  |
- This article is about Captain Falcon's appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. For other uses, see Captain Falcon.
Captain Falcon is a starting veteran in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, representing the F-Zero universe. Captain Falcon was confirmed on July 14, 2014 alongside Lucina and Robin, the 16-year anniversary of the release of F-Zero X.
Captain Falcon currently ranks 19th on the tier list, which is a massive improvement over Brawl. Captain Falcon possesses an outstanding combo game, incredible mobility, and several powerful finishers. However, his weaknesses lie in his poor recovery and short reach of attacks.
Attributes
Strengths
- Second fastest running speed (after Sonic and Palutena with her Lightweight Special).
- Can wall jump.
- Fast attacks with good priority and high combo potential.
- Considerable low knockback scaling on some attacks, allowing him to combo opponents with efficiency.
- Great aerial combat.
- Little landing and ending lag on most Aerial Attacks (except for Forward and Down Aerials).
- Good variety of KO moves.
- Has three versatile Meteor Smashes: Up Tilt, Down Aerial and aerial Raptor Boost.
- In addition, his Up Tilt has no sourspot, meaning it will always Meteor Smash regardless of where and when it hits.
Weaknesses
- Fast falling speed.
- Considerably low recovery which can be predictable, although it is not as severe as Ganondorf.
- Lack of range in many attacks.
- Cannot deal properly against projectiles and long range opponents.
- Aerial Falcon Kick has very fast falling speed and can lead to self-destructs if used improperly.
- Most ground attacks have considerable ending lag.
Summary
Captain Falcon's stats on Kurogane Hammer
Captain Falcon is a Bait & Punish as well as a Mix-Up type of character, having a versatile combo game as well as excellent punishing options.
Captain Falcon is a heavyweight and possesses a high falling speed, which can make it risky to be offstage, but gives him excellent endurance. In addition, Captain Falcon has a very fast air speed and the second fastest dash, which gives him outstanding mobility and capable of keeping up with fast characters despite his weight.
Captain Falcon's combo game is one of the most versatile in the game, with the majority of his moves having a fast startup and ending quickly, as well as deal low knockback. All these attributes grant Captain Falcon the ability to link many moves together, as well as make them safe for using without fear of punishment. His moves are also supplemented by a good grab game, as his dash grab has the longest reach, as well as his down and forward throws being excellent starting options.
Coupling Captain Falcon's combo prowess is his good KO potential. His most powerful options are his Forward Aerial (also known as the Knee Smash), which is a powerful semi-spike and guaranteed KO near the side blast lines, and his Down Aerial, which can Meteor Smash opponents offstage. He also possesses powerful options in his Special Moves, which can KO at high percentages, and his up tilt and aerial Raptor Boost, which can Meteor Smash.
Captain Falcon's Special Moves are useful options for combo starters and finishers. Falcon Punch is his signature option for securing KOs due to its large hitbox and high knockback. Raptor Boost and Falcon Kick are good rushdown options, and can cancel out projectiles. Falcon Dive can grab shielded opponents, and knock opponents away from the stage and potentially toward the upper blast line if close enough.
However, Captain Falcon's most severe flaw is his poor recovery, as Raptor Boost and Falcon Dive provide a short distance and can be intercepted easily, and making him risky to use offstage despite his moves easily securing KOs near the blast lines. Captain Falcon's moves also have a short reach, which makes it difficult to pressure zoning characters and extremely challenging to land some of his KO options, particularly his Smash attacks and Forward Aerial. Finally, Captain Falcon's combo potential can be negated by characters with greater potential and/or better recoveries, such as Bayonetta and Zero Suit Samus.
Overall, players must be capable of rushing down the opponent effectively, relying on Captain Falcon's swift mobility and fast moves to rack up damage before landing his difficult but powerful KO options. Should the situation require Captain Falcon to go offstage, players must be cautious and ensure that Captain Falcon can return to the stage safely without the risk of better edgeguarders or mix-up characters.
Changes from Brawl
Captain Falcon was heavily buffed in the transition from Brawl. Due to the changes in hitstun, the majority of his moves have greater combo and KO potential, and the majority of his situational moves, such as grabs and tilt attacks, now have greater utility. To compensate, many of Captain Falcon's signature moves have been weakened, though the buffs more than compensate for the nerfs.
His appearance has also been updated with minor details, such as a slightly rounder shoulderpad and the inclusion of his teeth showing when he opens his mouth (although strangely, he doesn't opens his mouth during his taunts). His eyes also are slightly smaller and now have a very thin outline which colors depends on his current costume (i.e. Pink Captain Falcon has a pink outline).
Attributes
- Overall stronger; most of his moves now has increased knockback power.
- Slightly higher second jump.
- Most attacks have larger hitboxes.
Ground Attacks
- The third hit of his Neutral Attack is now stronger and can transition between rapid jabs and a finisher. Additionally, his rapid jab is much faster and locks on opponents more easily.
- Up Tilt has a more vertical knockback, and can now Meteor Smash if connects against airborne opponents.
- Down Tilt is faster, now launches opponents horizontally and causes slightly higher knockback.
- Side Tilt is faster, now being able to combo into a Dash Attack.
- Up Smash's hits transition much faster. It has also less startup and ending lag.
Aerial Attacks
- Neutral Aerial has a larger hitboxes and can hit from behind at the start (first kick) against enemies really close to Falcon.
- Forward Aerial's sweetspot is easier to land, however it has slightly higher landing lag.
- Back Aerial has slightly less ending lag and has increased knockback scaling.
- Up Aerial is faster and has a larger hitboxes, effectively being able to hit opponents during short hops.
- Down Aerial is easier to inflict Meteor Smash, and its sourspot causes stronger knockback.
Grabs and Throws
- Dash Grab is much faster, with higher range and less ending lag if it misses.
- Up and Back Throws cause more knockback, enough to KO.
Special Attacks
- Falcon Punch is slightly faster and when used on ground makes Falcon slide a bit forward, increasing his range.
- Raptor Boost causes much higher knockback and can effectively KO opponents at high percentages. It also covers more range and Falcon leans back more at the startup. However the height gained when successfully connecting in air has been reduced, and only Meteor Smashes when the opponent is directly below Captain Falcon.
- Falcon Dive is faster and covers more distance. The explosion graphics when connecting are also more "flashy". Additionally, Falcon's leap after connecting the hit has a different animation, with an acrobatic somersault, which covers more vertical distance.
- Falcon Kick causes much higher knockback and can effectively KO opponents at high percentages. It is also much faster, covers more range (specially in air) and has slightly less ending lag.
- Blue Falcon has a larger hitbox and deals higher knockback.
Moveset
Ground Attacks
Jab
◾Standard Attack – Punches twice and then follows up with a knee jab. Can alter to a series of fast jabs, finishing with a punch. Regular jab: 2% first two hits, 5% last hit Infinite Jab: 2% first two hits, 1% each following hit, 2% finisher
◾Up Tilt – Performs an axe kick starting up near his head and ending upon impacting the ground; similar to Samus's up tilt. Known as the Heel of Shame among fans. 11%
◾Down Tilt – Sweeps his leg forward. 10%
◾Forward Tilt – Spins and kicks forwards. 9%
Smash Attacks
◾Up Smash – Does a short hop and kicks upward with each leg consecutively. 19-26%
◾Forward Smash – Thrusts forward and rams with his elbow extended out. 19-26%
◾Down Smash – Kicks in front of him and then behind him. 14-19% first kick, 18-25% last kick.
Other Attacks
◾Dash Attack – Rams forwards with his elbow while running. 10%
◾Ledge Attack – Pulls himself up and then kicks along the ground with one foot. 7%
◾Get-Up Attack – Does a hand-stand and spins his legs around to kick at both sides. 6%
Aerial Attacks
◾Up Aerial – Does a Flip kick, hitting in an arc over its head. Good for juggling, with high combo potential in low percentages. The end of the move has a hitbox on its feet, dealing minor knockback. 11%
◾Down Aerial – Stomps downwards with both feet. It is a powerful Meteor Smash with its' legs hitboxes. The infamous "Nipple Strike" is a powerful horizontal knockback. 14%
◾Neutral Aerial – Performs one wide kick and then a second smaller kick upon spinning around once. Good option for combos. 4% first kick, 6% second kick, 10% when both hits connect
◾Forward Aerial – Known as the 'Knee Smash' or 'Knee of Justice'; extends his knee forward and jabs with it. This attack can be sweetspotted or sourspotted; if sweetspotted it will deal massive knockback and is shown with an electric animation, dealing 19% damage. If sourspotted it will only deal 3% damage.
◾Back Aerial – Does a quick punch behind him. Decent knockback. 13%
Grabs and Throws
◾Pummel – Thrusts his knee into the grabbed opponent. 2% each hit
◾Forward Throw – Performs an uppercut and releases upon impact. 5%
◾Back Throw – Tosses the opponent behind him and then kicks backwards to launch them. 9%
◾Down Throw – Slams the opponent on the ground. 6%
◾Up Throw – Punches the opponent upwards. 7%
Special Moves
| Captain Falcon's Special Moves | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | Melee | Brawl | 3DS/Wii U | Ultimate | ||
| Standard Special | Falcon Punch | |||||
| Side Special | — | Raptor Boost | ||||
| Up Special | Falcon Dive | |||||
| Down Special | Falcon Kick | |||||
| Final Smash | — | Blue Falcon | ||||
Taunts
- Up Taunt - Clenches his fists while surrounded by a fiery aura.
- Side Taunt - Jumps back, extends his hand out, and says "Come on!"
- Down Taunt - Gives a salute while saying "Show me your moves!" If facing to the left, Captain Falcon performs a much faster version of the taunt.
Other features
To be added
In competitive play
To be added
Trophy descriptions
- Captain Falcon
- In the F-Zero racing scene, Captain Falcon uses his Blue Falcon to win big. His origin largely a mystery, he's made his way to the Smash Bros. battlefield to prove his worth outside the cockpit. He's got speed and power, and his distinct Falcon Punch leaves a dent. Start it in the air to surprise your foes!
- F-Zero (08/1991)
- F-Zero GX (08/2003)
- Captain Falcon (Alt.)
- Captain Falcon's default down special, Falcon Kick, is no ordinary kick—it surges forward in a fiery blaze. It's a versatile attack that moves sideways on the ground and diagonally down in the air. His forward air attack, Knee Smash, can send an enemy flying for miles if hit just right.
- F-Zero (08/1991)
- F-Zero GX (08/2003)
- Blue Falcon
- Captain Falcon's Final Smash lets him pull opponents into the middle of an F-Zero race-where competitors have been known to break the speed of sound-and run them over with his racing machine, the Blue Falcon. If he manages to grab you, there's no escape. The impact launches its victims diagonally upward.
Costume Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Trivia
- Captain Falcon is the only character to be unveiled in a trailer without his name being mentioned since he's not a newcomer.
- In a Miiverse post shortly after Captain Falcon's reveal, Sakurai stated "And welcome back, Captain Falcon!! When are you ever getting a new game of your own?". This is referencing the fan outrage over the lack of games in the F-Zero franchise since the GameCube days.
- Strangely, in this game Captain Falcon doesn't open his mouth when using his famous taunts, "Show me your moves!" and "Come on!".
External links
| ||||||||||||||
 F-Zero universe
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Captain Falcon (64 · Melee · Brawl · 3DS/Wii U · Ultimate) | |
| Side Characters | Assist Trophy | Samurai Goroh |
| Mii Fighter Costume | Captain Falcon | |
| Stage Hazards | F-Zero Racers | |
| Miscellaneous | Blue Falcon · Falcon Flyer | |
| Stages | Mute City · Big Blue · Port Town Aero Dive · Mute City SNES F-Zero Grand Prix | |
| Music | List of Music (F-Zero series) | |
| Collectibles | Trophies | Melee Trophies · Brawl Trophies · 3DS Trophies · Wii U Trophies |
| Stickers | List of Stickers (F-Zero series) | |
| Spirits | List of spirits (F-Zero series) | |
| Masterpieces | F-Zero | |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||