Jigglypuff, Yoshi, and a solo Ice Climber benefit from the tactic since their up special moves do not give any recovery distance, and in the cases of Jigglypuff and the solo Ice Climber, the air dodge gives more vertical distance than their side specials. While angled recoveries do not provide more height or distance than standard recovery options, they still see use by multiple characters in the cast. If the character is too far away, however, they will fall and self-destruct. This can also be pulled off at far distances only if they're at a very high altitude. The angled recovery is effective when the character's second jump isn't enough to make it back to the stage, but is close enough for where an air dodge will cover the remaining recovery distance. The angled recovery has less lag time compared to a character's normal recovery, and it can't be negated as easily due to the intangibility it grants, but it generally doesn't go as far as a character's usual recovery move. In order to perform an angled recovery, the player must hold the control stick up diagonally and air dodge. An angled recovery is useful when a player gets knocked off a stage that has multiple platforms, such as Temple.
Real time animation of Mario air dodging in Melee.Īn angled recovery is the opposite of wavedashing, since the player angles the control stick up. While air dodging, pressing the attack button while holding the shield button also allows the player to grab any nearby items, as well as use grab aerials with characters that have one: this is known as air dodge grabbing.Īir dodging into the ground is known as wavelanding, which is the primary component of the wavedash. Furthermore, most up specials outreach the air dodge, making it more beneficial for getting back to the stage quickly from a short distance.Īfter air dodging, characters enter a helpless state and fall to the ground. This boost can aid one's recovery, though characters cannot grab ledges until the air dodge's animation ends. The air dodge halts the character's momentum if the control stick is not tilted, it leaves the character hovering in place for most of its duration, and if the control stick is tilted, it gives the character a small boost in the chosen direction.
Air dodges cannot be done if the character is tumbling or reeling. In Melee, an air dodge is performed by fully pressing the L or R button while in the air. Fox air dodges to avoid Samus's Charge Shot in Melee.