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Neutral attack

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Revision as of 23:04, January 13, 2014 by 70.15.29.127 (talk) (I find this unnecessary because we'll have to change the caption anyway when it releases)
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Kirby's neutral attack in Super Smash Bros. 4.

A neutral attack, (officially standard attack, also known as a jab, neutral A, neutral combo or AAA), is an attack performed by pressing the attack button, the A button by default, while one's character is standing, and the control stick or Wiimote directional pad is in a neutral position. A neutral attack can also be performed by crouching and tilting the Control Stick diagonally downwards in the opposite direction the character is facing, as well as by pressing the grab button right after returning to the standing animation after crouching. Jabs are typically fast, short-ranged, weak hits that are useful for starting combos, or breaking opponents' shields. Many jabs, such as Mario's, form natural "neutral" combos of two or three hits, the final hit usually inflicting the most damage and knockback, while others, such as Fox's, initiate rapid, continuous, multi-hit attacks that opponents must often DI out of.

The speed at which each hit in the sequence of a neutral combo is executed can be controlled through the timing of a player's button taps. In Melee and Brawl, neutral combos may be interrupted by crouching or shielding, in order to restart them, or to perform other moves quickly after canceling them.

Skilled players generally avoid using neutral attacks, because despite their intended use, they usually have high ending lag. The hits can also be smash DI'ed out of, have poor range, and most are inferior to other ground attacks a character may have, such as forward tilts and down tilts. Rapid jabs in particular have very high ending lag, can be easily punished, and cannot be ended easily, because tapping the attack button to perform something else only extends the time the rapid jab is held. A notable exception to this is Ike, whose neutral attack and jab combos are one of his most powerful assets.

In Super Smash Bros.

In the original Super Smash Bros, standard attacks consisting of consecutive hits, which form neutral combos, are executed by tapping A the appropriate number of times. Characters who possess a rapid jab are able to repeat it steadily and indefinitely if a player repeatedly taps A once the rapid jab is initiated.

Character Neutral combo Rapid jab Description
Captain Falcon 3 hits launches after 3rd hit Does a fast hit 2%-3%, and then another fast hit for 3%-4%, and then the "Gentleman" hit (2%-4%). It then leads to a series of punches that deal 1% damage each.
Donkey Kong 2 hits No Does a fast jab (2%-4%), followed by a uppercut (2%-4%)
Fox 2 hits launches after 2nd hit Does two fast jabs (4% each), followed by a series of rapid kicks (1% each). Series is continuous if the A button is pushed rapidly.
Jigglypuff 2 hits No Does two jabs. The first hit does 3% while the second hit does 4%-7%.
Kirby 2 hits launches after 2nd hit Does two jabs similar to how Jigglypuff does them (First does 3% and second does 4%). This then follows with weak, long ranged punches that do 1% each.
Link 3 hits launches optionally after 2nd hit Does two sword swipes (first hit does 4%-5% and second does 3%), followed by a stab that does 4%. The third hit can be replaced by a series of rapid jabs that do 1% each if he is close to his opponents.
Luigi 3 hits No Does a jab (2%), a punch (2%-4%), and a kick (4%-8%). A natural combo.
Mario 3 hits No Does a jab (2%), a punch (2%-4%), and a kick (4%-8%). This was directly taken from Super Mario 64. Is capable of doing a jab grab
Ness 3 hits No Does two punches and a side kick. First hit does 2%, second does 2%-4%, third does 4%-8%.
Pikachu 1 hit No Headbutts forward itself for 2%. Can also do a jab grab.
Samus 2 hits No Does a jab for 3%, and then swings her arm cannon downwards for 7%.
Yoshi 2 hits No Double kicks, first hit does 3% and second does 5%-8%.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

Similarly to the original Smash Bros, in Melee, standard attacks that form neutral combos are executed by tapping A the appropriate number of times, and characters who possess a rapid jab are able to repeat it steadily and indefinitely if a player repeatedly taps A once the rapid jab is initiated. Many CPUs use this attack often.

Character Neutral combo Rapid jab Description
Bowser 2 hits No Scratches with his left claw, and then his right claw. 8%-11% damage when both hits connect. Noticeable KO potential at higher percentages.
Captain Falcon 3 hits launches after 3rd hit Jabs twice, then knees opponent, followed by several fast jabs. First two jabs do around 2-3% each, the "gentlemen" kneeing does 8%, and each jab after does 1% each. A fast and somewhat short-ranged jab-attack, this move is good for disrupting an enemy's approach.
Dr. Mario 3 hits No Does a weak punch forward, followed by a second weak punch before a stronger kick forward. Damage in respective order: 3-4%, 2-4%, 5-6%
Donkey Kong 2 hits No A jab then an uppercut. 4%, then 6% damage.
Falco 2 hits launches after 2nd hit Two quick jabs, both doing 4% damage each, which can easily jab cancel into each other, and then a series of fast kicks. Each kick does 1% damage. His second jab makes him move forward slightly.
Fox 2 hits launches after 2nd hit Jabs forwards with his paw, followed by a short series of fast kicks. A versatile jab that can combo into several other attacks, including up smash (similar to in Smash 64). Very useful against shields, to jab reset, and into shine cancels. More useful against lightweights than heavyweights (such as Jigglypuff). The second jabs makes Fox move forward a bit. 2-4% damage on the first jab, 4% damage on the second jab, and 1% damage on the kicks.
Ganondorf 1 hit No A quick jab that will do 7% damage. Has actual KO potential at higher %s. Since he jabs directly in front of him, some smaller characters can easily duck under it. Ganondorf's fastest attack, it is often use in combos with his other attacks, especially his down aerial.
Ice Climbers 2 hits No Two hammer swings in front. 1-2% first hit (usually adds up to 3%), then both Climbers do 4% on the next hit, for a total of 11% damage.
Jigglypuff 2 hits No Two fast jabs. The first hit does 2-3%, the second does 3-5%. The first hit, though low in range, has good enough hitstun to be jab cancelled into a grab, into a tilt, or into itself. The second hit is good for spacing.
Kirby 2 hits launches after 2nd hit Jabs forwards with his hand, followed by a short series of fast punches. Each punch does around 1%-2%.
Link 2 hits launches after 2nd hit His combo from Smash 64. It can consist of two types of attacks; one is done by tapping A three times, which makes Link do two slashes and one stab, while tapping A constantly makes him follow this with a flurry of even faster sword stabs. First hit does 4-5%, second 2-3%, then 6%, followed by 1% per strike.
Luigi 3 hits No A three-hit attack consisting of two jabs followed by a hip bump. Useful as a low-damage opener. Because the third strike of the combo knocks the opponent away with a medium amount of lag, many players elect to omit the third strike of the combo. Luigi can repeat the first strike of the neutral attack by jab cancelling. The attack consists of two jabs, both doing 1-3% damage, and the last hit does 2-5%.
Mario 3 hits No Does a weak punch forward, followed by a second weak punch before a stronger kick forward. This entire combo was in Super Mario 64. 2-3%, 1-2%, 4-5% damage respectively.
Marth 2 hits No Swings upward, back and forth, with the first hit resembling his up tilt. Useful for both offensive and defensive spacing, especially when used with wavedashing, due to the move's non-commital nature with regards to movement. Due to its speed and disjoint and relative power for a jab, the move is also highly useful for edgeguarding linear reoveries. The second jab, while not as useful as the first jab, the fact that one can chain the 2 jab hits continuously can be used to cover many unorthodox recovery options (such as the shortened Fox Illusion or Falco Phantasm). The jabs deal 4% (base) or 6% (tip) each.
Mewtwo 1 hit launches after 1st hit 6%, then 2% or 1% randomly. Mewtwo reaches its arm out, blasting out a bit of shadow energy. Mewtwo will then blast out a stream of shadow energy. The blasts are somewhat awkward to combo with.
Mr. Game & Watch 1 hit launches on 1st hit Greenhouse - pulls out an insecticide pump and presses on it, shooting a puff of insecticide out. If the button is mashed, Mr. Game & Watch will fire the insecticide quickly. Does 1-3% per hit.
Ness 3 hits No Punches forward, hooking the opponent. Deals 3%. If pressed twice more, Ness will punch forward, then kick. 2% punch, 4% kick.
Peach 2 hits No Slaps the opponent twice, though the first hit is usually used to start combos. 1-3% first hit, 1-2% second hit.
Pichu 1 hit launches on 1st hit Jabs its head forward, can chain into itself. Quite fast, can infinite against some characters on walls. 1-2% per jab.
Pikachu 1 hit launches on 1st hit An extremely quick headbutt. Does very minimal damage (1-2%), and has a short range. This attack can be canceled into itself with two frames between possible inputs, so it can be mashed for a quick series of headbutts.
Roy 2 hits No Similar to Marth's, he slashes in front of him. Roy, however, only slashes once, and at a slower rate than Marth. 5-6%.
Samus 2 hits No A jab followed by her bringing her cannon-arm down in an axe-like way. Jab does 2-3% damage, next hit does 7% damage.
Sheik 2 hits launches after 2nd hit Two swipes that do 3-4%, followed by a fast series of punches doing 1% each.
Yoshi 2 hits No A very fast short-ranged kick that will do 2-3% damage, followed by a more powerful kick that does 4-6% damage.
Young Link 2 hits launches after 2nd hit Same as Link's; two slashes and a stab, followed by a barrage of stabs. In respective order of damage: 2-3%, 2%, 4-5%, and 1% per consecutive hit.
Zelda 1 hit No Zaps magic quickly from her palm, in a similar fashion to Ganondorf's neutral attack. Has transcendent priority. The three hits add up to 5% damage.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In Brawl, holding the A button has several uses when performing neutral attacks. Standard attacks consisting of consecutive hits that form neutral combos may be executed either by tapping A the appropriate number of times, or by holding A when one of the attacks connects with an opponent. Characters who possess a rapid jab are able to repeat it steadily and indefinitely if a player holds A once the rapid jab is initiated, however, tapping A repeatedly also works. Additionally, if A is held without attacking an opponent, some characters are able to repeat the first hit of their jab continuously until it does connect, after which their neutral combo will follow, a technique called consecutive jabbing. It should be noted that different characters' consecutive jabs repeat at different paces, with Fox and Snake possessing very fast consecutive jabs, and Ike and Sonic very slow ones. [1]

Character Consecutive jab Neutral combo Rapid jab Description
Bowser No 2 hits No Delivers two swipes with his claws. Relatively safe move, as the arm Bowser is swiping with is intangible while the hitboxes are out. 5%, then 5%.
Captain Falcon Yes 3 hits launches after 3rd hit Punches twice, followed by a knee, then a series of rapid punches. A good jab canceling move, the first hits can lead into a grab. Extremely fast, this is Captain Falcon's fastest attack, start-up lag wise, though it deals poor shield stun. 4%, 4%, 5%, and 1%.
Charizard No 3 hits No A right hand slash, a left hand slash, and a slash with the right wing. 3%, 4%, and 6%.
Diddy Kong No 3 hits launches after 3rd hit Slaps twice, turns around and kicks with his foot, and flicks his tail rapidly. 3%, 2%, and 2%, and the tail attack delivers 2% normally and 1% at the tip.
Donkey Kong No 2 hits No Delivers a cross punch, then an uppercut. Certain hitboxes can jab lock. 4% and 6%.
Falco No 2 hits launches after 2nd hit Delivers two arm slashes, then spins around rapidly with his arms extended. 4%, 2%, and 1%.
Fox Yes 2 hits launches after 2nd hit Left jab, right hook, then a flurry of kicks, or the Rapid Kick. However, the jab combo doesn't link very well unlike Falco's combo. 2%, 2%, then 1-2% per kick.
Ganondorf No 1 hit No Quick palm strike. Moderate knockback, deals more damage if the tip of the attack connects. Very slow for a jab, but it is Ganondorf's quickest ground attack. This attack is good to use out of a perfect shield. Does 7%, 9% if tipped and 5% if hit from very close.
Ice Climbers No 2 hits No Swing their hammers in front of themselves. Leader, first hit 3%, second hit 4%. Partner, 2% both hits. Total, 2%-11%.
Ike Yes 3 hits No Punches with his left hand, then moves into a step-forward kick, then an overhead swing of his sword. This move notably makes Ike the only sword fighter to use a fist in one of his moves. The move can be jab canceled into itself to rack up damage, or a move such as an up tilt. Does 16% total but usually deals about 20% or even 25% when jab canceled.
Ivysaur No 2 hits launches after 2nd hit Whips a vine, then another, then extends the range for repeated vine slaps. Normally, 3% first hit, 2% second hit, then 2% alternating with 1% for each hit. Tired, 2% first hit, 1% second hit, then 1% for each hit.
Jigglypuff Yes 2 hits No Two very quick, yet extremely short ranged slaps. Both slaps do 3% damage.
King Dedede No 2 hits launches after 2nd hit A three-part attack: first is a horizontal swipe, then a vertical swipe, and finally a repeating, indefinite hammer spin in the fashion of a drill. Can deal a large amount of damage, but the spinning part is easily DI'd out of. If the "Attack" button is held during the spinning part, the spin can be held indefinitely. Though its reach is good for a jab, it is arguably one of the worst jabs in the game as it has slow start-up (it is the neutral attack with the slowest startup), as well as being rather slow to the second and third hit. Does 6% for the first hit, 5% for the second hit, and 1% to 2% for each hit in the "drill" portion.
Kirby Yes 2 hits launches after 2nd hit Vulcan Jab - Two punches, followed by a rapid flurry of punches that release shock waves. Similar to Vulcan Jab from his Fighter Ability. This, like many of Kirby's other attacks are based off of copy abilities. Can rack up a lot of damage if used properly, but has high ending lag and can be punished should the opponent SDI out of it. Does (2%, 3%, 1%, 1%, 1%...).
Link No 3 hits No Swipes his sword across his body, second swipe goes outwards and the third hit is a stab forward. Loosely based on Link's final blow to Ganon in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The first hit can jab lock, the second has lots of hitstun, allowing it to combo into many other moves. The first two hits can jab cancel into his grab, up special, down smash or even to itself again if the opponent doesn't SDI out of it. 4%, 3%, then 5%.
Lucario No 3 hits No Waves its hand forward, does a palm thrust, and then kicks high. Each hit has blue aura accompanying it and moves Lucario a fair bit forward. The first hit can combine with other attacks well, especially grabs. By using the first strike, Lucario can initiate a Force Palm grab, standard grab or tilt to start a combo. Initial damage: First hit does 3%, second hit is 2% and the third hit is 5%. At its maximum potential this combo delivers moderate to high knockback.
Lucas Yes 3 hits No Kicks with his right leg twice, then does a spinkick with his left. Very fast, as the hitbox comes out on the second frame. Three hits doing 3%, 3%, then 4% for a max of 10%. All hits have surprising disjointed reach.
Luigi No 3 hits No Punches twice with opposing hands and then turns, thrusting his buttocks out. The first hit is extremely quick. Can jab lock by jab canceling and can also be followed up by a Fire Jump Punch. 3%, 2%, 5%.
Mario Yes 3 hits No Jabs with his right, then his left, and then kicks with his right foot. All are from Super Mario 64. Beneficial in making combos. First hit can jab lock, second can jab cancel into a forward tilt or down smash. 3%, 2%, 4%.
Marth No 2 hits No Swings upward, back and forth. Can be chained continuously. First two can be chained more quickly if well timed. Can jab lock. The first hit has a similar animation to his up tilt, but visually, it has less range. 4% base, 6% tip.
Meta Knight* No No launches immediately When held, Meta Knight yells and executes a lightning-fast series of slashes that can also hit enemies behind him. Can set-up a d-smash if buffered correctly. 10% maximum.
Mr. Game & Watch No 1 hit launches after 2nd hit Greenhouse: Mr. Game & Watch rapidly presses an insecticide pump. Good spamming move and hard to get out of. Low ending lag, this can lead into a grab or tilt. 3% for the first hit, 1% for each subsequent hit.
Ness Yes 3 hits No Jabs twice and kicks. Can jab lock. First hit does 3%, second hit 2% and third hit inflicts 4%.
Olimar No 2 hits No Headbutts twice, but hits three times. The antenna on his head deals slight damage, but not knockback. 15% damage (the last 10% is on the final hit, which connects with opponents in front of, above and behind Olimar, in that order).
Peach No 2 hits No Peach slaps the enemy twice. Similar to a move in Super Mario RPG. Excellent panic move and grab setup due to its speed (comes out in just two frames). The first slap has set knockback. Interestingly, her second slap is also her most ranged normal move. Both slaps deal 3%.
Pikachu Yes 1 hit launches on 1st hit Quick headbutt. Can be held, or just pressed. It may also cause tripping and it has a disjointed, invisible hitbox like Snake's forward tilt and up tilt. Best used against an opponent when they are next to a wall to rack up very high damage. It can also damage stage elements (such as the statues in Castle Siege) rapidly to refresh Stale-move negation. Pikachu´s fastest move. 2% damage each hit.
Pit** No 2 or 3 hits can launch after 2nd hit Slashes three times, spins the blades together back and forth, hitting repeatedly. Interestingly, Pit cannot enter his rapid fire attack by simply holding the attack button, he will only do a three hit combo. However, once he has entered the rapid fire attack, it is necessary only to continue holding the attack button to continue it. This means Pit essentially has two different combos depending if the button is tapped or held initially. 11% damage rapid attack: 1% per hit.
R.O.B. No 2 hits No Does a quick swing with each arm. Two hits; the first one deals 3% damage and deals slight upward knockback, with almost no KO potential. The second one also deals 3%, but has much more power and horizontal knockback. Total, 6%.
Samus No 2 hits No Punches and attacks with Arm Cannon in an arc. Good on short-hopping opponents close-up, otherwise the second hit can be easily shielded or shield grabbed. Does 3%, then 7%, with a total of 10%.
Sheik No 2 hits launches after 2nd hit Sweeps her right hand left then right, then repeatedly jabs with her arm straight and with her fingers sticking out. First two hits, 3%. Jabs, 2% each, 1% if hit with the tip of her fingers.
Snake Yes 3 hits No Punch, Punch, Spinkick. A natural combo. The final kick has high knockback, and KOs at high percentages, but can be powershielded depending on the character, even if the combo is done as fast as possible. This is the attack combo from Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid games. First jab can also be jab canceled into a f-tilt or grab. The farther hitbox of the first jab can also jab lock, easiest to set-up after knocking an opponent shielding an up tilt or full hop neutral aerial off a platform above Snake in stages like Battlefield. Does 14% if all three hit connect and is one of the only neutral attacks in the game capable of KOing before 150% (the other one being Ike's).
Sonic Yes 3 hits No A left-handed punch, then a right-handed punch, then finally a side kick with the left leg. Can jab lock the first and second punch (much like Snake's neutral attack). No lag, but extremely poor range. Does 7% damage total.
Squirtle Yes 3 hits No Punches once, then jumps forward and slaps with the tail, then flips forward and hits with the tail again. A one frame jab. The second hit can trip opponents sometimes, or simply lead into a grab. Does 3%, 2%, 4%, for a total of 9% damage.
Toon Link No 3 hits No Slashes twice then thrusts his sword forward. Fairly quick. The first and second hits have very little knockback. The third hit, though it has actual "knockback", has little KO potential. Primarily used as a way to create space against close-up opponents. Does 3%, 2%, 5%.
Wario No 2 hits No Left hook, then right hook. Decent knockback. Slow for a jab, but still good. Has decent range and a slight disjoint. 1st jab can even set up a forward smash. Wario walks forward slightly when this move is used consecutively. The move is similar to his punches in his boss stage in WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and how he holds up a GBA card in the multiplayer minigame, Card e-Cards. First hit does 6% (fist) or 5% (body), second does 6%.
Wolf Yes 3 hits No A natural combo of three hits; Wolf slashes with one arm, then the other, and bites on the third hit, delivering knockback. The first hit moves Wolf no distance and is a consecutive jab - it will repeat itself continuously if the attack button is held down. The second hit moves Wolf forward a very short distance, and the first and second hits may be jab canceled and immediately followed by a second jab, a grab or another attack. The third hit moves Wolf forward an even greater distance than the second, and has above average knockback and hitstun for a neutral attack, but cannot reliably KO. All three hits have substantially large hitboxes, and the second and third are often guaranteed if the first hit connects. The knockback delivered by the third hit is useful for pushing opponents to a safe distance without the risk of punishment, and it can catch opponents off guard if deliberately delayed. However, Wolf's jab is still susceptible to shield grabbing, and must be used with caution in the face of opponents with a dangerous grab game. Neutral combo can be followed up with fair, RAR back aerial, DACUS and f-smash at low to mid percentages, and a short hopped Blaster at higher percentages. The three hits deal 3%, 2% and 4% consecutively for a total of 9%.
Yoshi No 2 hits No Left kick, then right kick. Quick speed and decent damage (the second kick will clank with 14%-damage attacks, such as most tilts) make it a solid "panic" move. 3% then 6%.
Zelda No 1 hit No Extends one arm. A circular magical spark appears at the end of it, hitting up to three times. Disjointed with decent range. Hits 1-2 deal 2%, third hit deals 2%.
Zero Suit Samus Yes 3 hits No Palm strike, pistol whip, hip thrust. One of the fastest moves in the game. The third hit its easily powershield, although the jab is inescapable in aerial opponents. Hits for 2%, 2%, 3%, respectively, for a total of 7% damage.

*Meta Knight's neutral attack is unique, as it is the only jab that functions as a rapid attack, but cannot function as a single hit attack. When A is pressed, a rapid attack is immediately launched and may be continued indefinitely. However, even if A is not held, Meta Knight will slash several times before the move ends.

**Pit's neutral attack can function as either a three hit combo, or a two hit combo that launches into a rapid attack, depending on the player's input. If A is held during the second hit, Pit performs the three hit combo, but if A is pressed three times, the rapid attack initiates and continues for as long as A is held afterwards. Pit is the only character who possesses two different types of jabs.

Gallery

See also

References