How to Play Smash Remix: A Beginner's Guide

Ramonium's Note: This guide is a text adaptation and transcription by me, based on a very thorough and detailed video script by Inot. You can watch the video here:

How to Get Everything You Need to Play

To obtain Smash Remix legally, the first thing you'll need is a ROM of the original Smash 64.

Alternatively, if you ask in the Smash Bros. Mallorca WhatsApp group, the Smash 64 Europe Discord server, or the Unofficial Smash Remix Mallorca Discord server, someone there might be able to provide you with an already-patched ROM.

Once you've obtained the original game file, I recommend clicking on the link to the project's official website. From there, head to the Patcher section and upload your ROM to patch it to the latest version.

Also, if you want to play this version on an original Nintendo 64 (which is absolutely possible using an EverDrive cartridge), you'll need an Expansion Pak.

The emulator recommended by the official Remix website in its Netplay Setup section is RMG-K (Kaillera). Simply download the .zip file, right-click it, select "Extract All", and, if you want, create a shortcut. That's it!

With the ROM now patched, we're ready to start configuring everything.

Extra (Smash Remix+Extras)

As a little bonus before moving on, I'd like to show you how to get the Smash Remix+Extras mod, given its popularity. This process also applies to several similar modifications, such as Project Galleon.

As always, the first step is to visit the project's GitHub page, where you can download the .zip file and then extract its contents.

Inside, you'll find a folder containing everything you need, including the patch. You'll also need a Smash 64 ROM for this process.

To patch the ROM, we'll need to open xdeltaUI. There, select the patch included in the folder you downloaded under the Patch field. Under Source File, select your Smash 64 ROM, and under Output File, choose where you want your patched ROM to be saved and give it a name.

It's very important that you add .z64 to the end of the filename. Otherwise, the program will create a file that the emulator won't be able to read. Don't worry, though: your original Smash 64 ROM will remain untouched throughout this process, just as it does when patching the regular version of Remix. So if something goes wrong, you can simply repeat the process.

Emulator Setup (Adding ROMs, Configuring Controls, and Online Play)

When you launch the emulator for the first time, you'll be given the option to open ROMs and, more importantly, to open the ROM directory. Select the folder where your ROMs are stored, and they'll be ready to play. However, before launching the game, we need to configure our controls.

If you're using an Xbox controller or a similar one, I'd recommend setting up the controls to resemble those found in more modern Smash Bros. games. In other words, X and Y for jumping, B for special moves, and A for standard attacks, that sort of thing.

If you want to play with a Nintendo 64 controller, the official Smash Remix website has a short guide on how to set it up.

For those using a GameCube controller, if you find the official website's explanation insufficient, I recommend checking out the video published by user Maafia on the subject:

It's worth pointing out that if you enter a tournament, control modifications available in Remix's options are often banned. I'm mentioning this especially for those who absolutely hate tap jump.

How Do You Play Smash Remix?

Let me make one thing clear right from the start. If you're looking for a super basic guide on how a Smash Bros. game works, I suggest waiting on the title screen until the How to Play option appears.

It covers everything you need to get started and enjoy the game casually: how to use jabs, tilts, Smash attacks, special moves, grabs, shields, dodges, and so on. Give the How to Play section a look. That's exactly why it was included in the original game 27 years ago!

For this guide, I'd rather focus on some more advanced aspects that are nevertheless essential for beginners to start improving right away, without facing such an intimidating learning curve.

Competitively speaking, Smash 64, and by extension Smash Remix, is the most accessible Smash Bros. game to get into. There are several reasons for this, but I believe the biggest one is that Smash 64 has the longest hitstun of any game in the series.

Hitstun is the period of time during which you cannot perform any actions after being hit.

This gives players a much larger reaction window when performing combos compared to other games in the series, making them easier to learn and execute.

However, the game has an essential mechanic that allows you to extend these combos and improve both your offensive and defensive game. This mechanic is...

Z-cancel

Z-canceling is a technique that involves pressing the shield button to cancel a lengthy landing animation that occurs when using an aerial attack just before touching the ground. Without it, your character is left vulnerable to your opponent's punish. This technique is useful both for extending combos that rack up significant damage and for moving around the stage more fluidly, allowing you to approach more safely with aerial attacks.

Keep in mind that the timing is different depending on whether or not you hit your opponent. This is because the game pauses for a few milliseconds when an attack connects to make the hit feel more impactful. This is especially noticeable with multi-hit moves.

To practise Z-canceling, I recommend going to Settings, then Remix Settings, and enabling the Z-cancel flash. This gives you a visual indicator of whether you're performing the technique correctly. (If the flash gets annoying, you'll find the Punish of Z-cancel option under Gameplay Settings, which offers other useful visual indicators and punish settings.)

A couple of final notes: if you hold the shield button for too long, your character will start shielding, causing you to drop your combo. You can also perform a Z-cancel using the grab button, which can be useful for confirming grabs.

Everything explained above can be practised in Training Mode, where you can also adjust and view other useful information, such as attack ranges and frame data. I highly recommend giving it a try.

I'd also like to briefly introduce another concept: DI (short for Directional Influence). In simple terms, DI allows you to slightly alter the direction in which you're launched when hit, helping you escape combos and survive at higher percentages by repeatedly tilting the control stick in one or more directions.

There are several ways to perform DI, each with its own quirks. If you'd like to learn more, I recommend watching the video by user Nate Tom Bombadil L on advanced Smash 64 techniques. Among other things, it explains the different ways to perform DI in Smash 64 and, by extension, Smash Remix:

There are a few other things I'd like to briefly cover, as they aren't included in the How to Play section: teching, get-up options, and ledge options.

When we hit the ground after taking a powerful attack or combo, we can press the shield or grab button to get back up quickly. This is known as teching or simply performing a tech. However, when teching, we can only get up in place or roll to either side. If we land without teching, we also get an attack option to knock our opponent away. That said, don't get too comfortable with it: your opponent can predict that you'll attack as you get up and punish you accordingly.

Not teching also leaves you vulnerable to any follow-up from your opponent. This can mean anything from extending an existing combo and racking up even more damage to getting sent straight to your death.

It's also worth clarifying that this isn't exclusive to get-up attacks. Even if you tech, your opponent can read your options if you repeatedly rely on the same way of getting up. The same applies when recovering from the ledge.

There are several ways to get off the ledge: you can perform a standard get-up, attack, roll, or drop down and jump (either with or without an aerial attack). It's also worth noting that at higher percentages, most of these options become slower (except for the last one mentioned), which can be either an advantage or a disadvantage depending on the situation.

Ultimately, the key is to avoid being predictable when choosing your options, making it harder for your opponent to punish you.

Before moving on to mindset, there's one more thing I don't want to overlook: due to the extremely long hitstun, shielding can be risky if you rely on it too heavily as a defensive option. This is also because you can only jump, grab, or roll to either side while shielding. That's why it's essential to find a way out of your opponent's pressure if you feel the punish could be too dangerous.

You should also keep in mind that your shield shrinks as it gets hit, potentially allowing your opponent to land a shield poke (hitting you in an area no longer protected by your shield, similar to getting hit by a low attack while standing and blocking in a traditional fighting game). Oh, and remember: grabs beat shields.

Now, let's talk about mindset and the famous…

Neutral, Offense, and Defense (Spacing, Mix-ups, and Reading Your Opponent)

Alright. I know those of you who aren't familiar with fighting game terminology are probably wondering: "What the hell is neutral!?" Don't worry, I'll explain it quickly and simply, just as someone once explained it to me. Love you, Sh4rin.

Neutral, or the neutral game, is the stage of a match where neither player has the initiative over the other. In other words, it's the middle ground of the match. If we manage to start putting pressure on our opponent, we enter the offensive phase, where we'll try to break through their defenses. But if the opposite happens and our opponent starts pressuring us, we enter the defensive phase. Here, our goal is to avoid getting our defense broken and return to neutral or start applying pressure ourselves.

As I mentioned earlier, winning neutral doesn't necessarily mean landing a punish on your opponent. Simply forcing them to shield is enough to put you on the offensive, and vice versa. It's also worth remembering that in platform fighters, your position on the stage can make it easier or harder to die at certain percentages.

Given the nature of the game and the incredibly powerful punishes that even the weakest characters can dish out, the neutral game is everything in Remix.

This is where we can put everything we've discussed into practice, both offensively and defensively. However, it's also important to learn other techniques, such as maintaining good spacing with your moves. In other words, keeping a safe distance when attacking so you don't leave yourself too exposed to an opponent's punish, while generally staying out of reach of their attacks. That's why it's important to understand the tools available to both your character and your opponent, and act accordingly.

This is also where mind games and mix-ups come into play (the latter, very broadly speaking, refers to varying your options to keep your opponent guessing). For example, you can throw projectiles to condition your opponent and force them into an action you can punish. But of course, your opponent might also realise what you're trying to do with those projectiles and find a way to counter it.

Despite everything that can influence neutral, offense, and defense, the best advice I can give you to improve (aside from asking your opponent for advice if they're better than you) is to ask yourself one simple question: Why?

One thing I've learned over the 2–3 years I've spent playing fighting games somewhat seriously is how important it is to pay attention to what your opponent does.

Does your opponent constantly rush you down from the air or the ground? Do they keep using a particular move that you can punish? Do they always use a get-up attack or the same option when recovering from the ledge?

Well, that same "why?" I mentioned earlier also applies to your own gameplay.

Why did my opponent punish me with a Dair (down aerial)?

Because I always went for an F-Smash in that situation, leaving myself exposed.

Why did my opponent punish me when I got up?

Because I always rolled towards the centre of the stage, and they caught on.

Why did my opponent catch me while I was recovering?

Because I kept recovering high, using up my double jump, and my opponent took advantage of it to take my stock.

Simply asking yourself these questions, finding the answers, and keeping them in mind during your next matches is what will make the biggest difference in your improvement.

Practising powerful combos and optimising your approaches is great, but if you don't know how to get in, your incredible, super-ultra-mega-awesome combo isn't going to do you much good. And this doesn't just apply to Smash Remix, but to the fighting game genre as a whole.

Before wrapping things up, I know some of you might be wondering which character you should play.

My answer is always the same: "The character that feels most comfortable in your hands and suits your playstyle." And, above all, the one you enjoy playing!