Fox (SSBB)

This article is about Fox's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For other uses, see Fox McCloud.

Fox McCloud
Fox
Universe	Star Fox
Appears in	SSB SSBM SSBB
Availability	Starter
Tier	C (16)

Template:Nihongo was confirmed for Super Smash Bros. Brawl at Nintendo World 2006. Fox was the first fighter to appear on the DOJO!!! that did not appear on the E3 2006 video. When he was revealed in the Nintendo World 2006 trailer, he was shown with his blaster in his hand at all times, leading to much speculation over how his attacks might change in Brawl. However, his gun is shown in its holster in all subsequent screenshots shown at the Smash Bros. DOJO!!. He keeps all of his previous moves from SSBM (although, a few moves now have different animations and effects).

Fox is currently a C Tier character, a fairly large downgrade from his position in the most recent Melee tier list (first to sixteenth). While Fox still maintains his very fast movement and attack speed (including a very fast and powerful up smash with a guaranteed set-up: d-air), he suffers a nerf in attack power, vertical survivability (due to added fall weight), and combo ability (which his infinite shine combos are now non existent largely due to the nerfed shine and the loss of wavedash and L-canceling). His vulnerability against chain throws and locks (third fastest normal falling speed and fastest accelerated falling speed) and light weight also cost him dearly. However, his tourney rankings in Japan are impressive, leading to his position at number five on Japan's current tier list.

Attributes

Fox is a very light character who moves at very high speeds, clocking in as the third fastest runner and fastest walker in the game (along with Marth). Almost all of his attacks come off quickly and combine with each other. Fox's excellent speed is counter-balanced by the small and short reaching hitboxes in most of his attacks. This can complicate approaches, and his Blaster doesn't make up for that because it doesn't make opponents flinch (though it's able to force approaches unless the opponent has a lasting reflector, PSI Magnet, or low enough crouch to avoid it). His up-smash and forward smash are powerful ground killers, especially up smash, and his up aerial is strong. Fox's only move that can reliably KO under 100% is his up smash, a good move due to its great power, speed, and reach. His forward aerial can add extra height to Fox's jump and also produces a hovering effect if used shortly after jumping (this usually makes up for his other recovery options), and his back air has high horizontal knockback. As far as specials go, Fox's Blaster can easily build damage from a distance, it refreshes stale moves if it hits, and it's also able to steal KOs. Fox's reflector not only reflects projectiles, but can semi-spike opponents when used in the air and also slows Fox's aerial movement. The jump cancel has been replaced with a dash cancel, allowing a continuous shine volley across the stage (it works best at 70% and above depending on the character). As far as recovery goes, Fox Illusion can be used to gain a horizontal boost (and can also be canceled before completion to trick opponents), as opposed to Fire Fox, which comes off much slower but can move vertically. However, Fire Fox is easily edgeguarded. Fox is also able to wall jump and can boost grab.

Fox's most notable attribute (and the most notorious one) is his high gravity in relation to the rest of the Brawl cast (much like Jigglypuff having the slowest falling speed in the game). His falling speed acceleration is the fastest, and his falling speed is the third fastest in the game that makes it unusual for a character as light as he is. It has advantages and some hindrances, all of which must be known to make the best use of Fox. Some advantages of this are it makes him difficult to hit in the air, and it allows him to approach with aerials quite well. Some hindrances of this are it makes him more susceptible to chaingrabs (particularly Pikachu´s buffered d-throw chain-grab that has a 0-death on Fox) and locks (like Sheik's f-tilt lock), and it shortens his recovery.

The end result is that Fox is a glass cannon. His combination of very low weight (seventh lightest character), very fast overall falling speed (third fastest normal falling speed and fastest accelerated falling speed), mediocre directional influence, and mediocre recovery for his weight create a tendency to die at low percentages. On the upside, he does everything very quickly, but his absurd speed makes him tough to control.

Changes from Melee to Brawl

Fox has suffered a somewhat large nerf in Brawl. Overall, Fox is a faster but weaker character. His blaster travels roughly half the distance it previously did. His reflector (when used in the air) and forward aerial now give Fox hovering effects. His shine can now be canceled immediately without jumping, but Fox can no longer jump-cancel it. Fox's up tilt and neutral attack combo are faster. Fox's reflector no longer comes out in one frame, and it doesn't have set knockback anymore, but it greatly slows down his falling speed better than in Melee. Fox's falling speed has decreased (though, it is still very fast compared to other characters in Brawl) and his air speed has increased. However, both only changed a little. His Forward Aerial now gives him an increased height in his jumps and slows down his falling speed while rising when used immediately after jumping (it comes with both his 1st jump and his 2nd jump). Fox's forward smash is faster, but it has less range and knockback. His up smash has been weakened and up aerial have also been weakened significantly (it no longer reliably KOs under 150%). Fox can now do a short-hop triple-laser. Fox also has a new bair that has more power but slower startup, more ending lag, shorter hitbox duration, and less reach. Fox's jumping height was also increased.

Fox also had a few cosmetic changes. His back air has a new animation and his forward smash is now a roundhouse (not a flying kick). He has been graphically updated and his design is now a mix of his appearances in Star Fox Command and Star Fox Assault. He also has a new voice (Assault voice actor) in both English (Jim Walker) and Japanese (Kenji Nojima).

Moveset

Ground Attacks

Normal

• Neutral attack - Left jab (2%), right hook (2%), then a flurry of kicks, or the Rapid Kick (1-2%). However, the jab combo doesn't link very well unlike Falco's one.
• Dash attack - Running kick. At low percents, can lead into an up tilt, leading into various other combos. It's best use is undoubtedly the up tilt follow-up, though his down and up smash are also possible. Somewhat short duration and range, though, and easily shield grabbed. 7%.
• Strong side - A quick right kick. Moderate-low knockback, best used as a quick spacer. Can be angled up or down. 6%.
• Strong up - A pretty fast scorpion kick that covers Fox's back, though his whole body becomes a hitbox. Consists of three small, barely noticeable hits. 1st and 2nd hits do 3% each with little knockback and third hit does 4% with moderate knockback. Little ending lag. This attack, though nerfed from Melee, is still very useful. It easily chains into itself, which is good for damage racking, and can even lead into his up smash. Or, it can lead into an aerial attack, preferably up air, at higher %s. This move is the pinnacle of most of Fox's combos. Unfortunately, with Fox's nerf, the move's killing power was reduced, and is very easy to DI out of a KO.
• Strong down - Low tail whip. The attack does more damage the closer the opponent is to Fox, with a maximum of 9% and a minimum of 7%. Hitting with the tip of the tail sends the opponent upward. Not one of Fox's more useful attacks, though still somewhat useful. If the foe is hit upwards, it's good for an fair setup, if knocked forward, it can lead into a dash attack.

Smash attack

• Side smash - A spinning kick. As with his other iterations with this move, moderate knockback. Best used near the edge, this move kills regularly above 130%. This move, at 30-60% damage on the stage, knocks the foe to the ground, which can lead into a dash attack, up tilt, and aerial follow up. Does 16%-22%.
• Down smash - Split kick. Hits on both sides. Strong move with great range, greater than Falco's, though slightly slower with both startup and ending lag. 14%-19%.
• Up smash - A back-flip kick. The attack is significantly less effective if it hits while the opponent is behind Fox. KOs most characters at about 100% with high vertical knockback and slight horizontal knockback. It's the strongest up smash out of all 3 Star Fox characters, similar to how Wolf has the strongest down smash of the three and Falco has the strongest forward smash. It is considered Fox's best finisher as it has fast start-up, good reach for an up smash, and it is by far Fox's strongest attack. 17%-30%.

Other

• Ledge attack - Pulls himself up into a sliding kick. This has a somewhat similar animation to his Forward Smash from Super Smash Bros. 8% damage
• 100% Ledge attack - Gets up slowly, then does an axe kick while whipping his tail. 8% damage.
• Trip attack - Gets up and kicks on both sides with low range. 6% damage.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial - Flying sex kick. Comes out quick and is good for spacing. Maximum of 9%.
• Forward aerial - Quintuple kick. Increases jump height and reduces falling speed while in effect, useful at recovery attempts. Can deal up to 23%.
• Back aerial - A slow back kick, although it's quite powerful. Useful for edgeguarding and it reliably KOs under 150%. 15%.
• Up aerial - An upward tail whip with a follow-up kick. Hitting with the tail causes 5%, while the kick causes 11%. It's a good vertical KOer at higher damages, or simply good for juggling.
• Down aerial - Drill kick. Does more damage the closer the opponent is to Fox and can deal up to 21%. It can meteor smash, but it is hardly noticeable at lower percents due to its very weak power. While not the best choice for spiking a foe, it does a good amount of damage, and if the whole move connects right before landing on the stage, it easily allows an up-tilt, grab, or Up Smash for KOing.

Grabs & throws

• Pummel - Knees the opponent. 1% damage each.
• Standing grab - Grabs opponent by the neck.
• Dash grab - Halts with one foot and grabs, somewhat predictable.
• Pivot grab - Great as he can boost grab, and has a long grab range.
• Forward throw - Punches the opponent forward. 7% damage.
• Back throw - Throws opponent backward and shoots them with his Blaster. Can be avoided using DI. Up to 8% damage.
• Up throw - Throws opponent up and shoots them with his Blaster. Can be avoided using DI. Up to 8% damage.
• Down throw - Slams opponent on the ground and shoots them three times with his blaster. 9% damage. Can be followed up with either a forward aerial at low percentages on certain characters or an up aerial on all characters.

Taunts

• Up: Fox charges fire and says "Here I come!". This taunt can be used for faking Fox's Up Special.
• Down: Like in Melee, Fox backs up, bends down a bit, and says "Come on!", although it seems faster.
• Side: Fox throws his blaster around himself, watches it flip, and catches it.

On-screen appearance

• Ejects from an Arwing.

In competitive play

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Character Matchups

Avg.

Role in The Subspace Emissary

An Arwing is seen engaging the battleship Halberd, but is soon struck and begins to fall toward it. This causes Kirby and Zelda/Peach to be blown overboard in its wake.

It is later shown that the Arwing crash-landed at the edge of a jungle, near a lake. Diddy Kong discovers the Arwing, but Rayquaza rises from the lake and territorially attacks the Arwing with an Energy Ball setting it aflame. As Diddy is snatched up by the provoked Pokémon, Fox is ejected from the cockpit of the burning Arwing and proceeds to effortlessly rescue Diddy from the clutches of the serpentine Pokémon using his Fox Illusion and Reflector.

Fox in the SSE

After the two defeat the giant Pokémon, Fox attempts to leave, but is dragged back by Diddy and follows him deeper into the jungle. Soon, they fight a Shadowbug clone of Bowser and defeat it. Suddenly, the real Bowser fires his Dark Cannon at them, and Fox barely dodges the shot. Although Diddy is eager to fight Bowser, Fox knows that they can't survive against his Dark Cannon, so he grabs Diddy and jumps off a cliff.

After recovering from the fall and quickly making their way through The Swamp, they are ambushed by Bowser again, who succeeds in turning Diddy into a trophy. Bowser then attempts to turn Fox into a trophy, but he manages to dodge the shot, so Bowser sends some Shadowbugs to clone Diddy's trophy, outnumbering Fox. Falco suddenly appears out of nowhere in his Arwing and saves Fox from Bowser by destroying his Dark Cannon, forcing Bowser to escape. The Diddy clone begins to absorb more Shadowbugs, becoming gigantic as a result. Fox uses the opportunity to revive the real Diddy, and the three fight the clone. After Falco unwillingly joined the group, they find a ship carrying Donkey Kong's trophy to a floating island. The Great Fox suddenly appears, and as Falco and Diddy attempt to free DK, Fox plans to take down the Halberd with the Great Fox.

The Great Fox duels with the Halberd, but it ends up getting carried away by it, gets crashed into a mountain, and flies away in smoke. Later on, as Peach and Sheik are making their escape after Snake frees them, Fox is seen attacking the Halberd again in his Arwing. During the fire-fight, some of the Arwing's blasters hit dangerously close to Peach. Sheik does a very high range teleport on top of the Arwing and breaks open the cockpit. Both Sheik and Fox fall out of the Arwing and on the Halberd deck. They start running towards each other at high speeds and just before they break into a fight, Peach randomly offers them a cup of tea. Although Fox is shocked by this, when Sheik accepts hers, he accepts his as well. Just as they do, a group of Shadowbug Mr. Game & Watches fall from the Halberd's cockpit and form into Duon. The three are joined by Lucario and Snake (who knocked them down there in the first place), as well as Falco who arrives on another Arwing, and defeat the monster. Duon leaves behind the real Mr. Game & Watch's trophy as it disappears. Fox prepares to blast the trophy, but Peach approaches it and revives Mr. Game & Watch. Fox joins the rest of the heroes in the assault on the Subspace Gunship and the attack on Tabuu although he would be one of the many heroes to be transformed into trophies by Tabuu. However, like the other heroes, his trophy could be found and be revived in Subspace.

Exclusive Stickers

The following stickers can either be only used by Fox, or by a select few characters including Fox:

• Fox (Star Fox Command): [Tail] Attack +18
• Fox (Star Fox Adventures): [Arm, Leg] Attack +15
• Wolf: [Arm, Leg] Attack +15
• Pigma: [Arm] Attack + 7
• Krystal (Star Fox Adventures): [Electric] Attack +28
• ROB: [Electric] Resistance +15
• Krystal (Star Fox Command): [Energy] Attack +12
• Falco (Star Fox Command): [Energy] Attack +14
• Fox (Star Fox 64): [Energy] Attack +18
• Fox (Star Fox: Assault): [Energy] Attack +33
• Arwing: [Leg] Attack + 6
• Falco (Star Fox Adventures): [Specials: Indirect] Attack +11
• Wolfen (Star Fox 64): [Tail] Attack +16
• Krystal (Star Fox: Assault): [Tail] Attack +17
• Panther: [Tail] Attack +18
• Miniature Dachshund: [Tail] Attack +28
• Wolfen (Star Fox: Assault): [Tail] Attack +30
• Falco (Star Fox 64): [Weapon] Attack +11
• Andrew: Launch Resistance + 7

Costume Gallery

File:Alt-fox3.jpg

Fox's changeable clothing in SSBB

Trivia

• Fox holds the world record for Co-Op Target Smash!! Level 3 with Pit (completed in 4.03 seconds).
• The early trailers of Super Smash Bros. Brawl featured Fox constantly holding his blaster, instead of holstering it as usual.
• If Fox uses a fair during a "Mini Light Brawl", the momentum created by the fair actually causes him to float upward.

External links

• Fox's page at Smash Bros. Dojo!!
• Fox Character Guide at SWF
• Fox's Moves - History Behind Super Smash Bros. Brawl, by CrappyCaptureDevice