Super Smash Bros Ultimate: Advanced Techniques You Need to Know

Image: Bandai Namco Studios, Sora & Nintendo via HGG

Human Made

Rommel is our expert fighting games writer.

Super Smash Bros Ultimate is the perfect party game to play with nearly anyone. Yet despite that, there is a highly competitive professional scene behind what appears to be a casual party game, thanks to its in-depth mechanics. If you’re looking to improve your skill in the game, there are several advanced techniques hidden in Super Smash Bros Ultimate that any dedicated player will say that you need to know.

If you’ve been struggling to beat someone that demonstrates mastery of this game, then read on. Our guide will show you the different advanced moves you can perform to get that edge in battle and hopefully secure you victory!

Top 11 Smash Ultimate Advanced Techniques

1. Short Hop

We’ll start with a very basic move called the short hop. Short Hop is exactly what the name implies. It is a jump that is shorter than a regular jump. This can be performed by tapping the jump button instead of pressing and holding it. If you have tap up to jump assigned to your left stick, simply flick the stick instead of holding the stick up. For anyone who is into frame data, the jump button must be pressed and released within 3 frames, which is very strict timing.

This move is very versatile. You can use it to dodge projectiles, dodge certain attacks, and (what it is mostly used for) instant aerial attacks. If your character dominates with aerial attacks, this advanced move is an especially good option since Short Hop keeps you low to the ground. This makes it easier to hit the opponent if they are still grounded on their feet. Make sure to practice this move because you will use it all the time. Learning Short Hop is critical to add to your Smash Ultimate advanced techniques skillset!

2. Fast Fall

A great tool that all characters have while in the air is called Fast Fall. If you jump in the air and reach the peak of your jump, quickly press down or flick down on the joystick to Fast Fall. You will know that you performed it right if you see a pink spark on your character (as shown in the picture above).

The goal of this move is to get your character on the ground as fast as possible. Being in the air too long and just being in the air in general leaves you vulnerable. The quicker you are on the ground, the better. This move can be opens the door to allowing you to make some really cool creative combos, and it is used a lot in the competitive scene.

Each character in the game has a different timing for Fast Falling — since every character’s jump peak is different — so figuring your character’s peak is always a good idea. The best way to practice Fast Fall is to experiment with Fast Falling after a short hop and after a regular jump. Just be sure to pay attention to the spark that pops up!

3. Footstool

This Smash Ultimate advanced technique will require a little bit of strict timing and positioning. Footstool is where you jump off your opponent’s head, which gives you an extra boost to jump and as a bonus leaves your opponent in a tumbling state. It’s possible to use Footstool when the opponent is on the ground, but it is much more beneficial if it is performed in the air as an edge guarding tool. For example, let’s say you have a character trying to recover and get back on stage by grabbing the ledge. You notice this, and decide to edge guard with a Footstool, causing them to tumble down to the bottom of the stage.

4. Tech

Tech is arguably the most important advanced technique in Smash Ultimate. To perform a Tech, after getting hit and sent into a knockback state, press the shield button to recover quickly off the ground. You have three options for when you tech and it depends on which direction you hold the joystick. You can tech in place, to the left, or to the right. It is also possible to tech off the wall if you are knocked towards one. It would prevent bouncing off the wall and potentially falling off stage. The best way to utilize Tech is to mix up the directions you go toward so your movements are as unpredictable as possible. That is key. Be sure to keep an eye on which direction your opponent favors, learning their habits will give you a dependable advantage.

5. Wall Jump

Wall Jump is a very situational technique to learn. As its name implies, a Wall Jump can only be performed next to a wall (vertical) surface. On stage, there is no reason to really use it, unless you want to look stylish in the game. It’s most commonly used as a recovery tool. If you are falling off stage and you are close to the wall, simply move the joystick in the opposite direction of the wall. For example, if the wall is on the left side of your character, move the joystick to the right, and oppositely, if the wall is on the right side of your character, move the joystick to the left.

If Wall Jump is performed correctly, your character will flash white and there will be an animation of them kicking off the wall. To use it to its full potential, the sequence of moves to make when recovering would be jump, Wall Jump, then Up-B. This will get you out of some really sticky situations.

Note that not all characters can Wall Jump. Make sure to first find out if this is an option for your character(s) of choice or you’ll not be in for a fun time when practicing this move!

6. Sweet/Sour Spot

Sweet/Sour Spot is another important advanced concept to understand. Especially if you are trying to learn everything about your main character. This knowledge definitely involves some practice to acquire since, again, all characters are different and the tutorial does not even mention it. A Sweet/Sour spot can occur from the same move. The property of the move changes depending on how the opponent is hit. Let’s take a look at Zelda’s Fair.

The top screenshot shows a Sour Spot attack where the opponent gets hit, but it does not do a lot of damage and does not cause a lot of knock back. The bottom screenshot shows a Sweet Spot attack where the opponent receives more damage and knockback. For Zelda, getting the Sweet Spot right really matters since this is one of her main knockout moves. Learning the timing for her Sweet Spot is crucial to being effective with her. Being familiar with all the different properties each character has to offer will definitely give you an edge over opponents who lack this game knowledge.

8. Out of Shield (OoS)

Arguably one of the most important defensive tools to learn in Smash Ultimate is Out of Shield. Also known as OoS, this technique is super helpful to employ when the opponent is applying pressure as you are defending. Releasing the shield button puts your character in an Out of Shield position. In this position, you are able to cancel basically into anything you’d like. There is a visible Out of Shield animation that the character performs, see the middle screenshot above. It’s wise to be aware of this indicator after you release shield.

A common OoS position would be after the opponent attacks your shield. Depending on the move that was blocked, this may leave your opponent vulnerable, leading up to an opportunity for a counter attack. A good OoS option would be to Up-B, which in some cases is a move to knockback the opponent, or as I like to call it, a “get off me” move. Some characters even have the potential to knock out the opponent. Of course, that is only one option for OoS. There are numerous options available!

9. Parry

Parry is a little similar to OoS, but it is a lot more advantageous. With that said, the way to perform a parry is while you hold the shield button, release the button as soon as the opponent attacks. Thankfully, there is a visual and audio cue for when a parry is performed, so look out for the character flashing and sound that comes through. Basically, a parry gives you more time to counter attack. This requires a lot of timing since the window to perform it is very small, but the reward is huge. You can sometimes get a guaranteed Smash attack afterwards, making it one of the most useful advanced techniques in Smash Ultimate.

10. Dash Dancing

Dash Dancing can be used for approaching, and baiting. The goal of dash dancing is to keep your character moving and being prepared for what the opponent does. When you dash forward by tapping the joystick, you can see a line of smoke that comes from behind the character. You can keep tapping the joystick either left or right after the initial step has been placed.

To learn the timing of this, when you tap the joystick to either the left or right to move your character, take a look at when the character is about to stop. This is where you can enter in another tap to start another dash. When viewing the pictures above, look at it as happening over and over again. To utilize this correctly, dash forward to get closer to the opponent. When the opponent attacks, dash away to dodge them. After that, dash forward to close the gap and punish. Really helpful if the opponent loves to dive in right away.

11. Item Drop In Air

Items are rarely used for competitive Smash, but if there are any items, they could come from some characters themselves like Banjo-Kazooie’s grenade or Diddy Kong’s banana. Once you have these items in your hand, you can actually drop them straight down if you are in the air. This is different than throwing it directly below you because if you were to drop the item instead, it can create some amazing set ups.

A common item drop situation would be when the opponent is off stage. If Diddy Kong has his banana and the opponent is under him off stage, he can drop the item to have it fall at a slower speed, resulting into covering more of the edge to guard. Really awesome way to edge guard your opponent.

These are only the handful of advanced techniques that Smash Ultimate has to offer. There is new tech and new moves being discovered every day and the meta just keeps expanding. This list is a good starting point to learn Smash tech. A lot of it comes from watching other players and learning from them. Hopefully the next time you watch people play, you can see these moves in action!

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We hope you found our advanced techniques guide for Smash Ultimate useful! If there’s any other technique or trick you think we should cover, then leave a comment below! Make sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more content! We offer regular features on all the best games, including more technique guides for all sorts of games.

Happy gaming!

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