Solid Snakes on a Plane: An Extensive Guide to Snake


I. Introduction
II. Pros and Cons
III. Moveset
IV.Advanced Techniques
V. Matchups
VI. Credits







I.Introduction

Snake is the main protagonist of Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear series. Snake is a spy, special ops agent and a mercenary working for FOXHOUND- a black ops and espionage unit and eventually Philanthropy. Throughout the Metal Gear series, Snake is repeatedly burdened with the task of disarming and destroying the latest form of Metal Gear- a bipedal nuclear weapon equipped armed mecha. Snake originally debuted in Metal Gear in 1987 and since then has appeared in several titles. Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and the recently released Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots are all games from the main series. However there have been many spin-off titles and remakes such as Metal Gear Acid, and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. Though most of Snake’s games are licensed by Sony, Snake originally made his debut with Nintendo’s NES. As a result Kojima’s insisted upon Nintendo that Snake should be in Super Smash Bros Brawl as the fighting franchise’s first guest (non-Nintendo-owned) playable character. And thus Kojima and many Metal Gear diehards got their wish as Snake debuted in Smash Bros Brawl and with a real bang if I say so myself.

To make Snake more family-oriented, Nintendo traded Snake’s conventional use of pistols for explosives. Snake is truly one of the series most unique characters. He utilizes a lot of projectiles and equipment imported in from Metal Gear such as his trusty RPG, Mortar, Cypher, Grenades, C4 and Nikita. As a result he is one the game’s heaviest characters. In this game, Snake is a long ranged character emphasizing strategy and mind games. He lacks ground speed and top notched aerial combat but is quite skilled at controlling the field with his wide variety of projectiles. Snake is a thinker’s character and requires a sharp mind to make good use of him. Being able to make good use of his C4 and Landmines while pressuring people with his Grenades, Mortar and C4 is only the start of what it takes to be a good Snake user. Snake also uses some interesting melee type moves and throws making him better at close range combat than one would imagine. Below are the pros and cons of Snake so you can get a better feel of what he can do:


II. Pros and Cons

Pros:

One of the heaviest characters in game therefore making it harder to kill him.
Has one of the best projectile games of any character.
His Tilts are very powerful in terms of damage and knockback.
His Aerials all have either high damage or knockback.
Has very good recovering using Cypher.
Can control a stage using his C4 and Landmines.
His grabbing and out of shield game is pretty good.
Has long reach and some disjointed hitboxes on his tilts.

Cons:

Being heavier also means being able to be juggled and chain grabbed very easy.
Has no conventional or quick smash attacks.
His projectiles all have very slow start up or don’t explode immediately after execution.
His Aerials are all very situational making it excessively difficult to use them regularly.
In long range fights he has trouble dealing with fast and direct projectiles like Wolf and Falco’s lasers.
Very slow ground speed making it hard to battle speedy ground types in close quarters.


III.Moveset

A,A,A combo: 4%, 3%, 7-8% Two punches are followed up with a roundhouse kick for a 3 hit combo. This combo is actually very useful for Snake. Its quite fast and the last kick has a suprising amount of knockback for a A button move. This combo should be used frequently in close range.

Dash Attack: 10-12% Snake makes a lunging roll at his opponent like in the Metal Gear series.. Snake’s dash is also a key move in his arsenal. Besides being a component for his Mortarslide it is also just a great move for offense. Its fairly quick and has a little priority to it as well. You can also pick up items during the dash; perfect for shield-dropped Grenades.



F-Tilt: 7%,12% Snake knees the enemy and then uses both of his hands to smash down on the opponent. You will find that Snake has a few great melee moves as well as ranged. This move is a godsend in close quarters as it has a great amount of power to it. Both hits are fast and strong, making this a valuable tool.





U-Tilt: 13% Snake lifts his leg straight up in the air. (quite flexible) This move is the reason a lot of people dislike Snake. Not only does this attack has a lot of knockback but it has an unholy hitbox. (illustration is below) The sheer knockback is also just amazing as it can KO even the heaviest opponents at 120%.



D-Tilt: 10% Snake does a very low sweep. This is one of Snake’s lesser used moves but its still useful. It has a bit of range to bit but its offset by the fact that it has a slow execution to it. It has a bit of power to it so it makes a fair eliminator. Most people will be using the F-Tilt over this though.



Neutral-Air: 4-6% for the first three kicks. 14% for the last one. Snake does four kicks in the air. The last one is a bit higher and move powerful than the last one but none of these kicks except the last one has any knockback to them. This aerial is a seldomly used one as its very difficult to hit with more than one of these kicks. In order to get the fourth kick you will need to double jump or start the attack from high in the air otherwise you will only see three kicks.



Forward-Air: 14-15% Snake lifts his leg and crashes it down with great force. Also known as the “Axe Kick” This move has a fearsome amount of power to it but is offset by its very slow startup and execution. When Snakes hit with the earlier part of the move it hits the opponent upward. When he hits with the last animation of this move against an aerial opponent it spikes the opponent. This move is slow but with good timing it’s a force to be reckoned with.



Back-Air: 14% Snake extends is body to the opposite side he’s facing. Many call this move the “Dropkick” because it resembles one. This aerial has a decent amount of knockback to it. But the startup is actually somewhat quick compared to his other aerials making it a fairly used move.



Up-Air: 14% Snake extends his body upward, resembling Captain Falcon’s Down-Air but in reverse. This move is probably Snake’s most reliable aerial attack as it can be a great follow up to some attacks. The execution isn’t very fast but try using this move after a Up-Throw at lower percentages.



Down-Air: 4-6% for the first three stomps 13% for the last one. Snake does four stomps in relatively quick succession. The last one has surprising knockback to it. This aerial is also one of Snake’s better ones. Against a heavier and grounded opponent, landing 3 or 4 stomps isn’t very difficult at all. But against others you’re going to want to aim for that last stomp as its actually a decent kill move.



Forward Smash: 23% 30% fully charged. Snake reveals an RPG and shoots the ground directly in front of him. This move has an ungodly amount of knockback to it as it can kill opponents in the 60% range and even lower. However with great power comes a heavy drawback. Its startup speed and lag is horrid as it’s a very punishable move. However this move can be used effectively. Snake is a character that relies on mind games so the key is to trick the opponent into rolling or jumping into it. It isn’t easy but it’s doable.




Up Smash: 4% from the startup, 8-10% from the Mortar. Note: The damage from this move doesn’t change even if charged. However when the Mortar is charged, the distance it shoots in the air increases. This is a staple move of Snake’s for many reasons. It’s a way to dealing with aerial opponents, it’s a way of setting up combos on the ground, and it’s the key component of the Mortarslide. This move is just awesome overall. You can charge up it to launch very high into the air to kill airborne opponents or just launch it low to keep opponents on their toes.



Down Smash: 14%- 19% fully charged Snake’s plants a landmine in the ground. When mine is touched by either a person or an object it will explode. You cannot have more than one set at a time. Setting a second one causes the first one to just vanish The landmine also vanishes after about 30 seconds of not being used. . This move can also be charged for a more powerful mine. Snake can damage himself with this. This move along with C4 is what gives Snake such an edge on the ground. Plant these often.



Grenade: 3% from being hit from a Grenade 12% from the explosion. Snake pulls out a Grenade. Holding B lets you “Cook” it and allows you to time explosions better with throws. Pushing a direction while throwing it alters how Snake tosses them Snake can only have 2 Grenades active at one time.. They can be thrown directly at someone by pressing forward or lobbed slightly in front of Snake while pressing back when throwing. Just pressing B tosses it a medium distance. Shielding while holding a Grenade drops the Grenade. Grenades that have been picked up after being “Shield-dropped” can be thrown like ordinary projectiles. Snake can also be damaged by his own Grenades. Snake’s Grenades are his most used special and are great for long distance fights. They can also be used to cover him on the ground if they are cooked and then dropped from rolling on the ground. The important part to remember is that they do not explode on contact with opponents. Cooking the Grenades and then throwing them so that they explode in front of someone is a key technique. (How to use Grenades is in the Advanced Technique Section of this guide)



Nikita: 7%-14%: Snake reveals Nikita and shoots a controllable missile. Nikita can be freely controlled by the player. Nikita’s damage and knockback is increased if its speed is increased. To increase its speed, rapidly press the direction you want it to go. By pressing the shield button you can cancel Nikita and it will stop its path and just drop. The dropped missile will do 7% if hits an enemy After a certain amount of time Nikita will stop its path and drop automatically. If Nikita collides with an object or is hit by an attack it usually doesn’t explode.. Instead it knocks Nikita off course. However the more powerful the attack or projectile was the harder it is to use Nikita. Powerful attacks will make Nikita uncontrollable. Snake’s trusty missile launcher from the Metal gear series makes an appearance here in Smash Bros. Nikita is a very useful move for Snake as it can be freely controlled. Because of this is makes a great edgeguard or just nailing airbone opponents. Canceling Nikita when it gets close to an opponent is a great mind trick.



Cypher: 6% on the startup and 6% when Snake lets go of Cypher.. Snake grabs a hold of a spycam and floats upward. Cypher only does damage on the startup and finish on this move. Snake gains super-armor for the first few frames of Cypher. Cypher automatically floats upward. The player controls its horizontal path. Snake can still attack even after using Cypher but is not allowed to use another Cypher unless he is hit by an attack.. Cypher is one the best recovery moves in the game. Its travels a great vertical distance and a pretty good horizontal distance. Since you can still attack even after using Cypher you can use it to lift yourself high and attack from up high. When recovering high you can throw Grenades to cover yourself when you land.



C4: 17%. Snake sets a remote controlled mine and later detonates it. Pressing Down and B sets C4. Pressing it again activates it. C4 can be attached to opponents and teammates if you are close enough and above them C4 makes a different noise when attached to an person or creature. C4 automatically detonates after 1 minute of being inactive. C4 can damage Snake as well. C4 doesn’t have to be attached to a surface to be used; it can be used while falling in air. This is another staple move for Snake as it is perfect for controlling the ground. The list of things you can here is long so…(Tricks with C4 are included in the Advanced Techniques section of the guide)





Grab Attack: 3% Snake applies pressure on the opponents neck.

Forward Grab: 9%: Snake tosses his opponent forward.

Back Grab: 9% Snake rolls with his opponent in a submission style and throws his opponent.

Up Grab 11%: Also known as the “Suplex”. Snake suplexes his opponent and launches his opponent upward and slightly behind him. This move is great for comboing. You can toss people into falling Mortars or follow up with a U-Tilt or U-Air.

Down Grab: 13% Snake performs a Sleeper choke hold and lays the opponent on the ground afterward. The opponent cannot be hit while getting back up from the attack. The opponent can roll once they are awake. This is Snake’s best throw. After the opponent has gotten back up you can immediately apply some pressure with a Dash Attack or another grab. You can also shoot a Mortar and then use this throw so that they hit the Mortar as they are going to sleep.

Final Smash: Grenade Launcher: 18-19% Snake vanishes and reappears on the front part of the screen. A cursor appears on the screen and Snake will start shooting grenades when you press A. After using 8 grenades he reloads and puts in another 8. He will automatically shoot grenades you don't start. Snake's Final Smash isn't the best but its a good one. The key is to predict where the opponent will go and keep shooting them once you've got them in the air. The knockback isn't super or anything but the move is solid. Fast characters can dodge it fairly easily though.


IV.Advanced Techniques

Snake has a lot of advanced and hard to understand aspects to his playing style. To help you better understand I am including his advanced maneuvers as well as some fun tricks you can do as Snake.

Prone: Prone is simply a name for Snake's crouch but it is unique. It puts Snake very low to the ground and he can move while Proning. A great use for this is to dodge an aerial attack and then follow up with a D-Tilt.



Mortarsliding: This technique is technically a glitch that Snake can do. When used effectively its a extremely useful technique. So how do you it?

(For now I am just including how to use this move with a Gamecube controller.)

Step 1: Dash (press left of right quickly on the joystick)
Step 2: Press down on the C-Stick. Doing so causes Snake to use his Dash Attack.
Step 3: Immediately upon the Dash Attack animation. Press Up on the joystick and the Z-button at the same time. Holding the Z button allows you to charge the Mortar if you have done this correctly.

If you have done this correctly Snake will do the first part of his Dash Attack but will then use his Mortar smash attack. The result of this causes Snake to slide a very far distance, very quickly while using the Mortar. Basically he gets to use his Mortar while moving very fast (like near Sonic speed fast) There is more than one way to use this move but the way I have listed is the easiest (based on popular and personal opinion). Snake is at his fastest when he is using this move and the added bonus is the Mortar. Against a grounded opponent they will be confused as you slide past them and then they have to deal with the Mortar. This is also equally effectively against aerial opponents. You can use this to slide all the way to the other side of the stage and then shoot a Mortar in their face. You can also hit opponents with the startup of the Mortar while sliding. The startup is weak but it has a lot of priority and protects Snake from getting hit while execution this move.

Using Grenades: There is much you can do with Grenades after you Shield drop them. Cooking them is also a key tactic to enhancing their effectiveness. Cooking a Grenade is basically just holding the B Button after you have made one. The key to Cooking them is Shield dropping them afterwards and then picking them back up. Once you have picked up a shield dropped Grenade they can be tossed exactly like Bob-ombs. . Timing is key for this. Many people like to count up to “4-Mississippi” to time the explosions right. Once you have done that there is much you can with Grenades. Exploding Grenades set off other Grenades as well as Landmines you can use those as distractions to warm up to the real surprise. You can even use Nikita to detonate Grenades early and do extra damage if you hit with both explosions. The last two tricks you can do with these Grenades are very useful for Snake in close quarters. Try cooking Grenades and then Shielding when right before the explosion or dodging it. This way you can avoid taking the damage and possibly hit your opponent if they get too close. Its a great move to facilitate close range combat.

Tricks with C4 and Landmines: C4 is perhaps Snake’s most versatile weapon because you can do much with it since its remote controlled. Setting C4 on the ground puts your opponent on edge because of the damage and knockback on this move. What you should do is barrage your opponent with projectiles to keep them busy and focused on them. After a certain point, most people forget all about C4 and then you can spring your trap. But who said that’s all you can do? In the air you can drop a C4 and activate it immediately afterward or before it hits the ground. Using this knowledge you can drop and detonate C4 on people who try to attack you from below. Its one of my favorite ways to kill people. Of course you have to be careful when using C4 like this because its easy to hit yourself with it. But you can actually use that to your advantage. C4 Bomb Jumping is an extremely effective way to recover from impending doom. After Cypher try using setting a C4 (assuming you don’t have one set) and the activating it immediately afterwards. You will be hit but you can now you use Cypher again to recover. At very high levels of damage C4 will obviously kill you but even at the high 100% you can use this move to recover from low on the stage. And remember, Snake’s Grenades and Landmines explode on contact with other objects and forces. You can set a Landmine right next to C4 and both will explode when the C4 is activated. This gives you move range for your explosions and can do some heavy damage. This particular move makes a great edgeguard to compliment Nikita. And speaking of Nikita you can use it to trigger Landmines as well. Its great when your opponent is trying to jump over the Landmine and then you can just blow it up anyway and cause some nice damage. And when trying to edgeguard with Landmines. Don't set them right at the edge of a stage. Set them a little ways away from the edge. Invincibility frames will negate the mine if you set one at the edge. The effectiveness of Snake’s projectiles depends on how crafty and calculating you are. To really be handy in long range combat you will need to know how to use your projectiles to set off your other ones. Chaining explosions is key. Being able to use C4 to set off Grenades or Landmines or both will give you the edge over other Snakes.

Taunt Edgeguard: Snake only has one Taunt but its a damn good one. Snake hides himself in a cardboard box and then by pressing A he stands up and throws the box off of him. The box actually deals damage and can be picked up and thrown at people. It actually makes a effective edgeguard. Try using it.

Some Fun and Effective Combos:

1. Up-Throw + Mortar: Shoot a Mortar and then use Snake’s Suplex throw to toss them into the Mortar. You get the knockback of the Mortar and you rack up over 20% on average. This move is effective but only at lower-lower mid percentages.

2. Down-Throw + Mortar: You can force your opponent to go to sleep and then the Mortar drops on them. The take the damage from the Mortar but they still will be asleep. You can then follow up with your choice of move after they wake up. A great way to rack up the damage.

3. Up Throw + U-Tilt: At very low percentages this makes a great opening gambit. Its hard to escape and does a lot of damage.

4. Up-Throw + U Air: This is what you should be using after the opponent has taken too much damage for the 3rd combo to work. You can quicky follow up and use that U-Air after the throw. You wont be able to finish anyone with this but it’s another great combo to use for some quick damage.

5. Fully Charged Mortar+ Mortar+ U-Throw Combination: This a great move to use after following up a Mortarslide. This combo is particularly useful as a ledgeguard. First use a fully charged Mortar and then use a regular one immediately afterwards. Then use Snake’s Suplex throw so that the opponent hits the regular Mortar and then hits the fully charged one. You can also U-Tilt to launch them in the air. Against aerial opponents you may want to slightly charge the second Mortar to hit them with it. If you time this right the opponent gets hit with both Mortars at the same time. (An important note to remember before attempting this combo is that the longer a Mortar is charged the greater the arc is. Therefore a charged Mortar will not land in the same spot that it was shot from. Instead it will land slightly adjacent ( to the left or right) from where it was shot. Practice is key before trying to use this combo competitively)


V.Matchups

Bowser: This match is pretty easy for Snake. Bowser’s Fire Breath will only cause Grenades and Landmines to explode in his face. As a result, the King Koopa lacks a way of dealing with Snake from a distance. Being slow doesn’t help him either. In close quarters, Bowser gains a bit of an advantage because of some of the priority he has. But once again Bowser is too slow to deal with anything Snake can throw out. In close quarters, Snake just had to avoid Koopa Claw and some of his grabs. Other than that, his tilts and Mortarsliding will punish Bowser.
Captain Falcon: This a fairly easy matchup for Snake. Falcon has no choice but to approach from the air in this matchup but with Snake’s Mortar, Mortarslide and wide range of projectiles it becomes a nearly impossible task to stay in Snake’s face. Unfortunately for Falcon even if he does manage to stay in Snake’s face Snake can simply out prioritize most of his moves using tilts. Falcon Kick and Falcon Dive are Falcon’s saving graces in this match but it isn’t enough in most situations. His grab game is probably the only thing Snake truly needs to worry about. If Falcon can get Snake in the air and keep him there he has a shot to win.
Diddy Kong: Though the little Kong has quite a bit of speed to him, he is still an a disadvantage to Snake. The Peanut Gun takes too long to use to be used an effective means of long range battling. And as far as Diddy’s speed, its only an issue if he’s on the ground. The only problem there is Snake can cover the ground in all sorts of explosives. Diddy is more about quick ground movement’s and comboing. However he can wreak havoc with his bananas if Snake isn’t carfeful. In general though, Snake has his tilts to deal with the brunt of Diddy’s attacks. Being a light, ground type also makes Diddy very vulnerable to C4 and Landmines. This is one of Snake’s easier matches.
Wolf: This is probably every Snake’s most feared opponent. Wolf’s Blaster can really mess up a Snake’s long range game and force Snake to either corner himself by backing up or endanger himself by moving closer. Wolf is evil to Snake in close quarters as his fast attacks trump the priority of Snake’s Tilts. Mortarsliding is less viable in this matchup as one Blaster shot simply stops it cold. Grabbing will help you in this scenario as well as using Mortars to keep Wolf on his toes. If you need to create distance then Mortarslide out of harms way and start using some projectiles as Wolf’s Blaster doesn’t have the range that Fox’s and Falco’s do. From there you can Mortarslide to surprise Wolf and close in for a well placed Tilt. The bright side of this matchup is if you can get Wolf in the air you can punish him and edgeguard him well. Otherwise this match is a pain in the ass for Snake.
Fox: Off all the Starfox crew, Fox poses the least amount of threat to Snake. Fox’s Blaster can rack up the damage but not for too long as Grenades will force him to move. Fox doesn’t have the range on his attacks that Falco and Wolf have and that makes a bit of a difference here. Fox has priority but a Snake that’s quick to F-tilt can mess Fox up in close quarters. Snake in close quarters needs to make sure that he has C4, Grenades and Landmines everywhere. Fox is speedy on the ground and relies more on his ground combat skills. This is something that Snake can exploit. However, Snake needs to remember that Fox can juggle him incessantly if he’s caught in the air. So watch out for those tilts.
Falco: Starfox characrters seem to pose Snake issues. Like Wolf, Falco poses a great threat to Snake both in ranged and melee fighting. Falco’s Blaster is the biggest threat of all the Starfox characters’ as it can be spammed and has greater range than Wolf’s. This poses a problem for Snake who’s start-up to getting projectiles is rather slow. If you can’t get enough Grenades off to stop Falco from shooting then you’ll have to close in on him. The bright side of this matchup is, compared to Wolf, Falco isn’t as big of a threat in close quarters. Falco can’t punish Snake the same way Wolf can since Falco doesn’t have the range that Wolf does. However, the trade off here is that Falco has a bit more priority and power to some of his ground attacks. Snake can compensate by taking advantage of his Tilts but they are not enough to beat a skilled Falco. Your grabs will once again prove to be helpful here in melee combat. Get ready to pull off grab combos with the Mortar and U-Tilt or this match with be a lot harder. Lastly, under any circumstances should you resort to aerial combat against Falco. Falco can juggle Snake easily and just moves to fast for Snake to be able to do anything. Stick to the ground and be liberal with your use of Grenades, C4 and Landmines.
Ike: Snake will have a field day with Fire Emblem characters. Ike doesn’t move fast enough to be able to deal with Snake’s projectiles well and his Counter will not help him here. In close quarters Ike has an overwhelming advantage in ground melee combat as his smashes has some nasty range to them. In Snake is too close though he can simply tilt his way to victory. However most Ikes know how to use Counter and Aether to their advantage. A Snake that can play long range well and edge guard will decimate most Ikes.
Marth: This is a fairly easy matchup for Snake in general. Obviously Snake is not meant to tangle with Marth in close quarters for very long as he will be punished by Marth’s range and Counter. In this matchup Snake can play the long range card and be fine. Marth doesn’t move fast enough to put Snake on the defensive and will often find himself faced with too many projectiles to be able to deal with Snake well. Marth has one thing that Ike doesn’t and that’s a good air game. If Marth is able to keep Snake airborne he will destroy Snake. This however is fairly unlikely as Snake can just play off of Mortarslding to deal with a Marth that has invaded his space. Counter doesn’t do anything but lock Marth in place for other explosives forcing him to play Snake’s game; one he probably can’t win.
Pikachu: This is a nightmare matchup for Snake. Pikachu has everything to counter Snake. Thunder Jolt spamming can disrupt Snake’s long range game and force him to move within melee range. Unfortunately, Pikachu gains more of an advantage in melee range. A lot of his aerials and his Down Smash has insane priority and make things difficult for Snake even with his Tilts. Snake has to make very good use of Mortars and stay in mid range in order to battle Pikachu. Snake has one thing going for him in melee combat and that’s his long limbs. He has the reach to fake out and surprise Pikachu users. But Pikachu has another and rather large advantage over Snake and that’s his ability to gimp Snake’s Cypher. Thunder can easy knock Snake out of Cypher and Pikachu can completely dominate Snake in the air. Avoid using Cypher as much as you can in this matchup and stick to the ground. Landmines won’t help you much in this matchup due to Thunder Jolt but C4 can be your ace card here. In long range fights use Grenades to force Pikachu out of Thunder Jolt spamming and into defensive maneuvers. When that happens try to get off Nikita it’s a godsend in this match as long as Pikachu is on the defensive. You have to be very liberal with your projectiles here but its not impossible to win.
Charizard: Off all Pokemon Trainer’s pokemon, Charizard is best suited for dealing with Snake. Charizard ‘s Flamethrower won’t do anything for it in this match so it will have to resort to melee tactics. However Charizard has a bit of range and priority to both its ground and aerial attacks making it easier to deal with Snake close up. However this isn’t enough to be able to really deal with Snake. Snake can ruin Charizard with Mortarsliding and staying in the air for too long will get Charizard Mortared down. Snake can also simply stay out of Charizard’s range with Nikita and Grenades.
Ivysaur: Ivysaur fairs a lot better than Squirtle will in this matchup. Ivysaur has a bit of range to its attacks and can make it problematic for Snake to close in. Razor Leaf is a decent projectile for dealing with Snake and should be used often. However Snake’s Mortarslide can punish Ivysaur as its not particularly fast. And unfortunately for the grass type, Snake’s explosives can kill the lightweight pokemon very quickly. Snake’s projectiles all have greater range than Razor Leaf so if Snake decides to play long range it will either result in Ivysaur closing in or switching out. Close range doesn’t do Ivysaur any justice in this match either. Snake can dominate Ivysaur with tilts once he’s broken past Ivysaur's long reach. Snake still needs to watch out for Bullet Seed though as that move will juggle heavy Snake for an insane amount of damage if he’s caught.
Squirtle: As long as Snake stays on the ground, the little water type wont be able to do much to Snake. He lacks an actual projectile to use against Snake and most of his tilts and smashes would get outranged by Tilts. Though Withdraw can help Squirtle take the brunt of Snakes explosives, as an attack it doesn’t have enough priority to beat Snake in melee combat. On the other hand, at higher damages Squirtle gains an advantage. If he can knock Snake into the air he can take advantage with his aerials and Waterfall. The little water type is too fast for Snake to be able to handle in the air at all.
Snake: Obviously this an even match. The winner of this match is determined by who has the better use of projectiles and who can Mortarslide better.
Samus: At first glance this looks like an even match. Both are masters with long ranged projectiles. But Snake holds a large advantage over Samus in this fight: Speed. Samus won’t be surprising Snake with any projectiles in a long ranged fight. Snake can’t really surprise anyone either but his projectiles are better for pressuring opponents. His Nikita can absorb a Charge Shot at full power and his Grenades can easily make over to Samus. Samus’ missiles can be guided but not manually thus making them inferior to Nikita. In close range, the fight doesn’t get much better for Samus. Snake is generally faster in his attacks then she is and can abuse the tilts. Though Samus’ tilts are nice, they aren’t quite enough. She has the edge in aerial combat but when does Snake try to battle aerial opponents in the air? Mortar shuts down a lot of what makes Samus a threat to other opponents.
Zero Suit Samus: When Samus loses the suit she loses a lot of her disadvantages. She can now punish Snake in close quarters with her Plasma Whip. She now has the speed, range and priority to serious gimp Snake. For Snake, he will have to resort to long range combat for a duration of this fight. When he gets the opportunity, he can Mortarslide and try to close in on Zero Suit for some quick tilts and grabs. In close range, you will have to pressure with Grenades and C4 and Landmines to throw her off. Otherwise you’ll find that you won’t be able to handle Zero Suit in close proximity.
Lucario: This is a complicated one. At lower Aura levels Lucario has issues fighting Snake in mid-range and thus has to get in Snake’s face to punish him. Lucario’s priority is always quite fearsome which can make some Snakes cautious about getting into it with Lucario in close range. But Snake’s range and tilts here give him an edge. And in long range combat Grenades can pressure Lucario quite well. But Lucario has the abilty to Aura Sphere spam to stop Snake from getting a successful Nikita off. Now at higher Aura levels Lucario gains the advantage in this fight. He now has the power, priority and range to tear up Snake in melee combat. Tilts won’t always be enough to help you in this scenario as Force Palm is designed to deal with that. Lucario also has a Counter like move, something Mortar spamming and Tilt spamming Snakes need to watch out for. If you can get Lucario in the air you gain a distinct advantage. Though Lucario moves well in the air and has a good D-air, Snake can punish him with Nikita and Grenades. A recovering Lucario has no way to deal with Snake’s monsterous edge guarding game as Extremespeed leaves Lucario open. In this matchup if Lucario is smart in his approach then he holds the advantage in melee combat. In long range combat, Snake holds the advantage even against a high powered Aura Sphere but Snake will eventually have to move in for the kill. Unless Snake uses his C4 right, the matchup will be in Lucario’s favor if Snakes waits too long to move in with a Tilt kill.
Jigglypuff: This is quite an easy matchup for Snake. Jigglypuff lacks speed and a projectile to use against Snake. As an airborne target, Jigglypuff can be Mortared to death very easily. And Snake’s U-Tilt can out prioritize a lot of Jigglypuff’s aerials. On the ground this becomes even easier. Mortarslide anyone? And also Snake’s tilts are enough to deal with Jigglypuff in close quarters. And if anything, you have the option to stay away and kill the very light pokemon with projectiles.
Wario: If you can keep Wario at bay this match won’t be too bad. The problem here is that Wario is a lot faster than he looks and he’s dangerous in close quarters. Take advantage of your range of your physical attacks when he’s close by. You need to be very conscious of his Bite as its speed will cause you some issues. Some of his aerials (his D-air especially) are problematic and need to be avoided. Snake’s Mortar can pressure Wario pretty well and should be considered. Wario also lacks a consistent way of dealing with Mortarsliding. Taking advantage of your projectile game should do you a lot of good in this matchup.
Peach: There’s a reason why Peach is feared by many. Her insane priority makes this match very problematic. She’s very light but without good melee combat she can be very hard to kill. Snake will have a lot of issues dealing with Peach in close quarters whether she’s floating or not. U-tilt is a godsend for this match as its disjointed hitbox will prove to be a big help. Mortars will also make this match much less difficult. In this match you’re going to want to make good use of your projectiles including your C4 and Landmines. Her Turnips are good projectiles but you still have the edge in long range combat by a long shot. Pressure is key in this matchup. A good Peach player will be trying to pressure you by being aggressive. You’ll need to return the favor with projectiles.
Donkey Kong: This match is fairly easy if you can keep D.K away from you. The problem in melee combat is that though Snake has priority and some range, D.K’s range trumps that. D.K’s long limbs and various attacks put him in a bit of an advantage in melee combat against Snake. However he still lacks speed and priority As a result, staying in D.K’s face and avoiding traps with moves like Spinning Kong can easily yield a win in close quarters. It’s probably safer and easier to play long range most of the match as D.K doesn’t have a projectile.
Ice Climbers: This match is easy if you can separate Nana and Popo. They’re long range game isn’t a enough to deal with all the Grenades and Nikita missiles that will be coming their way. In close quarters….two is better than one. Snake will have a hard time dealing with both of their attacks whether its just tilts or Blizzard. But in most cases, Ice Climber users end up losing their secondary climber; making this a very easy match. Mortars will work wonders in this matchup and coating the ground with C4 will be very useful. Landmines will just be destroyed with Icicle Shot.
Lucas: PK Fire spamming will make this an irritating matchup just like with Ness. Lucas is actually better suited to dealing with Snake because of his ground game. As a result this match is actually difficult with Snake. In close quarters, Lucas has some deceptive range and priority to a lot of his attacks and pairs evenly with Snake in this department. Using your dash attack against Lucas will help you get some quick hits off. In long range, PK Thunder can prove to be annoying for Snake as it can be freely controlled and its quite fast. However, Grenades can make this a much easier matchup for Snake. Snake just has to be mindful of when he’s vulnerable during attacks. The nice part about this match is if you can get Lucas away from the stage and in the air you have a huge advantage. Snake can gimp Lucas’s recovery like no one else and thus can edgeguard his quite well.
Ness: This match is a bit easier for Snake than Lucas is. Ness is more aerial oriented than Lucas is. As a result he lacks the ground game needed to gimp Snake is close quarters. Ness can seriously punish Snake with Pk Fire spamming and good juggling but he lacks the priority in close range to handle Snake like Lucas can.
Kirby: Kirby has gotten a bit of an upgrade in Brawl and he’s ready to deal with Snake. This matchup is fairly even for both sides. Kirby can use Stone to crush Snake’s Landmines and get some damage off is Snake is trying to Mortar from below. Kirby can also juggle Snake quite well because of Snake’s weight. Final Cutter also proves to be a real annoyance for Snake as Kirby moves quite fast in this animation and the shock wave produced is rather fast. The other tricky part to Kirby is that he some deceptive attacks like his Hammer and dash attack that have weird hitboxes or just faster than they appear. Despite all these disadvantages Snake can punish Kirby just as bad. Though Stone is a great move for Kirby, Snake can punish Kirby for it. Nikita is a great way to deal with Kirby from a distance and upclose Snake can simply grab or dash through Kirby. Mortarsliding makes this matchup MUCH easier. If you’re fast enough you can hit Kirby with the Mortar before he turns Stone or before he can use Final Cutter. And upclose Snake still has the advantage. His tilts and just his range in general give him enough of an edge to punish Kirby is close quarters.
Pit: This match can be an annoying one. Pit’s arrows gimp Snake’s long range game and forces him to close in. In close quarters Snake can take advantage on Pit’s short range in a direct clash yet Pit has more priority. Of course Pit’s forward + B can repel Snake if he’s too close. The trick to this matchup is getting pit in the air. Though he can glide and fly quite well in the air, a Mortarslding Snake can punish an airborne Pit. However dealing with Pit while he’s in melee range and using aerial attacks will be annoying. Snake will have to make good use of Mortar’s and Grenades to keep Pit out of his face. Though Pit has two specials that reflect projectiles Snake can take advantage by perfectly cooking grenades so that they explode when they reach Pit.
Metaknight: This match is fairly even for the most part. In close quarters, Metaknight’s speed and priority on his attacks makes it very difficult for Snake to much of anything. Snake’s tilts work but won’t work most of the time. And Metaknight’s priced Down Smash attack can wreck Snake. You’ll have to rely on the Mortar for this match. Remember, Metaknight is an aerial-oriented character so Mortars and Grenades help here. Mortarsliding gives you a greater edge in this matchup as you’ll be able to keep up with Metaknight’s speed. Long range combat will be what will enable you to win this match. Metaknight has no projectiles and Dimensional Cape and Mach Tornado don’t reach far enough to throw Snake off. You’re going to have to be defensive in this matchup but its one you can win.
King Dedede: This is another matchup where at first glance it appears difficult but after some experience it isn’t. The scariest thing Dedede can do is Waddle Dee spam and Snake can out projectile them with enough Grenades and Nikita. Dedede has to play defensive in nearly all situations due to his slow speed and blatantly good range with his hammer. In the air he can’t move fast enough to justify an approach from the air. Snake can simple Mortar and Mortarslide his way to victory here. In melee combat this match becomes fairly even. Dedede has better range but Snake has better priority. Dash can help you in this fight as none of Dedede’s ground attacks and really fast at all.
R.O.B: R.O.B can be a problem because of some of his projectiles. His laser is quite dangerous for Snake but other than that, there isn’t much of a problem. In the air, R.O.B is giant Mortar target since he doesn’t move fast at all. But Mortarsliding is less of a viable option in this fight because of R.O.B’s projectile game. But on the ground he isn’t much of a threat either. R.O.B’s aerials and smashes can be problematic for Snake though.. Trying to counter an airborne R.O.B isn’t ideal for Snake even with the U-tilt because of the priority. R.O.B’s smashes are rather fast so you may need to use some shield play when in close quarters. Fortunately for Snake, his grabs and his F-tilt can punish the robot up close.
Olimar: Fighting Olimar is the same for Snake as it is most people: Kill the pikmin and there isn’t a problem. Let Olimar swim in pikmin and you won’t be able to do much of anything. The bright side of this matchup is that you’re a long ranged character. It’s fairly easy to kill pikmin being flung at you as Snake with all if your projectiles. C4 and Landmines are particularly useful in this matchup/ One thing you should be aware of it that Olimar’s priority needs to be watched. He can out prioritize some of those tilts quite easily and with more pikmin is becomes an impossible task to beat him in melee combat. When he has pikmin stay back and kill them. When he doesn’t then you can pretty much do whatever you want.
Game and Watch: Holy disjointed hitboxes Batman! This match is a nightmare if you think your tilts are enough against him. Your timing has to be dead on in a head to head battle otherwise you will just be out prioritized. An airborne Game and Watch is a scary thing in this match so avoid close quarters and stick to long range mostly. The great part about this matchup is that Game and Watch is very light so you can get some easy C4 and Landmine kills if your skilled in your placement. Mortars will help you in this match but you need to make it a priority to not leave yourself open in this match. Game and Watch moves faster than he did before and he can truly punish you if you give him a chance.
Mario: This match doesn’t bode well for the plumber. He no longer has the speed and grab game that he used to have. In long range, his cape can help him to a degree but any smart Snake player will be cooking Grenades before they throw them. Fireball has a short range but it can deal Grenades well though. In close quarters, Snake can take advantage with his tilts and steady flow of Mortars. Mario has the potential to juggle Snake seriously however. Snake users need to be aware that staying in the air for too long will be very bad for this against Mario. Mario’s strengths also play into what he can do in the air. Mortarsliding can be a large help in this match.
Luigi: Luigi is a bit more of a threat than his older brother. He has a lot of priority and some range to deal with Snake’s famous tilts. In this matchup, Snake gains more of an advantage by playing long distance than he does with Mario. Luigi isn’t very fast and Snake can pressure Luigi well with his projectiles. Luigi is more aerial based than Mario so your Mortar will be more of a help here as well. Mortarsliding is a great way to get Luigi out of your face. Also as Snake you can gimp Luigi’s recovery since neither Green Missile (unless ist backfires) or Super Jump Punch are great means of recovery.
Ganondorf: Though Ganondorf has a somewhat similar style to Captain Falcon you need to actually be careful when in close proximity with him. Gerudo Dragon can a real problem as he can immediately use Thunderpunch or his D-Tilt for some nice damage. His aerials are also something to watch out for. His F-Air D-Air and U-Air are deceptive in their hit boxes so you need to know when its okay to Mortar him and when its better to shield-grab. And ALWAYS recover high in this fight, if you don’t you just may find yourself spiked by his D-Air Thunder Drop. Other than that Ganondorf doesn’t prove to be much of threat to Snake as Snake can keep him at bay for a long time.
Link: This match will prove to be one of the most even ones for Snake. In long range combat Snake can pressure Link with Grenades, Landmines and C4 as Link is a long ranged ground type like Snake. But Link has some faster projectiles and can pressure Snake with Bombs, Boomerang and Arrows. Snakes Crouch can get him out of Boomerang’s path but he’ll have to play it smart to deal with the other two. Snake’s Nikita will only help you when Link is airborne. On the ground, Link can simply shoot a must faster arrow to deal with that. In close quarters this once again an even match up. Link has range while Snake has speed and priority. Your tilts will make all the difference here in close quarters. Your Mortar will be a large help here as well as Link doesn’t move very fast on the ground. If you stay in Link’s face you can beat him down with Tilts and your grabs. But in mid melee range Link’s sword and Hookshot grab will give him the edge. Dash can help here. Landmine will not be of too much help in this scenario but your C4 will always be useful if you combo them with Grenades. Victory in this match is dependent on how skilled you are with projectiles and how smart you are about conserving your Tilts until an opportunity presents itself.
Toon Link: This matchup is much more Snake friendly than adult Link. Toon Link gains some speed and aerial maneuvering but loses the range on his projectiles and his melee attacks that makes Link such a good match for Snake. The same concepts still apply here but this match is much easier.
Zelda: This matchup can start out very difficult for someone who isn’t used to Zelda. Zelda’s wins the long range game in this scenario hands down. Why? Din’s Fire. There is no longer any delay in when you detonate Din’s Fire therefore making it faster than any of Snake’s projectiles. You’re going to have to use Grenades carefully here. But you have an easier way of dealing with her fire. Snakes Dash attack is actually all you need. It can safely push Snake out of the way of the explosion of even the most carefully timed Din’s Fire. In that case Snake can proceed to dashing through Zelda or using that feared F-tilt. Zelda is helpless in that scenario. Or you can always Mortarslide to get past this. In close combat you can’t let your guard down as Zelda’s dash attack, some of her tilts and her smashes has some nice range and priority. Using your Tilts recklessly will get you grabbed or out-prioritized. Your dash will once again prove to be the bane of Zelda. Once you’ve established that, this isn’t a really hard matchup but it will take work
Shiek: This match is probably what you expected: Difficult. Shiek’s Needle Storm can present problems for Snake in long ranged battles. But Snake still has the edge in long range combat as long as he avoids using Nikita often.. In close range this fight can be hard. Shiek is much faster than Snake and her attacks are all faster as well. Snake however, has the advantage in range and can use that to his advantage. In close quarters, you’ll need to coat the ground in all the explosives you have. The less of a direct approach Shiek can give you, the better. In the air, she isn’t as problematic to deal with.
Sonic: This matchup is similar to dealing with a Captain Falcon. Sonic has less power but more speed but forced to attack in the air in this scenario. In this case, Snake can simply go on a rampage with Grenades and Mortars and gimp Sonic. Though Sonic has the fastest running speed in the game, it does him very little good as Snake controls the ground in this matchup. And in melee combat Snake’s tilts will easily out prioritize Sonic in most cases. In other words Snake will usually win this matchup.
Yoshi: This match is quite easy for Snake. Yoshi is an aerial character but lacks the priority to give Snake any problems. A Mortarsliding Snake will decimate an airborne Yoshi trying to make it back to the ground. Long range fights aren’t truly needed but can help as well. Shield dropped Grenades are great for this fight as regular thrown Grenades will just explode on contact against Yoshi’s Egg Throw. Close range fights are just as easy for Snake here. Snake’s tilts overpower or out-prioritize what Yoshi can do for the most part. The only thing you have to worry about is Yoshi’s Down Smash as it is very fast and doesn’t have much lag. Other than that this match should be fairly effortless.

IV. Credits

Below is simply credits to the people I used their pics and a little information from. I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my guide on Snake. I will be making minor adjustments and corrections as we go on so please let me know your honest opinion. I still have a few things I want to add and edit but I was eager to get this out there. Thanks again Brawl Fans!

Credit goes out to:

abit_rusty of the Smashboards forums for some of the pictures used in this guide and some of the advanced moves.

Yes!! of the Smashboards forums for the rest of the pictures for this guide.

This message was edited by VerticalHorizon on Jul 24 2008.

This message was edited by VerticalHorizon on Jul 24 2008.

I see you got the guide up finally. I only read a couple of parts, but altogether it looks like a great guide. (with lots of pictures, which makes things nice)

Haha yeah I wanted to get this thing out as soon as I could so I stayed up till 2 am last night and waited for Gotenks992's approval. Thanks for the compliment (and yeah its a long read lol)

I like the mtach-ups, very well done. (mostly because thats the only part ive read)

Snake is broken =P Anyway nice guide, it was pretty in-depth ^^

~Zeta~

Nice, you finally put it up.

You might want to note that the Cypher can hurt people after you let go of it though.

quote SSBB_Crazy

I like the mtach-ups, very well done. (mostly because thats the only part ive read)

quote Zeta

Snake is broken =P Anyway nice guide, it was pretty in-depth ^^

quote chinz98

Nice, you finally put it up.

You might want to note that the Cypher can hurt people after you let go of it though.

Oh and I said I'd give you pictures. Well, I know this is pretty late, but use these if you want.

Highlight this box with your cursor to read the spoiler text.

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Damn, I remember I had 6. Oh well, I'll look for it.

Spoiler: pics

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Damn, I remember I had 6. Oh well, I'll look for it.

overpowered s.o.b... you got that u-tilt pic from smashboards.... did you ask before you took it :/ anyways I might as well learn the way of the snake too. *reads guyde*

quote

Metaknight: This match is fairly even for the most part

quote VerticalHorizon

Charizard: Of all the Pokemon Trainer’s pokemon, Charizard is best suited for dealing with Snake. Charizard ‘s Flamethrower won’t do anything for it in this match so it will have to resort to melee tactics. However Charizard has a bit of range and priority to both its ground and aerial attacks making it easier to deal with Snake close up. However this isn’t enough to be able to really deal with Snake. Snake can ruin Charizard with Mortarsliding and staying in the air for too long will get Charizard Mortared down. Snake can also simply stay out of Charizard’s range with Nikita and Grenades.

Ivysaur: Ivysaur fairs a lot better than Squirtle will in this matchup. Ivysaur has a bit of range to its attacks and can make it problematic for Snake to close in. Razor Leaf is a decent projectile for dealing with Snake and should be used often. However Snake’s Mortarslide can punish Ivysaur as its not particularly fast. And unfortunately for the grass type, Snake’s explosives can kill the lightweight pokemon very quickly. Snake’s projectiles all have greater range than Razor Leaf so if Snake decides to play long range it will either result in Ivysaur closing in or switching out. Close range doesn’t do Ivysaur any justice in this match either. Snake can dominate Ivysaur with tilts once he’s broken past Ivysaur's long reach. Snake still needs to watch out for Bullet Seed though as that move will juggle heavy Snake for an insane amount of damage if he’s caught.

Squirtle: As long as Snake stays on the ground, the little water type wont be able to do much to Snake. He lacks an actual projectile to use against Snake and most of his tilts and smashes would get outranged by Tilts. Though Withdraw can help Squirtle take the brunt of Snakes explosives, as an attack it doesn’t have enough priority to beat Snake in melee combat. On the other hand, at higher damages Squirtle gains an advantage. If he can knock Snake into the air he can take advantage with his aerials and Waterfall. The little water type is too fast for Snake to be able to handle in the air at all.

quote Cat Fight (Smashboards)

Ivysaur, without a doubt, does the best in this matchup. He's capable of preventing Snake from grenade countering because of Razor Leaf spam into Ftilt, which is a feat at long range. Yukiwarashi was able to keep pressure on me using a full hop double Razor Leaf > close range Ftilt into Dtilt.

Snake is most vulnerable in the air, that's a given. Anything can keep Snake in the air, use it. Though, Ivysaur truly does not have many options for off the stage edge guarding. As Steeler said, Ivysaur's UpB vine is something you should think about setting up as Snake is Cyphering, but a Snake player can prevent this by Cyphering vertically from the stage and FFing/air dodge quickly back on. Also, in this situation, if Snake pulls out a grenade when falling back to the stage it may discourage the Ivysaur player to vine whip or approach. Other than that, Razor Leaf can rack up damage off the stage, heh.

Against Ivysaur I encourage not to use yr C4 on the stage simply because of Ivysaur's grab range. It can reach pretty far off the stage which could be trouble for Snake. This way, if yr incapable of recovering with yr Cypher away from the stage and get grabbed, you can C4 yrself and get back on. Costs a bit of percent, but nothing Snake can't dish back out.

Unfortunately, Razor Leaf can only do so much. When Snake isn't holding a grenade he is able to Ftilt Ivysaur's Razor Leaf barrage. If an Ivysaur player spends the whole match Razor Leafing his stamina will drop extremely fast and Snake will have taken little to no damage.

I believe what works best for spacing is Bair > Fsmash/Ftilt, Fsmash > Dtilt, or any variant using those three moves. Fsmash to bait Snake in, and since both D and Ftilt are quick you can get them in before the shielding or approaching Snake has time to tilt you to death. I would suggest Ftilt unless you are getting too predictable since Dtilt may have a little less priority than Ftilt.

Ivysaur's dash attack, Tackle, has great knockback. Use it for mix up off Razor Leaf or moves with lots of end lag.

Out of shield close range, a Nair > bulletseed works wonders on Snake because of his heavy weight. Guaranteed atleast 60%. Otherwise I wouldn't be in the air all that much unless you are pressuring with Razor Leaf because it will encourage plenty of grenade shielding. If yr going to be in the air and are bent on spacing with an aerial, use bair. It's autocancelled and easy to spam and not easy to punish whereas weaving in and out with Fair can be deadly for Ivysaur. The thing is about this is that you can easily perfect shield Ivysaur's fair, but not bair because of its multihit, so keep that in mind.

For Snake, it's very easy to edgeguard Ivysaur. Ftilting Razor Leaf until you get close, or perfect shielding, can lead to you pushing Ivysaur towards the edge or off the edge. Because of Ivysaur's horrible recovery, he wants to stay as far away from the edge as possible. NEVER not UpB onto the stage. Do NOT approach the edge and think you are simply going to GRAB it. Snake can Jab > Ftilt or just Ftilt (first hit) you while you are attempting to the grab the edge and quick hug > bair you until Ivysaur's UpB vine can't reach anymore.

Ivysaur is weak to all of Snake's explosives because of his grass type. It acts as "Fire" on the super effective chart. I don't think Ivysaur should remain at long-range for too much of the match because it will encourage lots of grenade cooking and that's BAAAAD for Ivysaur.

Out of the three, I believe going into the match as Ivysaur first is the most success you'll get at the start.

Lol I might beg to diff or disagree in some cases with the Mario/ Luigi vs snake matchup but eh.

Those pics are from smashboards! You fiend >! And LOL@ Utilt's invisible hitbox

quote

Forward-Air: 14-15% Snake lifts his leg and crashes it down with great force. Also known as the “Axe Kick” This move has a fearsome amount of power to it but is offset by its very slow startup and execution. When Snakes hit with the earlier part of the move it hits the opponent upward. When he hits with the last animation of this move against an aerial opponent it spikes the opponent. This move is slow but with good timing it’s a force to be reckoned with.

Is there any reference to the death grab at all? I'd expect it to be in the Cypher part of the guide but it wasn't there. If Snake players aren't aware of this then they're going to get gimped a lot when they shouldn't be.

Nice Guide.

But one thing....Put Space's in between the match ups.

that and categorize them.

Good Matchups
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Bad Matchups
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and then equal matchups