Cons and Red Flags
The Edge of the Stage
Little Mac's worst opponent is himself and anyone who knows how to take advantage of his flightlessness. As we've quoted many a time, "You ain't no air fighter Mac!" Little Mac has limited options in the air, so it's best to keep him on the ground which is another topic we'll come to later.
Staying away from the edges will benefit you in the long run because 1) other fighters will take advantage of your limited air mobility to throw you off and 2) you won't mistakenly use a Jolt Haymaker and fling yourself to an early death.
Knowing Your Air Options
Knowing what to use when returning to the stage is crucial to Mac's survival rating. Your two main recovery options are the Jolt Haymaker Side Special and the Rising Uppercut Up Special. Mac can make use of the Slip Counter Down Special as well in certain situations, but the Straight Lunge Neutral Special is useless in the air.
Straight Lunge gets good distance on the ground, but moves not even a full body length in mid-air no matter how long you charge. The Slip Counter can be used as an unpredicted get back option. Rather than air dodging an incoming attack, use the Slip to surprise your opponent and get back as Slip Counter does have some good distance when it activates. This is risky as you will have to try and predict if your opponent is going to come at you with an attack. Your main two will still be Rising Uppercut and Jolt Haymaker.
Advantages and Playmakers
Rising Uppercut
This is a great move to take advantage of that most Mac users tend to ignore. Side Note: The Rising Uppercut has greater lift when used from the ground, so keep that in mind when you want to use it and if you're landlocked or airborne. Knowing this height can make a huge difference. It can be a great juggle move, mainly hitting someone who is falling onto the stage as it's lift is pretty fast. It can also get you out of a combo (ie. Captain Falcon's or Fox's Standard Jab Combo) and since the hitbox extends to the Mac's sides, it can also grab your opponent and suck them into attack as well.
RU will also be one of two main recovery techniques (like we mentioned above). If you're looking for a vertical recovery, this is the option. One thing to mention is that Little Mac can wall jump. So if you should find yourself recovering against a wall, don't forget to jump off and then Rising Uppercut back to the ledge. One thing I have taken note off whilst playing Mac in For Glory is that an air dodge to midair Rising Uppercut can be very effective. Air dodging someone on stage who might be attack and then RU will get you to the ledge. Since most people will try to hit you before you grab the edge, air dodge so you pass below it and then use Rising Uppercut. Your hitbox will extend beyond the ledge and will knock your opponent if they're close enough. This will knock them into the air, allowing you to grab the edge and get back onstage in whatever manner works best for you.
Jolt Haymaker
The Haymaker... It'll be your greatest ally and your worst enemy. Like we mentioned earlier, a misjudged JH might send you over the edge (literally) and careening to your death. Jolt Haymaker is a great spacing tool, whether you're closing the gap between you and the opponent quickly and with an attack or as a getaway option for a sticky situation.
It also helps to remember that you can activate the Haymaker anytime after you initiate the Side Special. If you just press the input, Mac will swing at the end of his jump. If you press B anytime during the jump, you can prematurely swing. This is great when you want to close in over a very short distance and for mind games as well. There is a bit of ending lag for Jolt Haymaker, so don't forget to cover your bases.
Firmly Grasp It
When opponents see a Little Mac charging in, they expect a quick dash attack. Prove 'em wrong. Like most fast fighters, shielding is a great option but is also predictable. Little Mac does have a short grab reach, so you'll have to make sure get in close become attempting the grab.
Quick Actions
Most of Mac's attacks are hard hitting moves with a bit of little bit of a wind up. Little Mac does have super armor, so he can get hit once and still pull off the move. Sometimes though, a very quick attack is what you need to interrupt an opponent. Luckily Mac has access to a handful.
If an opponent is approaching, try a Jab or Side Tilt. If the Jab connects an incoming attack, they'll cancel each other and open you both up to attacks (and starting to Jab here might just be a good idea). Since the Jab does lead into a Jab Combo, it can be very helpful in racking up percentage.
Mac's other quick options are his tilt attacks; Down Tilt, Side Tilt and Up Tilt. The Side is great for punish those directly in front of you with a quick one-two. I find this works especially well with grabs. Grab an opponent and begin pummeling them with A and when they finally escape the grab, use the Side Tilt immediately. It works in most situations, but won't when the opponent is at very high percentage as the grab release will send them out of reach.
Up Tilt has Mac perform a sweeping backhand that starts from his front and arcs over his head and ends at his back. This performs similarly to Mario's Up Tilt, as it can juggle opponents at lower percentages consistently. It's also good to get the drop on someone coming at your from the air. Little Mac's Down Tilt is a crouching punch. While it doesn't have the reach of the Side Tilt, the DT does pop the opponent airborne. After a Down Tilt, it's easy to follow up with a Smash Attack, Side Tilt, Jolt Haymaker or even a Short Hop Aerial attack.
Intimidation Nation
If there's one thing that stirs the fears inside Smash players, it's a good Little Mac. With his fast speed and hard hits, Mac can be frightening to some. There are two main play styles when it comes to him, either being watchful and precise or unrelenting and swift.
The main way to play as Ganondorf is to sit back and punish your opponent when you see an opening and that's a good way to play Mac. As you won't get too close to them, it'll force your opponent to advance. That's when you land hits when they slip up. The 'unstoppable' strategy works well too. Don't stop moving (or believing) as it gives your opponent as little time to think as possible. Here's where Air Mac comes in handy, Since people know Little Mac is a ground fighter, throwing out aerials is sure to up the pressure. It's all about consistency... and KO Uppercuts
