Hitbox: Difference between revisions

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:''For the website, see [[hitbox.tv]].''

A '''hitbox''' or '''collision bubble''' (sometimes '''hitbubble''') is the main structure for how attacks are executed in most fighting games. Attacks have one or more hitboxes associated with them, and when these hitboxes overlap with a target's damageable area (often called their '''hurtbox''' or '''hurtbubbles'''), the attack is considered a hit. Hitboxes are invisible and usually, though not always, have the same shape as the attack's animation.

==Overview==

The two most common forms of hitbox shapes in video games are {{iw|wikipedia|cuboid}}s and spheres. Neither is obviously better than the other - cuboids can more easily form long or thin attacks or targets, while spheres are easier to calculate collision detection for. ''[[Smash 64]]'' uses cuboids whereas ''[[Melee]]'', ''[[Brawl]]'', ''[[Smash 4]]'', and ''[[Ultimate]]'' use spheres and sphere-like structures known as capsules (cylinders with spheres on the ends).

{{anchor|Disjointed hitboxes}}

Hitboxes that are separated from a character's hurtboxes are often called '''disjointed''', which is usually an advantage, as they can connect from a farther distance, while keeping the attacker safer from retaliation and reducing the likelihood of trading blows. Examples of disjointed hitboxes include most weapon-based attacks, and more infamously the [[up tilt]]s of {{SSB|Kirby}} in ''Smash 64'' and {{SSBB|Snake}} in ''Brawl'', as well as some of {{SSBU|Joker}}'s moves when using Arsene.

===Hitboxes in three dimensions===

It is a common misconception that, like in most other fighting games, hitboxes and hurtboxes only operate in two dimensions. In actuality, they interact in all three dimensions equally, even though the majority of gameplay elements are restricted to two-dimensional movement. As a result, ''Super Smash Bros.'' is more accurately described as a [[wikipedia:2.5D#3D games with a two-dimensional playing field|2.5D]] game.

Notable examples of unexpected behavior due to the 3D nature of hitboxes include:

When playing on a two-dimensional stage such as [[Flat Zone]], many of these quirks disappear, due to characters being almost completely flattened along the camera's axis. However, some new quirks can arise: if hitboxes are produced when an arcing attack is normally not yet in the playable plane, the flattening effect results in them being able to hit earlier than expected. For example, [[Charizard]]'s [[forward tilt]] in ''Smash 4'' can land its [[flame]] hitbox sooner than usual. It is also important to note that only the characters are flattened; their hitboxes and hurtboxes continue to operate as three-dimensional objects in a three-dimensional world, so maneuvers such as using the [[Dragoon]] are not affected.

==Hitbox types==

{|class="wikitable" align="center"

!Hitbox Type!![[Debug menu (SSBM)/DEVELOP mode|Debug mode]] Colour!!Explanation

*If the hitbox with a lower part is [[shield]]ed, but the higher part [[shield stab]]s, the entire move is shielded, but the higher part still produces its graphical and sound effects.

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|[[Angle]]||''Smash 64''||The hitbox's launch trajectory, coded in degrees. Usually a number from 0 to 360, and can rarely be negative numbers such as -90. Depending on the game, values from 361 to 368 are reserved for special angles, such as the [[Sakurai angle]] (the default angle for horizontal-launching moves) or [[autolink angle]].

|Size||''Smash 64''||The hitbox's radius in units of distance.

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|Y position||''Smash 64''||The hitbox's vertical displacement (in units of distance) relative to the bone it is attached to.  

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|Effect||''Smash 64''||The hitbox's effect on hit, such as [[normal]], [[slash]], [[flame]], or [[electric]], among others. Can also be none.

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|[[Rebound]]||''Melee''||If set, prevents a grounded move from being interrupted if the hitbox clangs with another, disregarding priority rules. This essentially has the same effect as the clang property did in ''Smash 64'', and is irrelevant if a hitbox cannot clang. In ''Ultimate'', this is merged with the clang property, which is set as "THRU" (rather than "ON" or "OFF") to determine that a hitbox can clang but not rebound.<br>In ''Brawl'' only, while this property is still present, it appears to be disabled altogether.

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|Trip chance||''Brawl''||The hitbox's bonus [[trip]] chance; for example, a value of 0.4 yields a 40% bonus trip chance. Can also be negative to disable the base trip chance, which is used for certain multi-hit moves such as {{SSBU|Roy}}'s up smash in ''Ultimate''.

|Hitlag multiplier||''Brawl''||Set to 1 by default. Modifies the duration of [[hitlag]] applied on impact to both the attacker (except for projectiles) and victim.

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|Type||''Brawl''||Determines what kind of [[sticker]]s ([[spirit]]s in ''Ultimate'') can power up the hitbox, such as [[arm]], [[leg]], [[body]], or [[weapon]], among others.

|Reflectiveness||''Smash 64''||Determines whether the hitbox can be [[reflect]]ed. Usually a [[projectile]].

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|[[Unblockable attack|Blockability]]||''Melee''||Determines whether the hitbox can be shielded. In ''Ultimate'', this property is merged with shield damage, which is listed as "no" if a hitbox is unblockable.

|Flinchless||''Melee''||If set, prevents the hitbox from inflicting hitstun or hitlag; any knockback coded for the hitbox instead pushes or pulls opponents, which is commonly referred to as a [[windbox]].

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|Rehit rate||''Melee''||If not 0, allows the hitbox to strike again after the specified amount of frames. Commonly used for multi-hit moves in later games.

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|Heedless||''Brawl''||If set, allows the hitbox to hit teammates even if [[team attack]] is turned off. Rarely used.

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|Piercing||''Brawl''||If set, allows the hitbox to ignore [[invincibility]]. Rarely used.

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|Disable hitlag||''Brawl''||If set, causes the hitbox to inflict no hitlag regardless of its hitlag multiplier. No longer used in ''Ultimate''.<!--DisableHitlag in the Ultimate calculator is false, it's actually the disable GFX property. Banjo's rapid jab and Aymr's shockwave have it enabled and still inflict knockback, but have no GFX-->

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|Stretch||''Brawl''||Determines if a hitbox is stretched out, rather than being spherical. This allows them to cover more space right away, but prevents them from interpolating per frame.

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|X stretch/X2||''Smash 4''||Determines how far a hitbox is stretched horizontally, with the same other properties as the standard X position. Alongside the other stretch coordinates, this is essentially an extension of the stretch property from ''Brawl'', denoting both ends of the hitbox.

|Set [[gravity]]||''Smash 4''||Determines whether the hitbox considers the target's gravity when knockback is calculated. Used only in ''Smash 4'' for Finishing Touch and [[Meteor Trampoline]].

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|Shieldstun multiplier||''Ultimate''||Changes the amount of [[shieldstun]] the hitbox does to a shielding opponent. Due to a glitch, even if specified for certain hitboxes, it applies to all of a move's hitboxes until they are changed later in the script.

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|Set attack height||''Ultimate''||If the attacker and target are at a (roughly) equal height, forces the target to use a specific kind of flinch animation (high, middle, or low) regardless of which of their hurtboxes is hit. Used for most down tilts and angled forward tilts.

|No finish camera||''Ultimate''||Prevents the hitbox from producing a [[Finish Zoom]], even if it would launch opponents far enough to do so. Generally used as a failsafe for certain multi-hit moves' linking portions.

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|[[Grab]] armor||''Ultimate''||If the hitbox strikes an opponent at the same time the user is grabbed by them, this property causes the opponent to [[armor]] through the hitbox and grab the user, much like in ''Brawl'', rather than forcing a [[grab release]]. Used only for {{SSBU|Sonic}}'s [[Homing Attack]], [[Spin Dash]], and [[Spin Charge]], as well as {{SSBU|Banjo & Kazooie}}'s [[Wonderwing]]. A multiplier can also be applied to the damage the grabber takes in this situation, which is set to 0.25× for Wonderwing.

|Angle modifier||''Ultimate''||Changes the hitbox's launch angle depending on the attacker's momentum, making it more vertical if moving backward, and more horizontal if moving forward. Only used for the last hit of the {{SSBU|Mii Brawler}}'s [[Helicopter Kick]].

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==Trivia==

*In ''SSB'', grabs are normal hitboxes with no apparent mechanism for distinction from attacks. In ''Melee'', grab hitboxes and inert hitboxes are 0%-damage hitboxes with "grab" or "inert" for an effect. Both grabs and inert hitboxes are separate objects in ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4'', though in rare cases a 0%-damage hitbox is used as an inert one.

*The single largest hitbox in ''Melee'' can be found when [[Raikou]] is released from a [[Poké Ball]].

ToonLinkHitBoxHack.png|An example of a hack used to show the hitboxes of {{SSBB|Toon Link}}'s [[Spin Attack]] in ''Brawl''.

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[[Category:Game physics]]

[[Category:Hitboxes]]