Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup is about whether Joker can avoid being pinned down by Pikmin toss and disjointed pokes, then use Gun, Eiha, and movement to force Olimar himself to move first. Olimar builds a lot of value through purple and white Pikmin chip into Up Smash or Up Air, so the longer Joker accepts a static front-facing midrange, the more small losses add up.
The frame table shows that Jab 1, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, and Neutral Air are all punishable by OOS Uair (8f), Grab (10f), OOS Fair (10f), OOS Bair (10f), or Up Smash (10f). Joker wants to stop those close-range checks on shield, then immediately turn the punish into Fair, Bair, or Grab pressure that keeps touching Olimar’s weaker defense and pushes the stage line back.
At the same time, Jab 2 only loses to OOS Uair, and purple Pikmin Side B at -6 is not something Joker can reliably swing on. Instead of trying to answer every toss in place, Joker gets more from using Gun to interrupt jumps and landings, Eiha to tax defense, and walk or dash to keep pushing until Olimar is the one forced to retreat.
The win condition is not to rush a center-stage kill, but to keep stage control once Joker reaches Olimar and carry that pressure into Arsene time. Base Joker should value repeated touches, landing traps, and ledge control, then use Arsene Bair, Up Smash, and offstage Gun pressure to cash out once Olimar’s light weight and narrower recovery routes are exposed.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Joker OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -11/-10 |
| |
| Jab 2 | 4 | -9/-8 |
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| Forward Tilt | 15 | -10 |
| |
| Up Tilt | 6/8/10/12/14/16 | -17 |
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| Down Tilt | 6 | -17 |
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| Dash Attack | 8/11 | -21 |
| |
| Forward Smash | 11 | — | ||
| Up Smash | 12 | — | ||
| Down Smash | 10 | — | ||
| Neutral Air | 7/11/15/19/23 | -11/-11 |
| |
| Forward Air | 7 | — | ||
| Back Air | 10 | — | ||
| Up Air | 8 | — | ||
| Down Air | 9 | — | ||
| Neutral B | — | — | ||
| Side B | 9 | Purple: -6 |
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| Up B | — | — | ||
| Down B | 2 (Start of Super Armor) | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not let Pikmin toss freeze your movement. Use Gun, Eiha, walking, and dashing to force Olimar himself to move first.
- After blocking Jab 1, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, or Neutral Air, punish with OOS Uair (8f), Grab (10f), OOS Fair (10f), OOS Bair (10f), or Up Smash (10f).
- Against Jab 2 and purple Pikmin Side B, do not force in-place retaliation. Keep the positional advantage and take the next landing instead.
- Once you reach Olimar, keep the pressure on with Fair, Bair, Grab, landing traps, and ledge carry rather than resetting to neutral.
- Finish stocks more often through Arsene Bair, Up Smash, and offstage Gun pressure than through rushed center-stage hard reads.
Actions to Avoid
- Locking yourself into shield for too long and giving white and purple Pikmin extra chip damage for free.
- Swinging after every purple Pikmin Side B or Jab 2 and getting counter-poked immediately.
- Missing punish windows on Jab 1, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, or Neutral Air and losing the chance to reach Olimar himself.
- Waiting only for Arsene while the center-stage poke war keeps feeding Olimar’s Up Smash and Up Air routes.
- Throwing away ledge and landing pressure with a careless deep chase once Olimar has already been cornered.