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[[File:Skyworld3.jpg|thumb|DK's Meteor Smash.]][[Image:Wolfflash.jpg|thumb|Wolf Meteor Smashing Falco with [[Wolf Flash]] in ''SSBB''.]]
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{{redirect|Meteor|the SoCal smasher|Smasher:Meteor}}
[[File:Donkey Kong Forward Aerial Meteor Smash Brawl.jpg|thumb|Donkey Kong's [[forward aerial]] meteor smash in ''Brawl''.]]
A '''meteor smash''' ({{ja|メテオスマッシュ|Meteo sumasshu}}) is a type of attack in the {{uv|Super Smash Bros.}} series that strikes opponents downwards, as opposed to horizontally or upwards like most attacks. Meteor smashes are primarily designed to [[KO]] or [[gimp]] [[recover]]ing opponents at an especially low damage. With their potential to take a stock earlier than usual, most conventional meteor smashes are somewhat slow to execute or require {{b|sweetspot|hitbox}}ting.


A '''Meteor Smash''' is a kind of move introduced in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' in which you can smash an opponent downwards quickly. In Melee, the opponent can cancel the Meteor Smash by jumping or using an upwards third jump attack immediately after being struck. If the Meteor Smashed person is holding up and/or a jump button when struck by the Meteor Smash and the control stick and/or jump button goes back to their neutral position, he/she can Meteor Cancel too.
Some meteor smashes are not meant for [[edge-guard]]ing and are done only to knock opponents into other hits of the attack. Other meteor smashes can damage only opponents that are on the ground, making them impossible to send targets downwards. These are known as [[unconventional meteor smash]]es.


Meteor Cancels become more difficult to perform at higher damage because the character flies downwards at a higher speed as damage increases. It's possible to Meteor Cancel at any time still being in air during the character's tumbling animation, but it's obviously better to do it as soon as possible.
In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', if a meteor smash on a grounded opponent does not induce enough knockback to knock the opponent off the ground, it has a chance of [[tripping]] them.


In Brawl, Meteor Cancels can still be performed, but can no longer be performed immediately after being hit. It's only possible to meteor cancel after falling about half of the original distance, and smashing jump buttons won't work, because after pressing the jump button there is a period of time in which the character cannot meteor cancel, similar to [[tech]]s. Both double jump, triple jump and tether recoveries can be used to meteor cancel, but there are exceptions, such as Pit whose Up Special and jumps cannot be used to meteor cancel.
In ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', characters that are meteor smashed onto a [[floor]] will bounce back up even from a midair hit. While this allows certain [[Final Smash]]es to incorporate downwards finishers and still result in KOs when used on stage, it also allows players to [[tech]] even if they were standing on the ground (unless it is an attack with a very high amount of [[hitlag]], such as {{SSB4|Ganondorf}}'s down aerial). In addition, stronger meteor smashes are now denoted by a unique sound effect upon connection. Meteor smashes also gained the ability to [[lock]] opponents if they don't induce enough knockback to knock the opponent off the ground.


Any character in ''Melee'' and most in ''Brawl'' can Meteor Cancel with their second jump.
In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', meteor smashes done on grounded-standing characters can no longer be teched. In addition, if a character is meteor smashed with their total launch speed being 3 units per frame (half the speed of when [[tech]]ing becomes impossible) or higher when they reach about 25 units below the camera boundary, they will be KO'd before reaching the lower blast line.<ref>https://twitter.com/Ruben_dal/status/1221151119172345858</ref> This makes most meteor smash [[sacrificial KO]]s reliable ways of securing a win when both players are on last stock. Additionally, characters getting meteor smashed when their damage is over 100% now causes a unique knockback animation to play, similar to reeling (this is known as DamageFlyMeteor in the game's files).


Meteor Smashing is useful against characters without effective [[triple jump]]s (i.e. [[Ike]], [[Yoshi]]) who have limited use for an Up+B Meteor Cancel. (Although in Yoshi's case, one needs to make sure he still doesn't have his second jump, otherwise he could easily recover at lower %s.)
==General characteristics==
[[File:MeteorSmashRange.png|thumb|200px|The angles considered to be meteor smashes - blue range is for ''Melee'', red range is for ''Brawl''. Any and only angles within this range count as meteor smashes.]]


A technique in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'' called [[Stage Spike]] is done by hitting the opponent into [[stage]]s causing them to get Meteor Smashed to death.
As they hit opponents downwards, meteor smashes cause targets that are not in the air to immediately bounce off the ground they're standing on (as long as they deal enough knockback to put the opponent into [[tumble]]), reducing the knockback received by 20%{{GameIcon|SSBM}}{{GameIcon|SSB4}}/15%{{GameIcon|SSBB}}/5%{{GameIcon|SSBU}} and thus making such attacks weaker and less reliable KO moves on grounded targets. If the intended knockback does not put the opponent into tumble due to the knockback being too low, it will not even deliver any vertical knockback at all, and instead merely cause hitstun and perhaps [[trip]]ping starting from ''Brawl''. As a result, only the strongest meteor smashes (such as Ganondorf's down aerial) are viable KO moves in on-stage situations.


== List of Meteor Smashes ==
In games before ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', if a meteor smash connects on a midair target and they fall towards any surface, the victim does not suffer any sort of bounce effect and will stop their fall, no matter how close to the ground/floor they are on said surface that can block their fall. Because of this, they are essentially completely unviable KO moves if the opponent lands on the ground. In addition to this, the opponent able to [[tech]] in this situation with solid timing, which will completely guarantee the victim's survival. In ''Super Smash Bros. 4'', even if the victim is in midair, they will now bounce off the ground regardless if they have sustained a notable amount of damage for the proper amount of knockback power, which is needed for some meteor smashes for programmed reasons (such as most [[Final Smash]]es). This means that strong enough meteor smashes can now be viable KO moves against aerial opponents, although teching can still be utilised to survive, at least in ''Smash 4''.
Not all characters have availability to a Meteor Smash. The characters that can Meteor Smash are listed here. Spikes are listed here but not [[Semi-Spike]]s.


===In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''===
Despite their reduced power on grounded opponents, the amount of [[hitstun]] delivered by a meteor smash is not affected by the knockback reduction, meaning such moves will cause more hitstun than non-meteor smashes with equal knockback. Combined with their vertical trajectory, this results in meteor smashes being excellent [[combo]] starters on grounded opponents. Meteor smashes on airborne foes however, depending on positioning and damage ranges, can also set-up tech chases or getup punishes.


====[[Captain Falcon (SSBM)|Captain Falcon]]====
With a handful of exceptions, almost all characters can meteor smash with their down aerial move; this, however, is a risky maneuver if used on opponents attempting recovery, since these attacks cause the character to travel a short distance downward, making the user's own recovery more difficult in certain cases. Some even, like Zero Suit Samus, outright [[stall-then-fall|make the user shoot downward]], leading to a certain [[Self-Destruct]] in most cases.
*Down aerial - A rather effective stomp with a decent hitbox area. It is often used because Captain Falcon can jump off the stage, hit with it, and still recover. If Captain Falcon hits with it's upper hitbox (the nipples) it acts as a [[Spike]] and is called [[Nipple Spike]].
*[[Raptor Boost]] (air) - Captain Falcon rushes forward with a downwards vertical swing. This is a very risky attack because the attack is often done off-stage and once used renders him helpless.


====[[Donkey Kong (SSBM)|Donkey Kong]]====
In ''Melee'' specifically, meteor smashes are a notable way to dealing with [[crouch cancel]]ing, mainly because crouch canceling is less effective against meteor smashes than moves with horizontal or vertical launch angles. The reason for this is that when a move with an upwards launch angle connects against a crouching opponent and it does not deal enough knockback to put them into tumble, it will lift them off the ground and then immediately put them in their landing animation once hitlag ends. This essentially results in the opponent suffering from a minimal amount of lag after getting hit as they suffer from no hitstun and the only lag they get is the landing lag from landing (which is only 4 frames in most cases), causing crouch canceled moves to usually have a much weaker effect than they otherwise should have on a crouching opponent. As meteor smashes do not lift the opponent off the ground however, the opponent is put into their full hitstun animation. The opponent still suffers from 0.67x the amount of hitlag and knockback compared to if they were not crouch canceling but this still results in the crouching opponent going through a lot more lag than they would against an upwards launching move with an identical amount of knockback. This allows aerial meteor smashes in particular to still be viable combo tools against crouch cancelling opponents as the reduced knockback may not be enough to prevent a combo, which is never the case with upwards launching moves.
*Down aerial - A standard stomp attack with Donkey Kong.
*Forward aerial. This is an low-accuracy move which hits only if the opponent is touched by Donkey Kong's hands at the end of the move. Donkey Kong is very vulnerable at the end of the move.
*[[Headbutt]] - Normally, this move [[Buried|buries]] opponents. But on aerial enemies, it works as a Meteor Smash. This tactic is useful for edge guarding as Donkey Kong can smash someone downwards while keeping himself on the floor.


====[[Falco (SSBM)|Falco]]====
==Meteor canceling==
*[[Falco Phantasm]] - If the opponent is airborne while struck with this move, they will be sent downwards. It is relatively easy to meteor-cancel. Conversely, Fox's [[Fox Illusion]] is not a Meteor Smash.
'''Meteor canceling''' is the act of instantly negating the downwards knockback of a meteor smash by jumping or using an [[up special]] after being hit. In ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', a meteor cancel can be done 8 frames after the hit lag ends, producing a distinctive wind-cutting sound and a sparkle (the character will also briefly glow white); in ''Brawl'', meteor cancels are not indicated and can only be done after 25 frames for most characters, though some characters have their own windows. Additionally in ''Brawl'', meteor canceling can only be performed if the meteor smash puts the opponent into [[tumble]] (in ''Melee'', it can be performed regardless of the knockback animation the opponent is put in).
*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 (SSBM)|Fox]]====
Additionally, any time a jump input is made, even before the character is meteor smashed, a penalty period of 40 frames follows the jump input frame, during which they cannot meteor cancel with double jump. Likewise, an up special input starts a 40 frame penalty on meteor cancelling with up special. These meteor cancel penalties are independent: a character can meteor cancel with up special even during double jump penalty and vice versa.  
*Down aerial - Fox's drill has Meteor Smash properties. The speed at which the opponents fall is slow and they fall only a short distance, making it an extremely weak attack.
*Down throw - A weaker version of Falco's D-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 considerable speed.


====[[Ganondorf (SSBM)|Ganondorf]]====
Though, oftentimes an up special input is also a jump input with the control stick and starts both penalties simultaneously, but not always. In a similar vein to the [[tech]] penalty, these penalties prevent players from simply [[mash]]ing said inputs to easily pull off a meteor cancel. Characters can meteor cancel even if they were hit while grounded, though they must have bounced off a ceiling and still be taking the now-downwards knockback to do so. While the player generally needs perfect timing to meteor cancel as soon as possible in ''Melee'', one exception to this is with Kirby and Jigglypuff. If Kirby or Jigglypuff has used at least one of their mid-air jumps, they can easily meteor cancel perfectly by holding the jump button after getting hit by a meteor smash. By doing this, they will [[buffer]] a jump as soon as the meteor cancel window begins (as long as they are holding the jump button when the meteor cancel window begins).
*Down aerial - Very similar to Captain Falcon's Down aerial, a very powerful stomp, except faster. The hitbox covers nearly all of Ganondorf's body, so you can technically hit someone with it using Ganondorf's head.
*[[Gerudo Dragon]] - Meteor smash only while airborne. A clone of Captain Falcon's attack.


====[[Ice Climbers (SSBM)|Ice Climbers]]====
In ''Brawl'', the penalty is still present although the penalty no longer applies during the buffer window for the jump/up special. This means that the player can input a jump or up special up to 10 frames before they can meteor cancel and they will perform the jump/up special as soon as the meteor cancel window begins. Additionally, [[tap jump]] completely ignores the penalty in ''Brawl'', so the player can perform a tap jump during the penalty period and they can still meteor cancel with a jump. Likewise, if the player inputs a regular jump during the penalty period, they can bypass the penalty with tap jump.
*Forward aerial - Followed by a little start-up lag. The Ice Climbers execute this attack in the air, which is usually cancelled by Nana's hammer, and smash the opponent downwards.


====[[Jigglypuff (SSBM)|Jigglypuff]]====
Meteor canceling only exists in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', making meteor smashes in other games functionally equivalent to [[spike]]s (although in ''Smash 4'', grounded opponents can tech meteor smashes but not spikes). However, games after ''Brawl'' check the same angle range to play a unique sound effect for meteor smashes.
*Down aerial - This is an extremely hard Meteor Smash to execute. Jigglypuff's lower hitbox has Meteor Smash properties it sends the enemy downwards at considerable speed and length. However if another part of Jigglypuff touches the opponent, the Meteor Smash is cancelled.


====[[Kirby (SSBM)|Kirby]]====
====Characters with unusual meteor cancel windows in ''Brawl''====
*Down aerial - Kirby's drill has Meteor Smash properties. The speed at which the opponents fall is slow and the distance is short, making it a weak attack but a better drill smash than Fox's.
In ''Brawl'', while most characters can meteor cancel after 25 frames, there are a handful of characters who have different timings on their meteor cancel window:
*[[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. This Meteor Smash can be used for combos.
*{{SSBB|Charizard}}: 30 frames
*{{SSBB|Ivysaur}}, {{SSBB|Olimar}} and {{SSBB|Zero Suit Samus}}: 15 frames
*{{SSBB|Meta Knight}} and {{SSBB|Pit}}: 32 frames
*{{SSBB|Wolf}}: 60 frames
*{{SSBB|Yoshi}}: 20 frames
*[[Fighting Alloy]]s: 60 frames


====[[Link (SSBM)|Link]]====
There is overall a pattern for the characters with different meteor cancel windows. Characters who possess tether up specials have a shorter meteor cancel window while characters with multiple jumps and a glide have longer meteor cancel windows. Yoshi also has a shorter meteor cancel window, likely to compensate for his up special, which grants a rather low amount of height. The one outlier to these patterns however is Wolf, who has an extremely long meteor cancel window compared to the rest of the cast, which was likely an oversight caused by his late and rushed addition into the game.
*Down tilt - This is another Meteor Smash which can only be used on the ground. Link swipes the ground in front of him, smashing airborne opponents. A good edgeguarding technique. Link should use this on an enemy which is recovering from directly below.


====[[Luigi (SSBM)|Luigi]]====
==Similar techniques==
*Down aerial - Luigi twists in the air and those he hits with his backside are sent downwards. If the wrong part of the attack hits, it results in considerable knockback, making it a great edgeguard nonetheless.
A meteor smash is not to be confused with a [[spike]]; while spikes also have downwards knockback angles, they are diagonal enough to not be recognized by the game as a meteor smash, and thus cannot be meteor canceled. Despite this, many smashers use the term "spike" to refer to meteor smashes, with the term "true spike" referring to spikes. Meteor smashes are also not to be confused with a [[stage spike]], where attacks with standard knockback angles can cause opponents to bounce off the underside of a stage and fly downwards, unable to meteor cancel.
*Taunt - Luigi kicks his foot into the ground. If you hit an opponent hanging on an edge, it will hit them with a Meteor Smash. This is one of the few Meteor Smashes which should be used on the ground.
*Down tilt - Luigi sticks his foot out in front of him. If a foe is hanging on the edge, it will weakly Meteor Smash them.


====[[Mario (SSBM)|Mario]]====
==Lists of meteor smashes==
*Forward aerial - Mario makes a large swinging motion with his fist, hitting those parallel to him downwards. This attack is slow and hard to execute, as it must be timed correctly to work.
Not all characters have access to a meteor smash (e.g. [[Pikachu]] in the first three games). The characters that can meteor smash and their respective meteor smashes are listed and described here. Some items, such as [[Moltres]] and the streams of a [[Super Scope]], as well as the attacks of some bosses, also have meteor smash hitboxes, and are also listed here. [[Spike]]s and [[semi-spike]]s, due to their differing properties, are not listed here. This list does not include [[unconventional meteor smash]]es.


====[[Marth (SSBM)|Marth]]====
{{main|List of meteor smashes (SSB)}}
*[[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. Its knockback and speed are average.
{{main|List of meteor smashes (SSBM)}}
*Down aerial - If Marth hits with the tip of the sword, the opponent will be 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 you can Meteor Cancel it and make a straight fall, making it a Meteor Smash. However, in the [[NTSC]] version of the game this attack 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 move to the side slightly. This is probably the most feared meteor smash of them all since it is used in the infamous [[Ken Combo]].
{{main|List of meteor smashes (SSBB)}}
{{main|List of meteor smashes (SSB4)}}
{{main|List of meteor smashes (SSBU)}}


====[[Mewtwo (SSBM)|Mewtwo]]====
==Gallery==
*Down aerial - A very weak Meteor Smash. The attack's hitbox is on Mewtwo's foot, and can be difficult to time properly.
<gallery>
Wolfflash.jpg|Wolf meteor smashing Falco with [[Wolf Flash]] in ''Brawl''.
LinkDtiltMeteor.jpg|Link's down tilt, one of the few meteor smashes that can only be done on the ground.
Mario Fair Meteor Smashes Kirby SSB4.jpg|Mario's meteor smash in ''Smash 3DS''.
Cloudhazardspike.jpeg|Cloud meteor smashing Mario with [[Climhazzard]] in ''Smash Wii U''.
</gallery>


====[[Mr. Game & Watch (SSBM)|Mr. Game & Watch]]====
==Trivia==
*Down aerial - The first few frames of this move strike the opponent downwards, but only if opponent is right beside him.
*Excluding custom special moves in ''Smash 4'', [[Mii Brawler]] has the most meteor smashes in the franchise, with a total of 5.
*Down throw - As with Fox and Falco.


====[[Ness (SSBM)|Ness]]====
==See also==
*Down aerial - Ness' stomp has quite a bit of start-up lag. Very powerful. Generally has an odd shaped hitbox, with huge horizontal knockback on it's sides. Disjointed.
*[[Spike]] – an attack that sends the opponent downwards yet cannot be canceled.
 
*[[Semi-spike]] – an attack that hits the opponent at a very low horizontal angle, minimizing recovery opportunities.
====[[Peach (SSBM)|Peach]]====
*[[Footstool jump]] – a technique from ''Brawl'' onward which makes a character jump on their opponent's head. If done on an aerial opponent, it causes them to fall downward.
*Down tilt - This move is one of the few Meteor Smashes which should be used on the ground. Peach swipes at the ground in front of her. Any airborne player hit with her forearm will fall quickly.
 
====[[Roy (SSBM)|Roy]]====
*Down aerial - This attack is the same as Marth's but Roy's Down aerial is weaker and harder to pull off due to a smaller [[hitbox]] and is a Meteor Smash in both [[NTSC]] and [[PAL]] versions of the game.
*[[Double-Edge Dance]] - Similar to Marth's, except the third attack must be upwards.
*Up smash - The tip of the sword is a [[Spike]] and it can't be canceled.
 
====[[Samus (SSBM)|Samus]]====
*Down aerial - Samus' standard Meteor Smash where she punches downwards. It has a decent sized hitbox. A commonly used attack.
*Up tilt - A very hard Meteor Smash to perform, but it is a Meteor Smash.
 
====[[Yoshi (SSBM)|Yoshi]]====
*Down aerial - Yoshi's classic scuttle-kick. Each of his kicks is a Meteor Smash, although they are considerably weak. At high percentages Yoshi will smash the enemies quickly down. This is the strongest drill-type Meteor Smash.
*Forward aerial - This move is very similar to Mario's Forward aerial, but instead Yoshi uses his head to slam the opponent downward. It is quicker than Mario's though.
 
====[[Young Link (SSBM)|Young Link]]====
*Down aerial - If you hit the opponent with the hilt of the sword, they will be dealt fire damage and Meteor Smashed (sometimes referred to as the 'Dragon Down aerial')
*Down tilt -Similar to Link's D-tilt though more powerful. A good edge guarding technique. Young Link should use this attack on an enemy which is recovering from directly below him. Better than Link's Meteor Smash.
 
====[[Zelda (SSBM)|Zelda]]====
*Down aerial - A very weak Meteor Smash which Zelda performs by extending her leg downwards; however, it is very strong if sweetspotted.
*Down tilt - Zelda performs this attack by sweeping her leg. Another ground Meteor Smash which smashes the opponent downwards. This attack has extremely low range, power and priority and can only be used on the ground. Effective when the opponent is hanging off a ledge.
 
===In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''===
It should be noted that, with the addition of the [[Footstool Jump]], all characters can perform a Meteor Smash in ''[[Brawl]]''. Characters with other Meteor Smashes are listed here. Only a few characters lack a meteor smash outside of Footstool Jumping. The thrown [[Pitfall]], a falling [[Warp Star]], [[Moltres]]' body, [[Metagross]], [[Lakitu]]'s [[Spiny]]s, [[Deoxys]] (when it is ascending), [[Ho-Oh]]'s Sacred Fire and [[Waluigi]]'s stomp also have this effect. [[Semi-spike]]s are not included in this list. No Spikes are currently known in Brawl, so all Meteors can be cancelled. However, Meteor Cancelling is not possible when Meteor Smashed while swimming. Also, some Meteor Smashes can cause [[tripping]] at low percentages when hit on ground enemies.
 
====[[Bowser (SSBB)|Bowser]]====
*Down tilt as [[Giga Bowser (Final Smash)|Giga Bowser]] - Sweeps twice with his claws along the ground. Only the first hit Meteor Smashes, however the first hit isn't dragged to the second hit.
*Down aerial - Only if the final hit is sweetspotted. Weak.
 
====[[Captain Falcon (SSBB)|Captain Falcon]]====
*Down aerial - Captain Falcon's classic stomp, but will only Meteor Smash if the opponent is directly underneath him with good power. If they are to the side, they will be knocked upwards at an angle, which means that the nipple Spike has been removed from this.
*[[Raptor Boost]] - If used in the air, Captain Falcon will leapfrog over the opponent, thrusting them downwards and himself hopefully to safety. This may not be a safe maneuver, unless when used as a recovery.
 
====[[Diddy Kong (SSBB)|Diddy Kong]]====
*Down aerial - Diddy Kong thrusts both fists under him, Meteor Smashing powerfully. Has a little delay, similar to Captain Falcon's stomp.
*[[Monkey Flip]] - When he catches the opponent, jump and the opponent will be sent downwards.
*[[Rocketbarrel Boost]] - When an opponent is directly under the barrels, they are Meteor Smashed.
 
====[[Donkey Kong (SSBB)|Donkey Kong]]====
*Down aerial - Very powerful, always Meteor Smashes if connects, yet it is slow. The most reliable of his three Meteor Smashes.
*Forward aerial - Donkey Kong swings his fists together in an arc. Hits between frames 25 and 28, with being frames 27 and 28 a Meteor Smash. Slightly weaker than his down aerial yet still very powerful.
*[[Headbutt]] - If this hits an aerial opponent and makes contact when the head is near the bottom, rather than embedding them in the ground, it launches them downwards weakly but still has usefulness (like pivot spiking or using it in the edge).
 
====[[Falco (SSBB)|Falco]]====
*Down aerial - First few frames in the middle to bottom hitbox is a has good Meteor Smash knockback.
*[[Falco Phantasm]] - Aerial opponents hit by this are Meteor Smashed. However, unless used as a recovery, this can be a dangerous maneuver, and it is weak.
*[[Landmaster#Falco|Landmaster]] ([[Final Smash]]) - Running over ledge grabbers occasionally Meteor Smashes them. 
 
====[[Fox (SSBB)|Fox]]====
*Down aerial - A very weak drill Meteor Smash.
*[[Landmaster#Fox|Landmaster]] ([[Final Smash]]) - Running over ledge grabbers occasionally Meteor Smashes them.


====[[Ganondorf (SSBB)|Ganondorf]]====
==References==
''Has the most Meteor Smashes in Brawl, along with Ike.''
<references/>
*Down aerial - Anyone caught in the stomp is electrocuted and sent flying downward if they are in the air, no matter when and where it connects. When caught by the stomp on the ground, the opponent should be flying upwards, mostly star KOing the opponent at high damage levels. 3rd strongest Meteor Smash in Brawl with very high knockback scaling.
*[[Flame Choke]] (ground) - Ganondorf lifts his opponent by the head and launches them directly into the ground. If it is used over a ledge, the are sent downwards weakly, and will grab any ledge which can be grabbed at any percentages, as it has [[set knockback]].
* Flame Choke (Air) - Ganondorf picks up his opponent and takes them down with him, but if done at a certain angel of a stage (mostly near a ledge) Ganondorf won't fall down with his opponent, rather the opponent will fall down alone.
*[[Wizard's Foot]] - A [[Stall-Then-Fall]]. If used in the air, the first few frames of this move Meteor Smash. Difficult to use without [[self-destruct]]ing, however.
*[[Beast Ganon]] ([[Final Smash]]) - If Ganondorf stuns his opponent(s), but does not hit them, they will fall straight down. Usually only performable if opponent is on ledge.


====[[Ice Climbers (SSBB)|Ice Climbers]]====
[[Category:Meteor smashes|*]]
*Forward aerial - Ice Climbers swing their hammers in an arc. Only the CPU partner's hit can Meteor Smash.
[[Category:Game mechanics]]
 
[[Category:Attacks]]
====[[Ike (SSBB)|Ike]]====
{{AllGames|Techniques}}
''Has the most Meteor Smashes in Brawl, along with Ganondorf.''
*Down tilt - Ike crouches and sweeps his blade forward along the ground. A very strong Meteor Smash with great range, yet quite slow.
*Down aerial - Ike thrusts his blade below him. The entirety of the blade Meteor Smashes very powerfully anyone who is hit at the initial thrust with huge power. Also has a long, disjointed range.
*[[Aether]] - Meteor Smashes with the downwards slash, similar to Kirby's Final Cutter.
*[[Eruption]] - Meteor Smashes if opponent is underneath, and gets hit only by the tip.
 
====[[King Dedede (SSBB)|King Dedede]]====
*[[Super Dedede Jump]] - Meteor Smashes the opponent when falling down. It can be dangerous to use unless using it while recovering.
 
====[[Kirby (SSBB)|Kirby]]====
*Down aerial - Moderate-power drill Meteor Smash. Kirby can fast-fall while using this move to amplify the knockback.
*[[Final Cutter]] - This move Meteor Smashes with the downwards slash. Mostly it combos someone into the shock wave, but it can be used on the edge to Meteor Smash.
 
====[[Link (SSBB)|Link]]====
*Down tilt - Link sweeps his sword along the ground, Meteor Smashing anyone off the edge. Decent range and power.
 
====[[Lucario (SSBB)|Lucario]]====
*[[Aura Storm]] - If an opponent overlaps Lucario in the air they will be sent down quickly. It has [[set knockback]] , though the knockback is still determined by how much damage he has.
 
====[[Lucas (SSBB)|Lucas]]====
*Back aerial - Lucas sweeps a downwards arc behind him with his legs, accompanied by Psi Hexagons to increase range. The hexagons are the sweetspot and send the opponents flying away, but only the tip of his foot will Meteor Smash. Very hard to land, and the angle at which the opponent is sent downwards (possible deviation of about 20 degrees to either side) is also hard to predict, and this may cause the opponent to get smashed down onto the stage if the Meteor Smash is performed near the edge.
*Down aerial - Lucas stomps downwards with four Psi Hexagons. The first two have little knockback, and the fourth can Meteor Smash quite weakly.
 
====[[Luigi (SSBB)|Luigi]]====
*Down tilt - Opponent must be directly under Luigi in order to be Meteor Smashed. It has less-than-average knockback.
*Down aerial - Meteor Smashes at the first few frames of his spinning hands. Can be used at both sides of him. It is much easier to do than in ''Melee''.
*Down [[Taunt]] - One of the only two taunts in the game that can hit an opponent. Luigi kicks his foot into the ground. If you hit an opponent hanging on an edge, it will Meteor Smash them very powerfully with set knockback. Strongest Meteor Smash at 0% in ''Brawl''. This is one of the few Meteor Smashes which should be used on the ground.
 
====[[Mario (SSBB)|Mario]]====
*Forward aerial - Mario swings his fist in an arc. Sends opponents downwards if they are hit at the right time. Fairly weak for a single hit Meteor Smash and slow.
 
====[[Marth (SSBB)|Marth]]====
*Up aerial - Must hit with the back of the sword and not sweetspotted.
*Down aerial - Large downwards arc of the blade. Anyone caught with the tip is sent away quickly, Meteor Smashing powerfully.
*[[Dancing Blade]] - Weakly Meteor Smashes with the third hit of this attack if the direction selected is down (green). It only works if it is not sweetspotted.
 
====[[Mr. Game & Watch (SSBB)|Mr. Game & Watch]]====
*Down aerial - A [[Stall-Then-Fall]]. Stalls in the air, then falls quickly with his key extended downwards. Anyone hit in the air with the initial fall is sent downwards, but this attack can be dangerous to use if it can be cancelled in the half of the distance.
*Down throw - Juggles opponent in the air like a ball then sends them down into the ground. If done close to the edge, the opponent is Meteor Smashed.
 
====[[Ness (SSBB)|Ness]]====
*Down aerial - Step Kick. Ness' classic stomp and the 2nd strongest Meteor Smash at 0%. Low knockback scaling.
 
====[[Olimar (SSBB)|Olimar]]====
*Down aerial - Thrusts a Pikmin under him. The first few frames can Meteor Smash the opponent. They effect and priority of the Meteor Smash works differently depending on which Pikmin is used. Yellow and Purple have excellent priorities, Blue and Red are regular, while White is very weak.
*[[End of Day]] - If a midair opponent (opponents on the ground are submerged into the ground instead) makes contact with the Hocotate Ship when it appears, they are sent downwards very quickly.
 
====[[Peach (SSBB)|Peach]]====
*Down tilt - Sweeps hand along the ground with fairly short range. It is hard to catch people in it, but can Meteor Smash.
*Peach Blossom - Not exactly a Meteor Smash, but if Peach unleashes her final smash on an airborne opponent, it may send them straight down.
 
====[[Pit (SSBB)|Pit]]====
*Up smash - First swipe is a Meteor Smash to set up for the second and third hit, which launch upwards.
*Down tilt - Sweeps his blade along the ground. Decent power and range.
 
====[[Pokémon Trainer (SSBB)|Pokémon Trainer]]====
*'''[[Ivysaur (SSBB)|Ivysaur]]'''
**Down aerial - Turns upside down and shoots a burst of powder from his bulb. Very situational due to lag and risky to get edge-hogged.
**Neutral aerial - Just the bottom of body, weak and difficult to Meteor Smash because of the small hitbox.
*'''[[Charizard (SSBB)|Charizard]]'''
**Down aerial - Stomps beneath himself, and regardless where it connects it will Meteor Smash similar to Ganondorf's.
**Back aerial - If his tail sweeps downward with the flame at the tip.
 
====[[R.O.B. (SSBB)|R.O.B.]]====
*Down aerial - R.O.B. fires his thrusters downwards. Very powerful, but has considerable start-up. Decent range.
*[[Gyro]] - When is spinning at the ledge, and one is hanging, the Gyro will send him/her downwards weakly.
 
====[[Samus (SSBB)|Samus]]====
*Up tilt - Very hard to time with.
*Down aerial - Samus swings her arm-cannon in a downwards sweep. Meteor Smashes with a fairly large [[hitbox]], though comes out a little slowly. This is her only way to KO at lower percentages.
*[[Screw Attack]] - Some hits Meteor Smash, but they set up for the last hit.
 
====[[Snake (SSBB)|Snake]]====
*Forward aerial - Snake does an ax-heel kick, bringing his leg down from above his head to a little behind him. Anyone caught in his foot arc will get Meteor Smashed the opponent very powerfully down and backwards. If the leg connects it instead send the opponent upwards with good knockback.
 
====[[Sonic (SSBB)|Sonic]]====
*Up smash - A lot of hits can Meteor Smash, which set up for the last hit, has [[invincibility frame]]s.
 
====[[Toon Link (SSBB)|Toon Link]]====
*Down aerial - A [[Stall-Then-Fall]]. Stalls in the air, then falls quickly with sword thrust downwards. Very fast, anyone hit in the air with the initial fall is sent downwards, but this attack makes him [[self-destruct]] if he misses.
 
====[[Wario (SSBB)|Wario]]====
*Down aerial as [[Wario-Man]] - Face his head downward and drills, falling at a very fast speed. A very strong Meteor Smash, covers a great distance and since he can fly, he can easily land this attack off-stage without dying.
*[[Wario Bike|Throwing his Bike]] - When it hits his opponents in midair, it will bounce off their head. If his opponents give up, the bike will push them downwards. If his opponents keep trying to recover, the bike will rack up over 100% damage.
*Down throw as [[Wario-Man]] - When used next to a stage ledge, it will very powerfully Meteor Smash anyone he has grabbed. It is easier to use if Wario-Man is facing into the middle of the stage.
 
====[[Wolf (SSBB)|Wolf]]====
*Down aerial - Thrusts his arms downwards quickly, and with long duration. Meteor Smashes with good knockback and very easy to use.
*[[Wolf Flash]] - The very end of the attack in his lower hitbox is a Meteor Smash.
 
====[[Yoshi (SSBB)|Yoshi]]====
*Forward aerial - Like Mario's and Donkey Kong's, only Yoshi swings his head in an arc. Meteor Smashes at the more extended parts of his head. Fairly weak for a single hit Meteor Smash, bur used to finish off a grab-release chain.
*Down aerial - Rapidly kicks his feet under him. Most damaging drill Meteor Smash, with 11 hits of 3% each.
 
====[[Zelda (SSBB)|Zelda]]====
*Down tilt - Zelda sticks her foot out, normally popping people up. If it hits an airborne opponent, it pops them downwards.
*Down aerial - Zelda sticks her foot downwards. There is a sweet spot on the foot. If the opponent is hit with this sweet-spot, they pause momentarily while being electrocuted, then are shot downwards with incredible force. Has high knockback scaling. If the move hits anywhere else, it is a weak Meteor Smash. Can only sweetspot against aerial or shielding opponents.
 
====[[Zero Suit Samus (SSBB)|Zero Suit Samus]]====
*Down aerial - A [[Stall-Then-Fall]] aerial. A weak Meteor Smash that nails down during the entire fall. Hard to use without dying.
*[[Flip Jump]] - Zero Suit Samus does a flip jump. If an attack button is pressed while she performs this, she sticks out her foot pointing towards the center of the arc of the jump. Anyone who hits the tip of the foot is Meteor Smashed.
*[[Plasma Wire]] - This move shoots upwards, pulling anyone above Zero Suit Samus down on the last hit.
 
==See also==
*[[Spike]] – an attack that sends the opponent downwards yet cannot be canceled.
*[[Semi-spike]] – an attack that hits the opponent at a very low angle, minimizing recovery opportunities.
*[[Footstool Jump]] – a ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' technique in which a character can jump on their opponent's head. If done in midair, it causes a Meteor Smash.
[[Category:Techniques]]
[[Category:Techniques (SSBM)]]
[[Category:Techniques (SSBB)]]

Latest revision as of 17:55, June 16, 2024

"Meteor" redirects here. For the SoCal smasher, see Smasher:Meteor.
Donkey Kong's forward aerial meteor smash in Brawl.

A meteor smash (メテオスマッシュ) is a type of attack in the Super Smash Bros. series that strikes opponents downwards, as opposed to horizontally or upwards like most attacks. Meteor smashes are primarily designed to KO or gimp recovering opponents at an especially low damage. With their potential to take a stock earlier than usual, most conventional meteor smashes are somewhat slow to execute or require sweetspotting.

Some meteor smashes are not meant for edge-guarding and are done only to knock opponents into other hits of the attack. Other meteor smashes can damage only opponents that are on the ground, making them impossible to send targets downwards. These are known as unconventional meteor smashes.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, if a meteor smash on a grounded opponent does not induce enough knockback to knock the opponent off the ground, it has a chance of tripping them.

In Super Smash Bros. 4, characters that are meteor smashed onto a floor will bounce back up even from a midair hit. While this allows certain Final Smashes to incorporate downwards finishers and still result in KOs when used on stage, it also allows players to tech even if they were standing on the ground (unless it is an attack with a very high amount of hitlag, such as Ganondorf's down aerial). In addition, stronger meteor smashes are now denoted by a unique sound effect upon connection. Meteor smashes also gained the ability to lock opponents if they don't induce enough knockback to knock the opponent off the ground.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, meteor smashes done on grounded-standing characters can no longer be teched. In addition, if a character is meteor smashed with their total launch speed being 3 units per frame (half the speed of when teching becomes impossible) or higher when they reach about 25 units below the camera boundary, they will be KO'd before reaching the lower blast line.[1] This makes most meteor smash sacrificial KOs reliable ways of securing a win when both players are on last stock. Additionally, characters getting meteor smashed when their damage is over 100% now causes a unique knockback animation to play, similar to reeling (this is known as DamageFlyMeteor in the game's files).

General characteristics[edit]

The angles considered to be meteor smashes - blue range is for Melee, red range is for Brawl. Any and only angles within this range count as meteor smashes.

As they hit opponents downwards, meteor smashes cause targets that are not in the air to immediately bounce off the ground they're standing on (as long as they deal enough knockback to put the opponent into tumble), reducing the knockback received by 20%Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. 4/15%Super Smash Bros. Brawl/5%Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and thus making such attacks weaker and less reliable KO moves on grounded targets. If the intended knockback does not put the opponent into tumble due to the knockback being too low, it will not even deliver any vertical knockback at all, and instead merely cause hitstun and perhaps tripping starting from Brawl. As a result, only the strongest meteor smashes (such as Ganondorf's down aerial) are viable KO moves in on-stage situations.

In games before Super Smash Bros. 4, if a meteor smash connects on a midair target and they fall towards any surface, the victim does not suffer any sort of bounce effect and will stop their fall, no matter how close to the ground/floor they are on said surface that can block their fall. Because of this, they are essentially completely unviable KO moves if the opponent lands on the ground. In addition to this, the opponent able to tech in this situation with solid timing, which will completely guarantee the victim's survival. In Super Smash Bros. 4, even if the victim is in midair, they will now bounce off the ground regardless if they have sustained a notable amount of damage for the proper amount of knockback power, which is needed for some meteor smashes for programmed reasons (such as most Final Smashes). This means that strong enough meteor smashes can now be viable KO moves against aerial opponents, although teching can still be utilised to survive, at least in Smash 4.

Despite their reduced power on grounded opponents, the amount of hitstun delivered by a meteor smash is not affected by the knockback reduction, meaning such moves will cause more hitstun than non-meteor smashes with equal knockback. Combined with their vertical trajectory, this results in meteor smashes being excellent combo starters on grounded opponents. Meteor smashes on airborne foes however, depending on positioning and damage ranges, can also set-up tech chases or getup punishes.

With a handful of exceptions, almost all characters can meteor smash with their down aerial move; this, however, is a risky maneuver if used on opponents attempting recovery, since these attacks cause the character to travel a short distance downward, making the user's own recovery more difficult in certain cases. Some even, like Zero Suit Samus, outright make the user shoot downward, leading to a certain Self-Destruct in most cases.

In Melee specifically, meteor smashes are a notable way to dealing with crouch canceling, mainly because crouch canceling is less effective against meteor smashes than moves with horizontal or vertical launch angles. The reason for this is that when a move with an upwards launch angle connects against a crouching opponent and it does not deal enough knockback to put them into tumble, it will lift them off the ground and then immediately put them in their landing animation once hitlag ends. This essentially results in the opponent suffering from a minimal amount of lag after getting hit as they suffer from no hitstun and the only lag they get is the landing lag from landing (which is only 4 frames in most cases), causing crouch canceled moves to usually have a much weaker effect than they otherwise should have on a crouching opponent. As meteor smashes do not lift the opponent off the ground however, the opponent is put into their full hitstun animation. The opponent still suffers from 0.67x the amount of hitlag and knockback compared to if they were not crouch canceling but this still results in the crouching opponent going through a lot more lag than they would against an upwards launching move with an identical amount of knockback. This allows aerial meteor smashes in particular to still be viable combo tools against crouch cancelling opponents as the reduced knockback may not be enough to prevent a combo, which is never the case with upwards launching moves.

Meteor canceling[edit]

Meteor canceling is the act of instantly negating the downwards knockback of a meteor smash by jumping or using an up special after being hit. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, a meteor cancel can be done 8 frames after the hit lag ends, producing a distinctive wind-cutting sound and a sparkle (the character will also briefly glow white); in Brawl, meteor cancels are not indicated and can only be done after 25 frames for most characters, though some characters have their own windows. Additionally in Brawl, meteor canceling can only be performed if the meteor smash puts the opponent into tumble (in Melee, it can be performed regardless of the knockback animation the opponent is put in).

Additionally, any time a jump input is made, even before the character is meteor smashed, a penalty period of 40 frames follows the jump input frame, during which they cannot meteor cancel with double jump. Likewise, an up special input starts a 40 frame penalty on meteor cancelling with up special. These meteor cancel penalties are independent: a character can meteor cancel with up special even during double jump penalty and vice versa.

Though, oftentimes an up special input is also a jump input with the control stick and starts both penalties simultaneously, but not always. In a similar vein to the tech penalty, these penalties prevent players from simply mashing said inputs to easily pull off a meteor cancel. Characters can meteor cancel even if they were hit while grounded, though they must have bounced off a ceiling and still be taking the now-downwards knockback to do so. While the player generally needs perfect timing to meteor cancel as soon as possible in Melee, one exception to this is with Kirby and Jigglypuff. If Kirby or Jigglypuff has used at least one of their mid-air jumps, they can easily meteor cancel perfectly by holding the jump button after getting hit by a meteor smash. By doing this, they will buffer a jump as soon as the meteor cancel window begins (as long as they are holding the jump button when the meteor cancel window begins).

In Brawl, the penalty is still present although the penalty no longer applies during the buffer window for the jump/up special. This means that the player can input a jump or up special up to 10 frames before they can meteor cancel and they will perform the jump/up special as soon as the meteor cancel window begins. Additionally, tap jump completely ignores the penalty in Brawl, so the player can perform a tap jump during the penalty period and they can still meteor cancel with a jump. Likewise, if the player inputs a regular jump during the penalty period, they can bypass the penalty with tap jump.

Meteor canceling only exists in Melee and Brawl, making meteor smashes in other games functionally equivalent to spikes (although in Smash 4, grounded opponents can tech meteor smashes but not spikes). However, games after Brawl check the same angle range to play a unique sound effect for meteor smashes.

Characters with unusual meteor cancel windows in Brawl[edit]

In Brawl, while most characters can meteor cancel after 25 frames, there are a handful of characters who have different timings on their meteor cancel window:

There is overall a pattern for the characters with different meteor cancel windows. Characters who possess tether up specials have a shorter meteor cancel window while characters with multiple jumps and a glide have longer meteor cancel windows. Yoshi also has a shorter meteor cancel window, likely to compensate for his up special, which grants a rather low amount of height. The one outlier to these patterns however is Wolf, who has an extremely long meteor cancel window compared to the rest of the cast, which was likely an oversight caused by his late and rushed addition into the game.

Similar techniques[edit]

A meteor smash is not to be confused with a spike; while spikes also have downwards knockback angles, they are diagonal enough to not be recognized by the game as a meteor smash, and thus cannot be meteor canceled. Despite this, many smashers use the term "spike" to refer to meteor smashes, with the term "true spike" referring to spikes. Meteor smashes are also not to be confused with a stage spike, where attacks with standard knockback angles can cause opponents to bounce off the underside of a stage and fly downwards, unable to meteor cancel.

Lists of meteor smashes[edit]

Not all characters have access to a meteor smash (e.g. Pikachu in the first three games). The characters that can meteor smash and their respective meteor smashes are listed and described here. Some items, such as Moltres and the streams of a Super Scope, as well as the attacks of some bosses, also have meteor smash hitboxes, and are also listed here. Spikes and semi-spikes, due to their differing properties, are not listed here. This list does not include unconventional meteor smashes.

Main article: List of meteor smashes (SSB)
Main article: List of meteor smashes (SSBM)
Main article: List of meteor smashes (SSBB)
Main article: List of meteor smashes (SSB4)
Main article: List of meteor smashes (SSBU)

Gallery[edit]

  • Wolf meteor smashing Falco with Wolf Flash in Brawl.

    Wolf meteor smashing Falco with Wolf Flash in Brawl.

  • Link's down tilt, one of the few meteor smashes that can only be done on the ground.

    Link's down tilt, one of the few meteor smashes that can only be done on the ground.

  • Mario's meteor smash in Smash 3DS.

    Mario's meteor smash in Smash 3DS.

  • Cloud meteor smashing Mario with Climhazzard in Smash Wii U.

    Cloud meteor smashing Mario with Climhazzard in Smash Wii U.

Trivia[edit]

  • Excluding custom special moves in Smash 4, Mii Brawler has the most meteor smashes in the franchise, with a total of 5.

See also[edit]

  • Spike – an attack that sends the opponent downwards yet cannot be canceled.
  • Semi-spike – an attack that hits the opponent at a very low horizontal angle, minimizing recovery opportunities.
  • Footstool jump – a technique from Brawl onward which makes a character jump on their opponent's head. If done on an aerial opponent, it causes them to fall downward.

References[edit]

  1. ^ https://twitter.com/Ruben_dal/status/1221151119172345858
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