- This article discusses jump-canceling. For information on Double Jump Canceling, see Double jump cancel.
Jump-canceling may refer to two different techniques in Super Smash Bros. Melee: canceling a jump by using an attack, or jumping while using the shield.
Canceling the jump with an attack[]
The jump-cancel occurs as a result of the pre-jump lag every character has. After the player presses X, Y, or up on the control stick, there is a period of delay, ranging from 3 to 8 frames, before the player's character actually leaves the ground. During this delay, since the character is grounded, it is possible to execute a few of the character's standing moves. These moves are up smash, up B, grab, and the item throw.
The up smash works because of the jump delay. The player needs to press A, while holding "up" on the control stick, during jump delay to perform an up smash. The jump delay may have been created to help players perform the up smash without jumping instead. It is unknown why grabs and other moves can be used during jump delay while jabs and tilts are not.
One application of the jump-cancel is the jump-canceled grab. Most characters have more range, less startup, and less lag time on the standing grabs than on their dash grabs. The jump-cancel allows these characters to use their standing grab instead of their inferior dash grabs while running.
This tactic is also what allows one to do a running up smash by dashing and jump-canceling into an up smash.
The player can also jump-cancel an item throw to use the faster normal item throw instead of a higher-ranged running one.
Leaving the shield with a jump[]
Another usage of the term "jump-cancel" refers to the cancellation of a shield, shine, or another special animation by jumping. Any character but Yoshi may jump directly from the shield. Additionally, Fox and Falco can do the same with their shine, leading to techniques such as the waveshine and double shine. The animation achieved by turning around while dashing (after leaving the initial dash animation) can also be jump-canceled.
It is possible to jump-cancel a shield into a jump-canceled attack (most commonly Bowser and Link's up B, or Fox and Pikachu's up smash) - in this instance, only one use of the word "jump-cancel" is used: "Link used a jump-canceled up B from his shield." One can also jump-cancel the shield into a wavedash, because the wavedash starts with a jump.