Template:SSB4 to SSBU changelist/Samus

Aesthetics

• Due to the aesthetic used in Ultimate, Samus has a sleeker design, and her overall color scheme is significantly more vibrant, now matching her color scheme from Metroid: Samus Returns. The Varia Suit's black vents are much more defined and detailed, and her visor is more opaque; it along with the suit's accents are lime green rather than emerald like in Brawl.
• Samus's eighth costume, formerly based on Dark Samus, has been replaced with a black and yellow costume due to Dark Samus's inclusion as a playable fighter.
• Samus's idle animation is altered slightly; she faces the foreground at an angle instead of facing directly forward, and her Arm Cannon is positioned slightly lower.
• Air dodge's animation has changed.
• Samus emits sparks whenever she takes damage. This is shared with Dark Samus, R.O.B., and Mega Man, all of which are mechanical-based fighters.
• Samus has two new victory poses and one slightly modified:
  • She fires a Super Missile and strikes a pose similar to her official artwork.
  • She lands on the ground and readies her arm cannon.
  • Samus retains her up-inputted victory pose, however the shots resemble the shotgun blast from her Melee Charge Shot custom move from SSB4 rather than small explosions.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Samus's jumpsquat animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 4).
• Samus runs faster (1.504 → 1.654).
  • Samus's initial dash is slightly faster (1.86 → 1.87). However, it is much slower relative to the cast.
• Samus's air speed is faster (1.03 → 1.103).
• Samus reaches the maximum height of her jumps more quickly.
• Samus has a slightly faster falling speed (1.3 → 1.33).
• Samus's fast falling speed is faster (2.08 → 2.168). This improves her air mobility and makes her less susceptible to juggles.
• Samus's traction is higher (0.0585 → 0.082 ).
• Forward roll has less ending lag (FAF 40 → 35).
• Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-23 → 4-19).
• Back roll has more startup and grants less intangibility (frames 4-23 → 5-20).
• Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 3-27 → 3-29).
• Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 33 → 57).
• Samus's stunned animation no longer has her shake erratically, as if her suit was malfunctioning.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • The first hit has a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.8×).
  • The first hit has reduced knockback to keep opponents closer to Samus (8 base/80/100 scaling → 20/15), akin to other neutral attacks. However, unlike the case with other characters, this is a nerf for Samus as it further worsens the first hit's ability to true combo into the second hit at higher percents, while also hindering its jab cancel setups.
  • The first hit transitions slower into the second hit (frame 13 → 15).
  • The first hit has gained a hitstun modifier of 4, increasing its safety on hit at low percents, although due to the aforementioned changes, it still fails to truly connect into the second hit.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt has three different hitboxes instead of four, no longer possessing a sourspot that deals 7% (8% if angled). This makes its damage output more consistent.
  • The sourspot deals more knockback (20 base/70 scaling → 30/80), increasing its safety on hit and KO potential.
• Up tilt:
  • The removal of teching for grounded meteor smashes drastically improves up tilt's combo potential.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt has increased knockback scaling (48 → 65), giving the move KO potential against middleweights under 160%, compared to being unable to KO under 200% in Smash 4. This change brings it closer to its Brawl strength.
  • It has more ending lag (FAF 40 → 45).
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack has increased knockback scaling (60 → 90), allowing the clean hit KOing middleweights at around 150% from the center of Final Destination.
  • The early hit no longer deals less damage than the clean hit (7% → 10%), which makes the hits only differ in hitbox size.
  • It has drastically more ending lag (FAF 34 → 42), removing its combo potential entirely.
  • It launches at a more horizontal angle (75° → 55°), which hinders its combo and juggling potential, but further assists in its KO ability near edges.
  • It produces a visual effect similar to the Shinespark ability from Super Metroid.
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash's innermost hitbox is larger (2.2u → 3.3u), allowing Samus to hit short nearby opponents more easily.
• Up smash:
  • Up smash has a different kind of autolink angle (366° → 368°), and the second to fourth hits use weight-independent knockback (although not on all hitboxes), allowing it to connect more reliably when used out of a run, and making it more consistent across characters.
  • The last hit has more knockback scaling (150 → 162), improving its KO potential.
  • The hitboxes aren't placed as far horizontally (X offset: 9u/9u/-1u → -3.5u/6.5u/6.5u (hit 1), 7.3u/9u/-1u → -3.5u/6.5u/6.5u (hits 2-4), 9u/-1u → -3.5u/7.8u (hit 5)), and all except the last hit's are smaller (5.5u/5.5u/4u → 4.5u/5u/5u (hit 1), 6u/5.5u/4u → 4.5u/5u/5u (hits 2-3), 6u/6u/4u → 4u/5u/5u (hit 4)), reducing the move's range.
  • It has a higher SDI multiplier (0.8× → 1×), and the first to fourth hits no longer use set knockback. Coupled with the aforementioned hitbox changes, this causes the move to connect less reliably overall.
• Down smash:
  • Down smash has drastically increased knockback scaling (46/48 (front/back) → 70/68), with the front hit and back hit KOing at around 160% and 138% (respectively) from the center of Final Destination. It is no longer the weakest smash attack in the game by a considerable margin.
  • It has an altered ending animation, with Samus retaining more momentum from the kick.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials except up aerial have less landing lag (16 frames → 9 (neutral), 24 → 14 (forward), 18 → 14 (back), 20 → 12 (down)).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial's second hit comes out faster (frame 16 → 14).
    • However, its total duration remains the same, increasing its ending lag.
• Forward aerial:
  • The first hit has altered angles (80°/280°/60° → 367°/18°), while the first to fourth hits deal more set knockback (15 → 25 (hit 1), 30 → 35/40 (hits 2-4)). These changes overall improve its linking capabilities.
  • The first four hits have a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.8×), but a higher SDI multiplier (0.8× → 1×).
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial has more ending lag (FAF 39 → 42).
  • It has a slightly different animation. Samus faces further behind herself while kicking and curls in her leg afterwards.
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial deals five total hits, down from six.
  • The first four hits' feet hitboxes use the autolink angle (361° → 367°) and set knockback (0 base/130 scaling → 25 set/100 scaling), allowing them to connect more reliably.
  • The hits after the first are faster (frame 8, 11, 14, 17, 20 → 7, 10, 13, 16).
    • However, the move's total duration remains unchanged, giving it more ending lag and making it harder to combo multiple up aerials.
  • Up aerial has more landing lag (12 frames → 18).
  • The first four hits' leg hitbox deals much more set knockback (30 → 90) and launches at a higher angle (80° → 84°); however, it has gained a hitstun modifier of -10. As a result, and combined with its increased landing lag, it connects less reliably into the following hits without having increased combo potential.
  • Due to its lower amount of hits, it deals less total damage (11% → 10.9%), despite the second to fourth hits dealing more damage (1% → 1.3%).
  • Its initial auto-cancel window is shorter (frames 1-4 → 1-2).
  • The last hit has a higher hitlag multiplier (1x → 1.8×).
  • The last hit has an altered animation, with Samus thrusting her foot upward.
• Down aerial:
  • The removal of teching for grounded meteor smashes improves down aerial's combo potential onstage, compounded further by its reduced landing lag.
  • The late hit deals less damage (11% → 10%) with no compensation on knockback, hindering its KO potential.
• Grab aerial:
  • Grab aerial deals more damage (1.5% → 2.5% (hit 1), 3% → 4% (hit 2)).
  • The second hit has a slightly longer duration (frames 16-17 → 16-19).
  • It causes the Grapple Beam to retract upon hitting an opponent, hindering its utility in battles with multiple opponents.
  • The tip of the Grapple Beam stays in place instead of following Samus's vertical movement, similar to how it behaved in Melee.

Throws and other attacks

• Grabs:
  • Standing grab has less startup (frame 16 → 15).
  • Standing and pivot grab have less ending lag, especially the latter (FAF 70 → 60 (standing), 84 → 63 (pivot)).
  • Dash and pivot grab have more startup (frame 16 → 17 (dash), 17 → 18 (pivot)).
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals slightly more damage (1.2% → 1.3%).
  • It has less startup (frame 3 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 9 → 7), but deals much more hitlag (4 frames → 14), drastically increasing its effective duration. This hinders its damage racking ability, no longer being one of the fastest pummels in the game.
• All throws deal more damage (9% → 10% (forward), 8% → 10% (back), 9% → 12% (up), 6% → 8% (down)).
  • Forward and back throw's knockback was not compensated, improving their KO potential.
• Samus's forward, back and up throws are no longer weight-dependent.
• Forward, back and down throws use the electric effect, much like in Smash 64.
• Up throw:
  • Samus has a new up throw: she blasts her opponent upward with her arm cannon. It uses the flame effect, and consists of two hits instead of six, with its damage being redistributed (1% (hits 1-5), 4% (throw) → 5% (hit 1), 7% (throw)).
  • It has increased knockback scaling (70 → 80) on top of its higher damage, making it powerful enough to KO middleweights under 170%.
  • It releases opponents faster (frame 28 → 16), making it harder to DI. Opponents are also released closer to Samus.
    • However, its total duration remains the same, increasing its ending lag.
• Down throw:
  • Down throw releases opponents one frame slower (frame 20 → 21), but has less ending lag (FAF 42 → 38). Combined with Samus's faster jumpsquat and jump speed, this noticeably improves its combo potential.
  • It has lower base knockback (80 → 60), but higher knockback scaling (50 → 75). This gives it new followup options at low percents, such as a dash attack and dashing up smash, without hindering its combo potential at higher percents due to the aforementioned changes.
  • It launches at a slightly lower angle (80° → 74°).
• Edge attack:
  • Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).

Special moves

• Charge Shot:
  • Charge Shot can be charged in midair. It can also be charge-canceled by jumping or spot dodging.
  • It has less ending lag when not fully charged (FAF 54 → 45).
  • It deals more damage (3%-25% → 5%-28%), with altered knockback on the fully charged shot (30 base/62 scaling → 46/50), making it stronger overall.
  • It can be B-reversed.
  • Charge-canceling the move incurs 4 frames of lag, rather than being instantaneous.
  • It has received negative shield damage (0 → -2.5 (uncharged), -7 (fully charged)), weakening fully charged shots' ability to break shields.
  • Charge Shot can be fired by pressing the attack button.
• Missile:
  • Both Homing Missiles and Super Missiles deal more damage (5% → 8% (Homing), 10% → 12% (Super)) without compensation on knockback, improving the KO ability of Super Missiles.
  • Both types of Missiles have slightly less ending lag (FAF 57 → 55 (Homing), 59 → 58 (Super)).
  • Super Missiles travel faster and stall initially before flying forward, similar to the Turbo Missile custom move from Smash 4. This allows them to effectively stay out for a longer time, improving their camping potential.
  • Samus can drift horizontally after firing a Missile in midair, and Missiles don't halt her aerial momentum.
  • Missiles have updated designs. When firing a missile, Samus's visor and armor lights flash blue in reference to Samus's palette when Missiles are selected in the original Metroid.
• Screw Attack:
  • Screw Attack has less lag before Samus begins falling.
  • Grounded Screw Attack has less startup (frame 5 → 4), making it more effective out of shield.
  • The looping hits have a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.5×), and a lower SDI multiplier for the aerial version (1× → 0.5×), allowing them to transition faster and making them harder to escape.
  • The last hit has a slightly larger hitbox (9.6u → 10u), allowing it to connect better from the looping hits.
  • Due to rage being changed to not affect set knockback, the linking hits of Screw Attack can no longer KO off the top blast line at low percents, removing Samus's early KO setups.
  • Grounded Screw Attack deals up to nine hits instead of eleven, but has increased damage on its first hit (2% → 3%) and last hit (1% → 2%).
    • The last hit's knockback was not fully compensated (50 base/240 scaling → 56/190), slightly improving its KO potential.
  • The grounded version's last hit has a higher hitlag multiplier (2× → 2.5×).
  • The move uses unique sound effects on hit, rather than standard "kick" sound effects.
• Bomb:
  • Bombs explode earlier on contact (frame 22).
• Zero Laser:
  • When Samus unleashes Zero Laser, the jets on the back of her suit vent flames as exhaust, which deal damage.