Autolink angle
.png)
The autolink angle is a special knockback angle programmed into certain attacks in Brawl and Smash 4. While it reads in the game data as an angle of 362, 365, 366, or 367 degrees (363 degrees in Brawl), the game treats it rather differently.
The primary use of the angle is to ensure that enemies will stay trapped by certain multi-hitting moves that cause or require their users to move, almost always through the air; the angle manifests itself in the likes of Super Jump Punch, as well as a sizable quantity of multi-hitting aerial attacks. In Brawl, the angle did not function very efficiently, as it simply sent the opponent in the direction the attacker is moving, disregarding how close or far from the center of the hitbox the opponent is. This meant that moves using the angles could be easily escaped with SDI (especially since SDI is generally much stronger in Brawl). In Smash 4, the angle's function is much more sophisticated, as the direction the opponent is sent in is determined by both the direction the attacker is moving in, and the position of the opponent relative to the hitbox (e.g if the opponent is in the upper end of the hitbox, and the attacker is not moving, the opponent will be sent slightly downwards. Additionally, this is calculated after the hitlag has ended, reducing the effectiveness of SDI at escaping the moves. These factors make autolink moves harder to escape in Smash 4, although it is still possible.
The angle does not exist in Smash 64 or Melee; attacks with the angle in Brawl have fixed angles in the other two games. The angle is notably much more common in Smash 4 than Brawl, as many characters with multi-hitting aerial attacks have had these moves adjusted to include it. It is typically considered favorable for an attack to employ the autolink angle, as it allows the move to be connect more reliably and sometimes be used in more versatile ways than one that has a static, unchanging angle.
Via its downward nature, the autolink angle is also considered to be a form of unconventional meteor smash.
Many moves that feature autolink angles do not have fixed knockback, however regardless of the value of the knockback, the knockback velocity will be fixed to allow the hits to link properly. If the game detects that the fighter using an autolink move will hit the ground before the next hit of the move comes out, the victim will be launched with the full knockback value, at the same angle as the finisher. There is an issue with the autolink angle on grounded opponents, where the first hit will fail to limit the knockback velocity, meaning that moves with autolink angles may fail to link properly at higher percents when used on grounded opponents (e.g Luigi Cyclone). The angle also does not properly trap opponents when the user is moving downwards, for unknown reasons.
List of attacks that use the autolink angle
By characters
| Character | Move(s) | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Bayonetta | Up special | 
|
| Bowser Jr. | Down aerial | |
| Cloud | Limit Neutral special | |
| Side special (hit 1) | ||
| Limit Side special (hits 1-2) | ||
| Dark Pit | Up tilt (hit 2) | |
| Up smash (hit 1) | ||
| Forward aerial (hits 1-2) | ||
| Diddy Kong | Dash attack (hit 2) | |
| Dr. Mario | Down aerial | |
| Dr. Tornado (aerial) | ||
| Falco | Neutral aerial | |
| Forward aerial | 
| |
| Up special (hits 9-14) | ||
| Fox | Forward aerial |
|
| Greninja | Back aerial | |
| Up aerial | ||
| King Dedede | Up aerial | |
| Kirby | Forward aerial | |
| Down aerial | ||
| Little Mac | Neutral aerial | |
| Up special | ||
| Luigi | Down special | |
| Lucas | Neutral aerial | |
| PK Thunder 2 (multi hits) |
| |
| Mario | Super Jump Punch |
|
| Mega Man | Up smash (hits 2-6) |
|
| Back aerial (hits 1-2) | ||
| Meta Knight | Up smash (hits 1-2) | |
| Forward aerial (pre-1.0.4 in Smash 4) | ||
| Back aerial | ||
| Neutral special | ||
| Side special | ||
| Mr. Game & Watch | Back aerial (hit 1-3) |
|
| Ness | Down smash (back hit) | |
| Forward aerial | ||
| Palutena | Up tilt | |
| Neutral aerial | ||
| Up aerial | ||
| Black Hole Laser | ||
| Peach | Up aerial (hit 1) | |
| Neutral special | ||
| Up special | ||
| Pikachu | Back aerial | |
| Pit | Up tilt (hit 2) | |
| Up smash(hit 1) | ||
| Forward aerial (hits 1-2) | ||
| Robin | Neutral b (Arc thunder) | |
| Rosalina & Luma | Forward aerial (Rosalina's) | |
| Roy | Up special | |
| Ryu | Up aerial (hit 1) | |
| Samus | Forward aerial | |
| Up special (hit 4-11 aerial only) | ||
| Sheik | Up aerial | |
| Sonic | Up tilt (late hitbox only) | |
| Toon Link | Up special (aerial hits 1-3) | |
| Wolf | Fire Wolf |
|
| Yoshi | Back aerial |
|
| Zelda | Up smash | |
| Neutral aerial | ||
| Zero Suit Samus | Up special (hit 6) |
