Semi-spike

A semi-spike or pseudo-spike is Spike that does not send the opponent totally downward but in a horizontal trajectory which then (due to gravity) will turn into a vertical trajectory. Before the vertical trajectory and after the horizontal trajectory a semi-spike will make a quarter circle trajectory (see diagram 1), for the attack to be considered a semi-spike the player must be able to act within this quarter circle trajectory but before the vertical trajectory, some attacks may have a different trajectory and send the opponent angled downwards this results in a recoverable attack at low percentages but with considerable edgeguarding danger due to being hit off the stage; DI'ing them correctly will only alter the angle just slightly and shorten the send-off angle. This is distinct from a meteor smash or spike, which sends the enemy downwards without a prior horizontal trajectory.

File:Semi-spike1.JPG

Diagram 1: The black line represents the trajectory of the target. Within the blue square the target regains the ability to act.

Semi-spikes' structure is altered greatly by damaged and at certain percentages some attacks can't be considered as one.

Moves that are semi-spikes include (but are not limited to):

• Bowser:
  • Back Aerial (Melee only) - Has semi-spike properties, but high ending lag combined with Bowser's poor vertical recovery make it a very risky edgeguard maneuver. His bair has more power and is less risky in Brawl, but lost its semi-spike properties.

• Captain Falcon:
  • Up Aerial - The hitbox at his foot at the end of the animation semi-spikes opponents. It is less effective then Ganondorf's uair.
  • Forward Aerial (During sourspot) - You are better off sweetspotting the knee for edgeguarding, but it isn't always a easy task, especially in Brawl.

• Dr. Mario:
  • Back Aerial - It has set knockback properties; Dr. Mario can attack with this twice and still recover, despite his poor horizontal recovery.

• Fox:
  • Shine - Has set knockback in Melee. Has set knockback properties in Brawl, but once the opponent approaches 100%, it hits with increasing knockback. Much more effective on characters with poor recoveries.
  • Down Smash - Very fast with good power and decent reach, it can be very effective if landed near the edge. It has noticeable ending lag however and its edgeguarding capabilities are rather limited.

• Falco (SSBB):
  • Down Smash - Similar to Fox's down smash, except Falco's down smash has slightly less power and slightly less ending lag.

• Kirby:
  • Aerial Hammer (Brawl Only/second hitbox) - A very powerful semi-spike, it is the second strongest semi-spike at low percentages and the third strongest at high percentages (above 150%). However, landing it is very difficult since Kirby has to the land the second hit, not the first hit and both strikes have noticeable start-up lag. If Kirby does land the second hit on a recovering opponent, it usually results in a KO.
  • Down Smash - When sourspotted, it semi-spikes the opponent with decent knockback. To sourspot, Kirby has to hit the opponent with tips of his feet. It has decent reach and fast startup, so it is useable for edgeguarding.

• Ganondorf:
  • Up Aerial - The hitbox at his foot at the end of the animation semi-spikes opponents. It is stronger and produces more hitstun than Captain Falcon's uair. It is one of the best and most known semi-spikes in both Melee and Brawl, it complements Ganondorf's already deadly edgeguard game.
  • Forward tilt (Brawl only) - The only f-tilt pseudo-spike in the series. It is the second strongest semi-spike in Brawl, but its poor vertical reach limits it's edgeguard capabilities. Still with its fast start-up it's great when used near the edges for KOing.

• Jigglypuff:
  • Down Smash - Low start-up lag and good power for a semi-spike. It has noticable ending lag and very short reach, Jigglypuff is better off using its WoP for edgeguarding.
  • Down aerial - If it is sourspotted, the move can semi-spike.

• Link:
  • Up B (NTSC Melee only) - Hitting someone with it after the initial hitbox semi-spikes them. Very powerful, fast, and good reach, it is the strongest and could be considered the best semi-spike in Melee (on par with Shiek's fair).

• Lucas:
  • Down Tilt - Similar to Ness's d-tilt, but is slightly stronger (still can't KO at 999%, however). It is impratical for edgeguarding as it has very short reach and produces no knockback at realistic percentages.

• Marth:
  • Down Tilt - When tipped, it semi-spikes the opponent. Fast, good reach, and decent power makes this a effective edgeguarder, especially against those who try sweetspotting the edge. It is even faster in Brawl, but shorter reach and Brawl's physics make it less effective.
  • In Melee if kirby uses Marth's copy ability and marth counters near the edge of the stage the counter will do a sort of semi spike.

• Meta Knight:
  • Down Aerial - Very fast and has almost no ending lag, Meta Knight can WoP opponents with his dair. This, combined with its decent power and Meta Knight's multiple jumps, make it arguably the best semi-spike in Brawl, if not, the most versatile.
  • Aerial Shuttle Loop - Has very high base knockback but very low knockback scaling. Almost no start-up lag and very strong initial knockback makes it arguably the deadliest semi-spike in Brawl. It's also great for stage-spiking. Excellent anti-edgeguard maneuver, this move is the reason Meta Knight is the riskiest character to edgeguard. It is a very effective edgeguarder, but is risky. Most effective at edgeguarding opponents recovering from above.

• Mewtwo
  • Disable - In the air, this move can Semi-spike.

• Mr. Game & Watch:Has the most semi-spikes in Brawl
  • Chef - Semi-spikes opponents who make contact with the frying pan with low power. It is not effective as a edgeguarder due to its short reach and slow start-up lag.
  • A 6 with Judge - Semi-spikes opponents with good power accompany by fire damage. It is noticable for being the only other judgement other then #9 that is actually useful. It is deadly to recovering opponents.
  • Sourspotted down smash - It is fast, powerful, and has good reach, it is very effective at edgeguarding. Even though its sweetspot sends opponents vertically, it is still effective at edgeguarding as its sweetspot is so powerful, it KOs everyone under 100%.
  • Down Tilt (Brawl only) - Has set knockback properties. It is effective at edgeguarding as it is fast, has good reach, and has a long-lasting hitbox.

• Ness:
  • Down Tilt (Brawl Only) - It is a semi-spike, but a very weak one. Only noticable at extreme percentages. It is impractical for edgeguarding as it has very short reach and produces no knockback at realistic percentages.

• Peach:
  • Forward Smash (Only the tennis racket) - When sweetspotted in Brawl, it is the strongest semi-spike in the game. Otherwise, it is weak. It is unreliable for edgeguarding due to its short reach and random nature but is potentially deadly.

• Pichu:
  • Down Smash - Hits opponents in the opposite direction with his head and it's pretty decent.
  • Down Tilt - Hits opponents with its tail, good for Edge-guarding.

• Pikachu:
  • Up Aerial - It semi-spikes somewhat weakly if you connect the tip of Pikachu's tail but it is fast. It is almost unpractical for edgeguarding in Brawl as it is even weaker, more difficult to land, and send opponents upwards if the non semi-spike hitbox connects.

• Sheik:
  • Final Smash - Since you'll need a smash ball, it cannot be used for edgeguarding in standard matches.
  • Forward Aerial - Shiek quickly swipes her hand in front of her, semi-spiking the opponent. Extremely fast and powerful, it was the most well-known and feared semi-spike in Melee, despite its short reach and short-lasting hitbox (it is on par with Link's up B for being the best semi-spike in Melee). It still semi-spikes in Brawl, but was weakened significantly.

• Sonic:
  • Up Smash - Some hitboxes send the opponent away in a semi-spike like trajectory, but very weakly. For it to semi-spike, the opponent has to DI out of the u-smash after being hit by a semi-spike hitbox, making its semi-spike capabilities based on luck. This attack is unique as it is the only attack in the game to contain both a semi-spike and meteor smash hitbox.

• Toon Link:
  • Dash Attack - Fast and good reach, but it is very weak and the semi-spike is only noticeable at very high percentages.
  • Down Smash - The first strike is a semi-spike with high base knockback but the second strike is often landed afterward which has vertical knockback instead. At very low percentages, the much higher base knockback of the first strike can override the knockback of the second strike and results in a surprisingly powerful semi-spike that may even KO depending on the location and character it was landed on.

• Yoshi:
  • Down tilt - It has set knockback in both Melee and set knockback properties in Brawl. It is fast and has decent reach, it can be useful for edgeguarding. More useful in Melee than it is in Brawl.

• Wario:
  • Down Tilt (Wario-Man only) - Very fast and powerful, it cannot be used in standard matches since you'll need a smash ball.

• Wolf:
  • Down Throw - A throw that semi-spikes opponents with surprisingly high knockback scaling. It can be very deadly if Wolf grabs the opponent on the edge as the throw has bizarre properties that negates the opponents momentum, thus making it very difficult for some characters to recover.
  • Forward Smash - First hit only, it is extremely weak and only noticeable at extreme percentages.
  • Blaster (melee portion only) - The melee hitbox of the blaster produces a weak semi-spike but the opponent is almost always hit with the projectile afterward, thus cancelling out the knockback of the first hit.

• Zelda:
  • Down Smash - Very fast and it has good power for a semi-spike. It's short reach limits its edgeguard capabilities but can still be effective. Much stronger in Brawl than it is in Melee.
  • Final Smash - Since you'll need a smash ball, it cannot be used for edgeguarding in standard matches.

• Other
  • Hitting someone with a thrown Star Rod. Anyone who played Free-For-Alls with the Star Rod on knows how deadly and effective this semi-spike is.
  • Porygon 2's attack launches opponents on a semi-spike trajectory very powerfully. It was by far the strongest semi-spike in Melee, being certain death for anyone hit by it that was above 25%.
  • Suicune's Aurora Beam (Brawl Only) is a semi-spike that OHKOs any opponent. When considering items, this is by far the most powerful semi-spike in Brawl.