Ping
A ping is the sound effect used for very powerful attacks, and is most often associated with the Home-Run Bat. In Brawl's trophy description for the Home-Run Bat, the sound is described as "KREEEEENG!", while the Smash Bros. DOJO!! variously described it as "PWANG!", "PING!", or "Pwaaaang!". It can be described as a sharp ascending high-pitched sound overlaid with a trailing impact sound. The sound is impossible to miss, and hearing it usually means that a player just got hit by a very powerful attack.
In Super Smash Bros.
Compared to the rather generic attack noises for other attacks (especially outside of the NTSC-J versions of the game), the ping is very distinct. It is also used in the opening cutscene. In the original Japanese release, the only two attacks to use the ping sound effect were:
In later releases in other regions, two more attacks were added:
- Luigi's Fire Jump Punch (when sweetspotted)
- Jigglypuff's Rest (when the foe is hit)
In Super Smash Bros. Melee
In Melee, attacks were given more realistic and varied sound effects. Melee introduces some new attacks that use the ping sound effect, with the full list being:
- Home-Run Bat
- Ness's forward smash
- Luigi's grounded sweetspotted Fire Jump Punch
- Jigglypuff's Rest
- Mr. Game & Watch's Judgment #9.
- The Freezie
- Judgment #8 and all freezing attacks from Poké Balls and Crazy Hand's Tri-Poke use a quieter variation of the ping to indicate a hit.
Luigi's sweetspotted Fire Jump Punch now no longer pings in the air. The ping is also heard during the cutscene where Giga Bowser emerges from the defeated Bowser's trophy in Adventure Mode.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Brawl changed sound effects for certain items and attacks. The full list is now:
- Home-Run Bat
- Luigi's grounded sweetspotted Fire Jump Punch
- Jigglypuff's Rest
- Mr. Game & Watch's Judge #8 and #9
- Luigi's down taunt
- The Dragoon (with added echo, and even if it misses)
- Light Arrow
Ness's forward smash has been changed to a wooden "crack", sounding more like a real bat. The Freezie now uses its traditional sound effect from Mario Bros., and all other freezing attacks use a more realistic sound.
In Super Smash Bros. 4
The Dragoon no longer pings if it misses. Two new items and attacks were added:
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
For the first time, no new attacks were introduced that use the ping, and Light Arrow is now absent from the game. Zelda and Sheik's new Final Smashes, Triforce of Wisdom and Sheikah Dance, use unique sound effects instead of the ping. Additionally, while Link's Ancient Bow and Arrow is fundamentally similar to Light Arrow and Dark Pit Staff, it also uses a unique sound effect.
In addition to all existing instances of the ping, Ultimate introduces the Special Zoom and Final Zoom, coined by Masahiro Sakurai and his team. The Final Zoom occurs when a player takes a hit which can KO them on their last stock in a stock match or when they run out of HP in a Stamina match. When it occurs, a variant of the ping combined with the sound of slashing swords is played. Furthermore, most returning attacks that play the ping also receive their own Special Zoom as well, making these attacks more dramatic.
Trivia
- Somewhat fittingly, the Home-Run Bat is the only move to have used the ping in every regional version of every game.
