Zero Suit Samus (SSB4): Difference between revisions

:{{cquote|Zero Suit Samus Zeroes In!|cite=Introduction Tagline}}

Zero Suit Samus is currently ranked 6th out of 55 on the [[tier list]]. This is a slight improvement from her high-tier placement in ''Brawl'', where she was ranked 9th out of 38. Zero Suit Samus possesses a dominant air game: her neutral and back aerials are safe and reliable set-up and KOing options, respectively, whereas her up aerial is an incredibly effective juggling option that also boasts KO potential.

Although she has outstanding strengths, Zero Suit Samus nevertheless has some noticeable weaknesses. Her ground game is unimpressive compared to her air game, which is most evident with her grab game: her grabs' long ranges are offset by their extreme amounts of start-up and ending lag, while her forward, back and up throws have very minimal utility outside of dealing damage. Most of her ground moves also lack KO potential. Her only ground move that truly has KO potential is her forward smash. Even so, it is one of the weakest smash attacks in the game. The rest of her ground moves require very high percents or rely on edgeguarding to score a KO.

By extension, many of Zero Suit Samus' hitboxes are positioned high above the ground, which can make it very difficult for her to fight against small characters. Even though Zero Suit Samus' air game is excellent, none of her aerials are effective combo breakers, which is further compounded by her susceptibility to combos. Altogether, these traits give Zero Suit Samus a weak [[neutral game]].

The overwhelming majority of Zero Suit Samus' attacks have hitbox placements that are high above the ground, making it easy for short characters to avoid getting hit, especially while [[crouching]]. Despite Paralyzer's paralysis effect, its range is decent at best, and it does not stay out for very long. As a result, her approach against most defensive and zoning characters is limited to dodging their projectiles with her mobility, [[powershield]]ing, and either coming in from above with an aerial, or fast falling and then immediately grabbing. All of these drawbacks also make Zero Suit Samus susceptible to momentum shifts, which in turn gives her a weak [[neutral game]].

However, Zero Suit Samus also received some nerfs. The most noticeable of these was that as she is no longer tied to {{SSB4|Samus}}, she no longer has access to her [[Power Suit Piece]]s which significantly hinders her stage control and her item game combined with the removal of [[glide toss]]ing. Although Plasma Whip has improved recovery potential, it has more ending lag and is significantly weaker, making it much easier to punish and far less reliable for KOing, eliminating one of her most reliable KO moves. Her aerial prowess has also slightly worsened. Her jumps are lower (especially since she no longer has [[Plasma Wire]]) and her aerials except for down aerial are all weaker. She is significantly more vulnerable to combos due to the removal of hitstun canceling combined with her increased falling speed. Lastly, some of her ground attacks have been nerfed as well: down tilt has increased startup and much more ending lag along with a less favorable angle, removing all of its combo potential and making it arguably her worst move, her new dash attack has one more frame of startup along with much higher ending lag, making it much more punishable and removing its locking and follow-up potential, and her down smash is weaker, has smaller hitboxes, its stun duration was decreased, and it has increased ending lag, worsening its follow-up potential and making it less safe on shield.  

*{{change|Zero Suit Samus' previously unused damage yells from ''Brawl''{{'}}s [[Sound Test]] are now heard when taking high knockback.}}  

*{{buff|[[Air dodge]] has less startup (frame 4 → 2) and ending lag (FAF 40 → 31).}}  

*{{nerf|Due to the limitations of the [[Nintendo 3DS]]' processing power,<ref>[http://sourcegaming.info/2015/07/09/i-answer-some-questions-sakurai-famitsu-column-vol-461-464/ "I Answer Some Questions" Sakurai Famitsu column vol. 461-464, on Ice Climbers, clones, and Smash Run]</ref> Zero Suit Samus is no longer connected to {{SSB4|Samus}} via [[Final Smash]] or [[character selection screen]] input. As a result, she no longer has access to her [[Power Suit Piece]]s which significantly hinders her stage control at the beginning of a match.}}  

**{{buff|Neutral attack's first and second hits have higher set knockback (10 (both) → 23/45 (hit 1), 34/50 (hit 2)). These changes make its hits connect together better, and decreases the possibility of opponents [[powershield]]ing the second and third hits. It also improves its [[jab cancel]]ing potential despite its higher ending lag. Its last hit also has more base knockback (45 → 60).}}

**{{change|Due to consisting of a sweetspot and a sourspot instead of a consistent hitbox, forward tilt no longer deals consistent damage (6% (upward angled)/6% (non-angled)/9% (downward angled) → 8%/7%/8% (foot)/6.5%/6%/6.5% (leg)).}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt has higher base knockback (8 (upward angled/non-angled)/12 (downward angled) → 30), improving its spacing potential.}}

**{{buff|Up tilt's second hit deals 1% more damage (6% → 7%) and has more knockback scaling (80 → 90), granting it KO potential at very high percentages. Its first hit also has decreased knockback (55/80 (base), 70 (scaling) → 55/85/30 (aerial)/50 (grounded)). This makes its hits connect together better. It also grants intangibility on Zero Suit Samus's lower legs, making it safer to use against aerial opponents.}}

***{{buff|However, its duration has been unchanged, giving it less ending lag relative to the hitbox.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt has a higher [[Freeze frame|hitlag]] multiplier (1× → 1.2×), making it easier to DI.}}

**{{buff|Down tilt has received an additional sweetspot that deals 8%. It also deals more knockback (65 (base), 70 (scaling) → 60/85).}}

**{{change|Down tilt's animation has slightly changed. Zero Suit Samus now moves forward when performing the legsweep. This new animation increases its range and allows it to be used as a pseudo-crawl but removes its spacing potential.}}  

**{{nerf|Down tilt has more startup (frame 5 → 8), ending lag (FAF 26 → 36) and it can no longer be interrupted by walking or crawling backwards. When combined with its higher knockback and altered angle (70°/90°/80° → 60°), these changes greatly hinder its combo potential despite the changes to hitstun canceling. These changes also make it much more punishable when combined with its new animation.}}

**{{buff|Compared to the previous dash attack, its clean hit deals 1% more damage (7% → 8%), it has a longer duration (frames 6-15 → 7-19) and it covers much more distance.}}

**{{nerf|Dash attack has more start-up with the sweetspot having a shorter duration (frames 6-9 → 7-9) and it has much more ending lag (FAF 32 → 52), removing its locking and follow-up potential. It also has smaller hitboxes (3.5u/5u/6u → 4.5u/4.5u (clean), 2.5u/3.8u/3.5u → 3.1u/4.1u (late)) compared to the previous dash attack.}}

**{{nerf|It no longer deals any extra shield damage (1 → 0).}}

**{{change|Dash attack has different knockback (30 (base), 80 (scaling) → 100/40) compared to the previous dash attack. This makes it more effective for spacing and [[cross-up]]s, but incapable of being followed up with tilt attacks.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash deals less damage (11% → 8% (near)/6% (far)). The far hit's knockback was not compensated which along with the changes to the [[Paralyze|paralysis]] formula, makes it stun opponents for less than half the amount of time.}}  

**{{change|The first hit has more base knockback but less knockback scaling (35 (base), 70 (scaling) → 50/50).}}  

**{{nerf|The second hit has a shorter duration, due to it no longer having a late hit (frames 16-17 (clean)/18-20 (late) → 16-17).}}  

**{{nerf|Back aerial deals less damage (13% (foot)/12% (leg) → 12/10%) without full compensation on its knockback (33 (base), 100 (scaling) → 42/98) hindering its KO potential, especially the sourspot.}}  

**{{change|Up aerial has a new animation where Zero Suit Samus now performs a bicycle kick. She performs a considerably slower somersault than she did previously.}}  

**{{buff|Up aerial has a longer duration (frames 4-6 (clean)/7-8 (late) → 6-12), with the move no longer having a weaker late hit.}}  

**{{nerf|Up aerial deals less damage (10% (clean)/7% (late) → 6.5%), without full compensation on its knockback compared to its previous clean hit (40 (base), 100 (scaling) → 30/125), hindering its KO potential.}}  

**{{buff|Down aerial deals more damage (5% (aerial)/4% (grounded) → 6%/5%), improving its KO potential.}}  

**{{buff|Back throw deals more damage (4% (throw)/6% (total) → 8%), with its knockback compensated (70 (base), 60 (scaling) → 72/45).}}  

**{{nerf|Down throw deals less damage (5% (throw)/7% (total) → 3%/5%) and it deals more knockback (100 (base), 25 (scaling) → 90/60), hindering its followup potential at higher percents while still not being a viable KO option.}}  

**{{buff|Floor attacks have less ending lag (FAF 50 → 46) and back floor attack has less startup lag (frame 15 (hit 1)/27 (hit 2) → 14/23).}}  

**{{nerf|Paralyser has more startup lag when charged (frame 41 → 43).}}  

**{{nerf|Paralyser has more ending lag (FAF 40 (uncharged)/60 (charged) → 49/71). This hinders the uncharged version's followup potential (unless Zero Suit Samus lands after shooting) despite its longer stun duration, as well as hindering the safety of both versions.}}  

**{{nerf|Paralyzer has smaller hitboxes (1.9u (uncharged)/3u (charged) → 1.3u/2u).}}  

**{{nerf|The whip hitboxes deal less damage on their own (3% → 2% (hit 1 near)/1.2% (hit 1 far/hits 2-4).}}  

**{{change|Zero Suit Samus has a new up special, Boost Kick. It is a jet-propelled diagonal split-legged flying kick, followed by a spinning hook kick.}}  

**{{buff|Compared to [[Plasma Wire]], Boost Kick deals overall more damage (4%-6% → 5% (hit 1)/1.3% (hits 2-7)/4% (hit 8)) and has different knockback (60 (base), 40 (scaling) → 50/209), making it significantly more effective at KOing. It also covers more horizontal distance than Plasma Wire. Like Plasma Wire, it has [[mindgame]] potential. Unlike Plasma Wire, it can punish rolls.}}  

**{{buff|Zero Suit Samus has a new [[Final Smash]], Gunship. She boards [[metroidwiki:Samus Aran's Gunship|her Gunship]] and fires energy blasts from its cannons toward the stage, similarly to [[Grenade Launcher]]. Compared to [[Power Suit Samus]], it has a significantly longer duration, which makes it significantly more effective at damage racking in spite of its overall lower damage output (25% (spin)/10% (discharge) → 0.8% (hits 1-9)/10% (hit 10)). Unlike Power Suit Samus, it can be used for stage control.}}

|dsmashname=Slant Paralyzer<!--name from SSBU tips-->

|uairdesc=A bicycle kick. Thanks to its minimal start-up and ending lag, very low base knockback and very high knockback scaling, it boasts excellent juggling potential. It can combo into itself at low percentages and, with sufficient [[rage]], it can combo into Boost Kick after a second one has been landed, leading to a KO. By extension, its very knockback scaling also grants it KO potential in spite of its low damage output. It KOs middleweights at 144% while near the upper [[blast line]] of Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version, and at 136% in the ''Wii U'' version. However, its very low base knockback makes it unsafe on hit against characters that have a fast aerial attack to counter with.  

|dairname=Slash Dive<!--name from SSBU tips-->

|zairname=[[Plasma Whip]]

|grabname=Plasma Whip

|nsdefdesc=Assumes a {{s|wikipedia|kneeling position}} to fire a paralyzing energy blast. It can be charged, which increases its damage output the duration of its paralysis, but at the cost of lowered speed. Targets hit by paralysis cannot be paralyzed again until making contact with the stage.  

|dsc2name=Low Kick

==In competitive play==

''See also: [[:Category:Zero Suit Samus professionals (SSB4)]]''

*{{Sm|ANTi|USA}} (#14) - Co-mained Zero Suit Samus alongside {{SSB4|Mario}}. Placed 1st at both {{Trn|Get On My Level 2017}} and {{Trn|Smash Factor 7}}, 2nd at both {{Trn|Port Priority 3: Tristate Throwdown}} and {{Trn|The Big House 6}}, and 7th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2016}}.  

*{{Sm|Juice|USA}} - Placed 5th at both {{Trn|XenoSaga XIII}} and {{Trn|Glitch 5}} and 13th at {{Trn|Smash Sounds}}, {{Trn|Port Priority 3}}, and {{Trn|Glitch 4}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|JaKaL}}, {{Sm|Shoyo James}}, and {{Sm|6WX}}. Ranked 1st on the [[Philadelphia Power Rankings]].  

*{{Sm|Pepo|Spain}} - T best Zero Suit Samus players in Spain. Placed 5th at both {{Trn|Tech Republic III}} and {{Trn|Pool Fiction 2018}}, 17th at {{Trn|Smashdown World}}, and 25th at {{Trn|Syndicate 2016}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|LoNg0uw}} and {{Sm|Neath}}. Ranked 23rd on the [[European Smash 4 Power Rankings]].  

===Tier placement and history===

Zero Suit Samus has been widely been viewed as a top-tier character ever since ''SSB4'' was released. She became infamous for her highly rewarding grab combos that could lead into early KOs, varied methods of setting up KOs with her back and down throws, down smash, and Paralyzer, her ability to escape pressure with her aerial mobility and down special, and, as of update [[1.1.1]], the incredible safety of her electric attacks like her neutral aerial. However, she also has a few weaknesses, such as her laggy grab and lackluster ground game. Although players would often point out both her weaknesses and her representation only being above average for a perceived top-tier character, Zero Suit Samus' weaknesses were also perceived as negligible. Additionally, her top-tier status was supplemented by the efforts of dedicated professionals, most notably {{Sm|Marss}}, {{Sm|Nairo}}, {{Sm|Nick Riddle}}, {{Sm|Remzi}} and {{Sm|V115}}, who dominated their respective regions with her and whose tournament results had been sufficient enough to position her as the second best character in the game in the eyes of most players.

Nairo's efforts in particular have demonstrated the former points: he is one of the best ''SSB4'' players in the world, consistently achieves top 8 placings at major tournaments (most notably winning [[MLG World Finals 2015]]) and became the first person to eliminate {{Sm|ZeRo}}, the undisputed best player in the world at the time, from a tournament. Other notable placings included Nick Riddle placing 2nd at [[Paragon Orlando 2015]] and 7th at [[CEO 2015]], and Marss placing 7th at [[GENESIS 3]]. Thanks to these very strong tournament results, Zero Suit Samus was ranked 2nd on the first tier list.

However, Zero Suit Samus received nerfs from game updates, with update 1.1.5 providing her most significant ones by exacerbating her grab game's lag issues, and somewhat toning down her immense strengths. These nerfs ultimately affected her results, with some of her main players eventually being outperformed by other characters, such as {{SSB4|Cloud}}, which in turn saw her playerbase slightly shrink. Zero Suit Samus' downturn was reflected in her subsequent tier placements, as she lost her top 3 status by being ranked 8th on the second tier list, and then lost her top 10 status by being ranked 11th on the third tier list.

 

However as of recently, Zero Suit Samus has had a huge spike in results thanks to {{Sm|Marss}} and {{Sm|Nairo}} placing top 2 at many major tournaments and most notably Nairo's win at [[Super Smash Con 2017]] while using Zero Suit Samus a majority of the tournament. Due to these impressive results and her ladder combos still being very frightening, her tier spot has been debated once again as many smashers claim that she should be ranked much higher due to her most recent results and these results being more impressive that characters ranked above her such as {{SSB4|Sheik}}, {{SSB4|Mario}}, {{SSB4|Rosalina}}, {{SSB4|Mewtwo}}, and {{SSB4|Marth}}. This is reflected by Zero Suit Samus's return to the top 10 on the fourth tier list, being ranked 6th. Some smashers however claim that despite her recent spike of results, her neutral and ground game hinder her enough to put her at a lower spot with players like {{Sm|ANTi}}, {{Sm|ESAM}}, {{Sm|Mr.R}} and {{Sm|ZeRo}} believe that she is overrated and that she shouldn't be ranked as high as she is especially since other characters like {{SSB4|Sheik}}, {{SSB4|Cloud}}, {{SSB4|Bayonetta}}, {{SSB4|Corrin}}, {{SSB4|Marth}}, {{SSB4|Fox}} and {{SSB4|Mewtwo}} win tournaments more consistently than she does.

 

:'''Zero Suit Samus'''

::{{flag|ntsc}} ''Samus is far from helpless when her Power Suit is deactivated. Sure, she loses a lot of the moves and weapons she had access to before, but her Jet Boots pick up the slack! She also has the Paralyzer, a versatile weapon that can shock her rivals or change into a Plasma Whip to grab edges and enemies.''

 

::{{flag|pal}} ''Without her Power Suit, Samus Aran may not have her usual strength, specials moves or over-powered arm cannon, but her Jet Boots definitely kick things up a notch in their own way. The Paralyzer, her gun, does just what you'd expect it to, but it can also turn into a whip for attacking and grabbing onto edges while falling.''

 

 

:'''Zero Suit Samus (Alt.)'''

::{{flag|ntsc}} ''Zero Suit Samus's up special Boost Kick involves a series of fast kicks that end with a swift, sideways-launching one. A perfectly executed attack will hit eight times! Her down special Flip Jump can bury a grounded fighter in the dirt. She can kick midflip by pressing the special button.''

 

::{{flag|pal}} ''Zero Suit Samus's Boost Kick up special finishes with a swift sideways kick. If you start the move close to an opponent, you can hit them up to eight times and launch them sideways! Her main down special, Flip Jump, buries opponents if you land on them at the end of it. Alternatively, press the button again mid-flip for a drop kick.''

 

::{{Trophy games|console1=GBA|game1=Metroid: Zero Mission (02/2004)|console2=Wii|game2=Metroid: Other M (08/2010)}}

 

::{{flag|ntsc}} ''Samus's Gunship is her way of travelling through space and her base of operations when exploring hostile planets. In Zero Suit Samus's Final Smash, she can use her Gunship to fire powerful beams at other fighters, hitting them multiple times, even if they're hiding off-screen! At least they can be thankful it doesn't go on forever.''

 

::{{flag|pal}} ''Samus's spaceship carries her through space and serves as her base of operations during her missions. Zero Suit Samus will call down and board her Gunship with her Final Smash. Once she's in the pilot's seat, she has a short time to unleash up to five powerful shots from the ship's weapons. Foes aren't safe even hiding off-screen!''

 

* '''[[A Situation of some Gravity]]''': Zero Suit Samus must defeat {{SSB4|Rosalina & Luma}} while she is affected by high gravity.