Zero Suit Samus (SSBU): Difference between revisions

|neutralname=Level Chop ({{ja|レベルチョップ|Reberu Choppu}}) / Gun Hook ({{ja|ガンフック|Gan Fukku}}) / Elbow Smash ({{ja|エルボースマッシュ|Erubõ Sumasshu}})

|fsmashname=Jet Boot Kick ({{ja|ジェットブーツキック|Jetto Būtsu Kikku}})

|fsmashdesc=A mid-level side kick followed by a spinning side kick at a slightly higher angle. Due to it activating her Jet Boots, the second hit has a visible sweetspot in the form of a small, [[Flame|fiery]] blast at the tip of her foot. Unlike typical sweetspots, it has the same damage output as the sourspot; the only change is that it has slightly higher knockback scaling. Her side smash can be angled, but only the second kick changes in angle. It is often considered one of the worst forward smashes among the cast, because, despite its moderate startup, it is extremely weak, and it has very high ending lag despite this, making it a high-risk move with low reward.

|dairdesc=A diagonal flying kick, similar to {{SSBU|Sonic}} and {{SSBU|Sheik}}'s down aerials, though unlike most moves of its kind, it [[meteor smash]]es throughout its entire duration. Has the slowest startup lag of all of her aerials. Due to this move being a [[stall-then-fall]], it is extremely risky to use off-stage, leading to a [[self-destruct]] in most cases, though its aforementioned properties make it effective as a quick and unexpected [[sacrificial KO]], as the opponent will be KO'd first if hit below the edge. Even when she lands on the ground, there is a high landing lag, making it easy to punish. Despite this, its extremely fast descent speed can enable it to counter a juggle if there is sufficient distance between Zero Suit Samus and the opponent.

|zairname=Aerial Plasma Whip ({{ja|空中プラズマウィップ|Kūchū Purazuma Wippu}})

|[[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer English SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer Japanese SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer Italian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer Dutch SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer French NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer French PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]

|[[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer German SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer Spanish NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer Spanish PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer Russian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer Korean SSBU.ogg|center]]

*{{Sm|Choco|Japan}} - One of the best Zero Suit Samus players in Japan in the early metagame. Although he has never won a major, he came close several times, most notably placing 2nd at {{Trn|Umebura SP}}, 3rd at {{Trn|Umebura SP 5}}, and 5th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 4}}. His results and activity greatly declined following the early metagame, however he was still able to see some noteworthy performances in the early years of the post-pandemic metagame, including placing 9th at {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}}.

*{{Sm|Marss|USA}} - The greatest Zero Suit Samus player of all-time and one of the best players in the early metagame. He won four majors, {{Trn|Collision 2019}}, {{Trn|Smash Factor 8}}, {{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2019}}, and {{Trn|GENESIS 7}}, and is the only Zero Suit Samus player with more than one major win. In spite of his focus on content creation in the post-pandemic metagame, he is also the only notable Zero Suit Samus player from the early metagame to remain relevant, especially in the metagame's early years, although his overall results were still less consistent compared to his early metagame results.

*{{Sm|shky|Japan}} - Though active in the early metagame, his results were less notable compared to other notable Zero Suit Samus players during this time, though he still had especially notable performances during this time such as placing 2nd at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 7}} and 7th at at {{Trn|EVO Japan 2020}}. His best performances took place in the first few months after the return of offline competitive play, where he placed 4th at {{Trn|Kagaribi}} and 7th at {{Trn|Kagaribi 3}}, making him the best Zero Suit Samus player in Japan during this brief period. His results greatly declined in the years since.

*{{Sm|Shoe|USA}} - The second-best solo-Zero Suit Samus player in North America, with her best performances taking place in the post-pandemic metagame. She is best known for her positive record over {{Sm|Riddles}} during the peak of his career, having defeated Riddles at both {{Trn|Double Down 2022}} and {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}}, and ultimately placing 33rd at 25th, respectively. She has also seen great success at regional events, including winning the C-tier {{Trn|Keep it Chill 5: FIGHT!}} and placing 4th at the superregional {{Trn|Low Tide City 2023}}.

Zero Suit Samus had a lukewarm reception when ''Ultimate'' was released, as she was seen to be considerably nerfed from her last appearance, where she was a top-tier character. Many of her tools were watered down, most notably her throw combos and ladder setups. However, this lukewarm reception was reversed thanks to the myriad of outstanding results from Zero Suit Samus players. In particular, {{Sm|Marss}} established himself as one of the best players in the world after winning a few majors, while Japanese majors often saw many Zero Suit Samus players place highly, including but not limited to {{Sm|Kuro}}, {{Sm|Choco}}, and {{Sm|shky}}. As a result of these strong results, the general consensus believed the character to be a solid top tier, with players such as {{Sm|Maister}} as well as many top players in Japan even arguing the character could be one of the best in the game.

However, the post-pandemic metagame saw a notable shift in Zero Suit Samus' reception. For one, she received nerfs to some of her best moves, hindering her combo game and KO potential; the nerfs were great enough to cause some players, including Marss and shky, to believe the character was no longer one of the best in the game. In addition, her best players slowly became less active or started to perform worse than before. In particular, Marss began shifting his focus towards content creation while Kuro and Choco began struggling to make it into the top 32 at majors. As a result, Zero Suit Samus' representation declined, from having top 10 representation in 2019 to not even breaking top 30 by 2022. The nerfs to Zero Suit Samus' strongest tools and decline in results and representation collectively mellowed out opinions on her, with most players no longer considering her to be a top-tier.

This opinion is reflected in Zero Suit Samus' placement on the first tier list, where she was ranked 26th in A+ tier while also dropping down to the bottom of A- tier at 30th on the second tier list. This also marks the first time that she was ever ranked below [[Samus (SSBU)|her Power Suit-equipped self]].

Zero Suit Samus' fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}}. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Zero Suit Samus has been unlocked. Unlocking Zero Suit Samus 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. Her fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with her artwork in ''Ultimate''.