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Hello again everyone!

Recently we talked about a slew of new items, Pokémon and Assist Trophy that will be joining the content line-up of the next update. Today, we’re going to take a quick look at one of the characters in the current roster of playable fighters, Tails, and what you can expect from him in the newest update .

Joining me today is Refurin, who was at the head of the work done for Tails in this update:

Hey there. This has been a long time coming for me, and I’m pretty excited to finally be able to share some of the work that’s been done to solidify our vision for Tails.

One of the major goals of these updates aim to solve an issue that came up with the current iteration of Tails’ design during patches – the tools that were key to his aerial prowess showed that they could equally be used to play a non-interactive game of chase.

We’ve already released some smaller changes to mitigate that, but it was clear that more than just tweaks to numbers would be needed to get Tails where he needed to be, so we took this opportunity to set a foundation that should stand the test of time – and balance patches.

Now let’s kick things off with what is probably the most important change of the bunch, replacing Remote Robot as his new Up Special, Fly!

Those who’ve played as Tails in Sonic’s 2D platformer outings will be right at home with how to use this new move – press the special button repeatedly to gain height, stop pressing to descend.

It can cover a lot of distance before he tires out, so he can go far off-stage and still return safely, making him feel much more like the capable flying fox you all know and love.

But be careful when you choose to take off! You can’t end your flight without grabbing a ledge or touching the ground, and those tails won’t hit opponents, so you’re a sitting duck if you don’t have clear airspace!

You might be wondering, with the new Up Special… What of his midair jumps? They’ve returned to 3 instead of 5, and there is no longer a landing lag penalty for using them.

With some of his available air time shifted back from his midair jumps to his Up Special, he should no longer be able to stall in the air as oppressively as in the past, while still feeling mobile when he needs to be.

Moving on, you may have already caught a tease of this new move a while ago if you follow our socials – Tails’ new Down Throw has him vault off of the opponent and slam them into the ground with his twin tails.

This puts the opponent into a tech situation, and you’ll find all manner of options for follow-ups from this move, so it’s one to keep your eye on!

Tails’ Side Special has received a few changes, along with some visual flair reminiscent of the Thundershoot from Sonic Heroes!

His flight once he grabs an opponent can no longer be controlled, he will always fly ahead a short distance before kicking them away. It also has considerably more power than before, making it a serious threat if you catch somebody off-stage.

Be careful though, if you miss your target, you’ll be the one drifting helplessly into the blast zone!

Tails’ Down Special, Spindash, has received quite a few functional changes,  and presents more opportunities to chain attacks together, leaving opponents closer after contact and bouncing in the air.

Don’t throw caution to the wind when you’re zipping around, though – if you run into someone’s shield you’ll bounce right off and be left open for a punish! Mix up your timing by charging, or maybe chase them down after a tech.

But don’t think you’re safe to just sit there in your shield either! All that speed could be enough to leave a mark… If he’s revving up to full speed, you might want to get out of the way.

How about some Triple Trouble? Let’s show off some changes to all 3 of Tails’ Smash Attacks.

First off – in his new Forward Smash, Tails stores up energy in his tails like a spring, and then launches himself forward with a leaping kick! This move is strongest when it hits near the start of the attack, and can travel a short distance off of the ground.

Next up, sweep your troubles away with Tails’ new Down Smash! While not especially powerful on its own, its swiftness and range may catch your opponents off guard.

Lastly, Tails’ Up Smash can now be slightly angled. Otherwise it’s mostly visual updates for this one. But he’s clearly still happy to be here!

It’s almost time to start wrapping things up, so let’s end things off with a quick lightning round.

Sporting an updated Jab Combo, a mechanic’s always gotta have his wrench handy!

This new Neutral Air is really putting those tails to work!

And finally a new Up Air ready to swat anyone out of his airspace.

There are also a lot of smaller nitty-gritty changes that come together to form the full picture – such as a subtle shift away from immediate bursts of speed and more of a focus on the range of attacks to poke or maintain space – intended to make Tails feel a little more careful and measured compared to the explosive, confident energy of Sonic.

But you’ll have to feel many of those out when you get your hands on them. We hope you’ll enjoy where Tails has landed! Until next time!