Editing Hitbox

[[Image:Mewtwo Up Aerial Hitbox Melee.gif|thumb|200px|right|An example of offensive and damageable collision bubbles in ''Melee'', as demonstrated with {{SSBM|Mewtwo}}'s up aerial. Yellow bubbles are collision bubbles, and red bubbles are hitbox bubbles.]]

A '''hitbox''' or '''collision bubble''' (sometimes '''hitbubble''') is the main structure for how attacks are executed in most fighting games. Attacks have one or more hitboxes associated with them, and when these hitboxes overlap with a target's damageable area (sometimes called their '''hurtbox''' or '''hurtbubbles'''), the attack is considered a hit. Hitboxes are invisible and usually, though not always, have the same shape as the attack's animation.

The two most common forms of hitbox shapes in video games are [[wikipedia:cuboid|cuboids]] and spheres. Neither is obviously better than the other - cuboids can more easily form long or thin attacks or targets, while spheres are easier to calculate collision detection for. ''[[Smash 64]]'' uses cuboids whereas ''[[Melee]]'', ''[[Brawl]]'', and ''SSB4'' use spheres and sphere-like structures known as capsules (cylinders with spheres on the ends).

In ''Smash 64'', hacks can enable hitbox visibility (with a few limitations), such as in [[Media:SSB Hurtboxes.png|this image]]. In ''Melee'', hitboxes can be seen by setting DBLEVEL to [[Debug menu (SSBM)/DEVELOP mode|DEVELOP]] in the {{SSBM|debug menu}}. There is no easy way to display hitboxes in-game in ''Brawl'', ''SSB4'' or ''Ultimate'', though a common technique in ''Brawl'' is to use hacks to place [[Super Scope]] shot visuals where the hitboxes are (which is significantly more involved a process and generally fails for any [[projectile]] or [[item]]).

Should multiple hitboxes of a single move connect with the opponent, only one of them will count. The order of precedence is known as the "hitbox stack" - hitboxes higher in the stack will override ones lower should they both hit at the same time. Mechanically, this is denoted by giving each hitbox an ID number, and lower numbers indicate higher precedence (higher stack position). For example, Marth's down aerial in ''Melee'' features its tipper hitbox on top of the stack, so hitting with both a tipper and non-tipper hitbox will result in the tipper counting (even if the majority of the opponent was hit by the other hitboxes). By contrast, the move in ''Brawl'' has the tipper on the bottom, so the tipper can only hit if none of the other hitboxes do. As a result, even through the sizes and positions of the hitboxes did not change much between games, the tipper is simple to hit with in ''Melee'' while being difficult in ''Brawl''.

Hitboxes that are separated from a character's hurtboxes are often called '''disjointed''', which is usually an advantage, as they can connect from a farther distance, while keeping the attacker safer from retaliation and reducing the likelihood of trading blows. Examples of disjointed hitboxes include most weapon-based attacks, and more infamously the [[up tilt]]s of {{SSB|Kirby}} in ''Smash 64'' and {{SSBB|Snake}} in ''Brawl'' as well as some of {{SSBU|Joker}}'s moves when using Arsene.

An interesting property of hitboxes in the Smash Bros. series is that under most conditions, they occupy not only the space where they currently are, but also the space where they were one [[frame]] ago as well as all the space in between (in a straight line, regardless of what the animation might look like during intervening subframes). This characteristic is likely to prevent situations where a fast projectile may end up passing through a character in less than a frame without hitting them. On the other hand, hurtboxes do not stretch over "interframe space" in this way, so a fast-moving object (such as Fox during his [[Fox Illusion|Illusion]]) may be able to move through a slow or stationary hitbox without being damaged. In addition, certain hitboxes in ''Brawl'' use the stretch effect to create a very long hitbox, for example in {{b|Zero Laser|Samus}} and [[Aura Storm]], instead of stretching over interframe space. It is unclear how the hitbox-stretching mechanism operates in ''Brawl'' when time is slowed via [[training mode]] or other effects, as ''Brawl'' renders subframes, whereas ''Melee'' and ''SSB64'' simply reduce the overall framerate.

[[Image:3D Hitboxes in Melee.png|thumb|250px|right|While the regular camera suggests Mario should have been hit already, a side view shows otherwise.]]

It is a common misconception that, like some other fighting games, hitboxes and hurtboxes only operate in two dimensions. In actuality, they interact in all three dimensions equally, even though the majority of gameplay elements are restricted to two-dimensional movement. As a result, ''Super Smash Bros.'' is more accurately described as a [[wikipedia:2.5D#3D games with a two-dimensional playing field|2.5D]] game.

*Animations where characters lean sideways can result in attacks missing them. King Dedede's [[sidestep]] in ''[[Brawl]]'' is a notorious example, allowing him to dodge attacks with narrow hitboxes even after his intangibility ends.

*Attacks that swing in a horizontal arc can hit characters of different widths at different times. For example, Peach's [[neutral aerial]] in ''[[SSB4]]'' usually hits Zero Suit Samus a frame later than most other characters. Similarly, Yoshi's running [[grab]] in ''[[Melee]]'' is so off to the side of the playing plane that it often misses a stationary Zelda completely.

When playing on a two-dimensional stage such as [[Flat Zone]], many of these quirks disappear, due to characters being almost completely flattened along the camera's axis. However, some new quirks can arise: if hitboxes are produced when an arcing attack is normally not yet in the playable plane, the flattening effect results in them being able to hit earlier than expected. It is also important to note that only the characters are flattened; their hitboxes and hurtboxes continue to operate as three-dimensional objects in a three-dimensional world, so maneuvers such as using the [[Dragoon]] are not affected.

|Offensive||style="background:rgba(255,0,0,0.5)"|Red||The standard type of attacking hitbox. In ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4'', there are various types of offensive hitboxes, some of which have unique abilities (like the ability to ignore [[shield]]s).

|Invincible||style="background:rgba(0,255,0,0.5)"|Green||Invincible targets can be hit by attacks but will not flinch or take any damage or knockback. For example, this occurs for characters that have just stepped off a [[revival platform]], or who have used a [[Starman (item)|Star]].

|Intangible||style="background:rgba(0,0,255,0.5)"|Blue||Intangible targets cannot be hit by attacks. This occurs during [[dodge]]s and [[roll]]s. Various characters have attacks which provide parts of their body with intangibility, such as Mario's head during his [[up smash]].

|Reflective||style="background:rgba(0,255,127,0.5)"|Aqua||Defensive hitboxes that [[reflect]] attacks.

|Shield||style="background:rgba(0,255,255,0.5)"|Cyan||Defensive hitboxes that [[shield]] attacks.

|Absorbing||style="background:rgba(0,127,255,0.5)"|Cyan-blue||Defensive hitboxes that [[absorb]] attacks.

|Grab||style="background:rgba(255,0,255,0.5)"|Magenta||[[Grab]] hitboxes will ignore any special or defensive hitboxes.

|Inert||style="background:rgba(191,191,191,0.5)"|Grey||Inert hitboxes are used for collision detection when a regular hitbox is unsuitable (such as the dash of [[Raptor Boost]] and [[Gerudo Dragon]]).

|[[Damage]]||''Smash 64''||The base damage dealt by the hitbox. In the first three games, the initial damage is always an integer, but it rarely ends up as one once modified by things like [[stale-move negation]]. In [[SSB4]], damage can start at any real number.

|[[Angle]]||''Smash 64''||The direction the target is sent flying. Usually a number from 0 to 360, with numbers such as 361 or 365 indicating the [[Sakurai angle]] or [[autolink angle]]. Can also be negative numbers such as -90.

|Base [[knockback]]||''Smash 64''||The minimum [[knockback]] this hitbox can apply, regardless of the target's weight and damage (but dependent on [[type effectiveness]] and [[launch rate]]).

|Knockback scaling||''Smash 64''||Modifies how much knockback rises as the target's damage increases, with the default being 100. For example, a value of 110 means that knockback will increase at a 1.1x rate compared to other hitboxes that deal the same damage.

|Fixed knockback value||''Smash 64''||If set, causes the hitbox to deal the same knockback regardless of the target's damage.

|Effect||''Smash 64''||Determines what happens when the hitbox connects: [[normal|nothing]], [[slash]]ing, [[flame|burning]], [[electric|electrocution]], etc.

|Groundness/Airness||''Smash 64''||Determines whether a hitbox can strike grounded opponents, aerial opponents, or both.

|[[Shield damage]]||''Smash 64''||Modifies how much damage the hitbox does to [[shield]]s.

|Clang||''Smash 64''||Determines whether a hitbox can cancel out other hitboxes through [[priority]] rules.

|Sound effect||''Smash 64''||On impact, each hitbox produces a sound effect with a given type (punch, kick, slash, shock, burn, etc.) and severity (small, medium, large; in ''Brawl'', huge is introduced for certain types).

|Absorptiveness||''Smash 64''||Determines whether the hitbox can be [[absorb]]ed. Usually a projectile.

|Blockability||''Melee''?||Determines whether the hitbox can be shielded.

|[[Rebound]]||''Melee''||Determines whether a move is interrupted with an animation while on the ground when it clangs with another move.

|Type||''Brawl''||Determines what kind of [[sticker]]s can power up the attack: [[arm]], [[leg]], [[body]], [[weapon]], etc.

|SDI Multiplier||''Brawl''||Modifies how much [[smash directional influence]] can be applied when struck by this hitbox.

|Freeze frames multiplier||''Brawl''||Changes how many [[freeze frames]] are applied on impact.

|Trip chance||''Brawl''||Gives the hitbox an extra chance of [[trip]]ping opponents.

|Directness||''Brawl''||Determines whether the hitbox is [[Specials: Indirect]].

|Angle Flipper||''Brawl''||Sets whether a hitbox is allowed to hit targets the opposite direction if the target is behind the attacker, among other things.

|Set Weight||''Smash 4''||Determines whether a hitbox considers the target's weight when knockback is calculated.

[[Image:Melee-YoyoGlitch-Usefulness.gif|thumb|A hitbox stretching across interframe space.]]

[[File:What are hitboxes 2.jpg|thumb|right|An example of recoil animations making hitboxes appear to be unexpectedly large. Here, {{SSB4|Ryu}} is hitting {{SSB4|Lucina}} with a [[Shoryuken]], with the blue starburst showing where the collision occurred.]]

*Because characters enter a recoil animation upon being hit, pausing the game during the freeze frames can make it appear as if the attack's hitboxes are misaligned or too large.

Image:Kirby Forward Tilt Hitbox Smash 64.gif|The hitboxes of {{SSB|Kirby}}'s forward tilt, with Kirby's collision boxes, in the original game.

Image:ToonLinkHitBoxHack.png|An example of a hack used to show the hitboxes of {{SSBB|Toon Link}}'s [[Spin Attack]] in ''Brawl''.