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Priority

The white "bubble" between Goku and Captain Falcon indicates that two hitboxes are clanking.

Priority is a mechanic in Super Smash Flash 2 that determines the behavior of attack hitboxes when interacting with each other. A hitbox may have one of two different types of priority: normal priority, which is dependent on the damage difference with an opposing hitbox, and transcendent priority, which is a special property applied to certain hitboxes. The effect of priority varies based on the kinds of attacks being used.

The effects of priority apply to individual hitboxes within attacks, and an attack with multiple hitboxes can have different priority depending on which hitbox lands. However, the results are applied to the attacker as a whole. Additionally, priority does not apply when the opposing hitboxes avoid each other and land on their respective opponents' hurtboxes instead, which instead leads to trading, in which both characters are attacked normally.

There is no true priority in the original Super Smash Flash, as hitboxes cannot collide and simply pass through each other.

Normal priority[]

Priority - Projectile

Mario's Fireball clanking with Sonic's neutral attack.

Normal priority describes the set of rules that apply to the majority of attacks containing hitboxes. This type of priority is based on the damage dealt by each hitbox, in which a hitbox that deals at least 8% more damage than an opposing hitbox has higher priority, whereas hitboxes with smaller differences in damage share the same priority.

How normal priority behaves depends on the types of attacks colliding. With ground attacks and certain grounded special moves, two opposing hitboxes with no priority difference will clank when colliding with each other, canceling each attack and causing both characters to rebound backward. A clank is signified by a white bubble that appears where the hitboxes collided and a distinct "ting" sound that plays. However, if one attack's hitbox out-prioritizes the other, then the attack with higher priority will follow through, and only the character with the lower priority will rebound.

With aerial attacks and certain aerial special moves, their hitboxes cannot clank when overlapping with those of a physical ground attack or another aerial attack. When this occurs, both attacks instead continue as normal or trade when connecting with the opponents' hurtboxes.

Different rules apply for projectiles. If two projectiles collide, then the one with lower priority will disappear, or they will both clank and disappear if they have the no priority difference. If a projectile collides with a physical ground attack or aerial attack with higher priority or no priority difference, then the projectile will disappear and the physical attack will continue like normal. If the projectile has higher priority, then no interaction will occur.

Transcendent priority[]

Transcendent priority is a property of certain hitboxes which prevents them from clanking with other hitboxes. This is denoted within SSF2's code as hitboxes having a priority value of -1.

Hitboxes with transcendent priority cannot cancel out or be canceled out by other hitboxes, instead passing through them without any interaction. This makes disjointed attacks more prone to trading and ineffective against projectiles. Likewise, transcendent projectiles will go through attacks, including other projectiles, without stopping or clanking.

Below is a list of attacks that contain hitboxes with transcendent priority.

Character Move Notes
Bandana Dee Forward throw N/A
Back throw
Up throw
Down throw
Beam Whip
Flare Beam
Black Mage Up smash Up smash is only transcendent when fully charged.
Up aerial
Forward throw
Back throw
Up throw
Down throw
Stop
Haste
Warriors of Light
Bomberman Bomb N/A
Jetpack
Revenge Cart
Bowser Forward smash N/A
Flying Slam
Chibi-Robo Down smash N/A
Chibi-Blaster
Giga-Robo
Donkey Kong Arcade N/A
Falco Back throw N/A
Up throw
Down throw
Blaster
Reflector
Arwing
Fox Back throw N/A
Up throw
Down throw
Blaster
Reflector
Landmaster
Ganondorf Dark Beast Ganon N/A
Goku Down smash N/A
Kamehameha
Instant Transmission
Kaiō-ken
Ichigo Mugetsu N/A
Isaac Forward tilt N/A
Up tilt
Down smash
Down throw
Move
Gaia
Judgment
Jigglypuff Forward throw N/A
Back throw
Up throw
Down throw
Rollout
Sing
Kirby Forward throw Using Inhale to copy opponents, Kirby can use all the other characters' neutral special moves, with each retaining its transcendent properties from its normal user.
Back throw
Up throw
Down throw
Inhale
Cook Kirby
Krystal Down smash N/A
Sniper Rifle
Grenade
Fireburst Pod
Link Tether grab N/A
Gale Boomerang
Triforce Slash
Lucario Forward smash N/A
Up smash
Aura Sphere
Force Palm
Aura Storm
Luffy King Kong Gun N/A
Luigi Neutral attack N/A
Poltergust 5000
Mario Forward smash N/A
Cape
Mario Finale
Marth Dolphin Slash N/A
Critical Hit
Mega Man Up aerial Mega Buster is only transcendent when uncharged.
Down aerial
Mega Buster
Crash Bomber
Water Wave
Mega Legends
Meta Knight Up throw N/A
Shuttle Loop
Mr. Game & Watch Up aerial Only up aerial's windbox is transcendent
Down/Up taunt
Naruto Rasengan N/A
Ness Forward throw N/A
Back throw
Down throw
PK Thunder
PSI Magnet
PK Starstorm
Pichu Thunder N/A
Electric Terrain
Pikachu Thunder N/A
Volt Tackle
Pit Upperdash Arm N/A
Power of Flight
Three Sacred Treasures
Rayman Vortex Helicopter is only transcendent while falling.
Helicopter
Bzzit
Ryu Shinku Hadoken N/A
Samus Down aerial N/A
Bomb
Zero Laser
Sheik Needle Storm N/A
Vanish
Light Arrow
Simon Neutral attack Holy Water is only transcendent during the flame pillar.
Forward smash
Holy Water
Grand Cross
Sonic Super Sonic N/A
Sora Up smash Strike Raid is only transcendent when returning. Command Deck is only transcendent during Thunder.
Strike Raid
Command Deck
Trinity Limit
Tails Down throw N/A
Remote Robot
Tornado
Wario Forward smash N/A
Wario Waft
Yoshi Egg Lay N/A
Super Dragon
Zelda Forward smash N/A
Up smash
Nayru's Love
Light Arrow
Zero Suit Samus Down smash N/A
Paralyzer
Flip Jump
Crystal Flash

Trivia[]

  • Initially, normal priority was based on a "priority" variable in the code ranging from 0 to 7, and attacks with higher values would have higher priority. This system was retired with the introduction of damage-based priority, though the variable is still used for transcendent priority.
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