Link in
Super Smash Bros. (
) sucks. He does have two projectiles and is the biggest hassle to approach, but it's his poor speed on the ground (slow dashing speed and poor attacking startup and ending lag) in addition to his abysmal "recovery" that puts him in his place. He has some good airspeed and fast falling speed, though. Despite this and his above average strength, they aren't redeeming factors to what makes for some rubbish mobility. He can be easily combo'd due to above average height and weight too, which is a bad situation for a character to be in.
I, personally, look over all these flaws and use Link as my main in this game. I don't take it very seriously though, playing as half the roster and whatnot...
Link is considerably better in
Super Smash Bros. Melee (
). He preserved his boomerang and bombs, and gained his bow & arrow as a new projectile, strengthening his approach options. He has a faster air speed, quicker attacks, less lag and best of all, a good recovery. Not only has the spin attack received a notable boost in height, but the hookshot can now be used when airborne for a wall grapple. Another new feature is that the Hylian Shield is no longer aesthetic, as it can block any projectile when idle. There's the new spot dodge and airdodge mechanics introduced to every character in
Melee, both of which are some of the best there are in the game, which is a nice plus. Link remains an above average weight and height, which can result in taking role as a sandbag to opponents at times... Fortunately, he keeps his above average power, also. Finally, his down tilt has the ability to meteor smash now which, despite being very situational as an edgeguard, can be used for the casual surprise on opponents.
Link is also my main character in this game, who seems to actually be a solid choice this time around. Although improved in almost every conceivable way, he still doesn't manage to compare to the highest ranks, which is a shame.
As for
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Link (
), he is poor, as much as it breaks my heart to say. Bluntly put, he got nerfed. He did get much stronger, a sacrifice for speed, or rather, lack thereof. Air speed went from one of the fastest down to one of the slowest. He did lose the rapid jab move, but that was useless anyway. :bleh: The wall grapple was taken away in place of the tether recovery, which is a matter of preference to which is better. I say the latter. It's a much cleaner process, I find. Speaking of, the clawshot has zero landing lag now which allows for quick and easy spacing, especially in conjunction with Link's above average range of his sword. The bow charges faster, shoots further and comes out more quickly, and the spin attack can be charged. The Boomerang became the Gale Boomerang, which loses its main hitbox, but is more functional and allows for mindgames and some impressive advanced techniques. Still, he remains a tall, heavy and fast falling character. This does amount for some intense vertical endurance (with some direction influence and solid momentum cancelling, which Link shines at), but obviously makes you an easy target. Recovery is rubbish compared to that of standard. It relies on momentum before use of the spin attack (ie. the double jump). Without, it goes almost nowhere. Okay, not "nowhere", but people find it underwhelming, and opponents will take advantage of that.
Don't get me wrong, I main Link (surprised?
) and ignore his flaws when playing. I have to admit that he is a poor character and I'd be lying to say otherwise. Oh well, at least he has a beast of a Final Smash.
Here are Link's most significant problems, as of Brawl:
- He has little to no horizontal recovery
- He's slow AF, sucks up too many frames to get a move out.
- He has little priority.
- He has VERY LITTLE knockback
- Even as a utility fighter, he does not deal enough damage.
Does anyone else feel like Link is a bad character in all the games he's been in? If so, how would you improve him?
2 out of 5, mate. Link has poor horizontal recovery and is slow (though not in all ways), yes, but no way in hell does he have little priority, give poor knockback or not deal enough damage.
What I wish for Link in Super Smash Bros. 4 is these two lowest factors to be buffed. That is, higher frame data and a better recovery. This would result in a balanced character, I think. He would still remain the slow type with his bevy of projectiles and options, but improve his attacking speed to at least that of average. Wonderful strength remains and we've got ourselves a good character.
- SmashWikia, the wiki about SSB, Melee, Brawl and more.
