Alright, so last week I totally got wrecked online playing Mario against this guy. Like, seriously destroyed. Every time he landed, it looked crazy smooth and he zoomed off immediately. My landings? Slower than a turtle stuck in molasses. Finally asked him after the match, “Bro, how are you doing that instant landing thing?” He just said “Learn Mario settles, noob.” Cool. Helpful. Thanks.
The Frustrating Beginning
Obviously, I didn’t know squat about what a “settle” even was. Googled it. Turns out it’s basically how Mario lands his special moves super quick to act fast afterwards. Sounds simple, right? Hah. Nope.
Hopped into training mode. First try: Did my Fireball and just slammed DOWN. Mario did his butt-stomp thing. Annoyingly slow. Tried again. Same thing. Got frustrated and just mashed buttons. Waste of time.
Checked online. Found old forum posts filled with weird terminology. Noped out fast. Needed basics.
Breaking Down The Mess
Stumbled onto a video. Guy explained the “landing” part matters most. Lightbulb moment kinda happened. Started messing around:
- Step 1: Forget Fancy Moves First
Just jumped on a platform normally. Landed. Clunky.
- Step 2: The “Landing Lag Cancel” Part
Realized it’s about when you land during a move. Tried doing a simple Fireball right before hitting the ground. Whiffed. Got stomp again. - Step 3: Timing is EVERYTHING
Kept trying. Jumped, Fireball… too high? Still got the landing lag. Too low? Missed the input completely. Felt like timing a joke nobody laughs at. - Step 4: The “Auto Cancel” Window Magic
Finally hit it once! Saw Mario land almost without slowing down. Huge difference! Finally felt it. Realized the sweet spot is super low to the ground. Like, butt-stomp low, but without actually triggering it. - Step 5: Practice & Stop Stomping Yourself
Focused only on nailing the low Fireball landings. Kept messing up and stomping by accident. Told myself “Down later, way later.” Spent maybe 15 minutes just grinding landing after landing. Slowly started feeling consistent.
Putting It Into Play (Painfully)
Took it online. Big mistake. Saw someone rushing in. Panicked. Jumped and immediately mashed DOWN. Stomped right onto the stage. Got comboed to oblivion. Felt like an idiot.
Back to training. Learned the hard way: Never mash DOWN for the settle. It forces the stomp. You gotta time the attack input near landing, but avoid slamming DOWN unless you want the stomp.
Got into a rhythm:
- Jump toward opponent.
- Drop fast.
- Input Fireball just before Mario’s feet touch.
Started working! Landed the Fireball and could shield or jab instantly after. Felt AMAZING.
What It Feels Like Now
Honestly? It’s a game-changer. My Mario feels so much faster and smoother. Recovering feels safer ’cause I can actually do stuff after landing an aerial. Offensive pressure is way better too.
But here’s the real tea:
- It ain’t truly easy. That timing window is tight! My hands kept cramping.
- Consistency sucks at first. Don’t expect online glory immediately.
- Be patient. Waste hours just practicing the landing before trying combos.
- Stop holding DOWN. Seriously. Stop it.
Still mess it up sometimes, especially under pressure. That panic stomp reflex is hard to kill! But damn, when it clicks? Feels like playing a whole different, much cooler character. Worth the grind and the broken controllers. Mostly.
