Crawling

Snake crawling.

Crawling (also known as "crouchwalking") is a technique introduced in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. While crouching, it allows certain characters to move while staying low to the ground, and can be used to avoid certain projectiles.

The usefulness of crawling primarily depends on how low the character's crouch is. For example, Snake has a very low crouch that significantly reduces his height, making his crawl highly effective for dodging projectiles and attacks with high hitboxes, while Bowser's crouch is much higher and barely reduces his height, leaving it near useless to dodge such attacks. While most characters can change the direction they face while crawling, all crawling characters can crawl backwards.

Characters can use their down tilt attack while crawling. Some characters have down tilts that move them forward, causing them to pseudo-crawl, but the usefulness of this is questionable.

Crawling is not used often in competitive matches as it is usually not that helpful nor practical for using over other methods of approach. The exception to this are characters with very low crawls (such as the aforementioned Snake) in certain matchups, as their low crawl allows them to approach while being unable to be hit by opposing projectiles, particularly against Falco.

Characters who crawl also have the advantage of crawl-sliding.

List of characters who can crawl in Brawl

• Bowser
• Diddy Kong
• Ivysaur
• Lucario
• Luigi
• Pikachu
• Sheik
• Snake
• Squirtle
• Wario
• Yoshi
• Zero Suit Samus

List of characters who can pseudo-crawl in Brawl

The following characters can approach while using their down-tilts, which move them forward at a slow rate when used rapidly.

• Marth
• Meta Knight
• Olimar
• Peach
• Sonic

List of characters who can crawl in Smash 4

• Bowser
• Diddy Kong
• Duck Hunt
• Greninja
• Lucario
• Luigi
• Pac-Man
• Pikachu
• Rosalina
• Sheik
• Wii Fit Trainer
• Wario
• Yoshi
• Zero Suit Samus

Notes

Depending whether Pikachu is crawling backward (left) or forward (right), the size of its hurtboxes change.

• Pikachu's hitbox height varies depending whether it is crawling forward or backward. Normally, when Pikachu crawls forward, its tail lies low to the ground, allowing it to avoid certain projectiles like Fox's Blaster; but while crawling backwards, its tail is held over its body, which allows it to be hit by projectiles that would fly harmlessly above it while crawling forward. Squirtle's tail acts similarly.
• Most characters can turn around while crawling. To do this, they can crouch and do a down tilt and then press the control stick or D-pad to the opposite direction they are facing, and they will turn around.
• When Samus is in a higher gravity situation (such as being metal or being in the Subspace Emissary), upon using her Bombs, her morph ball will briefly hit the ground. While this is done, Samus can effectively crawl in her morph ball for a small amount of time.
• Compared to wall jumping, a character's ability to crawl is much less related to whether they can crawl in their originating games. For example, while both Mario and Luigi can crawl in Super Mario 64 (DS) and walk while crouching in Super Mario Galaxy, only Luigi can crawl in Brawl. Zero Suit Samus can crawl in Metroid: Zero Mission and in Brawl, while Toon Link can crawl in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker but not in Brawl.

Gallery

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  Diddy Kong crawling forwards

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  Zero Suit Samus crawling forwards

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  Wario crawling backwards

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  Luigi crawling forwards