Editing Frame

The vast majority of timing-based elements in most video games, including the ''Smash Bros.'' series, are measured in frames. This is primarily done because using clean integers that frames are measured in is easier to comprehend than in fractions of a second. The amount of frames the game runs at per second is referred to as the "framerate" of the game. For example, Mario's forward tilt in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' comes out on frame 5 in a game that runs at 60 frames per second, meaning it takes about 0.08333 seconds for the first hitboxes to appear upon inputting the attack. Also, some games utilize the concept of subframes, or fractions of a frame (such as frame 10.56). The primary usage of subframes is to make a hyper-specific aspect of gameplay function as intended or keep said aspects working under any kind of speed or time manipulation in-game.

A notable example of lag caused by the game having issues making all necessary calculations is on [[Fountain of Dreams]] in both ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''; characters and items using special-effect-heavy animations combined with the reflective floor can cause the framerate to noticeably decrease as the game engine tries and fails to render the image in its proper resolution within a frame. This is one of the reasons why the stage is banned in doubles in ''Melee'' and on all modes in ''Ultimate'', as even minor lag can throw off experienced players.

Many mechanics are restricted to integer numbers of frames. For example, most [[hitbox]]es take their current position and their position one frame ago into account in order to stretch between the intervening space, so a fast-moving attack cannot pass through a target without damaging it. As another example, time-slowing effects in the original ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' and ''Melee'' reduce the rendering framerate as well as the physics framerate, so using [[training mode]] to reduce game speed to 1/4x results in a noticeable drop in framerate. However, other elements utilize subframes. For example, weight-based [[throw]]s can animate at varying speeds, resulting in each drawn frame showing a subframe of each animation. Starting with ''Brawl'', this method is also used for rendering slowed-down gameplay, resulting in a consistent framerate at the slow speeds of training mode and when [[slow motion]] effects like that of the [[Timer]] are active.

In {{for3ds}}, the graphics of [[Assist Trophies]] and [[Poké Ball]] Pokémon are rendered at 30 FPS (half the amount of FPS the overall game runs at), but their position, actions, and physics interactions are still calculated 60 times per second. This technique avoids taxing the 3DS's graphical processor too heavily.

In ''Ultimate'', during a match, players can pause the game and transition one frame at a time. To do so, players must use Camera Controls and press the L button to move Frame by Frame. This is also available as a speed option in [[Training Mode]], which can help in calculating frame data or practicing frame-perfect inputs (such as [[Smash Taunt]]s).