Spin Attack

Spin Attack
Link using Spin Attack on the ground.
Universe	The Legend of Zelda
User(s)
Effect	Link puts his sword in front of him and spins around with it, damaging opponents in the way.

Spin Attack (回転斬り), also referred to as the Cyclone, is Link's up special move in Super Smash Flash 2.

Overview

When performed, Link holds the Master Sword out in front of him and spins it around in a circle several times. When used in the air, Link gains momentum and rises upwards a significant distance. During this time, Link can freely move both left and right. Any opponents caught in the attack will take damage from five slashes, with the first four slashes dealing 3% damage each with weak knockback, and the fifth and final slash dealing 8% damage and strong knockback. When used on the ground, it can be charged, but the opponents caught in it can only be hit once at a time. Opponents hit at the beginning of the move are dealt 15% damage (up to 20% when charged) and very strong knockback, but opponents hit after the first slash are only dealt 7% damage (up to 9% when charged) and much weaker knockback.

The aerial variant of the move is great for recovering both vertically and horizontally, as it gives good distance and has a fairly large ledge sweetspot, despite also leaving Link helpless at the end. It can also be used in a bomb recovery to help Link recover from far away distances, as the duration of the move is fairly long and provides time for the bomb to explode. The grounded variant of the move is strong enough to reliably KO opponents with, but due to its fair amount of ending lag and Link's inability to move during its duration, it is also easy to punish.

Origin

Artwork of Link using the Spin Attack in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

The Spin Attack has been a standard move of Link in many The Legend of Zelda games, with its first appearance being The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. To perform the move in this game, the player must simply hold the attack button for a long enough time and then release it, which has become the standard way to perform the move in the series. While usually a basic move available from the start, in some games it can be upgraded with magic to deal more damage and have a greater range. Unlike in SSF2, Link can generally move across the ground while charging the attack, albeit very slowly, and he cannot use the move in the air.

Gallery

Screenshots

Link charging the Spin Attack on the ground, on Hylian Skies.

Link after using Spin Attack on the ground.

Link using Spin Attack in the air.

Early designs

Link charging the Spin Attack's first early design.

Link using the grounded Spin Attack's first early design.

Link using the aerial Spin Attack's first early design.

Link charging Spin Attack's second early design.

Link hitting Meta Knight with grounded Spin Attack's second early design.

Link after using the grounded Spin Attack's second early design.

Link using the aerial Spin Attack's second early design.

Trivia

• In v0.4a of the SSF2 Demo, the ground variant of Spin Attack could not be charged and would be able to hit multiple times at once. This was changed in v0.4b of the demo.