Glossary

Directional influence (DI) means holding a direction during hitstun to alter how knockback carries you. Good DI makes combos harder and can steer you toward safer blast zones.

Pair the concept with practical scramble defense in how to tech.

The neutral game is the back-and-forth where both players are trying to create an opening without being locked into disadvantage. In Smash, it includes grounded movement, short hops, and threat management with projectiles or disjoints.

For a deeper breakdown, see what is neutral.

Tilt attacks are performed by holding a direction and pressing the attack button without smashing the stick. They are often faster or safer than smash attacks and anchor many characters’ neutral.