Hi all.
This is an excellent thread and I’ve learned loads from you all. Here are some tips from me. Some are pretty obvious, but there might be a couple in here that help:
Typhoon
As has already been mentioned, you can stop at the halfway point up the Conning Tower. I find this useful for two things. First, quickly repositioning myself before I make the final climb to the top. This can help avoid spectators who are lining up a fish. Second, it’s great if you’re low on stamina. Climb up halfway, run round the other side to force any spectators to re-aim, and then just wait for a few seconds so your stamina recharges. This way you’ll be able to reach the top in a much better state and your punches will really count.
You can also roll most of the way up to the halfway point of the Conning Tower. This has the benefit of quickly getting you over the yellow barrier near the bottom and can give you a head start over others. Run up to the yellow barrier at the bottom and hit the roll when you're around an animal's height away. If you get it right you'll finish the roll on your feet and can make it up a lot easier.
When climbing up the front of the Conning Tower, when you get to the top immediately somersault over the yellow bar where people often camp. You ‘re then in a much better position to turn around, knock out whoever’s camping there and then throw them off. It's a lot harder to throw someone off even if you knock them out from the front side of the Conning Tower, as the yellow bar is in the way.
Black Hole
It’s already been mentioned that bombs are really useful for those who always go for the chain. I often throw the bomb “upstream” of those camping out there. When the gravity kicks in, if I’ve timed it right, it’ll explode just as it passes them. Most players don’t spot that I’ve placed a bomb upstream as they’re looking for bombs dropped right next to the chain.
Wind Tunnel
As mentioned by someone else already, go for the opposite side of the barrier so you’re blown into it. However, don’t go right up to the barrier immediately as there’s more chance you’ll end up in a tussle with someone as the wind’s building and get thrown off. I often wait near the edge of the platform (so when I’m blown by the wind I’m blown towards the barrier), push against the wind for a bit and wait for players to assemble at the barrier, and then pile in at the last minute as you can then get them from behind. Yeah, I know that’s dirty!
Buzz Ball
We know that stamina, or lack of it, can be a problem when you’re making a run for the goal. Remember, you don’t need to be right at the goal mouth to score and can throw from a fair distance away. So, if you're low on stamina, you might be in a position to still score if you throw from farther away.
PASS! We play on teams, but in so many games I see there's zero teamwork. Everyone just runs after the ball and even those on the same team end up fighting or trying to grab the ball. If you have the ball and aren't in a position to score, pass it to another player. If you're the other player, instead of just piling in when you can see the rest of your team have already gone for the ball, watch what your teammates are doing and run ahead and be ready for the pass.
A bit obvious this one, but if there’s a big tussle for the ball, stand back - especially if it’s going to explode. As it’s getting ready to explode, position yourself out of range but close enough that you can get to it quickly. Avoiding the huge pile-in where everyone’s going for the ball can give you a clear run after it’s exploded and most have been knocked out.
Soccer
I'm awful at this level, but I've managed to save goals by immediately rolling back towards my own goal as soon as the whistle goes off. This is useful for catching those lucky kicks by the opposition that head straight towards your goal at the start.
Beat-Up Bridge
I always have trouble throwing players off the sides of the bridge. I’m not 100% sure on this yet and need to do more experimentation, but I think throwing them from nearer the centre of the bridge increases the chance of getting them over the ropes as you get more chance to do more of a swing.
Ichiban
A bit obvious, this one, but if you get knocked off and someone’s waiting for you to climb up, just climb up enough to get you out of the gas and hang there. Often what’ll happen is that they’ll get distracted by someone attacking them, allowing you to complete your climb and get back onto the platform.
General Tips
Another pretty obvious one that I’m sure will be news to no-one, but use ranged weapons against the nunchucks. The freeze gun and crossbows work particularly well.
Use emotes a lot as this helps build healthy competition and stops frustration. If I manage to knock someone off the map, I’ll often use a cheeky “Bye” emote. However, if they later get me, I’ll respond with a smile, crying, or even a "Bye" as I'm about to be thrown off. With many players this seems to result in “healthy vengeance” and the tit-for-tat that results can be a lot of fun.
On maps like Ichiban, stay near the centre of the map as much as possible. I try and avoid the edges unless I feel like I’ve got some kind of advantage, as if you get knocked out near the edge you’ll be thrown off before you’ve woken up, and we all know how quickly you die in the gas.
Hope these help!