Mach Tornado (マッハトルネード, Mahha Torunēdo) is Meta Knight's Neutral Special Move. When activated, Meta Knight whirls at high speed, causing a slight pull on nearby opponents, slashes them multiple times, and traps them in a barrage of blade swipes. This makes escape via Directional Influence difficult.
Overview[]
When the tornado is finished, the last hit dealt causes slightly more than moderate knockback, but can be very deadly if used near the top of the screen. Mach Tornado can be controlled, by pressing left or right to move in that direction, and going upwards is done by pressing B repeatedly, which also extends the amount of time Meta Knight twirls.
This is arguably Meta Knight's best recovery move; it all depends on the position. If the player is far under the stage but very near to it, then Drill Rush (angled upward) or Shuttle Loop are probably better choices. However, if the player is far away from the stage and under it (any distance up to almost magnified), then the Mach Tornado is the best choice, provided Meta Knight has at least 1 jump left. If he does, then using a jump before the tornado will allow for more vertical height gain than if the player were to start the move whilst falling. Since it gains such a huge horizontal distance on top of a large vertical distance, this is one of the best recovery options in the game. However, something to note is that Meta Knight will bounce off of edges rather than grabbing them if he hits them while he is in the tornado. He also cannot grab edges during the first few frames of his falling animation out of the tornado.
Also, Mach Tornado is able to destroy most projectiles it hits, save for a few of the larger projectiles, and the Ice Climbers' Blizzard.
Custom Variations[]
Entangling Tornado[]
Entangling Tornado is one of Meta Knight's Neutral Special Moves that can be used via customizations. Meta Knight pulls enemies in, and then hits them straight upwards.
Strengths
- Pulls enemies in
- Forces opponents to land
Weaknesses
- Travels slight distance
- Deals slight damage
- Leaves Meta Knight helpless after use
The Entangling Tornado pulls enemies into the attack and then launches them upwards, forcing them to land. The move travels less distance, making it worst for recovery, and it deals less damage as well as leaving Meta Knight helpless after use.
Dreadful Tornado[]
Dreadful Tornado is one of Meta Knight's Neutral Special Moves that can be used via customizations. It's a more powerful Mach Tornado, but the amount of spins can't be increased.
Strengths
- Deals more damage
- Higher launching power
Weaknesses
- The spins can't be aumented
- Can't travel any distance
- Leaves Meta Knight helpless after use
The Dreadful Tornado is a stronger version of the Mach Tornado, dealing more damage and launching opponents farther. It isn't without its drawbacks, as the number of hits cannot be increased by holding or tapping the button repeatedly, and therefore the move cannot travel any distance, making it a bad move to use off-stage since Meta Knight is left helpless after using it.
| Meta Knight's Custom Special Moves | ||
|---|---|---|
| Custom 1 | Custom 2 | |
| Standard Special | Entangling Tornado | Dreadful Tornado |
| Side Special | High-Speed Drill | Shieldbreaker Drill |
| Up Special | Blade Coaster | Lazy Shuttle Loop |
| Down Special | Shield Piercer | Stealth Smasher |
Origin[]
Control-wise, this move is directly like Kirby's "Tornado" ability that appears in many of the Kirby games. Holding B will make him gain height. Meta Knight first used it in Kirby Super Star, where he transformed into a yellow tornado to attack.
Mach Tornado also makes an appearance in the game Kirby Super Star Ultra, in the sub-game "Meta Knightmare Ultra", where the player controls Meta Knight. Mach Tornado is much more exaggerated in this appearance, as it creates an enormous pillar of swirling energy that splits into two and covers the entire screen, destroying all enemies on the screen and dealing massive damage to mid-bosses and bosses.
Trivia[]
- If one uses this move and pauses the game during, it can be seen that Meta Knight has his sword pointed upward, even though the blade engulfs him. This might not be entirely impossible though, as one would be able to perform this if they were going at a fast enough speed. (This is a similar principal to Sonic's Spin Dash.)
Gallery[]
