History Main / DeathThrows

A death animation common to 2-dimensional [[PlatformGame Platform Games]] especially during the [[UsefulNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 8-bit]] and [[UsefulNotes/The16bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 16-bit]] eras; in which the dying character flies into the air before falling off screen, often in a "sitting" spread-out contorted pose. This may happen to enemies as well.

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' does this in all the 2D games, including the TwoAndAHalfD ones like ''VideoGame/SonicRush'' and the classic half of ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForces''.

** While playing as Meta Knight in ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land'' and ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'', his body explodes and his mask remains behind to fall offscreen in this fashion. He adopts the same pose Kirby does in ''Return to Dream Land'' and ''Planet Robobot'', however.
** Averted in ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'' due to it being [[TwoAndAHalfD partially 3D]]; in that game Kirby just spins around before collapsing.

** ''VideoGame/RainbowIslands'' NES version (US and Japanese versions). In contrast, the arcade version has the character hitting the platform he was shot off of and fall backwards from the impact. Others just make him hit midair and fall backwards.

* Things get thrown offscreen in ''Film/HomeAlone2'' on the [=NES=] and [=SNES=] upon defeat.

* In ''VideoGame/CrystalCastles'', when Bentley runs into an enemy, he gives off a speech bubble saying "OH NO" or something similar and flies off the top of the screen.

* While the titular ''VideoGame/{{Bug}}'' doesn't die this way, the yeti boss of [[SlippySlideyIceWorld Burrubs]] does, by falling off the terrain in a flailing pose. The horned lizard boss of [[ShiftingSandLand Reptilia]] also drops off the scene flailing when defeated.

* Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog does this in all the 2D games, including the TwoAndAHalfD ones like ''VideoGame/SonicRush'' and the classic half of ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForces''.

* In ''VideoGame/LEGODimensions'', [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]] does this instead of [[LiterallyShatteredLives falling apart]] like every other character when he gets defeated.

* Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog does this in all the 2D games, including the TwoAndAHalfD ones like ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}}'' and the classic half of ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForces''.

* ''VideoGame/PizzaTower'' all [[spoiler:but one]] of the enemies and the first boss Pepperman die like this. The player character Peppino also dies like this upon getting killed by [[StalkedByTheBe Pizzaface]], but averts this in the boss levels, in which he simply gets thrown backwards without falling off-screen.

* ''Videogame/PizzaTower's'' Peppino Spaghetti inflicts this on enemies when [[RammingAlwaysWorks ramming them]] at high enough speeds, even the massive Pillar Johns. [[BigBad Pizzaface]] turns the tables should he catch Peppino if the latter takes too long during [[CollapsingLair Pizza Time]], crushing him underneath a giant 'TIME'S UP' and sending him flying.

* VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog does this in all the 2D games, including the TwoAndAHalfD ones like ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Rush|Series}}'' and the classic half of ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForces''.

The TropeCodifier is ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros''

* Happens in the little-known SNES game ''Skuljagger: Revolt of the Westicans''. However, enemies will continue to [[BeatingADeadPlayer attack the spot where Storm took the fatal hit]].

* ''[[VideoGame/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeriesSpooked Sabrina: Spooked]]'' has Sabrina fall off the screen while [[SpectacularSpinning spinning]] ala ''Kirby'', whenever she loses a life.

** There's a [[GoodBadBugs glitch]] where, in the later games, saving and reloading during the death throw causes the death flag to be reset but the throw state to be kept - you then fly in an uncontrolled fashion through walls and, if you touch the edge of the level, finish it instantly. This is used in {{speed run}}s.

*** Happens even earlier in the original ''Super Mario Bros'', where the fireball has his effect on enemies.
*** Taken even further in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioFusionRevival'', where the bird boss from ''VideoGame/{{Super Mario Land 2|Six Golden Coins}}'' dies by spinning around like a lunatic as it falls off the screen, complete with the same comedic falling sound. You can see the... odd effect in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-cR5hpCqKY this video.]]
*** Happens to mooks (their sprites are flipped upside down) if they're hit by a fireball (except in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld''), vegetable, raccoon tail, starman, cape...

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry''
** Defeated enemies do this. It only happens to the player characters if they've transformed into an animal buddy.
** Played straight in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns''.

* Franchise/{{Kirby}} does this whenever he dies, [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning while spinning]].

* ''[[VideoGame/BubbleBobble Parasol Stars]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/BubbleBobble Bubble Bobble Part 2 (NES)]]'' while [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spinning out.]]

* ''VideoGame/NebsNDebs'': Get touched by an enemy or hazard, and Debs jump up, then down off the screen.