Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Isabelle wants to block Dr. Mario’s Jab 1-3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Air, Neutral B, Side B, and Down B, then answer with OOS Nair (8f), OOS Uair (9f), Up Smash (9f), or Grab (10f) to stop Dr. Mario’s close-range damage from snowballing.
Dr. Mario is terrifying once he gets in with aerials and Up B confirms, but his mobility and recovery range are both limited, so Isabelle gains a lot when Lloid Trap, Fair, Bair, and Fishing Rod are already blocking the obvious lane in front of him.
The table shows punish windows on Dr. Mario’s jab string, tilts, Dash Attack, smash attacks, Side B, and Down B, which means Isabelle should usually cash out once, push him back out, and rebuild the midrange trap instead of brawling again.
For kills, Isabelle should not force raw smash attacks and should instead walk Dr. Mario to the ledge, scatter the getup options with Lloid Trap and Fishing Rod, and keep hitting the short Up B route with Fair, Bair, and Rod coverage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Isabelle OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 2 | -13 |
|
|
| Jab 2 | 2 | -16 |
| |
| Jab 3 | 3 | -25 |
| |
| Forward Tilt | 5 | -12 |
|
|
| Up Tilt | 5 | -17 |
| |
| Down Tilt | 5 | -14/-16 |
|
|
| Dash Attack | 6 | -12 |
|
|
| Forward Smash | 15 | -18/-20 |
| |
| Up Smash | 9 | -19 |
| |
| Down Smash | 5/14 | -30/-19 |
| |
| Neutral Air | 3 | -4/-3 |
| |
| Forward Air | 16 | -11/-12 |
|
|
| Back Air | 6 | -5/-6 |
|
|
| Up Air | 4 | -4 |
| |
| Down Air | 14 | -8 |
|
|
| Neutral B | 17 | -23 |
| |
| Side B | 12 | -15 |
|
|
| Up B | 3 | — | ||
| Down B | 10/14/18/22/26/30/40 | -30 |
| |
| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 9 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 10 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- After Isabelle blocks Dr. Mario’s Jab 1-3, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, Forward Air, Neutral B, Side B, or Down B, punish immediately with the reachable option from OOS Nair (8f), OOS Uair (9f), Up Smash (9f), and Grab (10f).
- Stay out of long point-blank scrambles and block Dr. Mario’s approach lanes first with Lloid Trap, Fair, Bair, and Fishing Rod.
- Once Dr. Mario is at the ledge, place Lloid Trap and Fishing Rod before swinging, then pressure the short recovery path with Fair and Bair.
- Pocket capsules when the timing is clean, and use the position advantage after Pocket to force Dr. Mario himself to move first.
Actions to Avoid
- Letting Dr. Mario drag Isabelle into repeated close-range trades before the trap space is set up.
- Throwing out Lloid Trap or Fishing Rod carelessly and feeding Dr. Mario a shield punish into Tornado or Forward Smash.
- Guarding only the ledge top and giving Dr. Mario a free Up B route back to stage.
- Panicking for the stock with raw smash swings and opening the door for Dr. Mario’s close-range reversal or Up B out of shield.