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A '''Spike''' is a type of attack in the ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' that sends the opponent downward until the hitstun wears off. A spike is not to be confused with a [[meteor smash]], which also sends the opponent downward, but the knockback of which can be cancelled before the hitstun wears off through meteor cancelling. | A '''Spike''' is a type of attack in the ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' that sends the opponent downward until the hitstun wears off. A spike is not to be confused with a [[meteor smash]], which also sends the opponent downward, but the knockback of which can be cancelled before the hitstun wears off through meteor cancelling. | ||
When referring to ''Super Smash Bros.'' and ''Brawl'', people often use the terms "spike" and "meteor smash" interchangeably, | When referring to the first ''Super Smash Bros.'' and to ''Brawl'', people often use the terms "spike" and "meteor smash" interchangeably. In the first ''Smash Bros.'' meteor cancelling does not exist, and thus all downwards-hitting attacks are "spikes" by the ''Melee'' definition. In ''Brawl'' the reverse is true: all downwards-hitting attacks can be meteor canceled, and thus true "spikes" by the ''Melee'' definition do not exist (with rare exceptions; see below). | ||
==Technical information== | ==Technical information== | ||
[[Image:MeteorSmashRange.png|thumb|Attacks with angles outside of this range are not recognized as meteor smashes, and are therefore spikes.]] | [[Image:MeteorSmashRange.png|thumb|Attacks with angles outside of this range are not recognized as meteor smashes, and are therefore spikes.]] | ||
In ''Melee'', hitboxes that send opponents at an angle between 260 and 280 degrees are | In ''Melee'', hitboxes that send opponents at an angle between 260 and 280 degrees are recognized by the game as meteor smashes. However, there exist some hitboxes that send opponents downward, but at a diagonal trajectory outside this angle window. As a result, the game does not recognize them as meteor smashes, and are thus unable to be meteor cancelled. In ''Brawl'', the angle window for what the game recognizes as meteor smashes was increased to being between 230 and 310 degrees, enough so to cover the downward diagonal trajectory the spikes in ''Melee'' had. As a result, the spiking hitboxes in ''Melee'' that retained their trajectories are recognized as meteor smashes in ''Brawl'', and are capable of being meteor cancelled. | ||
==Game application== | ==Game application== | ||
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==Spikes in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''== | ==Spikes in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''== | ||
It is technically possible for spikes to exist in unmodified ''Brawl''; the increased meteor smash angle window does not include all downward angles. | It is technically possible for spikes to exist in unmodified ''Brawl''; the increased meteor smash angle window does not include all downward angles (though most of the remaining angles are very shallow and are typically classified as [[Semi-spike]]s instead). Additionally, if the angle of a hitbox in ''Brawl'' is [[hacking|hacked]] to outside the standard 0-360 range of angles (for example, 630, which would equal a meteor smash angle of 270), the game will not recognize it as a meteor smash, and it will therefore act as a spike. | ||
There are a few [[boss]] hitboxes with angles in the -70 to -90 range, which while unconfirmed is very likely to not be detected as a meteor smash. Aside from these bosses, however, no known hitboxes in the game naturally have such angles, and there are no known hitboxes that hit opponents at an angle lower than what would be considered a [[semi-spike]], but above what the game would consider a meteor smash. As such, spikes are considered a removed element in ''Brawl''. | There are a few [[boss]] hitboxes with angles in the -70 to -90 range, which while unconfirmed is very likely to not be detected as a meteor smash. Aside from these bosses, however, no known hitboxes in the game naturally have such angles, and there are no known hitboxes that hit opponents at an angle lower than what would be considered a [[semi-spike]], but above what the game would consider a meteor smash. As such, spikes as they were defined in ''Melee'' are considered a removed element in ''Brawl''. | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 21:52, February 19, 2012
A Spike is a type of attack in the Super Smash Bros. Melee that sends the opponent downward until the hitstun wears off. A spike is not to be confused with a meteor smash, which also sends the opponent downward, but the knockback of which can be cancelled before the hitstun wears off through meteor cancelling.
When referring to the first Super Smash Bros. and to Brawl, people often use the terms "spike" and "meteor smash" interchangeably. In the first Smash Bros. meteor cancelling does not exist, and thus all downwards-hitting attacks are "spikes" by the Melee definition. In Brawl the reverse is true: all downwards-hitting attacks can be meteor canceled, and thus true "spikes" by the Melee definition do not exist (with rare exceptions; see below).
Technical information
In Melee, hitboxes that send opponents at an angle between 260 and 280 degrees are recognized by the game as meteor smashes. However, there exist some hitboxes that send opponents downward, but at a diagonal trajectory outside this angle window. As a result, the game does not recognize them as meteor smashes, and are thus unable to be meteor cancelled. In Brawl, the angle window for what the game recognizes as meteor smashes was increased to being between 230 and 310 degrees, enough so to cover the downward diagonal trajectory the spikes in Melee had. As a result, the spiking hitboxes in Melee that retained their trajectories are recognized as meteor smashes in Brawl, and are capable of being meteor cancelled.
Game application
Spikes have the benefits of meteor smashes; knocking the opponent downward with gravity assisting the knockback. But they do so however, without the drawback of the opponent having the ability to completely negate the knockback with a jump or recovery move. As a result, spikes are extremely effective KO moves in edge guarding situations - recovering from even moderately powerful spikes is usually impossible above extremely low percents. Because of this, many smashers who main characters with practical spikes try to integrate spikes into play as often as possible.
List of spikes in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Only six characters are known to have true spikes:
- Captain Falcon - Down aerial; the so-called Nipple spike, as only the top hitbox of the three hitboxes of Falcon's down air is a spike. The two lower hitboxes meteor smash. While notoriously difficult to land, it is the most powerful spike in Melee.
- Falco - Down aerial; while the spike lasts for its entire duration in NTSC regions, only the first half of attack spikes in PAL regions.
- Fox - Down aerial; negligible due to its extremely weak, set knockback.
- Ganondorf - Down special, Wizard's Foot, the entirety of its hitbox duration when used in the air.
- Marth - Down aerial when tipped; its angle was adjusted in PAL regions to a meteor smash angle, thus being a meteor smash in PAL regions.
- Roy - Up Smash; only works if an airborne opponent is hit with the tip of the sword.
In addition, Dr. Mario's up smash contains a spike, though it only hits grounded opponents. Some of Master Hand's hitboxes have also been revealed to have spiking hitboxes via hacking, though it is currently unclear which attacks the hitboxes match up with.
Spikes in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
It is technically possible for spikes to exist in unmodified Brawl; the increased meteor smash angle window does not include all downward angles (though most of the remaining angles are very shallow and are typically classified as Semi-spikes instead). Additionally, if the angle of a hitbox in Brawl is hacked to outside the standard 0-360 range of angles (for example, 630, which would equal a meteor smash angle of 270), the game will not recognize it as a meteor smash, and it will therefore act as a spike.
There are a few boss hitboxes with angles in the -70 to -90 range, which while unconfirmed is very likely to not be detected as a meteor smash. Aside from these bosses, however, no known hitboxes in the game naturally have such angles, and there are no known hitboxes that hit opponents at an angle lower than what would be considered a semi-spike, but above what the game would consider a meteor smash. As such, spikes as they were defined in Melee are considered a removed element in Brawl.
See also
- Meteor smash - an attack that deals downward knockback but that can be recovered from through meteor cancelling.
- Semi-spike - an attack that hits the opponent at a low horizontal angle that hinders recovery opportunities.
- Stage spike - a spike performed by bouncing an opponent off an angled part of a stage to send them downward.
