Kirby using the glitch on PictoChat.
The Earthquake Glitch refers to a glitch performed by Kirby using his down special move, Stone. The glitch will cause the shock waves from Stone to spread out over and over very rapidly. The glitch is performed on sloped surfaces, but not all such slopes can be used for the glitch. In Stage Builder stages, the glitch can only be activated on the edge of a right-facing slope. It is possible to use Stone on the slope, slide to the edge, and then activate the glitch. The glitch does not eliminate the time limit for using Stone, so it cannot be continued infinitely. However, the player can simply initiate it again.
How to Perform
This glitch can be performed on the stage PictoChat, where it is often known as "Pictopounding". The Kirby player must go to the right side of the main platform where there is a slope, then use the down special move. Kirby will transform and appear to repeatedly "land" on the edge of the platform, making constant shockwaves and causing the screen to shake. He will remain like this for the duration of the move. This does not work on the left side of the stage; instead, he will simply slide off the edge and fall normally. Any players caught in the glitch will respond as if they had been Stoned repeatedly. It is difficult to combo such an attack, as Stone's push-away ability in Brawl and its regular high knockback tend to send opponents flying.
Locations
While the glitch was first discovered and popularized in relation to PictoChat, in can be performed in numerous other locations:
- Any Stage Builder stage. On any right-facing flight of stairs, at the edge, Stone Kirby will slide down until it reaches the end. This does not happen all the time.
- The boss Porky Minch. When he is using his walk attack (at a minimum speed), using Stone on the front end of the walker (in the direction he is walking) will cause the earthquake glitch, allowing massive damage and an easy kill.
- Any of the edges of the tree branches that appear in PictoChat on the big tree.
- The head of the King of Red Lions on the stage Pirate Ship.
- The lowest branch of the tree that can form in Pokémon Stadium.
- The rightmost platform of Brinstar when the cord is severed.
- When a tree appears in PictoChat, the right hand side of one of the groups of leaves.