Template:SSB4 to SSBU changelist/Pac-Man

Aesthetics

• As with all veterans returning from SSB4, Pac-Man's model features a more subdued color scheme; the yellow of his body is now much lighter compared to the saturated shade used in SSB4, being more consistent with his appearances outside of Smash. His boots now have well-defined soles on the bottom.
• Like most of the cast, Pac-Man is more expressive, no longer being limited to simply smiling and surprised expressions. He now shows an angry expression during his forward smash, down smash, back aerial, and the end of his dash attack. He will also look disappointed if his grab misses, and will appear panicked while drowning, and becomes stunned when falling underwater instead of maintaining his grin. His mouth also briefly opens when he stands up from a crouch.
• Pac-Man's on-screen appearance has been slightly altered, now doing a slow chomp in his classic 2D "wedge" form, before jumping into his modern form. In Smash 4, the chomp is quicker and stops once Pac-Man opens his mouth once.
• Pac-Man's taunts have been altered:
  • Namco Roulette's animation is faster. Its roster includes the exclusive characters from both the Wii U and 3DS versions. Additionally, Heihachi Mishima from Tekken and The Prince of All Cosmos from Katamari Damacy have been added.
  • Side taunt has been altered to show Pac-Man alternating chomps left and right twice, instead of twice on one side before turning.
  • Pixelated fairies from Pac-Land appear during Pac-Man's down taunt in place of Blinky and Pinky.
• A fairy now appears in his Pac-Land-inspired victory animation.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Pac-Man's jumpsquat animation takes three frames to complete (down from 5).
• Pac-Man walks faster (1.045 → 1.097).
• Pac-Man dashes faster (1.52 → 1.672).
  • Pac-Man's initial dash is faster (1.6 → 1.87).
• Pac-Man's air speed is slightly faster (1.04 → 1.092).
• Pac-Man has significantly more traction (0.045 → 0.116), going from below-average in Smash 4 to above-average in Ultimate.
• Spot dodge has slightly less ending lag (FAF 26 → 25).
• Forward roll grants one frame less intangibility (frames 4-16 → 4-15).
• Back roll has slightly more startup lag (frame 4 → 5), grants slightly less intangibility (frames 4-16 → 5-16), and more ending lag (FAF 30 → 35).
• Neutral air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 3-27 → 3-29).
• Neutral air dodge has less significantly less landing lag (22 frames → 10).
• Neutral air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 33 → 56).

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • Neutral attack's first hit is now a hook rather than a jab.
  • Neutral attack transitions faster (frame 9 → 7).
  • Neutral attack's first and second hits no longer use set knockback, instead possessing minimal knockback scaling (22/16 (set) → 25/15 (base), 25/20 (scaling) (hit 1), 26/15 (set) → 30/35 (base), 30/35 (scaling) (hit 2)), and all but one of its hitboxes launch at a more consistent angle (80°/361° → 361°/361°/180°/361° (hit 1), 80°/361° → 361°/361°/361° (hit 2)), allowing both hits to connect into each other more reliably and jab lock.
  • Neutral attack's first hit deals slightly less damage (3% → 2%).
  • Neutral attack's first and second hits have increased hitlag multipliers (1× → 1.6× (hit 1), 1× → 1.2× (hit 2)), giving the opponent more time to SDI each hit.
  • Neutral attack's first and second hits have had their two larger hitboxes replaced with smaller ones (4.2u/3.5u → 1.5u/1.7u/2u/2u (hit 1), 4.2u/3.5u → 2.5u/2.8u/3u (hit 2)), giving them less range.
  • All hits of neutral attack have shorter durations (frames 4-6 → 4 (hits 1 and 2), 4-7 → 4-5 (hit 3)).
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack hits four times instead of three.
    • All hits after the first one have less startup lag (frame 20/30 → 19/28/37) and the last hit has comparatively less ending lag (FAF 42 → 46).
    • Dash attack deals more damage if all hits connect (9% → 10%).
  • The looping hits have drastically less hitlag (2x → 0.6x), making them much harder to SDI out of.
  • The last hit deals less damage (5% → 4%) with knockback scaling partially compensated (60 → 65).
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt has altered hitboxes (4u/4u/3u → 4.8u/3.6u/3u) with the outermost hitbox being larger and positioned further out (X offset: 6 → 7), improving its range overall despite the middle hitbox being smaller.
• Up tilt:
  • Pac-Man has a new up tilt: a quick upwards punch.
  • It has more vertical range.
  • It has much less ending lag (FAF 34 → 25), improving its combo potential.
  • It deals slightly less damage (7% → 6.5%) and much less knockback (50 base/100 scaling → 43/68), noticeably hindering its KO potential.
    • However, its reduced knockback further improves its combo potential.
  • Pac-Man's fist has one less frame of intangibility (frame 6-10 → 7-10).
  • Its hitbox is located on Pac-Man's fist. As a result, it is generally smaller overall (6.5u → 5.5u/3.2u), and has much less horizontal reach, missing most characters on the ground even if they stand directly next to him. Due to the same factors, Pac-Man's new up tilt can no longer be used to knock Fire Hydrant backwards.
  • It launches at a slightly higher angle (96° → 93°).
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt has less ending lag (FAF 29 → 27).
  • Pac-Man returns to his original position after attacking, rather than moving forward, improving its safety, but worsening its utility for tech-chasing.
  • It has more base knockback and less knockback scaling (50 base/80 scaling → 65/50), making it safer on hit at lower percents, but hindering its KO potential.
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash has less startup lag (frame 18 → 16) with its duration increased (frames 18-28 → 16-29, 11 frames → 14).
    • Its FAF remains unchanged, giving its strong hit more comparative ending lag and making it less safe on shield.
  • Forward smash's ghost has a bigger hitbox (4.8u → 5.4u (early), 4u → 4.3u (late)) and extends vertically (Y offset: 5 → 5.4-4.2), improving its range.
  • Forward smash's early hits deal noticeably more base knockback, greatly improving its KO potential despite having less knockback scaling (25 base/99 scaling → 40/97).
• Up smash:
  • Both hits of up smash have less startup lag (frame 13/16 → 11/15) with its duration increased on the second hit (16-26 → 15-28, 11 frames → 14).
    • Its FAF remains unchanged, giving its strong hit more comparative ending lag and making it less safe on shield.
  • Up smash's ghost has a larger hitbox (6u → 6.2u (clean), 4u → 4.5u (late)).
  • Up smash's first hit now uses set knockback (95 base/20 scaling → 125 set/100 scaling) and launches at a lower angle (115° → 135°). This improves its linking ability into the second hit and now allows it to be used to knock a Fire Hydrant backwards, but significantly worsens its reliability as a follow-up option off of Bonus Fruit's Bell.
• Down smash:
  • Down smash has less startup lag (frame 18 → 15) with its duration increased (18-28 → 15-28, 11 frames → 14).
    • Its FAF remains unchanged, giving its strong hit more comparative ending lag and making it less safe on shield.
  • Down smash's ghosts have larger hitboxes (6u → 6.2u (clean), 4u → 4.5u (late)) and extend vertically (Y offset: 6 → 5.3-5.8), improving its range.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag (12 frames (neutral) → 7, 16 (forward/up) → 10, 22 (back) → 13, 20 (down) → 12).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial deals less knockback (20 base/100 scaling → 45/70). Coupled with its lowered landing lag, it can combo consistently.
  • Its later hits deal more damage (6% → 8.5% (mid), 3% → 6% (late)).
  • Its angle on all hits was changed (361° → 50°). This increases its combo potential, but removes its ability to lock.
  • It has larger hitboxes (7.0u → 7.6u (clean), 5.0u → 7.0u (mid), 3.5u → 4.5u (late)).
  • Its lowered knockback removes one of Pac-Man's former KO options, as it can no longer KO until around 180%.
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial deals more damage (5.3% → 7.65%).
  • It has much more base knockback, but much less knockback scaling (7 base/90 scaling → 70/29), increasing the percent range in which the move can combo.
    • Due to the changes to its knockback, forward aerial can no longer lock opponents.
• Back aerial:
  • The changes to the Sakurai angle causes back aerial to launch opponents at a lower angle (40°/45° → 38°), improving its KO potential.
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial has an altered ending animation.
  • It now pushes Pac-Man back down to where he would have been as the move ends. In order to use the floating effect to boost his recovery, the player must repeatedly interrupt the ending animation of the move with another up aerial.
• Down aerial:
  • Its hits transition faster, with 1 frame less lag between each one.
  • Its multi-hits are larger (5.5u → 6.2u) and have gained an additional hitbox against aerial opponents, improving its range overall.
  • It has much less ending lag (FAF 60 → 50).
  • Down aerial deals more damage (1.5% → 2% (hits 1-3), 6% → 7% (hit 4), 10.5% → 13% (maximum)) with knockback compensated on the final hit (90 scaling → 80).
  • Its multi-hits deal more set knockback (10 → 35 (grounded), 10 → 22 (aerial)), and launch aerial opponents at an altered angle (100° → 130°), improving its linking ability overall.
  • Its final hit sends at a more horizontal angle (65° → 45°), granting it edgeguarding and KO potential.
  • Its final hit always launches in the direction Pac-Man is facing, improving its combo potential while also making it more consistent for edgeguarding.

Throws and other attacks

• Grab:
  • Dash grab and pivot grab have more startup lag, no longer the same as his standing grab (frame 12 → 14 (dash), 12 → 15 (pivot)).
  • All grabs have significantly less ending lag (FAF 76 → 59 (standing), 76 → 67 (dash), 76 → 62 (pivot)).
  • Grab has two long-lasting hitboxes instead of multiple short hitboxes (frames 12-14, 22-24, 32-39 → 12-33 (standing)/14-35 (dash)/15-36 (pivot)).
  • One of grab's hitboxes extends alongside the tractor beam's animation, removing its notorious blindspots.
  • Grab's tractor beam has a smoother extending and receding animation.
  • If the grab misses, Pac-Man will look disappointed.
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals more hitlag (5 frames → 14), but has much less startup (frame 16 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 25 → 7), shortening its duration.
  • Pummel deals much less damage (3.25% → 1.3%).
• All throws excluding down throw are now weight-independent.
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw deals more damage (6% → 8%) and has more base knockback (48 → 55), improving its edgeguarding potential.
• Back throw:
  • Back throw has a visible wind-effect while Pac-Man spins.
  • Back throw releases the opponent earlier (frame 28 → 25) and has significantly less ending lag (FAF 72 → 60).
• Up throw:
  • Up throw has less ending lag (FAF 45 → 38) and base knockback (60 → 55), granting it combo potential.
• Down throw:
  • Down throw's animation has been sped up significantly.
  • Down throw releases the opponent earlier (frame 39 → 34) with its duration unchanged, increasing its ending lag.

Special moves

• Bonus Fruit:
  • All Bonus Fruit except the second and third fruits cycle significantly faster (frame 54 → 52 (apple), 78 → 72 (melon), 102 → 92 (galaxian), 126 → 112 (bell), 150 → 132 (key)).
  • Bonus Fruit has a shorter charge cancel animation (8 frames → 4).
  • As with other charge specials, Bonus Fruit can be jumped or air dodged out of while charging.
  • Cherry
    • Cherries deals slightly more damage (4% → 4.3%).
    • They deal slightly less knockback overall (40 (base)/80 (scaling) → 41/71)
    • Their lifespan can no longer be extended by keeping them in the air for longer, and they will despawn after a set amount of time.
    • They deal less shield damage (0 → -2.1).
  • Strawberry
    • Strawberries deal slightly less knockback (40 (base)/80 (scaling) → 41/71)
    • Their lifespan can no longer be extended by keeping them in the air for longer, and they will despawn after a set amount of time.
    • Strawberries deal less shield damage (0 → -3).
  • Orange
    • Oranges deal slightly less damage (8% → 7.5%)
    • They have altered knockback values (50 (base)/76 (scaling) → 51/68), which, combined with the lower damage output, drastically weakens their KO potential.
    • Oranges deal less shield damage (0 → -3.2).
  • Apple
    • Apples deal slightly more damage (9% → 9.5%).
    • They have reduced knockback values (60 (base)/100 (Scaling) → 61/91), KOing slightly later despite the increased damage, and more favourable launch angle (75˚ → 80˚).
    • However, the higher launch angle makes it less susceptible to DI, and makes LSI impossible, improving the consistency of the Apple's KO potential.
    • Apples deal considerably less shield damage (0 → -4.7).
    • Apples have a shorter maximum duration (240 frames → 180).
  • Melon
    • Melons deal less knockback (40 (base)/100 (scaling) → 39/94), hindering their KO potential.
    • Melons launch at a slightly higher angle (55˚ → 60˚), slightly improving their vertical KO potential, while slightly worsening their horizontal KO potential.
    • Melons deal significantly less shield damage (0 → -6).
    • Melons move more slowly (initial speed: 1 → 0.85), and accelerate downward more quickly (gravity: 0.005 → 0.006).
  • Galaxian
    • Galaxians deal slightly less knockback (40 (base)/80 (scaling) → 41/72).
    • Galaxians deal considerably less shield damage (0 → -4.5).
  • Bell
    • Bells deal slightly less damage (8% → 7.5%).
    • Bells deal more knockback at low percents, and much less knockback at high percents (30 (base)/120 (scaling) → 70/54). This also means they paralyze opponents for longer at lower percents, but the paralysis duration increases much more slowly.
    • As a result of the above changes, Bells are now incapable of KOing at realistic percents.
    • When Z-dropped, Bells can now still paralyze the opponent.
    • Bells deal slightly less shield damage (0 → -1.9).
  • Key
    • Keys deal more damage (15% → 16%).
    • Keys travel faster (speed: 3.6 → 3.8), and thus have more range.
    • Keys have altered knockback (40 (base)/90 (scaling) → 55/68), KOing later, despite the increased damage.
    • Keys launch at a lower angle (55˚ → 48˚).
    • Keys deal less shield damage (0 → -4).
  • If Pac-Man grabs a fruit he's previously thrown or dropped, Bonus Fruit is able to be recycled through the items again. This allows him to store his items in a similar manner to Pocket, create possible setups from his Bell to his Key, reduce the opportunities for his opponents to use his fruits against him, and keep up pressure with his more powerful fruits for a longer period of time.
    • Bonus Fruit's new recycling mechanic allows fruits to be caught again if they are charged slightly before throwing, as they are considered a newly generated item.
  • Bonus Fruit's toss has less ending lag (FAF 45 → 42).
  • Bonus Fruit's items can only be Z-dropped once before being unable to be caught by anyone. This limits Pac-Man's combo potential and removes his zero-to-deaths, but makes it harder for other players to limit his usage of Bonus Fruit.
  • Dropped fruits (either from being thrown or if an opponent knocks it out of Pac-Man's charge process) will only bounce once before disappearing instead of lingering on the floor for around three seconds. This makes it difficult for anyone to take advantage of dropped fruits, and significantly limits fruit-catching methods.
  • Bonus Fruits that hit an enemy pop into air for a much shorter time. This makes it much harder to recatch fruits after they hit enemies, but it also makes it harder for the enemies to grab it in the air.
  • The sprites used during Bonus Fruit have been redrawn with thinner outlines. If Pac-Man tries generating a fruit while one is in play, a pixelated "pop" effect will display instead of a puff of smoke.
• Power Pellet:
  • All variants of Power Pellet travel further, with the fully-charged version traveling almost the full length of Final Destination.
  • Power Pellet has less ending lag when colliding with a wall, and no longer makes Pac-Man tumble onto the ground when the Pac-Dot trail is aimed at the floor. Instead, he will move along the ground in the last horizontal direction he moved in during the attack.
  • There is now a weak hit right at the start of the dash triggered by grabbing the Pellet, which deals just 1% damage and weak knockback.
  • Pac-Man's trajectory in the air after grabbing the Pellet now curves downwards, slightly weakening its recovery potential.
  • Pac-Man's afterimages when using Power Pellet go from yellow to orange and then red. Pac-Man also flashes white and red after eating the power pellet.
• Pac-Jump:
  • Pac-Jump's trampoline has a hurtbox.
    • This means Pac-Jump's trampoline can be used to block projectiles.
    • The trampoline can be attacked by other players, but not by Pac-Man. Based on the power of the attack, the trampoline's uses will be reduced, from as little to one use or all uses.
  • Pac-Jump has a longer duration (frames 4-17 → 4-21).
  • Pac-Jump's trampoline comes out on frame 10 rather than frame 1, so the move is no longer unblockable.
  • Pac-Jump's attack damage increases with time, similar to Dr. Mario's neutral air (Early: 7% → 5%, Middle: 6%, Late: 5% → 7%).
  • Pac-Man's afterimages when using Pac-Jump are more visible and go from yellow to white.
  • At the peak of each jump, the damage increases.
• Fire Hydrant:
  • Fire Hydrant has altered physics, acting heavier and losing more height and speed from each bounce.
  • Fire Hydrant's heavier physics makes it easier to hit grounded opponents.
  • Fire Hydrant's new physics significantly reduce its overall coverage and distance when bouncing.
  • Aerial Fire Hydrant has more startup lag, matching the grounded version's startup (frame 9 → 12).
    • Its total duration was unchanged, reducing its ending lag.
  • Fire Hydrant's fall attack has a reduced hitlag multiplier (1.5× → 1×).
  • Fire Hydrant's hitbox extends further downwards when falling (Y offset: 6 → 6-2).
  • The water shots from the hydrant travel slower (1.35 → 1.3) and have a shorter duration (40 frames → 34), reducing their range.
• Super Pac-Man:
  • Super Pac-Man has been changed. Pac-Man still transforms into a two-dimensional sprite to launch opponents, but automatically moves forward and loops around the screen, slowly building up speed. His trajectory can be adjusted by aiming him up or down. He will also eat items he runs into during the move. Aesthetically, the move resembles Pac-Man Championship Edition 2, featuring pulsating lights in the background and a rising pitch as the move progresses.