Hero has only been out for a day in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and to absolutely nobody’s surprise, Masahiro Sakurai and his team have done it again, creating a character practical and carrying a very Akira Toriyama-brand of flashiness. Amongst their moveset however, is their defining feature, the Command Selection.
Command Selection is opened with Hero’s Down special, and grants him the ability to use four out of twenty one total moves at his disposal. Much has been said about the character’s RNG-based nature, but the sheer number of options he has on hand makes him a very versatile and fun character to play as.
The first thing that has to be noted is that Hero will stay still when Command Selection is in progress. There’s no moving him until you click on a command, but fortunately you can also press guard to cancel out of it. Either way, using Command Selection is a risky move that should be done only when you have the space to do so.
These include times like when the opponent is off the stage, or generally some distance between you and the opponent. Personally, I prefer the magic buff spells, as well as Snooze, which can actually work on opponents who are passing through in the air. Wack, Thwack, and Hocus Pocus are the obvious RNG-based spells, so you never know if it’ll work in your favor or not, so I only like to use them when I feel I’ve got enough of an advantage, that is, if the spell even shows up. While you can cycle through the list by cancelling and going into the list again, in my online experiences so far, you’re never going to get the space to do that, unless they are waiting to jump over your attack. If they’re intentionally staying away, just close Command Selection and fight normally until you have a chance to catch them off guard.
As for the sword-based abilities like Flame Slash and Hatchet Man, considering how you need to pull up the menu and select the skill to use it, it’s hard to find a place to use it. It’s best used when edgeguarding, or generally when the opponent is running up to you.
All in all, there’s no doubt that it’ll take time to get used to Command Selection, or even memorize all the spell effects in Hero’s arsenal. There are also no doubt people who’ll just opt to forgo it entirely for Hero’s standard fire, thunder, and wind spells. But considering how it’s the heart of the character, it feels a waste to do so. Using Command Selection with Hero felt like actually playing an RPG despite the action focus – choosing what to use based on what you need for the situation. Hopefully these tips will help for people who are lost in when to use the special move.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available for Nintendo Switch.
Siliconera is looking to hold the 2nd ever Siliconera community Smash Bros. night on Thursday, August 8, 2019. The night will be held from 8pm to 11pm PT, so make sure to join in! We’ll have one to two rooms open, considering the small turnout last time.
