How to play as Piranha Plant in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
All the cheats, tips and advice you need
IS THE PLANT FROM SUPER MARIO THE BEST CHARACTER IN THE GAME? Well, probably not, but we'll be damned if he isn't a lot of fun to play.
The Piranha Plant has finally landed on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and he is pretty great. Solid special attacks and some fast, useful tilts make him a great rushdown fighters, with some solid kill moves and the ability to keep enemies at a distance. What's not to like?
There's even a damn aerial spike. Every character should have one.
If you're interested in playing Piranha Plant in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, this is the guide for you. We'll go through all of his moves together, so you'll be prepared to take him online and use these new strats for yourself. Happy smashing!
How to play
Piranha Plant is mostly a close range brawler, with some decent multi-hit attacks that can be used to keep enemies disabled and afraid to get close. Though that's to be coupled with a few longer range attacks that can combat other, longer range fighters.Piranha Plant can be a great rushdown character. Decent, if a bit short, smash attacks, and fairly quick tilts - though again, hit boxes here might be a bit shorter than you would like.
The neutral special and down special both allow Piranha Plant to hit enemies from a larger distance. Both can be used as kill moves too, and have some unique utilities. Down special withdraws into the plant pot before shooting out, and while withdrawn, has some invulnerability.
Neutral special meanwhile can be used while aerial, and will slow Piranha Plant's descent, meaning it can used while just off the ledge of the stage to attack enemies attempting to ledge guard. It's also good for actually edge guarding yourself.
You don't have to be too afraid of using moves off stage, as PP's up special recovery is massive, and offers plenty of aerial mobility. Just like King K. Rool, Piranha Plant will be a difficult character to gimp or footstool to kill.
1
Tilt and smash attacks
The neutral jab is nice and fast, but other moves can disappoint. Down tilt is useful, though short, and you'll have to get really close to enemies if you want to hit with an up tilt, unless the enemy is - of course - just above you. Unfortunately, up tilt doesn't reach above platforms on Battlefield stages.
Forward tilt is useful though, popping enemies into the air - just like Yoshi. From here it's easy to short hop into either an up air or a forward air.
Smash attacks are fairly short range, but pretty quick. Down smash is great for hitting both sides of PP, while up smash will reach platforms - nice. They're all good kill moves, but not always viable, depending on distance from your opponents.
Dash attack is pretty useful though, and might be one of the better combo starters.
2
Aerials
Unfortunately, both PP's back air and forward air come out a little bit slowly, meaning short hopping into these moves isn't incredible. Though, that's not to say they're not useful - just more situational. Forward air is the faster and more versatile of the two.
Down air, though? Hell yeah. Down air is a useful spike, similar to Captain Falcon's. Even if you don't get the spike hitbox, it can still offer more than enough knockback to kill at high percents, and will scare enemies off of recovering back to the stage without being careful.
Neutral air meanwhile is a brilliant multi-hit move that comes out nice and fast. Short hopping into this is definitely a good idea, and if the enemy hits the floor, can be followed up with a down or forward tilt to keep aggression up.
3
Special attacks
Down special and neutral special - as mentioned earlier - are your best bets here, for the reasons already mentioned. Neutral special can even be directed left or right after using, regardless of which direction you were facing to begin with, without the need for B reversals.
Side special meanwhile charges up a poison blast. This can be slow to charge - so charge when the enemy is off stage - but it does a very good amount of damage. PP can kill enemies from a charged side special and a charged side smash, since they both do such good damage and knockback, though are situational.
Up special is a great recovery, as mentioned, but going directly up can leave PP vulnerable to attacks from above. Luckily, you can always strafe around to avoid attacks, and still have enough mobility to return to the stage.
