Special move
- "Special" redirects here. For the mode, seeSpecial Smash.
- For the game known as Special in Japan, seeSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Aspecialmove (必殺技 or 必殺ワザ,Sure-Killing Art), also known as aspecial attack, is anymove performed by pressing the special button, theB button by default. Like the name suggests, special moves are unique attacks that can have wildly different functions, unlike "normal" attacks (such asneutral attacks ortilt attacks) which often function as standard punches, kicks, and weapon swings. In many cases, special moves provide more tactical advantages compared to normal attacks and do more damage thansmash attacks, although this differs between every special move.
Special attacks are unique to a character's fighting style, and are almost always homages to abilities that the character can use in their home games; for example,Kirby can use his signatureInhale tocopy abilities.
In theSmash Bros. series, special moves follow a pattern with their inputs:
- Neutral specials are usually reserved for a fighter's onlyprojectile (eg.Fireball), or a powerful attack with good KO power that can either bechargeable (Charge Shot) or have a long startup (Falcon Punch).
- Side specials tend to either be attacks that give the fighter a momentum boost in a singular direction that can be useful for approaching or horizontal recovery (Quick Draw), or forward projectiles that can be used for deterringapproaches (Missile,PK Fire).
- Up specials are essentially a fighter's mainrecovery move (with the exception ofJigglypuff'sSing and formerlyYoshi'sEgg Throw), giving a fair amount of upward distance, and can either be damaging or non-damaging; almost all up specials cause helplessness. Some fighters' up specials also function as highly effectiveout of shield options due to them being able to be used immediately out of shield.
- Down specials are often the most gimmicky of a fighter's special moves and the least straightforward, with most allowing the user to position themselves or their opponents (Dimensional Cape,F.L.U.D.D.), generateitems (Vegetable),counterattack and retaliate (Vision), or utilize other forms of tactical advantages (Nosferatu,C4).
Usually, only special attacks can be projectiles (although some fighters gain projectiles in their normal moveset starting fromBrawl, such asSnake's andOlimar'ssmash attacks, andMega Man andVillager's aerial attacks), and some are able to render the userhelpless if used in mid-air (usually those that function as mid-air jumps, like mostup special moves).
InSuper Smash Bros., each character had three special moves: theneutral special,up special anddown special.Super Smash Bros. Melee introduced one new special move for each character, theside special. Starting withSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, yet another special move was added, theFinal Smash, which can be accessed when theSmash Ball is obtained. When obtained, the standard special move is then replaced with the Final Smash that usually does a very high damaging attack that can affect more than one person, but it can only be used once before obtaining another Smash Ball.
With thecharacter customization introduced inSuper Smash Bros. 4, there are three options for each character's special moves (effectively meaning 12 move options per character). Most custom specials are loosely based on their defaults; usually one variant is faster or grants extra mobility or range, while the other is stronger or provides some form of protection. For example,Mario's up special,Super Jump Punch, can be replaced with either Super Jump or Explosive Punch; the former travels much farther but deals no damage, while the latter travels very little distance but has two powerful hits. The only major exceptions to this arePalutena and theMii Fighters, whose custom specials are entirely different from their defaults, and the DLC characters, who do not have custom special moves at all.Smash 4 also introducedcommand-input moves.
InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, character customization is limited toMii Fighters, and so only they have access to custom specials. However, some characters have previous custom specials integrated into their default special moveset from the transition fromSmash 4 toUltimate. For example,Palutena’s side special is nowExplosive Flame (replacingReflect Barrier, which has merged with her down special), and her mobility has been significantly buffed to compensate for losing access toLightweight. Meanwhile,Shulk had hisMonado Arts changed to act much like his custom moveHyper Monado Arts, making them even stronger but at the cost of increased downsides, shorter durations, and lengthy recharge times.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U digital manual description[edit]
"Press
to do a special move. You can perform other moves and attacks by tilting
and pressing."
