Little Mac (SSB4)
- This article is about Little Mac's appearance inSuper Smash Bros. 4. For the character in other contexts, seeLittle Mac.
| Little Mac inSuper Smash Bros. 4 | |
|---|---|
   | |
| Universe | Punch-Out!! |
| Other playable appearance | inUltimate |
| Availability | Starter |
| Final Smash | Giga Mac |
| Tier | E (43) |
| “ | Little Mac Punches In! | ” |
| —Introduction Tagline | ||
Little Mac (リトル・マック,Little Mac) is a playable character and a newcomer inSuper Smash Bros. 4, making the jump from anAssist Trophy inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl to a fully playable fighter. Little Mac was revealed during aNintendo Direct on February 13th, 2014,[1] which coincided with the 30th anniversary of the North American release ofPunch-Out!![2] Instead of retainingBrawl's 3D version of his original design from the NES version ofPunch-Out!!, Little Mac now sports his updated design from theWii version ofPunch-Out!!.
Rather than Matt Harty, who voiced him in that game, or Hisao Egawa, who voiced him as an Assist Trophy inBrawl, Little Mac is voiced by Kōsuke Toriumi.
Little Mac is ranked 43rd out of 54 in thetier list, placing him in the E tier as the second lowest ranking mid-tier character. Little Mac's greatest strength is the sheer effectiveness of his ground game; in addition to his outstanding grounded mobility, hightraction, and fast/long-ranged dodges, he possesses the overall fastest grounded moveset. By extension, Little Mac's grounded moveset is very potent in regard to both offense and defense: his respectable combo potential, overall high damage output, and outstanding KO power make him very threatening, whereas hisanti-rebounding priority and superarmor enable him to go toe-to-toe against incoming attacks.[3] Lastly, his uniquePower Meter allows him to quickly gain an advantage by KOing with a well-positionedKO Uppercut at very low percentages with the help of a combo or read.
However, Little Mac's notoriously awful aerial attributes give him little to no defense when airborne.[3] His poor aerial mobility and minimal utility of his aerial attacks makes attempting aerial combat extremely risky, while his status as afast-falling lightweight with lowjumps and a weakrecovery make him glaringly susceptible togimping,juggling,edge-guarding, and combos, each of which can result in him being KO'd early on. Despite its effectiveness, Little Mac's ground game is not fundamentally perfect. Aside from his downward angled forward smash and sweetspotted up smash, the remainder of his attacks deal minimalshield damage and generally lackshieldstun. Little Mac's unimpressive size also results in the majority of his moveset'srange being short; this not only leaves him disadvantaged against characters that have disjointed ranges and/or projectiles, but also results in a linearneutral game. While his rolls cover a great distance, they provide a very poor amount ofintangibility frames, and can move Little Mac significantly farther than needed- making this a rather commital option. With his gameplan centered around ground movement, having a very wide and flawedroll limits Little Mac's safe movement options.
Overall, Little Mac's strong ground game is not enough to compensate for his weaknesses, and has resulted in him maintaining only an average level of representation. Despite this, Little Mac has managed to achieve some success:Destany has won several local tournaments, whileSol,Vash,Alphicans andpu55yk1ng have each achieved a handful of respectable placings at regional and national tournaments.
Attributes[edit]
Little Mac is alightweight whose name is somewhat of a misnomer regarding his size. While he is rather small in relation to the majority of realistically proportioned characters inSSB4, he is of average size among the entire cast. This, in turn, helps and hinders Mac; his size can make him a somewhat difficult target to hit, and results in hisdash's animation allowing him to "pseudo-crouch" under many attacks with high hitboxes or certain projectiles, such asHadoken and unchargedWater Shuriken. Conversely, it also results in the overwhelming majority of his moves having a shortrange, which makesspacing essential for him to avoid gettingpunished.
As mentioned within his reveal trailer, Little Mac performs strongly on the ground, but poorly in the air,[3] with his mobility being measured in a way that reflects this polarization. Little Mac has the eighth fastestwalking speed; the third fastestdashing speed; and is tied withZero Suit Samus andWario for the third highesttraction. Altogether, these attributes give him arguably the bestout of shield game of the entire cast. Hissidestep androlls are also the fastest in the game, with the latter also being long-distance; these attributes in particular make it easy for Little Mac to punish grounded attacks, even those with quick start-up lag.
Little Mac's below-averagegravity and fastfalling speed also give him exceptional vertical endurance for a lightweight, while his fastair dodge (surpassed only byMewtwo's) and highwall jump (surpassed only byLucario's) give him decent protection against edge-guarders so long as he is near the stage. Aside from his averageair speed, however, the remainder of Little Mac's aerial traits are infamously sub-par: hisjump is tied withRyu's as the fourth lowest; hisdouble jump is tied withGanondorf's as the third lowest; and hisair acceleration is the second slowest. Due to these latter attributes, Mac must stay on the ground whenever possible.
Little Mac's greatest strength is his incredibly useful ground game. None of his grounded moves have more than 15 frames of start-up, whereas only his up smash has more than 30 frames of ending lag. Little Mac's neutral attack, in particular, is tied withZero Suit Samus's for the fastest in the game, thanks to it hitting on frame 1. All of his grounded moves also boast impressive utility in certain ways.Jab canceled neutral attack, up tilt, and down tilt are great combo starters, the latter of which is especially effective thanks to its below-average knockback and vertical launching angle, allowing it to combo into any move aside from a grab, back aerial, down aerial, orStraight Lunge.
Despite being a lightweight, Little Mac boasts outstanding KO potential,[3] largely thanks to his smash attacks' impressive damage outputs and high knockback scaling. Alongside being very fast for their power, his smash attacks also possess distinct perks. Forward smash can be angled, with its downward angle being very potent at pressuring shields. Up smash can function as an anti-air attack, and its sweetspot also deals heavy shield damage. Lastly, down smash is asemi-spike with rather long range, allowing it to easilyedge-guard against careless recoveries.
In addition to their speed and strength, Little Mac's grounded moves are almost impossible to interrupt. His neutral and tilt attacks boastanti-rebounding priority, preventing any of Little Mac's tilt attacks from clanking with opposing grounded moves that are within priority range. As this also cancels out the opponent's attack and forces them into a rebounding animation, Little Mac can contest head-on against most opposing ground attacks, while allowing him to punish opponents immediately due to the speed of his own attacks. Additionally, Little Mac's smash attacks boastsuper armor for a respectable duration during their use, despite the hitboxes having standard priority. This allows Mac to effectivelytank an opponent's attack as a unique way ofpunishing them.[3] All of these traits make him arguably the most challenging opponent to deal with on the ground.
Little Mac's special moves have fairly respectable utility.Straight Lunge gains distance as it is charged, boasts very high power, and grants damage-based launch resistance when it is sufficiently charged, allowing him to tank minimally damaging attacks and retaliate immediately afterward. It can also be used as a situational move mid-match to enforce a poor approach or input from a reckless opponent, with it notably giving Mac the ability to escape certain combo moves such asWitch Twist. However, Straight Lunge's very slow speed and considerable ending lag through all charge levels limit its usage, making it easily intercepted in almost every other case.Jolt Haymaker propels Mac with a leap that travels far, can be unleashed on command, and grantsintangibility during start-up, making it ideal fortech-chasing, re-positioning, and escaping or punishing laggier moves. Despite this, it does not stop at an edge upon performing it, which can inadvertently lead to aself-destruct if used near an edge.
Rising Uppercut grants brief intangibility upon start-up, and covers a fairly long amount of vertical distance if used on the ground. Its extremely fast start-up and initial intangibility also allow Little Mac to use it out of even the smallest pause between an opponent's combos, potentially shifting momentum in his favor. When these traits are coupled with its last hit's extremely high knockback scaling, it is deceptively potent from out of shield, and is his most reliable aerial KOing option.Slip Counter is the overall fastestcounterattack in the game, which makes it great for escaping pressure, especially aerial combos. It is also one of the few counterattacks that slides a distance before attacking; this enables Little Mac to not only close a gap between himself and an opponent, but also results in it having potential as a horizontal recovery option.
Lastly, thePower Meter is a mechanic unique to Little Mac.[3] It is a visible meter that charges by either dealing at least 333% (assuming the player is never hit), or receiving at least 100%.[3] When it is fully charged, Straight Lunge is replaced by theKO Uppercut, which is strong enough to KO any character at roughly 30%.[3] When coupled with it beingunblockable (except onWitch Time), its fast start-up, and its ability to be used as a follow-up from his tilts for almost guaranteed KO combos, KO Uppercut can easily turn the tide of a match when it is used successfully. However, it is lost after holding it for 4 seconds and then beingtumbled by any move (exceptfootstool jumping), which enforces quick and precise use. KO Uppercut also has considerable ending lag, regardless of whether or not it hits. As a result, it is unarguably one of the riskiest, yet most rewarding attacks in the entire series.
Despite his impressive strengths, Little Mac is held back by two very easily exploitable weaknesses. The most serious and notorious of the two is hisrecovery.[3] As mentioned earlier, Little Mac's aerial mobility is arguably the worst inSSB4, as his very fast falling speed makesmeteor smashes, semi-spikes, and even footstool jumps capable of almost instantaneouslygimping him, even if he is undamaged and especially if he cannot use his double jump. His special moves also receive drastic downgrades when used in the air, further worsening his air game. Straight Lunge loses its long distance and high power to the point where it cannot KO even well beyond 150%, and suffers from drastically higher ending lag, to the point where one would not be able to recover even after jumping from the edge of a stage and using it. By extension, KO Uppercut loses the majority of its power to the point that it only KOs around 150%. Jolt Haymaker loses half of its momentum and start-up intangibility, Rising Uppercut loses half of its distance, and Slip Counter's counterattack loses its intangibility. His main recovery options, Rising Uppercut and Jolt Haymaker, can be easily gimped. Jolt Haymaker barely travels any distance in the air and leaves him in a fall state, rendering him useless and most likely toself-destruct. Rising Uppercut does not travel that much vertical distance and doesn't really allow much horizontal influence.
Even though Jolt Haymaker and Rising Uppercut are Little Mac's two most effective KOing options in the air, they are very poor as recovery options: their overall travel distances are very minimal; they have smalledge sweetspots; and they lack invincibility frames until they conclude. These traits result in Mac being unable to grab an edge unless he is directly beside it, and an opponent being able to launch him away before he grabs on, even if his arm pokes above the edge. Despite having an excellent wall jump, it is overwhelmingly dependent on the stage being used, while Mac's subpar aerial mobility makes it difficult to fully take advantage of it in most cases. While Straight Lunge and Slip Counter can also be used as recovery options, they are very situational (especially the former) and require extremely precise timing in order to be properly used for recovering. Unsurprisingly, these traits collectively result in Little Mac having the most difficulty recovering out of any character in the game, which in turn results in him being commonly cited as having the overall worst recovery in the game.
Furthermore, Little Mac has an infamously weak air game.[3] All of his aerial attacks—except for his up aerial—canauto-cancel with a short hop, while each one has certain perks: neutral aerial can potentially initiate intricate combos[4], forward and back aerials are semi-spikes, up aerial is a fast anti-air attack, and down aerial is the fastestmeteor smash in the game. However, his air game is overwhelmingly offset by his aerials' relatively high landing lag, very short ranges, and abysmal power, which results in Mac's aerial moveset having the lowest damage output in the game. These factors make him an easy target in the air, as he has no means of defending himself outside of point-blank range. This is further compounded by the fact that none of his aerials make the opponents reliably flinch until medium to high percents. Additionally, Little Mac's down aerial is unable to reliably meteor smash opponents until around very high percents, while its sweetspot only lasts for 1 frame. Unsurprisingly, Mac has no way of reliably KOing in the air without Jolt Haymaker, Rising Uppercut, or, in extreme cases, Slip Counter, all of which are very likely to result in inevitablesacrificial KOs if used off-stage.
Little Mac's low endurance and vulnerability to combos further compound his weak air game. While his below-average gravity and fast falling speed give him high vertical endurance for a character of his weight class, they also make him extremely susceptible to combos and juggling. The super armor granted by Little Mac's smash attacks is also a double-edged sword, as tanking an attack nevertheless results in Mac receiving damage. As a result, Little Mac can be very prone to momentum shifts, as his underwhelming aerial presence can allow opponents to combo him very easily, and in some extreme situations,zero-to-death him with a single attack or combo even if he has been dominating the entire match. These issues are what force Little Mac to almost always stay grounded, as he cannot afford to be trapped within aerial combos and dragged off-stage just for initiating an aerialapproach.
Little Mac is also the character most adversely affected bystale-move negation and projectiles. As only his grounded moves possess respectable levels of utility, Mac may find his KOing options scoring KOs later than usual compared to other powerhouses. By extension, his dependence on being grounded leaves him comparatively vulnerable to ground-level projectiles when he is not using his fast dodges and Jolt Haymaker to avoid them. With all of these points taken into account, Little Mac's polarized playstyle makes him the most notoriously affected by stages, with several competitively legal stages being highlycampable by opponents, or too risky for him to maneuver simply because of the existence of platforms.
Even though Little Mac's ground game is immensely effective, not all areas of it are perfect. Aside from his downward angled forward smash and sweetspotted up smash, none of Little Mac's other moves deal extrashield damage, making it deceptively difficult to get free punishes on opponents who overuse their shield. Neutral attack, up tilt, and dash attack are particularly prone to this, as they lack hitlag and have just enough ending lag to be punished from out of shield. Characters withcounterattacks can also be detrimental to Little Mac, as a countered smash attack is often enough to be fatal because of the high power of his smash attacks. However, the super armor granted by up and down smashes lasts long enough to endure quicker counterattacks, such as forward-heldVision.
Despite having throws with passable damage outputs and a fairly fast pummel, Little Mac's overall grab range is tied withCloud's for the third shortest among the cast. The ending lag and knockback values of his throws also render them unreliable for KOing and, under normal circumstances, starting combos. Down throw can combo into aerial Jolt Haymaker for damage, or Rising Uppercut to potentially score a KO, but both can be avoided with DI. In comparison, forward throw can combo into a dash attack orJolt Haymaker, but only if the opponent misses atech. As such, Little Mac's throws are generally only used to deal damage, as he cannot add any grab options that can truly give him the upper hand when an opponent is shielding.
Little Mac has several potentially usefulcustom moves at his disposal. True to its name, Flaming Straight Lunge is aflaming variation that also hits multiple times and is a semi-spike that charges almost twice as quickly, but is considerably weaker and covers less distance. Stunning Straight Lunge is anelectrical variation that travels farther and faster than Straight Lunge, but at the cost of damage and launch resistance. Grounding Blow moves higher and canbury grounded opponents or meteor smash aerial opponents, but its lower power and downward momentum make it much less effective for recovering. Tornado Uppercut grants more distance, improving his recovery at the cost of removing one of his only aerial KOing options. Compact Counter is weaker and faster, opening up opportunities for follow-ups, but lacks the default version's immense power andone-hit KO potential, and Dash Counter is a double-edged sword, since its added momentum can either greatly help or greatly hinder his recovery. It should be noted, however, that none of these moves is unarguably better than Little Mac's default special moves. As such, the best option depends entirely on the player's preference.
Ultimately, Little Mac's optimal playstyle requires the player to fight akin to a boxer: keeping constant control of the middle of the stage, effectively reacting to the slightest openings, minimizing any damage taken with his extreme ground mobility, and staying out of the air as much as possible. Little Mac has just as many strengths as he does weaknesses, though the sheer level of polarization can render his potential as deceptively difficult to use to the fullest despite his straightforward fighting style. This is most apparent with a single mistake usually being enough to completely shut down his momentum, which thus forces him to optimize every recovery and opening.
Update history[edit]
Little Mac has received a mix of buffs and nerfs, both direct and indirect, via game updates. Update1.0.4 noticeably nerfed his recovery and the utility of his neutral aerial. In comparison, update1.0.6 increasedJolt Haymaker's knockback to the point of making it a reliable KOing option, even when stale. However, the changes to shield mechanics brought about in updates1.1.0 and1.1.1 have also affected Little Mac for the better, as they improve his ability to pressure shields.
Little Mac was further buffed in update1.1.4, in which the damage outputs of his smash attacks were increased. While their knockback was compensated, their increased damage outputs make them even more devastating on hit than they already were, as well as safer on shield. In particular, Little Mac's downward angled forward smash now possesses enough shieldstun that, when followed up with his down or forward tilts, can result in a combo that breaks shields even at full health. Aside from these changes, his up tilt's start-up was decreased by 1 frame while its duration was increased by 1 frame, which effectively removed the blind spot it had near the front of his torso.
Overall, Little Mac's ground game has been improved, making his most dominant trait even more imposing. However, the worsening of his already abysmal recovery has resulted in it becoming even more exploitable.
The period Little Mac can be at his maximum fall speed before using hard landing lag has been shortened: 4 → 3 frames.- End of roll intangibility: frame 17 → 15.
- All hits of neutral attack except the first deal less damage: 3% → 2% (second), 8% → 7% (third), 1% → 0.7% (infinite).
Due to their lower damage, neutral attack's second hit and infinite connect better into the following hits.
The first hitbox of forward tilt's each hit has a lower X-offset: -5 → -3.8- Neutral aerial's SDI multiplier increased: 1x → 2x.
- AerialJolt Haymaker's distance decreased by 10% and its speed decreased.
- AerialKO Uppercut's duration decreased: frames 9-13 → 9-12.
- Jolt Haymaker and Grounding Blow's knockback increased: 25 (base)/95 (scaling) → 33/98.
- Neutral infinite finisher's start-up lag decreased: frame 6 → 5.
- Straight Lunge improved. Its fully charged start-up lag decreased: frame 7 → 6, its early hit's duration increased: frame 123 → 123-125 and its late hits' durations increased: frames 42-45 (uncharged)/frames 133-153 (fully charged) → 42-49/133-157.
- Jolt Haymaker's duration increased: frames 8-13 → 8-15.
- Uncharged Stunning Straight Lunge deals 1% more damage: 10% → 11%.
- Fully charged Stunning Straight Lunge's knockback scaling increased: 60 → 70.
- Up tilt has less startup (frame 5 → 4) and lasts one more frame (6 frames → 7).
- Up tilt angle: 85° → 88°
- Forward smash deals 1% more damage: 19%/17% (up and side), 22% (down) → 20%/18%, 24% with compensated knockback (85/22 → 81/21).
- Up smash deals 1% more damage: 20%/15% → 21%/16% with compensated knockback (80/100 → 76/96)
- Down smash deals 1% more damage: 12% → 13% with compensated knockback (100 → 96).
Moveset[edit]
- Little Mac canwall jump.
For a gallery of Little Mac's hitboxes, seehere.
| Name | Damage | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral attack | Left Jab (左ジャブ) Right Hook (右フック) Left Uppercut (左アッパーカット) Rush (ラッシュ) Right Uppercut (右アッパーカット) | 2% | A jab, followed by a hook, followed by an uppercut. If either of the initial two hits connect with an opponent and the button is held or mashed, Little Mac will perform an extremely fast flurry of punches, followed by an uppercut. Due to it hitting on frame 1, it is tied withZero Suit Samus' neutral attack as the fastest neutral attack in the game, and is one of the fastest attacks of any kind, making it extremely useful as anout of shield option or to cover whiffed attacks. In addition to its speed, itsanti-rebounding priority enables it to out-prioritize attacks within priority range and go on uninterrupted, such as negatingFox Illusion's hitbox. Thanks to its outstanding speed and quick interruptibility, it can bejab canceled for almost guaranteed KOs at high percents, includingRising Uppercut andKO Uppercut, or pressure opponents to keep their shield up, which can lead toshield break combos. | |
| 2% | ||||
| 7% | ||||
| 0.7% (loop), 3% (last) | ||||
| Forward tilt | One-Two Punch (ワン・ツーパンチ) | 4% (hit 1), 8% (hit 2) | Aone-two combo. Due to it hitting on frame 4, it is the fastest forward tilt in the game. When coupled with its decent range, anti-rebounding priority, and its second hit's very high knockback scaling, it is a safe and very reliable KOing option at high percents. However, the first hit's hitbox on Mac's fist sends opponents at a higher launching angle, making the second hit whiff easily against aerial or falling opponents at high percentages. Its second hit KOs middleweights at 119%/108% while near the edge ofFinal Destination (3DS and Wii U, respectively). It is based on the one-two combo he usedas an Assist Trophy inBrawl. | |
| Up tilt | Anti-Air Knuckle (アンチエアナックル) | 9% | An overhead arcing backfist. It covers the entirety of Little Mac's body, which allows him to use it as a quick option to punish overhead attacks or rolls. It can also combo into itself and Rising Uppercut at low percents if the opponent is close to him. It can also function as a somewhat safe approach option when it ispivoted while dashing, thanks to its anti-rebounding priority. It resembles Don Flamenco's Twirling Backhand used during Title Defense Mode in the Wii version ofPunch-Out!!, albeit performed vertically instead of horizontally. | |
| Down tilt | Leg Blow (レッグブロー) | 8% | A crouchingshort straight-punch. Due to it hitting on frame 3, it is tied withLucas,Ness,Meta Knight, andR.O.B.'s down tilts as the fastest down tilt in the game. When coupled with it launching at 80°, its below average base knockback, and its below average knockback scaling, it is considered one of the best down tilts in the game. It can combo into almost all of his attacks, most notably itself, all smash attacks, forward aerial,Jolt Haymaker and KO Uppercut at low to medium percents, and Jolt Haymaker or Rising Uppercut at high percents. Like forward and up tilts, it has anti-rebounding priority. | |
| Dash attack | Hammer Punch (ハンマーパンチ) | 10% | A lungingoverhand. Its hitbox starts at frame 7, making it very fast. When coupled with its range and low ending lag, it can be used as a quick punishment option when an opponent is stuck in ending lag, and even combo into itself against heavyweights and fast-fallers. It also possesses KO potential at high percents near the edge. However, it is notoriously risky as an approach option because of it being extremely punishable on shield, especially when considering Little Mac's abysmal offstage endurance. | |
| Forward smash | ↗ | Smash Uppercut (スマッシュアッパーカット) Straight Smash (スマッシュストレート) Smash Body Hook (スマッシュボディフック) | 20% (hand),18% (arm) | Steps forward and throws one of three punch variations, depending on which angle thecontrol stick/circle pad is tilted. Due to its windbox hitting on frame 6, it is Little Mac's fastest smash attack, yet it also has respectable ending lag. However, as Little Mac steps forward to perform it, it can miss the opponent if they are touching him. Up: An uppercut. It launches opponents vertically and has the largest hitbox out of all three punch variations, which makes it the easiest to connect. At lower percents, it can combo into Rising Uppercut on heavyweights or fast-fallers if their reaction is read. The hand hitbox KOs middleweights at 101%/93% (3DS and Wii U, respectively), while the arm hitbox KOs at 113%/105% (3DS and Wii U, respectively). It also grants super armor on frames 8-15. It resembles Little Mac's Star Punch and One-Star Punch in the NES and Wii versions ofPunch-Out!!, respectively. Forward: A cross. It has the highest knockback scaling out of all three punch variations, which makes it the most reliable out of the three in regard to KOing. The hand hitbox KOs middleweights at 80%/65% near the edge of Final Destination (3DS and Wii U, respectively), while the arm hitbox KOs at 89%/76% (3DS and Wii U, respectively). When spaced correctly, it is safe on shield against slower characters. It also grants super armor on frames 8-15. It is based on the cross Little Mac hits King Hippo with during the cutscene in which he defeats Hippo in the Wii version ofPunch-Out!! Down: A body hook. It deals the most damage out of all three punch variations and does not possess a sourspot, but its extremely low knockback scaling makes it unusable for KOing. Its highshieldstun makes it safer on shield than the other two punch variations, and also makes it capable of breaking shields more reliably than any of Little Mac's other attacks. Due to its low knockback scaling, it can set up for a tech chase with an up smash, Jolt Haymaker or KO Uppercut. As of update 1.1.4, its deals enough damage and shieldstun to break full shields if a forward tilt is used immediately after it, and is notably tied as the most damaging forward smash in the game (alongsideGanondorf andKing Dedede's). It also grants super armor on frames 9-15. |
| → | 20% (hand),18% (arm) | |||
| ↘ | 24% | |||
| Up smash | Dynamite Uppercut (ダイナマイトアッパーカット) | 21% (clean),16% (late) | An uppercut. Its first frame has a sweetspot that possesses aflame effect and deals significant shield damage. Its sourspot also makes it useful for aerial protection, thanks to its respectable damage output, high knockback scaling, and hitbox placement. The sweetspot KOs middleweights at 93%/85% (3DS and Wii U, respectively), while the sourspot KOs at 102%/101% (3DS and Wii U, respectively). However, it has the highest amount of ending lag out of his grounded moves (35 frames), and its sourspot lacks super armor. Despite its appearance, it also only hits in front of Little Mac, although it possesses enough vertical range to hit opponents standing onBattlefield's lower platforms. | |
| Down smash | Swing Punch (スイングパンチ) | 13% | Spins 180° to throw a quick, downward angled hook in each direction. It is asemi-spike, hits on both sides, and has long range, although it has a blind spot near Little Mac's body. Like his other smash attacks, it grants super armor (frames 7-10 and 15-17). Unlike most down smashes, both of its hits have the same damage outputs and knockback values. All of these traits make it very reliable for edge-guarding, and difficult to punish. It KOs middleweights at 116%/104% (3DS and Wii U, respectively) while near the edge of Final Destination. If an opponent is hit by the hitbox on Mac's upper arm, it is possible to drag them into the second hit at low percents, although this is difficult to do. | |
| Neutral aerial | Weak-Handed Jab (苦手ジャブ) | 2% | A downward angled jab. Due to it hitting on frame 2, it is the fastest neutral aerial in the game. When coupled with its very minimal ending lag, it can be used as a combo breaker of sorts when in the air. It is also capable of dragging aerial opponents back to the ground, warding off an opponent standing at the edge when used after an edge jump, and can even start intricatefootstool jump combos. However, it is extremely risky because of its very short range and abysmal damage output with fixed knockback. | |
| Forward aerial | Weak-Handed Uppercut (苦手アッパーカット) | 5% (hand), 4% (arm) | A hook. It has slight start-up and a low damage output. It is a quick semi-spike, which makes it useful for edge-guarding, especially against characters with poor recoveries. However, its very short range makes this difficult to do so reliably. It can also be used as a follow-up from down tilt, although this can be rather unrewarding. At certain percents, it is possible to chain multiple forward aerials into an offstageJolt Haymaker as a KO combo, although this will result in aself-destruct regardless of the outcome. | |
| Back aerial | Weak-Handed Back Knuckle (苦手バックナックル) | 6% (hand), 4% (arm) | A backfist. Like forward aerial, it is a quick semi-spike that can be used either to edge-guard or fend off opponents. However, its hitbox does not last long, and its awkward hitbox position makes this difficult to do so reliably. | |
| Up aerial | Weak-Handed Jumping Punch (苦手ジャンピングパンチ) | 5% (hand), 4% (arm) | An upward arcing hook. Due to it hitting on frame 5, it is tied withLuigi's up aerial for the second fastest up aerial in the game, which makes it a somewhat useful aerial combo move. If used while near the ground, it can combo into up tilt and Rising Uppercut at high percents. However, its considerable ending lag and high landing lag makes it punishable if missed. It appears to be based on the jump Little Mac performs during his victory animation in the Wii version ofPunch-Out!! | |
| Down aerial | Weak-Handed Open Blow (苦手オープンブロー) | 5% (hand), 4% (arm) | A downward palm thrust. Due to it hitting on frame 7, it is tied withJigglypuff's down aerial as the fifth fastest down aerial in the game. When coupled with its middle hitbox being capable ofmeteor smashing, it is also the fastest meteor smash in the game. However, it is also the weakest meteor smash in the game, and thus extremely ineffective against anyone but fast-fallers unless Little Mac footstool jumps on the opponent immediately after. Experienced players can use it tojab reset opponents by short hopping and then hitting a floored opponent before finishing them with any of Little Mac's strongest attacks. | |
| Grab | Grab (つかみ) | — | Clinches the opponent. Due to his grabs' moderate ending lag and his overall grab range being tied withCloud's for the third shortest in the game due to having blindspots on Little Mac's arm and hand, so his grabs are among the most ineffective in the game. However, his pivot grab has longer range, which is useful and easy to perform thanks to his outstanding ground speed. Another option to alleviate his grab's poor range is to perform a roll cancel grab, which is a very useful tool to catch the opponent during unexpected combos. | |
| Pummel | Grab Body Blow (つかみボディブロー) | 2.1% | A short straight-punch. A fairly fast pummel. | |
| Forward throw | Head Blow (ヘッドブロー) | 4% (hit 1), 4% (throw) | Rears his arm back and throws an overhand. Its low knockback scaling can allow it to combo into dash attack orJolt Haymaker or at low percents if the opponent misses atech. Outside of this, its only other utility is dealing damage. | |
| Back throw | Turning Uppercut (ターニングアッパーカット) | 4% (hit 1), 5% (throw) | Spins the opponent around and throws an uppercut. It has the highest knockback scaling out of all of his throws, which allows it to reliably set up edge-guards. It is also Little Mac's only throw with KO potential, although it is unimpressive as a KOing option as it KOs middleweights at 176%/165% (3DS and Wii U, respectively) while near the edge of Final Destination. | |
| Up throw | Short Uppercut (ショートアッパーカット) | 4% (hit 1), 3% (throw) | An uppercut. It can lead into an aerial attack if the player reads the opponent's reaction correctly, although this is largely situational and unrewarding because of Mac's abysmal air game. When coupled with it being his least damaging throw, it is Little Mac's overall least useful throw. | |
| Down throw | Hammer Knuckle (ハンマーナックル) | 4% (hit 1), 5% (throw) | Adouble axe handle. It is a decent combo starter, as it can be followed up with a short-hopped Jolt Haymaker at 0%, or Rising Uppercut up to 200%, the latter of which is a KO combo. It can also combo into forward aerial at medium percents, which can then extend into down tilt for additional combos, or a down aeriallock if an opponent misses their tech. However, these combos are effective only if the opponent does not DI away. It appears to be based on King Hippo's Hippo Squeeze 'n Squash used during Title Defense Mode in the Wii version ofPunch-Out!! | |
| Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge | — | — | ||
| Techs | — | — | ||
| Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front) | 7% | Gets up while throwing a punch behind himself, then in front of himself. Very fast for a get-up attack. | ||
| Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back) | 7% | Gets up while throwing a punch in front of himself, then behind himself. | ||
| Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip) | 5% | Gets up while throwing a punch in front of himself, then behind himself. | ||
| Edge attack Edge getups | 7% | Throws a lunging punch while climbing up. | ||
| Neutral special | Default | Straight Lunge | 14%/12%/9% (uncharged grounded), 25%/20% (fully charged grounded), 10%/7% (uncharged aerial), 15% (fully charged aerial), 35% (grounded KO Uppercut), 13% (aerial KO Uppercut) | Rears his arm back and then throws a dashing cross. It is chargeable, grants minimalheavy armor while charging, and moves Little Mac forward.[3] Although it covers more distance the longer it is charged, its damage output does not increase unless it is fully charged. When fully charged on the ground, it is one of the strongest moves in the game; the fully charged early hitbox KOs middleweights at 42%/34% (3DS and Wii U, respectively) while near the edge of Final Destination. Due to having both a blind spot at its beginning and high ending lag, however, the fully charged version requires crucial positioning. If thePower Meter is fully charged, it becomes theKO Uppercut, an extremely fast and powerful uppercut.[3] Despite its name, is not a trueone-hit KO, but instead KOs at approximately 30%, while also granting super armor on frames 8-9. However, KO Uppercut possesses a relatively small hitbox, and a considerable amount of ending lag, making it punishable regardless if it hits or not, and the Uppercut is immediately lost if Little Mac holds it for 4 seconds and is then hit by any move that causes tumbling. |
| Custom 1 | Flaming Straight Lunge | 1.5%(2 total hits)/3% (uncharged grounded loop/last), 1.8%(6 total hits)/6% (fully charged grounded loop/last), 1.2%/3% (uncharged aerial loop/last), 1.4%/5% (fully charged aerial loop/last), 35% (grounded KO Uppercut), 13% (aerial KO Uppercut) | Aflaming version that charges significantly faster and hits multiple times at asemi spike angle. It can be used as for horizontal recovery if timed properly, but does not travel as far. Its looping hits also do not connect well at high percents. | |
| Custom 2 | Stunning Straight Lunge | 11%/7% (uncharged grounded), 20%/18% (fully charged grounded), 8%/5% (uncharged aerial), 12% (fully charged aerial), 35% (grounded KO Uppercut), 13% (aerial KO Uppercut) | Travels much farther (almost the full length ofFinal Destination when fully charged) and faster, andparalyzes targets when fully charged before its knockback activates. It also propels Little Mac forward with horizontal momentum if partially charged, giving him a relatively useful recovery option that does not render himhelpless. However, it deals slightly less damage and grants no heavy armor. | |
| Side special | Default | Jolt Haymaker | 14% | An overhand version of theSuperman punch. It can be used almost instantly by pressing the special button immediately after first pressing it. It propels Little Mac quite far,[3] to the point that it can allow him to leap over certain projectiles. The grounded version grantsintangibility during frames 5-8 when early, or frames 5-14 when used late. Thanks to its respectable damage output and high knockback scaling, it KOs middleweights at 103%/93% (3DS and Wii U, respectively) while near the edge of Final Destination. However, it is unwise to use this attack around the edge of a stage, since it renders Little Mac helpless. By extension, the aerial version is noticeably worse, as it lacks intangibility and covers less distance, especially if the punch is thrown early. |
| Custom 1 | Grounding Blow | 9% | Leaps much higher and eitherburies grounded opponents, or meteor smashes aerial ones. However, it covers less horizontal movement, takes slightly longer to throw out manually, and propels Little Mac downward. | |
| Custom 2 | Guard Breaker | 18% | Deals more damage, grants super armor through the entire leap, and isunblockable. However, it travels slower, cannot be used instantly upon pressing the special button, and does not cover any distance if used immediately out ofhitstun. | |
| Up special | Default | Rising Uppercut | 3% (hit 1), 1% (loop, 4 total hits), 3% (last) | A right-handed, jumping corkscrew uppercut, followed immediately by a left-handed uppercut. The first uppercut hits multiple times, whereas the second uppercut hits once and has extremely high knockback.[3] Thanks to Little Mac's excellent traction, it is a very potent out of shield option, yet is also one of his only reliable aerial finishers aside from Jolt Haymaker. It KOs middleweights at 115%/109% (3DS and Wii U, respectively). It also grants 3 frames of intangibility on start-up, while the grounded version covers a decent amount of vertical distance. Conversely, the aerial version is half as effective at covering vertical distance and granting maneuverability compared to the grounded version, which make it extremely ineffective for recovery. It also only snaps the edge if it starts or ends right next to one. It appears to be based on Little Mac's Three-Star Punch in the Wii version ofPunch-Out!! |
| Custom 1 | Tornado Uppercut | 3%/4% | Covers more distance, grants better maneuverability, andpushes opponents away thanks to the gust it emits. However, its overall damage output is lower and it has set knockback. | |
| Custom 2 | Rising Smash | 16% (hit 1), 4% (hit 2) | Anelectrical version that deals noticeably more damage and has higher knockback. However, it only hits twice, has higher start-up and ending lag, and covers considerably less distance unless used immediately from a double jump. Both hits also tend to not connect at higher percentages. | |
| Down special | Default | Slip Counter | 1.3× (minimum 10%) | Assumes afull crouch stance and, if hit, immediatelycounterattacks byslipping inside to throw an uppercut.[3] Due to it coming out on frame 5, it is tied withDouble Team andWitch Time as the fastest counterattack in the entire game. In the air, it can be used for horizontal recovery due to Mac being propelled forward during the slip, although this can be risky. It appears to be based on Glass Joe's Delayed Right Hook used during Title Defense Mode in the Wii version ofPunch-Out!! |
| Custom 1 | Compact Counter | 0.8× (minimum 4%) | Has a lower damage multiplier and less knockback, but is overall faster, which allows Little Mac to initiate follow-ups and improves its recovery potential. | |
| Custom 2 | Dash Counter | 1.1× (minimum 7%) | Has a slightly lower damage multiplier and its counter window does not last as long, but Little Mac dashes forward upon counterattacking. The dash results in Little Mac being unable to attack opponents directly in front of him because of the dash generating a windbox, but it is more useful for both countering projectiles in order to close the gap between Mac and as a horizontal recovery option. | |
| Final Smash | Giga Mac | — | Transforms into Giga Mac, his powered up transformation from the Wii version ofPunch-Out!![3] Giga Mac's attacks are considerably stronger, with most of them dealing twice as much damage as Little Mac's respective attacks. This is especially evident with his non-angled and upward angled forward smash, sweetspotted up smash, and clean Straight Lunge, each of which are one-hit KOs when they are fully charged. Even his up tilt, dash attack, and back throw become viable KOing options: on the 3DS version of the game, the former KOs middleweights at 81%, whereas the latter two KO at 75% and 84%, respectively, while near the edge of Final Destination. Doc Louis won’t be heard while taunting in this form. | |
Power Meter[edit]
Little Mac has a unique mechanic called the Power Meter. When fully charged, it replaces his neutral special with the KO Uppercut, an extremely powerful uppercut. Although it was claimed byMasahiro Sakurai to be aone-hit KO attack, this is not true. Nevertheless, it is strong enough to KO opponents at extremely low percents, depending on their weight. In keeping with Little Mac's abysmal air game, an aerial KO Uppercut deals significantly lower damage and knockback, to the point that it cannot KO an aerial opponent unless they are at least around 150%.
The Power Meter charges when Little Mac deals and/or receives damage. However, when he is attacked, the Power Meter will fill by double to quadruple the amount compared to if he hits an opponent. The Power Meter will also be maxed out if Mac receives exactly 100%. The uppercut can be canceled by another character's attack, blocked by a perfect shield (although it isunblockable) or dodged, meaning that it is necessary to catch opponents off-guard to guarantee it hits.
Stats[edit]
| Stats | Weight | Dash speed | Walk speed | Traction | Air friction | Air speed | Air acceleration | Gravity | Falling speed | Jumpsquat | Jump height | Double jump height | Empty landing lag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 82 | 2.05 – Initial dash 2.24 – Run | 1.32 | 0.07 | 0.0075 | 1.0 | 0.01 – Base 0.028 – Additional | 0.08 | 1.8 – Base 2.88 –Fast fall | 5 | 26 - Base 12.526741 -Short hop | 26 | 4 |
Announcer call[edit]
 | This article could use additional or higher-quality audio files. The editor who added this tag suggests:Needs announcer calls from other languages. If you have a good audio file for this article, upload ithere. |
On-screen appearance[edit]
- Walks onto the stage while throwing a series of punches before tossing his hooded sweatsuit off. If either of his sweatsuit alternate costumes are being used, he will still perform the tossing animation while keeping his sweatsuit on.
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|---|
Taunts[edit]
- Up taunt: Turns his back to the screen, bends down, then raises his fist triumphantly. Doc Louis may say "Hit 'em, baby!" (叩け！マック！,Thrash! Mac!)
- Side taunt: Pulls the string of his right boxing glove with his teeth in order to tighten it, then resumes his stance while exhaling. Doc Louis may say "Let 'em have it, Mac!" (ぶちかませ！マック！,Hit them hard! Mac!)
- Down taunt: Throws a series of punches while facing the screen. Doc Louis may say "Show 'em what you've got, Mac baby!" (お前のパンチを見せてやれ！,Let them see your punch!)
| Up taunt | Side taunt | Down taunt |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
Idle poses[edit]
- Shuffles his feet.
- Shifts his head back and forth in front of his fists.
 |  |
|---|
Crowd cheer[edit]
| Cheer (English) | Cheer (Japanese) | Cheer (Spanish) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheer |   | ||
| Description | Little Mac! Get 'em back! | Go! Go! Mac! | Little Mac! Little Mac! Rah - rah - rah! Little Mac! Little Mac! Eh! -- Eh! |
| Cheer (French) | Cheer (German) | Cheer (Italian) | |
| Cheer | | ||
| Description | Little -- Mac ! | Auf geht's, Little Mac! | Li - ttle Mac! |
Victory poses[edit]
- Doc Louis holds up Little Mac's arm like a referee would after a boxing match, and cheers him on.
- Shadowboxes with Doc Louis, then turns to the camera while holding his fist up triumphantly while Louis cheers him on.
- Runs and turns his back towards the camera, briefly shuffles his feet, then spins before throwing a triumphant uppercut while Doc Louis cheers him on.
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|---|
Unless the match is aTeam Battle, all of Little Mac's victory poses involveDoc Louis. If Little Mac's team is victorious but he does not have the most points, Doc Louis will not appear and Mac will perform his second victory pose.
Each of Little Mac's victory poses has Doc Louis saying one of the following at random.
First Pose:
- "(In tandem with theannouncer) And the winner is... Little Mac! Hahaha!" (勝者、リトル・マック！アハハハハハ！,The winner, Little Mac! Ahahahahaha!)
- "Ya got what it takes, Mac!" (マック！やっぱりお前は抜群だな！,Mac! I knew it, you're unmatched!)
- "World Circuit's all yours, Mac!" (ワールドサーキットはお前のもんだ！,The World Circuit is yours!)
Second Pose:
- "Y'know, that belt looks good on you, son." (そのベルトはお前がつけてるのが一番だ！,That belt is best on you!)
- "You win, Mac!" (おまえの勝つ、マック！,Your win, Mac!)
- "Was that a little too easy for ya, son?" (おっと、お前にはちょろすぎだったか？,Oops, was that too easy for you?)
Third Pose:
- "Way to go, Mac! You're the champ, baby!" (やったな、マック！お前がチャンプだッ！,You did it, Mac! You're the champ!)
- "Nice work, Mac. You got it all figured out." (マック、さすがだな！いい戦意だぞ！,As expected, Mac! You have a great fighting spirit!)
- "All right! I think I hear a chocolate bar callin'." (よし！帰ったらチョコバー祭りといくか！,Alright! When I get home, I'll go to the chocolate bar festival!)
- "Ah, winnin' feels good, don't it?" (アハハ！勝つのは気持ちがいいな！,Ahaha! It feels good to win!)
In all ofWireframe Mac's victory poses, Doc Louis will say one of the following at random:
- "Nice moves, Mac. I could barely keep my eyes on ya, son." (すごい動きだな、何だか透けて見えちまったよ,What amazing movement you have, it’s like I can see right through you!)
- "Ain't you flashy? You making my eyes water, son." (目立ちすぎじゃねぇか、目がチッカチカしやがる,Don’t you stand out a bit much? You’re making my eyes sore!)
- "You're lookin' mighty good, son. Just like old times, huh?" (何とも妙な具合だな、懐かしい感じがしやがる,It's a strange feeling, I feel nostalgic.)
Incompetitive play[edit]
Official Custom Moveset Project[edit]
| Character | Custom sets available | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Little Mac | 2111 | 2113 | 2112 | 2211 | 2213 |
| 2212 | 2311 | 2313 | 2312 | 2121 | |
Most historically significant players[edit]
 | This article or section may require acleanup. The editor who added this tag believes this page should be cleaned up for the following reason:Needs to be updated to fit these guidelines You can discuss this issue on thetalk page oredit this page to improve it. |
Alphicans - The best Little Mac player in Canada. Placed 9th at bothGet On My Level 2016 andCanada Cup 2016, 17th atBattle of BC 2, and 33rd at both2GGT: KTAR Saga and2GGC: ARMS Saga with wins over players such asiStudying andNinjaLink.
bt.yamato - The best Little Mac player in the world in 2018. He notably placed 5th atSoCal Regionals 2018 defeatingfalln,AC, andK9sbruce, and has also placed 7th atSumabato 24, 9th atKVOxTSB 2018, 13th atUmebura T.A.T., and 25th atUmebura Smash 4 Final.
Destany - The best Little Mac in Europe, using the character alongsideMeta Knight. Placed 2nd atGeneva Gaming Convention 2017, 4th atPPT Winter, 5th atTheReset 5, and 13th atPPT Summer. Ranked 39th on theEuropean Smash 4 Power Rankings.
Lazyboredom - One of the best Little Mac players in the world in 2017. Placed 4th atSuper FamiCon 2016, 13th atMomoCon 2017, 17th at2GGC: ARMS Saga, 25th atGlitch, and 33rd atRoyal Flush with wins over players such asCaptainZack,Xzax, andMekos.- Sol - One of the best Little Mac players of all time. Placed 5th atInternational Gaming Expo, 25th at both2GGT: KTAR Saga and2GGC: ARMS Saga, and 33rd at bothCEO 2015 andCEO Dreamland with wins over players such asLocus,Fatality, andMVD.
- Tarakotori - One of the best Little Mac players in Japan. Placed 9th atUmebura Smash 4 Final, 13th atUmebura Tokaigi Qualifier 2, 17th atUmebura T.A.T., and 25th at bothUmebura 32 andUmebura 34 with wins over players such asRaito,Eim, andRain.
- Vash - One of the best Little Mac players in the United States. Placed 9th at2GGT: Fresh Saga, 17th at2GGT: FOW Saga, 25th at both2GGT: Mexico Saga and2GGC: GENESIS Saga, 33rd atSmash Masters League: Battle for Vegas with wins over players such asElegant,Locus, andNietono.
Tier placement and history[edit]
SinceSSB4's release, Little Mac has been a very contentious character among casual and hardcore players alike. He was very controversial among less experienced players who struggled against him (most notably onFor Glory), owing to his excellent grounded game, abundance of KOing options, and outstanding frame data. However, he has never been considered a serious threat in competitive play due to his abysmal recovery and nearly useless air game, making his endurance and aerial escape options significantly poor in a highly-skilled environment where flaws were heavily capitalized upon. Players were quick to note that Mac's vulnerability to juggling and gimping would allow a competent opponent to swiftly KO him from a single opening, and with his inability to move safely between platforms, he was derided as only being able to fight effectively onFinal Destination. With a lack of high-level results duringSSB4's early days and the gradually shifting perceptions of the community, Little Mac's popularity diminished immensely, due to him being frequently perceived as a gimmicky character in competitive play, especially after he was nerfed in update1.0.4. This was reflected in him being tied withDuck Hunt for 43rd/44th place on the first4BRtier list.
However, the efforts of dedicated Little Mac players likeSol have shown that Little Mac can perform well when played intelligently, even on stages with platforms, and proved that Mac's comeback potential was significant enough to be a considerable mindgame despite his aerial weaknesses. Furthermore, the buffs Little Mac received from game updates made his grounded moves even more rewarding and granted him more reliable combo potential from his grounded game. Improvements in Little Mac's metagame also resulted in newfound techniques for him, which further reinforced his fearsome comeback potential. While he is still considered too polarized to be truly viable in singles play, Little Mac is considered to fare much better indoubles play, thanks to a teammate covering his weaknesses and assisting him in setting up his powerful attacks.
These traits, combined with the expansion to his metagame and better, albeit still rare results, resulted in him being ranked 39th on the second tier list. He then dropped back to 43rd on the third and fourth tier lists, as his results continued to be relatively sparse at national tournaments. He is now ranked as the second lowest mid-tier character due to the expansion of the tiers. As such, Little Mac's tier placement remained very contentious.
In Solo Modes[edit]
All-Star Mode[edit]
In All-Star Mode, Little Mac is fought in Stage 1 in the 3DS version or Stage 7 in the Wii U version alongsideMario,Donkey Kong,Luigi,Mr. Game & Watch, andPac-Man.
Event Matches[edit]
Solo Events[edit]
- Below the Belt: AsMario, the player must protect a damaged Little Mac from a giant Little Mac. Little Mac will be at 60% on Easy, 80% on Normal, and 100% on Hard.
- New Challengers 1: Little Mac is one of the seven opponents fought in this event, alongsideRosalina & Luma,Wii Fit Trainer,Villager,Duck Hunt,Bowser Jr., andLucina.
- No Mere Sparring Match: A damaged Little Mac must defeat three Wireframe Macs. The Wireframe Macs have three stocks on Easy, four on Normal, and five on Hard.
Co-op Events[edit]
- Getting Healthy: Little Mac and Wii Fit Trainer must defeatKirby andPac-Man.
- The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.
Congratulations Screens[edit]
3DS[edit]
Classic Mode
All-Star Mode
Wii U[edit]
Classic Mode
All-Star Mode
Trophies[edit]
Little Mac's default trophy is obtained by clearing Classic Mode as Little Mac. His alternate trophy is obtained by clearing All-Star Mode as Little Mac in the 3DS version or purchasing it in the Trophy Shop for 1000G in the Wii U version (the latter can only appear after clearing Classic or All-Star as Little Mac). The Giga Mac trophy is obtained only in the Wii U version by clearing All-Star Mode as Little Mac.
- Little Mac
- 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.
:Punch-Out!! (10/1987)
:Punch-Out!! (05/2009)- 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!
- :Punch-Out!! (12/1987)
- :Punch-Out!! (05/2009)
- Little Mac (Alt.)
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!- No matter his opponent, Little Mac always puts his best fist forward. He enters a charge state before unleashing his Straight Lunge special—you 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!
- :Punch-Out!! (10/1987)
- :Punch-Out!! (05/2009)
- 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.
- :Punch-Out!! (12/1987)
- :Punch-Out!! (05/2009)
- Giga Mac
- This Final Smash turns Little Mac into a hulking monster of a man. In Punch-Out!! for Wii, Little Mac could take this form by building up the gauge with some well-timed blows. In this game, it seriously powers up his attacks and makes him even faster. He'll completely dominate on the ground, but air battles are outside his weight class.
- This Final Smash turns Little Mac into a hulking monster of a man. In Punch-Out!! for Wii, Little Mac could take this form by building up the gauge with some well-timed punches. In this game, it seriously powers up his attacks and makes him even faster. He'll completely dominate on the ground, but he's still not all that great in the air.
Alternate costumes[edit]
Little Mac has sixteen alternate costumes, half of which sport a wireframe design based on the original arcade version ofPunch-Out!! His wireframe palette swaps have slightly brighter cel-shaded colors compared to his default costumes.
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_Palette_(SSB4).png) | |||||||
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Reveal trailer[edit]
Gallery[edit]
Little Mac's splash art.
Little Mac'samiibo.
Punch-Out!!-inspired artwork.
Artwork of Little Mac from the boxart ofSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
The Pic of the Day revealing Little Mac.
Two of Little Mac's alternate costumes. One is hissignature hooded sweatsuit, while the other ishis attire inContender Mode when fighting in theWorld Circuit in the Wii version ofPunch-Out!!
UsingKO Uppercut onSamus.
Using the first hit of his neutral attack onLink.
Using a fully charged Straight Lunge.
Using KO Uppercut onSonic.
UsingRising Uppercut.
Using Rising Uppercut on Link.
Failing to recover by using Rising Uppercut.
UsingSlip Counter againstMario's up smash.
Little Mac onSmash Ball standby.
Using Straight Lunge onFox andVillager while usingGiga Mac, hisFinal Smash.
Using his rapid jab on Mario.
Using his down smash onFox.
Using his dash attack on Mario.
Little Mactumbling.
Little Mac facing the screen.
Using his dash attack against Villager's neutral attack.
"Little Mac can deliver some solid punches while fighting on the ground."
"...However, he's not the strongest fighter while airborne."
Little Mac taunting alongside Samus.
Using Rising Uppercut alongsideDiddy Kong's up smash.
The three different variations of Little Mac's forward smash.
A trophy of Little Mac as he appeared inCaptain Rainbow.
Little Mac wearing his World Video Boxing Association (WVBA) Champion alternate costume and sporting battle damage.
Trivia[edit]
- Little Mac makes several references to his home series:
- The pose he strikes for his reveal trailer's splash art is directly based on a piece ofpromotional artwork for the Wii version ofPunch-Out!!. By extension, his official artwork forSSB4 pose is a modified version of this pose, with a better center of gravity and his stance being shifted to the right, along with his arms being positioned differently.
- Hisalternate costumes include his signature hooded sweatsuit used during his training segments withDoc Louis, his World Video Boxing Association (WVBA) Champion attire from the Wii version ofPunch-Out!!, a design based on the blond protagonist ofSuper Punch-Out!!, and a wireframe design based on the first-person perspective from the arcade version ofPunch-Out!!
- As a result, Little Mac also has the most alternate costumes in the series, with a total of 16. Oddly, his wireframe alternate costumes do not appear in hordes inSpecial Orders inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U orClassic Mode inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
- He is the only character to display visual battle damage. However, this feature is only shown inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U. Upon reaching or passing 100%, or upon beingscreen KO'd, bandages and bruises appear on his face. This is a reference to the Wii version ofPunch-Out!!, where Little Mac will gradually begin looking bruised and battered if he gets hit too many times.
- His official poster showing him fightingDonkey Kong references DK's appearance as a secret opponent duringMac's Last Stand in the Wii version ofPunch-Out!!
- He wears the World Video Boxing Association (WVBA) World Circuitchampionship belt during all of hisvictory poses.
- HisKO Uppercut is a reference to the Star Punch, his signature move in thePunch-Out!! series. By extension, hisPower Meter originated from the arcade version ofPunch-Out!!
- HisFinal Smash,Giga Mac, is a transformation that can be used in the two-player mode of the Wii version ofPunch-Out!!
- Despite being symmetrical in some instances, such as his during taunts andon-screen appearance, he is not mirrored when he faces left and right because he uses anorthodox stance like in his home series.
- According toMasahiro Sakurai as of November 2014, Little Mac had the lowest online win ratio out of all the characters at the time. This led many to believe that balance patches would be based solely, or at least mostly, on online win rates; however, subsequent patches, including 1.0.4, where Little Mac was nevertheless nerfed, would go on to disprove this.[5]
- Before update 1.0.5 inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and update 1.0.6 inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U, Little Mac could not properly holdHammers, as they would be positioned at his sides instead of between his hands.
- Interestingly, Little Mac shares a few animations withCaptain Falcon. This includes some of his poses when knocked back with a weak attack, swing animations for battering items such as aBeam Sword or aHome Run Bat, and animations whileburied orstunned. This has led many to believe that Captain Falcon's model was used as a base for creating Little Mac's model.
- Regarding Little Mac's model, his mouth will jarringly close when his shadowboxing and shuffling victory poses conclude.
- Before the introduction ofSpecial Zoom inUltimate, Little Mac andCloud were the only characters who had special moves that affect the in-game camera, with bothKO Uppercut and all of Cloud'sLimit Break moves (barring Limit BreakBlade Beam) zooming in and slowing down time upon hitting their targets. Coincidentally, both moves involve dealing or receiving damage to be available for use.
- Little Mac is one of four characters whose placement differs on thecharacter selection screen between the 3DS and Wii U versions, along withMr. Game & Watch,Duck Hunt, andShulk. InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Little Mac is betweenMeta Knight andFox, while inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U, Little Mac is between Mr. Game & Watch andLink.
