Editing Ice Climbers (SSBB)

The '''Ice Climbers''' ({{ja|アイス クライマー|Aisu Kuraimā}}, ''Ice Climber'') return as playable characters in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''. They were confirmed on the [[Smash Bros. DOJO!!]] website on September 14, 2007.

Sanae Kobayashi is the voice of the Ice Climbers, reprising her role from ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''; her portrayal is comprised of re-purposed voice clips leftover from the recording sessions for ''Melee'', featuring returning and previously unused ones.

The Ice Climbers rank 2nd on the current tier list, putting them in the S tier, a noticeable improvement over their already high 8th out of 26 ranking in ''Melee'', making this their best placement in the series. This is primarily due to their extensive and intricate grab game that can potentially lead to an inescapable [[zero-to-death combo]] on any character and on any stage. The partner mechanism of the character also forces opponents to rethink their approach, as one climber can easily disrupt combos and chain grabs. The duo also has two decent projectiles, and they are armed with a relatively powerful meteor smash along with one of the largest disjointed up aerials in the game. However, if the partner climber is KO'd, the leader cannot use [[special move]]s as effectively and is somewhat helpless during recovery. A lone Ice Climber also has drastically lowered damage output and KO potential, especially due to their inability to perform a meteor smash, and is considerably more open to grabs and combos. Regardless, the Ice Climbers have very good matchups (losing to only four characters, with {{SSBB|Meta Knight}} being the only top tier they lose to), and very strong tournament results.

The Ice Climbers are [[weight|lightweight]] characters that have the unique property of being a "two in one" character, wherein the game considers each Climber to be a unique character in its own right. The follower is always slightly weaker than the leader, but only the follower can meteor smash with their forward aerial. The Ice Climbers are able to grab two different items and are even able to grab two separate characters. In addition, their unique property also makes them much harder to grab and throw effectively (when one Ice Climber gets grabbed, the partner can simply counterattack, making them immune to chain-grabs), and conversely allows them to have a superior grab game entirely unique to them (see "chain-grabbing and desynching" below). However, they can easily be separated by strong enough attacks. In this scenario, it is advisable to stick to and protect the partner, even if it puts the player in additional danger. Should the CPU Climber get KO'd during the stock, the remaining Climber will have drastically reduced damage output, KO ability, and recovery, with [[Belay]] becoming practically useless and [[Squall Hammer]] loses a good deal of distance (whereas with both Climbers they are excellent recovery moves).

The Ice Climbers are great at dealing damage when together, have decent attack speed, and possess a few interesting attacks in their arsenal. Their [[neutral special move]], [[Ice Shot]], is a projectile fired by each Ice Climber which slides along the ground, making it impossible to avoid by crouching/crawling.  [[Blizzard]], the [[down special move]], can freeze opponents and even cover both sides if the partner is present, or alternatively can be made to cover one side if performed while jumping with the partner, giving the attack more power. [[Squall Hammer]] is a decent [[approach attack]] with good damage and speed, spinning the Ice Climbers around each other in a forward-moving hammer attack. Belay, the [[up special]], is a powerful KO move should the second Climber connect with the opponent, but it is generally a risky use of the move given that it separates the Climbers and puts them into a helpless animation. A unique addition to their character is that the Ice Climbers are not affected by the conditions of [[slippery]] surfaces such as ice, and they won't slide on it. This is due to the fact that they are wearing cleats. Oddly, their cleats do not affect their [[traction]] on normal surfaces, as it is second-lowest in the game ({{SSBB|Luigi}} has the lowest).

The Ice Climbers are not very good at using their standard arsenal of attacks for continuous hits, normally speaking. With weak throws, small hammers, and slow movement in general (slow falling, air, and dash speed), the Ice Climbers can usually only manage one or two good hits in close before they need to resort to Ice Shots or Blizzard again. With both Climbers present, KOing generally is not too much of a problem, although their smashes are generally better at racking up the damage than at KOing.

Many players consider the Ice Climbers to be "the King and Queen of all [[chain grab]]s" due to the fact that their two-in-one property allows for a variety of infinite chain-grab options that can combo into kill moves. For example, the lead Ice Climber can grab onto one opponent and use the [[forward throw]]. In the middle of the throw animation, the player can gain control of the CPU Climber, commanding them into performing a [[forward aerial]] spike, or grabbing again with the CPU Climber. while once again bringing the original, player-controlled Climber in for a new grab. Infinite chain grabs of this nature can be performed at any percent, on any character, on nearly any stage. One hindrance to this strategy is the Ice Climbers' short grab range and low traction, making it almost impossible to grab an opponent when they hit the player's shield(s) unless the Climbers powershield the attack.

The Ice Climbers have many different options to perform an infinite chaingrab. They can use any combination of forward throw, down throw, and back throw, but each option has different timings for every character. For example, against {{SSBB|Meta Knight}} it is most common for players to infinite using a combination of down throw and back throw, as these two throws have the largest time windows to achieve a regrab. Against large characters that are difficult to chaingrab, like {{SSBB|Snake}} and {{SSBB|R.O.B.}}, the down throw can be used in conjunction with the footstool hop and ice shots for another infinite: the hobble. A hobble is performed when the Ice Climbers' down throw sends opponents into the air, the second Ice Climber jumps and footstools the opponent back onto the ground, and as the opponent bounces, the first Ice Climber traps them with an ice shot causing a reset for another grab. The only possible break to a perfectly executed infinite is Brawl's random [[tripping]], which can occur if either climber dashes for any length of time. This can be avoided by only performing infinite chaingrabs while walking. When a chain grab has raised an opponent's damage enough, the most typically used move to KO the opponent is their [[up smash]], if a forward air meteor smash is inapplicable. All of these chain throws can be considered [[Zero-to-death combo|0-KO combos]].

For further two-in-one tricks, it is even possible to de-synchronize or "desync" the CPU partner by confusing it with erratic movement (such as [[dash-dancing]]), putting the player in control of both Climbers for as long as they are capable of maintaining it. Once the partner is desynced, the player can have it perform any move while the main Climber is in the middle of one, providing for all sorts of possible attack strategies that can be exceedingly difficult for opponents to escape from (alternating Blizzard, alternating Ice Shot). While desynced, the partner Climber has restrained movement within an invisible box around the main Climber; should they be separated or removed from this box, the CPU will take over again. This invisible box makes it so that if the player desyncs from the AI so that it charges a smash attack and they start walking or running away, the AI will slide in the player's direction while charging the smash. A unique thing that the player can do when desynced is that if they desync the AI to charge a smash attack, their Belay will cancel the AI's charging sequence and teleport it into the belaying sequence. Such techniques are extremely difficult to perform in combat, even for advanced players, due to the constant string of precise commands required for the Climbers to move/attack as intended. Nevertheless, these techniques are considered the backbone of playing the Ice Climbers at a competitive level.

The Ice Climbers have received a mix of [[buff]]s and [[nerf]]s. Due to the changes in grab mechanics, they can no longer [[wobble]], which previously played a part in their competitive viability. Additionally, the loss of [[wavedashing]] has also served to be problematic due to their already poor [[traction]] inhibiting their approach and mobility, though not as much as {{SSBB|Luigi}}. Their damage output is also lower, some of their moves have reduced KO power and all of their grounded moves have more ending lag.

However, due to the influence of [[chaingrabs]], the Ice Climbers are considered to be overall buffed due to the improvements to their chaingrabbing ability in which makes them even more deadly than in ''Melee''. The player now has full control over the second climber during a grab allowing the player to freely chain grab and combo out of a grab. In addition, their standing grab is slightly faster and the changes to [[shield]]s makes it easier for the Ice Climbers to grab their opponents. The Ice Climbers are one of the only characters in the game who can consistently [[0-death]] the entire cast which is especially helpful as combos are generally significantly less deadly and plentiful in ''Brawl'' than in ''Melee'' due to the introduction of [[hitstun canceling]]. The partner climber is also more intelligent than they are in ''Melee'' making them more useful and less vulnerable. While the Ice Climbers' grounded movement was reduced, the rest of the cast received the same treatment and some of the moves which gave the Ice Climbers the most trouble (such as {{SSBM|Fox}}'s Shine and {{SSBM|Peach}}'s down smash) have been significantly nerfed making it harder for opponents to play around their grabs and separate them. Lastly, Blizzard is a much stronger tool than in ''Melee'' and can be a strong tool to allow the Ice Climbers to grab their opponents.

As a result, they are one of the few characters considered to have been truly buffed from ''Melee'' to ''Brawl'', and they are widely considered to be the best character behind {{SSBB|Meta Knight}}.

*{{change|As with all characters, the Ice Climbers have received a drastic graphical boost, with their parkas having higher quality textures.}}

*{{change|The Ice Climbers have two new alternate costumes and Nana's orange costume is replaced with a blue one to make her look almost identical to Popo. One new costume has them in white while the other has Nana in black and Popo in grey. The player takes control of Popo in the blue skin and Nana in the new white and black skins.}}

*{{change|The red Nana blue Popo costume has darker colors, and Nana's yellow costume uses a much darker variant of yellow.}}

*{{change|Nana no longer switches positions on the character selection screen in costumes where she is the leader}}

*{{buff|The Ice Climbers' [[air speed]] is faster (0.7 → 0.7708) though it is still very low.}}

*{{change|As with other returning veterans, the Ice Climbers' [[falling speed]] was reduced (1.6 → 1.2). Compared to the returning veterans, however, the Ice Climbers fall faster. While this improves their endurance, it worsens their recovery and makes them more vulnerable to combos and chain grabs relative to the cast.}}

*{{change|The Ice Climbers' gravity is lower (0.1 → 0.077). While this slightly hinders their vertical endurance, it also makes them less vulnerable to chain grabs.}}

*{{buff|The Ice Climbers' [[traction]] has been unchanged (0.035). Comparing with the returning veterans, however, the Climbers' traction is higher, making it easier for them to punish out of shield although it remains the second lowest traction in the game. Their traction remains unchanged on ice which is even more effective than in Melee as traction was decreased across the board in ''Brawl''. They are also immune to [[tripping]] on ice while the rest of the cast has a higher chance of tripping on ice.}}

*{{nerf|[[Jump]]squat is longer (3 frames → 4).}}

*{{buff|Both Ice Climbers can now grab a [[ledge]] at the same time, improving their recovery.}}

*{{buff|The [[AI]] level of the partner when separated has been increased, now being nearly equivalent to a level 9 CPU.}}

*{{buff|The partner climber can now mash out of a [[shield break]].}}

*{{buff|Many of the partner's attacks now have lower hitlag multipliers, making their attacks harder to [[DI]].}}

*{{buff|[[Stale move negation]] no longer affects the partner's attacks when they are performing the same attack as the leader.}}

*{{nerf|To compensate for this, however, many of the partner's attacks now deal less damage (usually around 1%-3% less) resulting in a fair amount of their moves dealing less damage when they are together, although the partner's aerials and smash attacks have higher knockback than the leader's to somewhat compensate.}}

*{{nerf|The Ice Climbers are easier to separate when attacked.}}

*{{nerf|The partner Ice Climber is now the same weight as the leader rather than heavier, and no longer has [[passive armor]], making them easier to KO.}}

**{{buff|The first hit of neutral attack deals more damage (2% → 3%) and deals more damage overall due to changes to stale move negation (8% → 11% assuming both climbers are present).}}

**{{nerf|Both hits of neutral attack have more ending lag (FAF 16 → 27 (hit 1), frame 18 → 20 (hit 2)).}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt deals more damage (8% → 9% (solo), 15% → 16% (non angled with partner) 18% (angled with partner)) although its base knockback was compensated on the up angled version (40 → 30). The non angled version also has higher base knockback (26 → 30) and the partner's version has less hitlag (1x → 0.5x).}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt has more startup lag (frame 6 → 9) and ending lag (FAF 28 → 32).}}

**{{buff|Up tilt has bigger hitboxes and has a reduced hitlag multiplier (1x → 0.5x (leader loop hits/partner final hit), 0.3x (partner)), making it connect more reliably especially against grounded opponents.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt's final hit deals less damage (7% → 4%) with no compensation on its knockback and up tilt has more ending lag (FAF 42 → 48).}}

**{{buff|Down tilt deals more damage (4-5% → 6%), has higher base knockback (30 → 40) and now sends opponents in a semi spike angle as opposed to a more vertical angle (70° → 20°). While this hinders its combo potential, it significantly improves its edgeguarding potential (which is overall more useful due to the introduction of [[hitstun canceling]]). It also connects much more reliably when both climbers are present.}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt has more ending lag (FAF 29 → 31).}}

**{{nerf|Dash attack deals less damage (9% → 6%) although its knockback scaling was compensated (40 → 60). It also has more ending lag (FAF 38 → 41).}}

**{{buff|Forward smash has less startup lag (frame 13 → 12) and the sourspot deals more damage (10% → 12%). The partner's forward smash also has more knockback scaling (105 → 118).}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash's sweetspot deals less damage (14% → 13%) and both hits have less base knockback (40 → 30). It also has slightly increased ending lag (FAF 47 → 48).}}

**{{nerf|Up Smash has less knockback scaling (128 → 105 (leader), 113 (partner)) and it now has a sourspot which deals 9%. It also has more ending lag (FAF 44 → 50).}}

**{{buff|Down smash can deal more damage since it now has two hits (20%-22% → 36%-40% (both climbers)).}}

**{{change|Down smash now launches opponents vertically (361° → 60°/83°).}}

**{{nerf|Down smash has more startup lag (frame 6 → 9) and ending lag (FAF 36 → 45). It also deals less knockback (50 (base), 110 (scaling) → 30/105 (leader), 30/113 (partner)) and it now has a sourspot which deals 10% although it launches opponents at a more vertical angle to compensate.}}

*{{change|Neutral, back and up aerials have less landing lag (20 frames → 15 (neutral/back), 32 frames → 30 (up)). Due to the removal of [[L-canceling]] however, their landing lag was not fully compensated.}}

*{{buff|Due to their lower fall speed, the Ice Climbers can now use two aerials in a short hop by using either [[back aerial]] or [[up aerial]].}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial can now [[auto-cancel]] in a short hop due to the Ice Climbers' lower falling speed. Despite the partner's neutral aerial dealing much less damage (8% → 5%), it's knockback scaling was compensated (100 → 128).}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial deals less damage (8% → 7%) hindering its KO potential with a solo climber.}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial deals more damage (11%/10%/9% → 12% (solo), 20% → 24% (clean with both climbers)) improving its KO potential despite the leader's forward aerial having lower knockback scaling (100 → 95) although the base knockback on the partner's sweetspot was compensated (40 → 20). It also sends opponents at a more horizontal angle (70° → 40°) improving its edgeguarding and KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The leader's forward aerial can no longer [[meteor smash]] meaning that only the partner's forward aerial can meteor smash.}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial has a shorter duration (frames 19-22 → 19-20).}}

**{{buff|Back aerial deals more knockback (30 (base), 100 (scaling) → 25/107 (leader), 25/128 (partner)).}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial no longer has a sweetspot which deals more damage (12% → 11%) and knockback (30 (base), 110 (scaling) → 25/107).}}

**{{buff|Clean up aerial deals more damage (8/9% → 10%) although its knockback was compensated (10 (base), 140 (scaling) → 20/120 (leader), 20/142 (partner)) and it still has a sourspot which deals 9%.}}

**{{nerf|The leader's up aerial sourspot deals less knockback although the knockback on the partner's version was compensated for its lower damage (10 (base), 140 (scaling) → 20/120 (leader), 20/142 (partner)).}}

**{{buff|Down aerial no longer has set knockback (36 (set), 110 (scaling) → 40 (base), 90 (leader scaling), 130 (partner scaling)). This gives the attack KO potential around 170%.}}

**{{change|Down aerial now acts as a [[stall-then-fall]] attack, making it risky to use offstage, but giving it recovery usage via [[down air stall]].}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial deals less damage (9% → 8%) has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 3-52 → 9-51) and it has more landing lag (25 frames → 42).}}

**{{buff|The partner is now controlled by the player rather than the AI when grabbing a foe, enabling the player to effectively control the direction in which to throw the foe, significantly extending chaingrabs and allowing for easy kill setups. This means that despite the removal of [[Wobbling]], the Ice Climbers can still effectively [[zero-death]] the entire cast which while more difficult to perform, it still remains inescapable and is overall more versatile.}}

**{{nerf|Pummel deals less damage (3% → 1%) and its speed wasn't increased enough to compensate (frame 26 → 19).}}

*{{nerf|All throws except down throw deal less damage (11% → 8% (forward), 7% → 6% (back), 11% → 6% (up)).}}

**{{buff|Back throw is now a true infinite chaingrab. It can also be used in conjunction with [[footstool]] jumping and Ice Shot to [[lock]] the opponent.}}

**{{change|Up throw has higher base knockback (110 → 120).}}

**{{buff|Down throw's knockback was tweaked with down throw dealing much less knockback (70 (base), 40 (scaling) → 30/100). When combined with the removal of [[DI]] against moves which don't put opponents into [[tumble]], this makes the attack more reliable for chain-grabbing both with or without the partner.}}

**{{buff|Down throw no longer requires the aid of [[Blizzard]] or down aerial to string chaingrabs due to the greater degree of control the player has over the partner.}}

*{{change|The Ice Climbers have different voice clips when performing their specials, and all specials have different sound effects.}}

**{{buff|Ice Shot is no longer [[absorb]]able and can now be [[B-reversing|B-reversed]].}}

**{{nerf|Ice shot deals less damage (5% → 3%). The hammer also no longer has a hitbox, heavily reducing the move's maximum damage output (26% → 6%) and increasing the move's startup lag (frame 15 → 17).}}

**{{change|Landing with the move from the air now results in an animation where the Climbers crash land on their rears. The landing lag is the same, however.}}

**{{buff|Squall Hammer connects more reliably, making it easier to rack up damage with it.}}

**{{change|Squall Hammer now sends off flakes of ice if both Ice Climbers are present. The loop hitboxes also deal more consistent damage, though it is still very inconsistent (1-4% → 2-3%).}}

**{{nerf|Squall Hammer no longer grants any vertical distance unless both Ice Climbers are present.}}

**{{buff|Belay now acts as a [[tether recovery]] when used close to a ledge; the partner will first shoot to the ledge, then the leader will immediately reach up to it. A lone Ice Climber's Belay also covers slightly more distance, allows them to move left or right, and allows the climber to turn around, no longer leaving the climber helpless if they are facing away from the ledge.}}

**{{nerf|The partner climber travels less horizontal distance when using Belay. It also has more landing lag (25 frames → 30).}}

**{{change|The Ice Climbers now have a Final Smash: Iceberg. They summon an enormous iceberg up from the ground that covers almost the entire stage, damaging and freezing enemies who touch it.}}

 

''For a gallery of Ice Climbers' hitboxes, see [[Ice Climbers (SSBB)/Hitboxes|here]].''<br>

|neutraldesc=A horizontal swipe followed by an upward swing.

|ftiltdesc=Does a side swing with their hammers. Can be angled up or down, with the partner dealing more damage if angled up or down.

|utiltdesc=Twirl their hammers over their heads, creating a lingering hitbox that deals multiple hits. Can often lead to a grab at low percents.

|dtiltdesc=Sweep their hammers across the ground in front of them. Used generally for [[gimping]] recoveries such as {{SSBB|Snake}}'s [[Cypher]].

|dashdesc=Leaps forward and swings their hammers in front of themselves.

|fsmashdesc=Lifts their hammers over their heads, then smashes them straight down. Deals good knockback it both Ice Climbers' hammers connect. Deals less damage if the opponents hit the hilt of the hammers and more damage if they hit the head.

|usmashdesc=Swings their hammers in an arc over their heads. Good as a finisher from chain grabs. Deals more damage if the opponent hit the head of the hammer.

|dsmashdesc=Spins around and sweeps the ground with their hammers. Can hit up to four times if the opponent is really close and at low percentages. The second most damaging down smash in the game if all four hits connect. Deals more damage if the opponent hits the head of the hammer.

|nairdesc=Spin in a circle with their hammers outstretched. Good for aerial [[spacing]].

|fairdesc=Holds their hammers up and bring them down in a similar fashion to their forward smash. The partner can [[meteor smash]] opponents if the move is [[sweetspot]]ted.

|bairdesc=Turns around and does a backswing with their hammers.

|uairdesc=Thrust their hammers above themselves like their up tilt, but with only one [[hitbox]] per Ice Climber.

|dairdesc=Hold their hammers below themselves and falls downwards. A [[stall-then-fall]] move, with the stall being almost unnoticeable. Has very large landing lag if not [[auto-cancelling|auto-cancelled]].

|grabdesc=&nbsp;

|fthrowdesc=Hits opponent forward with their hammers. If the player walks slightly forward with the partner before using, they can regrab the opponent again right after they use the attack, making this throw a [[chaingrab]].

|bthrowdesc=Throws opponent behind. Usable in a [[chaingrab]].

|uthrowdesc=Throw opponent upwards then hits them with hammer.

|dthrowdesc=Spins and then throws the opponent to the ground. Can be used to chain grab infinitely with good timing if both Ice Climbers participate.

|floorfdesc=Gets up and spins around, hitting with their hammers.

|floorbdesc=Gets up and swipes their hammers on both sides.

|floortdesc=Gets up and spins around, hitting with their hammers.

|edgefdesc=Quickly gets up and slams their hammer on the ground.

|edgesdesc=Slowly gets up and swipes their hammer forwards.

|nsdesc=Each Ice Climber fires a chunk of ice that slides along the ground and bounces off walls. When used in midair, the Ice Climbers will gain a slight boost in the air, but it will only work once before landing on the ground.

|ssdesc=Both Ice Climbers spin around together while moving along the ground, consisting of many hits. It can also be used as a recovery move by mashing the [[B button]], which causes both Ice Climbers to rise in the air. It gains more distance when both Ice Climbers are present.

|usdesc=The leading Ice Climber throws the following Ice Climber in the air with a rope. The following Ice Climber then pulls the leader upwards. If there is a nearby edge, the following Climber will target it, leading to a safe recovery for both Ice Climbers. Each Ice Climber become [[helpless]] after the move is used.

|dsdesc=Each Ice Climber blows icy wind from their hands, damaging nearby opponents. When the move is used on the ground, the partner will shoot in the direction opposite of the leader.

|fsdesc=The Ice Climbers summon a huge Iceberg into the middle of the field. Touching the iceberg results in freeze damage, and possibly becoming frozen. Being frozen when pushed off the edge can lead to a swift KO, as the frozen player falls with full speed.

 

|dash      = 1.4

|rdash      = 22-27

|run        = 1.388

|walk      = 0.96

|trac      = 0.035

|rtrac      = 38

|airfric    = 0.015

{{SelectSound|char=Ice Climbers|no-s=y|desc=An Ice Shot sound is heard and both Ice Climbers say "Youp!"}}

|desc=The Condor flies in with them hanging off its feet, then they jump off.

|desc-up=They set down their hammers and jump up and down. In the Ice Climber NES game, this is the victory celebration of the Ice Climbers during the results screen (albeit without the flag).

|desc-side=They will point their hammers diagonally upward shout "Yup!", as wind blows behind them (same as in ''[[Melee]]'', only with different sound effects).

|desc-down=They dance in a circle.}}

|desc-1=Spin their hammers.

|desc-2=Drops their hammers off their shoulders then picks them back up.

|victory-desc=A cover of the music that played when the Ice Climbers grabbed the feet of the [[Condor]] at the end of a bonus level in ''Ice Climber''.

|desc-up=Both nod and high five one another.

|desc-left=Both jump up and down (their victory pose from ''[[Ice Climber (game)|Ice Climber]]'').

|desc-right=Nana hides behind Popo, only showing her face as Popo shifts from left to right.

In the first year of ''Brawl''{{'}}s [[metagame]], the Ice Climbers were ranked as high tier characters but weren't considered a particularly dominant force, given how weak Popo alone is after Nana is KO'd, and their powerful grab tactics being unrecognized at the time. However, Ice Climbers players soon began to utilize their infinite [[chain grab]]s, giving them an extremely powerful [[zero-to-death]] option against any other character, which shot them up the tier list. Players found dealing with this difficult, as it completely changed the way players fought the Ice Climbers, with the matchup now revolving around avoiding getting grabbed at all, and the Ice Climbers were able to completely shut down characters who lacked effective means to avoid grabs or separate the Climbers. {{Sm|lain}} became the character's first top level player in 2009 and 2010, achieving multiple major top 8 placements, such as {{Trn|Apex 2009}} and {{Trn|S.N.E.S.}} This resulted in the Ice Climbers being considered uncontested top tiers by the [[Brawl Back Room]]'s [[List of SSBB tier lists (NTSC)#Fourth tier list (February 26, 2010)|the fourth tier list]] where they ranked 5th, just short of two years after ''Brawl''{{'}}s American release. However, the Ice Climbers were held back by their relative lack of top representation compared to other top tiers, and lain was never able to win a major over other top tier mains. Additionally, the existence of numerous extremely unfavorable stage [[counterpick]]s kept the Ice Climbers in check, preventing them from becoming truly dominant. In the earlier ''Brawl'' metagame, multiple stages with scrolling [[platform]]s and [[hazard]]s, such as [[Rainbow Cruise]], [[Brinstar]], and [[Norfair]], were available as counterpicks; these stages favored more air-based gameplay and made it much more difficult for the Ice Climbers to complete a zero-to-death chain grab without getting interrupted by the stage.

As ''Brawl''{{'}}s metagame further refined, the Ice Climbers' tournament presence continued to grow. The Ice Climbers' worst stages also happened to be {{SSBB|Meta Knight}}'s strongest stages; as Meta Knight's dominance over the ''Brawl'' scene continued to grow, Rainbow Cruise, Brinstar, and Norfair eventually were banned in all Meta Knight legal tournaments due to his unmatched aerial prowess on those stages. The other two stages with more minor moving platforms and hazards, [[Halberd]] and [[Delfino Plaza]], also became more frequently banned due to Meta Knight's dominance there, and usually only one of these stages was available as a counterpick, which gave Ice Climbers mains the opportunity to play around this with a stage ban. These factors allowed the Ice Climbers to truly shine in the ''Brawl'' scene. Although lain became inactive, a new wave of even better Ice Climbers players arose from 2011 to 2014. {{Sm|9B}}, {{Sm|Vinnie}}, {{Sm|ESAM}}, {{Sm|Kakera}}, and {{Sm|NAKAT}} quickly became some of the biggest tournament threats in both North America and [[Japan]], achieving multiple first place victories at events such as {{Trn|SumabatoX 6}}, {{Trn|SKTAR 3}}, and the MK-banned {{Trn|WHOBO 4}} and {{Trn|WHOBO 5}}; 9B in particular was considered by many to be the outright best player in all of Japan. As a result, the Ice Climbers became one of most dominant characters in tournaments behind Meta Knight, and this coincided with their rise to 2nd place on the eighth and final Brawl Back Room tier list in 2013, right underneath Meta Knight in their own tier above the rest of the characters. Some players argued that since the Ice Climbers have access to a zero-death on every character that works at any percent, they could be tied for first place with Meta Knight, or could even be first place themselves; however, despite these advancements, the Ice Climbers' results never approached Meta Knight's uncontested dominance before the end of ''Brawl''{{'}} active competitive life at the release of ''Smash 4''.

The Ice Climbers are among the most disliked characters in ''Brawl'' by both casual and competitive players, since they possess a reliable zero-death against any character, something no other character has access to, with many players supporting the ban of the infinite chain grabs in tournaments. Due to the prominent competitive philosophy at the time of ''Brawl'' however, zero-death chain grabs were uncommonly singled out for banning in tournament rulesets, and with the definition of what construes an "infinite chain grab" usually being rigid, players of the Ice Climbers could find loopholes to avoid using it while still nearly securing stocks with each grab, making opponents' predicaments effectively the same. Some tournaments in the post-''Smash-4'' era, such as [[Glitch 2]], have banned the Ice Climbers altogether alongside Meta Knight, due to being considered [[broken|too powerful]], especially when Meta Knight is banned, further fueled by their unpopularity among opponents and spectators alike.

The Ice Climbers were first seen climbing up a mountain together, possibly in pursuit of the [[Halberd]] or they were just climbing. When {{SSBB|Meta Knight}} passed them going up the mountain, the Ice Climbers took it as a challenge and jumped up the mountain with Meta Knight. Once they reached the top, the Ice Climbers celebrated with their "victory" for getting up the mountain first, until they and Meta Knight found {{SSBB|Lucario}}, who was looking for a fight with Meta Knight, so the Ice Climbers watch from the side nervously. After the fight, the winner revives the loser, to their relief, and the Halberd crashes the [[Great Fox]] into the mountain. Although Meta Knight and Lucario managed to board the Halberd, the Ice Climbers (ironically) are thrown back to the ground towards {{SSBB|Marth}}, {{SSBB|Lucas}}, the {{SSBB|Pokémon Trainer}}, and {{SSBB|Ike}}. After facing some more [[Subspace Army]] troopers (with help from {{SSBB|Mario}} and {{SSBB|Link}}'s group), the Ice Climbers teamed up with the other heroes as they journeyed into [[Subspace]] but are turned into trophies by [[Tabuu]]. Ice Climbers are then revived by {{SSBB|King Dedede}}, {{SSBB|Luigi}}, {{SSBB|Ness}}, and {{SSBB|Kirby}} and help the other smashers defeat Tabuu and restore the World of Trophies to normal.

===[[Congratulations_screen#Super_Smash_Bros._Brawl|Congratulations Screens]]===

*Along with {{SSBB|Pokémon Trainer}}, {{SSBB|Diddy Kong}}, and {{SSBB|Jigglypuff}}, the Ice Climbers are one of the only characters to have a unique "Defeated/No Contest" pose different from the traditional hand clapping, with their head down while rubbing their eyes, making it seem as if they are crying. This pose is a reference to the one they make in ''Ice Climber'' after failing in a bonus level.

**If one looks carefully, Nana can actually be seen smirking while crying while Popo is frowning. This is fixed in ''[[Ultimate]]''.

*In Stamina mode, it is possible for the partner to die before the leader. Regardless of whether this happens or not, the partner will lay on the ground motionless, but not blink red.

*Certain Final Smashes, especially trapping ones, can cause the trailing Ice Climber's special effects to be slowed down under the effect of a [[Timer]] (Nana's stays even after the Timer is done). The effects end when one or both of the Ice Climbers are KO'd.

*When CPU controlled, if one Ice Climber is [[Star KO]]'d, the partner will sometimes [[taunt]].

*''[[Brawl]]'' is the only game where the portraits of the Ice Climbers are not swapped around when Nana is in the lead, the only game where their default costume is not available in [[Team Battle]]s and the only game where Nana takes the lead in all even numbered costumes.

*If the leader dies in Stamina Mode without losing all their stamina, the partner won't disappear and can keep playing normally. This was later fixed in ''Ultimate''.

*If the leader loses their stamina after the partner has been KO'd but they didn't lose all their stamina in Stamina Mode, the partner will respawn in the middle of the stage but will still be defeated.