Captain Falcon juggles your Minecraft Steve to the top of Battlefield with a string of up airs in a last stock situation. The combo ends with the Knee of Justice but hits the sour spot. One spot dodge read later and your minecart sends him offstage into the abyss below. Game set!
Do you rematch the Falcon player or say goodbye to face your next foe? Here are the top five reasons to rematch every Elite Smash opponent in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and five factors that might push you back to the character select screen.
Best-of-3 is the tournament standard because it gives players the chance to adapt. The better player is never determined after one game. The true test of skill in fighting games is countering your opponent's playstyle throughout a set.
Let's say you get a few quick stocks then nearly get reverse 3-0'd. Chances are game 2 will different than the first because you're spending less time figuring out how your opponent plays and more time capitalizing on holes or habits in their playstyle while covering your own. Narrowly winning a game despite a massive swing of momentum in the other player's favor might mean an uphill battle in the rematch.
Some players don't want to risk losing Global Smash Power, but standard FGC etiquette is to go for the runback. Remember GSP isn't an accurate measure of skill.
Players spend most of their time practicing against top tiers like Peach, Joker, and Zero Suit Samus since they're more likely to encounter those characters at the highest level of smash. Less matchup experience makes less common characters more threatening regardless of if your main has the advantage. The same goes for players with unique playstyles like Raito's Duck Hunt.
Play as many games as you can to better understand rare matchups and adapt to unusual playstyles. Gain the experience now before you're face to face with an uncommon character when the set really counts in a tournament.
Perfect Internet is less common than it should be given the caliber of this legendary franchise. Take advantage of smooth connections with additional matches. Good connections also extend to how it feels sparring with specific players.
Capitalize on clean connections and fun opponents to get more out of your Elite Smash experience. Maybe that random person plays a character you love to fight or is simply a joy to battle. If you feel that way about an opponent, there's always the chance they will want to go a few more rounds too.
No one likes losing, but playing the role of the underdog is motivational. Skill isn't determined by GSP since the system doesn't consider win to lose ratio or the weight of victories against prominent players, assuming you randomly get matched against someone like Mars or Cosmo. The exact amount you go up and down varies depending on how close your GSP is to your opponent's. You'll gain more when beating players with far higher GSP. Conversely, the drop is small when falling to players with a lot more points.
Rematches are chances to immediately show improvement. One of the best ways to improve is to play with more skilled members of the community. Experienced players likely know the matchup against your main and force you to innovate, space properly, and bait to win. Get in as many games as you can against a variety of powerful foes. Progress might feel slow if you're constantly losing, but take mental or physical notes and save replays to review your playstyle and steadily get better at the game.
Some people will say they don't go for style in Smash Bros. The truth is everyone does it from time to time. If you love landing Mario's cape into forward aerial at any percent, then you're all about the disrespect. A sizable lead or dominant performance offers players the opportunity to rematch for stylish clips. Some make it to Twitter, while others gather dust as replays until the next inevitable update wipes them clean.
Meteor smashes, risky offstage options, and crazy combos are all hype. They make Smash Bros. more fun even if the controller isn't in your hands. For some, there's a thin line between style and disrespect. Often the two words can be used interchangeably, especially when it comes to less viable moves such as King Dedede's Jet Hammer. Style defines many top players like Esam that often go for ridiculous options and consistently land them on stream.
Scheming new and clever tech is part of the game regardless of your perspective, so why not go for it? You can't see your opponent, but maybe they're smiling on the other end of the screen too.
