Crawling: Difference between revisions

{{ArticleIcons|brawl=y|ssb4=y|ultimate=y}}

[[File:SSBUWebsiteZeroSuitSamus5.jpg|200px|thumb|{{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} and {{SSBU|Snake}} crawling in ''Ultimate''.]]

'''Crawling''' (also known as '''crouch walking''') is a [[fighter ability|technique]] introduced in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''. While [[crouching]], certain characters can move while staying low to the ground, allowing them to potentially avoid some attacks or [[projectile]]s. In ''Brawl'', crawling characters only have access to [[down tilt]] and [[Down special move|down special]] as immediate offensive options, but subsequent entries in the series allow any regular grounded option to be used out of a crawl immediately, greatly expanding the technique's utility.  

The usefulness of crawling primarily depends on how low the character's crouch is. For example, [[Snake]] has a very low crouch that significantly reduces his height, making his crawl highly effective for dodging projectiles and attacks with high hitboxes, while {{SSBU|Steve}} has a much higher posture while crouching that barely even lowers his height let alone his hurtbox, rendering it almost useless to dodge such attacks. While most characters can change the direction they face while crawling, all crawling characters can crawl backwards.

Crawling is not often used in competitive matches, as other methods of [[approach]] tend to be more practical. The exception to this are characters with very low crawls (such as the aforementioned Snake) in certain [[matchup]]s, as their low crawl allows them to approach while being unable to be hit by opposing projectiles, such as [[Falco]]'s {{b|Blaster|Falco}}.

The majority of characters, including the [[Final Smash]] transformations {{b|Giga Bowser|Final Smash}} and [[Wario-Man]], have a forward crawl speed of 0.7 and a backward crawl speed of 0.5 with a few exceptions.

**{{CharHead|Wario|SSBU}}'s forward and backward crawl speeds are both 0.83.

**{{CharHead|Wii Fit Trainer|SSBU}}, {{CharHead|Simon|SSBU}}, {{CharHead|Richter|SSBU}}, and {{CharHead|Sora|SSBU}} all have a forward crawl speed of 0.4 and a backward crawl speed of 0.3.

**{{CharHead|Steve|SSBU}}'s forward and backward crawl speeds are both 0.3.

|style="text-align:left"|[[Inkling]]

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|style="text-align:left"|[[Zero Suit Samus]]

Crawl-sliding is a [[technique]] in ''[[Brawl]]'' which allows the player to slide across the ground backwards for a short period of time. This was first discovered by [[SmashBoards]] member lilscrappy561, who attempted to [[moonwalk]] as in ''[[Melee]]'' by just [[walking]] instead of [[dashing]]. If done with a [[Bunny Hood]], a character will slide even further, as if they [[wavedash]]ed. This can only be done with characters that can crawl.  

===Performing the crawl slide===

To do this, the player must tilt the [[control stick]] or [[d-pad]] so the character will walk. Once the character is walking, the player must then make a half circle in the opposite direction and let go of the analog stick or pad. The character will slide for a short distance unless they are wearing a Bunny Hood, in which case they will go further. It is easiest to do this with {{SSBB|Luigi}}.

===Application===

Crawl sliding is most often used as a double-[[cross-up]], used more by characters with short jumps. For example, {{SSBB|Bowser}} can crawl-slide behind an opponent who is in front of him while charging his forward smash, so less time is spent vulnerable.

===Video===

{{#widget:YouTube|id=HttB-BUcEGE}}

==Pseudo-crawling==

[[File:Slide Cloud SSBU.gif|thumb|Cloud using his down tilt, Slide in ''Ultimate'']]

Some characters have [[down tilt]]s that move them forward, causing them to pseudo-crawl, but the usefulness of this is questionable depending on the down tilt. There are two different types of pseudo-crawls: a full pseudo-crawl and a semi pseudo-crawl.

 

A full pseudo-crawl involves down tilts which deliberately move the user a considerable distance forward. They solely move the user forward and they do not return them to their original position after the down tilt. These moves often have a good amount of range making them solid whiff punishers however, they can leave the user vulnerable for a punish if the down tilt is blocked or if their opponent is a long distance in front of them.

 

 

*[[King Dedede]] {{GameIcon|SSB4}}{{GameIcon|SSBU}}

*[[Kazuya]]: Tombstone Crusher (forward crouching attack)

*[[Min Min]]

*[[Olimar]]

*[[Pac-Man]] {{GameIcon|SSB4}}

*[[Sonic]] {{GameIcon|SSBB}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}

*[[Zero Suit Samus]] {{GameIcon|SSB4}}

 

A semi pseudo-crawl involves down tilts which initially move the user forward but then move the user back to where they started, although they can use multiple down tilts to continue inching forward. A down tilt needs two things to semi-pseudo crawl:

 

*It grants forward momentum at the start of the animation.

*It has [[interruptibility]] frames. (Some down tilts such as {{SSBB|Captain Falcon}}'s down tilt in ''Brawl'' have the forward momentum needed but lack interruptibility frames, meaning that they cannot be used to pseudo-crawl under normal circumstances.)

 

Semi pseudo-crawls do not have the range of full pseudo-crawls but they are beneficial overall as they have more range than most down tilts yet the user moves backwards if they decide to not use another down tilt. This gives them much greater spacing potential than a full pseudo-crawl and makes them harder to punish on shield and overall giving them more utility. If continuous down tilts are used, this further increases their reach and can allow the down tilt to continuously chain into itself or lead into other moves depending on the down tilt (with {{SSBB|Meta Knight}} being one of the most prominent examples of this). Some semi pseudo-crawls also have a strange property where if they are interrupted at the right time, they will give the user a decent amount of backwards momentum sending them further back than where they started. Some examples of this include {{SSBB|Peach}}'s down tilt in ''Brawl'' and {{SSBU|Lucario}}'s down tilt in ''Ultimate''. This creates an additional movement option for the user, further increasing their utility.

 

Characters with a semi pseudo-crawl:

 

DiddyCrawl.png|Diddy Kong crawling forwards

ZSSCrawl.png|Zero Suit Samus crawling forwards

WarioCrawl.png|Wario crawling backwards

LuigiCrawling.png|Luigi crawling forwards

 

 

[[Category:Game controls]]