Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Mega Man

As one of the most requested third-party characters, Mega Man joins the fray with a huge variety of Robot Master weaponry. As a fighter, Mega Man feels very different from any other character, with a lot of projectiles and few melee attacks. Obviously, this means Mega Man has incredible defensive power, able to pepper foes with a barrage of projectiles, but it also leaves Mega Man with fewer options when opponents get close. With some very unorthodox attacks in his moveset, Mega Man might feel weak at first. Once you get the hang of it, the Blue Bomber will function much like in his own games, weaving around and using his wide arsenal of weapons to cover any situation.

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
(+)	(+)	(+)	Mega Buster	Mega Man shoots up to three pellets from his Mega Buster, which fly in a straight line and hits enemies for minor damage and flinching. The damage and knockback is slightly higher at point blank range. This move is one of Mega Man's three Mega Buster moves, all of which involve firing his primary weapon. Mega Man can smoothly transition between these three moves anytime before firing the set of three pellets. Use this feature to remain mobile as you harass foes with chip damage. The standing version of the Mega Buster is usually not used very often, since it is the only version that requires you to remain stationary.
(+)	(+)	(+)
( or )+	( or )+	( or )+	Walking Mega Buster	Mega Man fires his Mega Buster while walking forward. As mentioned above, this move is a Mega Buster attack, and can transition into each of the other Mega Buster attacks as long as Mega Man hasn't fired all three shots. Unlike the other Mega Buster moves, there is no point blank sweetspot. This attack lets you close the distance between you and your opponents, which may force an action out of them that you can predict and try to cover. If you've marched right next to a foe, you can stop moving or jump to knock them away with the point blank sweetspot of the other Mega Buster moves, keeping you save from harm during the ending animation of the move.
( or )+	( or )+	( or )+
+	+	+	Mega Upper	Mega Man does an uppercut based on his appearance in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, launching opponents hit by it upward. The attack has an especially strong sweetspot if Mega Man hits a close foe at the very start of the move, which lets it function as a potent KO move. Enemies a bit further away take less, but still significant, knockback, which decreases slightly more in the air. The move sends Mega Man quite high in the air, and can actually be a decent anti-air attack if you're not saving it for KOs. Mega Man cannot act until he falls back to the ground, so you leave yourself very vulnerable if you miss.
+	+	+
+	+	+	Slide	Mega Man slides across the ground, kicking enemies in the way. It is pretty fast and a useful close range option to knock foes away, especially since you can move past shielding opponents, protecting you from shield grabs. It can also be used as a punish for opponents at mid-range if you desire more power than your projectiles. This attack can also be used as an alternate movement option to dashing, and it is certainly faster for short distances.
+	+	+
while dashing	while dashing	while dashing	Top Spin	Mega Man spins around rapidly, sucking up opponents in his way and dealing multiple hits. It is a decent Dash Attack with good trapping ability, and also moves Mega Man forward faster than just dashing. Use it to rack up damage and drag enemies away from their current positions.
while dashing	while dashing	while dashing
while hanging	while hanging	while hanging		Mega Man does a sweep kick as he climbs up.
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 )++	Charged Shot	Mega Man charges up his Mega Buster to fire a burst of energy. Charging up the attack increases its range and size. It is a projectile, which means it can be reflected. One of Mega Man's KO moves, its range is very helpful for getting KOs without being in the fray. If you're relying on other moves to nab KOs, you can also use this move as a punish tool, simply to hit opponents at mid-range hard. It has noticeable startup and recovery lag, making it less suitable at close range.
Smash ( or )+	Smash ( or )+	Smash ( or )+
Smash +	Smash +	++	Spark Shock	Mega Man holds up his hands, which turn into metal rods that discharge a ball of electricity above him. The electric orb is multi-hit and can KO, although not as well as Mega Man's other KO moves. It can be a good anti-air due to its duration, multiple hits and slightly disjointed hitbox, and serves as a decent launcher as well. Note that some characters can evade the move simply by crouching close to the ground. Like all of Mega Man's smash attacks, the move leaves you slightly open to attacks, and can easily be punished if you attempt to spam it.
Smash +	Smash +	Smash +
Smash +	Smash +	++	Flame Blast	Mega Man thrusts both hands at the ground and creates two flame pillars on either side of him. This is one of Mega Man's best KO moves, nearly tied with his sweetspotted Strong Up Attack in terms of power. However, all of that KO potential is only available at the very start of the move, as the knockback of the move gradually lessens. It is still strong enough to send overzealous opponents away, but the duration of the move prevents you from getting any follow-ups off of it. The move has pretty quick startup, but you're a sitting duck throughout the long duration of the move, so use it sparingly.
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
			Air Mega Buster	Mega Man fires three pellets from his Mega Buster. As mentioned before, this attack makes up one of three Mega Buster moves that Mega Man can freely transition between as long as the set of three pellets have not finished firing. Notably, this is the only Mega Buster move that you can use while retreating, and its point blank sweetspot is fairly strong. This is the best Mega Buster move to spam with, since you can use your aerial movement to control your distance from your foes.
+	+	+	Flame Sword	Mega Man swings the Flame Sword downward. The move is slightly stronger at the tip of the sword, and deals less damage if you hit opponents near the end of the attack. This move is a great aerial tool, as it has great range and reach, letting Mega Man rack up damage at mid-close range. It suffers from weak knockback, which can sometimes get you punished due to the lack of hitstun, but this also means it can still combo fairly well at higher percentages.
+	+	+
+	+	+	Slash Claw	Mega Man slashes three times behind him, with the final hit launching opponents sideways. Another awesome close range move, this attack has around the same reach as the Flame Sword, but lacks its wide arc for better knockback. This makes it a better alternative for spacing against your opponents, a reliable move to knock any enemy too close for comfort away. At high percentages, it can even KO if it isn't knockback staled from repeated use.
+	+	+
+	+	+	Air Shooter	Mega Man shoots a small twister into the sky, which traps any enemies in its path as it hits them multiple times. The move will not cause your foes to flinch if they are hit after the tornado has travelled some distance, but it will still drag your target up. It is a projectile, so it can be reflected. This move is a pretty strong juggling tool that can keep your opponents in the sky if you're accurate enough. You have enough time to launch a new Air Shooter by the time they are freed, although this gives them the chance to airdodge past the projectile. Nevertheless, it is usually worthwhile to set up Up Air chains due to the damage they can potentially inflict. It can even act as a KO move due to how high it drags your opponents up.
+	+	+
+	+	+	Hard Knuckle	Mega Man fires a projectile fist downward, with the projectile having the potential to meteor smash. The attack has considerable startup, ending and landing lag which will leave you very open to attacks if you use it too often onstage. This slow attack is best used for edgeguarding, possibly netting you an early KO if your aim is right. The fist is a rather strong meteor smash, and it is harder for foes to hit you out of your attack while recovering. Even if you don't land the meteor smash, it is still possible that the move might knock them away from the stage.
+	+	+

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	Super Arm Squeeze	Mega Man squeezes the grabbed opponent. It has average speed and damage for a pummel.
after grab	after grab	after grab
after grab	after grab	after grab	Super Arm Throw	Mega Man throws the held foe forward. It is a standard sideways throw and plays the same role, to get some distance from your enemies or get them offstage to edgeguard. This is especially important as Mega Man always likes to have some breathing room to throw out projectiles.
after grab	after grab	after grab
after grab	after grab	after grab	Super Arm Toss	Mega Man throws the held opponent behind him. It's pretty similar to Forward Throw except being a tad stronger. Use it for the same purposes, whether to keep foes out or get them offstage.
after grab	after grab	after grab
after grab	after grab	after grab	Super Arm Fling	Mega Man flings the held opponent upward. Another normal throw, this one sends foes a bit too high to combo, but it does let you start throwing out Up Air Attacks for pressure or damage. For purposes of repositioning an opponent, a sideways throw is better, as vertical distance can be closed more easily than horizontal distance.
after grab	after grab	after grab
after grab	after grab	after grab	Super Arm Dunk	Mega Man slams the held opponent into the ground, bouncing them back up. The throw sends your target at a slightly diagonal angle, and has low enough knockback for you to follow up at low percentages. Even at higher percentages, it still leaves your opponent close enough to the ground that you can try to predict and punish their counterattacks or dodges.
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
			Metal Blade	Mega Man throws a circular saw in one of eight directions, doing multiple hits and low knockback to opponents it hits. If the Metal Blade lands on the ground, it can be briefly picked up by any character and thrown in a similar way. This is a decent projectile among Mega Man's array of weapons, and its main draw is its multiple directions. This lets you cover a variety of angles, useful to hit foes approaching at odd angles or for air to ground harassment. Try to throw it to the ground where you can easily reach it to get more uses out of one blade. Note that if your Metal Blade is held, even if by an enemy, you will be unable to throw another one.
( or )+	( or )+	( or )+	Crash Bomber	Mega Man fires a flashing bomb which attaches to any walls or opponents. It can then be transferred between characters whenever two players bump into each other. After a short while, the Crash Bomber will explode, doing multiple hits to the character it is attached to and any nearby players, including the user. The final hit knocks opponents diagonally upward. The trajectory of the projectile is a straightforward horizontal line, so you shouldn't have trouble aiming with it. However, the fact that Crash Bombers can attach to you or hit you with splash damage even if you're the one using the move limits their usefulness. Even if you land a Crash Bomber on an opponent, it is difficult to punish their attempts to dodge or shield it as you'll likely be hit by the bomb as well. The best way to use it is to just fire it at another player, then stay away from the battle until the bomb detonates.
( or )+	( or )+	( or )+
+	+	+	Rush Coil	Mega Man summons his faithful robot dog Rush, who bounces Mega Man high up. Any character can also use Rush themselves before it teleports out. Like many other Up Special moves, this one is used for recovery, and a rather straightforward one at that. It does no damage, so you are vulnerable to attacks while you ascend, but it sends you up high enough to let you make it back from offscreen in most situations. It can also be used to escape weak hitstun or to launch you out of reach of your enemies on stage. As you can still do airdodges, double jump or attack after using the move, you can keep yourself safe as you return back to the ground.
+	+	+
+	+	+	Leaf Shield	Mega Man creates a ring of four leaves that circle around him, canceling projectiles and doing damage to nearby foes. A leaf is used up whenever it blocks a projectile or hits an enemy. Pressing either attack button while the shield is active will make Mega Man send the shield forward, hurting opponents in its way. This is a very unwieldy special move due to how slow it is. It takes a while to activate, and throwing it also takes some time, during which your opponents can easily dodge or react to your moves. The duration of the shield is pretty short, which diminishes its protective benefits. As attacking with the Leaf Shield active will only make you throw it, it further limits your offensive options while the move is happening and can even cause you to Self-Destruct if you use it by mistake offstage. There are a few situations the move is good for. Since you can still grab while the shield is active, you can use the leaves to do extra damage on a grabbed foe, although this tactic is very predictable. You can also use it as an edgeguard by dragging recovering foes down with the leaves, but you must recover immediately after the move ends to avoid getting KO'd yourself.
+	+	+

Taunts

Control			Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller	Wii Remote + Nunchuk	Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller	GameCube Controller	Nintendo 3DS
		+	Mega Man holds up his Mega Buster and strikes a pose.
( or )	+		Mega Man turns his back to the camera and strikes a pose.
( or )	( or )	( or )
		+	Mega Man teleports out and immediately back in.

Final Smash

Mega Man fires a Black Hole Bomb which travels moderately slowly across the screen. If a player gets too close to the projectile, the bomb triggers and drags nearby enemies into a cinematic cutscene. Mega Man teams up with his counterparts Mega Man X, Mega Man.exe, Mega Man Volnutt, and Geo Stelar and they all fire their beams on the caught foe, sending the target flying sideways. Try to stay level with your target to maximize the chance of landing this Final Smash.