Super Smash Bros. for 3DS Character Analysis: Ike

Man somebody has definitely been hitting the weights…hard. Ike actually looks the part now – back in Brawl he had a whole man-child thing going on and it did’nt really seem like he could be so powerful. But Nintendo has changed that. The “Hero of Radiant” from Fire Emblem returns for Smash 4, but are his skills as a figher up to par with the size of his chest and biceps?

The answer is yes. Ike is much better than he was in Brawl, and he’s actually a threat now – a big one.  His animations are a lot better, so now you actually believe that the sword he wields can do some damage.  He’s also a bit quicker. (While it’s not by much, it’s still a buff from the last game.) His recovery is a bit better too, although he can still be gimped quite easily.

The main change, in my opinion, is how much better Ike’s neutral aerial move is. In Brawl, this move was quite bad – it had a lot of start up and landing lag, and if you used it in the air, trying to recover, you were pretty much dead. That’s all different and it has immensely improved Ike’s game.  Ike’s killing power has been slightly depowered, not by much though.  He cannot kill as easily as he did in the last game.  But his agility makes up for that, so it’s an even trade-off.  

If the “Hero of Radiant” still piques your interest, then here are a few guidelines. Like many of the people I’ve seen online, I play Ike rather agressively.

• You need to learn how to perform a shorthop<! Look it up online if you don’t know that it is.
• Ike’s neutral air is essential to fighting with him.  The neutral air is quite quirky. It can actually combo into a side tilt and a neutral ground combo.
• Fighting off the ledge to edge guard can work if you catch the opponent off-guard, but it’s very risky.

Of course, all of Ike’s move can kill, if you can land them.  Your best friends will be Ike’s neutral air, back air, and forward air to finish off opponents.  If power is your thing, then check out Ike. If you don’t, you might have to deal with some serious roid rage.

Combo Potential: C

Recovery: C+

Killing Power: A-

Overall: B-