Home-Run Bat: Difference between revisions

{{ArticleIcons|ssb=y|melee=y|brawl=y|ssb4=y|ultimate=y|featured=y}}

| image        = {{tabber|title1=Ultimate|tab1=[[File:SSBUHomeRunBat.png|x200px]]|title2=SSB4|tab2=[[File:Smash.4 - Home-Run Bat.png|x200px]]|title3=Brawl|tab3=[[File:Homerunbat.jpg|x200px]]|title4=Melee|tab4=[[File:Home Run Bat Melee Trophy.png|x300px]]|title5=64|tab5=[[File:HomeRunBatIconSSB.png]]}}

{{tabber|align=center|title1=SSB|tab1=

|title2=Brawl|tab2=

|title3=SSB4|tab3=

[[File:RealLifeHomeRunBat.jpg|thumb|Player {{s|wikipedia|Tomoaki Kanemoto}} prepares to hit a baseball pitched at him.]]

The Home-Run Bat originates from the bat-and-ball sport {{s|wikipedia|baseball}}, which has a particularly strong following in [[wikipedia:Nippon Baseball League|Japan]] and is known as a national pastime of the [[Wikipedia:Major League Baseball|United States]]. In the sport, the bat acts as the way that the player hits the baseball being tossed at them; the best batters are not only able to hit the ball, but also with sufficient power to send it to the fringes of the playing area, away from players of the other team. Should the batter hit with the correct timing and angling, the ball can be sent out of the playing area or even out of the park; these instances are referred to as ''home runs'', as all players on the batter's team can finish a run in the playing area. Most home runs, however, also require almost perfect placement of the ball against the bat; in this case, a hit closer to the tip of the bat provides more power behind a swing, whereas one closer to the handle leads to a weaker hit. In ''Super Smash Bros.'', this is mirrored by how the bat is more powerful when hit with the tip, and how it sends opponents away at extreme velocities and trajectories; mirroring how home runs are sent over the walls of the playing field, the resulting angle of the opponents hit with the bat are also sent upward instead of a [[semi-spike]] trajectory. Adding to these references, players also tend to bring the bat slightly farther behind them just before hitting, as to put more power behind the swing; this is emulated in ''Brawl'', where players wind-up for a time as though to get more power behind their swings.

In addition to the real-life counterpart, another possible inspiration for the item is speculated to come from the ''[[EarthBound (universe)|EarthBound]]'' series. {{s|wikibound|Ninten}} and [[Ness]], the main protagonists in ''{{s|wikibound|EarthBound Beginnings}}'' and ''{{B|Earthbound|game}}'', respectively, use bats as their main weapon throughout the game. As the game progresses, the player will find increasingly powerful bats. In a battle, there's a random chance (decided by the Guts stat in ''EarthBound'') that the attack will be a critical hit (or "SMAAAASH!!" attack), which deals more damage than an ordinary attack. If these games influenced the Home-Run Bat's behavior, then it can be said that the one-hit KO smash attack comes from the critical hits. This theory is further backed up by the fact that Ness' forward smash in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' and ''[[Melee]]'' makes a [[ping]] sound like the Home-Run Bat's. Additionally, the Casey Bat in ''EarthBound'' has similarities to the Home-Run Bat's mechanics: The Casey Bat has very low accuracy (causing the player to miss a lot when equiped), however it is the highest offense-raising equipment for Ness in the game. If an attack connects it can deal a lot of damage and possible one-hit KOs. This is comparable to how the Home-Run Bat's windup makes it difficult to hit an opponent, but when it does it results in a one-hit KO.

Also, the {{uv|Mario}} franchise, being home to many spin-off franchises since ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Kart}}'' was released, has had its moments with baseball, with the ''Mario Baseball'' series consisting of two very successful games, ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario Superstar Baseball}}'' and ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario Super Sluggers}}''; however, they do not seem to have any connection to the home-run bat itself.

{{clear}}

[[File:Zamus home run.jpg|thumb|right|{{SSBB|Zero Suit Samus}} using the Bat against the {{SSBB|Ice Climbers}}.]]

While the Home-Run Bat functions like regular battering items, it has the unusual property of completely altering the character's forward smash. Upon performing a forward smash, the character winds up and performs a single, delayed swing that can potentially KO opponents in a single hit. The attack always takes a set amount of time and cannot be charged, making it the only such item to alter this mechanic in players. ''Super Smash Bros. 64'' has the fastest wind-up time in a vacuum.

In ''Smash 64'' and ''Melee'', characters use their standard item swinging animation; however, from ''Brawl'' onward the animation was changed so that all characters wind up like actual baseball players. This altered wind-up causes the attack to be considerably slower than in previous games.  

In ''SSB4'', the smash attack swing is comparably faster than in ''Brawl''. In addition, a smash attack swing gives the user [[super armor]] at the very moment he or she swings the bat, and is capable of instantly breaking [[shield]]s. These factors make it more dangerous to interrupt head-on when compared to previous games.

The Home-Run Bat deals most of its damage at the tip of the bat instead of the center; the extreme knockback in both of these hitboxes, however, makes this point relatively moot against other players (though very important in the [[Home-Run Contest]], where the former is commonly known as a "[[tipper]]"). The Bat is also powerful when thrown, dealing around 20% damage and high knockback. Starting in ''SSB4'', the bat swing can also [[reflect]] projectiles, similar to the one used by [[Ness]] in his forward smash.  The Home-Run Bat will interrupt its forward smash swing when charging to reflect a projectile. However, if the reflecting swing manages to also hit an opponent as well as the projectile, it will have the same power as the regular forward smash swing, effectively giving The Home-Run Bat a nearly instant charge time.

In the [[Home-Run Contest]], the player is given a Home-Run Bat to assist in sending the [[Sandbag]] as far away from the starting platform as possible within the time limit. While acting as the primary way to hit the Sandbag for the large majority of characters, some attacks can potentially send it farther than the actual weapon at certain high enough damages, including throwing the Home-Run Bat itself.

 

!''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' (no 1.2x multiplier)

!Jab

| 30% (8%+22%)

| 23%(8%+15%)

===''Melee'' [[trophy]] description===

[[File:Home Run Bat Melee Trophy.png|thumb|100px|left|The Home-Run Bat trophy in ''Melee''.]]

''Smash an enemy with this slugger, and you'll send them flying out of sight; hence the name Home-Run Bat. The sound of the bat being swung immediately strikes fear into the hearts of opponents and can turn the tide of a battle. It's slightly risky to use, though; it has a very limited range, and it takes a little time to wind up for your swing.''

:*04/99

===''Brawl'' [[trophy]] description===

[[File:Home-Run Bat - Brawl Trophy.png|100px|left|thumb|The Home-Run Bat trophy in ''Brawl''.]]

''A battering item. Smash a foe with this and be rewarded with the distinctive "[[Ping|KREEEEENG!]]" sound of a home run as your foe goes flying. The sound echoes with what's surely the timbre of supreme bliss. For the character being hit, though, it must be one of the scariest sounds ever. But it's not easy to use-- it swings slowly and has a limited range. High risk, high reward.''

===''SSB4'' [[trophy]] description===

[[File:HomeRunBatTrophy3DS.png|thumb|100px|left|The Home-Run Bat trophy in ''SSB4 (3DS)''.]]

[[File:HomeRunBatTrophyWiiU.png|thumb|100px|The Home-Run Bat trophy in ''SSB4 (Wii U)''.]]

{{Flag|NA}} ''Combine this black bat with a forward smash to try for a home run, using an opponent as the ball! Unfortunately, the reach on the bat is not all that impressive, so it takes some real skill to line up a hit. Keep your chin up, though-the loud "KREEENG" of a hit makes it all worthwhile.'' <br/>

{{Flag|EU}} ''Batter up! (That's what they say right?) Get a home run by side-smashing an enemy right off the stage! Enemies are more difficult to send flying than baseballs, though - or so we're told - and this bat doesn't exactly have a long reach, so if you want to hear the satisfying sound of your foe flying off-screen, you'll have to work for it!''

{{Trophy games|console1=N64|game1=Super Smash Bros. (04/1999)|console2=wiiu|game2=Super Smash Bros. for Wii U}}

{{clear}}

HomeRunBatIconSSB.png|Home-Run Bat artwork for ''[[SSB]]''.

Smash.4 - Home-Run Bat.png|Home-Run Bat render from ''Smash 4''.

Home-Run Bat.png|The Home-Run Bat's in-game appearance in ''SSB''.

MeleeHomeRunBatInUse.png|{{SSBM|Mewtwo}} using the Home-Run bat in ''[[Melee]]''.

MarioHomeRunContestMeleeLastSecond.jpg|{{SSBM|Mario}} using the bat in the Home-Run Contest in ''Melee''.

Home-Run Bat KO Smash Melee.png|{{SSBM|Marth}} successfully KOing {{SSBM|Falco}} with the bat in ''Melee''.

Link_marth_KO.jpg|A successful Home-Run Bat smash in ''Brawl''.

*Fittingly, the ornate redesign of the Home-Run Bat in ''Smash 4'' matches the colors of the "Deadly Blow" effect that appears when a character is hit by an attack strong enough to immediately [[KO]].

*[[Bayonetta]], [[Joker]], and [[Byleth]] usually speak when using a standard smash attack and grunt when using a smash attack with a battering item (such as the [[Beam Sword]]), but they speak when using a Home-Run Bat smash attack, saying "See you.", "You're mine!", and “Take this!”, respectively.

*The Home-Run Bat's forward smash in ''Melee'' is the attack that deals the most extra [[shield damage]] in the entire series, dealing a whopping 119.