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Super Smash Bros. Brawl – Ganondorf Guide
Ganondorf Guide by Effyu
Version: 1.2 | Updated: 07/17/2008
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789 _____ _ __ / ____| | | / _| | | __ __ _ _ __ ___ _ __ __| | ___ _ __| |_ | | |_ |/ _` | '_ \ / _ \| '_ \ / _` |/ _ \| '__| _| | |__| | (_| | | | | (_) | | | | (_| | (_) | | | | \_____|\__,_|_| |_|\___/|_| |_|\__,_|\___/|_| |_| Version 1.2 +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by | | their respective trademark and copyright holders. | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Copyright 2008 Jayme Lee ----------------------- == Table of Contents == ----------------------- 1. About Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[AtM] 2. Who is Ganondorf? . . . . . . . . . . . [WiG] 3. Unlocking Ganondorf . . . . . . . . . . [UgG] 4. Pros and Cons . . . . . . . . . . . . . [PaC] 5. List of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . [LoT] 6. Ganondorf's Moveset . . . . . . . . . . [GsM] 7. Using Ganondorf . . . . . . . . . . . . [UGF] 8. Character Matchups . . . . . . . . . . .[CrM] 8.01. Mario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Mar] 8.02. Luigi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Lui] 8.03. Peach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Pea] 8.04. Bowser . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[Bow] 8.05. Donkey Kong . . . . . . . . . . . [Don] 8.06. Diddy Kong . . . . . . . . . . . .[Did] 8.07. Yoshi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Yos] 8.08. Wario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [War] 8.09. Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[Lin] 8.10. Zelda/Sheik . . . . . . . . . . . [Zel] 8.11. Ganondorf . . . . . . . . . . . . [Gan] 8.12. Toon Link . . . . . . . . . . . . [Too] 8.13. Samus/Zero Suit Samus . . . . . . [Sam] 8.14. Pit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Pit] 8.15. Ice Climbers . . . . . . . . . . .[Ice] 8.16. R.O.B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ROB] 8.17. Kirby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Kir] 8.18. Metaknight . . . . . . . . . . . .[Met] 8.19. King Dedede . . . . . . . . . . . [Kin] 8.20. Olimar . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[Oli] 8.21. Fox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Fox] 8.22. Falco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Fal] 8.23. Wolf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[Wol] 8.24. Captain Falcon . . . . . . . . . .[Cap] 8.25. Pikachu . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Pik] 8.26. Pokemon Trainer . . . . . . . . . [Pok] 8.27. Lucario . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Luc] 8.28. Jigglypuff . . . . . . . . . . . .[Jig] 8.29. Marth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Mat] 8.30. Ike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Ike] 8.31. Ness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[Nes] 8.32. Lucas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Lcs] 8.33. Mr. Game and Watch . . . . . . . .[MGW] 8.34. Snake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Sna] 8.35. Sonic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [Son] 9. Target Smash . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[TtS] 10. Version History . . . . . . . . . . . [VnH] 11. Closing Comments . . . . . . . . . . . [CgC] 12. Thank Yous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [TkY] 13. Legal Shenanigans . . . . . . . . . . .[LlS] --------------------- == About Me [AtM] == --------------------- Welcome to my first FAQ! I'm known as Effyu on the boards. I picked up Super Smash Bros Brawl the day it came out and I absolutely love it. I created this guide because when I discovere, to my dismay, that there were no guides on Ganondorf. If you have any questions, comments, stories, etc. concerning Ganondorf, my guide, or just want someone to talk to, you can email me at firstname.lastname@example.com. Hope you enjoy reading this guide as much as I did writing it! ------------------------------ == Who is Ganondorf? [WiG] == ------------------------------ Ah, Ganondorf. Ganondorf has always had a special place in my heart...but now back to the question at hand. Ganondorf Dragmire is the recurring villain of Legend of Zelda series. Ganondorf is the King of the Gerudo who became a dark sorceror once he acquired the Triforce of Power. He has been trying to enslave the land of Hyrule by collecting the remaining two pieces of the Triforce. Ganondorf only has the Triforce of Power, while his arch-nemesis Link (our humble yet silent protagonist of the series) has the Triforce of Courage. The final piece belongs to the current ruler of Hyrule, Princess Zelda. Unfortu- nately, this also means that she is kidnapped by Ganondorf quite often, which prompts Link to open a can of whoop-ass on our dermally-challenged villain. -------------------------------- == Unlocking Ganondorf [UgG] == -------------------------------- To unlock Ganondorf you have a number of options. You can: - Play at least 200 matches - Beat Classic Mode on Hard Difficulty using Link or Zelda If you accomplish either of above, you will have to fight and defeat Ganondorf after in order to unlock him. Alternatively, you could get Ganondorf to join your party in Subspace Emissary mode. In order to do this you must save both Link and Zelda; Ganondorf will join your party near the end of the stage. -------------------------- == Pros and Cons [PaC] == -------------------------- Pros - Ganondorf's moveset contains some of the hardest hitting moves in the game - He is one of the heaviest characters, making it hard to knock him off the stage. - A lot of his moves have elemental after effects, which makes it harder for an opponent to counter. - He has an awesome meteor smash. - He has a great Final Smash. - He wears a cape and has a sword (albeit one he never uses). Nuff said. Cons - Ganondorf is slooooow. You won't be setting any land speed records with him. - His recovery is sub par. - Ganondorf is a rather tall character. Big character = Big target - Did I mention that hes slow? -------------------------- == List of Terms [LoT] == -------------------------- The following is a list of words that I will use in the move set section. == Tilt == This is when you tilt the control stick in a certain direction, not smash it. == Smash == This is when you smash the control stick in a certain direction. == Neutral == There is no input from the control stick during the move. == (NC) == Not Charged. This applies to smash moves that can be charged before they are used. == (FC) == Fully charged. This applies to smash moves that can be charged before they are used. == Knockback == This refers to the distance a move sends an opponent back if the move connects. == Windup Lag == This refers to the frames of animation that occur before a move is initiated. == Recovery Lag == This refers to the frames of animation that occur after a move is done. == Landing Lag == Same thing as recovery and windup lag, only these frames of animation occur after a character lands. == Dash == Smashing the control stick either left or right on land will make the character run instead of walk. == Meteor Smash == This refers to a very powerful attack that sends the opponent flying downward very fast, preferably down to the bottom of the screen. == Rolling / Shield Roll == If you press the shield button (L or R shoulder button) and tilt the stick left or right the character will roll in that direction, dodging any incoming attacks. Very useful for getting behind a character; however, don't abuse this or else you will never land a hit. == Sidestep == Same thing as rolling, only instead you press down instead of a direction. The character leans back and avoids anything thrown at them for a few of seconds. This is better for dodging projectiles than rolling is because you may accidentally roll into the projectile. == Air Dodge == If you press the shield button and a direction in the air your character will move in the direction you put in and dodge any incoming attack. Be careful with this though, because air dodging counts as you third jump (even if you haven't used your second jump yet) and you will fall helplessly to the ground after you use it. == Priority == When two moves hit each other, the priority of the moves determine which one hits. If the moves hit each other at exactly the same time you will hear a metallic clang as the moves are deflected off each other. == C Sticking == If you play with a Gamecube Controller (as you should be), you can use the C Stick to initiate an uncharged Smash Move in the direction you smash it. For example, if you smash the C Stick left or right you will use your foward smash. I'm pretty sure you can figure out the rest of the directions by yourself. NOTE: You can charge Smash moves by pressing and holding Z while you smash the C Stick. == Short Hop == A short hop is, as the name implies, a much shorter jump than your full jump. This can be accomplished by either lightly tapping the control stick up (hard) or lightly tapping either X or Y (easy). == _Air == In the air you have a total of five moves that can be initiated by the A Button and a direction. The underscore denotes a blank space where a direction is put. The letter f stands for foward (fAir or Foward Air), the letter n stands for Neutral, and so on and so forth. == Spam == Spamming a move is when somebody continually uses one move over and over again. Some commonly spammed moves are Pikachu's Down B move and Donkey Kong's Down B. == Edge Guarding == The act of preventing your opoonents from returning to the edge of the stage. == Edge Hogging == The act of grabbing the ledge yourself, thereby denying your opponent the ability to grag the ledge themselves. -------------------------------- == Ganondorf's Moveset [GsM] == -------------------------------- NOTE: The names of the moves I've listed are from Ganondorf's moveset in SSMB Melee. If any of the names are wrong please email me the correct ones at email@example.com. Here is an example of how I set up the move descriptions: Name of Move [Element of move if the move has one] Button Combination -> Damage % Description == Ground Moves =============================================================== Thunder Punch [Electricity] Neutral A -> 7% - 9% As the name implies, Ganondorf shoves his palm into the face of his opponent (or whatever body part his palm comes into contact with) and pushes them back a little bit. This move is great for crowd control because it comes out fast and doesn't have the punishing amount of recovery lag that some of Ganondorf's other moves do. If you manage to hit your opponent with the very edge of his hand you will deal 9% damage instead of 7%; however, this difference is negligible, as most of the time you won't even notice it. Iron Shoulder (While Dashing) A -> 15% Ganondorf shoulder tackles the opponent, causing them to fly off in an upward trajectory. Use this to your advantage; as soon as you hit an opponent upwards immediately follow up with another move. Armor Crusher Tilt Left/Right + A -> % Ganondorf throws a fierce piercing kick worthy of King Leonidas himself (THIS, IS, SPARTA!!). Seriously, this is a great KO move, especially on relatively flat stages. This move has incredible knockback, good range, and can be used multiple times in a row thanks to little recovery lag. This move can't be angled up or down like Fox and Captain Falcon's tilts can. But to be perfectly honest, you wouldn't need this little gimmick anyway. Volcano Kick [Fire] Tilt Up + A -> 27% Now this is a strange move. Ganondorf sticks his leg straight up in the air (ouch) and "charges" his leg. Meanwhile, air currents in front of him appear that act like a vacuum and suck in opponents until he brings his leg down in a fiery explosion. This move is very situational; it cannot be started in the air like his Warlock Punch can, and the move will be cancelled if an enemy hits Ganondorf while hes charging. However, this move makes an excellent edge guarding tool. Simply park yourself at the very edge and fire it up when you see an opponent struggling to get back to the stage. Once you get the timing down you will be able to pick off anybody who refuses to die. Depending on how you hit the opponent you will either send them straight up or horizontally across to their death. Sweeping Snake Tilt Down + A -> 12% This is a great follow-up move to Flame Choke. Other than that, theres not much to say about this move. It comes out fast and has decent priority. At medium to high percentages this move will send opponents at a sharp upward angle, especially light characters. Eyce Theon writes: "In the Dtilt description, you mention how it's useful to combo with this after using Flame Choke; and it's excellent against CPUs, works nearly 100% of the time because they feel inclined to lay there for a second before trying to get up. However this combo nearly never works against a Human player, who will likely roll off to the side or use their getting-up-attack as soon as they can," Nightmare Lunge [Darkness] Smash Left/Right + A -> (NC) 24% - (FC) 33% Ganondorf takes his elbow and drives it into his opponent. This move has very little range but it has insane knockback. You have to be careful when using this though; if you miss you leave yourself wide open. This move can be angled up and down, although as far as I know angling the move doesn't change a thing. Tornado Kick Smash Up + A -> If Opponent is on Ground (NC) 19% - (FC) 26% If Opponent is in Air (NC) 22% - (FC) 30% Ganondorf kicks straight up in the air. This is a very hard move to use against smaller characters because it doesn't sweep around like Link or Ike's Up Smash. It only hits above Ganondorf and a little bit in front of him. It also doesn't send enemies that far unless they are light. However, when you do connect, you can say good bye to your opponents. Leg Whip Smash Down + A -> (NC) First Kick - 5% Second Kick - 12% / 14% (FC) First Kick - 7% Second Kick - 16% / 19% Ganondorf kicks twice; first in front of him, then behind him. This is a great crowd control move because it has little wind up lag and good range. The first kick doesn't do much damage. It's purpose is to suck in the opponent and drag them toward the back so Ganondorf can hit them with the second kick. The second kick is the KO part of the move. It has great knockback and deals a fair amount of damage. If you catch the opponent with the edge of Ganondorf's foot with the first kick, the second kick will deal less damage - uncharged it will deal 12% instead of 14%, and charged it will deal 16% instead of 19%. == Air Moves ================================================================== Swooping Keese Neutral A -> First Kick = 7% - 11% Second Kick = 5% - 7% Ganondorf does a turning sidekick then quickly follows up with a roundhouse. While this is a great damage dealer, it is also very unreliable in terms of damage dealt. The variation in damage is directly related to where you hit the opponent with the kick. The closer to the middle of them you hit, the more damage you deal. If you hit the very top of very bottom with either kick, you will deal 7% damage with the first kick and 5% with the second. In terms of knockback, the first kick has much greater knockback than the second does. This is both good and bad; good, because you can use this move to KO opponents in the air (although you can only KO at higher percentages); bad, because the first kick can actually make the second kick miss, although the second kick doesn't really add much. Skull Crusher Tilt Foward + A -> 15% / 17% Now this is a great KO move. Ganondorf raises his arm above his head and hooks it downward, hitting anyone in front of him and a little bit to the top and bottom. This move's knockback and damage depend on where you hit the opponent; you'll either deal 15% damage and have little knockback, or you will deal 17% damage with great knockback. You can tell which way you've hit them because when you hit with the 17% damage hit there is a bigger flash explosion. NOTE: If anyone can explain to me, in detail, the mechanics of the hitbox of this move (where the sweetspot is, what its range it, etc.) please email me at firstname.lastname@example.com. Harry has researched the mechanics of the hit box of the move and writes: "As far as I know it has a hitbox that stays active for the majority of the move's duration. This would explain the difference in damage percentages. As you know, this move involes a punch that is thrown in an arch from over Ganondorf's head. Now the move is most effective early in its activation which means that it would result in maxumum KO power and damage if it connects with an opponent at the point when his fist is about halfway through the full swing. However, if you connect with this move on the later part of the swing that is what results in the weaker hit (still nearly as effective though). As far as I am concerned, in terms of usage, it is most effective on a recovering opponent. As for a short hop attack, it is a bit more difficult to connect with as you will likely only be able to connect with the strong half of the attack. Usually if you miss it with a short hop you will end up punching the ground and will experience significant ending lag." Hidden Gauntlet Tilt Backward + A -> 16% Ganondorf quickly turns around and backhands anyone unfortunate enough to be behind him. This is by far Ganondorf's fastest move. It comes out lightning quick (compared to his other moves) and has both good knockback and better range than his fAir attack. Use this move when you get tired of killing people with his fAir attack and begin to crave variety. Vulture Kick Tilt Up + A -> 12% / 13% Ganondorf does a backflip and kicks with his legs. This is a fairly fast move and hits all around Ganondorf (except below him). The closer to the opponent you are the more damage you'll deal. Also, try to hit the opponent with the first half of the spin because it deals more damage and has better knockback and priority. It will send opponents at roughly a 45 degree angle. Thunder Drop [Electricity] Tilt Down + A -> 17% / 22% This is an incredibly powerful move, and it is Ganondorf's Meteor Smash. Ganondorf thrusts both legs downward. Anyone hit by his feet will be sent down immediately and won't stop until they come into contact with solid ground or plummet to their death. They are also shocked when they are hit. This move will hit anyone below Ganondorf and, to a small extent, the sides of him. If you hit an enemy that is next to and a little above you, you will only deal 17% damage and the knockback of the move is significantly reduced. == Throws and Holds =========================================================== These moves are done while holding an opponent. Armored Knee A/Z -> 2% Ganondorf knees the opponent for a maximum of three times. However, once you grab an opponent, he/she will start mashing buttons like crazy in order to break the hold. You're better off hitting them once and then throwing them. Gut Punch Tilt Foward -> 13% Ganondorf sucker punches whoever hes holding and sends them flying foward. Blind Mule Kick Tilt Backward -> 10% Ganondorf hold his victim behind him and delivers a sidekick to their face. Jaw Breaker Tilt Up -> 7% Ganondorf holds his opponent above his head and punches them upward. Dirt Nap Tilt Down -> 7% Ganondorf choke slams his enemy into the ground. And no, I did not base my email adress from this move. == Special Moves ============================================================== Warlock Punch [Darkness] Neutral B -> 32% / 35% Ganondorf charges his fist with darkness, then delivers a Chuck Norris punch that absolutely annihilates anyone or anything in front of him. There are a couple of interesting things about this move that you should be aware of. This move has considerable wind up lag; you can get around this by beginning the attack in the air. You can also reverse the move once you begin it by immediately smashing the stick the opposite direction. This will initiate a move known as the Reverse Warlock Punch. The RWP does a little more damage (35% as opposed to 32%) and has a little more knockback (like this move needs more knockback). Learn to use this move wisely and effectively; it can KO middle- weight characters with as little 30% damage. Flame Choke [Darkness] Smash Left/Right + B -> If Opponent is on Ground - 9% If Opponent is in Air - 12% Ganondorf lunges a small distance and grabs any enemy in his path. He then holds them up and infuses them with darkness, causing them to explode and be sent to the ground. If Ganondorf grabs an enemy in the air with this move he will hold on to them as he dives down to the ground; he then slams them into the dirt for 12% damage. This little quirk is useless in Time matches, but it can be used cheaply in Stock matches much like Bowser's Smash B can. If you have more lives than your opponent you can simply grab your opponent in the air and cause both of you to die as you dive toward the bottom of the screen. Keep doing this until you've won or until the people you're playing with have kicked you out of their game. Eyce Theon writes: "In certain cases where an especially small opponent is grabbed under a floating platform, they won't fall to the ground in front of Ganon, and instead will end up lying on top of said platform.(examples: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y268/Eyce/example1.jpg and http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y268/Eyce/example2.jpg) Without the fall time, they can get up even sooner than normal - but the difference is negligable. A CPU will still lay there for a while like normal; the answer to this should always be a quick Usmash. An Usmash is also a good idea against a Human player at this time, as most don't expect to end up above Ganon after Flame Choke. Even if they do roll and dodge it, the Usmash is over fast enough to react afterwards to whatever they decide to do. Now, I only expect tourny-goers to really care about this little detail about Flame Choke, so I only tested who-and-where on Battlefield and Lylat Cruise (since it doesn't work on Smashville and Final D). The following list is who will be left on the above platform (only the left and right ones obviously) on each stage. Battlefield Ness Lucas R.O.B. Lylat Cruise Ness Lucas Olimar Kirby Metaknight Jigglypuff Yoshi Wario Ice Climbers (actually useful if you grabbed Popo) R.O.B. Mr. Game and Watch " Dark Dive [Electricity/Darkness] Smash Up + B -> 11% / 7% Ganondorf jumps upward. If he comes into contact with an opponent he will grab onto them and shock them, then create an explosion that will launch him off the opponent while they are sent flying back. If, however, you just barely fall short of the required distance to reach an opponent, Ganondorf will instead release darkness above him, causing his opponent to fly upwards for 7% damage. A very important thing to note about Dark Dive is that if you connect with an opponent, Ganondorf will jump quite high after the explosion (I've actually died because I went too high) and be able to use any aerial moves again! That's right, you can even use Dark Dive again. Ganondorf can escape from the very edge of death itself (a.k.a. the bottom of the screen) as long as you have an opponent to latch on to. Wizard's Foot [Darkness] Smash Down + B -> If Opponent is on Ground - 10% If Opponent is in Air First Kick = 15% Second Kick = 7% If Ganondorf is in Air and Opponent is on Ground = 8% - 15% If Opponent is in air and Ganondorf is on Ground = 12% Ganondorf does a flying side kick enshrouded in Darkness. This move travels a good distance on land. If you use it in the air, Ganondorf will travel about the same distance at a very sharp downward angle. Wizard's Foot has some very interesting properties when it is used in the air. If both you and the opponent are on the ground and you will always deal 10% damage. If you are in the air, you have a chance to hit the opponent twice (another two-kick attack?!?). The kick can hit the opponent if they are in the air; this will deal 15% damage. Again, the sweetspot is on the tip of Ganondorf's foot. If you hit the opponent with the side of his foot you will deal less damage. The first kick also sends the opponent flying down so that they are set up for the second kick; if you close enough to the ground Ganondorf will slam into it and create a shockwave. If you have dragged your opponent from your first kick and hit them with the second one you will deal 7% damage. If, however, your opponent is on the ground and you are attacking from the air then different rules apply. If your opponent is hit be thy edge of the shockwave they will be dealt 8% damage; those that grazed by Ganondorf's leg will be hit with 14% damage; and finally, if an enemy is hit dead on by Ganondorf's leg they will be dealt 15% damage. Overall this is a very versatile move. Make sure you learn the distance it travels because there is nothing worse than falling just short of your opponent and leaving yourself wide open. == Other Moves ================================================================ Final Smash - Beast Ganon [Darkness] (When you have the Smash Ball) B -> 50% - 65% Ganondorf transforms into his powerful alter-ego, Ganon. Ganon is an enormous beast like creature. First he will stomp the ground, paralyzing anyone in front of him and dealing them 10% damage. If anyone is unfortunate enough to be under him when he stomps they will planted into the ground for an additional 10% damage. Ganondorf will then rush foward to the edge of the screen, sending anyone in his path to the edges of the screen. This move is decent in larger stages (Final Destination) and absolutely killer in small stages (Onett, Lylat Cruise). You can use this move whenever you want, whether you're falling through the air on the ground. NOTE: For some reason I cannot figure out the game will not let you use Ganondorf's Final Smash right away. It will instead force you to use his Warlock Punch. If you have any answers or possible explanations please email me at email@example.com. It appears we have an answer to the Smash Ball lag problem! Jimmy Yu writes: "The note about delay is something I figured out- It takes two or three seconds for the "aura" around a character in standby to completely form, and that's only when you can use the final smash. I learned this because I LOVE the landmasters- So on instinct I always hit B the moment I hear a certain something breaking, and waste a precious few seconds on a blaster. Bah." Taunt One Up D-Pad Ganondorf spins around in the air and tries to go Super Saiyan. Taunt Two Left/Right D-Pad Ganondorf punches his hand into his fist, then cracks his knuckles in Darkness. The epitome of cool. Taunt Three Down D-Pad Ganondorf pulls out his sword from God knows where, takes a look at it, then puts it back. Ledge Attack (When Hanging off Ledge) A -> 10% Ganondorf climbs up over the ledge and does a lunging-backhand attack. If the person you hit is very close to the ledge you will actually send them flying outward to the edge of the screen with a surprising amount of knockback. If you have more than 100% damage Ganondorf will do a low kick instead upon getting up over the ledge. The two attacks are the exact same, though, in terms of damage and knockback, although the kick has a little more range and comes out a little faster. Get-Up-Off-the-Floor Move (When lying on ground) A -> 6% If Ganondorf is lying on his back he will pull off an Eddy Gordo move and do a handstand and a split, hitting anyone around him. If Ganondorf is lying on his stomach he will kick out behind him, then swing his legs over and in front of him. This will also hit anyone around him. ----------------------------- == Using Ganondorf [UGF] == ----------------------------- Lets get one thing out of the way: Ganondorf is SLOW. Ganondorf is also about as tall as your average NBA player, and he is one of the heaviest characters. Do not let these traits deter you from using him, though. Ganondorf makes up for these shortcomings with insanely powerful moves. In general, when you want to rack up damage, try to do it on the ground. Ganon- dorf is a terrible jumper, and although he has fairly decent air game, you WILL be destroyed by the likes of Metaknight and Marth. Make good use of your tilts, then try to finish them off with your smashes. In short, if your opponent has a sword (Link, Ike, Marth, Metaknight) try to keep the fight grounded. I'm not saying that you should completely avoid the air, just be careful. When you do have to take to the air, make sure you know the timing of your air moves. Ganondorf's air moves have very good knockback and can be used as your main method of killing. Most importantly, learn how to use Ganondorf's dAir, the Thunder Drop. Learn everything about it. Learn its timing, its range, its priority, how it likes its coffee, etc. This is a great Meteor Smash that should be used often and with extreme prejudice. Don't be afraid to jump off the edge of a stage to try to spike an opponent. There is an interesting trick you can do with Ganondorf's Thunderdrop. If you jump up then immediately smash the C Stick Down you will pull off the Thunder Drop and land without any landing animation, thus allowing you to run off immediately and cause more pain and mayhem. Use Ganondorf's weight to your advantage. Don't be afraid to rush into a brawl; thats what Ganondorf was made to do. His heavy weight will keep him alive for a long time. I've been in games where I've racked up damage in the upper 400s and still stayed alive. If you ever are unfortunate to have to face Ganondorf in battle, fear not, for CutmanMike has emailed me an excellent list of tips on how to shut down even the most skilled Ganondorf player. CutmanMike writes: * If you just want a character to take them down at all costs, and refuse to be manly and take him with your main, speedy characters are the way to go. Metaknight is a fantastic choice because of his speed. Spam mach tornado until his % is low and begin to nab him with aerial attacks, and when you get the chance use his down smash to finish him off. * Always ALWAYS air dodge when you're above him. Never try to attack him while you're falling from an attack. His up + a kick will catch you every time, and his forward + A will write you off easily if they can time it right. * When you get him in the air, stand below him to coax him into using a Wizard's foot and then get out of the way. Wizard's foot from the air leaves Ganondorf open for any hard hitting attacks, so use them. Be sure to get out of the way UNTIL it hit's the floor, because it WILL catch you. * Never try to spike Ganondorf in stock matches. You heard me. NEVER. If you don't know why you obviously have not fought many Gannondorf players. He's so slow in the air and is generally a big target and has a predictable recovery BUT never be tempted to go in for a kill unless you're winning by a life. Trust me, you don't wanna try it. Ganoncide will get you every time, and he will use it if you're winning. * Recovering can be a problem when fighting Gannondorf because of one move: His stomp (We call it the Stomp of Injustice). Good Ganny's will never fail to catch you with it. It has INSANE priority and hurts a ton, and will finish off people at very low %'s no matter who they are. So you have two options: Go over it or under it. Going over is impossible for some characters but those who can will have to be prepared for his Up + A kick which will most likely get you unless you can air dodge. The other option is under. As long as you have a pretty good vertical recovery, fall low under the edge of the platform and recover from way below him. It's the safest way, and once you're on the ledge you can jump or roll away from him. Another great way to get back on is by using your tether recovery, so use that if you have one. * If you get caught with the Flame Choke (the choking move) always dodge left or right. Never get back up right away because you're in the perfect spot for a stomp. You can counter attack but always delay it slightly so that your invincible state overrides with his damn stomp priority. I would recommend just getting the heck out of the way though. * Learn to run and grab a lot. Ganondorf hates it. If you dodge and he attacks he's most likely going to block so run up and grab him. If he's at a low % smash him up or down and get another attack in his face before he gets chance to counter attack. If he's around 60% throw him backwards, as most characters have a painful and crazy long throws (Mario and Ness are great examples). * If you see him using Warlock Punch or his up + A ground attack, quickly get in his face and punish him for it before he gets chance to attack again. Good Ganondorf players will only use these moves by accident though because it leaves them too open. ------------------------------- == Character Matchups [CrM] == ------------------------------- The following section is a basic guideline for fighting all 35 characters (39 if you count all the Pokemon, Zero Suit Samus, and Sheik). In no way do I consider myself an expert at using Ganondorf (yet here I am writing this guide...), and if you have a better strategy than the one I have written here, send it my way at email@example.com. == Mario [Mar] == Mario is the most average character. There is nothing special about him, so you don't really need any fancy strategies. His fireballs, while they will stop any moves they come into contact with, also bounce along the ground, causing them to travel in an erratic pattern (if the fight is taking place on uneven ground) and are easy to dodge. Once you close the distance between him and Ganondorf start letting loose on him. A nice combo I like to use on him at low damages is to grab him with a Flame Choke (Smash B), then hit him with a Sweeping Snake (Tilt Down + A) followed by a Thunder Punch (Neutral A). This combo works on most middleweights and heavyweights; if used on a lightweight with too much damage, the Sweeping Snake will send the opponent too high for the Thunder Punch to make contact. However, you can just replace it with and air attack. Final Smash - Mario Finale Mario shoots what can only be described as a wall of fire in the direction he is facing. This is hard to avoid, especially for Ganondorf due to his poor jumping skills. Try t jump out of the way, or better yet, try to hit the Smash Ball out of Mario. == Luigi [Lug] == This fight shouldn't be too hard. Luigi may be a better jumper than you, but as long as you stay on the ground you won't run into too much trouble. Make good use of Wizard's Foot and Flame Choke to get his damage up, then finish him off with a good smash. Luigi is surprisingly light, so be sure to use your tilts as well. Just watch out for his Smash B Green Missile, as this move is not only quick, it is also very deadly. His fireballs,on the the other hand, are more annoying than dangerous. They will shut down any attack they come into contact with and can be fired repeatedly. If you're fighting a Luigi that camps and fires these, try to jump above him and hit him with a Wizard's Foot. Joshua Chang adds that you should never be right above Luigi, because Luigi's Up B attack has the potential to send you flying straight up. Final Smash - Negative Zone Luigi goes on an acid trip and brings anyone around him with him. A large cir- cle will radiate around him, and anyone caught in it will suffer from any of the following symptoms: - Reduced attack power - Flying further when hit - Higher chance of slipping - Small constant increase in damage - Flower on head - Dizziness - Uncontrollable taunting - Sleepiness - Slower movement They key to avoiding this Final Smash is to stay the hell away from Luigi when you see him glowing. If you are caught in the sphere, do whatever you can to get out. == Peach [Pea] == Peach is annoying to fight. She will fly around a lot, making it very hard to hit her when she is in the air. Try to get in some VUlture Kicks and Swooping Keeses, and maybe a Dark Dive. Peach isn't a heavy character, which is good for you because that means you can KO her with tilts at low percentages. Just be careful of her Neutral B move; she can relfect any attack you hit her with and turn it on you. If she keeps floating above your head, hit her with a Dark Dive. As long as you're near Peach the move will hit; try to make the top of move hit so that she will be hit with Darkness and sent flying upwards to her death. Final Smash - Peach Blossom Peach puts everyone on the ground to sleep and makes peaches appear. A frame appears around the screen; as long as this frame is on the screen Peach is invincible. This Final Smash is more annoying than dangerous; most Peach players will go for the free health from the peaches instead of attacking. Try to stay off the ground when Peach has the Smash Ball; if you are put to sleep, theres nothing you can really do except hope that Peach doesn't go for you. == Bowser [Bow] == Bowser is nothing more than a Sandbag with legs. You outrange him, your attacks have better priority, your attacks are faster, and your attacks have elements. Bowser doesn't stand a chance. You can use pretty much any move you want, although I suggest an Iron Shoulder follwed up by either a Dark Dive or a Vulture Kick. If Bowser stops you with his fire simply jump above him and feed him a Wizard's Foot. You really should have no problems here. The only thing you really need to watch out for is his Smash B. If you're playing a Stock Match, and if for some ridiculous reason you are down on lives, Bowser could win by kamikazeing you. But this will most likely never happen. According to Joshua Chang, if you have more damage than Bowser does and he uses his Smash B on you, you actually control where the move goes instead of Bowser. Final Smash - Giga Bowser Bowser turns into the giant version of himself that you fight as the last boss in adventure mode in Melee. Although he can take damage, he can deal a whole lot more. He doesn't flinch while hes Giga, so going on the offensive is a very bad idea. Instead, use his ginormous size against him; take refuge in tunnels or under overhangs. Watch out for his super-powered attacks, because they now all have elements. == Donkey Kong [Don] == You're in for a tough fight. For such a heavy character, Donkey Kong is surpri- singly nimble. He jumps higher than you do, his attacks come out faster, he has a great horizontal recovery, and his moves have higher priority. He does have one weakness though - he has terrible vertical recovery. Use Thunder Drop on him whenever hes in the air, but at the same time watch out for his aerial attacks. Harass him whenever he tries to charge up his B move. If he manages to get a fully charged punch, either try to trick him into wasting it or just kill him. If he starts spamming his Down B move just jump above him and throw a Wizard's Foot his way. Final Smash - Konga Beat DK pulls out his bongos and starts playing them. A good DK player will know how to time the beats so that the sound waves travel the farthest. These waves will push you back. As long as you stay far away from him, this shouldn't pose any threat whatsoever. If you're playing against a DK player who doesn't know how to keep up with the beats, you can actually hurt DK while hes playing, but I strongly discourage this. == Diddy Kong [Did] == Diddy Kong may be the polar opposite of Donkey Kong, but he is just as annoying to fight. Diddy has a speed advantage over you, and his attacks are just as fast. They also have slightly higher priority, so try to get the job done quickly. Diddy weighs next to nothing, so it is very possible to KO him at percentages lower than 50%. Diddy has a strange Up B move; it is similar to Fox/Falco/Wolf's, but instead of stopping in the air, Diddy's just slows his fall. Diddy's can also be cancelled if he's hit before he's done charging, so when you see him charging up go out of your way to smack him to oblivion. Other things to watch out for are his Peanut Gun and his bananas. His Peanut Gun is like Mario/Luigi's fireballs in that it will cancel your attacks; however, Diddy can charge his Peanut Gun. The bananas, on the other hand, are just plain annoying. Diddy can throw down two at most, so watch out for these. Final Smash - Rocket Barrel Barrage Diddy Kong dons his Rocket Barrels from DK64 and begins to fly around the stage firing his peanut guns. The peanuts explode on contact for some reason, so try to dodge them as best as you can. If a peanut misses and hits the floor you can pick it up for some health; be careful that you don't get hit by more peanuts on your way though. == Yoshi [Yos] == Don't try to attack him from the air; Yoshi will shoot you down with a barrage of eggs. Either that, or he'll rape you with his superior air game. And if you see him short hopping toward you, get the hell out of the way, because Yoshi is about to drop a Flutter Kick (I think thats what his dAir is called) on your head. Stay on the ground where you have the more powerful moves. But watch out for his rolling egg move, as this will quickly give you damage. Yoshi's no lightweight either, so you're going to have to endure the pain until you can KO him. Your tilts are good for giving him damage, but Yoshi is just heavy enough that they won't KO him unless he has obscenely high damage. And, please, out of all the things I've listed here, try not to get eaten. There is nothing more embarassing than being trapped in an egg as you fall to your death. Final Smash - Super Dragon Yoshi grows a pair of wings and gains the ability to shoot fireballs. These fireballs are very powerful and can be fired quickly multiple times. It also last for a good amount of time, so you're in for a beating. There really isn't anything you can do except pray that Yoshi is feeling merciful. == Wario [War] == Wario is the definition of annoying. He is incredibly fast for a heavyweight and his movements are quirky, making them very hard to predict. All of his moves have very little range, though, so as long as you keep your distance you should be alright. As soon as Wario hops on his motorcycle knock him off of it with a Wizard's Foot. It may be hard to tell, but if Wario is blinking, get away from him, especially his ass, because Wario has a fully charged fart waiting to destroy you. Your foward tilt has good rage, so make good use of it. Don't get too close to him or he'll start chomping on you. == Link [Lin] == Your arch-nemesis will put up a tough fight. Link is the king of long range fighting. Not only does he have arrows, bombs, a chainlink, and a boomerang, but he also wields the Master Sword; this gives his attacks good range and knockback. A good Link player will continually harass you with all of his projectiles until you do something stupid. Don't succumb to this; instead take a calm approach. Either shield roll or sidestep your way closer and closer to Link until you get him right where you want - in front of your foot as you hit him with a Wizard's Foot. Link isn't much faster than you, so keeping up with him won't be much of a problem. Your weight will negate much of the knockback from his moves, so don't be afraid to run head first into the fray. Hit him hard with your tilts, then finish him off as you see fit. Final Smash - Triforce Slash Link shoots a line of light out in front of him; anyone in front of him (this move can travel quite far) will be instantly trapped between two Triforces. Link will then proceed to start hacking at the character with his sword until he breaks the two Triforces and send whoever was trapped in it to their death. When you see him glowing do not go in front of him; attack him from behind or above. If you see someone getting destroyed be Link, do not wander into the Triforces because you will get caught in them and possibly die. == Zelda/Sheik [Zel] == Zelda Zelda is a heavyweight's worst nightmare. She is a lightweight character with a heavyweight's powerful moves. Plus, most of her moves have elements. Her moves have better range and priority, so keep your distance when fighting her. But if you're too far away from her, Zelda will keep up a constant stream of Din's Fire to keep the pressure on you. And if you get too close she'll start using Naryu's Love. Stay on the move, and don't let up on her. Don't even think about using smashes; Zelda will punish you when you miss. It doesn't take much damage to KO her, so get in there and dish out damage. If she takes the fight to the air, approach her from the bottom. Her uAir will send you flying to the top of the screen, and her fAir/bAir are her version of Capt. Falcon's Knee of Justice. Get hit with one of these in the face and you'll be dead in no time. Sheik Sheik is no longer the goddess that she was in Melee; however, she still poses a threat. She is lightning fast, as are her moves. Don't go after her because you'll never catch her. Like with all the other fast characters, let her come to you. Sheik's moves have been toned down quite a bit since Melee in terms of knockback, so you no longer need to fear her. Sheik will often use her needles to stop your attacks; try your best to dodge them. Once you get close to her start throwing out tilts. You can try to hit her with smashes, but I doubt she will stay still long enough for you to hit her. Sheik is a very fast roller, so keeping up with her may be a problem. Sheik is pretty much the same weight as Zelda (the exact same weight if Im not mistaken), so once you get some damage on her go for the kill. Final Smash - Light Arrow Zelda/Sheik will fire an arrow of light directly in front of her. Anyone hit by it is pretty much guaranteed to die. The angle that the arrow sends you flying is more horizontal if Sheik fires the arrow. When Zelda/Sheik has the Smash Ball, avoid her like the plague. If you do have to fight her, try to hit her from the back so she can't hit you first with her arrow. == Ganondorf [Gan] == A true test of skill. May the best man win. Final Smash - Beast Ganon Do whatever you can to get behind him. Anyone in front of him will be dragged to their death if there isn't a wall to save them. == Toon Link [Too] == Fighting Toon Link is very similar to fighting Link (duh). Toon Link's projectiles are slower than Link's, and his attacks have a smaller range, so you won't have to worry about any long range fighting. What he does have, though, is more speed and a devastating dAir. His dAir drops like a rock and hurts even worse. It also has good knockback. Do not get hit by this. Instead, go on the offenseive. Toon Link is lighter than his counterpart, but he has better recovery. Hit him hard, and hit him far. Final Smash - Triforce Slash This is a carbon copy of Link's Final Smash. == Samus/Zero Suit Samus [Sam] == Samus If Link is the king of long range, then Samus is the queen. Samus has enough things that go boom to ruin you day. Other than her Charge Shot, Samus has rockets that come in two flavors: those that home in on you, and those that travel in a straight line. The latter packs more punch and travels faster, so watch out for these. The Charge Shot has been somewhat nerfed from Melee; in my opinion, it has less knockback. Its still dangerous, though, so make it a point to not get hit by it. Samus can alos drop bombs that she will use when shes in a crowd. They don't hurt too much, but they will stop whatever you're doing. Don't rush her from the front; you will be met with a couple of rockets and possibly a fully charger Charge Shot. Don't try from above, either. Her Up Smash is a powerful flamethrower. Either approach her from an angle or from behind. Samus is no slouch in the close range department; plan your approach wisely and you should have no trouble killing her. Final Smash - Zero Suit Laser Samus shoots an enormous laser beam that will push you to the edge of the screen. She will then shed her power suit and become Zero Suit Samus. As with most other Final Smashes, try to stay behind her. Samus is vulnerable while she is transforming, so have a strong attack ready. Some pieces of her suit will remain on the stage; these have very good knockback, so be sure to pick them up as soon as you see them. Zero Suit Samus Zero Suit Samus is faster and more agile. Her attacks are super fast and have much higher priority than yours. And that god-forsaken whip has a disgusting amount of range. However, her moves have less knockback. What they do have is the ability to stun. ZSS will pester you with a flurry of fast moves, stun you, then repeat the process. Don't let this happen to you. ZSS is much lighter than her suited form, so hit her with your tilts and even the occasional Thunder Punch. Unfortunately for you, that whip of hers gives her great recovery. It is used in a tether fashion, which you can take advantage of. When you see ZSS
trying to get back to the stage, jump off and grab the ledge yourself. This will prevent the whip from grabbing the edge and send ZSS helplessly falling to her death. Final Smash - Power Suit Samus Zero Suit Samus creates a vortex around her as she regains her power suit. This isn't nearly as dangerous as her other Final Smash; in fact, this move probably won't even kill you unless you have a lot of damage. Keep your distance away from her and you should be fine. == Pit [Pit] == This is a difficult fight for Ganondorf. Pit has fast attacks, many of which hit multiple times. He is deadly at close range, and he will relentlessly fire his arrows at you from afar. If you make any mistakes you will be severely punished. Pit also has an ungodly amount of recovery, so if you've sent him flying don't assume hes done for. Make sure the job is done before you sit back and start playing Ganondorf's taunts. Pit's Smash B will stop every single one of Ganondorf's moves; you'll have to jump above Pit and attack him from the air once you escape from his spinning blades. Pit can also use his Mirror Shield like Mario's Cape, so be careful. However, Pit is on the lighter side. Give him some damage, then hope to God that he messes up so you can go in for the kill. Try to attack him in the air because his air attacks, while they are still strong, aren't nearly as powerful as his ground moves are. If you see him attempting to come back to the stage try to Thunder Drop him; its the only move that his wings can't save him from (if he has enough damage that is). Final Smash - Paletuna's Army Pit will summon an army of centurions to do his dirty work. They will shoot across the screen at various angles and knock you a good distance. The angels came at you very fast and they hit hard, but you can dodge them. If you can, try to hit Pit during the Final Smash, as he doesn't gain invincibility status. == Ice Climbers [Ice] == Your first order of business should be to seperate them. A lonely Ice Climber equals a vulnerable one. Together they pose a threat. They have dual attacks, they can both pick up items, and theoretically they do twice as much damage. However, if you manage to split them up, do not let them get back together. If they are trying to get back to the stage split them up. Chances are one of them will end up dying. Another effective way to kill them is through edge hogging. Popo (or whoever is in lead) may grab the ledge, but his partner certainly won't. Another effective way to kill of the partner is to send the partner anywhere off the edge - it could even be a yard away form the stage. A lone Ice Climber can't activate their Up B move unless their partner is nearby, and they will instead move a pathetically small distance before slowly falling to their death. If both are alive they will pester you with ice blocks if you are far away, and if you're close to them they will hit you with their ice breath. Its possible to hit their ice blocks back at them; however, your timing has to be perfect. Final Smash - Iceberg A huge iceberg shoots up in the center of the stage. Anyone near it or on it will take damage (except the Ice Climbers themselves) and are at risk of being frozen. As long as you stay away from the iceberg you won't take damage. The Ice Climbers don't get anything special themselves, so if they jump off the iceberg go for the kill. == R.O.B. [ROB] == R.O.B. is another long distance fighter. He has a laser beam that he shoots out of his eyes; this travels in a straight line, but it can be bounced off the ground to a certain degree. The laser isn't too dangerous but it can hurt you pretty bad. The laser's strength depends on how much time has passed since he last fired it. If he has just fired it nothing will happen; if he fired it a few seconds ago it will be thin; and if he has waited for a longer time than the laser will be much wider with a reddish-pink hue. R.O.B. also has disk thingy that he can charge up and fire at you. If its fully charged the disk has a lot of knockback, so try to hit him while he tries to charge it. R.O.B has a few moves that involve him using the burners on the bottom of his base. These moves have insane knockback and a fire element. They are his bAir, dAir, and Up Smash. His Up Smash has some wind up lag that should alert you. His dAir and Bair, though, do not. They come out quite fast and can catch you if you're not paying attention. Both will send you flying in their respective directions. He also has very good recovery (thanks to his burners), so when you see him flying back to the stage hit him with a Thunder Drop. This shouldn't be too hard, for R.O.B. is a large target. Final Smash - Diffusion Beam R.O.B.'s eyes light up and begin to shoot out a cone of red light. Occasionally he will fire a laser that has incredible knockback. This is a very dangerous Final Smash; if you get caught in the cone of light there is nothing you can do about it. Don't bother attacking R.O.B.; he is invulnerable during the duration of his Final Smash. Try to keep your distance from him. == Kirby [Kir] == Kirby is like an easier version of Metaknight. He will float around a lot (and consequently be out of your range a lot). Kirby's air attacks are much more manageable. Be wary of his Down B move; this move can kill you at high percen- tages. If you manage to hit Kirby before the rock transformation animation is finished you can cancel the move. Another move to watch out for is his Smash B. This move has a lot of windup lag, though, so you should be able to see this move coming out well before it hits. Other than that, theres nothing special about Kirby. Rack up damage with your tilts, then finish him off with Smashes; Kirby is so light, you can even use your tilts to KO him. Final Smash - Cook Kirby Kirby dons a toque (a chef's hat) and whips out a pot. Anyone close to him will be dragged into the pot, along with any items. After they are done simmering, they will be shot out of the pot along with some new items. This isn't very dangerous as it doesn't send you that far; however, Kirby can use this midair, so if he uses it at the top of the screen you may be killed. == Metaknight [Met] == STAY OUT OF THE AIR. Metaknight will absolutely destroy you with his fAIr and bAir. In fact, most of his attacks will supercede any of yours thanks to their insane priority. In short, this is going to be a very tough fight. You do have one thing going for you, though: weight. Metaknight is an incredibly light character. Once you get some damage on him start going for a kill. Use your tilts (Smashes if you can sneak them in); they have good range, and with any luck you can make them connect. If you do manage to land a hit, you get to watch in satisfaction as you send Metaknight flying off the screen at ridicu- lously low percentages. Final Smash - Galaxia Darkness Metaknight swings his cape in front of him; anyone hit by it will be then hit by a giant horizontal slash. This move has very little range, although is does have a good potential to kill. As long as you stay away from him he shouldn't be able to hit you with it. It is actually quite easy to knock the Smash Ball out of him. If you see the opportunity to do so, then by all means go for it. == King Dedede [Kin] == King Dedede is an interesting character. He is a heavyweight, yet he has the ability to fly. It doesn't really matter though, because he doesn't put up much of a fight. His hammer gives his attacks more range than yours, and his Down B is deadly when charged. King Dedede is also notorious for his infinite chain grab. If you're playing a human and they corner you into a wall, you better get out of there real fast. Dedede also has one of the most annoying projectiles in the game. Dedede throws out members of his loyal army of Waddle Dees and Waddle Doos. Occasionally, Dedede will throw out a Gordo (a giant spike ball of doom). The Waddle Dees are just irritating, as they will walk around and push stuff around. The Waddle Doos will occasionally fire off electricity that does a little damage. The Gordos are by far the most dangerous thing Dedede can throw. These things have insane knockback, and will KO you at high damages. Other than the things I've listed, Dedede poses no real threat. His ground moves have a considerable amount of lag, giving you ample time to roll around and hit him in the back. If you see him puffing his way back to the stage, do what you usually do to those who refuse to die - hit him with a Thunder Drop. Just make sure you don't consign yourself to death when you jump off. Dedede is a little bit faster than you are, but hes still slow enough that you can hit him with Smash moves. Dedede is one of the lightest heavyweights, so lay down the pain on him, then see if you can't hit him with a Warlock Punch. If not, an Armor Crusher should do the trick. Final Smash - Waddle Dee Army King Dedede will call upon his army of Waddle Dees and Waddle Doos once more. He will start dancing to some weird music as Waddle Dees, Waddle Doos, and the occasional Gordo start appearing out of nowhere and fly across the screen. This is one of the more annoying Final Smashes. There really is no way to defend against it other than to dodge. Your chances of dying are very unlikely, but the Gordos are deadly. Avoid these at all costs, as they have insane knockback. == Olimar [Oli] == Olimar is another heavyweight killer. Like Zelda, he is a lightweight character with heavyweight power. Most of Olimar's moves have elements thanks to the Pikmin he has following around him. His moves also have a surprising amount of knockback. Olimar is very small, making it hard to actually hit him. If he has a lot of Pikmin, try killing some of them off before you go for him. This will make it easier to knock him off the stage for good, because his Up B is a tether; its length is determined by the amount of Pikmin he has. Edge hog like crazy to get some kills. If Olimar has thrown Pikmin on you, simply run back and forth until you shake them off. Fortunately, Olimar is one of the lightest characters, so killing him should be easy. Olimar isn't as fast as most of the other lightweights, so feel free to use Smashes as well as tilts. Heres some food for thought: If you take the L out of Olimar's name, it becomes an anagram for another famous Nintendo character. Final Smash - End of Day Olimar jumps into his spaceship and flies straight up, bringing the camera with him, anyone still on the ground will take damage. Olimar will then crash land his ship in the center of the stage. Anyone hit by the ship will be Meteor Smashed. There is absolutely nothing you can do to avoid getting hurt by this, so try to steal the Smash Ball form Olimar before he gets the chance to use it. == Fox [Fox] == Fox is yet another small and fast character. Fox will jump around a lot, making your smashes miss a lot. If you're far away Fox will spam his blaster like theres no tomorrow. Up close he will tear you apart with his fast attacks. His moves have been somewhat nerfed due to the fact that they've lost a lot of their knockback since Melee, which gives you a fighting chance. Fox also has his Reflector which, as its name implies, reflects projectiles. While this may seem like a useless move against Ganondorf, it actually has many uses, all of which involve hurting you. The Reflector, or shine as it is more commonly called on the boards, comes out almost immediately, has good knockback and almost no recovery lag. The only thing it lacks is range. A veteran Fox player will use the Reflector to get you into a various number of combos. Try to avoid this as best as you can by interrupting the combo with some Thunder Punches. Don't use Wizard's foot in the air too often; it has a lot of recovery lag, something Fox will use against you. Final Smash - Landmaster Fox jumps straight up in the air and out of the stage; he then comes back in a Landmaster tank. The tank can fly, shoot its turret, and DO A BARREL ROLL! (All you Star Fox veterans know what I'm refering to). The tank is very powerful but it is also very slow. You can take refuge on top of it, but Fox may simply fly to the top of the screen and kill you that way. He could also just do a barrel roll and knock you off the top. Try to hide in small tunnels or other places the Landmaster can't go. == Falco [Fal] == Falco, the badass of Star Fox, returns in Brawl much different than his Melee version. This is good for you, because he has been nerfed. Fighting Falco is like fighting a heavier version of Fox; however, his moves pack more punch, and hes still fast enough to run circles around you. Unlike Fox's flinch-less blaster, Falco's version will stop you in your tracks. Falco's Reflector also operates differently. Whereas Fox will turn his on, Falco instead throws his out then turns it on. This gives his Reflector the range that Fox's lacks at the expense of being able to keep it on as long as he wants to. Falco will use this as an edge guarding tool, so either air dodge your way back to the stage or hope that he misses. Falco's Up B travels less distance than Fox's so you don't have to send him flying as far. Falco is also a better jumper than Fox; he has one of the highest first jumps in the game. Falco is very good at chain grabbing; Ganondorf's heavy ass only makes it easier for him. Falco's dThrow makes Ganondorf bounce off the ground a little bit (even at higher damages), which sets him up perfectly for another grab. Final Smash - Landmaster This is pretty much the same as Fox's with a few differences. Falco, being Star Fox's ace pilot, does less damage with his Landmaster. His Landmaster also moves slower; however, it has better maneuverablility in the air. == Wolf [Wol] == Wolf may have a blaster and a Reflector, but thats where the similaritities between him and the other Lylatians end. Wolf fights mostly with his claws, which is a good thing and a bad thing. Good, because his attacks have slightly less range; bad, because his attacks come out much faster. Wolf is also heavier than his rivals from Star Fox, so he'll be harder to knock out. This is another fight where you want to be on the ground, because Wolf will knock you right out of the sky with his superior moves. His moves are very hard to predict, and his fSmash is a two part attack similar to Sheik's. Wolf's Up B doesn't have the wind up lag that Fox and Falco's does, yet it travels the same distance as Fox's. The shots from his blaster travel a little slower, but they still stun. Wolf is very good at juggling, so make sure you air dodge your way back to terra firma. Wolf isn't as fast overall as the Fox or Falco, so you will be able to hit him with some Smashes. If not, then use tilts. Final Smash - Landmaster Again, this is nearly identical to Fox and Falco's except for a few differences here and there. Wolf has the most powerful Landmaster, but it doesn't last as long as the others. His also sports a pimpin' red paintjob. == Captain Falcon [Cap] == Your faster counterpart may be more agile, but he certainly isn't stronger than you. When fighting your doppelganger, let him come to you. Captain Falcon is the second fastest character in the game; you will not be catching him. Instead try to play defensively. Captain Falcon's B moves have a lot of recovery lag, which will allow you to land hits. Simply sidestep or roll out of the way, and then strike with tilts (or even a partially charged Smash) as he recovers. One move you do have to watch out for is his famed Knee of Justice. This attack comes out extremely fast and, if used properly, has insane knockback. Ganondorf is a relatively large target, so if you see Captain Falcon coming at you in the air, get out of the way. Joshua Chang writes: "I noticed that if you ever fight a Captain Falcon at New Pork, he has a nice combo. He will jump down to the last platform on the left side. There he can Falcon Kick will will send him jumping right up in time for a meteor smash," Final Smash - Blue Falcon Captain Falcon calls upon his trusted race machine. Anyone hit by it will be hurled onto the track, where they will be hit once again. This is an extremely dangerous Final Smash because it can KO opponents with no damage. It also has good range and can hit multiple opponents. Stay away from Captain Falcon until hes used it on someone else. == Pikachu [Pik] == Pikachu is like Olimar: small, fast, and annoying as hell. Almost all of its moves have electricity as well as insane knockback for such a small character. The Pokemon's moves come out fast and hit very hard. Don't try fighting Pikachu in the air, and whatever you do, never be directly above Pikachu. Novice users will spam Pikachu's Thunder until you're dead, whereas veteran users will only need to use it once to finish you off. Pikachu's air game is much better than yours, so take the fight to the ground. Pikachu will pester you with Thunder Jolts until he gets closer to you. Then it'll open up on you with electrically powered moves. Pikachu's fSmash has decent range and very good knockback, so try to roll around it when you see the Pokemon begin to charge it up. Pikachu has very good recovery; however, his Quick Attack has a lot of recovery lag. When you see Pikachu use this to get back to the stage, find out where its going to land and welcome it with a Warlock Punch. Final Smash - Volt Tackle Pikachu becomes a giant blue ball of death and flies around the screen, firing off sparks of electricity. The ball's movement is erratic, so dodging it will be tough. Just try to run around a lot, and don't let it corner you against a wall. When the ball begins to slow down that means the move is about to end. Have an attack ready for Pikachu once he lands. == Pokemon Trainer [Pok] == The Pokemon Trainer is a unique character because he is essentially three characters in one. The Trainer himself does not do any of the fighting; rather, you can see him running around in the background. The Trainer does have some limitations. He can only keep one Pokemon in for at most two minutes. Near the end of the two minutes you'll be able to physically see the signs of exhaustion displayed by the Pokemon. When the Pokemon is exhausted its attacks will deal less damage. If two minutes have passed the game will force the Pokemon Trainer to switch out a Pokemon, and any damage the first Pokemon has taken will be transferred to the new Pokemon. This includes a lengthy animation, so when you see a new Pokemon entering the fray, stand right on top of the Pokeball with a charged Smash ready to greet them. Squirtle Squirtle is by far the hardest of the three Pokemon to defeat. Squirtle is the smallest character in the game, and he is quite fast. His moves have good range and a decent amount of knockback. It jumps very high, and its recovery is very good. Squirtle will be all over the place; use some Thunder Punches to stop him in his tracks. Your tilts will be of some use, but your Smashes are no good; Squirtle is simply too fast for them. It is possible to KO it with a Thunder Punch, so use this move often. Ivysaur Next up on the list is Ivysaur. Ivysaur is a middleweight with very good range due to the vines it uses for most of its attacks. These moves have good knockback and are hard to both predict and avoid. Ivysaur will use Razor Leaf if you're at a distance; up close, he'll start flaying you with vines. His attacks pack more power than Squirtles, but they are slower as well. Ivysaur's Up B is a tether, so start edge hogging if you see him coming back to the stage. Don't fly above it, or else you risk getting caught in its Bullet Seed attack. This move will give you a significant amount of damage. When fighting Ivysaur, go for the air if you can. Ivysaur has weak aerial moves, as opposed to your very strong ones. Charizard Charizard is the joke of the three Pokemon. It may be the most powerful, but it certainly is the easiest one to kill. Charizard is around the same weight as you, but its attacks are slower than yours. Charizard also has better recovery than you do and the ability to fly, but you can negate this with a well aimed Thunder Drop. One move that you do need to watch out for is its Rock Smash. If you are close to Charizard when he uses this you will be sent flying. If you're a little bit away from CHarizard you will be hit with fragments from the rock. His Flamethrower will stop any attacks, but it will lose its strength and range over time. Other than that, go to town on it. Charizard has poor aerial moves compared to yours, so shut him down in the air. Final Smash - Triple Finish All three Pokemon join the fray and use Solar Beam, Hydro Pump, and Fire Blast in one direction. This move is quite easy to avoid, provided that you weren't in front of the Pokemon to begin with. If you do get caught by it, Ganondorf's heavy weight will save him if he doesn't have that much damage. == Lucario [Luc] == When fighting Lucario, try to kill him as fast as you can; the more damage it takes, the more powerful its moves become thanks to its Aura. Many of its moves have an element (Aura element?), and at higher percentages most of his moves can kill. His Aura Sphere, on the other hand, isn't very dangerous. It has a lot of knockback, especially fully charged, but it travels very slowly. This gives you plenty of time to shield or dodge it. His Double Team is the real move to look out for. If you try to hit Lucario while he is waving his arms, it will counter whatever move you hit it with and send you flying. However, if you wait a little bit, Lucario will no longer counter as he is forced to complete the move. Charge up a Smash, hit him with a Warlock Punch, grab him, etc.; you get the idea. Lucario's air moves are just as powerful as yours, especially his dAir. This move hits twice and has a good amount of knockback. His ground moves leave something to be wished for, though. His fSmash has a lot of wind up lag, even more than Ganondorf's. Final Smash - Aura Storm Lucario jumps to the top of the stage and fires a beam of energy downwards. The beam can be moved to the left or the right, but it doesn't last long. This is a very easy Final Smash to dodge; the beam moves very slowly, so if Lucario didn't catch you with the beam at first, chances are it won't hit you after. == Jigglypuff [Jig] == Jeez, another Pokemon? Seriously, someone at Nintendo must have been drunk when they came up with Jigglypuff's character design...anyway, back to the matter at hand. Jigglypuff is a laughably easy character to utterly destroy. Your attacks have better range and more power than that of Jigglypuff's. The only thing Jigglypuff has going for it is that it can fly, although sometimes this makes it easier to KO Jigglypuff. The only moves you really need to look out for are Jigglypuff's Pound and Rest. Its Rollout can be dangerous at high damages, but pretty much every single one of Ganondorf's moves can cancel it, whether Jigglypuff is charging it up or is in the middle of doing it. Rest is the only move that can actually become dangerous in the hands of a veteran Jigglypuff player; however, the hitbox for Rest is so tiny that getting hit by it is very uncommon. If you do get hit by it you will either be home-runned off the screen (if you have enough damage) or, if you survive, a flower will appear on top of your head, giving you constant damage until it falls off. Pound has good knockback, especially at higher damages, but it is very easy to avoid. Try out some new combos on it, mess around, do whatever you want; Jigglypuff won't put up a fight. Final Smash - Puff Up Jigglypuff begins to grow until she reaches her maximum size. She will then shout, causing anyone near her to be sent flying. Enemies will bounce off it if they touch it while Jigglypuff is growing. As long as you stay as far away as you can you should be in no danger. == Marth [Mat] == Marth is a very fast character. His attacks have speed and range like you wouldn't believe it. Marth is also a very good combo character, and his aerial moves are far better than yours. This is not going to be easy. Marth is a very light character, though, and his moves have little to no knockback. Smack him around with your tilts, but watch out for his counter. If you're playing a counter-happy Marth, just grab him and show him the error of his ways. Stay on the ground; Marth's aerial moves have the knockback necessary to send Ganondorf to the edge of the screen, especially Marth's nAir. This attack hits twice, and the second hit has good knockback. Final Smash - Critical Hit This is another Final Smash that depends on a line of sight. However, this Final Smash is a guaranteed one-hit KO, so approach Marth from behind or above to attack him. Try to trick him into using it while you are near an edge; if he misses you he will fly straight off the edge and kill himself. == Ike [Ike] == Now this is a good match up. Will Ganondorf's fists of Darkness reign supreme, or will Ike's superior swordsmanship prevail? It can go either way, really. Ike isn't that fast - but then again, neither are you. Ike's moves also have a ton of wind-up lag. You should be able to see them coming from a mile away. Either roll or sidestep, then hit him hard. Ike's greatsword Ragnell gives his moves a lot of range, so be careful when you are close to him. Ike is one of the only characters who can actually KO Ganondorf at low damage, so don't rush into the fight blindly. Let Ike make the first move, and consequently the first mistake. Ike's moves have a lot of recovery lag as well, so you should be able to land a solid hit if he misses. Ike is a very heavy character, so once you knock him off the edge you'll see him struggle to get back to the stage. Aether, his Up B move, isn't one of the best recovery moves, so spike him down whenever you can. There are some fast moves in his moveset that you should watch out for; these would be his Quick Draw (Smash B) and his neutral combo (A,A,A). If he misses with Quick Draw, he will leave himself wide open for attack. Final Smash - Great Aether Ike will hit anyone in front of him up to the sky, where he will proceed to hit them with a flurry of fiery sword attacks. He will then bring them flying down to the ground in a fiery explosion. Anyone caught in the explosion will suffer damage as well. This move has short range, so it should be very easy to dodge. Ike is also one of the slower characters, so he won't be sneaking up on you with this. Hit him from the back and knock the Smash Ball out of him. == Ness [Nes] == Ness shouldn't be too much too handle. He has a lot of strange quirks, such as his Up B and his yo-yo based attacks. Some of his attacks have elements, but they don't do too much damage. His bat has good knockback and range, but you only need to be aware of this at high damages. Ness is a very floaty character, and coupled with his light weight makes him very easy to KO. His air game is just as good as yours, so plan your moves with care. Ness is a small target, but he isn't that much faster than you, so don't worry about not being able to catch him. Final Smash - PK Starstorm Ness summons a rain of pain as meteors fall out of the sky. One meteor won't hurt you too much, but it will knock you upwards, making you an easy target for more meteors. Sidestep like crazy to avoid getting bounced around and hopefully you'll make it out in one piece. == Lucas [Luc] == Lucas is a more dangerous version of Ness. Almost all of Lucas's attacks have an electric element, thus giving them more knockback. Lucas has a ranged grab, using what appears to be a snake to grab his opponents. Every single one of his aerial moves also have electricity as an element, making Lucas a killing machine in the air. Lucas also has PK Freeze over Ness's PK Thunder. PK Freeze travels much faster through the air and - you guessed it - freezes the opponent in a large block of ice. While this may seem like the perfect edge guarding move, it actually gives his opponent upward momentum, so you have nothing to worry about. Lucas is faster and lighter, but his moves also suffer from a bit of windup lag. Use this to your advantage. Final Smash - PK Starstorm This is almost exactly like Ness's Final Smash except that there are less of them, but they do more damage. They are also yellow as opposed to Ness's blue meteors. Whereas Ness's meteors fall from the center of the top and spread outwards, Lucas's meteors enter from the top corners of the stage end fall inwards. == Mr. Game and Watch [MGW] == Mr. Game and Watch has been both nerfed and buffed since his debut in Melee. His tilts have lost the incredible knockback they used to have (his tilts were more effective than his Smashes), but hes been given a parachute to use after he uses his Up B. This gives him both good vertical and horizintal recovery; he can even attack after hes used his Up B. Mr. G & W's moves are sporadic and hard to predict. They have almost no windup lag and as a result come out very fast. They also have great knockback. His most dangerous move is his Smash B, Judgement. G & W swings a hammer over his head and a number appears above him. The effect of the hammer depends on the number, anywhere from 1 to 9. If G & W gets a 9, anyone he hits will be home-runned. If you get hit by this you better hope theres a wall behind you to stop your flight. G & W is a very light character, so getting rid of him should be easy. NOTE: If both you and Mr. G & W are trying to get back to the stage and you see him use his Up B, try to touch the trampoline he used. You will be sent flying up and ready to kick some more ass. Final Smash - Octopus Mr. G & W transforms into a giant octopus. The octopus moves slowly around the stage and attacks below and to the sides with its tentacles. This is very easy to avoid, even for Ganondorf, unless Mr. G & W is going just for you or there is nowhere to hide. The tentacles do have decent knockback, so try not to be under it. The octopus also moves like a normal character in that it only has two jumps. Try to trick it into jumping off the edge and killing itself. == Snake [Sna] == Snake brings with him his bag o' tricks. The key to defeating him is to get close to him. Snake has good close range attacks, but he really specializes in long range harassment. When fighting Snake you must be aware of not only him, but the stage as well. You need to memorize the spots where Snake has planted mines and C4. This isn't hard to do in one-on-one fights, but in fights with more people this can become difficult. Try to get in Snake's face so you can soften him up; actually getting to him might be hard. Snake has grenades and a Nikita Missle Launcher to keep you at bay. You can pick up thrown grenades, but make sure you throw them as soon as you pick them up or they'll blow up in your face. It is possible to hit Nikita Missiles back at Snake; however, you have to hit the missile just as its coming out of the launcher. You'll probably do this more by accident than on purpose. The grenades will send you a good distance, but the Nikita Missiles will kill at higher damages. Snake is completely vulnerable while hes guiding the missile, so rush him when he whips out the launcher. Snake is a very heavy character, so if hes hit off the edge he will fall a good distance before he reacts and uses his Up B. Snake will pull out a Cypher Robot that will carry him straight up. This presents a perfect opportunity to hit him with a Thunder Drop. Just make sure you hit Snake, not the Cypher. If you hit the Cypher your attack will do nothing and you will probably fall to your death. Sometimes you can actually hit Snake AND get a vertical boost from the Cypher, although this is kind of hard to pull off (I've only managed to do it once). Final Smash - Grenade Launcher Snake yells "Its showtime!" and appears in front of the stage armed with a grenade launcher. The grenades are deadly and Snake has plenty of them to kill everyone at least once. The grenade launcher is tricky to fire, so unless you are playing against an experienced Snake player, you can simply run around to throw off Snake's aim. You can also go behind Snake himself. While this doesn't protect you from the grenades, it makes it harder for him to hit you. == Sonic [Son] == Sonic is going to run circles around you. As the fastest character in the game, he'll leave you in the dust. However, thats about the only thing he has going for him. His attacks are weak and they have little knockback. Sure, they have better priority, but because your attacks have better range, Sonic will never get to use them. A good Sonic player will rely on hit-and-run tactics; if you fall victim to this, use some tilts to stop him. Sonic isn't that heavy, so he should be easy to knock off the stage. The only difficult part of fighting him is actually hitting him. You may have difficulty distinguishing his moves from each other due to the fact that most of them involve him curling up into a ball and spinning; however, this really shouldn't be anything you need to worry about. Final Smash - Super Sonic Sonic transforms into Super Sonic and becomes even faster, as well as gaining the ability to fly. You really don't have that many options. You can try hiding somewhere he can't go, or you can hide behind a wall. Unlike Pikachu's Volt Tackle, Super Sonic can't go through solid walls. Use this to your advantage. ------------------------ == Target Smash [TtS] == ------------------------ I have neither the time nor the patience to spend hours a day sitting in front of my TV attempting to shave tenths of a second off of my terrible times for my Target Smashes. Ganondorf also happens to be one of the least mobile characters in the game which is very discouraging to both me and my very short attention span. With that little note of mine out of the way, this is where YOU THE READER come in! You guys are much better than me at Target Smash; there are enough Youtube videos to prove that. Send in your best times along with your strategies. The rules are simple. Whoever sends me a both a strategy for a Target Smash level and proof to back it up (Youtube video will be fine) first will get their contribution posted. If, however, someone sends me another strategy with a lower time (and proof of course) then theirs will replace the old one. But wait! Theres one more rule! When you send in your video as proof, make sure you use the costume where Ganondorf has white hair. Why? So that you don't simply send me the 10.06 sec video thats already posted on Youtube and take credit for it. If you are indeed the owner of that video and you yourself did that time, then tell me your Youtube account name so that I can email you and verify that you are the real owner. Lets recap the rules for sending in a Target Smash time: 1. You must, in proper english with correct grammar, tell me the strategy you employed. 2. You must send in proof that you accomplished this low time of yours. Youtube videos will work fine. 3. Most importantly, MAKE SURE YOU USE THE RIGHT COSTUME!! It has to be the one where Ganondorf has white hair. Any entries where Ganondorf is NOT in the right costume will be disqualified. MAKE SURE YOU USE THE RIGHT COSTUME!! 4. If you have already posted a Youtube video with a low time and would like to have it posted, tell me the name of your Youtube account so I can email you and verify that you are indeed the owner of that time. 5. You don't talk about Fight Club...(Sorry, couldn't resist) Now that we're clear on submitting entries, its on to the times! == Target Smash Level One == Best Time: N/A Strategy: N/A Contributor:N/A == Target Smash Level Two == Best Time: N/A Strategy: N/A Contributor:N/A == Target Smash Level Three == Best Time: N/A Strategy: N/A Contributor:N/A == Target Smash Level Four == Best Time: N/A Strategy: N/A Contributor:N/A == Target Smash Level Five == Best Time: N/A Strategy: N/A Contributor:N/A ---------------------------- == Version History [VnH] == ---------------------------- 6/24/2008 - Started the guide; hope to have a finished and presentable product done soon! 6/30/2008 - Finished guide and submitted it (fingers crossed). 7/1/2008 - v1.0 - Guide was accepted! Woo-Hoo! 7/6/2008 - v1.1 - Fixed some minor typos. Finally got an answer to Ganondorf's Final Smash question. Added a list of tips on fighting Ganondorf emailed to me by a reader. Renamed Ganondorf's Smash B move to Flame Choke. Added more info to Ganondorf's Up B (Dark Dive). Added some info to the character matchups section. 7/17/2008 - v1.2 - Fixed some more typos; added a reference to 300 (see if you can find it). Got an answer for my Skull Crusher question. Added strategies for each character's Final Smash in the character matchups section. Added a Target Smash Section. Did some reformatting in the Moveset section ---------------------- == Thank Yous [TkY] == ---------------------- GameFAQS, for helping me in times of dire need (there were many). Nintendo, for making an awesome game. My mom, for actually buying the game for me. Ganondorf, for being extremely kick-ass. McDonalds, for clogging my arteries every time I made a McDonalds run. And most importantly, thank you readers and your constructive criticism! Readers who have contributed are: - Jimmy Yu, for his explanation on Smash Ball delay. - CutmanMike, for his extensive list on fighting Ganondorf. I'm going to have to watch out for you on Wi Fi battles! - Conor Burridge, for correcting me on one of Ganondorf's moves. - Destenyne, for reminding me that you can use Ganondorf's Up B multiple times as long as you connect with someone. - Joshua Chang, for suplimenting my character matchups with some of his own strategies and for correcting me on the name for Luigi's Smash B. - Harry, for his in depth explanation of Skull Crusher. - Eyce Theon, for further reasearching Flame Choke + Sweeping Snake + Thunder Punch combo that I like to use. ----------------------------- == Closing Comments [CgC] == ----------------------------- Well, there you have it. This FAQ is still a work in progress, and if you have anything you want to add to it, you can email me at email@example.com. Before sending me an email, make sure the question hasn't been already (my inbox is already cluttered with too many emails as it is). Thanks for reading! ----------------------------- == Legal Shenanigans [Lls] == ----------------------------- This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.
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After clearing the interview and receiving your visa, you are half way to the US. But these alone won't qualify you to enter and exit the US. As soon as you land in the US it's time to get through customs. Don't worry; the process is usually smooth for international students when you have the right documents in hand. The F-class student visa approved to you might have to be extended or the status has to be changed; now let us look at the procedures involved, while in the US.
What Happens After Landing in the US?
- You should have your Form I-20 and in advance of travel, you should review important information about Admissions/Entry requirements, as well as information related to restrictions on food, agricultural products or other restricted/prohibited goods explained on the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection website.
- Upon arrival, you will be enrolled in the US-VISIT entry-exit program and when allowed to enter the US, the CBP official will decide the length of your visit on the Arrival-Departure Record Form I-94.
Can Students Stay Beyond the Authorized Stay Period?
What Items Do Returning Students Need?
- Form DS-160 Non-immigrant Visa Electronic Application.
- A valid undamaged passport and previously issued passports if any and more than one person is included in the passport, each person in need of a visa must complete separate applications.
- One 2x2 photograph
- In colour
- Photograph sized in a way that the head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (22 mm and 35 mm) or 50% and 69% of the photograph's total height from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head.
- Photograph should be taken within the last 6 months
- Should be taken in front of a white or off-white background
- Should be taken in full-face view directly facing the camera
- Pose with a neutral expression and eyes open
- Should be taken in formals or business casuals
- Uniforms should not be worn, except religious clothing
- Avoid hats or anything that may cover the head, hair or hairline, unless worn daily for religious reasons. Complete face must be visible without any shadows cast by the head covering.
- Earphones, headphones, hands-free devices, or any similar items are not acceptable in the photograph.
- Spectacles without tinted lenses, hearing aid or similar articles may be worn for the photograph.
- Glare on glasses is not acceptable in the photograph
- The SEVIS I-901 fee receipt.
- Transcripts, documents and certificates from previous institutions attended
- Scores of TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, GRE, GPA GMAT, etc.
- Financial proof that you or your sponsor has sufficient funds to cover your education and living costs.
- If you or your sponsor is a salaried employee, income tax documents and original bank book and statements are to be submitted.
- If you or your sponsor owns a business, business registration document, licenses, tax documents, bank books and statements should be submitted.
- If a scholarship or a grant funds your education, original transcripts, documents, bank statements of the donor have to be submitted.
- A new Form I-20 or a Form I-20 that has been endorsed on the back by the school official within the last 12 months has to be submitted.
- If you were inside or outside the US and have not attended classes for more than five months, you will need a new visa to continue your education.

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It's Polishers Inc. Sunday, yay! This time the theme was to be inspired by a polish brand and I knew immediately which brand I wanted to do. I've already done nail art inspired by my favorite mainstream brand (Zoya of course) for our Finnish(able) Nail Art Challenge, so this time I wanted to choose one indie brand for this and of course I had to go with my favorite one: Cirque Colors.
I got the whole Cirque The Awakening collection for review last month and I already shared my swatches of the collection with you, but the polishes were really screaming to be used again in some kind of nail art. I chose to use two pretties from the collection: the beautiful bird's egg color Hatch and the delicate pink shimmer Love Stone.
I wanted to keep my mani simple and do something fun and edgy but also keep it elegant at the same time. That's really how I see the Cirque brand also, so I really wanted to try to make my mani look like it.
I used two coats of Hatch first on each of my nails. I wanted to add just a little bit color with Love Stone, so I taped my nails with Vinyl It Up vinyls and did a skinny single chevron on each nail with Love Stone and then removed those vinyls. Finally I just topped the whole mani with a coat of top coat.
This was really a simple look, but I totally loved it on my nails and wore it for several days! I loooooove Hatch, it's definitely one of my favorite polishes of 2015 so far and I adore the look of it. Love Stone doesn't really fall behind at all, it's such a beautiful one too!
Products used for this manicure
Base coat: Sally Hansen 18K Gold Hardener and Zoya Anchor
Polishes: Cirque Colors Hatch and Love Stone
Top coat: INM Out the Door
*I have gotten both of the polishes used for the manicure for review. For more information check out my disclosure policy.
Remember to check out all the other Polishers Inc. manicures too!


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How could they possibly think that?
Mick Hume, writing in The Times, April 11, 2008:
And here's Beatrix Campbell on CIF:
She did say "apparently" blameless, I suppose.
Two hundred years ago the respectable classes paid a penny to enjoy the sexual and violent antics of the insane at Bedlam. Today people make do with mocking a Dewsbury estate to make them feel superior. And just as Bedlam inmates were said to suffer from "moral insanity" - a character defect rather than an illness - so we now seem convinced that what separates these people from us is not economic but "moral and emotional poverty".
It has even been suggested that somebody staged Shannon's abduction to raise money - a "plot" based on a storyline in the TV series Shameless, about a roughhouse family on a Manchester estate. But Shameless is just soft prole porn for civilised Channel 4 viewers. Now we have the "live" show to laugh and leer and splutter at.
And here's Beatrix Campbell on CIF:
Karen Matthews has acted appropriately throughout: she was waiting for Shannon at home; she contacted the police as soon as she had exhausted all the obvious locations. And yet, our eye is drawn to her poverty, numbers of partners, cans of lager going into her household. Everything about Ms Matthews' life has been up for scrutiny.
There has been talk of domestic violence. I can think of several high-profile "human interest" tragedies in which the domestic violence endured by a middle-class woman has been successfully screened from public knowledge.
Karen Matthews has been subjected to a Today programme interrogation that appeared to position the mother as the perpetrator: Sarah Montague asked her seven times about her lifestyle. Her patronising preoccupation was how many men there have been in her life, not her judgment about them. Has any other, apparently blameless mother been so sweetly assailed?
She did say "apparently" blameless, I suppose.


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Tiny Dryden, New York, just won the right to send frackers packing.
The Detroit Environment http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/05/dryden-new-york-fracking-ban-lawsuit
Tiny Dryden, New York, just won the right to send frackers packing.
A brief history of the now-forgotten California Cycleway.
The Detroit Environment http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/in-1897-a-bicycle-superhighway-was-the-future-of-california-transit
Our revamped site goes live at midnight. We're very excited to bring your more coverage of the city – the good, the bad & the ugly.
The Detroit Environment http://www.facebook.com/motorcitymuckraker/posts/447013948724119
BREAKING: European Commission to criminalize nearly all seeds and plants not registered with government
The Detroit Environment http://www.facebook.com/TheMindUnleashed/posts/528355163888300
It's our birthday: we've officially been on the road one year today! It feels like we've come so far but we still have so much to do. We've got some big announcements coming shortly, too.
The Detroit Environment http://www.facebook.com/detroitbus/posts/597270050290701
Exhibitions, calls-for-entry & workshops! http://p0.vresp.com/siBmiw #vr4smallbiz
The Detroit Environment http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10151417513294013&id=77978374012


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Hot & Cold Roasted Vegetable Salad
Greetings my Friday-goers! Hope you're Friday goes great and you're well ahead of your game plan for the weekend. 🙂
I know I am.
As I am attending a HUGE conference Saturday and Sunday with widely known authors, speakers and documentary filmmakers in the mindful spirituality, health, holistic, and sustainability lifestyles movements. It should be incredibly varied and pretty informative. Not to mention fun.
I'm actually going to see, specifically, one person who I fell in love with after watching her inspirational and motivating documentary, Crazy Sexy Cancer. After watching Kris Carr's movie of her battle (and victory) with cancer, several times, I made a full transition into a raw lifestyle, which I enjoyed for a year, after adding in a little more cooked foods. But her film started a whole new revolution of food knowledge for me, as well as a great outlet for healthy recipes!
I get her newsletters for her blog and website, Crazy Sexy Life and she announced that she would be coming to San Jose, CA, right around the corner from where I live. Needless to say, there was no way I wasn't going to this.
Her energy for life and passion for healthy living is contagious and she completely embodies a person who loves and respects who she is. Kris has created quite an industry for herself, helping others find a healthy path for themselves, never pushing a way of life, only offering suggestions.
Anyway, that's my game plan this weekend and I'm excited to report back after the two days of learning!
In the meantime, I'm leaving you with a fitting, veggie-filled recipe to try out.
This one is my take on Jamie Oliver's Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad. This salad caught my attention because half of it was cooked, still warm, while it mingled with the other cold, raw half. It sounded tasty so I had to try it. Although I didn't quite have all of the ingredients, I'm sure my version could stand up to a side-by-side taste test. 🙂
The hot and cold of this adds for an interesting dimension for your taste buds. And the dressing, or "rub" is divine! Enjoy!
Hot & Cold Roasted Vegetable Salad
- 3 cups mushrooms, any variety, washed and chopped into quarters
- 3 cups brussel sprouts, halved
- 1/4 cup sweet yellow onions, diced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp chili peppers
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or a sprinkle of dried)
- olive oil, enough to coat veggies
- 1/8-1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (or white or red wine vinegar)
- 1 orange or 3 tangerines, juiced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 red bell peppers, sliced into short strips
- 2 zucchini, cut into rounds
- 2 ripe avocados, sliced
- green onions and cucumber, for garnish
Preheat a large non-stick skillet on high heat, adding a little olive oil to coat the pan. When the pan is hot, add the brussel sprouts, mushrooms, and onions. Roast until vegetables are tender and slightly crisped, about 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the cumin, chili peppers, salt and pepper, garlic, and thyme. This should start to form a paste. Add in enough olive oil and vinegar to create a thick dressing.
When veggies have pan-roasted to your liking, place into a large bowl. Coat the veggies with the thick dressing as a "rub".
To the bowl of marinating veggies above, add the orange and lemon juice, red bell peppers, and zucchini. Toss and taste, adjusting the salt and/or pepper, as needed. Fold in the sliced avocado.
Serve with garnishing with green onions and cucumber.
This would be delicious with any vegetable. Squash and spicy radish would be wonderful in this!