Blogiversity.org

Pikachu is one of the most famous animated characters of all time. He hails from the Pokemon video games, TV shows, movies, and so much merchandise. This cute and lovable yellow mouse can really make sparks fly in battle too. He's a little guy, but he's got a big attitude and plenty of speed and power to match. He has reasonably powerful attacks, and a lot of agility. His aerial abilities are good and he has a medium to light weight.

Standard Special Move: Thunder Jolt

This move is Pikachu's projectile. He spits out a tiny ball of electricity that bounces across whatever surface it hits. It will travel along the ground, up walls, and around curves in the level. It's very useful for hitting people with and does some decent damage.

Side Special Move: Skull Bash

This move will charge you up as long as you hold it. When you release it, it will send you hurtling sideways through the air. This can do some serious damage, and launch your enemy pretty far into the air. The key is timing. You want to hit with a reasonably full charge when the enemy comes in close.

Up Special Move: Quick Attack

If you want to be good with Pikachu, you must master this move. This is his recovery move and the key to his survival. Pressing the up special button will immediately start this move. From here it's all about timing. The second you hit the special button, you have to tilt the joystick in the direction you want to go. This will send you instantly in that direction. When you start to dart in that direction, hold the joystick in another direction. When you hit the apex of the first move, you will instantly dart back into the second direction. If you do this at the right angle, it will give you great distance. If you do it at the wrong angles, it can send you the wrong way and often kill you. Learn to angle your jumps so you can hit things. Once you finish the second dash, you will lose control and fall. This leaves you wide open to get hit, so you want to aim for the ledge to grab onto, or try to land on solid ground. If your opponent can estimate where you will land, they can have a powerful smash all charged and waiting for you when you arrive. Another thing worth noting about this move is the trail of tiny stars you leave behind. If you whip past an opponent, it will do a tiny bit of damage to them and make them flinch slightly. This is sometimes useful just to make them flinch.

Down Special Move: Thunder

This is Pikachu's calling card. He summons a huge thunderbolt to strike right on top of him. While it seems like a bad idea to bring that kind of voltage down on your head, he seems to like it. If it hits him, he is hit with a huge explosion of electricity that will send anyone right next to him flying. If you don't manage to make it hit you, it will still do some decent damage to your enemies. This move makes a straight line of electricity fall down. If you time it right, you can use it as a barrier to strike anyone trying to go above you. It's especially useful to sit on an edge and strike anyone trying to recover.