Critical hit

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A critical hit is a hit that its own random roll makes stronger than the damage formula alone would. Four games span how the chance is set: fixed, from equipment, from a stat, and from stages. The lab runs each game’s rule as its code does and counts the chance exactly over every value of the roll; set the inputs, or pick a preset.

FixedDragon Warrior (1986). One of the hero's swings in 32 is an "excellent move" that ignores defense, and monsters never land one.^1,2Dragon Warrior II (1987). One swing in 64 is a "tremendous blow" that ignores defense; the cursed Sword of Destruction makes them common but wastes some turns.^3,4Dragon Warrior III (1988). One swing in 64 is a "tremendous hit" that ignores defense, and Fighters land more as they level.^5,6Final Fantasy II (1988). About one hit in twenty is critical, whatever the weapon, and adds the attack again.⁷Final Fantasy VI (1994). 1 in 32 for any attack that can crit, doubling the damage.^8,9
From equipmentFinal Fantasy (1987). The weapon's place in the item list, not its listed critical rate, sets how often it crits.^10,11Final Fantasy V (1992). Only fists, katanas, and one other attack type can land a critical, which ignores defense.¹²
Rate and bonusFinal Fantasy III (1990). The job decides how often an attack is critical and how much a critical adds.^13,14Final Fantasy IV (1991). Each character has a critical rate of their own, doubled when fighting with two weapons and tripled with a bow.¹⁵
From a statEarthBound (1994). "SMAAAASH!!" at about Guts in 500, at least 1 in 20 for the party, for 4 × Offense − Defense.^16,17Pokémon Red and Blue (1996). Half the attacker's base Speed in 256, and eight times that for four high-critical moves.^18,19,20,21Pokémon Yellow (1998). Red and Blue's base-Speed rule, Focus Energy bug included.²²
Stat against statEarthBound Beginnings (1989). "SMAAAASH!!" from the attacker's Fight against the target's, about 26 in 256 when they match; it deals the full Offense.²³
Weapon and statsFinal Fantasy VII (1997). (level + luck − target level)/4 plus the weapon's critical %, against 1–100; doubles physical damage.²⁴Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade (2002). The weapon's crit plus half the skill, plus 30 for some classes, less the defender's luck; a critical triples the damage.²⁵Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (2004). The weapon's crit plus half the attacker's skill, less the defender's luck, on one roll; a critical triples the damage.²⁶
From stagesPokémon Gold and Silver (1999). Focus Energy, high-critical moves, and a Scope Lens add stages, from 17 to 128 in 256.²⁷Pokémon Crystal (2000). Focus Energy, high-critical moves, and a Scope Lens add stages, from 17 to 128 in 256.^28,29Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (2002). Stages from 1 in 16 to 1 in 2, and Battle Armor and Shell Armor block it.³⁰Pokémon Emerald (2004). Stages from 1 in 16 to 1 in 2, and Battle Armor and Shell Armor block it.^31,32Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (2004). Ruby's stages, with none in the Old Man's or Pokédude battles, or in the first battle until a tutorial flag is set.³³Pokémon Platinum (2008). Emerald's stages, plus Super Luck; Lucky Chant blocks it, and Sniper makes it ×3.^34,35Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver (2009). Platinum's stage table, with Super Luck, Lucky Chant, and Sniper.³⁶

	Damage	Ignores	Rolled
Dragon Warrior	between half and all of attack power¹	the monster’s defense¹	per attack, before damage¹
Final Fantasy	the swing’s damage roll again¹⁰	absorb, on the added roll¹⁰	per swing, on the hit roll¹⁰
Red and Blue	level doubled in the formula²¹	stat stages, Reflect, Light Screen²¹	once per move³⁷
Crystal	×2²⁹	all boosts, unless the attacker’s stage is higher²⁹	per hit³⁸
Emerald	×2³²	changes that hurt the attacker, Reflect, Light Screen³²	per hit³⁹
The Sacred Stones	attack less defense, tripled^26,40	nothing	per hit, after the hit roll, on one number²⁶

In the North American release of Final Fantasy VII, the chance comes from the action’s level, the attacker’s luck, the target’s level, and the weapon: (Lv + Luck − target Lv)/4 + weapon %, against 1–100, ×2²⁴. Final Fantasy VI reads no stat, at 8 in 256 (1 in 32), ×2⁸. Pokémon Platinum keeps Emerald’s stage table^34,31. With the ability Sniper, a critical multiplies the damage by 3³⁵, a case Emerald’s multiplier lacks.

The North American Dragon Warrior II turns Dragon Warrior’s 1-in-32 excellent move into a 1-in-64 “tremendous blow”⁴. With the Sword of Destruction the chance is 1 in 8, but a curse roll first loses 1 attack in 4³. The North American Dragon Warrior III keeps those odds for most heroes and gives a Fighter an extra roll under its level^6,5.

Final Fantasy II makes each hit critical on a roll under 5 of 0–100, which adds the attack again⁷. Final Fantasy III rolls once per action against the job’s crit probability and adds the job’s crit bonus^13,14. Final Fantasy IV gives each character a crit rate and bonus of their own; dual-wielding doubles the rate, and a bow triples a rate capped at 33¹⁵. In Final Fantasy V, only fists, katanas, and attack type 36 roll for a critical, at the attack type’s crit %, and a critical doubles Attack and sets Defense to 0¹². Final Fantasy VI drops the weapon from the roll⁹.

Pokémon Yellow keeps Red and Blue’s CriticalHitTest line for line, Focus Energy bug included^22,20. Pokémon Gold and Silver already use Crystal’s stages, 17 · 32 · 64 · 85 · 128 in 256^27,27. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire’s stages, 1 in 16 · 8 · 4 · 3 · 2³⁰, are the ones Emerald keeps^30,31. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen keep Ruby’s stages and rule out critical hits in the Old Man’s catching tutorial, in Pokédude battles, and in the first battle until a tutorial flag is set³³.

In the English build of EarthBound Beginnings, a “SMAAAASH!!” comes from the attacker’s Fight against the target’s, (256 + ΔFight) ÷ 2 − 102, in 256²³, and deals the attacker’s Offense, ignoring Defense²³. In the US release of EarthBound, the chance comes from Guts alone, Guts ÷ 500, at least 25 ÷ 500 for the party¹⁶, and the blow deals 4 × Offense − Defense^16,17. Both games roll it before the dodge, so it can’t be dodged^23,17.

#Quirks

Final Fantasy decides the hit and the critical on one 0–200 roll, so a low roll does both. The crit chance is the weapon’s index number, because the crit rate in each weapon’s data is never read^10,11.
Final Fantasy’s random table holds $00 twice, so at crit chance 1 a swing is critical 4 times in 256, not 3^41,42. In the lab, Final Fantasy’s roll 0 stands taller than its neighbors.
Red and Blue’s Focus Energy divides the threshold by 4 instead of raising it²⁰. The Focus Energy preset sets it beside Crystal and Emerald, where it raises the chance.
Emerald’s stage-3 chance is 21,846 in 65,536, not 1 in 3, because Random() gives 16 bits and 65,536 isn’t a multiple of 3. A target with Battle Armor or Shell Armor is never hit critically³¹.
Dragon Warrior’s excellent move deals $A - ⌊ r ⌊ A / 2 ⌋ / 256 ⌋$ for attack power $A$ , and an awake monster can still dodge it^1,43.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones rolls a critical on one number from 0 to 99 but a hit on the average of two, so its shown crit is the true chance once an attack hits, and its shown hit is not the true chance of hitting^26,44. Classes with a crit bonus add 15 there and 30 in The Binding Blade^26,25.
Final Fantasy’s damage spells have a cousin of the critical: their own 0–200 roll doubles the damage instead of deciding a hit⁴⁵.

Games

Game	Year	How	Note
Dragon Warrior	1986	Fixed	one of the hero's swings in 32 is an "excellent move" that ignores defense, and monsters never land one
Dragon Warrior II	1987	Fixed	one swing in 64 is a "tremendous blow" that ignores defense; the cursed Sword of Destruction makes them common but wastes some turns
Dragon Warrior III	1988	Fixed	one swing in 64 is a "tremendous hit" that ignores defense, and Fighters land more as they level
Final Fantasy II	1988	Fixed	about one hit in twenty is critical, whatever the weapon, and adds the attack again
Final Fantasy VI	1994	Fixed	1 in 32 for any attack that can crit, doubling the damage
Final Fantasy	1987	From equipment	the weapon's place in the item list, not its listed critical rate, sets how often it crits
Final Fantasy V	1992	From equipment	only fists, katanas, and one other attack type can land a critical, which ignores defense
Final Fantasy III	1990	Rate and bonus	the job decides how often an attack is critical and how much a critical adds
Final Fantasy IV	1991	Rate and bonus	each character has a critical rate of their own, doubled when fighting with two weapons and tripled with a bow
EarthBound	1994	From a stat	"SMAAAASH!!" at about Guts in 500, at least 1 in 20 for the party, for 4 × Offense − Defense
Pokémon Red and Blue	1996	From a stat	half the attacker's base Speed in 256, and eight times that for four high-critical moves
Pokémon Yellow	1998	From a stat	Red and Blue's base-Speed rule, Focus Energy bug included
EarthBound Beginnings	1989	Stat against stat	"SMAAAASH!!" from the attacker's Fight against the target's, about 26 in 256 when they match; it deals the full Offense
Final Fantasy VII	1997	Weapon and stats	(level + luck − target level)/4 plus the weapon's critical %, against 1–100; doubles physical damage
Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade	2002	Weapon and stats	the weapon's crit plus half the skill, plus 30 for some classes, less the defender's luck; a critical triples the damage
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones	2004	Weapon and stats	the weapon's crit plus half the attacker's skill, less the defender's luck, on one roll; a critical triples the damage
Pokémon Gold and Silver	1999	From stages	Focus Energy, high-critical moves, and a Scope Lens add stages, from 17 to 128 in 256
Pokémon Crystal	2000	From stages	Focus Energy, high-critical moves, and a Scope Lens add stages, from 17 to 128 in 256
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire	2002	From stages	stages from 1 in 16 to 1 in 2, and Battle Armor and Shell Armor block it
Pokémon Emerald	2004	From stages	stages from 1 in 16 to 1 in 2, and Battle Armor and Shell Armor block it
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen	2004	From stages	Ruby's stages, with none in the Old Man's or Pokédude battles, or in the first battle until a tutorial flag is set
Pokémon Platinum	2008	From stages	Emerald's stages, plus Super Luck; Lucky Chant blocks it, and Sniper makes it ×3
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver	2009	From stages	Platinum's stage table, with Super Luck, Lucky Chant, and Sniper

Every claim about this mechanic, by game (45)

Dragon Warrior 1986	Before the normal formula, a 1-in-32 roll gives the hero an "excellent move", except against either form of the Dragonlord; it deals $A - ⌊ r ⌊ A / 2 ⌋ / 256 ⌋$ for a random byte $r$ , from $⌈ A / 2 ⌉ + 1$ to $A$ (more than half to all of the attack power), and ignores defense.	Code
Dragon Warrior 1986	A monster's physical attack has no critical branch and no dodge roll for the hero; `EnPhysAttack` goes straight to `EnCalcHitDmg`, and only 0 damage misses.	Code
Dragon Warrior II 1987	In Dragon Warrior II (NA NES), a hero's attack is "a tremendous blow" on a roll of 1 in 64, or 1 in 8 with the Sword of Destruction equipped, except against Malroth; with the Sword of Destruction (or Gremlin's Armor or the Evil Shield) a roll of 1 in 4 first freezes the hero under the curse and the attack is lost. A tremendous blow deals half the attack power plus $⌊ A r / 256 ⌋$ with the same 8–248 roll, ignores defense, and skips the monster's dodge.	Code
Dragon Warrior II 1987	Dragon Warrior II (NA NES) changes Dragon Warrior's battle rules: the hero's 1-in-32 "excellent move" becomes a 1-in-64 "tremendous blow", the fixed alternation of hero and monster becomes a round order sorted by half the agility plus a roll, and running no longer weighs the hero's Agility against the monster.	Code
Final Fantasy 1987	A swing is critical when its roll is at most the crit chance, which is capped at the hit chance; a critical adds the swing's random damage again, with no absorb taken from it.	Code
	A character's crit chance is the equipped weapon's index number, not the crit rate in the weapon's data (no code we read touches that byte); an unarmed Black Belt or Master gets twice their level.	Code
	A damage spell always connects, for a random value from its power $E$ to $2 E$ ; its roll of 0–200 against 148 + the spell's hit rate − the target's magic defense doubles the damage instead of deciding a hit.	Code
	Measured in the ROM over all 256 battle-RNG states, one swing with base damage 20, hit rate 10, and crit chance 1 against evade 6 and absorb 4 hits 221 times and is critical 4 times; with the attacker in Dark it hits 170 times, and against a sleeping defender 216 times.	Verified
	Measured the same way, four swings with base damage 40, hit rate 100, and crit chance 20 against evade 40 and absorb 10 land 1,020 of 1,024 swings, 109 of them critical, for 129–413 damage; with FAST, eight swings land 2,040 of 2,048, 213 critical.	Verified
Dragon Warrior III 1988	In Dragon Warrior III (NA NES), a hero lands "a tremendous hit" when a random byte falls below 4 (1 in 64), or below 32 (1 in 8) with the Sword of Destruction or the Demon Axe; a Fighter first gets a roll below its level. The hit deals attack power × (54 + a roll of 0–10) / 64, plus 1, ignoring defense.	Code
Dragon Warrior III 1988	Dragon Warrior III (NA NES) keeps Dragon Warrior II's critical-hit odds for most heroes, 1 in 64, and its 1 in 8 with the Sword of Destruction.	Code
Final Fantasy II 1988	Each hit that gets through deals attack plus a random 0 to attack, less the target's defense (at least 0), and the hits add up. Each hit also rolls 0–100, and a roll under 5 makes it critical, adding the attack again.	Code
EarthBound Beginnings 1989	In EarthBound Beginnings (English build), a plain attack is a "SMAAAASH!!" when a random byte is below max(0, ⌊(256 + attacker's Fight − target's Fight) ÷ 2⌋ − 102), about 26 in 256 at equal Fight. It is checked before the dodge roll, so it can't be dodged, and it deals the attacker's Offense, ignoring Defense. There is no SMAAAASH during the invincibility scripts, while the party fires the tank gun instead, or, 1 time in 2, from a blinded attacker.	Code
Final Fantasy III 1990	A Fight action rolls once for a critical, 0–99 against the crit probability, and a critical adds the crit bonus to the damage before defense. Both numbers are the first two bytes of the character's job modifiers, so the job sets them.	Code
Final Fantasy III 1990	Final Fantasy II rolls damage, attack plus 0 to attack less defense, and a critical for each hit that gets through and adds them up; Final Fantasy III rolls damage once, attack plus 0 to half of it, and multiplies it by the net hits, and its single critical roll uses the job's crit probability in place of Final Fantasy II's fixed roll under 5.	Code
Final Fantasy IV 1991	A Fight command rolls once for a critical: a percentage roll under the attacker's crit rate adds its crit bonus to the damage before defense. Each character carries a crit rate and bonus of their own (the field code loads Cecil's from `CharProp`); dual-wielding doubles the rate, which falls to 99 only when the doubling overflows a byte (a rate of 50–127 doubles to 100–254), and adds half the left hand's attack to the bonus, and a bow triples a rate capped at 33 and adds the arrows' attack.	Code
Final Fantasy V 1992	Three attack types call `CheckCrit`: fists (type 30), katanas (type 37), and type 36, which the source comments as bows with an element and which uses the knife damage formula, after moving its crit % from its second parameter to the first. `CheckCrit` makes a critical when a roll of 0–99 is under that crit %, and a critical doubles Attack and sets Defense to 0.	Code
EarthBound 1994	In EarthBound (US release), a bash is a "SMAAAASH!!" with a chance of about the attacker's Guts in 500, with a party member's Guts counted as at least 25 (about 1 in 20). It is rolled after the miss check and before the dodge, so it can't be dodged, and deals 4 × Offense − Defense with no random spread.	Code
EarthBound 1994	EarthBound (US release) keeps EarthBound Beginnings' order of a plain attack, with the "SMAAAASH!!" rolled before the dodge so it can't be dodged, but changes the numbers: the chance comes from the attacker's Guts alone (about Guts in 500) instead of Fight against Fight; the SMAAAASH deals 4 × Offense − Defense instead of the full Offense; a normal hit deals 2 × Offense − Defense instead of Offense − Defense ÷ 2; and the dodge comes from Speed instead of Fight.	Code
Final Fantasy VI 1994	Unless an attack is set to always crit, it is critical when a random byte is under 8, a 1-in-32 chance, and a critical adds 2 to the damage multiplier, which the code comments as damage ×2.	Code
Final Fantasy VI 1994	In Final Fantasy V only three weapon attack types roll for a critical (fists, katanas, and type 36), at the crit % the attack type carries; in Final Fantasy VI an attack that can crit does so on a random byte under 8, 1 in 32, whatever the weapon.	Code
Pokémon Red and Blue 1996	`CriticalHitTest` makes a hit critical when a random byte is below a threshold set by the attacker's base Speed $S$ : $⌊ S / 2 ⌋$ for most moves, and $\min (255, 8 ⌊ S / 2 ⌋)$ for Karate Chop, Razor Leaf, Crabhammer, and Slash.	Code
	A Pokémon with base Speed 115, such as Persian, lands a critical hit on 57 of 256 rolls with most moves and on 255 of 256 with Slash.	Code
	Focus Energy cuts the critical threshold to a quarter, $⌊ S / 8 ⌋$ for most moves, because the routine shifts right where it should shift left; pret marks it as a bug.	Code
	A critical hit doubles the level in the damage formula and takes both Pokémon's stats from their party data, so stat stages, Reflect, and Light Screen drop out.	Code
	A multi-hit move runs the critical test, the damage formula, and the accuracy roll once; every later hit repeats the first hit's damage, and a first hit that misses ends the move.	Code
Final Fantasy VII 1997	In the North American release, `BattleRollCriticalHit` is entry 2 of the hit-formula table, so it runs only for an attack whose hit-formula script includes it, and only if the hit roll didn't mark a miss. Its chance is (the action's level + the attacker's luck − the target's level)/4, plus the weapon's critical % for a party member, or 255 under Lucky Girl; a 1–100 roll at or under the chance sets bit 1 ($2) of `damageFlags`. `BattleSetTmpDmgAsPhysical` doubles the damage when that bit is set, and sets it itself for an attack whose `attackFlags` bit $2000 is clear. So a chance c of 0–99 crits about c times in 99 (computed for evenly spread 16-bit values). Final Fantasy VI crits on a random byte under 8, 1 in 32, whatever the stats, and a critical adds 2 to the damage multiplier, which its code comments as damage ×2.	Code
Pokémon Yellow 1998	Yellow keeps Red and Blue's `CriticalHitTest` line for line, so the attacker's base Speed still sets the chance, $⌊ S / 2 ⌋$ in 256 for most moves and 8 times that for the high-critical ones, and Focus Energy still cuts it to a quarter.	Code
Pokémon Gold and Silver 1999	Gold and Silver already use the staged critical hit that Crystal keeps line for line: Focus Energy (+1), a high-critical move (+2), and a Scope Lens (+1) add to a critical level, which reads 17, 32, 64, 85, or 128 in 256 from `CriticalHitChances`. Chansey holding a Lucky Punch and Farfetch'd holding a Stick get level 2 at once and skip the other bonuses.	Code
Pokémon Crystal 2000	`BattleCommand_Critical` sums a critical level, +1 for Focus Energy, +2 for a high-critical move, and +1 for a Scope Lens, then rolls against 17, 32, 64, 85, or 128 in 256 for levels 0 to 4; Chansey with a Lucky Punch and Farfetch'd with a Stick get level 2 and skip the other bonuses.	Code
	A critical hit doubles the damage after item boosts and before the cap of 997 and the final +2; unless the attacker's stat stage is higher than the defender's, it also uses both Pokémon's unboosted stats, which drops Reflect and Light Screen.	Code
	`BattleCommand_EndLoop` gives 2–5 hits with Red and Blue's odds and Triple Kick 1–3 hits, 1/3 each, and jumps back to the `critical` command, so every hit rolls its own critical and damage; `checkhit` sits before the loop and runs once.	Code
Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade 2002	The Binding Blade's crit is the weapon's crit plus half the skill, plus 30 for classes with a crit bonus, less the defender's luck and at least 0; after a hit, one random number below it triples the damage.	Code
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire 2002	Ruby and Sapphire's `atk04_critcalc`, which Emerald keeps apart from a renamed helper, sums Focus Energy (+2), a move whose effect is high-critical, Sky Attack, Blaze Kick, or Poison Tail (+1), a Scope Lens (+1), and Lucky Punch or Stick on their species (+2), caps the stage at 4, and hits critically 1 time in 16, 8, 4, 3, or 2. Battle Armor or Shell Armor on the target, the `STATUS3_CANT_SCORE_A_CRIT` flag on the attacker, Wally's tutorial, and the first battle rule it out.	Code
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire 2002	Ruby and Sapphire's `atk8D_setmultihitcounter` gives 2 or 3 hits with probability 3/8 each and 4 or 5 with 1/8 each, the same code as Emerald's; the multi-hit battle script runs `accuracycheck` once and then loops `critcalc`, `damagecalc`, and `adjustnormaldamage` for every hit.	Code
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones 2004	In the North American build, a unit's crit is its weapon's crit plus half its skill, plus 15 for classes with a crit bonus; the crit shown and rolled is that less the defender's luck, at least 0, and one random number from 0 to 99 below it triples the hit's damage.	Code
Pokémon Emerald 2004	`Cmd_critcalc` sums a critical stage, +2 for Focus Energy, +1 for a high-critical move (including Sky Attack, Blaze Kick, and Poison Tail), +1 for a Scope Lens, and +2 for Chansey with a Lucky Punch or Farfetch'd with a Stick, capped at 4; a 16-bit `Random()` taken modulo 16, 8, 4, 3, or 2 must be 0, a chance of 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 21,846 in 65,536 (slightly over 1/3), or 1/2, and a target with Battle Armor or Shell Armor is never hit critically.	Code
	`Cmd_damagecalc` multiplies the base damage by 2 on a critical; `CalculateBaseDamage` then ignores the attacker's lowered attacking stat, the defender's raised defending stat, and Reflect or Light Screen.	Code
	`Cmd_setmultihitcounter` gives 2 or 3 hits with probability 3/8 each and 4 or 5 with 1/8 each; the loop reruns `critcalc` and `damagecalc` for every hit, after one `accuracycheck`.	Code
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen 2004	FireRed and LeafGreen's `Cmd_critcalc` keeps Ruby's stages and its 1 in 16, 8, 4, 3, or 2, but rules out critical hits in the Old Man's catching tutorial, in Pokédude battles, and in the first battle until a tutorial flag is set.	Code
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen 2004	FireRed and LeafGreen's `Cmd_setmultihitcounter` is Emerald's, line for line: 2 or 3 hits at 3/8 each and 4 or 5 at 1/8. The battle script runs `accuracycheck` once, then loops `critcalc`, `damagecalc`, and `adjustnormaldamage` for every hit.	Code
Pokémon Platinum 2008	`BattleSystem_CalcCriticalMulti` keeps Emerald's stage table, 1 in 16, 8, 4, 3, or 2, capped at stage 4, and its sum: +2 for Focus Energy, +1 for a held item with `HOLD_EFFECT_CRITRATE_UP`, +2 for Chansey or Farfetch'd holding an item whose hold effect names that species, plus the move's boosts, which in Platinum come from a battle-script variable (`criticalBoosts`) rather than a list of move effects. It adds +1 for the ability Super Luck, which Emerald's sum doesn't read. Besides Battle Armor and Shell Armor, which an attacker with Mold Breaker ignores, Lucky Chant on the target's side blocks a critical, and so does a `MOVE_EFFECT_NO_CRITICAL` flag that a comment in the header says is checked but never set. Platinum draws its 16-bit roll before those tests, where Emerald draws it only after its other tests pass.	Code
Pokémon Platinum 2008	A critical multiplies Platinum's damage by 2 after the base formula (its +2 included), at the same step as Emerald, and by 3 when the attacker has Sniper; Emerald's multiplier has no such case. As in Emerald, the critical then ignores the attacker's lowered attacking stat, the defender's raised defending stat, and Reflect or Light Screen.	Code
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver 2009	HeartGold and SoulSilver's `TryCriticalHit` keeps Platinum's critical-hit rule: the stage sum (+2 Focus Energy, +1 for a `HOLD_EFFECT_CRITRATE_UP` item, +1 Super Luck, +2 for Chansey or Farfetch'd with its own item, plus the move's boosts) capped at 4, a chance of 1 in 16, 8, 4, 3, or 2, blocked by Battle Armor or Shell Armor unless ignored, by Lucky Chant on the target's side, or by bit 15 of the target's move-effect flags (named `MOVE_EFFECT_FLAG_LUCKY_CHANT` here), and Sniper turning ×2 into ×3.	Code
general	The Gameplay Design Patterns wiki defines critical hits as "Attacks that do significantly more damage than others, or have other special effects," made by giving an ordinary hit a small chance to become critical.	Wiki

References

^ a b c d eBefore the normal formula, a 1-in-32 roll gives the hero an "excellent move", except against either form of the Dragonlord; it deals $A - ⌊ r ⌊ A / 2 ⌋ / 256 ⌋$ for a random byte $r$ , from $⌈ A / 2 ⌉ + 1$ to $A$ (more than half to all of the attack power), and ignores defense.Codenmikstas/dragon-warrior-disassembly · Ryan8bit, DW Formulasrevised
How we know
```
6725LE617:  CMP #EN_DRAGONLORD1     ;
⋮
6729LE61D:  BEQ ChkPlyrMiss         ;If so, branch. no excellent moves permitted.
⋮
6733LE624:  AND #$1F                ;Did player get an excellent move(1/32 chance)?
⋮
6748LE63B:  LDA DisplayedAttck      ;
6749LE63D:  LSR                     ;A = DisplayedAttack/2 * rnd(255).
⋮
6757LE64B:  SEC                     ;Damage=DisplayedAttack-(DisplayedAttack/2 * rnd(255))/256.
6758LE64C:  SBC MultRsltUB          ;
```
source_files/Bank03.asm lines 6724–6759 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
Excellent moves have a 1/32 chance of happening per attack
II.B, Hero attack formulas · archived copy ↗
Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.
Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21: The smallest excellent move was given as ⌈A/2⌉; the code gives ⌈A/2⌉ + 1.
In the claim ledger
^A monster's physical attack has no critical branch and no dodge roll for the hero; EnPhysAttack goes straight to EnCalcHitDmg, and only 0 damage misses.Codenmikstas/dragon-warrior-disassembly
How we know
```
7765LEBD6:  JSR EnCalcHitDmg        ;($EFF4)Calculate enemy hit damage on player.
⋮
7767LEBD9:  LDA CalcDamage          ;Did enemy do damage to the player?
7768LEBDB:  BNE EnHitsPlayer        ;If so, branch to subtract damage from player's HP.
```
source_files/Bank03.asm lines 7751–7774 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.
Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.
In the claim ledger
^ a bIn Dragon Warrior II (NA NES), a hero's attack is "a tremendous blow" on a roll of 1 in 64, or 1 in 8 with the Sword of Destruction equipped, except against Malroth; with the Sword of Destruction (or Gremlin's Armor or the Evil Shield) a roll of 1 in 4 first freezes the hero under the curse and the attack is lost. A tremendous blow deals half the attack power plus $⌊ A r / 256 ⌋$ with the same 8–248 roll, ignores defense, and skips the monster's dodge.CodeNathan-R-Og/dq2revised
How we know
```
6241B04_A5E3:
6242    lda #$08
6243    sta $A6
6244    lda #$4C ; Item ID #$4C: Sword of Destruction (equipped)
⋮
6249    lda #$40
6250    sta $A6
⋮
6261B04_A600:
6262    lda #$04
⋮
6265    beq B04_A679
6266B04_A607:
6267    lda $A6
⋮
6270    bne B04_A624
⋮
```
src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 6241–6282 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
lda #$42 ; String ID #$0042: No movement was possible, for the curse had frozen [name]'s body.
src/us/prg/bank4.asm#L6334-L6335 · upstream ↗
Monster ID #$52: Malroth
src/us/prg/bank4.asm#L2926-L2926 · upstream ↗
```
6529B04_A7A1:
6530    sta $99
6531    lsr
6532    sta $A6
6533    lda $99
6534    jsr B04_AE8C ; $B0 = random number tightly distributed around A / 2, $B1 = #$00
⋮
6536    lda $A6
6537    clc
6538    adc $B0
```
src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 6529–6542 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
```
5244B04_A020:
5245    sta $99
⋮
5277    and $9F
5278    cmp $99
5279    bcs B04_A044
```
src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 5244–5279 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.
Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.
In the claim ledger
^ a bDragon Warrior II (NA NES) changes Dragon Warrior's battle rules: the hero's 1-in-32 "excellent move" becomes a 1-in-64 "tremendous blow", the fixed alternation of hero and monster becomes a round order sorted by half the agility plus a roll, and running no longer weighs the hero's Agility against the monster.Codenmikstas/dragon-warrior-disassembly · Nathan-R-Og/dq2revised
How we know
```
6733LE624:  AND #$1F                ;Did player get an excellent move(1/32 chance)?
```
source_files/Bank03.asm lines 6724–6759 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
```
6249    lda #$40
6250    sta $A6
```
src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 6249–6250 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
```
6807LE691:  JMP StartEnemyTurn      ;($EB1B)It's the enemy's turn to attack.
```
source_files/Bank03.asm lines 6803–6807 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
```
7777LEBE6:  JMP StartPlayerTurn     ;($E5CE)It's the player's turn to attack.
```
source_files/Bank03.asm lines 7772–7777 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
```
9274B04_B790:
9275    lsr
9276    sta $99
```
src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 9274–9286 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
```
8313LEEE6:  LDA DisplayedAgi        ;
```
source_files/Bank03.asm lines 8290–8325 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
```
3191B04_95BF:
3192    lda $06DD
3193    beq B04_95CB
3194    lda #$03
```
src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 3191–3197 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.
Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.
In the claim ledger
^ a bIn Dragon Warrior III (NA NES), a hero lands "a tremendous hit" when a random byte falls below 4 (1 in 64), or below 32 (1 in 8) with the Sword of Destruction or the Demon Axe; a Fighter first gets a roll below its level. The hit deals attack power × (54 + a roll of 0–10) / 64, plus 1, ignoring defense.Code“Dragon Warrior III (USA)” · zeromus/DragonWarrior3revised
How we know
In the cartridge (“Dragon Warrior III (USA)”): bank 4 $968F-$96C8, the Fighter's level roll and the 4-or-32 roll; bank 4 $ADA4-$ADB5, attack × (54 + a roll of 0–10) / 64; bank 4 $B156, items $93 (Sword of Destruction) and $8F (Demon Axe) carry flag $02. We don't reproduce the bytes.
```
3541loc_6968F:
⋮
3545		CMP		#CLASS_FIGHTER
3546		BNE		loc_696A2
3547		JSR		_rand_ex
3548		CMP		_players_level,X
⋮
3551		LDX		#4 ; normal chance of crit
3552		LDA		_attack_buff_flags
3553		AND		#ATTACK_BUFF_HIGHER_CRIT
⋮
3555		LDX		#$20 ; replacement odds for demon axe
⋮
3558		JSR		_rand_ex
⋮
3563		SYSX	_sys0F_msg_mFF_arg0_and_delay_or_wait_for_keypress,$10 ; "a tremendous hit!"
3564		JSR		_sram_b0_s17_player_rATK_read
⋮
```
disassembly/bank04.inc lines 3541–3568 at b35d5fd · upstream ↗
```
7146sub_6ADA4:
7147		LDA		#$B
7148		JSR		_b4_sF_rand_mul_A
7149		CLC
7150		ADC		#$36
```
disassembly/bank04.inc lines 7146–7154 at b35d5fd · upstream ↗
```
7764byte_6B156:
7765		.BYTE	#ITEM_ESWORD_OF_DESTRUCTION
⋮
7768		.BYTE	#ITEM_EDEMON_AXE
⋮
7774byte_6B15D:
7775		.BYTE	 #ATTACK_BUFF_HIGHER_CRIT
⋮
7778		.BYTE	 (#ATTACK_BUFF_DEMON_AXE | #ATTACK_BUFF_HIGHER_CRIT)
```
disassembly/bank04.inc lines 7763–7778 at b35d5fd · upstream ↗
Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.
Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.
In the claim ledger
^ a bDragon Warrior III (NA NES) keeps Dragon Warrior II's critical-hit odds for most heroes, 1 in 64, and its 1 in 8 with the Sword of Destruction.Codezeromus/DragonWarrior3 · “Dragon Warrior III (USA)” · Nathan-R-Og/dq2revised
How we know
```
3551		LDX		#4 ; normal chance of crit
⋮
3555		LDX		#$20 ; replacement odds for demon axe
```
disassembly/bank04.inc lines 3551–3555 at b35d5fd · upstream ↗
In the cartridge (“Dragon Warrior III (USA)”): bank 4 $96A2 ldx; bank 4 $B156, item $93 (Sword of Destruction) carries flag $02, the higher odds. We don't reproduce the bytes.
```
7764byte_6B156:
7765		.BYTE	#ITEM_ESWORD_OF_DESTRUCTION
⋮
7774byte_6B15D:
7775		.BYTE	 #ATTACK_BUFF_HIGHER_CRIT
```
disassembly/bank04.inc lines 7763–7775 at b35d5fd · upstream ↗
```
6241B04_A5E3:
6242    lda #$08
6243    sta $A6
6244    lda #$4C ; Item ID #$4C: Sword of Destruction (equipped)
⋮
6249    lda #$40
6250    sta $A6
```
src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 6241–6250 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.
Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.
In the claim ledger

^ a bEach hit that gets through deals attack plus a random 0 to attack, less the target's defense (at least 0), and the hits add up. Each hit also rolls 0–100, and a roll under 5 makes it critical, adding the attack again.Codeeverything8215, FF2 disassembly

How we know

18008; [ calculate damage ]
⋮
18010;  $44: attack
18011;  $46: defense
18012;  $48: number of hits
18013; +$4A: damage
⋮
18030; start of hit loop
180310C/BCA7: A2 00     LDX #$00
180320C/BCA9: A5 44     LDA $44
180330C/BCAB: 20 11 FD  JSR $FD11          ; random (X..A)
180340C/BCAE: 18        CLC 
180350C/BCAF: 65 44     ADC $44            ; attack * (0..1)
⋮
180410C/BCBA: A5 4C     LDA $4C            ; subtract defense
⋮

ff2j.asm lines 18008–18074 at 8d26190 · upstream ↗

Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

#Quirks

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