For players looking to adapt, here’s a weekly drill routine:
Week 1 – Shadow Awareness
Go to Training Mode on Battlefield. Turn on “Show Depth Grid” (new option under Stage Hacks). Practice short hop fast falls while keeping your shadow centered on the stage’s middle line.
Week 2 – Depth Parrying
Set a CPU Kazuya to repeat EWGF. Parry not by timing alone, but by walking slightly in/out of the foreground. A successful depth parry makes a distinct “chime” sound. Dairantou Smash Brothers- DLC Update 1.1.7 3D...
Week 3 – Ledge Depth Wars
With two friends, practice ledge trumping. The new rule: The character with the shallowest Z-depth (closest to camera) wins the ledge if grab frames tie. Use rolls to manipulate your depth before grabbing.
Week 4 – Projectile Depth Faking
Play as Samus. Fire a Charge Shot at center depth, then immediately roll forward (changing your Z-depth to background) and fire a second uncharged shot. Opponents will instinctively dodge the first shot’s depth plane, leaving them open to the second. For players looking to adapt, here’s a weekly
Within weeks of Update 1.1.7 3D, top players like MkLeo, Sparg0, and acola began incorporating “depth reads” into their gameplay. Competitive analysis now includes a new stat: Z-axis occupancy time.
At the Kagaribi 11 supermajor, the first tournament run entirely on 1.1.7 3D, Grand Finals featured a Min Min (Zackray) vs. Olimar (Shuton) matchup where both players constantly adjusted jump arcs to manipulate their shadow’s depth marker. Shuton’s winning play involved a purple Pikmin throw that tracked depth—hitting Zackray’s Min Min during a foreground roll that would have avoided any pre-1.1.7 attack. Final Smash: Tempest Overdrive — large multi-hit whirlwind
Commentators now use phrases like “deep-side tech chase” and “Z-back air” as standard terminology. The training mode’s new “Depth Display” overlay (unlocked by holding L+R+Start on the stage select screen) shows a live numerical Z-value for each fighter.
New Stages
New Mii Costume