ChatGPT Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Pac Man is strongest at layered projectile pressure and stage-control traps, while Sonic is strongest at speedy movement, whiff punishing, and landing pressure.
Projectiles and setups can distort the opponent’s approach timing here, so the stable route is to force an entry, punish it, and convert into landing traps or ledge pressure.
The table shows reliable shield punishes on Dash Attack, Down Smash, Down B, Up Smash, and Jab 3, with Up B, OOS Nair, OOS Fair, and OOS Dair showing up most often as the clean ways to take the turn back.
Do not force shield punishes on the relatively safer choices like the main punishable buttons. It is usually better to read the landing or ledge route and punish the next action.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Pac Man OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 3 | -13 |
| |
| Jab 2 | 2 | -16 |
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| Jab 3 | 4 | -26 |
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| Forward Tilt | 6/8 | -20 |
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| Up Tilt | 6(7)/13 | -20 |
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| Down Tilt | 6 | -15 |
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| Dash Attack | 5 | -38 |
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| Forward Smash | 18 | -19 |
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| Up Smash | 14… | -29 |
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| Down Smash | 12 | -34 |
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| Neutral Air | 6 | -5/-6/-7 |
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| Forward Air | 5/7/9/11/13/15 | -14/-14 |
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| Back Air | 13 | -10/-11 |
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| Up Air | 5/14 | -11/-9 |
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| Down Air | 17 | -17/-18 |
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| Neutral B | 17—82 | -22 to -16 |
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| Side B | 17 | +6 (hop)+8 (grounded, no charge)+11 (grounded, full charge)+11 (aerial, any) |
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| Up B | 4 | -7 |
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| Down B | 15/17/19/21 | -33 |
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| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use projectiles and setups to slow the approach, then convert the delayed response into a whiff punish and landing trap.
- After blocking Dash Attack, Down Smash, Down B, Up Smash, and Jab 3, answer immediately with Up B, OOS Nair, OOS Fair, and OOS Dair so the opponent cannot keep the turn.
- Do not force immediate retaliation on the main punishable buttons; take the landing route, escape route, or ledge direction first.
- Finish stocks through repeated landing traps and ledge pressure instead of overcommitting to single hard reads in center stage.
Actions to Avoid
- Giving up your space-control leverage and turning the matchup into a raw scramble before those tools can matter.
- Swinging after every blocked the main punishable buttons and feeding the whiff punish or reset the opponent wants.
- Overchasing for the kill and giving up the positional lead you already earned.
- Accepting a heavy swing at the ledge and letting the opponent cash in on their highest-reward situation.