Ivysaur (SSBU): Difference between revisions

Justin Anselmi and Inuko Inuyama, its English and Japanese [[voice actor]]s in ''Pokémon the Series: XY'', reprise their roles in the game, replacing the Craig Blair and Tomoko Kawakami's portrayals from ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl.''

Ivysaur is one of the characters made playable from [[Pokémon Trainer]], alongside the likes of [[Squirtle]] and [[Charizard]]. It is a [[Weight|middleweight]] fighter, having a below average [[dash]] and [[gravity]], an average [[Jump|jump height]], and high [[traction]].

One of Ivysaur's biggest strengths is its range, as its vine-based attacks (neutral attack, up tilt, down tilt, down smash, forward aerial, back aerial and [[Vine Whip]]) all have very generous range that allow Ivysaur to keep foes at a distance with relative ease. Among said attacks, they all either synergize as get-off-me options (down tilt/down smash), mix-up options (up tilt/neutral aerial) or niche KO moves (forward aerial and Vine Whip), which grant Ivysaur a decently effective ranged toolkit. Altogether, this mix gives Ivysaur among the most effective range in the game, made more effective by said moves all having at most 15 frames of startup.

Another strength that Ivysaur has is its decent air game. While its back aerial is among the weakest of aerial attacks in the game, its aforementioned range allows it to keep foes at a distance. Its neutral aerial has use as a combo extender due to its looping hits using the autolink angle, although its low power makes it easy to intercept. Its up and down aerials are notorious for their KO power and large hitboxes, while its forward aerial, despite its slow startup, is a reliable combo starter into Vine Whip due to its diagonal knockback. Additionally, none of its aerial attacks have more than 17 frames of landing lag, making them good for air-to-ground approaches.

Ivysaur's grab game is also useful. While all of its grabs are active on frame 13, they are among the longest-reaching in ''Ultimate'' and are decently fast overall, which further adds to Ivysaur's already strong range. To boot, all of its throws deal at least 7% damage. While its forward throw is ironically unsuitable for both combos and KOs due to its high base knockback and low knockback growth, its back throw is a good KO option at the edge, and its up throw is a decent low-percentage combo tool. However, of particular note is its down throw: despite its low damage, its has strong combo potential until around 85%, while its knockback scaling also makes it the strongest down throw in the game, allowing it to KO where back throw cannot.

Finally, Ivysaur has a useful array of special moves. [[Bullet Seed]] is a fast, multi-hitting attack that hits foes directly above Ivysaur with decent damage, allowing it to work well as an anti-air. [[Razor Leaf]] is a projectile that despite its slow startup, lingers for a little bit and has low knockback, allowing it to be used effectively for stage control and combo setups. Lastly, Vine Whip is Ivysaur's primary recovery move and a strong KO option when sweetspotted, and like other tethers in ''Ultimate'', has a long range.

However, Ivysaur is held back by various flaws. Perhaps Ivysaur's most prominent issue is its ground game: while its tilt attacks have strong range, they are also equally lacking in power, while its smash attacks are generally predictable due to slow startup. Its up smash is among the strongest in the game, but it has very slow startup at 26 frames, while its horizontal range renders it hard to approach with against grounded opponents. Its dash attack is a good burst option, but also suffers from low knockback scaling and cannot KO reliably. Finally, due to said problems, Ivysaur is very susceptible to stale-move negation, meaning it will almost constantly rely on its ranged attacks, all of which deal low damage.

Ivysaur also has a problematic recovery. While its up and down aerials provide different vertical movement options, they are only useful when not far away from the stage due to their ending lag. Vine Whip has long range as a tether, but only works if Ivysaur is sufficiently close to a ledge, where it is susceptible to stage spikes. Altogether, this makes it infeasible for Ivysaur to recover when above the stage, where any sufficiently strong semi-spike or meteor smash can potentially keep it away from ledges.

Ivysaur was previously considered the worst Pokémon in the {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}}'s party and one of the worst characters in ''Brawl'' (especially if judged as a standalone fighter), due to its large amount of significant weaknesses, namely poor damage outputs on its attacks, notable KO problems due to laggy finishers, poor aerial game, terrible recovery, and one of the worst special movesets in the game. In the transition to ''Ultimate'', Ivysaur has been heavily buffed, and is by far the most buffed Pokémon in the Pokémon Trainer's party.

Ivysaur's biggest buffs come from the adjustments to the Pokémon Trainer's mechanics alongside universal gameplay changes. The [[type effectiveness]] mechanic, which previously gave Ivysaur a disproportionate weakness to the common [[flame]]-type attacks throughout the cast, has been removed, while the elimination of [[Pokémon Change#Stamina|stamina]] allows Ivysaur to stay in the fight without weakening its moves. Ivysaur's [[air speed]] is also much higher, which alongside the universally decreased [[landing lag]] on aerials, and the removal of [[edgehogging]] in favor of ledge trumping, considerably improves two of its most glaring weaknesses: its poor aerial approach and its exploitable recovery. This is further helped by the ability to use [[Pokémon Change]] in the air, allowing Ivysaur to gain access to {{SSBU|Charizard}}'s better recovery.

A large part of Ivysaur's moveset has been modified and is significantly more useful overall. The addition of a finisher and the changes to neutral infinites makes its [[neutral attack]] more reliable for racking up damage, while [[down tilt]] consists of a single hit that [[semi-spike]]s. Some of Ivysaur's notoriously weak attacks, such as [[down smash]] and [[back aerial]], have had their damage and knockback considerably increased, with down smash gaining a sweetspot that can KO at realistic percents. Ivysaur's entire aerial game has received several enhancements: it has a new, disjointed [[neutral aerial]] that performs much better than its old one, due to its [[autolink angle]] and the weakening of [[SDI]] from ''Brawl'' enabling it to connect much more reliably, and the changes to [[hitstun canceling]] allow Ivysaur to start and extend combos much more effectively with all its aerials. [[Up aerial|Up]] and [[down aerial]]s' momentum changes are less extreme, and down aerial has been heavily buffed, as its small meteor smash sweetspot deals more damage and is slightly larger, and its large sourspot now meteor smashes as well, turning the move into a powerful edgeguarding tool. In addition, Ivysaur's throw game is vastly more useful; it now has a KO throw in the form of [[back throw]], alongside reliable combos from [[up throw]] and [[down throw]] due to the changes to hitstun canceling, while it is also one of the characters to be the least affected by the universal nerfs to [[grab]]s, as only its pivot grab's lag was increased, and all grabs except its dash grab have more range. Lastly, its entire special moveset has been improved in several ways: [[Bullet Seed]] has gained a finisher, [[Razor Leaf]] is noticeably more useful as a [[camp]]able [[projectile]] due to its previously unreliable trajectory being more consistent, and [[Vine Whip]] has faster startup, can be angled, and no longer causes helplessness, which grants Ivysaur a powerful combo finisher and more opportunities to recover. Altogether, these changes immensely improve Ivysaur's neutral game, damage racking, and zoning abilities, putting them more in line with the rest of the cast.

However, Ivysaur did receive a few notable nerfs from ''Brawl''. Ivysaur's [[weight]] has been decreased, which combined with the removal of [[momentum canceling]] hinders its survivability. Although [[forward tilt]] connects much more reliably due to the weakening of SDI, it has noticeably more startup, while it retains high ending lag and a lack of KO power. Some of Ivysaur's KO options were toned down as well, such as [[dash attack]], [[forward smash]], [[forward aerial]], and its notorious up aerial and [[up smash]], with the latter no longer being the strongest in the game. Most importantly, however, Bullet Seed has slower startup with no intangibility, and racks up a significantly lower amount of damage due to its shortened duration, greatly reducing its utility despite the new finisher. As a result, Ivysaur is more reliant on racking up damage with its various buffed moves to KO effectively, which is exacerbated by all its aerials except neutral and down aerial launching at upward angles that are ineffective for edgeguarding, often compelling the player to switch to Charizard and utilize its greater KO potential once opponents are at high percents.

Overall, Ivysaur has become a drastically better character since its introduction in ''Brawl'', especially relative to the rest of the cast. It now performs more effectively as a well-rounded middleweight character in the Pokémon Trainer's party, fulfilling the role of the "zoning" fighter with disjointed range on its attacks, a conventional projectile, and setups into its powerful bud-based moves, but lacking Squirtle's speedy attacks and Charizard's sheer power.

Ivysaur has been nerfed via game updates. Its biggest nerfs were to its infamously potent down aerial: in addition to its sweetspot becoming smaller, its sourspot's already low knockback was decreased even further.

|neutralname= 

|neutraldesc=Ivysaur whips a vine, then another if the button is pressed again. If the button is pressed repeatedly or if the first two hits connect, it then begins a series of rapid vine slaps, with a finishing hit at the end. The first two hits can [[jab reset]].

|ftiltname= 

|ftiltdesc=Ivysaur leans forward and spins the leaves around its bulb like a helicopter blade, hitting multiple times. It has decent range in front of Ivysaur, but contrary to its looks, the move cannot hit behind Ivysaur. Has a slight amount of startup. Hits 7 times, with the last hit dealing decent horizontal knockback, though with low knockback growth. Ivysaur's only tilt with KO potential, though it KOs very late, at around 185% from the edge of {{SSBU|Final Destination}}.

|utiltname= 

|utiltdesc=Ivysaur pushes its vines against the ground to propel itself upwards. Decent upwards knockback and good upwards range, but it lacks hitboxes beside Ivysaur, making it difficult to hit grounded opponents. It can lead to aerials at low percents. Due to it lifting Ivysaur's hurtbox upwards, it can dodge certain ground-level attacks.

|dtiltname= 

|dtiltdesc=Ivysaur whips a vine quickly along the ground in front of it. Very fast, can hit opponents hanging on ledges, and deals semi-spike knockback of mild strength, but deals very low damage while lacking followup options due to its ending lag. Useful as a poking option, or as an approach option out of a dash.

|dashname= 

|dashdesc=Ivysaur leaps forward in a sliding tackle. Fast startup with decent base knockback, which sends opponents diagonally upwards; however, it has significant difficulty KOing due to its angle and low knockback growth, only doing so around 185% from the edge of Final Destination. The late hit of the move deals much less knockback, but at the same angle.

|fsmashname= 

|fsmashdesc=Ivysaur plants its vines on the ground and launches its body forward in a tackle before landing where it started. The move can be angled up or down, though its power does not change. Deals good knockback, is rather fast, and has deceptively good range, although it shifts Ivysaur's hurtbox forward and has noticeable ending lag. The earliest hit deals the most knockback and damage, and can KO at 85% from the edge of Final Destination.

|usmashname=Exploding Flower

|usmashdesc=Ivysaur launches a burst of spores from its bulb above upwards. A very powerful move that does vertical knockback. It is Ivysaur's most damaging regular attack and one of the strongest up smashes in the game, but it has extremely high startup and ending lag, making it suited for hard punishes. Additionally, while it has a large hitbox, it lacks in horizontal range. KOs at 83% on Final Destination.

|dsmashname= 

|dsmashdesc=Ivysaur quickly whips two vines across the ground in both sides of it. This is its fastest smash attack both in terms of startup and ending lag. While it has decent range and can two-frame, its forward smash does a better job for KOing. However, it deals relatively low knockback and damage for an attack of its kind. The tips of Ivysaur's vines do the most knockback and damage, and they can hit opponents hanging on ledges. The sweetspot KOs at 127% near the edge of Final Destination.

|nairname= 

|nairdesc=Ivysaur spins with its bud facing towards the screen, hitting with its leaves. The leaf hitboxes are disjointed. Hits 8 times, with the last hit dealing moderate knockback. Due to its speed, duration, and coverage, it is a good move for aerial contesting or approaching. It has noticeable landing lag and cannot auto-cancel from a short hop, but has deceptively low ending lag, allowing Ivysaur to use another aerial before landing when done from a full hop.

|fairname= 

|fairdesc=Ivysaur slaps forward with a vine. Good overall coverage in front of Ivysaur, though it has some slight startup. Deals diagonal knockback and can true combo into angled [[Vine Whip]] at low percents. It can also combo into itself at low percents, though this is not guaranteed. At mid percents, it can potentially chain into an up aerial. Due to its upward angle, it has difficulty KOing offstage, but can KO earlier if the enemy is close to the top blast line. Ivysaur's only aerial that can [[autocancel]] in a short hop.

|bairname= 

|bairdesc=Ivysaur spins around vertically and hits behind itself with two vines, one after the other. The first hit is very weak and designed to combo into the second hit, which does weak diagonal knockback. The first hit can start guaranteed combos once Ivysaur lands, though this may be difficult due to how fast the attack transitions. It has great horizontal range and low landing lag, making it well-suited for spacing. It can set up into itself and other moves, although this is not guaranteed. Additionally, it is very weak and has significant difficulty KOing due to its angle.

|uairname= 

|uairdesc=Ivysaur shoots a burst of spores upwards from its bulb, which causes Ivysaur to move downwards slightly. If done near the peak of a full hop, Ivysaur will not experience much downwards momentum. A damaging move with a large hitbox above Ivysaur alongside powerful vertical knockback and little startup lag; it is one of the strongest up aerials in the game in terms of damage and knockback. Ivysaur's strongest aerial. Autocancels from a full hop, and has low landing lag, allowing it to be used in a short hop fast fall to challenge opponents on platforms. Despite its power, it deals low damage to shields.

|dairname= 

|dairdesc=Ivysaur turns upside-down and shoots a burst of spores downwards from its bulb, similarly to up aerial. Ivysaur's descent is stalled slightly when this move is used. Like up aerial, it is a powerful aerial, dealing decent knockback for a [[meteor smash]], while having fast startup and an extremely large disjointed hitbox. The move has a sweetspot closer to the bulb that deals much more knockback, though the sourspot still meteor smashes. It is capable of hitting opponents easily out of a short hop, even from above platforms; at higher percents, it will cause grounded opponents to launch off the floor, allowing Ivysaur to punish missed techs and/or tech-chase with a multitude of moves, including any ground move or [[Bullet Seed]]. At even higher percents, up aerial will work as a KO combo at 130%, while up smash can act as a potent hard read from a wide range of percentages. Its enormous hitbox allows it to hit most characters below the stage before they can even sweetspot the ledge. As a result, down aerial is one of Ivysaur's most useful aerial moves.

|grabname= 

|grabdesc=Ivysaur extends its vines forward to grab an opponent with them. Above-average range, but has rather high ending lag for a standard grab.

|pummelname= 

|pummeldesc=Ivysaur headbutts the opponent while holding them with its vines.

|fthrowname= 

|fthrowdesc=Ivysaur holds the opponent in front of itself with its vines and headbutts them forward. It can affect bystanders. Has too much base knockback for combos and too little knockback growth to KO, hence its only use is to send opponents offstage.

|bthrowname= 

|bthrowdesc=Ivysaur swings the opponent with its vines while turning around, tossing them backward. This causes Ivysaur to turn to face the other direction when it is used. Deals good diagonal knockback, being Ivysaur's most powerful throw in terms of damage and knockback, and KOs rather early at 109% near the edge of Final Destination.

|uthrowname= 

|uthrowdesc=Ivysaur holds the opponent above itself with its vines and hits them with its bud, sending them upwards. Has combo potential at low percents, allowing combos into Bullet Seed or up aerial at 0%, or up aerial or Vine whip at around 30%. After 45%, it loses combo potential due to its knockback growth.

|dthrowname= 

|dthrowdesc=Ivysaur holds the opponent above itself with its vines and slams them into the ground while doing a frontflip. Ivysaur's best combo throw, which can start combos into up aerial or dash canceled up tilt at 0%. At around 60%, it can lead to Vine Whip, which can KO at around 83% if the sweetspot lands. Surprisingly, this is also the strongest down throw in the game, being able to KO middleweights at around 161%.

|floorfdesc=Ivysaur gets up with a horizontal spin, kicking to each side.

|floorbdesc=Ivysaur whips both sides with its vines as it gets up.

|floortdesc=Ivysaur stands up and hits both sides with its vines.

|edgedesc=Ivysaur climbs up and swipes a vine in front of itself. This is the fastest edge attack of the three Pokémon, coming out on frame 21 (as compared to Squirtle's frame 28 and Charizard's frame 24).

|fsdmg=44.3% total

|fsdesc=The {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} sends out both {{SSBU|Squirtle}} and {{SSBU|Charizard}}, and all three Pokémon perform a combination attack involving powerful trapping attacks with long horizontal range. For Ivysaur's contribution to the attack, it uses {{iw|bulbapedia|Solar Beam|move}}, a long beam of solar energy that traps opponents for repeated damage.

SSBUIvysaurIdle1.gif|Ivysaur's first idle pose

SSBUIvysaurIdle2.gif|Ivysaur's second idle pose

|[[File:Pokémon Trainer Cheer English SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Pokémon Trainer Cheer Japanese SSBU.ogg|center]]||(♂)[[File:Pokémon Trainer Male Cheer Italian SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> (♀)[[File:Pokémon Trainer Female Cheer Italian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Pokémon Trainer Cheer Dutch SSBU.ogg|center]]||(♂)[[File:Pokémon Trainer Male Cheer French SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> (♀)[[File:Pokémon Trainer Female Cheer French SSBU.ogg|center]]

|6||{{head|Pokémon Trainer|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} ({{head|Pokémon Trainer|g=SSBU|s=20px}}) Opposite-gender Pokémon Trainer||Pokémon Stadium 2||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|The Battle at the Summit!}}''

|colspan="4"|Bonus Stage

|Final||{{CharHead|Mewtwo|SSBU|hsize=20px}}, then [[Master Hand]]||{{SSBU|Final Destination}}||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley}}'' <small>(Mewtwo)</small><br>''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Master Hand}}'' <small>(Master Hand)</small>

|[[Battlefield]] ([[Ω form]])

{{-}}

Ivysaur's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing [[Classic Mode]]. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Ivysaur in World of Light allows the player to preview the spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Each fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in ''Ultimate''.

==In Spirit battles==

*Ivysaur and {{SSBU|Byleth}} are the two playable characters in ''Ultimate'' whose up special is solely a [[tether recovery]].

*{{SSBU|Pit}}, {{SSBU|Dark Pit}}, {{SSBU|Wii Fit Trainer}}, and Ivysaur have the average weight value of all fighters.

*Whenever Ivysaur performs a ledge jump, it briefly seen holding onto the ledge with its right foot (left foot when facing left). This is possibly due to being an animation carryover from ''Brawl''.