Sonic (SSB4)/Neutral aerial

Hitbox visualization showing Sonic's neutral aerial.

Overview

Curls up into a ball and spins while slightly undulating up and down. It has fast start up (frame 6), launches at a vertical angle (75°) and with it's fairly low landing (16 frames), makes it a great combo starter on grounded opponents.

The move can also be used to end Spin Dash/Spin Charge initiated combos, which deals a large amount of damage. At mid percentages, landing with the move can combo into a forward aerial, up aerial, back aerial or another neutral aerial. At high percents, landing immediately with the late hit can combo into a back aerial, which can lead to a KO near the ledge.

Originates from Sonic the Fighters, though it also highly resembles the Insta-Shield, a simultaneously offensive and defensive technique that debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Hitboxes

ID	Part	Damage	SD	Angle	BK	KS	FKV	Radius	Bone	Offset			SDIx	H×	T%	Clang	Rebound	Type	Effect	G	A	Sound	Direct
Clean hit
0	0	12%	0		30	80	0	5.0	3	0.0	1.5	0.0	1.0x	1.0x	0%							Punch
Mid hit
0	0	8%	0		20	85	0	4.5	3	0.0	1.5	0.0	1.0x	1.0x	0%							Punch
Late hit
0	0	5%	0		20	90	0	4.0	3	0.0	1.5	0.0	1.0x	1.0x	0%							Punch

Timing

Attack

Clean hit	6-9
Mid Hit	10-19
Late Hit	20-38
Ending autocancel	48-
Animation length	49
Interruptible	50

Landing lag

Animation length	16

Legend (1 square = 1 frame)

Lag time

Hitbox

Autocancel

Interruptible

Sonic's moveset

Neutral attack (1 · 2 · 3) · Forward tilt · Up tilt · Down tilt · Dash attack · Forward smash · Up smash · Down smash
Neutral aerial · Forward aerial · Back aerial · Up aerial · Down aerial
Grab · Pummel · Forward throw · Back throw · Up throw · Down throw
Floor attack (front) · Floor attack (back) · Floor attack (trip) · Edge attack
Neutral special (def · c1 · c2) · Side special (def · c1 · c2) · Up special (def · c1 · c2) · Down special (def · c1 · c2) · Final Smash