Hitlag

Freeze frames (also known as hitlag, officially known as impact stall in Brawl) are a phenomenon that appears in the Super Smash Bros. games and Super Smash Flash 2 where a character will freeze for a period of time after an attack connects. When the attack connects both the attacker and target will be frozen for a number of frames. There are no freeze frames in Super Smash Flash, all characters react to the same way to attacks and simply flinch toward the attack command. Pummeling does not give hitlag like it does in the main games.

The number of freeze frames depend on the attack. Weak attacks, like 's Standard attack will have minimal freeze frames, but the freeze frames of strong, electric, and sweetspotted attacks can last as long as half a second. Freeze frames will also go into affect if two attacks clash or if the attack is perfect shielded.

Freeze frames only affect the object that is dealing and being the dealt the damage; all other game elements will not be interrupted. An example would be being frozen for half a second after a sweet spotted Knee Smash connects, while Samus' movement will not be interrupted if her Charge Shot hits something. Freeze frames will affect the attack if the attack connects, even when the attack deals no damage; as such if a opponent who has invincibility is hit by an attack that produces freeze frames only the attack will be affected.

During the freeze frames of an attack a character is able to Smash D.I. out of the attack to change their position.

Attacks that produce long periods of freeze frames

 * Charge Shot
 * Getsuga Tenshō - the projectile
 * Giant Punch
 * Kaiō-ken - when some attacks connect, such as his forward aerial
 * Knee Smash - when sweet spotted
 * Lightning Kick - when sweet spotted
 * Some of 's attacks when tipped.
 * Rest
 * Thunder - when the lightning hits
 * Wario Waft

Hitlag formula
Hitlag frames:

knockback = value retrieved from knockback formula

floor(knockback * 0.4 * (1/2)) (Note that hitlag may also be set to a constant value)