Incineroar Matchup (Mr. Game & Watch)

Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)

Once Incineroar reaches point-blank range, nair, grabs, Side B, and Revenge-weighted guesses all convert Mr. Game & Watch’s light weight into very early kills. Shielding too close becomes especially dangerous because Side B ignores shield entirely, and one buffed hit after Revenge can end the stock much earlier than normal.
The matchup is still playable on paper because Incineroar walks and dashes slowly, has a large body, and recovers on a fairly linear route. Mr. Game & Watch can slow the advance with Fair bomb, Uair, and retreating movement, then convert the first launch into juggle pressure and ledgetraps. The frame table also shows that Jab 1-3, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, dair, Neutral B, and Up B are all punishable first by Up B (3f), with Grab (10f) and OOS Nair (10f) available behind it.
That does not mean the close-range game should be solved by shield alone. Nair, fair, bair, and uair stay mostly safe on shield, and Side B is dangerous precisely because thinking of it as a shield interaction is already too late. When the punish is not guaranteed, it is more stable to hold stage, track Incineroar’s landing, and force him toward the ledge instead of mashing back. When Revenge is active, do not immediately feed him another aerial or Chef hit; use grabs, delay, and corner pressure to let the buff expire before re-engaging.
The reliable kill path is corner pressure rather than center-stage brawling. Force out jump and airdodge with Uair, then keep looping Chef, Down Smash, Back Air, and Up Smash at the ledge. Cross Chop has strong coverage and can create ugly trade or stage-spike situations, so resetting the ledge trap is usually safer than chasing deep offstage every time.

Full Move Frame Quick Reference

Win Condition Checklist

• Use Fair bomb, Uair, and retreating movement to make Incineroar walk or jump first, instead of letting the game settle into long point-blank scrambles where Side B reaches.
• After shielding Jab 1-3, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, dair, Neutral B, or Up B, take the turn immediately with Up B (3f), then extend with Grab (10f) or OOS Nair (10f) when spacing allows.
• After shielding nair, fair, bair, or uair, do not force a punish that is not there; track the landing and corner carry instead of giving Incineroar a scramble reset.
• Once Revenge is active, stop feeding immediate Chef or aerial hits into it. Use grabs, patience, and ledge pressure to burn the timer before taking the next clean opening.
• At kill percent, value Chef, Down Smash, Back Air, and Up Smash around the ledge over deep edgeguard chases, and punish the landing after Cross Chop instead of gambling into its strongest hitboxes.

Actions to Avoid

• Holding shield for too long at close range and voluntarily stepping into the exact Side B and grab mix that Incineroar wants.
• Seeing Revenge and still layering Fair bomb, Chef, or aerials directly into it, then losing a stock to the powered-up next hit.
• Trying to swing out of shield after every nair, fair, bair, or uair and giving Incineroar free landing scrambles or position reversals.
• Chasing too deep offstage every time Incineroar is sent out and walking into Cross Chop’s strongest coverage or a trade that ruins your own stock lead.