F.L.U.D.D., (short for Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device), is Mario's Down Special Move in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It replaces the Mario Tornado from the previous two games.
Overview[]
Using it causes Mario to pull F.L.U.D.D. out and charge it, similar to Samus' Charge Shot (among other moves); like those attacks, the charge can be saved with shielding, grabbing, or moving left/right to roll. Using it again will spray water, which can be aimed mid-spray by pressing up or down. The spray will push enemies along with the water, but does no damage, which means that it doesn't grant an opponent the third jump again, making it good for edgeguarding. The move is hard to use and learn, and requires some practice to use it effectively.
If an opponent is able to outprioritize F.L.U.D.D.'s water spray with an attack, the attacker will be caught with significant hitlag, possibly enough for Mario to make an approach.
It was noted on the Dojo that this move can be charged while shielding; this is not true, as shielding merely saves the current charge. Using F.L.U.D.D. on an ice platform will cause Mario to slide backwards a bit even from standing still.
This move, as well as Squirtle's Water Gun are particularly useful against Ness and Lucas because it pushes them away from their PK Thunder. The water has high priority and can cut through various projectiles. Since the water doesn't cause the opponents to flinch, it can be effective to steal KOs. Also, while the move does no damage, it is still a Water-type move, and as such it deals extra knockback to Charizard, and less to Ivysaur.
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, this move returns again as Mario's down special. In this game, like with most specials, it has two custom moves: Scalding F.L.U.D.D. and High-Pressure F.L.U.D.D..
F.L.U.D.D. is useful for pushing recovering opponents away from the stage, but is otherwise not all that great. F.L.U.D.D. can be a surprise move that has a special type of priority, as it will ignore other projectiles and push approaching opponents away to give Mario some space.
Mario's Special Moves | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
64 | Melee | Brawl | 3DS/Wii U | Ultimate | |
Standard Special | Fireball | ||||
Side Special | — | Cape | |||
Up Special | Super Jump Punch | ||||
Down Special | Mario Tornado | F.L.U.D.D. | |||
Final Smash | — | Mario Finale |
Custom Variations[]
Scalding F.L.U.D.D.[]
Scalding F.L.U.D.D. is Mario's Down Special Move that can be used via customization. It sprays hot water a short distance, which can burn opponents upon contact.
Strengths
- Deals damage
- Edge-guarding tool
- Charges up faster
- Can combo out of some attacks, though not reliably
Weaknesses
- Less range
- No pushboxes
Blasting out scalding hot water is the Scalding F.L.U.D.D. which deals damage to opponents rather than pushing them away. It has much lower range than the ordinary F.L.U.D.D. but can still be a good edge-guarding tool by using it at the edge and aiming it downwards to hit recovering opponents. Since it uses less water it will charge up faster. It can combo out of a few moves like down throw, forward throws, down tilt, and dash attack, but not very reliably as the opponent can easily jump out of, tech, or roll out of range.
High-Pressure F.L.U.D.D.[]
High-Pressure F.L.U.D.D. is Mario's Down Special that can be used via customization. It takes longer to charge, but can release a torrent of water which can push opponents back very far.
Strengths:
- Recoil can be useful for horizontal recovery
- Greater pushing power
- More water is fired, move stays on stage for longer
- Excellent edge-guarding tool
Weaknesses:
- Takes longer to charge up
- Left vulnerable for longer
The High-Pressure F.L.U.D.D. sprays out a much more powerful blast of water; the water is fired in greater quantities, and so it can stay on the stage a bit longer to hit opponents with. It does take longer to charge up completely but once done the rewards are great as it is an excellent edge-guarding tool, pushing opponents away much farther than the default F.L.U.D.D. There is also a bit of recoil, pushing Mario backwards when the move is used; this can be used for horizontal recovery, but should only be used in this way when facing away from the stage and when high above the edge as Mario can fall below the edge and be unable to recover if used at the wrong time.
Mario's Custom Special Moves | ||
---|---|---|
Custom 1 | Custom 2 | |
Standard Special | Fast Fireball | Fire Orb |
Side Special | Shocking Cape | Gust Cape |
Up Special | Super Jump | Explosive Punch |
Down Special | Scalding F.L.U.D.D. | High-Pressure F.L.U.D.D. |
Origin[]
F.L.U.D.D. is taken from Super Mario Sunshine for the Nintendo Gamecube. Mario encounters the device at the beginning of his vacation and is then forced to use it to clean up the pollution on Isle Delfino. Although its main use is to wash away poisonous goo, F.L.U.D.D. doubles as a weapon and can be used to push small enemies away. If the water tank emptied, Mario must refill it in the nearest source of water. In Brawl, F.L.U.D.D. uses its secondary purpose as a defensive measure against opponents. Unlike Sunshine, Mario can fill his tank with water anywhere, though the animation is fairly similar. In Brawl, the F.L.U.D.D. uses its standard spraying nozzle, as opposed to other nozzles such as the Hover nozzle, Turbo nozzle or Rocket nozzle.
Trophy Description[]
- A multifunction water cannon invented by Professor Elvin Gadd that Mario totes like a backpack. Since F.L.U.D.D. is able to converse with Mario, it's believed to be equipped with some kind of artificial intelligence. With special nozzles, F.L.U.D.D. can be used like a jet pack to reach high places or for high-speed swimming.
- Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
Trivia[]
- F.L.U.D.D. is considered a bit useless by fans due to only working as recovery-stopping move, rather than a actual attack.