Pikachu (SSB)/Down smash

Overview

The hitbox of Pikachu's d-smash.

Pikachu does a spinning break dance on the floor that can hit in front and back of itself, doing 10%-16% damage and moderately powerful knockback, with the front hit being able to KO at 87%; by far the strongest down smash in Smash 64. It could be considered a slightly less powerful version of its forward smash, and due to Pikachu usually having many better options, it is seldom used outside of mindgames. Despite this, its pretty quick startup makes it a fast move to use, and it has some good shield stun. The move is useful for punishing, especially when reading rolls, due to the duration of the two hits being able to intercept many roll options (like Mario's down smash). It can also edgeguard some opponents, especially since it is able to hit opponents hanging on the edge. However, it has some noticeable ending lag and can be punished or shield grabbed by many characters without much difficulty.