History Main / YouGetKnockedDownYouGetBackUpAgain

** Inverted in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'': Link can't (or won't) harm enemies while they're prone, even if he's perfectly willing to conduct a sneak attack on them beforehand.

* Most early ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' games also have no way of hitting people on the ground, although later games have the occasional exception. In fact, throughout the SFII series, standing too close to someone who's been knocked down can allow them to get in a free throw or Dragon Punch on you.
** To contrast, while you still can't KickThemWhileTheyAreDown, many SNKBoss types were especially vulnerable during a particular frame while standing back up, to the point that repeatedly sweeping was the only reliable method of dealing with them. Depending on the game, sometimes it's physically impossible to get out of a trip lock, while other games allow you to stay on the ground longer to throw off their timing by making them sweep while you're still invulnerable on the ground.

* Averted in the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series where they use the "Press system" AKA "One more turn", characters who are knocked down take extra damage and can also be stunned.
** There are even attacks designed to do extra damage to downed opponents.
** In ''VideoGame/Persona3'' enemies who get hit by a critical or an attack that weakens the enemy, they get downed until it's their turn. This also counts for you and your party members.

* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'' provides with you invincibility when you're knocked down, and it actually lasts for a brief moment after you're able to act, for the sake of preventing a CycleOfHurting.
** [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2 Its sequel]], on the other hand, only grants the invincibility during the getting up phase, but provides all classes with the Just Reversal ability, which allows them to swiftly flip back onto their feet if it's used with the right timing. Despite this, it's still possible to get caught in the CycleOfHurting due to you becoming vulnerable the moment you're able to move again.

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* Averted in boxing games, but completely averted in UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts games such as ''PRIDE FC'' [=PS2=], the [=UFC=] games, and ''EA Sports MMA''.
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* In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' Ezio can KickThemWhileTheyAreDown, but enemies will not do so even though the EliteMooks have moves that knock him off his feet.

* In ''VideoGame/RuleOfRose'' no enemy can harm you when you're down or getting up (though you're fair game immediately after getting back up), but the same applies to you, as you can't harm enemies that you've knocked down, either. There's a stomping attack, but due to a bug or poor hit detection that plagues the rest of the game it's almost 100% useless; if you stomp every enemy you manage to get on the ground during the entire game, you may hit maybe one or two of them.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} Quest'', the various fake death techniques allowed a warrior to avoid damage until everyone else was dead or gone, at which point the monsters would start poking or eating. It never occurs to them to poke or eat if the fighting is at the complete opposite side of the room, of course.

* Inverted in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'': Link can't (or won't) harm enemies while they're prone, even if he's perfectly willing to conduct a sneak attack on them beforehand.

* ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' has this, it along with a variety of {{RecoveryAttack}}s almost makes getting knocked down worth it.

* In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' all players are invincible while getting back up. Of course, this doesn't happen until you start the animation for getting back up, so players lying on their backs are fair game if they don't try.
** While in the first two games getting hit by anything would instantly reset targets to their standing state, in ''Brawl'' weak attacks will cause characters to flop on the ground. Consecutive weak attacks can then keep them trapped on the ground indefinitely, leading to [[StopHavingFunGuys cheap]] tactics such as "laser locks".

** Quite a few Creator/{{Konami}}-made BeatEmUp (''VideoGame/XMen'', ''[[VideoGame/CrimeFighters Vendetta]]'', ''VideoGame/ViolentStorm'' and ''VideoGame/MetamorphicForce'') let you attack knocked-down enemies.

* Units knocked down in ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' cannot be targeted (ort of- ranged units ordered to attack them will try to melee them, but will shoot them as normal if in attack range) and are immune to directly-targeted further damage until they get back up again, although AOE attacks like artillery can keep hitting them.

* In most of the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'', if either you ''or'' an opponent are knocked down that character is generally invincible or at least highly resistant to damage until they get back up. Notably averted in one case though with Senel from ''VideoGame/TalesOfLegendia'', who learns a series of throws that can be performed on downed opponents (although otherwise the trope still applies).
** Averted in other titles, however, where allies and enemies alike only have a window of invulnerability during the actual ''getting up'' phase. Once someone's on the ground, hitting them to continue a combo is a great way to dish out damage without fear of retaliation. In fact, many attacks in ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', such as [[BlowYouAway Azure Blast]] and [[PlayingWithFire Wailing]] [[HurricaneKick Blast]], are invaluable for this specific purpose.
* Averted in ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'' - Geralt can kill any knocked-down enemy with a coup de grace... and any enemy can do the same to a knocked-down Geralt.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', where knocking people down is a major tactic for both player-controlled characters and enemies. One of the nastiest attacks in the game is Overwhelm, a skill of warhounds, wolves, and shrieks that both knocks down and grapples an opponent, holding them helpless while dealing massive damage (usually until they're unconscious or dead).

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-> ''"[[TropeNamers I get knocked down, but I get up again!]]''\\

** Happens again in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' and ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations''. They'll knock you down, but Ezio is [[CombatPragmatist the only one who'll knife the other guy while he's on the ground.]] The [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreed original]] does this too. [[BoringYetPractical Just about any enemy can be beaten]] by grabbing them, throwing them to the ground, and administering an instant-kill neck piercing with the hidden blade.

-> ''"[[TropeNamer I get knocked down, but I get up again!]]''\\

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' prevents you from taking damage while you're knocked down and getting back up, unless the enemy monster is using its pinning ttack. There are even skills to extend the invincibility period as you get up, and in ''Monster Hunter 4'' onwards you can control when you get up to take advantage of this.

* Annoyingly turned upside-down in every possible way in VideoGame/Left4Dead. You can shoot zombies that are knocked down, and zombies can get you when YOU'RE knocked down (either from an effect, or just incapacitated.) But God help you if you try to help someone up while they're still in the middle of the "slowly falling and flailing" animation...

-> ''"I get knocked down, but I get up again.''\\

** So do ''FightingForce''.

* Done in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', which was the first ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' game that allows Snake to be knocked over by some attacks, but otherwise keeps the MercyInvincibility used in the 2D games, during which point Snake can freely and quickly get back onto his feet. Later games removed the mercy invincibility in the interest of realism, though in return ''VideoGame/{{Metal Gear Solid 4|GunsOfThePatriots}}'' allows you to stay down to fake being dead (which only a few enemies, mostly bosses, can see through), or immediately aim your gun and fire back at your attacker while you're on the ground instead of having to waste time getting back to your feet before you can retaliate.

* In ''VideoGame/RuleOfRose'' no enemy can harm you when you're down or getting up (right after getting up, however...), but the same applies to you, as you can't harm enemies that you've knocked down, either. There's a stomping attack, but due to a bug or poor hit detection that plagues the rest of the game it's almost 100% useless; if you stomp every enemy you manage to get on the ground during the entire game, you may hit maybe one or two of them.

** In VideoGame/{{Persona3}} enemies who get hit by a critical or an attack that weakens the enemy, they get downed until it's their turn. This also counts for you and your party members.
** And of course there's the All Out Attack, which requires all enemies to be knocked down, at which point everyone in the party jumps them in a BigBallOfViolence for massive damage.
* Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout|1}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}}''. Whenever a player was knocked down, they could be attacked repeatedly until they either died or got back up with a penalty to AP for that round. Fortunately, this also happened to enemies.
* Averted in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', where knocking people down is a major tactic for both player-controlled characters and enemies. One of the nastiest attacks in the game is Overwhelm, a skill of warhounds, wolves, and shrieks which both knocks down and grapples an opponent, holding them helpless while dealing massive damage (usually until they're unconscious or dead).

* Averted in the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTenseiPersona'' series where they use the "Press system" AKA "One more turn", characters who are knocked down take extra damage and can also be stunned.

* Units knocked down in ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' cannot be targeted and are immune to directly-targeted further damage until they get back up again, although AOE attacks like artillery can keep hitting them.

* Averted in ''Franchise/{{Onimusha}}'' - stand over a downed enemy and attack, and you'll run them through. For most mooks, this is instant death.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Onimusha}}'' - stand over a downed enemy and attack, and you'll run them through. For most mooks, this is instant death.

* Also averted in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' games, where getting knocked down leaves you vulnerable and unable to react.

-->-- '''Chumbawumba''', "Tubthumping", where they sing this line about twenty times.

Trope name paraphrased from the Chumbawumba song "Tubthumping," for those of you who weren't paying attention to popular music in the late '90s. The line goes "I get knocked down, but I get up again" and the song is [[OdeToIntoxication primarily about getting drunk]].

* Averted in the ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' series where they use the "Press system" AKA "One more turn", characters who are knocked down take extra damage and can also be stunned.

* In most of the ''Franchise/TalesSeries'', if either you ''or'' an opponent are knocked down that character is generally invincible or at least highly resistant to damage until they get back up. Notably averted in one case though with Senel from ''VideoGame/TalesOfLegendia'', who learns a series of throws that can be performed on downed opponents (although otherwise the trope still applies).

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[[AC:SurvivalHorror]]

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-> ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin I get knocked down, but I get up again.]]''
-> ''You're never gonna keep me down!''
-->--'''Chumbawumba''', "Tubthumping", where they sing this line about twenty times.

* Bouncers in the ''Franchise/BioShock'' series can knock you down, but do not attack until you get back up.
** Given that they're genetically engineered DumbMuscle, it's possible they can't tell the difference between prone and dead.