SSB4 Character Analysis: Yoshi

Image from the Smash Wiki

Yoshi is back in SSB4 and he is better than ever! This adorable green dinosaur has always been one of my favorites, and while he may have been a bit under-powered in Brawl (or maybe just under-appreciated) this time around he is definitely a force to be reckoned with. He has received some substantial buffs to many of his moves, which I am going to give a quick run-down of below:

A moves:

• Neutral A: Two hits. Not that great on its own but good for leading into another attack or just generally racking up damage.
• Dash attack: Probably my most favorite of all the improvements Yoshi has received in this game. This move has Yoshi rush forward with his foot extended for a lunging kick. It has a deceptively long hitbox, which is great because I've found it consistently catches people off-guard. It can also easily be chained into other moves, and even into itself.
• Up smash: One of his stronger smashes, Yoshi charges and performs a sweeping kick in an arc above his head. A good finishing move, or just hard-hitting move in general.
• Side smash: Yoshi charges and releases a powerful headbutt to his side. About equal with the Up smash in terms of damage dealt, and is also a good finishing move. This move can be good for getting an opponent off the edge, as it sends them flying to the side.
• Down smash: Yoshi charges and then sweeps his tail along the ground on both sides, always starting with the left. This move does not have as much knockback and is generally just not as good as his other two smashes, but I have found it to be useful still because no one is ever expecting it. Good for catching people off guard at times, although not the best as its hitbox is low to the ground and it has a longer animation that leaves you vulnerable if you miss.

• Neutral A (Aerial): A non-directional A in the air has Yoshi extend his foot a very short distance for a single kick. This move has a very small hitbox so it can hard to land, although it does stay active for a little longer than most moves so it can still hit if you use it a little too early, as it may still be active as you keep moving.
• Up A (Aerial): One of Yoshi's best aerial attacks, he flips around and spikes his tail upwards. It has a fast animation and can be chained easily into itself and other moves, and can also be a reliable killing move.
• Side A (Aerial): This move has Yoshi briefly wind up for an aerial headbutt. If you manage to land this while your opponent is off-stage, it will be one of the most satisfying kills you can get with Yoshi, as it will meteor-smash the opponent downwards to his death with no chance of recovery. Very solid move, can be tricky to master the timing though.
• Side Back A (Aerial): This is the backwards facing aerial variation from the regular Side A. This is a multi-hit move that is one of Yoshi's strongest, and the last hit has a sweet-spot so if you manage to connect it at a higher percent it can be a potential killing move. Very solid and a staple of Yoshi's air game along with the Up A (Aerial).
• Down A (Aerial): Yoshi's signature flutter-kick, this multi-hit move is for the master of the short-hop, although it can still be used otherwise. It is somewhat difficult to maintain as while Yoshi is performing the attack he will drift to the side and off of the opponent, which can cause some of the remaining hits to miss. This move can be difficult to execute and control, but is a good move once mastered.

B moves:

• Neutral Special: Yoshi captures the player with his tongue and pops them back out encapsulated in an egg. A classic move, although it is easily broken out of. It can be a potential set up for a smash attack or some edge-guarding antics. Any player worth his salt however knows to avoid a Yoshi sitting on the edge of the stage, as it is quite obviously a trap to encapsulate them in an egg and have them fall to their death. Hilarious if you can pull it off, though otherwise unreliable.
• Up Special: If any of you have played Yoshi in a Smash game before, you know that he does not get a traditional recovery move relegated to his Up B like most of the other characters. Using this move does provide a very short vertical hop when used in the air, but for the most part recovery with Yoshi is mostly reliant on his double flutter-jump. His Up B has him hurl eggs outwards towards the opponent, the trajectory of which can be altered with the control stick. This move is great for racking up damage, and is just an all around great projectile move if you can learn to master the control stick micro-management that comes with the skillful usage of this move. A good Yoshi player will be able to consistently troll you with eggs from a safe distance.
• Side Special: This move has Yoshi encase himself in a large egg and plow back and forth across the ground for a short time. A great move for approaching opponents who are farther away or pressuring campy projectile type players. Beware though because Yoshi is not completely safe in this state, he can be countered/interrupted by many other character's moves so this is not always the best approach, but it can be very useful still.
• Down Special: A ground-pound style smash towards the ground. This move is a great punisher for opponents who try to come at you from below in the air or who are charging up a smash on the ground but have whiffed the timing. Can be a solid killing move, and even if you miss there are two stars that burst out of the ground on either side of Yoshi when he hits the ground, so it will not be a total loss.