Ping
- This article is about the sound effect. For information about latency in online battles, see Frame delay.
A ping is the sound effect used for very powerful attacks, and is most often associated with the Home-Run Bat. In Brawl's trophy description for the Home-Run Bat, the sound is described as "KREEEEENG!", while the Smash Bros. DOJO!! variously described it as "PWANG!", "PING!", or "Pwaaaang!". It can be described as a sharp ascending high-pitched sound overlaid with a trailing impact sound. The sound is impossible to miss, and hearing it usually means that a player just got hit by a very powerful attack.
In Super Smash Bros.
Compared to the rather generic attack noises for other attacks (especially outside of the NTSC-J versions of the game), the ping is very distinct. It is also used in the opening cutscene. In the original Japanese release, the only two attacks to use the ping sound effect were:
In later releases in other regions, two more attacks were added:
- Luigi's Fire Jump Punch (when sweetspotted, both grounded and aerial)
- Jigglypuff's Rest (when the foe is hit)
In Super Smash Bros. Melee
Luigi's sweetspotted Fire Jump Punch now no longer pings in the air. While attacks in general in Melee were given more realistic and varied sound effects, all other pings from Smash 64 carry over. New attacks that use the ping sound effect are:
- Mr. Game & Watch's Judgment #9.
- The Freezie
- All other freezing attacks use a quiet variation of the ping on hit.
The ping is also heard during the cutscene where Giga Bowser emerges from the defeated Bowser's trophy in Adventure Mode.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Brawl changed sound effects for certain items and attacks, and is the only Smash game to remove pings from moves (without removing the move). Ness's forward smash has been changed to a wooden "crack", sounding more like a real bat. The Freezie now uses its traditional sound effect from Mario Bros., and all other freezing attacks except for Mr. Game & Watch's Judge #8 use a different, more realistic freezing sound. The full list is now:
- 5 moves from Melee still ping: the Home-Run Bat, Luigi's grounded sweetspotted Fire Jump Punch, Jigglypuff's Rest, and Mr. Game & Watch's Judge #8 and #9.
- Luigi's down taunt
- The Dragoon (with added echo, and even if it misses)
- Light Arrow
In Super Smash Bros. 4
The Dragoon no longer pings if it misses. All other pings from Brawl carry over. Two new items/attacks were added:
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
For the first time, no new pings were introduced. Light Arrow is now absent from the game; Zelda and Sheik's new Final Smashes, Triforce of Wisdom and Sheikah Dance, use unique sound effects instead of the ping. Additionally, while Link's Ancient Bow and Arrow is fundamentally similar to Light Arrow and Dark Pit Staff, it also uses a unique sound effect. All other pings from Smash 4 carry over.
Ultimate also introduces the Special Zoom and Final Zoom. Many of the attacks that play the ping now receive their own Special Zoom, making them even more dramatic, while the Final Zoom plays a variant of the ping combined with the sound of slashing swords.
Origin
The Sound may originate from Street Fighter Alpha 2 for Akuma’s Raging Demon. This is one of the 2 instances of Street Fighter being in Smash prior to Super Smash Bros. 4, the other one is Yoshi’s Victory Pose which also references Akuma’s Raging Demon.
Trivia
- Somewhat fittingly, the Home-Run Bat is the only move to have used the ping in every regional version of every game.
- Luigi is the only character to have more than one move that uses the ping.
