Screen KO: Difference between revisions

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''This article is about the KO that launches opponents toward the screen. For the KO that launches opponents into space, see [[Star KO]].''

A '''Screen KO''' ({{ja|手前やられ|Temae yarare}}, ''Forefront defeat'') is a special type of [[KO]] which has a chance of occurring when characters are launched past the upper [[blast line]]. In contrast to a [[Star KO]], the character instead falls into the foreground and appears to [[wikipedia:Fourth wall|crash into the screen]], before they are KO'd at the bottom, which is how these KO's got their name.

==Differences between games==

===In ''[[Smash 64]]''===

In ''Smash 64'', characters yell out their Star KO scream and fall down between the front of the stage and the camera, getting KO'd by the bottom blast line afterward. Depending on the camera angle, this may not always be visible. The distance the character is from the camera is chosen randomly — sometimes doomed characters appear to be falling normally, while at other times they are just a quick flash of color going down the screen. Screen KOs have the same duration as a Star KO. Unlike the other games of the series, Screen KO'd characters do not actually hit the screen in any way.

===In ''[[Melee]]''===

While Screen KOs in ''64'' were roughly the same length as star KOs (around 2 seconds), Screen KOs in ''Melee'' are significantly faster than Star KOs (around 1 second). This difference is significant, and can potentially affect gameplay. For example, when a character is KO'd by {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}'s [[Rest]], getting a Star KO means that the character will not [[respawn]] fast enough to [[punish]] the sleeping Jigglypuff, due to the length of the Star KO animation. However, if a character is instead Screen KO'd, this provides them with more time to potentially get a solid hit on the vulnerable Jigglypuff. The Screen KO's shorter duration can also influence the outcome of matches that have gone to a last [[stock]] situation. If both characters are KO'd off of the top at around the same time and one is Screen KO'd instead of Star KO'd, the Star KO'd player will win the match due to random chance and the lengthier animation.  

In ''Brawl'', with the exception of {{SSBB|Meta Knight}}, {{SSBB|King Dedede}}, {{SSBB|Mr. Game & Watch}}, and {{SSBB|Sonic}}, characters use a side version of their regular tumbling animations for a Screen KO, though the animations for the actual impact are not as nuanced as in ''Melee''. Like ''Melee'', Screen KOs are considerably faster than Star KOs, again potentially leading to some gameplay effects.

===In ''[[SSB4]]''===

In ''SSB4'', instead of using their tumbling animation, every character now uses a unique Screen KO animation depicting them flying towards the screen, hitting it face-first, then staying in place briefly before sliding down. Due to this new separate animation, several characters pose during their Screen KOs in a manner referencing their series, such as {{SSB4|Kirby}} reusing a pose from ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'', {{SSB4|Cloud}} using a pose similar to his official render, and {{SSB4|Shulk}} hitting the screen with his back in order for the [[Monado]] to be visible. Characters who share the same base model tend to share the same Screen KO poses, such as {{SSB4|Ness}} and {{SSB4|Lucas}}. While ''Smash 4'' re-added strong knockback yells that were absent in ''Brawl'', Screen KO'd characters in ''SSB4'' no longer make any vocal sounds when they hit the screen, and instead, a comical "thud" sound effect is played.

As a direct result of the new Screen KO's "pause", Screen KOs now take a very slight amount of more time to resolve than a Star KO, which is seemingly a change made to not affecting gameplay as much compared to ''Melee'' or ''Brawl''. Furthermore, Screen KOs and Star KOs are both disabled during the [[Match timer#Final countdown timer|final five seconds of a match]] and [[Sudden Death]] — characters will simply create the usual colorful blast after crossing the blast line. Blast KOs can still occur even if the match has no [[Match timer|time limit]] or if it is in an early part of a [[time]]d match.

In {{forwiiu}}, Screen KOs are disabled on [[Super Mario Maker]], [[Jungle Hijinxs]] (normal form only), [[Flat Zone X]], {{b|Duck Hunt|stage}}, [[Wii Fit Studio]], [[Pac-Land]], and [[Umbra Clock Tower]], and players instead are either Blast KO'd or Star KO'd on these stages. Screen KOs are available in all stages except Super Mario Maker and Umbra Clock Tower in {{for3ds}}.

===In ''[[Ultimate]]''===

*{{SSB|Mushroom Kingdom}}

*[[Mushroom Kingdom II]]

*[[Umbra Clock Tower]]

==Trivia==

**Kirby's model in this instance appears to reference ''{{s|wikirby|Kirby: Triple Deluxe}}'', which has a similar gimmick when Kirby is hit by certain attacks.

*In ''SSB4'', {{SSB4|Bowser}} and {{SSB4|Donkey Kong}} are the only characters to fall back when Screen KO'd, as all the other characters just slide off the screen. ''Ultimate'' later adds {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}. Notably, these characters are the [[weight|heaviest]] in the series.

*In the 3DS version of ''SSB4'', Screen KOs may cause the two images simulating the screen's 3D effect to be misaligned. This often occurs when multiple opponents are Screen KO'd, or if there are too many effects occurring in the background.

*{{SSBU|Lucina}} is the only [[Echo Fighter]] in ''Ultimate'' to have an entirely different Screen KO animation from her counterpart.

*{{SSBU|Inkling}} is the only character to have different Screen KO animations depending on which alternate costume the player selected.

*The instant KO from Giga Bowser Punch is the only instance where characters can be Screen KO'd without having to cross the upper blast line; instead, they are punched straight onto the screen.

*Notably, Bayonetta, Snake, and Incineroar show no actual emotion when Screen KO'd in ''Ultimate''.

==See also==