Little Mac (SSB4)

Little Mac in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Punch-Out!!
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Giga Mac

“	Little Mac Punches In!	”
—Introduction Tagline

Little Mac (リトル・マック, Little Mac) is a newcomer in Super Smash Bros. 4. He was revealed on February 13th, 2014 during a Nintendo Direct, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Punch Out!! franchise, which had debuted in Japan that month in 1984. He has a special mechanic known as the Power Meter, which reaches different levels of charge. When it has fully charged, Little Mac can unleash an extremely powerful uppercut, claimed by Masahiro Sakurai to have the power to OHKO opponents. While he has extremely proficient fighting abilities on the ground, he has very poor aerial abilities, being told in the trailer by Doc Louis that he "ain't no air fighter", and Sakurai later stating such on Miiverse. Little Mac additionally has short jumps and a poor recovery. Little Mac has alternate costumes in the form of "Wireframe Mac" based on the protagonist from the original arcade version of Punch-Out!!, whom the player saw from a first person perspective; this makes Little Mac the only character with more than 8 palette swaps in Super Smash Bros. 4, with 16. When in wireframe form, Little Mac's voice is gone, replaced by 8-bit noises.

Attributes

As advertised in his trailer, Little Mac is a wildly polarized character. With blinding speed in both movement and ground attacks, super armor or invincibility frames on several attacks, and multiple KO moves, he possesses a powerful ground game. This is counteracted by Little Mac's air game, which is unarguably the worst in the game. Due to this, he has a high learning curve, being extremely difficult to play correctly even when used by an experienced player, as one wrong move in the air can cost him his stock.

Little Mac's grounded game is one to be feared, with largely lagless moves and long-ranged dodges. His jab and tilts all have great reach and killing power (most notably his forward tilt), and Mac's smash attacks all produce heavy knockback on the ground (with a semi-spiking down smash) and benefit from super armour.

Little Mac's special moves have utility and great KO potential as well. Straight Lunge gives him super armor while charging, making it an unorthodox method of fighting against projectiles. Jolt Haymaker gives Little Mac full immunity to projectiles and attacks and can be used at any time, making this an excellent approach option. Rising Uppercut can shock opponents that do not expect him to leave the ground, though it is pitiful as a recovery move. He also possesses a counter in Slip Counter, and can use it to give himself some breathing space while aiding his landing. Unique to him his Power Meter, which builds from dealing or taking damage. When this is full, Little Mac can perform the KO Uppercut, a ferocious attack that, though with significant ending lag if missed, is capable of KOing as low as 30% when used on the ground. Even if he doesn't unleash it, the mere sight of the flashing KO icon may be enough to deter approaches, making it a useful mindgame.

Unfortunately, to compensate for his dominance on the ground, Little Mac has one glaring flaw: a horridly pathetic air game. His aerials are all extraordinarily weak with wretchedly short reach and KO potential, making Little Mac easy to juggle, as he has no options to protect himself while in the air. However, there is one exception: his neutral air is surprisingly fast, combos into itself, and traps opponents in hitstun, allowing him to drag his opponent back onto the ground into a jab or perform intricate combos that can gimp opponents. His special moves also become considerably less effective when used in midair, with a large decrease in power or distance, and are perhaps the worst recovery moves in the entire Smash series. Rising Uppercut gives very little vertical distance and no horizontal momentum and does not sweetspot the edge until the end of the move; Jolt Haymaker moves Mac a negligible amount of horizontal distance while also causing helplessness. Additionally, it does not stop at the edge when used on the ground, making him infamous for getting baited into using it and leaping off the edge for a self-destruct.

Because of Mac's inability to hold a dogfight, his moveset is cut by half as his only reliable attacks are grounded. Additionally, as Little Mac cannot hold back spacing and camping options in the air, he has a predictable approach, making opponents with great reach deadly. Little Mac's recovery is also hampered as he has low jumps, poor aerial physics, and no good recovery moves. Little Mac is noticeably susceptible to grabs, which are easy to land on a fighter that must always stay in melee range, and can send him into the air where he is powerless to prevent every followup imaginable. Tether grabs, in specific, can be very deadly.

In essence, Little Mac is one of the more fear-inducing characters in the game when handled properly - that is, kept on the ground for as long as possible, and brought down to the ground whenever possible.

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2%	Two jabs, followed by a series of rapid punches ending with an uppercut. Has very good knockback for a jab.
			2%
			7%
			1% (loop), 3% (last)
Forward tilt			4% (hit 1), 8% (hit 2)	Two jabs, the second of which has moderate knockback.
Up tilt			9%	Swipes his fist above his head.
Down tilt			8%	Punches along the ground. This move pops opponents up into the air.
Dash attack			10%	A swinging overhead punch.
Forward smash	↗		19% (hand), 17% (arm)	A straight punch. When angled, produces significantly different attacks: angling up is an uppercut with vertical knockback, while angling down is a body hook that does more damage but much less knockback. All three variants have super armor powerful enough to shrug off the Home-Run Bat's smash attack (Fully charged).
	→		19% (hand), 17% (arm)
	↘		22%
Up smash			20% (clean), 15% (late)	Punches above himself. The first frame of the attack has a powerful sweetspot.
Down smash			12%	Punches in front of and behind himself along the ground. Weak compared to his other smashes, but is a semi-spike.
Neutral aerial			2%	A short jab angled downwards. A very weak attack that can be used to edgeguard off stage with limited efficacy. However, its incredible speed allows it to be used in intricate combos.
Forward aerial			5% (hand), 4% (arm)	A swinging punch forwards.
Back aerial			6% (hand), 4% (arm)	A swinging backhand punch behind himself.
Up aerial			5% (hand), 4% (arm)	A sweeping punch upwards.
Down aerial			5% (hand), 4% (arm)	Punches downwards. The middle hitbox is a meteor smash, though it is the most ineffective Meteor Smash in the game.
Grab			—
Pummel			2.1%	A body shot.
Forward throw			4% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	Punches the opponent forwards.
Back throw			4% (hit 1), 5% (throw)	Turns around with the opponent and uppercuts them.
Up throw			4% (hit 1), 3% (throw)	Quickly uppercuts the opponent.
Down throw			4% (hit 1), 5% (throw)	Smashes the opponent's head with both fists.
Floor attack (front)			7%
Floor attack (back)			7%
Floor attack (trip)			5%
Edge attack			7%
Neutral special	Default	Straight Lunge	14%/12%/9% (uncharged ground), 25%/20% (fully charged ground), 10%/7% (uncharged air), 15% (fully charged air), 35% (KO ground), 13% (KO air)	A chargeable, dashing punch. If the Power Meter is fully charged, turns into the KO Uppercut instead. This attack has powerful super armor and high endlag when fully charged.
	Custom 1	Flaming Straight Lunge	1.5%/3% (uncharged ground loop/last), 1.8%/6% (fully charged ground loop/last), 1.2%/3% (uncharged air loop/last), 1.4%/5% (fully charged air loop/last), 35% (KO ground), 13% (KO air)	Charges faster and deals multiple hits. It also inflicts fire damage.
	Custom 2	Stunning Straight Lunge	10%/7% (uncharged ground), 20%/18% (fully charged ground), 8%/5% (uncharged air), 12% (fully charged air), 35% (KO ground), 13% (KO air)	Travels farther and faster, can paralyze targets when fully charged.
Side special	Default	Jolt Haymaker	14%	A lunging overhand punch similar in appearance to a Superman punch. It propels Mac quite a distance and can dodge any projectile while he is in the air. When used in the air, its distance and speed are much shorter and slower, respectively. It is advised not to use this attack around the edge of a stage, since it sends him into helplessness.
	Custom 1	Grounding Blow	9%	Has a much higher leap compared to the Jolt Haymaker and buries opponents into the ground if done on land. While in air, it will result in a meteor smash if it connects with an opponent. It has great vertical height that is compensated by its lack of horizontal movement, making it a better recovery somewhat. It is also much safer to use near the edge due to the movement.
	Custom 2	Guard Breaker	18%	Distance and speed are much shorter and slower, respectively. However, it is unblockable and powerful.
Up special	Default	Rising Uppercut	1% (loop), 3% (last)	A corkscrewing vertical punch. When used on the ground, it goes much higher, moves more horizontally and deals more damage. Conversely, it is worse overall when used in the air.
	Custom 1	Tornado Uppercut	3%/4%	Travels farther, but does less damage and knockback. A gust of wind shoves back opponents on the ground. The aerial version's distance is comparable to the Rising Uppercut's ground distance.
	Custom 2	Rising Smash	16% (hit 1), 4% (hit 2)	Does much more damage and knockback, but travels even less far and has a lot of start up and ending lag.
Down special	Default	Slip Counter	1.3x (min 10%)	Dodges backward to avoid a hit, then counterattacks with an invincible uppercut. In the air, this can be used to either give him a better recovery or hinder him due to its slide and the direction his opponent is at.
	Custom 1	Compact Counter	1.3x (min 4%)	Less damage and knockback, but is faster overall and also provides him with a faster recovery overall as well. Can be used to initiate follow-ups.
	Custom 2	Dash Counter	1.3x (min 7%)	Dashes forwards upon countering, giving him a far better recovery than before if used in the air.
Final Smash		Giga Mac	—	Transforms Little Mac into Giga Mac, which is even more powerful than his normal form. Some attacks with Giga Mac can One-Hit KO opponents at full charge (Namely his fully charged forward smash angled up).

Taunts

• Up taunt: Turns his back to the screen, bends down, then raises his fist triumphantly. Doc Louis occasionally says "Hit 'em, baby!".
• Side taunt: Adjusts his boxing gloves while crossing his fists and scoffing. Doc Louis occasionally says "Let 'em have it, Mac!".
• Down taunt: Performs a series of punches while facing the screen. Doc Louis occasionally says "Show 'em what you've got, Mac, baby!".

Update history

1.0.4

• Neutral attack 2 damage: 3% → 2%
• Neutral attack 3 damage: 8% → 7%
• Forward tilt hit 1 hitbox 2 x-offset: -5.0 → -3.8
• Forward tilt hit 2 hitbox 1 x-offset: -5.0 → -3.8
• Neutral aerial SDI multiplier: 1.0 → 2.0

1.0.6

• Jolt Haymaker deals more knockback.

Power Meter

As stated in the introduction, Little Mac has a Power Meter, that when fully charged, replaces his neutral special with a new, one-shot attack.

• Neutral Special: KO Uppercut; an extremely powerful uppercut that can KO opponents at low damages, though the higher the weight, the more damage is needed to KO them (characters can be KO'd as low as 12%). The attack has drastically lower knockback and damage when used in the air, and it cannot kill unless the opponent has at least around 150% damage.
• The meter charges both by hitting enemies with Mac's attacks and getting hit by their attacks. When Little Mac is attacked, it is double to quadruple the amount he would if he would hit an opponent.

Trophies

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS + WIIU. trophy descriptions

Little Mac's regular trophy can be obtained by completing Classic Mode with him and his alternative trophy can be obtained by completing All-Star mode with him.

Little Mac

NA: This little boxer from the Punch-Out!! series makes up in heart what he lacks in height. He wasn't afraid to take on the boxing champs, and he's not afraid of the Nintendo stars. In Smash Bros., he packs a serious punch. When his KO Meter fills up, wade in and trigger a devastating uppercut.

PAL: The little guy from Punch-Out!! has come a long way since his humble beginnings fighting the almost literal boxing giants. Above his damage display, you'll notice he has a little meter that fills up as he fights. When it's full, you'll see a flashing "KO" there. That means you can unleash a devastating uppercut!

Little Mac (Alt.)

NA: No matter his opponent, Little Mac always puts his best fist forward. He enters a charge state before unleashing his Straight Lunge special and can unleash it while charging by pressing the button again. He won't flinch while charging. At max charge, the launching power of this move is scary!

PAL: Little Mac always puts his best fist forward, especially when you use Straight Lunge! You start by charging, then unleash the punch whenever you press the button again. Charge it to the max and its launching power is formidable! Also, attacks won't make you flinch while you're charging or once you've fully charged the move.

Little Mac (Captain Rainbow)

NA: Wait. Is...is that Little Mac from Punch-Out!!? We'd heard he went to Mimin Island to train to become a world champion again, but it looks like he went a few too many rounds in the ring with those island mangoes. If you don't help him get back in shape, we might need to come up with a new name for him...

PAL: Wait a second. This is Little Mac? What happened to the "Little" part?! The star of Punch-Out!! clearly hasn't been keeping up with his training if he's ended up like this! Now that he's moved to Mimin Island, though, all hope is not lost. It's said wishes come true there - hopefully, that includes Mac's wish to get back to his former glory.

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• LittleMacAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Giga Mac

Gameplay Trailer

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In Event Matches

Solo Events

• Below the Belt: The player, as Mario, must protect a damaged Little Mac from a giant Little Mac.
• New Challengers 1: Little Mac is one of the seven opponents fought in this event, alongside Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Rosalina & Luma, Lucina, Bowser Jr., and Duck Hunt.
• No Mere Sparring Match: The player controls a Little Mac with boosted damage, and must defeat 3 other Little Macs in a stock battle.

Co-op Events

• Getting Healthy: Wii Fit Trainer and Little Mac must defeat Kirby and Pac-Man.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Artwork of Little Mac used on the website.

• 

  Little Mac's introduction picture.

• 

  Artwork of Little Mac from the 3DS version's boxart.

• 

  Wireframe Little Mac alternate costume.

• 

  Little Mac's amiibo.

• 

  The pic of the day shown during Little Mac's reveal.

• 

  Sweatshirt Little Mac alternate costume.

• 

  A second pic posted on the initial Miiverse post pointing out what happens when his Power Meter gets fully charged up.

• 

  Little Mac in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

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  Wireframe Little Mac punching Link.

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  Little Mac's charging punch attack.

• 

  Little Mac's special move Uppercut.

• 

  Using the uppercut on Sonic.

• 

  Little Mac begins to spin...

• 

  ...and finishes with an uppercut.

• 

  However, the move does not offer very strong recovery.

• Little Mac Counter.png

  His counterattack.

• 

  About to transform into Giga Mac.

• 

  His Final Smash, Giga Mac.

• 

  A jab.

• 

  His forward smash angled downward.

• 

  Dash attack.

• 

  Little Mac appearing to have been hit or getting Screen KO'd.

• 

  Little Mac facing the screen.

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  Punching with Villager.

• 

  A size comparison.

• 

  "Little Mac can deliver some solid punches while fighting on the ground."

• 

  "...However, he's not the strongest fighter while airborne."

• 

  Side by side with Samus.

• 

  With Diddy Kong.

• 

  The three different variations of Little Mac's forward smash.

• 

  A trophy depicting Little Mac in Captain Rainbow.

Trivia

• Little Mac's promotional poster image is a reference to both the arcade Punch-Out!!, and Punch-Out!! Wii, where Donkey Kong appeared as a hidden fighter. Coincidentally, he was revealed on the same day that Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was released in Japan.
• Samus's appearance in Little Mac's introduction trailer is a reference to an image of her and Little Mac on his Assist Trophy Character profile, with her questioning his ability to fight due to his small size (in the trailer, she pats his head and examines him from an angle, seeming to pose a similar question).
  • This was even further referenced in a picture that Sakurai posted on Miiverse.
• According to Masahiro Sakurai, Little Mac has the lowest online win ratio of all characters as of November 2014.
• In past versions of SSB4, whenever Little Mac grabs a Hammer, he will not properly hold the hammer as it will be on the side of him instead of between his hands. This was fixed in the 1.0.5 patch in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and in the 1.0.6 patch in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
• Oddly, Little Mac shares a few animations with Captain Falcon. This includes some of his poses when knocked back with a weak attack, swing animations for battering items such as the Beam Sword and Home Run Bat, being buried and while stunned.
• Upon closer inspection of Wireframe Mac's model in the Wii U version, it can be seen that he has a "mouth" of sorts.
• Little Mac has the most Alternate Costumes out of any fighter, with 16 instead of the standard 8 per character.
• As heard in his official newcomer trailer, Little Mac's pummel is referred to by Doc Louis as a "body blow", (a boxing term referring to a punch to the chest or stomach). However, if Little Mac uses this attack on tall characters (such as Marth and Zero Suit Samus) it humorously looks as if he is punching them in the groin.