Smash Ultimate has no shortage of cameo characters that don’t actually fight in their respective series. Little Mac, the hero of Nintendo’s somewhat forgotten Punch-Out!! franchise, is an exception. He’s a member of the Smash Ultimate roster that actually knows how to fight. That typically makes up for the boxer’s small stature in his own series. Now let’s see how he fares against giant lizards, cyborg aliens, and other fantastical creatures.
Smash Ultimate sports 74 different playable characters at launch — including every single previous character from the super-franchise and a boatload of fresh faces. That’s not even including the army of upcoming DLC fighters, assist trophies, spirits, and more. There’s so much that no one person could possibly keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a guide to every single character.
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Little Mac is, surprising nobody, a punch-focused melee fighter. That might make it seem like there’s not much variety in his move set. And, for the most part, that’s true. But Little Mac also brings in several special abilities that no other character in Smash Ultimate can match. So let’s dive right into the specifics of this unique character.
According to Nintendo’s official description of Little Mac…
As a boxer, Little Mac fights with his fists alone—no kicks! When his Power Meter fills up, he can use a special KO Uppercut, which can really turn a battle around. For his Final Smash, he turns into Giga Mac and pummels the opponent with a furious rush of punches!
Little Mac Moves
Straight Lunge (B) – Blasts forward with a powerful punch. One button press begins the charge and a second unleashes the strike.
Jolt Haymaker (Side + B) – Leaps forward, dodging low attacks and delivering a punch. A second press unleashes the punch early.
Rising Uppercut (Up + B) – Punches upward while twisting into the air. Hits opponents multiple times.
Slip Counter (Down + B) – Waits for his opponent to attack, and then counters with an uppercut.
Giga Mac Rush (Final Smash) – Little Mac transforms into Giga Mac and charges forward. If he strikes an opponent, he unleashed a flurry of punches, finishing with a powerful uppercut. If the initial blow misses, he transforms back into Little Mac.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
The star of Punch-Out!! handles how you would expect a boxer to. A formidable ground game is accentuated by devastating haymakers and nimble footwork. Little Mac floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee, and can cause some major damage to anyone foolish enough to tackle him head-on.
Weaknesses
Still, Mac likes to stay on the ground. He pretty much needs to. His air game isn’t great, though his recovery has thankfully received some help. Little Mac is incredibly scary on solid ground, in the opponent’s face, but projectiles and elevation can quickly up-end his game.
Little Mac Outfits
Hands down, Little Mac has some of the best alternate costumes in Smash Ultimate. The battling boxer comes with several versions of his iconic look. And while they seem like color swaps at first, they benefit from his extremely bright and easy-to-read apparel. Not only that, but his shorts and hair have slightly different details depending on which version you play.
But the real standout costumes are further down his select screen. The first is his pink tracksuit — a clear reference to his running montage for fans of the NES version of Punch-Out!! Yet there’s an even deeper cut in the form of Little Mac’s green wireframe look from the Punch-Out!! arcade game. Finally, his eighth costume blends both worlds together with a green tracksuit wrapped around his transparent model. Take a look!
And those are the finer points of Little Mac in Smash Ultimate (for now). The nimble bob-and-weaver brings a definite sense of style to the game this time out. But just looking good won’t make you play this deceptively simple fighter any better. Make sure to put these observations to good use and go all the way, champ! But most importantly, just like any good athlete, make sure you have fun out there.
All of our Smash Ultimate guides created with the help of Eric Van Allen.
