Short hop fast fall L-cancel
The short hop fast fall L-cancel, commonly abbreviated as "SHFFL" (pronounced like the word "shuffle"), is a combination of advanced techniques that, for most characters, results in the quickest and least laggy way to jump and perform an aerial from the ground in Super Smash Bros. Melee. A SHFFL, per its name, comprises a short hop, a fast-fall and an L-cancel, and an aerial attack that occurs while the user is in mid-air.
When teaching advanced techniques to new players, higher-leveled smashers often emphasize the importance of SHFFLing because the technique reflects a mastery of several important advanced techniques. SHFFLing is highly useful in battle and in competitive play because its speed allows players to use aerial attacks in tandem with ground moves.
Chronological button input:
The last one can be skipped for certain aerials if the aerial is performed very early and has reached its Auto-cancel frames or ended completely upon landing. A player can go to training mode with Marth and set the speed to 1/2 or 1/4. Do a short hop and, as fast as possible, a neutral aerial (or forward aerial). Fast fall it and L-cancel it. Repeat it without the L-cancel. The player will notice that both variations will take the same time. The landing animation looks just as if the player hadn't performed an attack instead of the usual dusty clouds that appear on most aerials' landing lag. Performing the aerial early enough to skip step 4 is simply described as "early SHFFL" or "Autocancel aerial", for example "AC Nair" with Marth.
Outside of Melee
- SHFFLing is impossible in the original Super Smash Bros. in its true sense. The player cannot fast fall during the vertical ascension of a short hop, so this technique has little to no use. Short hop aerials (without fast fall) are generally favored. However, characters such as Captain Falcon can execute a short hop aerial with a relatively delayed fast-fall Z-cancel. Notably, the high amount of knockback in Smash 64 slightly compensates for this lag in mid-high damage levels, especially if the aggressor's main mode of attack is meteor smash aerials, which when used on grounded opponents causes reeling vertically, potentially lining up further aerial tactics.
- SHFFLing cannot be used in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, due to the absence of the L-cancel technique. However, it is possible to SHFF (short hop fast fall).
