Gameplay speed

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Gameplay speed is a feature in all Super Smash Bros. games that increases or decreases the framerate (and subsequently speed) gameplay. Each iteration of Special Smash has featured a slow and fast mode. There is also an option in Training Mode that allows the player to increase or decrease the speed of the gameplay to one of several presets.

In Super Smash Bros. and Melee, when gameplay is slowed down, the game runs at a visibly slower framerate, while skipping over some visual frames when the gameplay is sped up. However, Brawl introduced interpolated animations for 1/2x and 1/4x speed, giving the impression of 60fps gameplay, while calculations are still carried out at the slower framerate. Smash 4 added this feature to 2/3x speed as well, which was carried over into Ultimate. While altering the gameplay speed usually maintains the behaviour of the game, for unknown reasons some physics-based moves will behave differently, such as Luigi's grab in Ultimate, which has less range than usual when the gameplay speed is increased or decreased, regardless of what it is changed to.

Other causes of slow motion

In addition to the Special Smash and Training Mode settings, future games would also introduce other sources of slow motion, while fast motion remains exclusive to those modes. These include:

• Dialga's Roar of Time – When Dialga uses its Roar of Time attack on the Spear Pillar stage, the speed of gameplay will be reduced to 1/2x speed.
• During the activation of some Final Smashes. Notably, most final smashes utilize Slowdown, but a handful of final smashes also use slow motion.
• KOs in stamina mode – When a fighter is KO'd in stamina mode, slow motion is activated for about a second. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, this only occurs when the fighter's last stock is lost.
• Special Zoom – The game speed is greatly reduced while Special Zoom is in effect.
• Several explosive items in Ultimate, including Bomber, Fake Smash Ball and Motion-Sensor Bomb. Several other explosives freeze the victim briefly, but this appears to be a different effect.
• The Daybreak item, shortly before firing.
• The Dragoon item, while firing.
• Hero's Kamikazee, shortly before he self-destructs.