Fox (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)


 * ''This article is about Fox's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For other uses, see Fox McCloud. For his clone counterpart, see Falco.

Fox (フォックス) was confirmed for Super Smash Bros. Brawl at Nintendo World 2006. Fox was the first fighter to appear on the DOJO!!! that did not appear on the E3 2006 video. When he was revealed in the Nintendo World 2006 trailer, he was shown with his blaster in his hand at all times, leading to much speculation over how his attacks might change in Brawl. However, his gun is shown in its holster in all subsequent screenshots shown at the |Super Smash Bros. DOJO!!. He keeps all of his previous moves from SSBM, although, a few moves now have different animations and effects.

Fox is currently a D Tier character, holding the 15th position, a fairly large downgrade from his position in the most recent Melee tier list (first to fifteenth). While Fox still maintains his very fast movement and attack speed (including a very fast and powerful Up Smash with a guaranteed set-up in d-air), he suffers a nerf in attack power, vertical survivability (due to added fall weight), and combo ability (his infinite shine combo no longer exists, largely due to the nerfed shine and the loss of wavedash and L-canceling). His vulnerability against 0-death chain-grabs and locks (third fastest normal falling speed and fastest accelerated falling speed) and light weight also cost him dearly. However, his tourney rankings in Japan are impressive, leading to his position at number five on Japan's current tier list.

Attributes
Fox is a very light character who moves at very high speeds, clocking in as the third fastest runner and 2nd fastest walker in the game (with Marth being the fastest). Almost all of his attacks come off quickly and combine with each other. Fox's excellent speed is counter-balanced by the small and short reaching hitboxes in most of his attacks. This can complicate approaches, and his Blaster doesn't make up for that because it doesn't make opponents flinch. However, it is able to force approaches, unless the opponent has a lasting reflector, PSI Magnet, or low enough crouch to avoid it.

His Up Smash is a powerful vertical killer, and to a lesser extent, his Up Aerial. His Up Smash is also his only move that can KO under 100%, and is a good move due to its high knockback scaling, speed, and reach. His Forward Aerial can add extra height to Fox's jump, and also produces a hovering effect if used shortly after jumping (this usually makes up for his other recovery options), and his Back Air has high horizontal knockback. As far as specials go, Fox's Blaster can easily build damage from a distance, it refreshes stale moves if it hits, and it's also able to steal KOs. Fox's Reflector not only reflects projectiles, but can semi-spike opponents when used in the air, and also slows Fox's aerial movement. The jump cancel has been replaced with a dash cancel, allowing a continuous shine volley across the stage (it works best at 70% and above depending on the character). As far as recovery goes, Fox Illusion can be used to gain a horizontal boost, and can also be canceled before completion to trick opponents, as opposed to Fire Fox, which comes off much slower but can move vertically. However, Fire Fox is easily edgeguarded. Fox is also able to wall jump and can boost grab.

Fox's most notable attribute, as well as the most notorious, is his high gravity in relation to the rest of the Brawl cast (much like Jigglypuff having the slowest falling speed in the game). His falling speed acceleration is the fastest, and his falling speed is the third fastest in the game that makes it unusual for a character as light as he is. It has advantages and some hindrances, all of which must be known to make the best use of Fox. Some advantages of such falling speed are that it makes him difficult to hit in the air, and it allows him to approach with aerials quite well. Some hindrances of this are that it makes him more susceptible to chaingrabs (particularly Pikachu's buffered D-Throw chain-grab that has a 0-death on Fox) and locks (like Sheik's F-Tilt lock), and it shortens his recovery.

The end result is that Fox is a glass cannon. The lack of range and disjoints on his attacks make it difficult for him to approach characters with strong defensive games and fighters with better range space him quite easily, forcing him to rely on his Blaster to force approaches, which some characters can avoid rather effortlessly. His combination of very low weight (seventh lightest character), very fast overall falling speed (third fastest normal falling speed and fastest accelerated falling speed), mediocre directional influence, and mediocre recovery for his weight create a tendency to die at low percentages. However, he does everything very quickly, and once the opponent is knocked back he has flexible follow up options, but his speed makes him tough to control.

Changes from Melee to Brawl
Fox has suffered a somewhat large nerf in Brawl. Overall, Fox is a faster but weaker character. His blaster travels roughly half the distance it previously did. His shine has slightly faster normal drop time, but can no longer be jump canceled. Fox's Up Tilt and Neutral Attack combo are faster, but the latter has less hitstun and is among the worst jabs in the game. Reflector no longer comes out in one frame, and it no longer has set knockback, but it completely halts aerial momentum, to a greater extent than in Melee. Fox's falling speed has decreased, though, it is still very fast compared to other characters in Brawl, and his air speed has increased. However, both only changed a little. His Forward Aerial now gives him an increased height in his jumps and slows down his falling speed when used immediately after jumping, which comes with both his jumps. Fox's Forward Smash is faster, but it has less range, knockback, and is less safe on shields. His Up Smash and Up Aerial have been weakened, with the latter no longer KOing reliably under 140% due to lower scaling, but is more efficient at KOing closer to blast lines. Fox can now shoot three lasers in a short hop. Fox also has a new Back Aerial that has more power but slower startup, more ending and landing lag, shorter hitbox duration, and less reach. His jumping height was also increased.

Fox also had a few cosmetic changes. His Back Aerial has a new animation, and his Forward Smash is now a butterfly kick. He has been graphically updated, his design being now a mix of his appearances in Star Fox Command and Star Fox Assault. He also has a new voice in both English (Jim Walker) and Japanese (Kenji Nojima).

Normal

 * Neutral attack - Left jab (2%), right hook (2%), then a flurry of kicks, or the Rapid Kick (1-2%). One of the worst jabs in the game due to its poor range, damage, and hitstun, with the natural infinite being very easy to DI out of with slow cool down.
 * Dash attack - Running kick. At low percents, can lead into an Up Tilt, leading into various other combos. Its best use is undoubtedly the Up Tilt follow-up, though it is also possible with his grab. Somewhat short duration/range and is easily shield grabbed. 7%.
 * Strong Side - A quick right kick. Moderate-low knockback, best used as a quick punisher out of shield. Can be angled up or down. 6%. Significantly lower ranged than Falco's, and with less knockback.
 * Strong Up - A pretty fast scorpion kick that covers Fox's back, though his whole body becomes a hitbox. Consists of three small, barely noticeable hits. 1st and 2nd hits do 3% each with little knockback, and third hit does 4% with moderate knockback, for a total of 10%. Little ending lag. This attack, though nerfed from Melee, is still very useful. It easily chains into itself, which is good for damage racking, and can even lead into his Up Smash or Grab. At higher percents, it sets up well for his aerials. This move is the pinnacle of most of Fox's combos. Unfortunately, with Fox's nerf, the move's killing power was reduced, and is very easy to DI out of a KO.
 * Strong Down - Low tail whip. The attack does more damage the closer the opponent is to Fox, with a maximum of 9% and a minimum of 7%. Hitting with the tip of the tail sends the opponent upward. Not one of Fox's more useful attacks, due to slower start up and end lag than either of his other tilts.

Smash

 * Side Smash - Butterfly kick on the ground. As with his other iterations with this move, moderate knockback. Best used near the edge, this move kills regularly above 130%, though lower scaling makes it weak at greater distances. At 30-60% damage, provided there is enough stage to work with, the low angle is just strong enough to cause reeling knockback, often making the opponent have to either bounce or tech off the stage, which Fox can chase down and respond to.
 * Down Smash - Split kick. Hits on both sides. A Down Smash with above average, low angle knockback and with decent range, which is better than Falco's, but slightly slower in both starting and ending. 14%-19%.
 * Up Smash - A backflip kick. Very high knockback scaling. The attack is drastically weaker when the opponent is behind Fox. KOs most characters at about 100% with strong vertical knockback and slight horizontal knockback. It's the strongest Up Smash out of all 3 Star Fox characters, similar to how Wolf has the strongest Down Smash of the three, and Falco has the strongest Forward Smash. It is considered Fox's best finisher, as it has fast start-up, pretty good shield stun, and it is by far his strongest and best ranged attack, although its end lag is not as generous, and it leaves Fox wide open if sidestepped or jumped over, especially against other fast fallers. 17%-30%.

Other

 * Ledge attack - Pulls himself up into a sliding kick. This has a somewhat similar animation to his Forward Smash from Super Smash Bros. 8% damage.
 * 100% Ledge attack - Gets up slowly, then does an axe kick while whipping his tail. 8% damage.
 * Trip attack - Gets up and kicks on both sides with low range. 6% damage.

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral Aerial - Flying kick. Is a sex kick. Fast start up and long hitbox duration but low knockback, mediocre range and abysmal shield stun make it almost guaranteed to be punished on shields, especially due to Fox's jumping mechanics and high falling acceleration, since he has little maneuverability to create space after using it. Maximum of 9%.
 * Forward Aerial - Quintuple kick. Increases jump height and reduces falling speed while in effect, making it useful with recovery. Decent hitstun, medium vertical knockback and low aerial end lag, has juggle starting potential, and at higher percents can set up his Up Air, but is very awkward on grounded opponents, due to its hover effects and high landing lag. Also difficult to use on small characters. Can deal up to 23%.
 * Back Aerial - A slow though quite powerful back kick, with a low knockback angle. Dangerous near edges, though its slow speed and short duration can make it difficult to land. 15%.
 * Up Aerial - An upward tail whip with a follow-up kick. Hitting with the tail causes 5%, while the kick causes 11%. His best aerial for KOing. Can set up for juggles at mid percents, though this is situational, due to being awkward to use while falling.
 * Down Aerial - "Drill Kick". Does more damage the closer the opponent is to Fox and can deal up to 21%. It is technically a Meteor Smash, but is hardly noticeable at lower percents due to its very weak power. Often the move of choice when Fox needs to approach, its surprisingly high priority, multiple hitboxes, low landing lag and decent shield damage sets it apart from his other attacks. Goes well into his grab or up tilt, but is not impossible to shield grab and several disjointed attacks (like Marth and Bowser's Up Tilt) will hit Fox through it. At higher damages, near 100% and beyond, the attack causes enough flinching to combo an Up Smash, and if one of the hits causes tripping, since it is a Meteor Smash, several other attacks like Down Smash become possible.

Grabs & Throws

 * Grab - Grabs opponent by the neck.
 * Dash grab - Halts with one foot and grabs, somewhat predictable.
 * Pivot grab - Great as he can boost grab, and has a long grab range.
 * Pummel - Knees the opponent. 1% damage each.
 * Forward Throw - Punches the opponent forward. 7% damage.
 * Back Throw - Throws opponent backward and shoots them with his Blaster. Can be avoided using DI. Up to 8% damage.
 * Up Throw - Throws opponent up and shoots them with his Blaster. Can be avoided using DI. Up to 8% damage.
 * Down Throw - Slams opponent on the ground and shoots them three times with his blaster. 4% damage. Can be followed up with either a Forward Aerial at low percentages on certain characters, or an Up Aerial on all characters.

Taunts

 * Up: Fox charges fire in a kneeling position and says "Here I come!". This taunt mimics the Up Special, Fire Fox, except he does not launch off into the air.
 * Down: Like in Melee, Fox backs up, bends down a bit, and says "Come on!", although it seems faster.
 * Side: Fox throws his blaster around himself, watches it flip, and catches it.

Other features

 * Wii Remote selection sound: Fox says "Come on"
 * On-screen appearance: Fox ejects from a passing Arwing.
 * Cheer: Crowd Cheers "Watch Fox!" Followed by 3 claps.

Victory poses

 * Flips his tail up and looks to the side with a smug expression on his face with his arms crossed.
 * Flips his Blaster in the holster and says "This is Fox - Returning to base" And puts his hand on his hip.
 * Goes into shooting position with his blaster at 2 different angles, then points it at the screen saying "Mission Complete".
 * If Fox wins a battle against Falco, He does this pose, but instead says "Better luck next time, Falco"

Role in the Subspace Emissary
An Arwing is seen engaging the battleship Halberd, but is soon struck and begins to fall toward it. This causes Kirby and Zelda/Peach to be blown overboard in its wake.

It is later shown that the Arwing crash-landed at the edge of a jungle, near a lake. Diddy Kong discovers the Arwing, but Rayquaza rises from the lake and territorially attacks the Arwing with an Energy Ball setting it aflame. As Diddy is snatched up by the provoked Pokémon, Fox is ejected from the cockpit of the burning Arwing and proceeds to effortlessly rescue Diddy from the clutches of the serpentine Pokémon using his Fox Illusion and Reflector. After the two defeat the giant Pokémon, Fox attempts to leave, but is dragged back by Diddy and follows him deeper into the jungle. Soon, they fight a Shadow Bug clone of Bowser and defeat it. Suddenly, the real Bowser fires his Dark Cannon at them, and they barely dodge the shot. Although Diddy is eager to fight Bowser, Fox knows that they can't survive against his Dark Cannon, so he grabs Diddy and jumps off a cliff.

After recovering from the fall and quickly making their way through The Swamp, they are ambushed by Bowser again, who succeeds in turning Diddy into a trophy. Bowser then attempts to turn Fox into a trophy, but he manages to dodge the shot, so Bowser sends some Shadow Bugs to clone Diddy's trophy, outnumbering Fox. Falco suddenly appears out of nowhere in his Arwing and saves Fox from Bowser by destroying his Dark Cannon, forcing Bowser to escape. The Diddy clone begins to absorb more Shadow Bugs, becoming gigantic as a result. Fox uses the opportunity to revive the real Diddy, and the three fight the clone. After Falco unwillingly joins the group, they find a ship carrying Donkey Kong's trophy to a floating island. The Great Fox suddenly appears, and as Falco and Diddy attempt to free DK. Fox plans to take down the Halberd with the Great Fox.

The Great Fox duels with the Halberd, but it ends up getting carried away by it, gets crashed into a mountain, and flies away in smoke. Later on, as Peach and Sheik are making their escape after Snake frees them, Fox is seen attacking the Halberd again in his Arwing. During the fire-fight, some of the Arwing's blasters hit dangerously close to Peach. Sheik does a very long range teleport on top of the Arwing and breaks open the cockpit. Both Sheik and Fox fall out of the Arwing and on the Halberd deck. They start running towards each other at high speeds and just before they break into a fight, Peach randomly offers them a cup of tea. Although Fox is shocked by this, when Sheik accepts hers, he accepts his as well.

After a while, a group of Shadow Bug Mr. Game & Watches fall from the Halberd's cockpit and form into Duon. The three are joined by Lucario and Snake (who knocked them down there in the first place), as well as Falco, who arrives on another Arwing, and defeat the monster. Duon leaves behind the real Mr. Game & Watch's trophy as it disappears. Fox prepares to blast the trophy, but Peach approaches it and revives Mr. Game & Watch. Fox joins the rest of the heroes in the assault on the Subspace Gunship and the attack on Tabuu, although he would be one of the many heroes to be transformed into trophies by Tabuu. However, like the other heroes, his trophy could be found and be revived in Subspace.

Exclusive Stickers
The following stickers can either be only used by Fox, or by a select few characters including Fox:
 * Fox (Star Fox Command): [Tail] Attack +18
 * Fox (Star Fox Adventures): [Arm, Leg] Attack +15
 * Wolf: [Arm, Leg] Attack +15
 * Pigma: [Arm] Attack + 7
 * Krystal (Star Fox Adventures): [Electric] Attack +28
 * ROB: [Electric] Resistance +15
 * Krystal (Star Fox Command): [Energy] Attack +12
 * Falco (Star Fox Command): [Energy] Attack +14
 * Fox (Star Fox 64): [Energy] Attack +18
 * Fox (Star Fox: Assault): [Energy] Attack +33
 * Arwing: [Leg] Attack + 6
 * Falco (Star Fox Adventures): [Specials: Indirect] Attack +11
 * Wolfen (Star Fox 64): [Tail] Attack +16
 * Krystal (Star Fox: Assault): [Tail] Attack +17
 * Panther: [Tail] Attack +18
 * Miniature Dachshund: [Tail] Attack +28
 * Wolfen (Star Fox: Assault): [Tail] Attack +30
 * Falco 	(Star Fox 64): [Weapon] Attack +11
 * Andrew: Launch Resistance + 7

Trivia

 * Fox holds the world record for Co-Op Target Smash!! Level 3 with Pit (completed in 4.03 seconds).
 * The early trailers of Super Smash Bros. Brawl featured Fox constantly holding his blaster, instead of holstering it as usual.
 * If Fox uses a Forward Aerial during a Mini Light Brawl, the momentum created by the attack actually causes him to float upwards.
 * Fox was the only one to take down a Legendary Pokemon before getting a assaist from Diddy Kong.
 * Fox was also the only one to dodge the Dark Cannon after Diddy Kong was turn into a trophey.
 * Fox is the second/third fastest runner in the game.(Under Captain.Falcon and Sonic).
 * Fox is the only one to do a Reverse Chain Grab Combo since he has fastest balance speed.(Falcon and Sonic is too fast).
 * Fox is the only fighter to back against the Halberd.
 * Fox is the only one who has a taunt base on his up special move.
 * Fox is also the fastest fighter(meaning that he fights fast) a player can do combos with him that he'll make a great challenge to any fighter.Including Meta Knight and/or Sonic.
 * Fox is the only on in the Star Fox Universe who dosen't have a comeback victory pose against Wolf.(Only against Falco).
 * Fox's speed is great, his dash dance can make him perform a Dash Smash attack but only with the up-smash.
 * Here's a Fox combo that can start a fight good and/or end it: air-down,up-titlx2,down grab,air-forward(when you pressed the jump button as well)x2,and then finish it with a Fire Fox,Up-air, and/or wait until the fighter comes down and finished with an up-smash.(More than one smash attack can be optional).
 * When Fox gets a Star Item and Sonic gets the Final Smash and Gose Super Sonic, Use Fox Fire Fox and Collde with Super Sonic. See what will happen when two stronge move collde!