Presenting the first dedicated Sm4sh balance mod - Sm4sh Remix!

Our goal is to improve gameplay, driven by a competitive-minded philosophy.

This isn't simply making everyone fastfallers, but preserving what makes Smash 4 unique from other entries in the series.

 

The mod is currently in Phase 2, which includes balance changes to the returning characters from Super Smash Bros. (n64) and Super Smash Bros. Melee. While our character adjutments are subject to change through testing and feedback, there is a public changelog viewable here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11PQ4phsZ9E9rbDkqrTQnwZdZ0db5k_oxquRz_i98crU

Some highlights in the current build include:

The Rage Effect starts at 80% and ends at 180%, up from 35% and 150% respectively. The knockback boost also caps out at 1.1x total knockback, down from 1.15x total knockback. This makes rage more intuitive, along with making it less likely to take effect unless you manage to survive with a great amount of damage. 

 

Naturally, this change is pretty big. Several characters affected by this are acceptable in vanilla because they're so lacking in other areas, they need a powerful option to prop them up. This isn't the case anymore.

This is the only universal change currently, although we're also looking in to making shield dropping reasonable to perform in this game. You don't really see players do it, even though arguably more complex tech such as perfect pivoting has been explored.

 

Mario's Down Aerial now links reliably, as the first 5 hits are slightly more spaced out, making the 5 (second-last) and 6th (last) hits closer together.

His Fireballs are also slightly faster, coming out on frame 16 instead of 17, and reducing FAF from 53 to 50. This allows Mario to play a more bait-oriented playstyle without giving him the potential to camp.

Peach's Dash Attack connects much more reliably due to tweaked angles and knockback, and the second hit coming out a frame earlier.

Forward tilt is less laggy (FAF 37 → 34), deals a consistent 8%, launches at 80° instead of 88/80/75°, and can even hit ledge-hanging opponents. As she kicks faster, however, this cuts the active frames from 7-15 (9 frames) to 7-11 (4 frames).

Down Smash is legg laggy (FAF 55 → 48) and deals 3% on all hitboxes instead of 2% sometimes.

Peach Bomber has increased knockback (65 KBG → 80), a higher angle (361°* → 50°), and the aerial version has less lag on whiff (FAF 95 → 80).

*361 degree angles, AKA the Sakurai angle, hits at 40° on grounded foes and 45° on aerial foes if they're sent into tumble.

 

Yoshi's Forward Tilt is greatly improved. It's far less laggy (FAF 39 → 30), deals a consistent 8%, and launches at different angles depending on your input. Upward ftilt launches at 80°, straight ftilt launches at 60°, and downward ftilt launches at 40°.

All grabs are improved. Standing grab startup decreased (frame 14 → 12), dash grab endlag decreased (FAF 68 → 56), and pivot grab endlag decreased (FAF 65 → 51).

Throws are also better. Forward and Back throw are identical - stronger, and launch at a lower angle (45° → 42°), allowing them to better force techs or even kill with rage.

Egg Roll has recieved several improvements. It's faster, has larger hitboxes, is less laggy (Exit IASA 40 → 32), and can be canceled earlier (Frame 36 → 21).

 

Link has recieved notable movement buffs. His Jumpsquat is a frame faster, his air and run speeds have been increased, and his hard landing lag is reduced 1 frame in a universal change, bringing everyone's hard landing lag to 4 frames (~80% of characters are the same in vanilla)

Neutral Aerial now hits frame 5 instead of frame 7. Jab 1 and 2, up tilt, and grab aerial all deal 1% more.

Down tilt now hits frame 8 instead of 11, but deals 9% instead of 11%. This overall makes it a more reliable combo move.

The spike hitbox also has more favorable knockback (0 BKB/62 KBG → 10 BKB/60 KBG). It doesn't kill earlier, but being stronger at low % is great.

Spin Attack has one late hit instead of several stages, with a much lower angle (361° → 25°) but the knockback of the latest hit.

Bomb now explodes 30 frames sooner, making setting traps with bombs or using them to recover a more viable strategy.

 

Roy, in addition to having his overall speed increased (more notably, his walk speed), has slightly higher ground jumps and an all-new wall jump. His moves all have improved range, and the sourspots are now reasonably safe on hit.

Down Tilt now has an extra active frame, and has been redesigned to be an incredible combo tool with a vertical angle (30° → 75/80°). To compensate, the sweetspot now does 9%, down from 11%.

Up Smash now has better overall hitbox activity. Hits 2-4 are active 2 frames instead of 1 (15, 17, 19 → 15-16, 18-19, 21-22), and hit 5 is delayed (22-23 → 25-26), making it slightly less laggy.

Forward Aerial's animation is tweaked so Roy can hit above him, as it looks like it should have. This also increases active frames by 1 so he doesn't miss below him.

Up Aerial now has less cooldown (FAF 42 → 36), a better autocancel (38> → 30>), and less landing lag (14 frames → 10 frames). The sweetspot also does 10%, but with reduced knockback, making uair a great combo and juggling tool.

Flare Blade has been redesigned to be in between Melee and Sm4sh. It now has a hitbox on the sword when not fully charged, has greater minimum damage (6% → 9%) but scales slower (5% per stage → 4% per stage), is faster (earliest frame 23 → 17) and has 1 more active frame. However, the knockback is reduced (40 BKB/110 KBG → 30 BKB/100 KBG), and the angle is raised (49° → 55°).

Blazer now has super armor in the air, and Counter's sourspot was removed.

If that doesn't convince you, here are some videos of new and upcoming changes. Please try out the mod for yourself!

Ganondorf Dittos (current)
Jigglypuff grab release fix (current)
Doctor Mario vs. Shulk (current and upcoming)
Wario's Forward Smash, the shoulder bash, with Smash 4 polish (upcoming)