Super Smash Bros is the ultimate Nintendo creation. It combines nearly every character created by Nintendo, especially the famed and well-known classic fighters like Mario, Link, and Kirby. And then they brawl! They'll team brawl, complete missions, and even have the good old one-on-one brawls. This is the classic Super Smash Bros concept, but with their latest game, Super Smash Bros Brawl, all kinds of new portals are opened. There are more landscapes, items, and (best of all) characters. New additions such as Snake, Pit, Sonic, and Wolf takes the game to a completely new level. There are even four controller options for this game! You can choose between the Wii remote, Wii remote with Nunchunks, Gamecube controller, or the Classic controller. Not to mentions, there is even a final smash for all characters! With all these options and additions, even the most skilled Smash Bros player might get a little confused. I'm here to help you keep that winning streak!
Now I assume that if you are reading this, you already know the basics of melees, jumping, and shielding. However, basics aren't going to get people too far. You need to know strategies and tricks to best your opponent. First of all, you need to know about good character selection. Now, most people say that every character has its own qualities. However, I would say that some characters just shouldn't be used. I would say those are Mr. Game&Watch and Olimar. There are just too many reasons why I would not pick them. One reason that stands out is their weight (characters have weight classes if you did not know this already). Mr. Game&Watch is the lightest character in the game and can be easily blasted away when its damage is at a mere 60% (due to experiments in training mode). It also has moves that are quite weak that does little damage. Olimar is also quite light but its weight is not much of a problem if you like fast and lightweight characters. However, it has only two moves that cause damage and they cause very very little damage. So these two characters, I would not recommend for anyone.
So there is your character selection guide. Now you need to master some techniques. The most basic type of move is the melee. You can choose different speeds and power along with direction. You have the regular melee, which is quite fast and gives a big advantage to some characters. However some characters are strong but slower. Therefore, I would stick to strong attacks (stronger than regular melees but weaker than smash attack). Good examples of some characters are Ganondorf and Bowser. Some fast characters include Sonic, Fox, Falco, and Kirby. Of course there are more characters but you can experiment with them yourself and find which one you like. Smash attacks are great for sending a trapped/stunned character flying. Now there is one technique that I will share with you. I call it "juggling". Basically, when a character is helpless and above you (on a platform or falling), you can use your upwards smash or up air attack to juggle them constantly. Nice right? However, you don't want to get into that situation. It will be hard to get out of, but there is a solution. If you use a down air attack (usually a drilling or smashing move), you might be able to best your opponent.
Now you have the simple attacks. Therefore, we can go on to the specials. They different for every character but are very unique. I will simply say that you need to know how to use them. For instance, the most basic catergories are long and short distance. Some distance moves are fast but weak making them hit and run type moves. Some are charged. That would rely on a charge, run, and pursue technique. Now for close range, you have the same catergories (charged and not charged). Charged moves can be used as a finish after a melee combo, while uncharged can used frequently at close range if you are in trouble. There are also some shielding or reflecting moves that are quite different. Knowing when to use these can give you a great advantage.
Those are the basic attacking moves. However, more complicated stratigies revolve around throwing and shielding/evading. Throwing is a great method to put them somewhere you want them without having to get damaged in a small tussle. You can use throwing to launch them into the air and use your "juggling" technique. Shielding is another technique that is very misused. If you are caught in a combo, shielding/evading can save you a lot of damage, especially if the opponent is smart. Some characters can even jump out of their shield. Using this, you can turn the battle around!
Now there is something that is even more misused than throwing and shielding. That is the use of items. Items were there for a reason. First, I will talk of the most important. That is the smash ball. You don't ever want your opponent to get this! You have to fight and chase after it and then break it open. That's right, you can't just pick it up, you have to break it. So using some combos or a special can do the job. If your opponent gets it, run. Then there is the assist trophy. Very useful. If you get this, you can deal your opponent damage without doing anything yourself. It is much like a poke ball. Now there are crates, barrels, capsules, and party balls. These can all be broken and include something. So the best bet is to throw it and get whatever comes out. There is also the blast box. This is dangerous but useful. You can go long range and wait for your opponent to approach. If you hit it with something strong enough, it will blow and blast your opponent off. There are more items and you can play to figure out the stratigies involving them and to beat your opponent.
Lastly, I will talk of one fun stratigie. This is called Kirbycide. When you use Kirby or King Dedede, you have the ability to swallow. Kirbycide involves swallowing the character and holding them inside. Then you can walk off the edge with them. They will no doubt die. However, you will probably lose a life along with them, unless you time it correctly. This is a great stratigie if your opponent is at his/her last life and you have one more.
So now you have all of these tips and tricks. Try to play more and get used to the game. Then you can go on getting the winning streak in your neighborhood! :)