Brawler Arsenal

Grounded Attacks

Neutral Attacks

Neutral Attacks

Mr. Game & Watch assumes the role of the fumigator, hearkening back to the 1982 release Green House. A small cloud of pesticide blows right in front of him with the initial press. This initial puff deals decent damage and hits relatively quickly, not pixie-speed but not as slow as heavyweights either. On hit, double-tap the Attack button to transition to the speedier second stage, in which Mr. Game & Watch fumigates furiously with quicker, lower-damage hits. Hold down the button to perpetuate this flurry period. Upon release, he finishes with a knockback move that blows victims away.

To use the flurry portion of the attack on whiff, rapidly tap the input until it starts, then hold the input down. Although the flurry of smoke blasts is lower-damage, the hitbox on these follow-up puffs is a little bigger, which helps it hold enemies inside multiple hits before they can shuffle out.

With decent speed and range, thanks to the smoke cloud in front of Mr. Game & Watch, this is his main retaliation tool right after blocking a close-range enemy. If these neutral attacks are blocked, Mr. Game & Watch is safe against retaliation from physical strikes, even the fastest in the game, though someone with one of the fastest grabs can cancel shield with a grab attempt to nab him.

Dash Attack

Remembering his construction days dodging tools in 1981’s Helmet, Mr. Game & Watch slides to a diving stop. This starts up quickly for a move out of a dash or run. Anyone in the way is launched backward. Damage is a bit lower if you hit with the tail end of the active period here. If the enemy shields the dash, Mr. Game & Watch is technically at a punishable disadvantage, but thanks to his prone posture, their swing might miss right over him!

Defensive Attacks

Tilts

Side Tilt

Mr. Game & Watch goes back to his roots as a lion tamer in 1981’s Lion with this poke, a warding chair swing directly in front. This has a bit more forward reach than neutral attack. The chair can’t be aimed, unlike many side tilts, but the hitbox covers both his arm (where he’s vulnerable) and the chair (where he isn’t). The initial thrust of the chair deals max damage, with later active frames dealing half as much. The chair stays active for a surprisingly long time for a side tilt, active for a fifth of a second. If someone’s directly in front of you, they’ll be hit by the hard initial chair jab and knocked back a bit, but the long-lasting active frames mean this might also catch people with the tail end as they rise from ledges or side rolls.

Up Tilt

Retrieving his flags from 1980’s Flagman, Mr. Game & Watch raises numbered flags first in front, then behind. (The numbers on the flags don’t matter. Sometimes he attacks first with #2, sometimes with #1, depending on the direction he’s facing.) The hitbox around the flag extends safely above Mr. Game & Watch’s vulnerable head, and his hands are also safe from harm during this attack, increasing likelihood that he wins exchanges cleanly. If someone is struck by the initial flag swipe aimed up-forward, they’re pulled over his head toward the flag that rises behind, juggled by both hits. The second flag, aimed up-back, launches foes into a jugglable position slightly behind Mr. Game & Watch.

Up tilt’s speed to hit in front isn’t exceptional compared to some up tilts/up smashes. It also might miss against small or crouching fighters at close range. If someone shields the front-facing hit, they can punish Mr. Game & Watch while he’s busy performing the follow-up flag to the back. On the other hand, if someone standing behind shields the backward flag, Mr. Game & Watch is safe from reprisal.

Down Tilt

Mr. Game & Watch leans low to upend a manhole cover (pulled, big surprise, straight from 1981’s Manhole) before him, knocking away anyone in front. Down tilt hits as fast as Mr. Game & Watch’s grab, quicker to hit than side tilt or up tilt but not as fast as neutral attacks.

The end lag on down tilt is long, but he stays prone after the manhole cover hit. Even if enemies retaliate against down tilt out-of-shield with a fast neutral attack or grab, it might whiff right over Mr. Game & Watch’s head! This is one of Mr. Game & Watch’s most reliable close-range pokes when under pressure.

Smashes

Side Smash

Inspiration for this fire attack comes from…1982’s Fire Attack. Mr. Game & Watch swings a fiery torch in front, outranging both neutral attack and side tilt. The speed is average for a side smash, and on hit this has good knockback even at low percentages. At high-damage percentages, it makes a great KO attempt. Mr. Game & Watch can be interrupted on his arm, but not on the torch and flames, which lack vulnerable hurtboxes. Try to aim with the flaming tip, which reduces how punishable Mr. Game & Watch is if the enemy blocks it.

Up Smash

Mr. Game & Watch dons his diving helmet from 1981’s Octopus for this headbutt, which hits back-to-front. During the attack frames, his head is invincible, negating incoming enemy attacks. As he leans back, the initial frame hits behind him, but the rest of the brief attack can hit either side, or enemies above. Successful hits pop enemies up into the air, vulnerable to immediate follow-up hits.

Up smash is slow to hit for an attack of its kind (some up smashes take a quarter of the time to arrive at active frames!). Although it can work as a clear-out move with hits to both sides, it’s a bit slow for this purpose. On the plus side, there’s almost no end lag, even if enemies block from behind Mr. Game & Watch and retaliate right away. He’s basically safe from reprisal if shielded, whether enemies are in front or behind! If they don’t know this, up smash becomes good bait. Attack foes with it, then shield up immediately after. If they strike back, you can probably punish their would-be punish (emerge out-of-shield with, in descending order of speed, grab, neutral attack, or down tilt).

Down Smash

Mr. Game & Watch slams mallets down simultaneously on both sides in this clear-out move, inspired by 1980’s Vermin. His head is exposed, but a lateral hitbox covers the rest of his body, and the hammers on either side. If this whack-a-mole attack hits, victims are knocked away a fair bit, giving Mr. Game & Watch space. Standing opponents have a chance to be planted into the dirt for a second, leaving them wide open!

It’s pretty typical for smash attack speed, and a much faster defensive option than up smash. If shielded, Mr. Game & Watch is technically punishable if foes react immediately, but they might be pushed too far by the hammer hit to reach him in time. Down smash also inflicts decent shield damage on blocking foes.

Grabs

Grabs

Grab speed for Mr. Game & Watch is very quick on his feet, just slightly slower than the game’s fastest grapplers. The standing reach is small, though. When used during a dash, his grab is slightly slower, like a heavyweight’s, but it gains a lot of extra range (not just from the dashing action—Mr. Game & Watch actually reaches farther during dashing grabs).

Once the foe is pulled in with a successful grab attempt, Mr. Game & Watch uses animations borrowed from his very first game, 1980’s Ball. Tossing them from one hand to the other like a juggler, he flings his opponent with variations of the usual throwing themes. Front and back throws push enemies toward a desired stage edge, while up and down throws lead to juggle chances. Down throw is Mr. Game & Watch’s best throw option, since it virtually guarantees he can carry foes upward afterward with immediate short-hopping neutral air attack or up air attack, among other attacks.

Aerial Attacks

Aerials

Neutral Air Attack

Mr. Game & Watch gingerly transports a fishbowl (pulled straight from 1985’s Tropical Fish) during neutral air attack, but not gingerly enough, since two fish hop out the sides. At first, the leaping fish and fishbowl hit straight up, as though this were an up air. The fish can hit enemies on both sides as they fall alongside Mr. Game & Watch.

The upward hit is quick, but the side hits are a bit slower. If intending to float sideways in midair into people, covered by the falling fish to the sides, consider this air move about as quick as an average side smash on the ground. The move’s overall active duration is very good, over a third a second, meaning it’s great for leaping above targets before fast-falling into them with later neutral air attack frames. (This works if you’re about a jump’s height above them, but not from double jump height.)

Forward Air Attack

Mr. Game & Watch holds up a bomb left over from 1983’s Mario’s Bombs Away, then drops it. His initial arm-raising action to release the bomb is a weak hit aimed up-forward. The bomb itself deals no damage until it explodes, which happens either when it collides with a foe or surface, or (if nothing is in the way) about three-quarters of a second after it’s dropped (if you double-jump and forward air attack at the apex, the bomb detonates at about short-hopping altitude).

This is a strange air poke, almost more like a special. It might seem like a good idea to short-hop forward with immediate forward air attacks to bomb at ground level, but this isn’t as fast as it looks, taking about a half-second for the explosion. The raised arm and bomb detonation can combo together if an enemy gets hit by the arm, then the bomb.

Back Air Attack

Mr. Game & Watch strikes toward his back with the most fearsome of weapons, a snapping turtle borrowed from 1982’s Turtle Bridge. The turtle isn’t a part of him, so enemies can’t out-prioritize it if their attacks overlap. The turtle bites with three weaker hits before finishing with a knockback snap.

Air-to-air, back air attack is Mr. Game & Watch’s best jousting weapon, since the turtle head beats out enemy moves. It’s a bit slow to hit at first compared to many aerials, so plan to swing slightly ahead of time.

If used low to the ground, Mr. Game & Watch’s landing lag is significant, but he also has an extra launching hit when he touches down! This is useful when jumping in at grounded enemies with back air. Aim the attack to start snapping at their heads, scoring the normal four hits on the way down, then launching them with the landing impact. The timing doesn’t work out to use this from automatic short hop attacks (back on the control stick plus Attack+Jump all together), so use manual short hops with later back air timing for offensive turtling.

Up Air Attack

Like in 1984’s Spitball Sparky, Mr. Game & Watch blasts a puff of long-lasting air that wafts straight upward. While he drifts back down after blowing out the puff, the air blast flies a long way straight up, over the height of a double jump. As it travels, the air blast has an enormous active period as a threat, over half a second!

This is one of Mr. Game & Watch’s best attacks, amazing for anti-airing enemies high above and keeping them from returning to the stage, and for following up launching hits (for instance, after up or down throws). No one else has an up tilt/smash/air that dominates airspace directly above quite like this move.

Down Air Attack

Briefly halting his air momentum, Mr. Game & Watch produces a key (a relic from 1982’s Donkey Kong Jr.) and then plunges down, stabbing with it. He plummets until he lands, but he can be steered a bit left or right on the way. On touchdown, his impact creates a secondary hitbox, knocking anyone close out of the way. If he plunges into someone below with the falling key hit, the impact hit can also hit them for a two-hit combo, but the spacing doesn’t usually work out that way.

Down air attack is good for edge-guarding in more ways than one. For the safer option, use the plunging hit to land at the edge, aiming for enemies right when they try to rise from below and grip the ledge with an up special or double jump. With good timing, you’ll knock them right off.

For a more adventurous approach thwarting recovery: right when Mr. Game & Watch swings the key, before he’s fallen too far, a solid hit will meteor smash victims! This makes for a decent, if risky, KO move for targeting foes offstage. Although he plunges down toward the abyss with down air, his air lag ends soon enough to use up special (Fire) to spring back to a safe ledge handhold or solid ground.

Special Moves

Specials

Judge Verdicts

Neutral Special: Chef

Breaking out the frying pan like in 1981’s Chef, Mr. Game & Watch serves up lobbed food items, up to five at a time. Hold down the input, and Mr. Game & Watch lobs them one after another slowly; tap the input repeatedly to speed up his food-flipping. While he flips pieces of food, hold forward or backward to alter their arcs. Holding toward Mr. Game & Watch’s back flips food items upward in a high arc, so they fall closer to him and can act as a kind of defensive shield. Holding forward, toward his front, flips the food low and farther away, more of an offensive option.

Each pan flip is a minor attack as well, though hits with the close-range pan flip are more of a nice bonus sometimes than something you should aim for on purpose.

Side Special: Judge

While swinging a gavel in front, Mr. Game & Watch holds his verdict aloft, 1980’s Judge-style. The hammer hit has the same speed regardless, as fast as most uncharged side smashes, but the power varies wildly depending on which number he produces. The number is random; embracing the randomness and learning to react to different results is part of playing Mr. Game & Watch.

Scoring a 1 damages Mr. Game & Watch while dealing almost no damage or knockback to his target! (And he takes the damage even if a 1-score Judge swing whiffs!) Scoring a 9, on the other hand, produces one of the most powerful attacks in the game, every bit as scary as knockout punches from powerhouses like Little Mac and Donkey Kong. Even at medium-damage percentages, Judge at 9 is a likely knockout. In between are all kinds of other effects, none as bad as 1 nor as amazing as 9. (See corresponding table.) In particular, look out for 3, which is devastating to shields and pops enemies toward Mr. Game & Watch instead of away; and 7, which generates three healing apples on hit—which foes can also scarf up, so eat quick!

Up Special: Fire

Assisted by two firefighters from 1980’s Fire, Mr. Game & Watch trampolines high upward, even higher than during a full-height double jump. The firefighters appear as hits to both sides of him almost instantly, faster than any other Mr. Game & Watch move, even neutral attack. Mr. Game & Watch then launches high up, intangible for the first third of his ascent, his body a projectile as he hurtles upward. It’s possible for the low-damage firefighter hit to pop the opponent into position for the takeoff to combo, but it doesn’t usually work out that way. With this attack, you’re usually aiming to hit either immediately with the firefighters to the sides, or slightly later with Mr. Game & Watch’s flung body.

At the top of his travel, Mr. Game & Watch loses upward inertia and deploys a parachute. From here, he glides gently as directed. You can also cancel the parachute, kind of like with a gliding Princess Peach, by tapping down. More interestingly, you can cancel Mr. Game & Watch’s parachute-and-glide-or-fall period with any other air action. That means he’s in a limited club of fighters who aren’t helpless until landing after using up special.

Fire is, simply put, fire, a terrific move that fulfills many roles. It can be used as an anti-air, like a more committed version of up air. It can be used to quickly climb stages, skipping past many floors or platforms. The initial hits to the sides not only work as Mr. Game & Watch’s fastest clear-out move (one of the fastest possessed by anyone), but he also vacates the premises in the process! And he’s not helpless on the way down, able to harass with downward-aimed moves like neutral air attack, forward air attack, down air attack, and Chef. Last but not least, it’s his recovery tool, offering him huge altitude gain without depriving him of options after. It offers him some of the best chances to attack edge-guarders from seemingly vulnerable positions. Not only does he rocket upward as a hitbox himself, perhaps beating out whatever they try to do, but he’s not helpless afterward, so he’s not as dependent on using up special to grab ledges (thereby gaining ledge-hanging intangibility).

Down Special: Oil Panic

Mr. Game & Watch produces a harmless bucket, held over from 1982’s Oil Panic. On its own, this move does nothing. But if an energy-based projectile or shot is nearby, Mr. Game & Watch scoops it up in the bucket, storing it. It takes three absorbed shots to fill the bucket, which has a visual indicator of how full it is, divided into thirds. When he holds out the bucket, his falling momentum is briefly halted, giving this some use for modifying fall timing.

What the bucket does is convert stored shots into hot oil. When it’s full, a down special input makes Mr. Game & Watch dump out the oil as a powerful projectile splash in front. This splash’s damage can vary widely, since it’s based on the power of the projectiles absorbed. But even an “average” Oil Panic made of run-of-the-mill projectiles like Pikachu’s or Mario’s produces an extremely strong attack. It’s just that absorbing three strong energy shots like Ness or Samus can produce results in absurd damage.

Oil Panic starts up extremely fast, whether used to absorb energy or to toss oil. When absorbing, the bucket’s suction area for shots is generous, surrounding Mr. Game & Watch and then some. When emptying a full bucket with Oil Panic’s attack, the forward oil splash isn’t a projectile; it’s technically a part of Mr. Game & Watch that has no vulnerable portion. This means it ignores other projectiles and overpowers anything in the way.

When locked and loaded with a full bucket, Oil Panic is Mr. Game & Watch’s strongest move, making him extremely dangerous. The only problem is that enemies can kind of dictate how much of a problem this is. If you’re frequently negating their ranged game plan while storing your own most threatening attack, they might just give up that tactic.

Final Smash: Octopus

In what can be one of the hardest Final Smashes for enemies to dodge, a gigantic Octopus (from 1981’s Octopus) skates across the screen, taking up a huge bit of airspace as it passes while grasping with sticky tentacles. Anyone caught in its grasp is dragged sideways off the stage, in grave danger of being KO’d outright if they react poorly! As the Octopus travels, hold the control stick up or down to direct its path, making it harder for enemies to escape.