once or twice with each grab beyond early percentages, especially since you should be aiming to get grabs anyway.
after grab	after grab	after grab
after grab	after grab	after grab	Spin Throw	Luigi turns around once and throws the grabbed opponent forward. This move is a standard sideways throw, used to get foes away and usually offstage, where you can set up edgeguards. It can't really combo and it doesn't KO unlike Back Throw, so it doesn't see much use. You'll usually use this in place of Back Throw if your front is facing the nearest edge, or if you need to keep Back Throw fresh.
after grab	after grab	after grab
after grab	after grab	after grab	Spin Chuck	Luigi turns around multiple times and throws the grabbed opponent backward. This throw is basically a slower but stronger Forward Throw, with the ability to knock nearby foes away while you're swinging your grabbed victim around. Like Forward Throw, it can be used to launch foes offstage for an edgeguard. Since Back Throw is your strongest throw, you can also choose to leave it unstaled, as it can KO near the ledge at reasonably high percentages.
after grab	after grab	after grab
after grab	after grab	after grab	Upward Hurl	Luigi tosses the grabbed opponent upward. Like many Up Throws in the game, this throw is completely overshadowed by Down Throw, especially in the case of Luigi. Up Throw does too much knockback for combos, yet it can rarely KO unless you're using it on a platform near the top blastline. Whenever you need to get a grabbed foe airborne, just use Down Throw instead.
after grab	after grab	after grab
after grab	after grab	after grab	Butt Slam	Luigi throws the grabbed opponent to the ground and sits on them. This attack is one of Luigi's most important moves. It launches foes upward weakly, letting you follow-up with a myriad of attacks and get a good combo going. This throw is probably Luigi's best combo starter, and should be used anytime you get a grab on a low-mid percent opponent. At higher percentages, it can be used to set up Luigi's aerial KO moves such as Neutral Air.
after grab	after grab	after grab

Special Attacks

Control			Attack	Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller	Wii Remote + Nunchuk	Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller	GameCube Controller	Nintendo 3DS
			Fireball	Luigi throws out a fireball that travels in a straight line.
			Bouncing Fireball	Luigi's fireballs bounce along the ground similar to Mario's. The arc of the fireballs become lower and the fireballs become weaker the further they travel.
			Ice Ball	Luigi throws out a ball of frost. The projectile moves slower than his fireballs but can freeze opponents.
( or )+	( or )+	( or )+	Green Missile	Luigi shoots his whole body forward. Charging the move increases its distance and power, but the move will fail if Luigi holds the charge too long. Tapping the control stick when using this move, similar to inputting a smash attack, will instantly cause Luigi to build up a partial charge. This move and all of its variants have a 10% chance of misfiring, which causes Luigi to rocket a great distance and do high damage and knockback.
( or )+	( or )+	( or )+
			Floating Missile	Luigi travels completely straight instead of falling slightly like his default Green Missile. It also charges faster but does less damage.
			Quick Missile	Luigi moves much further than an equally-charged Green Missile, but will slide along the ground if he misses the move completely.
+	+	+	Super Jump Punch	Luigi jumps straight up, hitting enemies in the air. The move is very weak except at the very start. Hitting with the starting sweetspot will cause the move to do high knockback with a sharp "Cring!" of a bat strike.
+	+	+
			Fiery Jump Punch	The starting sweetspot of Luigi's punch has a wider radius making it easier to hit, but the attack is weaker and Luigi doesn't jump as high.
			Burial Header	Luigi jumps straight up, attacking weakly the whole way, then quickly plunges down. The move buries foes on the ground when Luigi is falling.
+	+	+	Luigi Cyclone	Luigi spins around, trapping foes with multiple hits before launching them. Mash the special button to make Luigi rise with the move while in the air.
+	+	+
			Mach Cyclone	Luigi's horizontal movement is restricted during the move, but he will ascend much higher. Luigi can only attack opponents with the jump at the end, the rest of the move doesn't affect foes.
			Clothesline Cyclone	Luigi can't gain as much height when used as a recovery, but he will knock opponents away with each strike.

Taunts

Control			Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller	Wii Remote + Nunchuk	Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller	GameCube Controller	Nintendo 3DS
		+	Luigi performs 5 poses in quick succession.
( or )	+		Luigi falls down comically and swings back up.
( or )	( or )	( or )
		+	Luigi pouts while doing a low kick. This taunt is actually an attack that meteor smashes opponents hit with the foot. It is very impractical to use due to its poor range and long startup, but getting a KO with this taunt is very satisfying and a great crowd-pleaser.

Final Smash - Poltergust 5000

Luigi equips Professor E. Gadd's ghostbusting vacuum cleaner and sucks up fighters around him. Any enemies sucked in will be trapped and be dealt constant damage before Luigi launches them diagonally upward. Luigi can sometimes shoot out items as well. This is a unique trapping Final Smash which requires Luigi to suck in at least one foe to function. It has a pretty long initial strike, during which Luigi will point the hose in all directions and he will keep sucking until the full animation plays out, increasing the chances of trapping multiple foes. The tradeoff is that this Final Smash is not very strong, usually KOing at around 30% depending on Luigi's position. Regardless, it is a pretty good Final Smash due to its ease of use.