Falco (SSBM)

This article is about Falco's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee. For the character in other contexts, see Falco Lombardi. Also, for information about the fighter of whom Falco is a clone, see Fox (SSBM).

Falco in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Universe	Star Fox
Other playable appearance	in Brawl
Availability	Unlockable
Tier	S (2)

“	Where his leader, Fox, has blinding speed, Falco has his own distinct skills and advantages.	”
—Description from Falco's trophy.

Falco (ファルコ, Faruko) is a hidden character in Super Smash Bros. Melee. He is considered a clone of Fox, sharing many normal and special attacks.

Falco is currently ranked 2nd in the SSBM tier list. There are a lot of developed strategies and combos for Falco, particularly with "Shine" techniques. Falco also has an extremely effective spike as his down air, which allows him to quickly and efficiently KO characters. Falco has amazing matchups, lacking any negative ones (making him, Fox, Pikachu and Meta Knight the only characters with no negative matchups). Falco, however, suffers from an extremely high falling speed, a very low air speed, and short, limited recovery options, resulting in one of the worst recoveries in the game. His high falling speed also makes him extremely vulnerable to chaingrabs and combos, especially from characters such as Marth and Captain Falcon.

Unlocking

Players can unlock Falco by completing 100-Man Melee with any character within any time limit. Alternatively, players can take part in 300 VS. matches to unlock him.

When being fought, Falco will appear on Battlefield, with music from Corneria playing.

Attributes

Falco falls into a similar character archetype as Fox: He possesses rather high speed to quickly overwhelm the opponent as well as a slew of effective finishers both on the ground and in the air. Falco has many KO options, potentially even more than Fox's. Falco's attributes include high traction, the highest falling speed in the game, and low airspeed; this gives Falco a short wavedash.

Falco's primary strength is his raw ability to KO without compromising too much speed or combo ability; many of Falco's KOing moves are very fast yet powerful with relatively low startup and ending lag. Falco's sliding forward smash covers a good distance, KOs easily at 90% and makes for a good edgeguard option. Falco's down smash is a powerful semi-spike that is also useful for edgeguarding. Falco's down tilt can KO some characters at as low as 90%; despite its short range, it also comes out fast. Falco's aerial KOing options are also highly varied. Falco's neutral and back aerial attacks are fast with high knockback and duration, and his dair is among the most feared in the game; with no sourspot, high speed, spike properties, and long duration, Falco can quickly and efficiently KO almost any character at low percentages if used correctly. A grounded dair can easily combo into a forward smash for yet another deadly KO option.

Falco's approach is also highly effective; with a very versatile projectile of his Blaster, Falco can perform the Short hop laser technique, either as a pressure option or as a way to approach. Performing Short Hopped Laser close to opponents almost guarantees free grabs, smashes, or ways to start shine combos. The Coupled with low-lag aerials, a short short hop and a high falling speed, Falco has among the best SHFFLs in the game, giving him an incredible aerial approach. On the ground, many of Falco's attacks, while short-ranged, pack good power and relatively low ending lag; despite a short wavedash and a decent dashing speed, Falco can still use these two to his advantage, with them being integral to his superb combo ability.

Falco sacrifices a bit of his clone's speed for power, but still excels at performing devastating combos. Many of Falco's approach options also make for great combo starters as well. The core of Falco's combo abilty lies in his good SHFFLS and ability to waveshine. Falco's primary form of comboing comes in the form of his Pillar, which is notorious for wearing shields down quickly. Pillaring, in its most basic form, is simply chaining the upward vertical knockback of Falco's shine into the spiking hitboxes of his dair. To keep his moves fresh, Falco can combo into his other moves, most notably his down and up tilts, wavesmashes, his up throw, and his back and neutral aerials. Falco's d-tilt and up throw are viable substitutes for his shine, while his up tilt racks up damage and segues directly into more shines. His smashes also rack up damage quickly but also make excellent KO options after enough beatings from the pillars have been dealt. Jump-canceled shines combo directly into bairs and nairs. Should the opponent DI close the ground, Falco can chase his opponents with multiple waveshines, depending on the direction. Falco can alternatively wear down shields by weaving back and forth with waveshining.

Additionally, Falco's grab and throw game is decent. Falco's grab range is above-average (tenth longest in the game), and his throws have multiple options; his down throw can potentially combo into a down tilt or start a shine combo, his up throw can start up aerial combos, and his forward and back throws can start edgeguards. However, although he can chain throw floaty characters with his forward throw, he lacks a reliable chain throw, his throws have poor damage output, and his down throw can be teched, leaving him vulnerable.

Falco's properties, however, also compose his weaknesses. Despite his high jumps and ability to wall jump, Falco's recovery is among the worst in the games; due to a low air speed and a high falling speed, Falco cannot manuever effectively off-stage. His up special move, Fire Bird, is also short and easy to gimp; due to its linear nature, attacks such as Marth's Counter, Link's Spin Attack, and Mario's Cape can easily knock Falco away from the ledge when using the moves. Additionally, due to its inability to harm attackers while it charges, Falco is vulnerable to meteor smashes and spikes when using the move; with correct timing, opponents can even spike or meteor him while using the move. As such, Falco is primarily reliant on his side special, Falco Phantasm to recovery; however, it doesn't travel a significant distance, and it still suffers from the linear problems of Fire Bird.

Falco's high falling speed also makes him a target for chain throws, especially from characters such as Marth and Peach, though it also gives him the 3rd highest vertical endurance among Melee characters, even though he is light. Additionally, Falco, along with Fox, has the dubious distinction of having an entire combo named for simply KOing him easily due to his falling speed (the Space animal slayer).

Moveset

Ground moves

Normal

• Neutral attack- Two quick jabs, which can easily L-cancel into each other, both doing 4% damage each, and then a series of fast kicks. Each kick does 1% damage. His second jab makes Falco move forward slightly.
• Dash attack- Leaps and sticks out his foot. Damage depends on how late the foe is hit, but the highest is around 9% damage.
• Forward tilt- Quickly kicks his foot out. Fast, with impressive range for a tilt. 9% damage.
• Down tilt- Swipes his tail in front of him with somewhat short range. However, it is unusually powerful in both damage and knockback. Because of his speed and power, his down tilt can KO at as low as 90%. 13% damage.
• Up tilt- Flips his leg behind him. Short range, but incredible combo ability, and very fast. 9% damage.

Smash attacks

• Forward smash- Flips his body in front and kicks in front of him. A much stronger version of Fox's forward smash, usually KOing around 90-110%. 14-17% uncharged, 19-23% fully charged.
• Up smash- Flips his whole body in a 360° spin from his standing point, feet extended, and lands. Falco's version is drastically weaker than Fox's; although, it is a better juggler. This also hits behind Falco, albeit with significantly lower knockback. 14% uncharged, 19% fully.
• Down smash- Does a quick split. An excellent killer, with semi-spike properties, though it has rather low range. 16% uncharged, 21% fully charged.

Other attacks

• Ledge attack- Throws himself onto the stage with both feet sticking out. 8% damage.
• 100% ledge attack- Slowly gets up and kicks in front. 8% damage.
• Floor attack- Gets up and kicks on his left, then right. 6% damage.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial- Does a simple sex kick. Great knockback when it first comes out, and the move comes out quickly, usually out of a short hop. 12% max.
• Back aerial- Kicks behind him. Sex kick. Good for KO-ing, and a great edgeguarder. 9-15% damage.
• Down aerial- Spins around in places at a downwards angle, strongly spiking the foe. However, it also causes Falco to fall faster than usual, and is of extreme risk to use off the edge, due to Falco's awful recovery. 9-12% damage.
• Up aerial- Kicks up and extends his tail afterwards. A two-hit move, first hit does 6%, then 9%, for a total of 15% damage. If the center of Falco's body hits the opponent, then it inflicts the full damage, but with no knockback.
• Forward aerial- Five kicks in front. Due to the number of kicks, this move has a high duration, and it's very unlikely that all hits will connect; Falco players usually have a short time to react with another jump or recovery. A surprising 27% damage if all hits connect.

Grabs & throws

• Pummel- Knees foe. 2-3% per pummel.
• Forward throw- Punches foe forward. Not many comboing follow-ups outside of using it to force opponents off the stage for edgeguarding. Can be used to chaingrab floaty characters at low percentages. 7% damage
• Up throw- Tosses the foe upwards, which causes 3% damage, and fires four very quick shots doing 1% each. Excellent air combo set-up (most particularly up aerial), however, this can be DI'd out of at higher percentages.
• Back throw- Tosses foe behind, for 4% damage, and fires four quick laser shots, dealing 1% each. It is possible to tech-chase an opponent, depending on the opponent's DI. Not most useful throw outside of edge-guard set-ups.
• Down throw- Picks foe up and slams them to the floor, then shoots them four times with his Blaster. Only does 4% damage, though an up-tilt of predicted foe reaction an counter-attack is possible. It can also be used to start a shine combo. Not too useful due to it being easy to tech out of. Similar to Fox's down throw, this throw can meteor smash over a ledge if Falco grabs his opponent at the very edge of a platform.

Special moves

Falco's special moves

Neutral special	Blaster
Side special	Falco Phantasm
Up special	Fire Bird
Down special	Reflector

Taunt

Falco scoffs while spinning into a pose. In the Japanese version, he speaks one of two phrases: "Ore no emono ni te o dasu na!" (俺の獲物に手を出すな！, which is translated as "Hands off my prey!" in Brawl) or "Nigasu ka yo!" (逃がすかよ！, meaning "Like I'll let you escape!").

Smash Taunt: Falco can do a Star Fox conversation that can only be used on Corneria or Venom by quickly tapping Down on the Control pad. This taunt can only be used once per match.

In Competitive play

Matchups

Super Smash Bros. Melee Character Matchups

Avg.

Notable Players

See also: Category:Falco professionals

• Bombsoldier
• DaShizWiz
• Dr. PeePee
• LambChops
• Mango
• Westballz
• Zhu

Differences with Fox

While Falco and Fox are considered clones, there are many differences between the two.

In general attributes, Falco has better jumping prowess than due to his full jump being able much larger than Fox's; Falco, however, moves more slowly on the ground, due to lower walking and running speeds. Falco also is slightly heavier than Fox, making him survive slightly longer and at higher damage percentages.

In standard attacks, Falco has a stronger forward smash, but a weaker up smash than Fox. His forward and down tilts are also stronger, but his up tilt is weaker than Fox's. Falco's down air lacks Fox's multi-hit properties, but it spikes considerably more powerfully than Fox's. Falco's up air is also easier to sweetspot and hit with, but it is weaker and better for juggling. Falco's back and down throws are also weaker than Fox's, in damage and knockback output, with the down throw being harder to meteor smash; additionally, Falco's up-throw does not combo as well as fox's, with a follow-up often being dependent on the opponent's directional influence.

For special moves, Falco's blaster is among the most dramatic in differences; it fires more slowly, but it causes opponents to flinch, allowing for better combo setups. Fox's blaster's rapid fire capabilities, however, cause Fox to be able to fire two shots in one short hop. Falco's Falco Phantasm also travels faster and it has meteor smash properties; Fox's Fox Illusion, however, travels farther. Fire Bird is stronger than Fire Fox, but its recovery distance is almost half of that of Fox's, and it cannot harm opponents while it is charging. Falco's reflector sends opponents upward vertically and has knockback scaling, making it a potential KO move; Fox's, however, semi-spikes the opponent with low set knockback, allowing Fox to have more options for infinite combos.

Similarities with Fox from Super Smash Bros.

It has been said that Falco's play-style in Melee is very similar to Fox's in Super Smash Bros. His special moves are arguably the most obvious. Below is the list of similarities:

• Both blasters are slower. They also cause hitstun.
• Both up specials travel less distance.
• Forward smashes are much stronger (Fox's in SSB is a little stronger than Falco's in Melee).
• Down smashes have more semi-spike ability.
• Down tilts are close in damage (13% and 12%). The latter`s knockback, however, is weaker than in Melee.
• Up aerials are easier to sweetspot.

Regional Differences

When transferred to PAL regions, Falco's down air was given slightly different properties; while still a potent spike, only the first half of the move has these properties; the remaining half delivers weak horizontal knockback, effectively halfing the time that the attack can spike.

In Single-Player Modes

In Classic Mode

When unlocked, Falco can appear either in ordinary one-on-one matches, in a team with Fox, as an ally in team and giant battles, or as a metal opponent in the game's penultimate battle.

In all of his appearances, Falco appears on either Corneria or Venom.

In Adventure Mode

In the game's Adventure Mode, Falco can appear in Part 2 of Stage 6; when unlocked, the player has the possibility of fighting against Falco in the stage, instead of Fox again.

In All-Star Mode

In All-Star Mode, Falco and his allies are fought on Venom.

In Event Matches

Falco appears in the following event matches:

• Event 23: Slippy's Invention: In this event, the player must fight against Fox and Falco on Venom, in a standard two stock match; however, the two are under the effects of a Cloaking Device during the entire match, though they can still be damaged.
• Event 32: Target Acquired: As Falco, the player must KO Jigglypuff as many times as possible in one minute on Corneria. However, Arwings also fire frequently at the stage, and Falco must KO Jigglypuff more often than the Arwings to win the event.
• Event 36: Space Travelers: As Ness, the player must defeat five opponents in a row: Samus, Kirby, Fox, Captain Falcon, and Falco. In the first three opponents, the fights are done on Onett; after this, the player is then sent to Battlefield to fight against the last two.
• Event 43: Birds of Prey: In this event, the player, as Fox, must fight against a team of Falco and Captain Falcon on the stage Big Blue. Everyone has two lives, but there is also a time limit of two minutes.
• Event 49: All-Star Match Deluxe: Falco is the second opponent fought in this series of staged battles. The selected character battles him on the Venom stage with a stock of 2 while Falco has 1. With a timer of four minutes, the player must defeat him and the other five characters one-by-one with the overall time and damage: Dr. Mario, Pichu, Young Link, Roy and Ganondorf.

Ending images

• 

  Classic Mode.

• 

  Adventure Mode.

• 

  All-Star Mode.

Trophy descriptions

Falco

"Star Fox team pilot, Falco's constant air of casual indifference belies his precise piloting skills. He avoids discussion of what he did before joining the team, but many consider it likely that his past was filled with reckless behavior. He's not much for cooperation, but he does respect those more skilled than he is."

Falco (Smash red)

"Where his leader, Fox, has blinding speed, Falco has his own distinct skills and advantages. He has both a higher jump and a longer reach than Fox, and although his Blaster lacks rapid-fire capabilities, it strikes with shocking force. Unlike Fox, Falco can stop enemies in their tracks with his Blaster fire."

• B: Blaster
• Smash B: Falco Phantasm

Falco (Smash Blue)

"Falco's amazing jumping abilities have many merits, but it's vital to realize that it comes at the cost of some attack power and defensive strength. He falls at a high speed, which disrupts potential attackers, but this also prevents successful recoveries occasionally. Hit an opponent with Reflector, and he or she will fly straight up; this is Falco's quickest attack. "

• Up & B: Fire Bird
• Down & B: Reflector

• 

  Falco character trophy

• 

  Smash red

• 

  Smash blue

Costumes

Falco's changeable clothing in SSBM

Trivia

• Falco's voice actors, Ben Cullum and Hisao Egawa, are credited in the credits even if he has not been unlocked yet. This is due to his appearance in the intermission of the Corneria stage in Adventure Mode.
• Falco is the only character that isn't 1st in the tier list that has no disadvantageous matchups.