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Spike: Difference between revisions

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(Revision, added technical information. And that thing about Marth's dair being a meteor smash in PAL while keeping its diagonal trajectory is false.)
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[[File:Wizard's Foot Spike.jpg|frame|Ganondorf's Spike move in Melee]]
[[File:Wizard's Foot Spike.jpg|frame|An image of Ganondorf's spike in ''Melee'']]


A '''Spike''' is a type of attack in ''[[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 can be meteor cancelled before the hitstun wears off.
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 ''SSB64'' and ''Brawl'', people often use the terms "spike" and "meteor smash" interchangeably, as all downwards-hitting attacks in both games are meteor smashes.
When referring to ''Super Smash Bros.'' and ''Brawl'', people often use the terms "spike" and "meteor smash" interchangeably, as all downwards-hitting attacks in both games are meteor smashes.


Spikes are not guaranteed KOs - if the opponent's damage is very low, the spike will be too weak to put them so far below the stage that they can't get back. However, they tend to be extremely effective KO moves - recovery from most spikes tends to be impossible at damages near or above 40%. Because of this, many [[smasher]]s (particularly those who [[Main character|main]] characters with good spikes, like Falco, Ganondorf, and Marth) try to integrate spikes into play as often as possible.
==Technical information==
In ''Melee'', hitboxes that send opponents at an angle between 260 and 280 degrees are recognised 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 recognise them as meteor smashes, and are thus unable to be meteor cancelled. In ''Brawl'', the angle window for what the game recognises 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 recognised 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 [[smasher]]s who [[Main character|main]] characters with practical spikes try to integrate spikes into play as often as possible.


==List of spikes in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''==
==List of spikes in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''==
Only six characters are known to have true spikes:
Only six characters are known to have true spikes:
*{{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} - Down aerial; the so-called [[Nipple spike]] only acts on the top [[hitbox]] of the three hitboxes of Falcon's down air.
*{{SSBM|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''.
*{{SSBM|Falco}} - Down aerial; while the spike lasts for its entire duration in NTSC regions, only first half of attack spikes in PAL regions.
*{{SSBM|Falco}} - Down aerial; while the spike lasts for its entire duration in NTSC regions, only the first half of attack spikes in PAL regions.
*{{SSBM|Ganondorf}} - Down special, [[Wizard's Foot]], when used in the air.
*{{SSBM|Fox}} - Down aerial; negligible due to its extremely weak, set knockback.
*{{SSBM|Marth}} - Down aerial tip; acts as a Meteor Smash in PAL regions, though it still sends opponents at an angle.
*{{SSBM|Ganondorf}} - Down special, [[Wizard's Foot]], the entirety of its hitbox duration when used in the air.
*{{SSBM|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.
*{{SSBM|Roy}} - Up Smash; only works if an airborne opponent is hit with the tip of the sword.
*{{SSBM|Roy}} - Up Smash; only works if an airborne opponent is hit with the tip of the sword.
*{{SSBM|Fox}} - Down aerial; has weak, set knockback, making its usefulness questionable.


In addition, {{SSBM|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.
In addition, {{SSBM|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.


==Trivia==
==Spikes in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''==
*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. No known hitboxes in the game naturally have such angles.<!--To test: what about an angle of -90?-->
It is technically possible for spikes to exist in unmodified ''Brawl''; the increased meteor smash angle window does not include all downward angles. And 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. 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''.


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Meteor smash]] - an attack that deals downward knockback but that can be recovered from through meteor cancelling.
*[[Meteor smash]] - an attack that deals downward knockback but that can be recovered from through meteor cancelling.
*[[Semi-spike]] - a move that hits the opponent at a very low angle, minimizing recovery opportunities.
*[[Semi-spike]] - an attack that hits the opponent at a low horizontal angle that hinders recovery opportunities.
*[[Shine spike]] - a [[Fox]] technique that uses his [[Reflector#Fox|Reflector]] to spike opponents.
*[[Stage spike]] - a spike performed by bouncing an opponent off an angled part of a stage to send them downward.
*[[Stage spike]] - a spike performed by bouncing an opponent off an angled part of a stage to send them downward.



Revision as of 04:29, January 18, 2012

File:Wizard's Foot Spike.jpg
An image of Ganondorf's spike in Melee

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, as all downwards-hitting attacks in both games are meteor smashes.

Technical information

In Melee, hitboxes that send opponents at an angle between 260 and 280 degrees are recognised 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 recognise them as meteor smashes, and are thus unable to be meteor cancelled. In Brawl, the angle window for what the game recognises 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 recognised 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. And 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. 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.

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.