[Rokrin]

SEC7: Maps: Where should you go?
Olimar’s choice of maps is interesting. On one hand almost anything above him is at an immediate disadvantage due to his U-tilt, U-smash, and U-air, so stages with platforms are good. At the same time, however, Olimar is a tiny character with not much weight to hold him down, so an opponent attacking from below would be crippling also. Edges are also crucial; any stages with trivial ledges that don’t always make contact for your recovery (Frigate, Rainbow Cruise, Brinstar, etc.) are bad.
Large stages with either many obstacles or a large frame can be appreciated, but running around after your opponent can be difficult work. Any place with a ceiling is good since Olimar seems to have an increased chance of being KO if knocked upward. Any stage with water should be avoided as well. This includes Pirate Ship, The Summit, and Delfino Plaza. Walk-off stages such as Green Hill Zone or Mario Kart will help in that there’s no need for the ghastly recovery, but Olimar can still be chain-grabbed or knocked away easily to the sides.
With all that said and done, here’s an approximate scale on which stages are best or worst, starting with the top being best and ending at the worst at the bottom:

Battlefield
Final Destination
Smashville
Lylat Cruise
Yoshi’s Island
Luigi’s Mansion
Corneria
Shadow Moses Island
Pokemon Stadium 1/Melee
Halberd
Green Hill Zone
Bridge of Eldin
Frigate Orpheon
Mushroomy Kingdom
Spear Pillar
Hanenbow
Flat Zone 2
Mario Bros.
Pokemon Stadium 2
New Pork City
Temple
Castle Siege
WarioWare
Port Town Aero Dive
Onett
Mario Circuit
Distant Planet
Jungle Japes
Pictochat
Green Greens
Yoshi’s Island (Melee)
Pirate Ship
Rumble Falls
75m
Skyworld
Big Blue
Norfair
Rainbow Cruise
Brinstar
The Summit
Delfino Plaza

SEC8: Matchups: Who pwns and who will be pwn’d?

This is how this penultimate section works: I will list the characters in alphabetical order, and next to that character’s name I will list a number between 0 and 5. The number selected is the approximate number of matches Olimar should win against his opponent on Final Destination, assuming both players are of equal skill. So if the number 5 were selected, that would mean Olimar should win 5 out of 5 matches—Olimar would be at a great advantage if an opponent were at a 5. Likewise, if the opponent were at a 0, the opponent would be the one with the huge advantage. Also note that a 2.5 rating is equal to an even match. In addition to the number and character I will provide brief detail about them.

BOWSER (4)
No contest, really. Bowser is incredibly slow so you should have no problem dealing with him. Spam Pikmin throw to keep him distracted, then rush in with some high-knockback attacks. Never be above Bowser, as many of his better attacks utilize vertical knockback, something Olimar needs to watch out for. Play near the edge and try to spike him down, or stay in the center to deal good damage.

CAPTAIN FALCON (5)
You have more range in almost everything you do when it comes to standstill attacks. Most of your attacks are quicker. You’re slower, and he’s stronger, but his priority and ending lag are humiliating and can easily be exploited. Use good, long-range attacks, grab and throw, air assault…show him your moves.

CHARIZARD (3)
Again, you have more range in many of your attacks. Many of its attacks have good damage and knockback, but they are also quite slow. Its glide is exploitable, but still be careful while it is in the air. Keep away from him and attack when he’s vulnerable. Your Red Pikmin will be especially useful in this fight—always have some Red in your disposal when facing Charizard.

DIDDY KONG (2.5)
One of Olimar’s funniest match-ups. Both of their recoveries are punishable, both have good ways to deal with both campers and camping themselves, and they also have similar attack speeds, with Diddy’s being slightly quicker and Olimar’s being slightly stronger and longer ranged. Watch out for his bananas and use longer range attacks. Grab, U-throw, and U-air is a good combo if you can hit it well. Entirely dependant on how you use each of your colors, how Diddy uses his momentum and bananas, and each player’s individual strategies.