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| {{ArticleIcons|melee=y}} | | {{ArticleIcons|melee=y}} |
| [[File:Wobbling.gif|thumb|Wobbling in ''Melee''.]]
| | '''Wobbling''' is an infinite grab technique exclusive to the [[Ice Climbers (SSBM)|Ice Climbers]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. Wobbling received its name during [[NCT2]], wherein {{Sm|Wobbles}} claimed 9<sup>th</sup> place via the use of the technique. This technique involves [[grabbing]] and [[pummel]]ing one's opponent with the primary Ice Climber, then repeatedly using the [[forward tilt]] or [[down tilt]] with the other Ice Climber. This technique tacks on damage, and can lead to a [[forward smash]] by the secondary Ice Climber when damage is high enough. When performed with the right timing, the grab is completely inescapable; the technique can be used on all characters in the game. |
| '''Wobbling''' ({{ja|ぱしぱし}}, ''Pashipashi'')<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20130403151044/http://smashbrothers.info:80/tournament/dx/melee/07/event_rule.php</ref> is an [[infinite combo]] exclusive to the {{SSBM|Ice Climbers}} in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. Opponents cannot break out of Popo's [[grab]] and will continuously get hit by Nana. The technique can be performed on all characters in the game except against another pair of Ice Climbers. Wobbling received its name as a reference to American smasher and Ice Climbers main {{Sm|Wobbles}}, with {{Sm|Ken}} coining the term after Wobbles claimed 9th place in [[NCT2]] with considerable use of the technique. | |
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| While his name is attached to the technique, Wobbles did not actually discover Wobbling; he learned of the technique's existence after watching videos of Japanese Ice Climbers players.
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| Although only the Ice Climbers can perform true wobbling, the term "wobble" is sometimes used by competitive players as a pejorative term for any guaranteed, powerful combo that is very easy to perform.
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| In [[team]] games, a [[team wobble]] can be performed by having one player grab the enemy while the teammate attacks, in a similar fashion to the normal wobble. However, this can only be done reliably in a 2 vs. 1 situation and requires good [[spacing]] from the attacker; it is therefore uncommon.
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| ==In ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''==
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| Wobbling begins with a grab by Popo. Following this, the Ice Climbers player must use one of many methods to [[desynching|desynch]] the Ice Climbers, and have Popo [[pummel]] while Nana [[forward tilt]]s or [[down tilt]]s. This is achieved by slowly tilting the Control Stick in the middle of Popo's pummel animation; if done too fast, either Popo will throw the opponent or Nana will knock them away with a smash attack. While the aforementioned tilts are easiest and most dominant for wobbling, wobbling can also be done with staled [[forward smash]] and [[down smash]], [[back air]], [[neutral air]] in conjunction with back air, back air in conjunction with [[up tilt]], or any other move that allows for proper rhythm to be had to keep the opponent in a special form of grab hitstun during the grab. If done correctly, Popo and Nana will hit the enemy repeatedly in an alternating rhythm (exactly 200 BPM) which cannot be escaped. This can lead to a [[KO]] if Nana performs a non-stale [[smash attack]] after sufficient damage has been inflicted.
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| In addition to standard Wobbling, a variation called Blizzobbling can also be performed, where Nana instead uses [[Blizzard]] to attack opponents instead of using a tilt. Like Wobbling, it is also inescapable.
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| Wobbling works by the existence of a mechanics exploit in ''Melee''. When an opponent is grabbed, they cannot get out of the grab while they are in a special form of grab [[hitstun]]. In conjunction with any move that does damage and can go in rhythm with pummels, easiest with ftilt and dtilt, the opponent will constantly be in this form of hitstun and unable to escape the grab, allowing the wobble to work.
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| ==In later titles==
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| Wobbling is impossible to perform in ''Brawl'', due to changes in the game's grab mechanics. Despite this, the Ice Climbers gained a new, infinite [[chain grab]] that, while more difficult to perform, still guarantees a KO if properly performed. Although the technique acts differently from wobbling, it is still often referred to as “wobbling” by competitive players. In ''Melee'', Ice Climbers players almost never drop a wobble, but because the new chaingrabs are more technically demanding, '' Brawl'' Ice Climbers players were known to frequently drop the guaranteed combo in tournament. As such, the loss of wobbling is technically a [[nerf]] to the Ice Climbers. However, the Ice Climbers are considered far more tournament viable in ''Brawl'', and were recognized as the second best character in the game behind {{SSBB|Meta Knight}}. This is because the game’s reduced shield lag, buffed [[powershield]], and the removal of advanced movement options such as [[wavedashing]] made it much easier for the Ice Climbers to land a grab.
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| In ''Ultimate'', Nana can no longer act at all when Popo grabs opponents (and instead cheers for him) unless she is in the air, meaning that even if the grab mechanics were unaltered from ''Melee'', wobbling would be impossible to perform.
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| The term "wobbling" is also loosely used to refer to indefinite or long lasting chains of the same attack, which is usually made possible by certain stage elements. For example, in ''Ultimate'' {{SSBU|Isabelle}} has a pseudo-infinite with her jab when hitting opponents at an edge, due to it possessing low knockback and a high [[hitstun]] modifier, and should the victim fail to SDI out of it the combo can last until absurdly high percentages.
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| ==In [[competitive play]]== | | ==In [[competitive play]]== |
| Due to its perceived overpowering potential, Wobbling has been a controversial technique within the ''Melee'' community, and there is debate over whether or not the technique should be banned. [[Stalling]] is universally banned when done to explicitly delay tournaments, and as such, wobbling performed past a [[percent]] which guarantees a kill (usually 300 percent) is always forbidden.
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| Supporters of a full ban claim that the technique is too powerful, as it is inescapable and almost always leads to a KO. They argue that wobbling's guaranteed stock loss punishes opponents too severely for making small mistakes, and forces opponents into a playstyle of avoiding the grab at all costs, which creates frustrating and overcentralizing gameplay. Supporters of a ban also note that there are other ways for the Ice Climbers to punish off a grab, such as their hand-off [[chain grab]]s, which are only a true infinite when done near the edge of the stage (due to the CPU AI's throw behavior); they are more difficult to perform and have a higher chance of being dropped due to a misinput by the performer. They also claim that Wobbling is an uninteresting technique to watch in matches, potentially deterring spectators from wanting to view streamed matches where wobbling is taking place.
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| Opponents of a ban claim that Wobbling is a legitimate tactic, acting no different from other zero-to-death combos, such as {{SSBM|Fox}}'s [[shine spike]] at the edge, {{SSBM|Marth}}'s {{Mvsub|Marth|SSBM|back throw}} to {{Mvsub|Marth|SSBM|down tilt}} edgeguard on the space animals, and {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}'s {{Mvsub|Jigglypuff|SSBM|up throw}} to [[Rest]] combo on the space animals. As Wobbling itself requires falling into the Ice Climbers' below-average grab range, they argue that consistently being Wobbled or losing matches solely to Wobbling also reflects poor fundamental play and [[matchup]] experience. Opponents of the ban also argue that Wobbling compensates for the many weaknesses that the Ice Climbers have at top-level play, such as their poor aerial combat, and that all characters, Ice Climbers included, should be allowed to have as many advantages as possible to succeed. They point out that Wobbling can allow for upsets to occur in tournaments, and improves character diversity at top-level play (for example, by improving {{SSBM|Peach}}'s tournament viability, as she is considered the hardest [[counter (matchup)|counter]] to the Ice Climbers). At {{Trn|EVO 2013}}, for instance, Wobbles defeated several top-level players en route to a second-place finish, including {{sm|Lord}}, {{sm|Shroomed}}, {{sm|PPMD}}, {{sm|Hungrybox}}, and {{Sm|Mango}}.
| | Wobbling is an extremely controversial technique because, when performed properly, it effectively prevents the opponent from escaping or fighting. It means that a player able to perform it is sure to get a [[KO]] if he/she can grab an opponent above 20% if both [[Ice Climbers]] are present. Many Smashers, due to this perceived imbalance, have debated on whether the technique should be banned or not. The pro-wobbling side insists on the fact that the technique is too situational to influence a match, while the anti-wobbling side disagrees on this point and underlines the ease of use of wobbling and its KO guarantee. |
| ===History of wobbling bans===
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| Prior to 2013, when ''Melee'' communities were more scattered, every tournament had their own stance on wobbling; some tournaments allowed the technique, while others banned it. Following {{Trn|EVO 2013}} (where wobbling was legal), and ''Melee''{{'}}s ensuing rise in popularity, tournament rulesets generally became more unified, and as a result, wobbling was legal at nearly all tournaments from 2013 to the beginning of 2019. {{Sm|Juggleguy}} was well-known as a fierce opposer of legalizing wobbling, and he banned it at his events in [[Michigan]], including [[The Big House]]. He eventually decided to allow wobbling at his events, arguing that Michigan smashers needed practice fighting against the technique should they choose to compete in other regions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/35ubx5/juggleguy_unbans_wobbling/|title=Juggleguy unbans wobbling}}</ref>
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| However, in 2018, around the time of the release of ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', the discussion regarding wobbling started to grow again, and more and more ''Melee'' community members began to support a wobbling ban, beginning to outnumber those opposed to a ban for the first time. The "[[Platinum Age]]" saw an increasing amount of top-level Ice Climbers mains using wobbling to make deep bracket runs at major tournaments, including {{Sm|ChuDat}}, {{Sm|Nintendude}}, {{Sm|dizzkidboogie}}, {{Sm|InfiniteNumbers}}, {{Sm|Bananas}}, and {{Sm|ARMY}}, upsetting many players on their way. As wobbling's presence in ''Melee'' grew, many players were concerned about the long-term health of the game, arguing that the unpopularity of wobbling would both discourage players from competing and turn away spectators at major tournaments; top players were known to often grow extremely frustrated when fighting the Ice Climbers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpKUSHZBREM|title=Top 10 Salty Ice Climber Moments in Smash}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJU-f2R3N5s|title=dizzkidboogie (ICs) vs. ALG.EMG | n0ne (Falcon) | SSBM LT12 | DPG}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/n0ned/status/810682962584813568|title=n0ne's tweet after his set vs. dizzkidboogie}}</ref> Many top players, including {{Sm|Axe}} and {{Sm|n0ne}}, openly supported a wobbling ban.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/aogqif/axe_wobbling_needs_to_be_banned_ive_said_this_for/|title=reddit post on Axe's tweet supporting a wobbling ban}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/SSBM/comments/amh57j/nones_opinion_on_ice_climbers_wobbling_and_i_agree/|title=reddit post on n0ne's tweet supporting a wobbling ban}}</ref>
| | The most recent SBR ruleset for ''Melee'' tournaments does not have a rule dealing with wobbling; as such, it is generally up to the discretion of the tournament organizer to decide whether or not to ban the technique. |
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| In early 2019, the pro-ban movement gradually began to take off as local and regional tournament scenes began banning wobbling at their events. On February 8th, 2019, the Tennessee Smash Community made a reddit post announcing that wobbling would be banned at tournaments in several Tennessee cities. The official ruleset limited the Ice Climbers, upon grabbing the opponent, to eight separate attacks before regrabbing; violating these rules would result in a warning, game loss, or set loss at the tournament organizer's discretion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/aohjcq/tennessee_wobbling_ban_official_post/|title=Tennessee Wobbling Ban: Official Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/SSBM/comments/anz3xs/wobbling_has_been_banned_in_tennessee_we_hope/|title=Wobbling has been banned in Tennessee. We hope many more will follow suit}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tempostorm.com/articles/wobbling-issue-recap|title=The Wobbling Issue: A Recap}}</ref> As news of the ban spread around the ''Melee'' community, other regions began announcing their own bans of various degrees, including Georgia,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/SSBM/comments/dow3qt/georgia_bans_wobbling/|title=Georgia Bans Wobbling}}</ref> [[Maryland/Virginia]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/SSBM/comments/aug2fu/mdva_votes_on_wobbling_ban_implementation/|title=MD/VA Votes on Wobbling Ban Implementation}}</ref> Mississippi,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/SSBM/comments/av7r8m/mississippi_partially_bans_wobbling/|title=Mississippi partially bans wobbling}}</ref> Chicago,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/SSBM/comments/cyxike/chicago_has_banned_wobbling_explanation_in/|title=Chicago has banned wobbling (Explanation in comments)}}</ref> and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/SSBM/comments/fej41p/wobbling_has_been_banned_in_the_united_kingdom/|title=Wobbling has been banned in the United Kingdom}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/SSBM/comments/aq38wo/usa_wobble_map/|title=USA Wobble Map}}</ref>
| | ===Wobbling in the US tournaments=== |
| | While some tournaments like the [[Zero Challenge]] banned abusive use of wobbling, this technique seems to be accepted by the majority and is often tournament legal. |
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| {{Trn|Get On My Level 2019}} was the first major to officially announce a wobbling ban.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/aqphih/goml_2019_becomes_first_major_tournament_to_ban/|title=GOML 2019 becomes first major tournament to ban wobbling.}}</ref> Throughout 2019 and 2020, various majors announced their own bans of the technique, including {{Trn|Low Tier City 7}},<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/brvvyg/wobbling_will_be_banned_at_ltc7/|title=Wobbling will be banned at LTC7!}}</ref> {{Trn|The Big House 9}},<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/cq1zvw/wobbling_banned_at_tbh9/|title=Wobbling banned at TBH9}}</ref> [[Tournament:Pound Online|Pound 2020]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/ew8p1w/wobbling_is_banned_at_pound_2020/|title=Wobbling is banned at Pound 2020}}</ref> and {{Trn|Smash World Tour}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/fcilar/smash_world_tour_bans_wobbling/|title=Smash World Tour Bans Wobbling}}</ref> Today, wobbling is banned at most tournaments, although some smaller events may choose to legalize the technique at their own discretion. Ice Climbers now rely on hand-off combos as their main grab punishes; while capable of racking up high amounts of damage, true infinites are only possible near the edge of the stage, nerfing their overall power.
| | ===Wobbling in Japanese tournaments=== |
| | Wobbling is allowed in Japan; the Japanese metagame, however, differs significantly from those found in Europe and America, and as a result, the lack of a ban on wobbling can be attributed to the fact that it is not seen as a viable tactic, not due to its perceived "broken-ness". |
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| "Wobbler" is a slang term used to refer to an Ice Climbers player who relies heavily on landing a grab to wobble their opponent.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/NintendudeSSB/status/1318601754662100993|title=Nintendude's "wobbler" tweet}}</ref>
| | ===Wobbling in European tournaments=== |
| | Europe, like America, is divided on wobbling. While some players accept it and allow its use during tournaments such as [[RoX4]], the technique has met a strong opposition with players such as the Dutch smasher [[Smasher:Nihonjin|Nihonjin]] or even with countries as a whole; in France, for instance, wobbling is not tournament legal. |
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| ==References== | | ==Blizzobbling== |
| {{reflist}} | | {{incomplete}} |
| | Blizzobbling is a variation of wobbling performed with [[Blizzard]]. Instead of a tilt, the partner uses Blizzard to damage the opponent while the leader pummels. When performed with correct timing, it can also be inescapable. |
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| ==External links== | | ==External links== |
| *[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL1sFSEBtCk Video of Wobbles the Phoenix and Edreese at NCT2, showing Wobbling efficiency] | | *[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL1sFSEBtCk&mode=related&search= Video of Wobbles the Phoenix and Edreese at NCT2, showing wobbling efficiency] |
| *[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aceOP82iyFE Wobbling tutorial]
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| *[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXO2ftxYLGk Blizzobbling demonstration] | | *[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXO2ftxYLGk Blizzobbling demonstration] |
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| [[Category:Techniques (SSBM)]] | | [[Category:Techniques (SSBM)]] |
| [[Category:Character-specific terminology]] | | [[Category:Character-specific terminology]] |
| [[Category:Advanced techniques]] | | [[Category:Advanced Techniques]] |
| [[Category:Ice Climbers]] | | [[Category:Ice Climbers]] |
| [[Category:Ice Climbers (SSBM)]]
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