From StrategyWiki, the video game walkthrough and strategy guide wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Wii U Little Mac.png

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.

Basic attributes[edit]

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.

Power Meter and KO Punch[edit]

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.


Moveset Analysis[edit]

Standard Attacks

Control Attack Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller Wii Remote + Nunchuk Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller GameCube Controller Nintendo 3DS
A button(+A buttonA buttonA button) A button(+A buttonA buttonA button) 2 button(+2 button2 button2 button) Rapid Jabs Little Mac does two punches, followed by a flurry of jabs, ending with an uppercut.
A button(+A buttonA buttonA button) A button(+A buttonA buttonA button) A button(+A buttonA buttonA button)
(Left lstick or Right lstick)+A button (Left nunchuk or Right nunchuk)+A button (Left dpad or Right dpad)+2 button Double Straight Little Mac punches straight ahead two times.
(Left lstick or Right lstick)+A button (Left control or Right control)+A button (Left cpad or Right cpad)+A button
Up lstick+A button Up nunchuk+A button Up dpad+2 button Fist Swipe Little Mac swings his fist in an arch over him.
Up lstick+A button Up control+A button Up cpad+A button
Down lstick+A button Down nunchuk+A button Down dpad+2 button Ankle Bruiser Little Mac does a quick punch low.
Down lstick+A button Down control+A button Down cpad+A button
A button while dashing A button while dashing 2 button while dashing Charge Hook Little Mac slams his fist down while charging forward.
A button while dashing A button while dashing A button while dashing
A button while hanging A button while hanging 2 button while hanging Little Mac punches while lunging his whole body forward.
A button while hanging A button while hanging A button 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 (Left lstick or Right lstick)+A button Smash (Left nunchuk or Right nunchuk)+A button (Left dpad or Right dpad)+1 button+2 button 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 (Left lstick or Right lstick)+A button Smash (Left control or Right control)+A button Smash (Left cpad or Right cpad)+A button
Smash Up lstick+A button Smash Up nunchuk+A button Up dpad+1 button+2 button Scorching Uppercut Little Mac punches upward with extreme force.
Smash Up lstick+A button Smash Up control+A button Smash Up cpad+A button
Smash Down lstick+A button Smash Down nunchuk+A button Down dpad+1 button+2 button Fist Sweep Little Mac punches low to the ground in front and behind him.
Smash Down lstick+A button Smash Down control+A button Smash Down cpad+A button

Air Attacks

Control Attack Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller Wii Remote + Nunchuk Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller GameCube Controller Nintendo 3DS
A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png 2 buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Aerial Tap Little Mac does a quick punch aimed at an angle downward.
A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png
Right lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Right nunchuk+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Right dpad+2 buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Awkward Uppercut Little Mac punches up while leaning forward.
Right lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Right control+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Right cpad+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png
Left lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Left nunchuk+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Left dpad+2 buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Unbalanced Backhand Little Mac leans back and punches.
Left lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Left control+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Left cpad+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png
Up lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Up nunchuk+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Up dpad+2 buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Struggle Hook Little Mac punches above him.
Up lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Up control+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Up cpad+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png
Down lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Down nunchuk+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Down dpad+2 buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Foam Slap Little Mac thrusts his palm down.
Down lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Down control+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Down cpad+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png

Throws

Control Attack Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller Wii Remote + Nunchuk Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller GameCube Controller Nintendo 3DS
A button after grab A button after grab 2 button after grab Grapple Jab Little Mac punches the grabbed opponent while holding them.
A button after grab A button after grab A button after grab
Right lstick after grab Right nunchuk after grab Right dpad after grab Forward Hook Little Mac punches the grabbed opponent forward.
Right lstick after grab Right control after grab Right cpad after grab
Left lstick after grab Left nunchuk after grab Left dpad after grab Turnaround Upper Little Mac punches the grabbed opponent backward.
Left lstick after grab Left control after grab Left cpad after grab
Up lstick after grab Up nunchuk after grab Up dpad after grab Uppercut Launch Little Mac punches the grabbed opponent upward.
Up lstick after grab Up control after grab Up cpad after grab
Down lstick after grab Down nunchuk after grab Down dpad after grab Mat Slam Little Mac punches the grabbed opponent at the ground with both fists.
Down lstick after grab Down control after grab Down cpad after grab

Special Attacks[edit]

Control Attack Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller Wii Remote + Nunchuk Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller GameCube Controller Nintendo 3DS
B button B button 1 button Straight Lunge Little Mac charges up, then shoots forward, launching anyone in his path. Little Mac can absorb some weaker attacks without flinching during his charge.
B button B button B button
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.
(Left lstick or Right lstick)+B button (Left nunchuk or Right nunchuk)+B button (Left dpad or Right dpad)+1 button 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.
(Left lstick or Right lstick)+B button (Left control or Right control)+B button (Left cpad or Right cpad)+B button
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.
Up lstick+B button Up nunchuk+B button Up dpad+1 button 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.
Up lstick+B button Up control+B button Up cpad+B button
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.
Down lstick+B button Down nunchuk+B button Down dpad+1 button 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.
Down lstick+B button Down control+B button Down cpad+B button
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
Up dpad 1 button Up dpad+A button Little Mac raises his fist at the screen. Rarely, Doc Louis can be heard saying "Hit em, baby!"
Up dpad Up dpad Up dpad
(Left dpad or Right dpad) 1 button+2 button A button Little Mac adjusts his boxing gloves. Rarely, Doc Louis can be heard saying "Let em have it, Mac!'
(Left dpad or Right dpad) (Left dpad or Right dpad) (Left dpad or Right dpad)
Down dpad 2 button Down dpad+A button Little Mac shows off some punches. Rarely, Doc Louis can be heard saying "Show em what you've got, Mac baby!"
Down dpad Down dpad Down dpad

Final Smash - Giga Mac[edit]

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.