Hammer (item)

This article is about the item based on the original game Donkey Kong. For other uses, see Hammer (disambiguation).

Hammer
The hammer
Universe	Donkey Kong
Appears in	SSB SSBM SSBB
Item class	Duration/Battering

The Hammer (ハンマー, hanmā) is a close-range item that sends whoever grabs it into a clobbering frenzy for 7.5 seconds. It is one of the most "feared" weapons in the game, as it often KO's a player instantly. It originates from the Mario series, or the original Donkey Kong series. There is a chance in Melee and Brawl that the hammer head will fall off. This forces the character to walk around swinging the hammer stick like normal, but without doing any damage, making them vulnerable to an attack. The hammer head can be picked up and thrown for a very strong projectile attack.

Origin

Mario using the hammer in Donkey Kong.

The hammer comes from the arcade game Donkey Kong. In Donkey Kong, when Mario obtains the hammer, he is unable to stop swinging until the hammer disappears. He also is unable to let go of the hammer or climb ladders while swinging the hammer. The hammer can be used to destroy barrels that are being rolled down towards Mario, and can be used against other enemies. In the Super Smash Bros. series, the hammer acts similarly to how it behaved in Donkey Kong as the player can't stop swinging the hammer and is unable to drop it until it disappears. The hammer is also a powerful item that can be used against other players to get a KO.

More Information/Notes

• In Melee CPUs tend to evade characters while under effect of a hammer. However, if the the hammer head fall off, CPUs will attack (Unless another Player is under the effect of a hammer) while the player walks around swinging the hammer stick like normal.
• Characters cannot do anything except move and single jump while holding the Hammer.
• The Hammer does 22% damage every hit.
• In SSB, it has even more knockback and deals 30%, as well as no worries about the head falling off. Also, the Hammer will glow an orange color just before the time for its use runs out.
• When King Dedede grabs the Hammer, he will also swing his own hammer back and forth. In spite of this, he will not do damage if the Hammer head comes off.
• Explosion-based projectile or thrown item attacks can disrupt someone with a Hammer, such as Link's bombs or Zelda's Din's Fire, enabling characters with such attacks or items to thwart a foe with a Hammer from afar, and possibly knock it out of their hands. Hammers can also be countered. Since Counter always does more damage than the attack it blocked, this can be extremely devastating.
• Users can also be knocked off their feet that way, allowing time to quickly hit again. If you manage to be invincible, usually the one granted for re-spawning, you can easily hit the user hard. If near the edge, you can grab them while being completely invulnerable, and throw them off the edge. Anyone wielding a Hammer cannot recover in anyway possible.
• Most of the ranged grabs are long enough that with good timing, one can grab someone wielding a Hammer without getting hit by it.
• It is possible to (manually) drop a Hammer, but this can only be done while one is getting hit. In Melee, a bonus is awarded for dropping a Hammer this way.
• In Brawl, it is possible to make someone 'waste' a Hammer, as the countdown is still active, even when flinching or knocked away and spinning in the air. All one would need to do this is a throwing object, or a projectile that makes its victims knocked back/flinching when hit. Melee pauses the Hammer's countdown when the user is unable to swing, so it is impossible to 'waste' a Hammer in this way in Melee.
• Meta Knight's side Special move, if timed right, can also disrupt the swing of the Hammer while he takes no damage himself.
• Kirby's Stone special move is an excellent way to counter this item.
• The Hammer gives off vertical knockback.
• Since a character is reduced to a single jump, many CPUs accidentally SD, even if they are level 9.
• Since Hammers cannot attack below the user, opponents can KO the holder by attacking from underneath if a player jumps. If the opponent isn't KO'ed or knocked off immediately, it is easy to follow up with more attacks while the opponent is on the ground.

Melee Trophy Info

If you grab the Hammer, you'll run across the screen swinging it back and forth nonstop. In Donkey Kong, Mario used the Hammer in exactly the same fashion. It's an extremely powerful item, but you have no recovery move when carrying it. Every now and then, the mallet head will fall off, and you'll end up completely vulnerable, swinging just the handle.

Brawl Trophy Info

An item that, once grabbed, makes you swing nonstop. It's a powerful attack item that does terrific damage and sends opponents sailing. Once in a great while, the hammer's head will fall off, leaving you nothing but the handle. Of course, you can't tell whether the head is securely fastened just by looking. Hammer heads that fall off can be picked up and thrown as weapons.

• Donkey Kong (1981)

Gallery

• Hammerssb.jpg

  Hammer in SSB

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  Hammer in Melee

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  The hammer malfunctioning and losing its head.