Mockball

From A complete guide to Super Metroid speedrunning
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The mockball, which has various alternative spellings ("machball", "mochball", et cetera), is an extremely important technique for speedrunning, primarily because it allows for Super Missiles to be acquired without needing to defeat Spore Spawn. The only requirement to performing a mockball is having Morphing Ball active.

The easiest method for performing the mockball is the following:

  • Start running (hold the dash button and a direction on the directional pad) in the direction you desire (holding dash after this step is optional)
  • Press and hold the jump button
  • Release the direction
  • Tap down on the directional pad (Samus should now be facing directly downwards)
  • Tap down again, just before you hit the ground (Samus should perform a "soft morph" on the ground)
  • Press and hold left or right (whichever of these directions you are traveling in, from the first step) immediately afterward

A more difficult method that allows you to control your jump height is the following:

  • Start running (hold the dash button and a direction on the directional pad) in the direction you desire (holding dash after this step is optional)
  • Press and hold the jump button
  • Release jump at the desired height
  • Press and hold jump again
  • Release the direction
  • Tap down on the directional pad (Samus should now be facing directly downwards)
  • Tap down again, just before you hit the ground (Samus should perform a "soft morph" on the ground)
  • Press and hold left or right (whichever of these directions you are traveling in, from the first step) immediately afterward

Some information to keep in mind when attempting to perform a mockball:

  • If you are holding jump when breaking out of a spinjump and aim down, your momentum will stay the same
  • "Soft morph" means to morph on the ground in a manner where Samus does not bounce, which is a requirement of all mockballs
  • "Hard morph" means to morph on the ground in a manner where Samus bounces, which will reset Samus's momentum, and happens if you morph too early when attempting a mockball (simply put - if you see Samus bounce when attempting a mockball, then you morphed too early)
  • The quarter-circle motion to shift your thumb from down to left or right is often likened to a "hadouken"

A demonstration of the mockball during its most important and common usage in speedruns:

The speedball is a variation of the mockball. A speedball is any mockball where Samus is blue from Speed Booster.

A benefit of the speedball is that it can destroy any block that normally requires Bombs, saving time in rooms such as Wasteland and Basement.

A speedball is required to generate a temporary blue suit.

During a mockball, speed temporarily drops to 0 then temporarily increases above the steady state speed. Here is an example from the mockball into alcatraz from sniq's any% tas.

23550: 2.49k (running)
23551: 1.24k (jumping)
23552: 1.16k (jumping)
23553: 1.16k (jumping)
23554: 1.16k (jumping)
23555: 1.16k (jumping)
23556: 1.16k (morph animation started)
23557: 1.16k (morph animation started)
23558: 1.16k (morph animation)
23559: 1.16k (morph animation)
23560: 1.16k (morph animation)
23561: 1.16k (morph animation)
23562: 0.49k (first frame as ball)
23563: 0.16k
23564: 0
23565: 0.49k
23566: 1.32k
23567: 2.16k
23568: 3
23567: 5.49k
23567: 5.16k23568: 4.49k (starting to fall)

See also