Power Meter

The Power Meter (K.O.ゲージ, K.O. Gauge) is a special mechanic unique to Little Mac in Super Smash Bros. 4 that is shown above his damage meter. It can be filled if Little Mac takes or deals damage (even to shields). Once the bar is full, the bar becomes a flashing "K.O." sign, causing his neutral special move, the Straight Lunge, to be replaced with a powerful move named the KO Uppercut. While intended to be a one-hit KO per its name, its base knockback is not quite high enough to OHKO at 0%, and reaches KO potential at about 30% when performed on the ground.

The meter is emptied when the KO Uppercut move is used, successfully or not. The meter will also be emptied if Little Mac is KO'd, takes considerable knockback, left at the flashing K.O. stage for too long, or traverses through a door in Smash Run.

When Little Mac is inhaled by Kirby, Kirby copies Straight Lunge but does not gain a Power Meter and so does not get the KO Uppercut move.

When Little Mac transforms into Giga Mac, the power meter disappears for the entire duration of the Final Smash.

Origin

The Power Meter appears in the Punch-Out!! series, where successfully landing punches to Little Mac's opponents fills the meter up, while getting hit decreases the meter. Once the meter was full, Little Mac can perform a powerful knockout blow to his opponent. In Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! and the Wii game the meter was replaced with the Star Punch System.

Gallery

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  The power meter in-game.

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  Close-up of a partially filled power meter.

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  Fully charged power meter being used to attack Samus.

Trivia

• When the KO Uppercut is successfully used, the camera will briefly zoom in on the move, similar to what happens for a Final Smash.
• When Little Mac uses his smash attacks on the max amount of bombs, his super armor keeps him from flying back, and he gains an instant KO Uppercut.