Star KO: Difference between revisions

''Not to be confused with [[KO Stars]].''

 

 

A '''star knock-out''' or '''star finish''' ({{ja|星バースト|Hoshi Burst}}, ''Star Burst''), abbreviated as '''star KO''', internally known as '''Hoshikie''' in ''[[Smash 4]]'' and '''Twinkle''' in ''[[Ultimate]]'', is a type of [[KO]] that can occur beyond the upper [[Blast line]] in the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series. They often last about 2 seconds and are the longest type of KO, often leaving their perpetrator safe from the victim.

When characters are knocked beyond the upper [[blast line]] (save for a few [[Star KO#Exceptions|exceptions]]), they fly through the background and away from the stage while usually screaming, crying or shouting, and eventually disappear as a star. In ''Melee'', ''Brawl'', and ''Ultimate'', this has the longest duration out of any KOs. Along with Star KOs, there is a chance of a [[Screen KO]] happening instead, where characters slam into the camera.

Most conditions on the characters, such as the invincibility of the [[Super Star]] or standby mode after breaking the [[Smash Ball]], are still visible on the characters while they are Star KO'd.  Exceptions include [[metal]] characters in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'' (unless while playing in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'''s single-player modes), [[giant]] or [[tiny]] characters due to [[Super Mushroom|Super]] or [[Poison Mushroom]]s in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', and [[frozen]] characters in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''.

In ''Smash 64'', the duration allotted for Star KOs, along with Screen KOs, are noticeably longer than in ''Melee'' onward, with the victim only becoming visible nearly after they finish their Star KO voice clip, making the animation not synchronize with the voice clip, with the exception of {{SSB|Pikachu}} and {{SSB|Mario}}, whose Star KO voice clip is slightly longer than the rest of cast.

Starting with this game, the [[enemy team]] can no longer be Star or Screen KO'd under normal circumstances (with the exception of [[Event 37: Legendary Pokémon]] for unknown reasons), presumably so that the game will not delay a next enemy's spawn as much as in ''Smash 64''. Most horde battles in single player modes (except {{SSBM|Classic Mode}}) also disable Star and Screen KOs for similar reasons (see [[#Exceptions|below]]). Their animations are also much faster, now properly synchronizing with the voice clip across the cast. Oddly, in [[Mushroom Kingdom II]], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU0p2IpoV1A the victim fades out faster than usual before turning into stars].

As {{SSBM|Dr. Mario}} sharing his voice clips with {{SSBM|Mario}}, he also uses Mario's falling voice clip from ''Super Mario 64''. {{SSBM|Young Link}}, like [[Link (SSBM)|his adult self]], uses his falling voice clip from ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'', while {{SSBM|Ganondorf}} uses one of his damaging voice clip from the same game. {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}}, like many of his sound effects, makes a Game & Watch-esque beep. {{SSBM|Zelda}}'s Star KO voice clip is infamous in the community for being too higher-pitched and horrifying, often being compared to stereotypical screams in horror movies.

Star KOs in ''Brawl'' are generally identical to its appearance in ''Melee'', but the voice clips are given an reverberating effect, similar to those used for [[Final Smash]]es and the [[announcer]]'s voice, as if the victim is far away from the stage (though they are actually added by the game rather than their sound files being echoed, albeit still fading out at the end). Oddly, in [[Flat Zone 2]] and [[Hanenbow]], if the victim's status conditions are still in effect, they will not be aligned with the character (i.e. the frozen block and character fly off separately).

For the first time in the series, ''Brawl'' introduces a character who is silent while being Star KO'd, that being {{SSBB|Olimar}}. Additionally there are a handful of characters who shout "No!" while being Star KO'd, which are {{SSBB|Snake}} and {{SSBB|Sonic}}, as well as veteran {{SSBB|Peach}}. {{SSBB|Kirby}} similarly makes a "Iyah!" sound, a Japanese phrase for express dismay or shock, while {{SSBB|Wolf}} and {{SSBB|R.O.B.}} emit a howl and multiple beeps respectively while Star KO'd. {{SSBB|Samus}} and {{SSBB|Mr. Game & Watch}}'s Star KO sounds are also renewed.

Star KOs in ''Smash 4'' are almost identical to how they acted in ''Brawl'', though voice clips now use a smooth echo effect instead of an reverberating effect used in ''Brawl''. However, both Star and Screen KOs are no longer guaranteed to occur; the upper blast line will cause either a Blast KO, a Star KO, or a Screen KO at random. Players launched at extremely high speeds, however, are not Star KO'd or Screen KO'd. In addition, presumably as to solve balance issues, Star KOs no longer occur when there's only [[Match timer#Final countdown timer|five seconds remaining in a timed match]] and in [[Sudden Death]] ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KthcgK6Mojs| unless an unknown glitch occurs] or in [[Trophy Rush]]); Screen KOs were increased in length, and as a result, Star KOs actually last shorter than Screen KOs. Lastly, Star KOs are now intentionally disabled on some stages, largely those with 2D backdrops or background elements that obscure the victim.

''Smash 4'' introduces more characters that remain completely silent when Star KO'd, with these being {{SSB4|Mega Man}}, the {{SSB4|Mii Fighter}}s, {{SSB4|Pac-Man}}, {{SSB4|Villager}}, and the wireframe version of {{SSB4|Little Mac}}. [[Rosalina & Luma (SSB4)|Rosalina]] and {{SSB4|Bowser Jr.}} use one of their falling voice clips from ''Mario Kart 7'' and ''Mario Kart Wii'' respectively, and the Koopalings (with the exception of Morton) use one of their defeat voice clips in ''New Super Mario Bros.'' games. As a result, Lemmy shouts "No!" while being Star KO'd; male {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}} similarly do this (albeit in the [[NTSC]] version only), while {{SSB4|Sonic}} has lost the trait in the English versions as of this game, as he instead uses his death sound ("Whoa!") from ''Sonic Generations''. As {{SSB4|Dr. Mario}}'s voice clips have been updated to match {{SSB4|Mario}}, he now uses Mario's Star KO voice clip from ''Brawl''.

{{ImageCaption|File:SSBU Snake Star KO.jpeg|File:SSBU Corrin Star KO.jpeg|File:SSBU Zelda Star KO.jpeg|align  = right|caption={{SSBU|Snake}} is seen tumbling away from the screen, as demonstrated in [[Shadow Moses Island]], while female {{SSBU|Corrin}} uses a sideway version of her tumbling sideways due to her normal tumbling animation having her already facing toward/away from the screen, as seen in [[Castle Siege]]. However, the [[Boss Galaga]] always makes their tumbling animation identical to the latter, as demonstrated by {{SSBU|Zelda}} in [[Hyrule Castle]].}}

''Ultimate'' introduces a new animation for Star KOs; the characters now tumble away from the screen, akin to how Screen KOs worked in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', and seemingly go a much further distance away from the stage (though this is an illusion, since the characters actually start shrinking the further they fly away, as easily seen in the [[King of Fighters Stadium]]). Most characters also now use a sideways version of their tumbling animations, with the exceptions of {{SSBU|Cloud}}, {{SSBU|Corrin}}, {{SSBU|Incineroar}}, {{SSBU|Inkling}}, {{SSBU|Shulk}}, {{SSBU|Joker}} and {{SSBU|Min Min}}, who spin forwards like their normal tumbling animation (due to their normal tumbling animations having them already facing the screen), and by extension, similarly to the previous games, alongside {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}} (due to his 2D nature). The star is also now a purple color. Additionally, the [[Boss Galaga]] will always cause a Star KO and cause the character to go into their normal Star KO animation seen in the previous games. The physics of Star KOs are otherwise unchanged from ''Smash 4''.

{{SSBU|Isabelle}}, {{SSBU|Steve}}, and {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}} also remain silent when Star KO'd, in addition to all previous veterans that were silent during their Star KO. For the first time in the series, there are characters who speak a complete sentence during Star KO; {{SSBU|Pit}} has a unique Star KO line, where he yells "I never learned how to read...!". This is a reference to Chapter 17 in ''Kid Icarus: Uprising'', where he yells the same line after his Power of Flight is cut en-route to the Aurum Fortress [https://www.twitter.com/theSirToasty/status/1006943013640261632]. {{SSBU|Byleth}} speaks during a Star KO, shouting "My battle ends here...!", a reference to one of their defeat lines from ''Fire Emblem: Three Houses''. Both characters also do not speak in the Japanese version. In addition to all previous cases retained from ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'', {{SSBU|Daisy}}'s Star KO also has her shouting "No!", as she do when falling off of race track/a platform in ''Mario Kart Wii'' and ''Mario Party 9''. Min Min has similarly her shouting "{{ja|哎呀！|Āi yā!}}" (''Oh no!''). {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}} now uses the same beep used for his up and side taunts, while {{SSBU|Dark Samus}} reuses {{SSBU|Samus}}' Star KO sound. {{SSBU|Roy}}'s English Star KO voice clip, much like Zelda in ''Melee'', is infamous for being overdone and horrifying, to the point that his voice actor, {{s|wikipedia|Ray Chase}}, [https://www.twitter.com/RayChase/status/1093679605796397056 acknowledged this influence on Twitter].

It is a [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ATwinkleInTheSky recurring trope], especially in Eastern media, for characters and objects to be sent flying into the sky, leaving behind a twinkling star when they vanished from sight. Since Star KO'ing an entire team in ''Melee'' yields the Rocket KO bonus, the Star KOs in ''Smash'' may be intended as a reference specifically to the trope's use as a running gag in the ''{{uv|Pokémon}}'' anime, where the {{s|bulbapedia|Team Rocket trio}} would often be sent "blasting off again" whenever they were defeated.

{{clear}}

*Stages (does not entirely apply to Screen KOs): {{b|Training|stage}}, [[Online Practice Stage]], {{SSB|Mushroom Kingdom}}, [[Mushroom Kingdom II]], [[WarioWare, Inc.]], [[Frigate Orpheon]], [[75m]], [[Mario Bros.]], [[Hanenbow]], [[Green Hill Zone]], [[Gerudo Valley]], [[Dream Land GB]], [[Unova Pokémon League]], [[Mute City SNES]], [[Balloon Fight]], [[PictoChat 2]], {{SSB4|Mario Circuit}}, [[The Great Cave Offensive]], [[Flat Zone X]], [[Gamer]], [[Wii Fit Studio]], [[Boxing Ring]], {{b|Duck Hunt|stage}}, [[Wrecking Crew]], [[PAC-LAND]], [[Super Mario Maker]], [[Umbra Clock Tower]], [[New Donk City Hall]], [[Moray Towers]], [[Dracula's Castle]],  [[Garreg Mach Monastery]] (except the Bridge section, also applies to respective [[Battlefield form]]s and [[Ω form]]s of every stage aside from Garreg Mach Monastery)

*In the Camera mode in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', by maneuvering the camera into a certain position, the "trick" of the Star KOs is revealed: once the defeated character hits the upper blast line, they get shifted toward the background as their tumble animation starts, before reappearing onscreen for the KO animation. This trick can also be revealed in ''Ultimate'' using the camera's frame-by-frame controls.

**The onscreen radar will track a Star KO'd character, but will not track a character who has been Screen KO'd.

**{{SSBU|Ken}}'s Star KO voice clip strangely doesn't appear in the sound test, making him the only character in the series with this distinction.