Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Ganondorf can still erase stocks off a single correct read with nair, fair, tilts, smash attacks, or specials, so Snake loses badly if he treats explosive setups as permission to brawl point-blank without structure.
But Ganondorf’s ground speed, landing, and recovery are all weak enough that grenades, C4, and up smash force him to take the long route in neutral, and that route gives Snake repeated chances to tag the body with jab, dash attack, grab, or back air.
As the table shows, jab is punishable by OOS dair (6f), while forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, neutral B (1), and down B (1)(2) all give Snake grab, back air, or up smash windows. Fair, up air, and down air are also stable OOS dair punishes, so simply taking the guaranteed answer already widens the matchup.
The win condition is to avoid forcing center-stage kills, keep pushing Ganondorf toward ledge with explosives and safe body hits, then finish with Nikita, C4, up smash, or ledge back air while covering his predictable recovery and landing routes. Pre-covering the route is more reliable than chasing deep.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Snake OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab | 7 | -8 |
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| Forward Tilt | 10 | -17/-16 |
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| Up Tilt | 60 | -14 |
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| Down Tilt | 10 | -12 |
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| Dash Attack | 10 | -13/-11 |
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| Forward Smash | 29 | -24 |
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| Up Smash | 20 | -25 |
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| Down Smash | 15/35 | -39/-13 |
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| Neutral Air | 7/17 | (-7/-7)(-5/-6) |
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| Forward Air | 14 | -7/-7 |
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| Back Air | 10 | -4/-5 |
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| Up Air | 8 | -6/-6/-6/-7/-7/-8 |
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| Down Air | 16 | -9/-10 |
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| Neutral B (1) | 70/80 | -20/-14 |
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| Neutral B (2) | 70/80 | -14/-12 |
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| Side B (1) | 16 | — | ||
| Side B (2) | 16 | — | ||
| Side B (3) | — | — | ||
| Up B | 14 | — | ||
| Down B (1) | 16 | -29 |
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| Down B (2) | 16 | -34 |
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| Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use grenades, C4, and up smash to slow Ganondorf down, then actually hit the body with jab, dash attack, grab, or back air once the explosive setup freezes him.
- Punish jab with OOS dair (6f). Punish forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, neutral B (1), and down B (1)(2) with grab, back air, and up smash when spacing allows.
- Do not miss the simple OOS dair punishes on fair, up air, and down air. Small guaranteed damage matters because Ganondorf’s openings are so explosive.
- Finish stocks mainly at ledge with Nikita, C4, up smash, and back air instead of forcing a direct center-stage slugfest.
- Keep your own explosive placement in mind. The matchup gets worse the moment your setup traps Snake as much as it traps Ganondorf.
Actions to Avoid
- Treating explosive coverage as a reason to run directly into Ganondorf’s close-range read game.
- Blocking a huge move and then failing to take the guaranteed punish, which leaves only the raw power difference on the table.
- Chasing too far offstage for a kill and giving Ganondorf a chance to reverse the position with up B or air dodge.
- Forgetting where your own grenade or C4 sits and getting your movement pinched by your own setup before Ganondorf swings.