Hitbox: Difference between revisions

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 {{iw|wikipedia|cuboid}}s 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]]'', ''[[SSB4]]'', and ''[[Ultimate]]'' 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 ''Super 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, known as '''interpolation''', helps 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 interpolate 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 from ''Brawl'' onward use a stretch effect to create a very long hitbox, for example in {{b|Zero Laser|Samus}} and [[Aura Storm]], instead of interpolating. It is unclear how this hitbox-stretching mechanism operates when time is slowed via [[training mode]] or other effects, as the games render subframes, whereas ''Smash 64'' and ''Melee'' simply reduce the overall framerate.

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. From ''Brawl'' onward, 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]].

|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]]).

|Knockback scaling||''Smash 64''||Also known as knockback growth. A factor in the knockback formula, generally determining the rate at which the hitbox's knockback rises as the target's damage increases, with the default being 100. For example, a value of 110 means knockback increases at a 1.1× rate compared to other hitboxes with the same damage and base knockback.

|Base knockback||''Smash 64''||A factor in the [[knockback]] formula, generally determining the minimum knockback the hitbox can apply, though not being the only factor (the hitbox's damage and knockback scaling are relevant as well).

|[[Shield damage]]||''Smash 64''||The hitbox's additional damage dealt to [[shield]]s; usually 0, which means the hitbox deals regular damage to shields (excluding the multiplier of 0.7× in ''Melee''/''Brawl'' and 1.19× in ''Smash 4''/''Ultimate''). Can also be a negative value to have hitboxes deal less damage to shields, though this is only used in ''Smash 64'', ''Melee'' and ''Ultimate''.

|Directness||''Melee''||Determines whether the hitbox is [[indirect]] or not, which is used for enemy/sticker interactions in ''Brawl'', and to determine a move's [[shieldstun]] from ''Smash 4'' onward, among other effects. The only known effect in ''Melee'' is breaking metal box with a direct hitbox makes the attacker metal. Not to be confused with a [[projectile]].