List of meteor smashes (SSBM)

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This is a list of meteor smashes in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Captain Falcon

• Down aerial - A rather effective stomp with a decent hitbox size, decent start-up and low ending lag, and high power (fourth strongest meteor in Melee). It is often used because Captain Falcon can jump off the stage, hit with it, and recover with ease due to its low ending lag. If Captain Falcon hits with its upper hitbox (the nipples), it acts as a spike and is called the nipple spike.
• Raptor Boost (aerial) - Captain Falcon rushes forward with a downwards vertical swing that weakly meteor smashes airborne opponents. This is a very risky attack because the attack is often done off-stage and once used renders him helpless. Conversely, Ganondorf's aerial Gerudo Dragon does not produce a meteor smash hitbox.

Donkey Kong

• Down aerial - A standard stomp attack with Donkey Kong. It has below average start-up with moderate to high ending lag, but has a large hitbox with above average power. It should ideally be used against characters recovering from above, due to Donkey Kong's poor vertical recovery.
• Forward aerial - This is a low-accuracy meteor which hits only if the opponent is touched by Donkey Kong's hands at the end of the move. The attack has very slow start-up lag, with very high ending lag. It is the most difficult of all his three meteor smashes to perform, and is arguably impractical, as the down aerial always meteor smashes, is stronger, is faster, and is generally much easier to perform successfully.
• Headbutt - Normally, this move buries opponents. But on aerial enemies, it works as a weak meteor smash. This tactic is useful for safe edge guarding as Donkey Kong can meteor smash a recovering opponent while keeping himself on the floor. However, the meteor's low power makes it easy for the opponent to recover from it.

Falco

• Falco Phantasm - If the opponent is airborne while struck with this move, they will be meteor smashed weakly. It is relatively easy to meteor cancel, but can surprise a non suspecting opponent. 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.

Fox

• Down throw - A weaker version of Falco's down 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.

Ganondorf

• 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 it is technically possible to meteor smash someone while hitting them with 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 most powerful aerial attack in the game when it hits an airborne opponent (even if the opponent is grounded, a few aerials hit harder, such as Bowser's up aerial). Factoring this with the fact it is easy to land and recover from due to its low ending lag, it is usually considered the best meteor smash in Melee.

Ice Climbers

• Forward aerial - The Ice Climbers swing their hammers in an arc downwards, and meteor smash the opponent if landed properly. This move has some start-up and ending lag with relatively poor reach and average power. Both Nana and Popo's hammers have meteor smashing properties.

Kirby

• Down aerial - Kirby's drill has meteor smash properties. While the meteor smash is very weak, Kirby can "drag" the opponent down, increasing its effectiveness, and easily recover due to Kirby's great vertical recovery.
• 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.

Link

• Down tilt - One of the few tilt meteors. Link swipes the ground in front of him, meteor smashing airborne opponents if landed properly. A somewhat risky edgeguarding technique, as if it is not landed properly, it will hit the opponent upwards, aiding their recovery. It is generally ideal for Link to use this on an enemy that is recovering from below. Unlike Young Link, Link can not use the outermost hitbox to meteor smash, making the move difficult to land.

Luigi

• Down aerial - This attack has two hitboxes. Luigi quickly spins once in the air and those he hits with the upper hitbox (located at his waist) are meteor smashed with strong knockback. If the wrong part of the attack hits, like the lower hitbox located at his legs, it results in considerable horizontal knockback, making it a great edgeguarding attack nonetheless. This move can be used on both sides of him, but his backside is generally easier to land the meteor smash hitbox because of the angle at which he spins, and it is also difficult to land on grounded opponents.
• Taunt - Luigi kicks his foot into the ground. If it hits an opponent hanging on an edge, it will hit them with a meteor smash. It has weak set-knockback, with a small hitbox, making it one the least effective meteor smashes in the game.

Mario

• Forward aerial - Mario makes a large swinging motion with his fist, meteor smashing anyone he hits. This attack has very slow start-up lag and very high ending lag, making it a risky and difficult meteor smash to land. On the plus side, it will always meteor smash the opponent when landed.

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 hitbox. 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, however.
• Down aerial - If Marth hits with the tip of the sword, the opponent will be meteor 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 it can be meteor cancelled, making it a meteor smash. However, in the NTSC version of the game this attack isn't registered as a meteor smash and thus 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 be hit horizontally weakly.

Mewtwo

• Down aerial - Mewtwo flips and stomps downwards. A weak to moderately powerful meteor smash, it has three hitboxes with sightly varying degrees of power. The meteor smash has slow start-up lag, and the overall size of the hitboxes are small, making it a difficult meteor smash to land. However, it will always meteor smash when landed, and has low risk, due to Mewtwo's great vertical recovery.

Mr. Game & Watch

• Down aerial - Mr. Game & Watch pulls out a key and thrusts it below him. The first few frames of this attack strike the opponent downwards.

Ness

• Down aerial - Ness' stomp has quite a bit of start-up lag. It has high knockback at 0%, but it also has very low knockback scaling, being unable to KO grounded opponents at even 200%, and is relatively easy to meteor cancel. Ness's subpar recovery can make this a risky meteor smash if he uses this attack offstage and misses.

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 be meteor smashed. If the hand connects instead of the arm, the opponents will be sent upwards and can KO airbone opponents at 127%. This meteor smash is moderately difficult to land on aerial opponents because of its small hitbox and can only be used effectively over a ledge to KO. The meteor can KO grounded opponents under 150%.

Roy

• Down aerial - This attack is similar to Marth's down aerial, but Roy's down aerial is much weaker, has more ending lag, and is generally harder to pull off. Hitting with Roy's wrist just above the hilt of the sword will meteor smash. Like Young Link's down aerial, the opponent has to be above Roy for the move to meteor smash. It is perhaps the worst meteor in Melee as it is extremely weak and difficult to land, and Roy will usually self-destruct when used over the ledge due to its very high ending lag and Roy's fast falling speed. It is less risky to use 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.

Samus

• Down aerial - Samus' standard meteor smash where she swipes her arm cannon downwards in an arc. It has a wide hitbox and is the fifth most powerful meteor smash in Melee. A commonly used attack due to its strong power, ease of landing, and low risk.

Yoshi

• Down aerial - Yoshi's classic flutter kick. Each of his kicks is a meteor smash, although they are considerably weak.
• Forward aerial - This attack is 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, and is not quite as risky. It is the third strongest meteor smash in Melee and is generally one of the most effective.

Young Link

• Down aerial - Young Link thrusts and holds his sword under him for a while. If the player hits the opponent with the hilt of the sword, they will be dealt fire damage and meteor smashed powerfully (sometimes referred to as the "dragon down aerial"). While this is the second strongest meteor smash in Melee, it is generally impractical due to the extreme difficulty of landing it because of the fact that it will hit opponents upwards instead if the meteor smash hitbox does not land, and its high duration makes it very risky to use for edgeguarding. The meteor smash hitbox must be to the side and above Young Link instead of straight down to edgeguard opponents from above as it meteor smashes opponents at a different angle. If the grounded opponent is on the soft platform and above or to the side Young Link, then it will launch opponent upward powerfully, capable of star KOing any grounded opponents (only if the characters are on the soft platform) around 75%.
• Down tilt - Young Link sweeps his sword on the ground in front of him. It is similar to Link's down tilt though surprisingly more powerful and easier to land. It is ideal to use this attack on an enemy which is recovering from below. It is considered better than Link's down tilt meteor smash, considering the fact that, unlike Link's down tilt, it can meteor smash with the tip of the sword.

Zelda

• Down aerial - An extremely weak meteor smash which Zelda performs by extending her leg downwards. While it is relatively fast, it is by far the weakest single hit meteor smash in Melee.
• Down tilt - Zelda performs this attack by sweeping her leg. Another down tilt that can meteor smash opponents. This attack has extremely poor reach and power. Most effective when the opponent is hanging off a ledge.

Enemies and bosses

• Fighting Wire Frames - The Wire Frames in general share the meteor smashes of their parent characters, though the Male Wire Frame cannot use Raptor Boost, and the Female Wire Frame lacks Zelda's down tilt meteor.
• Master Hand - Several of Master Hand's attacks can meteor smash, but all of them are impractical because the boss has difficulties connecting with them on targets off the edge of the stage.
  • Both the Power Punch and Flying Punch are meteor smashes, and are strong enough to KO off the top.
  • The tail end of the Jetstream before Master Hand flies into the background is a weak meteor.
• Crazy Hand - Crazy Hand shares the meteor smashes of the Power Punch and Jetstream.