Gaming Ridiculous smash bros terminology (rant)

[Quadrotix]

I really need to get this off my chest. I find it absurd at how many techniques in smash bros are never described by their official names. I get that it’s quicker to say, but come on. It just doesn’t sound as good. Here are some examples that just drive me insane
FORMAT: Real name-slang name
Perfect shield-parry
Meteor Smash:spike
Sidestep dodge:spot dodge
Also, I cannot be the only one who thinks that the abbreviated names for air attacks are *really* weird.
Such as bair, dair and fair. Know why they sound weird? Because they’re already real words. Also, how the hell do you pronounce uair? “Zair” should not be used to describe air grabs because pressing Z in the air can also do an air dodge if your character does not grab with a tether. It’s not just inputs that are given the wrong name either. Character specific attacks are also incorrectly named. I’d be rich if I had a pound for every time I’d heard someone call a splat bomb a grenade. One last thing, is there even an official name for “teching” and who decided to call it that? I don’t get what the word tech has to do with pushing your entire body weight into a wall or floor to stop yourself from bouncing. On that note, please don’t argue in the replies. This is my opinion, and I know there will be people who disagree but please be civil about it

 

[gnmmarechal]

That's like playing CSGO and complaining about the names the community has given each part of the maps.

 

[Quadrotix]

That's like playing CSGO and complaining about the names the community has given each part of the maps.

Never played GSGO so I won’t pretend I know what I’m talking about. But did the different parts of the map already have official names? If not, that’s fine because they need someway to describe it. If they did have official names, it would probably annoy me just as much

 

[Tomobobo]

Community and official terms also kinda merged with Ultimate taking some community terms and putting them in the tips sections. I think a lot techniques have never had official names, and there's new ones that have yet to be realized or named. A lot of reason people use uair, fair, etc. is because they don't want to look up the actual name given to a character's forward aerial move, if it even has one.

 

[Quadrotix]

Community and official terms also kinda merged with Ultimate taking some community terms and putting them in the tips sections. I think a lot techniques have never had official names, and there's new ones that have yet to be realized or named. A lot of reason people use uair, fair, etc. is because they don't want to look up the actual name given to a character's forward aerial move, if it even has one.

I’m not not saying they should have to look up the name of the attacks “forward air” would suffice. I just think “fair” sounds really cheesy when used to describe an attack

 

[Tomobobo]

Well so would typing out every word in a long string like: Forward but angled downward tilt attack to up tilt attack to upward aerial attack to forward aerial attack to downward aerial attack resulting in a mostly downward movement of the opponent into the bottom of the blast zone. When you could type: ftilt to utilt to uair to fair to dair spike.

But OP I feel you. I don't like the word texted.

 

[sTo0z]

Only thing I find aggravating with Smash games is every other week some moron posts some dumb glitch or other useless move that will never see the light of day in a real match and they always title it like "OMGG11!1!!! NEW TECH DISCOSVFEVEREd1!!!!"

It's not a new tech, stop goddamn saying that.

 

[Quadrotix]

Well so would typing out every word in a long string like: Forward but angled downward tilt attack to up tilt attack to upward aerial attack to forward aerial attack to downward aerial attack resulting in a mostly downward movement of the opponent into the bottom of the blast zone. When you could type: ftilt to utilt to uair to fair to dair spike.

But OP I feel you. I don't like the word texted.

It’s more so with saying things than typing things. The ones that annoy me most are when they rename attacks that already have names. If an attack launches a character straight down, it’s called a meteor smash. Not a spike

 

[FAST6191]

Can't speak to the others but

FORMAT: Real name-slang name
Perfect shield-parry

What is wrong with that? If there no attempt to redirect force made or something?

 

[Tomobobo]

But wouldn't meteor smash be a misnomer? You're not "smashing" in most cases. Spike is what they call it in volleyball when they slam the ball directly into the ground as hard as possible, so this term already existed before smash.

 

[Quadrotix]

Can't speak to the others but



What is wrong with that? If there no attempt to redirect force made or something?

I don’t get what you mean

But wouldn't meteor smash be a misnomer? You're not "smashing" in most cases. Spike is what they call it in volleyball when they slam the ball directly into the ground as hard as possible, so this term already existed before smash.

according to the in-game guide, it is called a meteor smash. Mario’s forward air for example. In game description: it’s a slow attack,but Mario swings his fist down hard enough for a meteor smash as it begins

 

[mrdude]

At the OP - I wish I had your problems. If you can find the time to whinge and complain about the names in a game - you obviously don't have a very hard life.

 

[Quadrotix]

I don’t get what you mean

according to the in-game guide, it is called a meteor smash. Mario’s forward air for example. In game description: it’s a slow attack,but Mario swings his fist down hard enough for a meteor smash as it begins

At the OP - I wish I had your problems. If you can find the time to whinge and complain about the names in a game - you obviously don't have a very hard life.

Please stay on topic. My personal life has nothing to do with this. I’m allowed to have an opinion you know. I’m not saying people shouldn’t use these terms I’m just saying that personally, I don’t like it. I’m sure there’s something in your life that you don’t like.

 

[Enkuler]

There used to be a difference between meteor smashes (basically something that throws downwards) and spikes (basically meteor smashes that can't be cancelled, but see the link for a better definition). Then devs decided that no meteor smash could be cancelled... hence they're all spikes... but officially they're still all referred to as meteor smashes.
https://www.ssbwiki.com/Meteor_smash#Meteor_canceling

 

[FAST6191]

I don’t get what you mean

Parry is a long standing term associated with martial arts (the attached image is from a late 1700s/early 1800s dictionary). In more current common usage it refers more to a block/deflection and counterattack than a straight block or shield but still very much associated with defensive martial arts. Just about any game involving swordplay i would have expected to carry the term ( https://www.gamesdatabase.org/Media...Defender_of_the_Crown_-_1986_-_Cinemaware.htm for a fairly old one) and for it not to be too alien to fighting game fans. For said fighting games (and to a slightly lesser extent real life martial arts) there is usually a timing component as opposed to just holding (a) block which is usually a lesser block.

If the "perfect shield" is indeed just a shield then some might have some issue but if it counter attacks in some manner (whether damage dealt or stunning the opponent) then parry is a pretty suitable term and vice versa is not so bad either.

 

[Draxzelex]

Lets cover this one-by-one.

• Parry vs. Perfect Shielding is just semantics but when the mechanics of Perfect Shielding work extremely close to Parrying in other fighting games, people would find it easier to refer to it as Parrying. Yes, the game's official term is Perfect Shield, but performing one in Ultimate requires you to drop your shield. Basically, a Perfect Shield doesn't directly involve your shield. Other than that, parry is shorter than perfect shield so that is another reason why parry is preferred
• As already pointed out, meteor smashes and spikes used to have a difference albeit unofficial. Meteor smashes were never supposed to be cancelled but due to a glitch, certain meteor smashes were not able to be cancelled which the community named spikes. Now that all meteor smashes can no longer be cancelled, all meteor smashes are spikes but a spike is a fanmade term which has been used for years throughout multiple games. Even if the difference is gone, people are too used to calling them spikes for this to change. But I do agree they should call them meteor smashes or at least meteors
• A sidestep dodge doesn't really fit the description for gaining temporarily invincibility while standing in the same spot. Sidestep implies movement which is not required for this technique so spotdodge fits better. And similar to parry, it is shorter than the official term
• The abbreviated attacks are only "weird" if you're not accustomed to them. These terms have been use longer than you've been alive (Smash is a very old franchise). Not all of them are meant to be pronounceable however. No one is going to say "uair" which is why commentators say "up-air". However the ones that begin with a consonant are all pronounced the way they are spelled.
• The official term for "tech" varies upon which Smash game you're looking at from "breaking your fall" to "ukemi" but the fanmade term itself is borrowed from other fighting games. And just like most other fanmade terms, is shorter than the official variant.

I've not seen too many people complain about Smash's "lingo", let alone at all, but early every game has unofficial terms because there are not official terms for every technique. Not to mention some official terms are too lengthy to describe something that can be understand in one word.

 

[Quadrotix]

Lets cover this one-by-one.

• Parry vs. Perfect Shielding is just semantics but when the mechanics of Perfect Shielding work extremely close to Parrying in other fighting games, people would find it easier to refer to it as Parrying. Yes, the game's official term is Perfect Shield, but performing one in Ultimate requires you to drop your shield. Basically, a Perfect Shield doesn't directly involve your shield. Other than that, parry is shorter than perfect shield so that is another reason why parry is preferred
• As already pointed out, meteor smashes and spikes used to have a difference albeit unofficial. Meteor smashes were never supposed to be cancelled but due to a glitch, certain meteor smashes were not able to be cancelled which the community named spikes. Now that all meteor smashes can no longer be cancelled, all meteor smashes are spikes but a spike is a fanmade term which has been used for years throughout multiple games. Even if the difference is gone, people are too used to calling them spikes for this to change. But I do agree they should call them meteor smashes or at least meteors
• A sidestep dodge doesn't really fit the description for gaining temporarily invincibility while standing in the same spot. Sidestep implies movement which is not required for this technique so spotdodge fits better. And similar to parry, it is shorter than the official term
• The abbreviated attacks are only "weird" if you're not accustomed to them. These terms have been use longer than you've been alive (Smash is a very old franchise). Not all of them are meant to be pronounceable however. No one is going to say "uair" which is why commentators say "up-air". However the ones that begin with a consonant are all pronounced the way they are spelled.
• The official term for "tech" varies upon which Smash game you're looking at from "breaking your fall" to "ukemi" but the fanmade term itself is borrowed from other fighting games. And just like most other fanmade terms, is shorter than the official variant.

I've not seen too many people complain about Smash's "lingo", let alone at all, but early every game has unofficial terms because there are not official terms for every technique. Not to mention some official terms are too lengthy to describe something that can be understand in one word.

Thank you very much for this explanation. I appreciate how kind you were as to not insult me one way or another. The main reason I’m not familiar with the unofficial terms is because although I have played every smash bros game, I only recently started playing competitively in ultimate. I was the kind of player who would spam smash attacks and roll dodges before doing some research and realising that combos were a thing