Smash attacks are performed by Smashing the control stick in a direction and pressing the A-button simultaneously. By holding the A-button you can charge a Smash attack.

Smash attacks can also be performed by pushing a direction on the C-stick and can be charged by holding the A-button or Z-button. Most players prefer using the C-stick for performing a quick Smash attack and use the first method when the need to charge arises.

Smash Attack Abbreviations
Side Smash: S-Smash
Down Smash: D-Smash
Up Smash: U-Smash

Performing Smash Attacks
S-Smash: Smash to the side on the control stick and press the A-button or push to the side on the C-stick
D-Smash: Smash down on the control stick and press the A-button or push down on the C-stick
U-Smash: Smash up on the control stick and press the A-button or push up on the C-stick

Smash attacks are exactly what they sound, powerful attacks that Smash the opponent away and are great for KOs.

S-Smash: The S-Smash for most characters is their bread and butter for killing opponents at high percentages. The S-Smash often hits in only one direction and sends the opponent at about a 30-45 degree angle. Since this attack is powerful it is generally not good for creating or keeping combos going and as a result should be used sparingly and when openings present themselves. S-Smashes generally deal between 12-18% and can kill the opponent around 130-160%. Learning to catch players with an S-Smash when they are near the ledge of the stage can lead to earlier KOs and you should never pass up an opportunity to land an effective hit, but do not spam the attack, since every repeated S-Smash suffers from degenerative knock back.

D-Smash: The D-Smash often hits on two sides, sometimes simultaneously, such as Sheik's D-Smash, sometimes one side after the other, such as Captain Falcon's. Because of this property D-Smashes are very affective against opponents who are shielding or rolling, as the D-Smash will frequently have multiple hit frames and can catch opponents who try to roll behind you.

U-Smash: U-Smashes are generally harder than most other Smash attacks to land because they often have smaller hit boxes and these hit boxes are usually above the character, making them very situational. Great examples of this are Peach and Snake, characters with powerful U-Smashes that are also difficult to land. U-Smashes can be effective to kill opponents over the top of the stage as their sending angle is usually between 70 and 110 degrees.

Some characters can take advantage of a new advanced technique in Brawl, known as Boost Smashing, which couples the U-Smash and the dash attack. View the article in the Advanced Play – Advanced Techniques section for more information on this technique.

Note #1: For more in-depth information on each character’s Smash attacks view the character specific guides.

Note #2: Default control scheme using the GCN controller is assumed.