Smash Ball

Announced at E3 2006, the Smash Ball　(, sumasshu bōru) (formerly called a Smash Emblem or Smash Orb by fans) is an item shown to debut in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It appears to allow the user to activate an especially powerful Final Smash attack.

To use the Smash Ball, the characters must attack the Smash Ball until it breaks. A "fresh" Smash Ball can take around 30% damage before breaking, while a Smash Ball that's been on screen a while is easier to break. The screen darkens, and the player whose attack broke the Smash Ball goes into "standby mode," in which the character's eyes turn yellow and body begins to glow a rainbow color. The Final Smash can then be unleashed at any time by pressing the Standard Special Move button. After using a Final Smash, the character is no longer in standby mode and must break another Smash Ball before using it again. If a character takes enough damage while in standby mode, there is a chance that they may lose the Smash Ball, which then begins to move about the screen again. Any projectile, including Poké Balls or Assist Trophies, can aid in collecting it.

When a Smash Ball appears, the screen blinks and the crowd gasps.

The Smash Ball moves around on its own, making it harder for players to use; it must be attacked by the players until it breaks, and whoever breaks it will be able to use their Final Smash. This should not be confused with a normal item as it grants the user a special attack; nevertheless, it can be turned off in the Item Switch option for those who wish to battle without the potential imbalance that comes from such powerful attacks.

The apparent physics of the Smash Ball tend to vary. While it will often bounce off of walls and other surfaces that a player cannot pass through, it will occasionally pass through them. The amount of knockback it takes also varies, sometimes it will take an attack without even changing its trajectory, and other times an attack will send it halfway across a stage. The camera treats Smash Balls the same way that it treats characters. Smash Balls do not vanish by being forced off the stage like other items, so a Smash Ball sent off the screen can pull the camera away from the characters.

If no one breaks the Smash Ball after a long enough period of time, it flies away. However, the longer it is flying around, the easier it is to break. It can also be damaged by the stage (for example, Norfair's lava), and if nobody strikes it before it is destroyed, it is lost. Smash Balls are also affected by Glancing Blows.

In the Smash Bros DOJO!!, the Smash Ball doesn't appear as an item, instead as a how to play tutorial segment.

When a character is in standby mode, the screen goes dark and no Smash Balls appear until the Final Smash is used (or the Smash Ball is lost and flies away). This means that only one Final Smash can be used at once.

If all three Dragoon Plates are in play, a Smash Ball will not appear until they have been used to summon the Dragoon. However, if only one or two Dragoon Parts have been collected, the Smash Ball may appear and prevent the third Dragoon Part from appearing - preventing the Dragoon and Final Smashes from appearing on the screen at the same time. (Doing so could cause a Dragoon and Snake's Grenade Launcher to have targeting sights on the screen at the same time.)

This item is also available as a trophy and is most easily found by picking it up in Subspace Emissary, All-star mode, or the Coin Launcher. It is a fairly common trophy.

Smash Balls cannot be found in the Subspace Emissary.

Some Final Smashes take longer to load from the disc than others. If a character's Final Smash is not yet loaded and the player tries to activate it, they instead perform their Standard Special Move. This can cause the player to be attacked and lose the Smash Ball.

It's trophy reveals that Smash Balls always look the same, no matter what direction you are facing.

Trophy Description
''A mighty item. Each character has a unique secret technique known as a Final Smash that can only be used when that character acquires a Smash Ball. Use it well, and you'll be one huge step closer to victory. It can turn the battle's tide, help you put the finishing touches on a complete thrashing, or even provide a chaotic finish that's sure to leave you laughing until you cry.''

Trivia

 * When Jiggylpuff is using the deflating taunt when it has the Smash Ball, a glowing ball of energy will appear. This is the Smash Ball's form inside the character that broke it.
 * In the Iwata Asks interview for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Msahiro Sakurai revealed he intended to add the Final Smashes since the first game in the series. However, he didn't reveal if the way to use a Final Smash would be via breaking a Smash Ball nor the use of a similar item.
 * In training mode, when Smash Ball is on the field and a Dragoon Part is spawned, the Smash Ball disappears. This occurs vice versa as well, except any Dragoon Parts being held will not disappear.
 * If you rotate the trophy you will see that the smash ball will rotate with it.