Smashpedia
(Undid revision 387439 by 216.125.168.2 (Talk) -_-)
Tag: Visual edit
 
(46 intermediate revisions by 29 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
  +
{{Image}}
[[File:Skyworld3.jpg|thumb|DK's Meteor Smash.]][[File:Mario Meteor Smash.jpg|thumb|Mario's Meteor Smash]][[File:Wolfflash.jpg|thumb|Wolf Meteor Smashing Falco with [[Wolf Flash]] in ''SSBB''.]]
 
  +
[[File:Kirby_&_Mario_SSB4.jpg|thumb|Mario's Meteor Smash in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS''.]]
  +
A '''meteor smash''' is a type of attack in the ''{{b|Super Smash Bros.|series}}'' series that strikes opponents downwards, as opposed to horizontally or vertically like most attacks. Meteor smashes are primarily designed to [[KO]] or [[gimp]] recovering opponents at especially low damages. With their potential to take a stock earlier than usual, most conventional meteor smashes are somewhat slow to execute or require [[sweetspot]]ting.
   
  +
Some meteor smashes are not meant for [[edge-guard]]ing and are done only to knock opponents into other hits of the attack. Other meteor smashes can damage only opponents that are on the ground, making them impossible to send targets downwards. These are known as [[unconventional meteor smash]]es.
A '''Meteor Smash''' is an attack introduced in [[Super Smash Bros.]] which slams an airborne opponent either straight down or mostly downwards when it connects.
 
   
  +
In ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U]]'', characters that are meteor smashed onto a floor will bounce back up. While this allows them to KO when used onstage, it also allows players to [[tech]] even if they were standing on the ground ({{SSBWU/3DS|Ganondorf}}'s down air is an exception to this due to having more hitlag). In addition, strong meteor smashes are now denoted by a unique sound effect upon connection.
One important trait of Meteor Smashes is that they are more powerful on airborne opponents than grounded opponents - a grounded opponent will take 20% less knockback, and in fact won't take any if it's below a certain amount. This applies to all meteors except for many of the [[special move|special]] meteors (which hits grounded opponents with a different hitbox instead, such as the [[Super Dedede Jump]]) and Charizard's D-air (which is actually stronger on grounded opponents). This is the reason why even though many Meteors are among the strongest aerials, tilts, and down throws in the game, few of them are reliable KO attacks in nonedgeguarding situations (Ganondorf's D-air is the primary exception to this, being the only meteor capable of KOing grounded opponents under 100% in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'').
 
   
  +
==General characteristics==
A Meteor Smash is not to be confused with a [[spike]], an attack that sends opponents downwards (often diagonally) but isn't registered by the game as a Meteor Smash, thus being incapable of being Meteor Canceled. Since no spikes in the definition of the term are known to exist in ''Brawl'', "Meteor Smash" and "spike" are often used interchangeably when referring to Meteor Smashes.
 
  +
[[Image:MeteorSmashRange.png|thumb|float|200px|The angles considered to be meteor smashes - blue range is for Melee, red range is for Brawl. Any and only angles within this range count as meteor smashes.]]
   
  +
As they hit opponents downwards, meteor smashes cause targets that are not in the air to immediately bounce off the ground they're standing on, reducing the knockback received by '''20%''' and thus making such attacks much weaker and less reliable KO moves on grounded targets; if the intended knockback is below a certain amount, it will not even deliver any vertical knockback at all, and instead merely cause [[flinch]]ing and perhaps [[trip]]ping. As a result, only the strongest meteor smashes (such as Ganondorf's down aerial) are viable KO moves in on-stage situations.
There is a bonus in Melee for recovering from a Meteor Smash (with or without Meteor Canceling) called ''Meteor Survivor''.
 
   
  +
In games before ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U]]'', if a meteor smash connects on a midair target, the victim does not suffer any sort of bounce effect and will stop their fall, no matter how close to the ground/floor they are on any surface that can block their fall. Because of this, they are able to [[tech]] from most meteor smashes with solid timing should they be able to impact a viable surface. In ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U'', even if the victim is in midair, they will now bounce off the ground regardless if they have sustained a notable amount of damage for the proper amount of knockback power, which is needed for some meteor smashes for programmed reasons (such as most [[Final Smash]]es).
==Meteor Cancelling==
 
In ''Melee'', the opponent can cancel the Meteor Smash by jumping or using an upwards third jump attack immediately after being struck. If the Meteor Smashed person is holding up and/or a jump button when struck by the Meteor Smash and the control stick and/or jump button goes back to their neutral position, he/she can Meteor Cancel too. When Meteor Canceling in ''Melee'', the character will glow white, have sparkling effects, and make a wind-cutting sound. If a Meteor Smash connects with a grounded opponent instead, it sends them straight up.
 
   
  +
Despite their reduced power on grounded opponents, the amount of [[hitstun]] delivered by a meteor smash is not affected by the knockback reduction, meaning such moves will cause more hitstun than non-meteor smashes with equal knockback. Combined with their vertical trajectory, this results in meteor smashes being excellent [[combo]] starters on grounded opponents.
Meteor Cancels become more difficult to perform at higher damages because the character flies downwards at a higher speed as damage increases. It's possible to Meteor Cancel at any time still being in air during the character's tumbling animation, but obviously, it's better to do it as soon as possible.
 
   
  +
==Meteor Canceling==
In ''Brawl'', Meteor Cancels can still be performed, but can no longer be performed immediately after being hit. It's only possible to Meteor Cancel after falling about half of the original distance, and smashing jump buttons won't work, because after pressing the jump button there is a period of time in which the character cannot Meteor Cancel, similar to techs. Both double jumps, triple jumps, and tether recoveries can be used to Meteor Cancel, but there are exceptions, such as Pit whose Up Special and jumps cannot be used to Meteor Cancel. Also in Brawl, some Meteors send the opponents in a slight diagonal downwards trajectory instead of straight down, similar to the spikes in ''Melee'' (their trajectories aren't as diagonal as the spike's trajectories were). These meteors include the former spikes (excluding the [[nipple spike]]), Mario's F-air, and Zero Suit Samus's D-air. When these meteors connect with grounded opponents, the trajectories have a slight deviation to the left or right instead of straight up. Charizard's D-air also sends opponents in a different trajectory from other meteors on grounded opponents, instead sending them on a diagonal upwards trajectory instead of straight up. Its D-air behaves as a normal meteor on airborne opponents however.
 
  +
'''Meteor canceling''' is the act of instantly negating the downwards knockback of a meteor smash by jumping or using an [[Up Special]] after being hit. In ''Melee'', a meteor cancel can be done 8 frames after the hitlag ends, producing a distinctive wind-cutting sound and a sparkle (the character will also briefly glow white); in ''Brawl'', meteor cancels are unindicated and can only be done after '''25''' frames (depending on the character, see below), and attempting to jump to meteor cancel before this will result in a '''40''' frame penalty before the window opens (this penalty does not apply if attempting to use an up special to meteor cancel without making a jump input), making the technique much less effective. Characters can meteor cancel even if they were hit while grounded, though they must have bounced off a ceiling and still be taking the now-downwards knockback to do so.
   
  +
Meteor canceling does not exist in the original ''Super Smash Bros.'' and was removed in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, so meteor smashes in both games are functionally equivalent to [[spike]]s.
Any character in ''Melee'' and most in ''Brawl'' can Meteor Cancel with their second jump. Meteor Smashing is useful against characters without effective recovery moves (i.e. [[Ike]], [[Yoshi]]) who have limited use for an Up B Meteor Cancel. (Although in Yoshi's case, one needs to make sure he still doesn't have his second jump, otherwise he could easily recover at lower %s.)
 
   
  +
Meteor canceling also has been removed in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U''. While some have claimed it to still exist in a weaker form, this is just mistaking the smaller amount of hitstun on meteor smashes at low percents. There is no input window for jumping or using an up special that allows the player to actually cancel any knockback, therefore, meteor smashes essentially act as true spikes in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U''.
==Stage Spike==
 
A technique in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'' called Stage Spike is done by hitting the opponent into [[stage]]s causing them to recoil off the stage often in a downwards trajectory, similar to a Meteor Smash.
 
   
  +
====Characters with unusual meteor cancel windows in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''====
== List of Meteor Smashes ==
 
  +
In ''Brawl'', some characters can meteor cancel sooner than others. Most characters can meteor cancel after '''25''' frames, while others have different values:
Not all characters have availability to a Meteor Smash. The characters that can Meteor Smash are listed here. [[Spike]]s and semi-spikes are not listed here. An interesting property of Meteor Smashes in ''Melee'' is that if the opponent is hit with the far lateral sides of the hitbox, the opponent gets sent diagonally downwards (although a spike's trajectory is more diagonal), but the attack can still be canceled. This property can be easily seen in D-Airs like Ness's and Samus's, and F-Airs like Mario's and Yoshi's.
 
  +
*{{SSBB|Charizard}}: '''30''' frames
  +
*{{SSBB|Ivysaur}}: '''15 '''frames
  +
*{{SSBB|Meta Knight}}: '''32 '''frames
  +
*{{SSBB|Olimar}}: '''15 '''frames
  +
*{{SSBB|Pit}}: '''30''' frames
  +
*{{SSBB|Wolf}}: '''60''' frames
  +
*{{SSBB|Yoshi}}: '''20''' frames
  +
*{{SSBB|Zero Suit Samus}}: '''15''' frames
   
  +
It is curious how characters that use wings for multiple jumps have a longer-than-usual window whereas those who inflate for multiple jumps do not, while characters who rely on [[tether recovery|tether recoveries]] have a shorter window to accommodate for their recovery weakness. Wolf's 60-frame delay in meteor cancelling remains inexplicable, though.
===In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''===
 
====[[Captain Falcon (SSBM)|Captain Falcon]]====
 
*Down aerial - A rather effective stomp with a decent hitbox area and high power (third strongest meteor in the game). It is often used because Captain Falcon can jump off the stage, hit with it, and still recover. If Captain Falcon hits with its upper hitbox (the nipples) it acts as a [[Spike]] and is called [[Nipple Spike]]. Is arguably the second best Meteor Smash in the game, only second to Ganondorf's D-air.
 
*[[Raptor Boost]] (air) - Captain Falcon rushes forward with a downwards vertical swing. This is a very risky attack because the attack is often done off-stage and once used renders him helpless. Conversely, Ganondorf's [[Gerudo Dragon]] in the air is not a Meteor Smash.
 
   
  +
==Similar Techniques==
====[[Donkey Kong (SSBM)|Donkey Kong]]====
 
  +
Meteor Smash is not to be confused with a [[spike]]; while spikes also have downwards knockback angles, they are diagonal enough to not be recognized by the game as a meteor smash, and thus cannot be meteor cancelled. Despite this, many players use the term "spike" to refer to meteor smashes, with the term "true spike" referring to spikes. Meteor smashes are also not to be confused with a [[stage spike]], where attacks with standard knockback angles can cause opponents to bounce off the underside of a stage and fly downwards, unable to meteor cancel.
*Down aerial - A standard stomp attack with Donkey Kong. It has moderate to high ending lag and should only be used against characters recovering from above (this is because of Donkey Kong's terrible vertical recovery).
 
*Forward aerial - This is a low-accuracy move which hits only if the opponent is touched by Donkey Kong's hands at the end of the move. Donkey Kong is very vulnerable at the end of the move. It is the hardest of all his three Meteor Smashes to perform.
 
*[[Headbutt]] - Normally, this move [[Buried|buries]] opponents. But on aerial enemies, it works as a Meteor Smash. This tactic is useful for edge guarding as Donkey Kong can smash someone downwards while keeping himself grounded.
 
   
  +
==Lists of Meteor Smashes==
====[[Falco (SSBM)|Falco]]====
 
  +
Not all characters have access to a meteor smash (e.g. [[Pikachu]] in the first three games). The characters that can meteor smash and their respective meteor smashes are listed and described here. Some items, such as [[Moltres]] and the streams of a [[Super Scope]], as well as the attacks of some bosses, also have meteor smash hitboxes, but they are not listed here. [[Spike]]s and [[semi-spike]]s, due to their differing properties, are not listed here. This list does not include [[unconventional meteor smash]]es.
*[[Falco Phantasm]] - If the opponent is airborne while struck with this move, they will be sent downwards. It is relatively easy to meteor-cancel. Conversely, Fox's [[Fox Illusion]] is not a Meteor Smash.
 
*Down throw - If Falco throws his opponent down near an edge which can't be passed through while facing away from the edge, the opponent will fall downwards at very high speeds.
 
   
  +
*[[List of meteor smashes (SSB)|List of Meteor Smashes (Super Smash Bros.)]]
====[[Fox (SSBM)|Fox]]====
 
  +
*[[List of meteor smashes (SSBM)|List of Meteor Smashes (Super Smash Bros. Melee)]]
*Down throw - A weaker version of Falco's D-Throw. When Fox throws his opponent down at an edge which can't be passed through while facing away from the edge, the opponent will drop at a quick, considerable speed.
 
  +
*[[List of meteor smashes (SSBB)|List of Meteor Smashes (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)]]
*Down aerial - An extremely weak meteor which hits about five times.
 
  +
*[[List of meteor smashes (SSBWU/3DS)|List of Meteor Smashes (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U)]]
  +
*[[List of Meteor Smashes (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)]]
   
  +
==Gallery==
====[[Ganondorf (SSBM)|Ganondorf]]====
 
  +
<gallery>
*Down aerial - Very similar to Captain Falcon's Down aerial, which is a very powerful stomp, except slightly slower. The three hitboxes cover nearly all of Ganondorf's body, so you can technically hit someone with it using Ganondorf's head. This is by far the strongest Meteor Smash in the game, being the only Meteor Smash that can reliably KO grounded opponents under 100%. It is also the second most powerful aerial attack in the game when it hits an airborne opponent (even if the opponent is grounded, only Bowser's U-Air hits harder). Factoring this with the fact it is easy to land and recover from, it is considered the best Meteor Smash in the game.
 
  +
Skyworld3.jpg|Donkey Kong performing a meteor smash with his down air attack; only meteors when sweetspotted.
 
  +
Mario Meteor Smash.jpg|Mario performing a meteor smash with his forwards air attack; only meteors as he swings his fist downwards and requires to the opponent to be below him.
====[[Ice Climbers (SSBM)|Ice Climbers]]====
 
  +
Wolfflash.jpg|Wolf performing a meteor smash with his Side Special "Wolf Flash"; only meteors at the end of the attack.
*Forward aerial - The Ice Climbers swing their hammers in an arc downwards, similar to Donkey Kong's forward aerial. This move has a little start-up lag. The Ice Climbers execute this attack in the air and smash the opponent downwards.No matter what order they are, they'll both Meteor Smash.
 
  +
</gallery>
 
====[[Jigglypuff (SSBM)|Jigglypuff]]====
 
*Down aerial - This is a nearly-impossible Meteor Smash to execute. Jigglypuff's lower hitbox has Meteor Smash properties; it sends the enemy downwards at considerable speed and length. However, if another part of Jigglypuff touches the opponent, the Meteor Smash is cancelled.
 
 
====[[Kirby (SSBM)|Kirby]]====
 
*Down aerial - Kirby's drill has Meteor Smash properties. The speed at which the opponents fall is slow and the distance is short, making it a weak attack but it is a better edgeguarder than Fox's and Yoshi's D-air.
 
*[[Final Cutter]] - This is a relatively weak Meteor Smash but can be used against characters which recover with some extra height to throw them down. This Meteor Smash can be used for combos.
 
 
====[[Link (SSBM)|Link]]====
 
*Down tilt - One of the few tilt meteors. Link swipes the ground in front of him, smashing airborne opponents. A good edgeguarding technique. Link should use this on an enemy which is recovering from directly below. Unlike Young Link's meteor smash, you can not meteor smash with the tip of the sword.
 
 
====[[Luigi (SSBM)|Luigi]]====
 
*Down aerial - This attack has two [[hitbox]]es. Luigi quickly spins once in the air and those he hits with the upper hitbox (located at his waist) are sent downwards. If the wrong part of the attack hits, like the lower hitbox located at his legs, it results in considerable knockback, making it a great edgeguard nonetheless. This move can be used on both sides of him, but his backside is much easier to use than his front side to Meteor Smash because of the angle at which he spins.
 
*Taunt - Luigi kicks his foot into the ground. If you hit an opponent hanging on an edge, it will hit them with a Meteor Smash. It has weak set-knockback.
 
 
====[[Mario (SSBM)|Mario]]====
 
*Forward aerial - Mario makes a large swinging motion with his fist, hitting those parallel to him downwards. However, it is slow, so the only way to have a better chance of sending the opponent downward without them having to recover, it`s to hit them at the part where his fist is downward(Much like a spike).
 
 
====[[Marth (SSBM)|Marth]]====
 
*[[Dancing Blade]] - On the third hit of his Dancing Blade attack, if the "down" attack is chosen, Marth will spin and swing his sword into the ground. The movement produces a Meteor Smash. Its knockback and speed are average. It is very effective over a ledge; however, timing is very important to successfully Meteor Smash a recovering opponent. The tip of the sword does not Meteor Smash, though.
 
*Down aerial - If Marth hits with the tip of the sword, the opponent will be smashed downwards at blazing speed. In the [[PAL]] version the down aerial strikes the opponent downwards in the same way as in the [[NTSC]] version although in the [[PAL]] version you can Meteor Cancel it and make a straight fall, making it a Meteor Smash. However, in the [[NTSC]] version of the game this attack can't be Meteor Cancelled, making it a Spike. If Marth does not hit with the tip of his sword, Marth will jump a little bit, and the opponent will move to the side slightly.
 
 
====[[Mewtwo (SSBM)|Mewtwo]]====
 
*Down aerial - A weak to moderate Meteor Smash, it has three hitboxes with sightly varying degrees of power. The attack's hitbox is on Mewtwo's foot and can be difficult to time properly.
 
 
====[[Mr. Game & Watch (SSBM)|Mr. Game & Watch]]====
 
*Down aerial - The first few frames of this move strike the opponent downwards but only if opponent is right beside him and touches the upper part of the key.
 
 
====[[Ness (SSBM)|Ness]]====
 
*Down aerial - Ness' stomp has quite a bit of start-up lag. Has rather high knockback at 0%, but it also has very low knockback scaling, being unable to KO grounded opponents at even 200%.
 
 
====[[Peach (SSBM)|Peach]]====
 
*Down tilt - One of the few tilt meteors in the game. Peach swipes at the ground in front of her. Any airborne player hit with her forearm will fall quickly. If the hand connects instead of the arm, the opponents will be sent upwards. This Meteor Smash is moderately difficult to use on aerial opponents because of the small hitbox and can only be effective over a ledge to KO. This takes it's place as the 9th most powerful meteor smash in the game.
 
 
====[[Roy (SSBM)|Roy]]====
 
*Down aerial - This attack is the same as Marth's, but Roy's Down aerial is much weaker, has more ending lag, and is generally harder to pull off. Hit with Roy's wrist just above the hilt of the sword to Meteor Smash. This means, like Young Link's d-air, the person has to be above Roy for the move to Meteor Smash. It is perhaps the worst meteor in the game as it is extremely weak and almost impossible to recover from due to its ending lag and Roy's fast falling speed. It is much more effective at hitting opponents recovering from above so that Roy can also recover.
 
*[[Double-Edge Dance]] - It is similar to Marth's special attack, but the third attack must be upwards instead.
 
*Up Smash - The first strike of Roy's Up Smash can Meteor Smash opponents if it hits with the sweetspot.
 
 
====[[Samus (SSBM)|Samus]]====
 
*Down aerial - Samus's standard Meteor Smash where she punches downwards in an arc. It has a wide hitbox and is the fourth most powerful Meteor Smash. A commonly used attack.
 
*Up tilt - It contains two hitboxes, with the inner hitbox having Meteor Smashing properties. An almost-impossible Meteor Smash to perform, but it is a Meteor Smash (evident by the fact you get the Meteor Smash bonus for KOing opponents with it).
 
 
====[[Yoshi (SSBM)|Yoshi]]====
 
*Down aerial - Yoshi's classic scuttle-kick. Each of his kicks is a Meteor Smash, although they are considerably weak. At high percentages Yoshi will smash the enemies quickly down. This is the strongest drill-type Meteor Smash.
 
*Forward aerial - This move is very similar to Mario's Forward aerial, but instead Yoshi uses his head to slam the opponent downward. However, it is much stronger and faster than Mario's. In fact, it is the second strongest meteor in the game and is one of the best (Ganondorf's still far exceeds Yoshi's, however).
 
 
====[[Young Link (SSBM)|Young Link]]====
 
*Down aerial - Young Link thrusts and holds his sword under him for a while. If you hit the opponent with the hilt of the sword, they will be dealt fire damage and Meteor Smashed (sometimes referred to as the 'Dragon Down aerial'). Therefore, the opponent has to be directly above Young Link for it to work. For some strange reason, Young Link can Meteor Smash with this move if the opponent is to the far side of him, too.
 
*Down tilt - Young Link sweeps his sword on the ground in front of him. It is similar to Link's D-tilt though more powerful. A good edge guarding technique. Young Link should use this attack on an enemy which is recovering from directly below him. It is better than Link's Meteor Smash, considering the fact that, unlike Link's attack, you can Meteor Smash with the tip of the sword.
 
 
====[[Zelda (SSBM)|Zelda]]====
 
*Down aerial - An extremely weak Meteor Smash which Zelda performs by extending her leg downwards.
 
*Down tilt - Zelda performs this attack by sweeping her leg. Another ground Meteor Smash which smashes the opponent downwards. This attack has extremely low range, power and priority and can only be used on the ground. Effective when the opponent is hanging off a ledge.
 
 
===In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''===
 
It should be noted that, with the addition of the [[Footstool Jump]], all characters can perform a Meteor Smash in ''[[Brawl]]''. Characters with other Meteor Smashes are listed here. Only a few characters lack a Meteor Smash outside of Footstool Jumping. The thrown [[Pitfall]], a falling [[Warp Star]], [[Moltres]]' body, [[Metagross]], [[Lakitu]]'s [[Spiny]]s, [[Deoxys]] (when it is ascending), [[Ho-Oh]]'s Sacred Fire and [[Waluigi]]'s stomp also have this effect. [[Semi-spike]]s are not included in this list. No Spikes are currently known in Brawl, so all Meteors can be cancelled. However, Meteor Cancelling is not possible when Meteor Smashed while swimming. Also, some Meteor Smashes can cause [[tripping]] at low percentages when hit on ground enemies.
 
 
====[[Bowser (SSBB)|Bowser]]====
 
*Down tilt as [[Giga Bowser (Final Smash)|Giga Bowser]] - Sweeps twice with his claws along the ground. Only the first hit Meteor Smashes, however the first hit isn't dragged to the second hit.
 
*Down aerial - Only if the final hit is sweetspotted. One of the most impractical meteors in the game as it is extremely weak and has high ending lag. The player might as well use Bowser's other, much better edgeguard options.
 
 
====[[Captain Falcon (SSBB)|Captain Falcon]]====
 
*Down aerial - Captain Falcon's classic stomp, but will only Meteor Smash if the opponent is directly underneath him with good power. If they are to the side, they will be knocked upwards at an angle, which means that the nipple Spike has been removed from this. It is weaker and harder to land then it was in Melee.
 
*[[Raptor Boost]] - If used in the air, Captain Falcon will leapfrog over the opponent, thrusting them downwards and himself hopefully to safety. This may not be a safe maneuver, unless when used as a recovery. This is an effective counter-edgeguard option against careless opponents.
 
 
====[[Diddy Kong (SSBB)|Diddy Kong]]====
 
*Down aerial - Diddy Kong thrusts both fists under him, Meteor Smashing the opponent. It is a fast meteor with slightly below average power and a small hitbox. Similar to Wolf's D-air, but stronger and more difficult to land.
 
*[[Monkey Flip]] - When he catches the opponent, jump, and the opponent will be sent downwards.
 
*[[Rocketbarrel Boost]] - When an opponent is directly under the barrels, he or she is Meteor Smashed.
 
 
====[[Donkey Kong (SSBB)|Donkey Kong]]====
 
*Down aerial - Very powerful, always Meteor Smashes if connects, yet it is slow. The best and most reliable of his three Meteor Smashes.
 
*Forward aerial - Donkey Kong swings his fists together in an arc. Hits between frames 25 and 28, with frames 27 and 28 being a Meteor Smash. Slightly weaker than his down aerial but is still powerful.
 
*[[Headbutt]] - If this hits an aerial opponent and makes contact when the head is near the bottom, rather than embedding them in the ground, it launches them downwards weakly but still has usefulness (like pivot spiking or using it in the edge).
 
 
====[[Falco (SSBB)|Falco]]====
 
*Down aerial - First few frames Meteor Smashes with average power. Start-up lag wise, it is the second fastest meteor in the game (only Marth's is faster). This is the best Meteor Smash in the game in short-hop edgegaurd situations and is by far the best meteor at Meteor Smashing opponents recovering from above (this is mostly dued to Falco's incredible jumping abilities). Like the other meteors that were spikes in Melee, this sends opponents at a very slight diagonal angle instead of straight down.
 
*[[Falco Phantasm]] - Aerial opponents hit by this are Meteor Smashed. However, unless used as a recovery, this can be a dangerous maneuver, and it is weak.
 
 
====[[Fox (SSBB)|Fox]]====
 
*Down aerial - A very weak drill Meteor Smash. Like the other meteors that were spikes in Melee, this sends opponents at a very slight diagonal angle instead of straight down, but this is hardly noticable due to its extremely weak knockback.
 
 
====[[Ganondorf (SSBB)|Ganondorf]]====
 
*Down aerial - Anyone caught in the stomp is electrocuted and sent flying downward if they are in the air, no matter when and where it connects. It has rather low ending lag in the air, making it easy to recover from (just like it was in Melee), but it has high landing lag. It is still the most powerful meteor in the game and is still the only meteor that reliably KOs grounded opponents under 100%. It is also the most powerful aerial in the game when it hits an airborne opponent (Like in Melee, there are very few aerials that hit grounded opponents harder, such as Link's sweetspotted D-air). It is one of the few meteors capable of Meteor Smashing at 0% and is one of the best Meteor Smashes in the game, especially at Meteor Smashing opponents recovering from below.
 
*[[Flame Choke]] - Ganondorf lifts his opponent by the head and launches them directly into the ground. If it is used over a ledge, they are sent downwards weakly, and will grab any ledge which can be grabbed at any percentages, as it has [[set knockback]]. If it connects without any platforms below, Ganondorf will drop towards the lower blast line, KOing the grabbed enemy and causing Ganondorf to SD.
 
*[[Wizard's Foot]] - A [[Stall-Then-Fall]]. If used in the air, the first few frames of this move Meteor Smash. Difficult to use without [[self-destruct]]ing, however. Mostly inferior to the D-air meteor as it is weaker, harder to land, and much more difficult to recover from. Like the other meteors that were spikes in Melee, this sends opponents at a very slight diagonal angle instead of straight down, this is the only advantage its has over the D-air.
 
*[[Beast Ganon]] ([[Final Smash]]) - If Ganondorf stuns his opponent(s), but does not hit them, they will fall straight down. Usually only performable if opponent is on ledge.
 
 
====[[Ice Climbers (SSBB)|Ice Climbers]]====
 
*Forward aerial - Ice Climbers swing their hammers in an arc. Only the CPU partner's hit can Meteor Smash.
 
 
====[[Ike (SSBB)|Ike]]====
 
''Has the most Meteor Smashes in Brawl''
 
*Down tilt - Ike crouches and sweeps his blade forward along the ground. A very strong Meteor Smash with great range, yet quite slow. It is by far the strongest tilt meteor and is arguably the best tilt meteor. If it hits the opponent with the handle, it sends them horizontally instead, but with the same power as the meteor hitbox.
 
*Down aerial - Ike thrusts his blade below him. The entirety of the blade Meteor Smashes very powerfully anyone who is hit at the initial thrust with huge power. Also has a long, disjointed range. It is the third strongest meteor on grounded opponents (can star KO under 125%) and the second strongest meteor on airborne opponents (Ness's meteor is stronger at low %s, but Ike's quickly exceeds his due to his D-air's much greater knockback scaling).
 
*[[Aether]] - Meteor Smashes with the downwards slash, similar to Kirby's Final Cutter.
 
*[[Eruption]] - Meteor Smashes if opponent is underneath, and gets hit only by the tip.
 
*[[Great Aether]] - When Ike slams his opponent to the ground at the end of the smash, the game recognizes it as a meteor smash. However, the player cannot actually spike others with this without hacking.
 
 
====[[King Dedede (SSBB)|King Dedede]]====
 
*[[Super Dedede Jump]] - Meteor Smashes the opponent when falling down. It can be dangerous to use unless using it while recovering. It is a powerful meteor that may KO a careless edgeguarder.
 
*Down aerial - The first hit is an extremely weak Meteor Smash, so this is another unrealistic meteor.
 
 
====[[Kirby (SSBB)|Kirby]]====
 
*Down aerial - Moderate-power drill Meteor Smash. Kirby can fast-fall while using this move to amplify the knockback. It is by far the best drill meteor as Kirby can perform multiple Meteor Smashes and still recover or perform a foot-stool jump after landing the meteor which almost always results in the opponents' death.
 
*[[Final Cutter]] - This move Meteor Smashes with the downwards slash. Mostly it combos someone into the shock wave, but it can be used on the edge to Meteor Smash.
 
 
====[[Link (SSBB)|Link]]====
 
*Down tilt - Link sweeps his sword along the ground, Meteor Smashing anyone off the edge. Decent range and power but is next to impossible to land due to it's small sweetspot.
 
 
====[[Lucario (SSBB)|Lucario]]====
 
*[[Aura Storm]] - If an opponent overlaps Lucario in the air they will be sent down quickly. It has [[set knockback]], though the knockback is still determined by how much damage he has.
 
 
====[[Lucas (SSBB)|Lucas]]====
 
*Back aerial - Lucas sweeps a downwards arc behind him with his legs, accompanied by PSI Hexagons to increase range. The hexagons are the sweetspot and send the opponents flying away, but only the tip of his foot will Meteor Smash. Very difficult to consistently land, and the angle at which the opponent is sent downwards (possible deviation of about 20 degrees to either side) is also hard to predict, and this may cause the opponent to get smashed down onto the stage if the Meteor Smash is performed near the edge. Because of that, this meteor can sometimes be unreliable.
 
*Down aerial - Lucas stomps downwards with four Psi Hexagons. The first two have little knockback, and the fourth can Meteor Smash quite weakly.
 
 
====[[Luigi (SSBB)|Luigi]]====
 
*Down tilt - Opponent must be directly under Luigi in order to be Meteor Smashed; the primary part of the attack (Luigi's foot) only Meteor Smashes on grounded opponents. It has less-than-average knockback.
 
*Down aerial - Meteor Smashes when Luigi's body hits as opposed to his legs. It is much easier to do than in ''Melee''.
 
*Down Taunt - One of the only two taunts in the game that can hit an opponent. Luigi kicks his foot into the ground. If you hit an opponent hanging on an edge, it will Meteor Smash them very powerfully with set knockback. Strongest Meteor Smash at 0% in Brawl
 
 
====[[Mario (SSBB)|Mario]]====
 
*Forward aerial - Mario swings his fist in an arc. Sends opponents downwards if they are hit at the right time. Fairly weak for a single hit Meteor Smash and slow. Must be sweetspotted to Meteor Smash unlike in Melee, but due to Brawl's physics, it is less risky. Even though this wasn't a spike in Melee, it sends opponents at a very slight diagonal trajectory in Brawl.
 
 
====[[Marth (SSBB)|Marth]]====
 
*Down aerial - Large downwards arc of the blade. Anyone caught with the tip is sent away quickly, meteor Smashing powerfully. Start-up lag wise, it is the fastest meteor in the game but it is also has obscene ending lag far after the animation finishes. One of the more difficult meteors to land and may result in a SD, especially if the player fast-falls. Like the other meteors that were spikes in Melee, this sends opponents at a very slight diagonal angle instead of straight down.
 
*[[Dancing Blade]] - If the third attack is down (green), the move produces a Meteor Smash. The tip of the sword, like in Melee, does not Meteor Smash.
 
 
====[[Mr. Game & Watch (SSBB)|Mr. Game & Watch]]====
 
*Down aerial - A [[Stall-Then-Fall]]. Stalls in the air, then falls quickly with his key extended downwards. Anyone hit in the air with the initial fall is sent downwards. Is one of the safer stall-then fall aerials.
 
*Down throw - Juggles opponent in the air like a ball then sends them down into the ground. If done close to the edge, the opponent is Meteor Smashed.
 
 
====[[Ness (SSBB)|Ness]]====
 
*Down aerial - Step Kick. Ness' classic stomp and the 2nd strongest Meteor Smash at 0%. It has very low knockback scaling and is incapable of KOing grounded opponents under 200%. Despite this, it is one of the deadliest meteors in the game, being one of the few meteors that can successfully Meteor Smash someone at 0%. As damage rises, other Meteor Smashes quickly become more effective.
 
 
====[[Olimar (SSBB)|Olimar]]====
 
*Down aerial - Thrusts a Pikmin under him. The first few frames can Meteor Smash the opponent. They effect and power of the Meteor Smash is different depending on which Pikmin is used. White Pikmin produce a very weak Meteor Smash. Yellow Pikmin produce a average power Meteor Smash with electric damage. Blue and Purple Pikmin produce a powerful Meteor Smash. The red Pikmin produces one of the strongest meteors in the game, accompany by fire damage (only Ganondorf's and Ike's D-airs are always stronger then the red Pikmin's D-air). Due to the small hitbox and even smaller sweetspot, this is a reasonably difficult meteor to land.
 
*[[End of Day]] - If a midair opponent (opponents on the ground are submerged into the ground instead) makes contact with the Hocotate Ship when it appears, they are sent downwards very quickly.
 
 
====[[Peach (SSBB)|Peach]]====
 
*Down tilt - Sweeps hand along the ground with fairly short range. Like Luigi's, it is not exactly easy to catch people in the Meteor Smash hitbox. It can also Meteor Smash opponents hanging on the ledge. While still the 9th most powerful meteor smash in the game, it is slower and significantly harder to connect with then in ''Melee''.
 
 
====[[Pit (SSBB)|Pit]]====
 
*Up smash - First swipe is a Meteor Smash to set up for the second and third hit, which launch upwards.
 
*Down tilt - Sweeps his blade along the ground. Decent power and range, but is never easy to land like other tilt meteors.
 
 
====[[Pokémon Trainer (SSBB)|Pokémon Trainer]]====
 
*'''[[Ivysaur (SSBB)|Ivysaur]]'''
 
**Down aerial - Turns upside down and shoots a burst of powder from his bulb. Very situational due to lag and risk of getting edge-hogged. Looks like his uair, except up-side down. Unlike his uair, it is a very weak aerial attack.
 
**Neutral aerial - Just the bottom of body, weak and difficult to Meteor Smash because of the small hitbox. Only nair meteor smash in the entire series.
 
*'''[[Charizard (SSBB)|Charizard]]'''
 
**Down aerial - Stomps beneath himself, and regardless where it connects, it will Meteor Smash. It is unique as it is the only meteor that hits grounded opponents harder then airborne opponents. In fact, it is the second strongest meteor on grounded opponents. On airborne opponents however, it's power is only above-average.
 
**Back aerial - If his tail sweeps downward with the flame at the tip. Is extremely weak, only is meant to hit opponents into the second, much stronger hitbox.
 
 
====[[R.O.B. (SSBB)|R.O.B.]]====
 
*Down aerial - R.O.B. fires his thrusters downwards. It is powerful, but has considerable start-up. Decent range.
 
 
====[[Samus (SSBB)|Samus]]====
 
*Up tilt - Significantly tough to time with.
 
*Down aerial - Samus swings her arm-cannon in a downwards sweep. Meteor Smashes with a fairly large [[hitbox]], though comes out a little slowly. This is her only way to KO at lower percentages.
 
 
====[[Snake (SSBB)|Snake]]====
 
*Forward aerial - Snake does an ax-heel kick, bringing his leg down from above his head to a little behind him. Anyone caught in his foot arc will get Meteor Smashed. The move will send the opponent very powerfully down and backwards. If the leg connects it instead send the opponent upwards with good knockback. It is by far the strongest fair meteor in the game and is also arguably the best fair meteor of its power, it is surprisingly easy to land, and to recover from.
 
*Forward tilt - The first hit of Snake's f-tilt is a weak Meteor Smash with set knockback. As such, it produces no knockback on grounded opponents and is only meant to lead the first hit into the second of Snake's f-tilt. You cannot land this Meteor Smash on airborne opponents as the first hit produces a different hitbox on them that sends airborne opponents on a horizontal trajectory.
 
 
====[[Sonic (SSBB)|Sonic]]====
 
*Up tilt - Part of the first kick of Sonic's u-tilt can Meteor Smash, but like the rest of the first kick it has set knockback.
 
*Up Smash - All hits but the first and the last of Sonic's u-smash can Meteor Smash if the opponent is in a precise position. Actually Meteor Smashing an opponent thusly is difficult since the opponent must DI out of the attack before the last hit connects, which is made even more difficult since the hits have reduced SDI capacity and give only 1 frame of leeway.
 
 
====[[Toon Link (SSBB)|Toon Link]]====
 
*Down aerial - A [[Stall-Then-Fall]]. Stalls in the air, then falls quickly with sword thrust downwards. Very fast, anyone hit in the air with the initial fall is sent downwards, but this attack almost always makes him [[self-destruct]] if he misses.
 
 
====[[Wario (SSBB)|Wario]]====
 
*Down aerial as [[Wario-Man]] - Face his head downward and drills, falling at a very fast speed. A very strong Meteor Smash, covers a great distance and since he can fly, he can easily land this attack off-stage without dying.
 
*[[Wario Bike|Throwing his Bike]] - When it hits his opponents in midair, it will bounce off their head. If his opponents give up, the bike will push them downwards. If his opponents keep trying to recover, the bike will rack up over 100% damage.
 
*Down throw as [[Wario-Man]] - When used next to a stage ledge, it will very powerfully Meteor Smash anyone he has grabbed. It is easier to use if Wario-Man is facing into the middle of the stage.
 
 
====[[Wolf (SSBB)|Wolf]]====
 
*Down aerial - Thrusts his arms downwards quickly, and with long duration. It is easy to land, but it is a rather weak Meteor Smash (opponents have to be over 50% for it to successfully Meteor Smash).
 
*[[Wolf Flash]] - The very end of the attack in his lower hitbox produces a rather powerful Meteor Smash. It is difficult to land and can only be used as a counter-edgeguard.
 
 
====[[Yoshi (SSBB)|Yoshi]]====
 
*Forward aerial - Like Mario's and Donkey Kong's, only Yoshi swings his head in an arc. Meteor Smashes at the more extended parts of his head. Much weaker then it was in Melee, but it can be used to finish off a grab-release chain.
 
*Down aerial - Rapidly kicks his feet under him. Most damaging drill Meteor Smash, with 11 hits of 3% each. Depending on the exact location of the opponent, their trajectory may be slightly diagonal.
 
 
====[[Zelda (SSBB)|Zelda]]====
 
*Down tilt - Zelda sticks her foot out, normally popping people up. If it hits an airborne opponent, it pops them downwards.
 
*Down aerial - Zelda sticks her foot downwards. There is a sweet spot on the foot. If the opponent is hit with this sweet-spot, they pause momentarily while being electrocuted, then are shot downwards with high power. If the move hits anywhere else, it is a weak Meteor Smash. Can only sweetspot against aerial or shielding opponents.
 
 
====[[Zero Suit Samus (SSBB)|Zero Suit Samus]]====
 
*Down aerial - A [[Stall-Then-Fall]] aerial. A weak Meteor Smash that nails down during the entire fall. Very tough to use without dying. This move sends opponents slightly diagonally downwards.
 
*[[Flip Jump]] - Zero Suit Samus does a flip jump. If an attack button is pressed while she performs this, she sticks out her foot pointing towards the center of the arc of the jump. Anyone who hits the tip of the foot is Meteor Smashed.
 
*[[Plasma Wire]] - This move shoots upwards, pulling anyone above Zero Suit Samus down on the last hit.
 
 
====All Characters====
 
*In addition, all characters can footstool jump.
 
   
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
*[[Spike]] – an attack that sends the opponent downwards yet cannot be canceled.
+
*[[Spike]] – an attack that sends the opponent downwards at an angle and cannot be canceled.
  +
*[[Semi-spike]] – an attack that hits the opponent at a very low horizontal angle, minimizing recovery opportunities.
*[[Footstool Jump]] – a ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' technique in which a character can jump on their opponent's head. If done in midair, it causes a Meteor Smash.
 
  +
*[[Footstool Jump]] – a technique in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U]]'' which makes a character jump on their opponent's head. If done on an airborne opponent, it causes them to fall downward with high lag.
[[Category:Terms]]
 
[[Category:Gameplay]]
+
[[Category:Meteor smashes]]
  +
[[Category:Game Mechanics]]
  +
[[Category:Attacks]]
  +
[[Category:Techniques (SSB)]]
  +
[[Category:Techniques (SSBM)]]
  +
[[Category:Techniques (SSBB)]]
  +
[[Category:Techniques (SSBWU/3DS)]]
  +
[[Category:Techniques (SSBU)]]

Latest revision as of 14:55, 19 February 2020

Additional Images This article or section is in need of additional or higher-quality images.
If you have a good image for this article, please upload it at Special:Upload
Kirby & Mario SSB4

Mario's Meteor Smash in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

A meteor smash is a type of attack in the Super Smash Bros. series that strikes opponents downwards, as opposed to horizontally or vertically like most attacks. Meteor smashes are primarily designed to KO or gimp recovering opponents at especially low damages. With their potential to take a stock earlier than usual, most conventional meteor smashes are somewhat slow to execute or require sweetspotting.

Some meteor smashes are not meant for edge-guarding and are done only to knock opponents into other hits of the attack. Other meteor smashes can damage only opponents that are on the ground, making them impossible to send targets downwards. These are known as unconventional meteor smashes.

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, characters that are meteor smashed onto a floor will bounce back up. While this allows them to KO when used onstage, it also allows players to tech even if they were standing on the ground (Ganondorf's down air is an exception to this due to having more hitlag). In addition, strong meteor smashes are now denoted by a unique sound effect upon connection.

General characteristics

MeteorSmashRange

The angles considered to be meteor smashes - blue range is for Melee, red range is for Brawl. Any and only angles within this range count as meteor smashes.

As they hit opponents downwards, meteor smashes cause targets that are not in the air to immediately bounce off the ground they're standing on, reducing the knockback received by 20% and thus making such attacks much weaker and less reliable KO moves on grounded targets; if the intended knockback is below a certain amount, it will not even deliver any vertical knockback at all, and instead merely cause flinching and perhaps tripping. As a result, only the strongest meteor smashes (such as Ganondorf's down aerial) are viable KO moves in on-stage situations.

In games before Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, if a meteor smash connects on a midair target, the victim does not suffer any sort of bounce effect and will stop their fall, no matter how close to the ground/floor they are on any surface that can block their fall. Because of this, they are able to tech from most meteor smashes with solid timing should they be able to impact a viable surface. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, even if the victim is in midair, they will now bounce off the ground regardless if they have sustained a notable amount of damage for the proper amount of knockback power, which is needed for some meteor smashes for programmed reasons (such as most Final Smashes).

Despite their reduced power on grounded opponents, the amount of hitstun delivered by a meteor smash is not affected by the knockback reduction, meaning such moves will cause more hitstun than non-meteor smashes with equal knockback. Combined with their vertical trajectory, this results in meteor smashes being excellent combo starters on grounded opponents.

Meteor Canceling

Meteor canceling is the act of instantly negating the downwards knockback of a meteor smash by jumping or using an Up Special after being hit. In Melee, a meteor cancel can be done 8 frames after the hitlag ends, producing a distinctive wind-cutting sound and a sparkle (the character will also briefly glow white); in Brawl, meteor cancels are unindicated and can only be done after 25 frames (depending on the character, see below), and attempting to jump to meteor cancel before this will result in a 40 frame penalty before the window opens (this penalty does not apply if attempting to use an up special to meteor cancel without making a jump input), making the technique much less effective. Characters can meteor cancel even if they were hit while grounded, though they must have bounced off a ceiling and still be taking the now-downwards knockback to do so.

Meteor canceling does not exist in the original Super Smash Bros. and was removed in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, so meteor smashes in both games are functionally equivalent to spikes.

Meteor canceling also has been removed in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U. While some have claimed it to still exist in a weaker form, this is just mistaking the smaller amount of hitstun on meteor smashes at low percents. There is no input window for jumping or using an up special that allows the player to actually cancel any knockback, therefore, meteor smashes essentially act as true spikes in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U.

Characters with unusual meteor cancel windows in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In Brawl, some characters can meteor cancel sooner than others. Most characters can meteor cancel after 25 frames, while others have different values:

It is curious how characters that use wings for multiple jumps have a longer-than-usual window whereas those who inflate for multiple jumps do not, while characters who rely on tether recoveries have a shorter window to accommodate for their recovery weakness. Wolf's 60-frame delay in meteor cancelling remains inexplicable, though.

Similar Techniques

Meteor Smash is not to be confused with a spike; while spikes also have downwards knockback angles, they are diagonal enough to not be recognized by the game as a meteor smash, and thus cannot be meteor cancelled. Despite this, many players use the term "spike" to refer to meteor smashes, with the term "true spike" referring to spikes. Meteor smashes are also not to be confused with a stage spike, where attacks with standard knockback angles can cause opponents to bounce off the underside of a stage and fly downwards, unable to meteor cancel.

Lists of Meteor Smashes

Not all characters have access to a meteor smash (e.g. Pikachu in the first three games). The characters that can meteor smash and their respective meteor smashes are listed and described here. Some items, such as Moltres and the streams of a Super Scope, as well as the attacks of some bosses, also have meteor smash hitboxes, but they are not listed here. Spikes and semi-spikes, due to their differing properties, are not listed here. This list does not include unconventional meteor smashes.

Gallery

See also