Template:SSB4 to SSBU changelist/Kirby

Aesthetics

• Kirby's appearance is largely the same as it was in SSB4, though his model features a more subdued color scheme. His feet have a pinkish tint, and his blush marks are slightly blurred. These changes make Kirby more closely resemble his appearance in recent Kirby games.
• Like many other characters, Kirby is more expressive, both with his face and his movement.
• Some of Kirby's animations, particularly his dash and initial jump, have been tweaked to closer resemble his appearance from Kirby's Return to Dream Land onward.
• One of Kirby's voice clips when taking high knockback has been changed to his alternate KO sound from SSB4.
  • As a result, he gains a new KO clip, which sounds similar to one of his unused high knockback voice clips from Brawl.
  • Kirby's unused damage yell from Smash 4 is used when he takes medium knockback.
• Kirby's on-screen appearance has a more intense, fiery explosion than in previous games. The large, cartoony stars that appear have been removed, and while the sparkle effects are still present, they have been drastically toned down. All in all, it more closely resembles how it appeared in Smash 64
• Up taunt has been shortened, with Kirby striking the ending pose without dancing first. The pose itself has been tweaked; Kirby raises one of his feet, resembling the pose he makes when gaining an ability in his games.
• Kirby smiles during his side taunt.
• Kirby's victory poses have been modified. Two new dances are used, one with Kirby waving his arms and breakdancing, and another with Kirby moonwalking and sliding, both based off of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land and ending in a unique pose. Kirby also splits into three separate Kirbys when not in team battles, referencing his home series. This is the first and only game to have Kirby's victory poses finish differently.
  • Kirby's idle pose at the end of his victory animation is more animated, with a gentle squash-and-stretch effect leading to a more rubbery feeling.
  • Kirby faces forward instead of away when "wiggling" in one of his victory poses.
• When Kirby gains a new Copy Ability, he briefly poses like he does in his home series. This animation can be canceled.
• Some Copy Ability hats have been changed.
  • His Samus helmet has a fully opaque visor, as it was in Super Smash Bros.
  • His Captain Falcon helmet has triangular eyes, and the visor is opaque as in Super Smash Bros.
  • Unlike Smash 4, his Jigglypuff cap matches his costume color, as in previous games up to Brawl.
  • His Zelda cap has been changed from the wimple she wore as a child in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to a hairstyle matching her new A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds-inspired look.
  • His Ganondorf cap is consistent with Ganondorf's Ocarina of Time appearance, effectively reverting to its design in Melee.
  • His Ike cap uses the hairstyle from his Path of Radiance design, as in Brawl.
  • His Wolf cap matches Wolf's Star Fox Zero-based appearance.
  • His Robin cap, upon exhausting the Thunder tome, will disappear like it does in all other cases, instead of just disappearing with no animation.
• Kirby's Boxing Ring alias has been changed to "The Pink Demon", a direct translation of the Japanese title, for consistency with its appearance in Kirby: Planet Robobot.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Kirby's jumpsquat takes 3 frames to complete (down from 4).
• Kirby runs faster (1.57 → 1.727).
  • His initial dash is noticeably faster (1.5 → 1.9).
• Kirby walks faster (0.93 → 0.977).
• Kirby's air speed is slightly faster (0.8 → 0.84).
• Kirby's traction is much higher (0.0493 → 0.116), going from below average to being tied for the 17th highest, making easier for him to punish out of shield.
• The changes to taunt interruptibility benefit Kirby more than any other returning veteran, as he can act quicker after discarding a Copy Ability.
• Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-17 → 4-15).
• Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frames 4-17 → 5-16), and more ending lag (FAF 31 → 36).
• Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 3-27 → 3-29).
• Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 33 → 63), being tied with Rosalina for the second slowest air dodge in the game duration-wise, only behind Jigglypuff.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • Neutral attack's first and second hits have altered angles (55° → 361°/180° (hit 1), 70° → 361° (hit 2)) and knockback (8 base/30 scaling → 20 base/25/20 scaling (hit 1), 15/30 → 25/15 (hit 2)) to keep opponents close to Kirby, akin to other neutral attacks. This allows them to jab lock, and noticeably improves their previously poor linking ability.
  • The first hit has less startup lag (frame 3 → 2), with its total duration reduced as well (FAF 16 → 15).
  • The second hit transitions faster into the infinite (frame 8 → 5) and has a lower SDI multiplier (1× → 0.3×), although with a slightly higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.2×).
  • The infinite has shorter gaps between hits (4 frames → 2), a consistent angle (55°/68°/80° → 361°), a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.5×) and SDI multiplier (1× → 0.4×), and deals less knockback (6/4/2 base/100 scaling → 7 base/35 scaling). This allows it to connect more reliably and makes it much harder to escape.
  • The infinite's finisher has less startup (frame 5 → 3) and ending lag (FAF 51 → 40).
  • The finisher deals more damage (2% → 3%) and launches at a lower angle (45° → 361°), with knockback not fully compensated (80 base/120 scaling → 70/115), improving its KO potential.
  • All hits except the finisher deal less damage (2% → 1.8% (hit 1), 3% → 1.6% (hit 2), 1% → 0.2% (infinite)).
  • The first hit has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.7×), giving opponents more time to SDI it.
  • The second hit and each hit of the infinite have a shorter hitbox duration (2 frames → 1), and the latter also has one frame more startup (frame 6 → 7), although this is compensated by its faster transition from the second hit.
  • The finisher has smaller hitboxes overall (4.5u/6.5u/5.5u → 5u/5u/5u).
  • The finisher has a much higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 3×), making it easier to DI after SDIing the infinite.
  • The infinite has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 7×. This allows it to lock opponents into their shields between each hit, and thus pressure them more effectively, but also allows them to cancel shieldstun and punish Kirby more easily if they shield 10 hits or more.
  • Kirby's punching hand disappears during his rapid jab; instead, the visual effects have been made thicker.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt has less ending lag (FAF 28 → 24). Combined with the increased shieldstun for ground attacks, this makes it much safer on shield.
  • It has much more base knockback (12 → 40), improving its KO potential.
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt's closest hitbox is larger (4u → 4.8u), slightly surpassing the late hit in Brawl.
  • The late hit and foot intangibility last one more frame (frames 6-9 → 6-10), matching its duration from Brawl.
  • It has less base knockback (40 → 30/26 (clean), 26 (late)) and more knockback scaling (116 → 132/125 (clean), 110 → 130/119 (late)), allowing it to combo better into his aerials from low to mid percents, while also improving its KO potential at very high percents.
  • The hitbox at the tip of Kirby's foot launches at a slightly different angle (100° → 98° (clean), 88° → 86° (late)).
• Down tilt:
  • Due to the increased traction across the cast, opponents do not slide back as much upon tripping from down tilt, improving its reliability for starting combos.
  • It has more knockback scaling (30 → 43), causing it to stop tripping opponents sooner, but improving its combo potential at higher percents if it doesn't trip due to the aforementioned change.
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack has reverted to its Melee iteration, where Kirby does a flaming tackle identical to the Burning copy ability from his home series, although it does not drop him off edges.
  • It hits only once instead of six times, possessing a clean hit, mid hit and late hit. This makes it more reliable overall than the previous dash attack, which could sometimes miss its last hit due to the looping hits' poor linking ability.
  • It propels Kirby a much farther distance forward, increasing its range.
  • It has less startup, with its hitboxes active fully throughout (frames 12, 15, 19, 24, 30, 35-37 → 9-17 (clean)/18-26 (mid)/27-34 (late)).
  • It has larger hitboxes (3.5u/3.5u/3.3u (hits 1-5), 3u (hit 6) → 5u (clean), 3.5u (mid & late)).
  • It has lower hitlag multipliers (2× → 1.3× (clean)/1× (mid)/0.8× (late)). In combination with its faster startup and consisting of a single hit, this makes it harder to DI.
  • The clean hit deals more damage (1% (hits 1-5), 4% (hit 6); 9% total → 12%), with knockback not fully compensated (100 base/70 scaling → 82/66), and launches at a more horizontal angle (65° → 46°). This turns it into a much stronger finisher, KOing opponents at around 160% from center stage and 105% near edges, compared to being unable to KO under 280% regardless of horizontal positioning.
  • The mid and late hits deal more damage than the previous dash attack's last hit (4% → 9% (mid), 6% (late)), and the former launches at a higher angle (65° → 76°), allowing it to KO slightly earlier despite its lower knockback values (100 base/70 scaling → 80/50).
  • It has more ending lag (FAF 54 → 60). Combined with no longer dealing multiple hits, this makes it much more punishable on shield, regardless of timing and despite mantaining the ability to cross-up shields during its early frames.
  • The late hit deals much less knockback (100 base/70 scaling → 80/50), hindering its KO potential despite launching at a higher angle (65° → 76°).
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash's clean hit deals more knockback (30 base/102 scaling → 32/109), improving its KO potential.
  • Kirby lunges farther forward, giving it more range.
  • It deals more damage when angled down (14% → 15% (clean), 10% → 11% (late)).
  • It deals less damage when angled up (16% → 15% (clean), 12% → 11% (late)), although the clean hit is still slightly stronger than in Smash 4 due to its higher knockback values.
  • The clean hit has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.2×), making it easier to DI.
  • It has a different startup animation: Kirby pulls back before executing a thrust kick instead of performing a spin first, resembling Smash Kick, one of Smash Bros. Kirby's attacks in Kirby: Planet Robobot.
• Up smash:
  • Up smash has less startup (frame 14 → 12), with its leg intangibility frames moved accordingly (frames 14-19 → 12-17) and its total duration reduced (FAF 48 → 46).
  • The clean hit has a longer duration, with the late hit having a shorter duration instead (frame 14 (clean)/15-16 (mid)/17-19 (late) → 12-14/15-16/17). This improves its utility as an anti-air, as the clean hit remains active when the hitboxes go above Kirby.
  • The clean hit deals more knockback (33/30 base/104/99 scaling → 36 base/104 scaling), improving its KO potential.
  • The mid hit's sourspot (12% → 13%) and late hit (12%/11% → 13%/12%) deal more damage.
• Down smash:
  • Down smash launches at a semi-spike angle like its foot hitboxes in Melee and Brawl (69° → 29°), significantly improving its edgeguarding ability and allowing it to KO earlier near edges.
  • It has less start up lag (10 → 7).
  • It has much less knockback scaling (110 → 94), hindering its KO potential from center stage and across the stage.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag (10 frames → 6 (neutral), 13 → 8 (forward), 17 → 10 (back), 12 → 7 (up), 17 → 16 (down).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial has less startup (frame 10 → 8) and significantly less ending lag (FAF 73 → 53).
  • The clean hit deals significantly more knockback (30 base/90 scaling → 35/117), allowing it to KO reliably at around 150% from center stage.
  • All hitboxes are bigger (8u → 9u (clean), 7u → 8u (mid), 6u → 7u (mid-to-late), 5u → 6u (late)).
  • It auto-cancels earlier (frame 56 → 51).
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial's first hit launches at a higher angle (45°/80° → 53°/84°) and deals less knockback (35 base/50 scaling → 43/39 (close), 35/38 (far)), allowing it to connect into the second hit more reliably.
  • The first and second hits have lower hitlag (1× → 0.8×) and SDI multipliers (1× → 0.5×), making them harder to escape.
  • The first and third hits have larger hitboxes (4.3u/4.3u → 5u/4.4u (hit 1), 4.9u → 5.1u (hit 3)), with the latter extending further horizontally (Z offset: 8u-12u → 7u-13u) and vertically (Y offset: 3.9u-4.2u → 3u-4.2u), improving their range.
  • Due to its reduced landing lag, and forward smash's improved range and knockback, the first hit has gained a KO setup into it at high percents.
  • The second hit extends further outwards (Z offset: 8u-12u → 7u-13u) and below Kirby (Y offset: 3.7u-4.2u → 2.8u-4.1u), improving its horizontal range, and allowing it to hit short or crouching characters, even in a rising short hop.
  • The second and third hit deal more damage (3% → 4% (hit 2), 5% → 6% (hit 3).
  • The third hit has a longer duration (frames 25-26 → 25-27).
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial has larger hitboxes (4u → 4.5u (clean), 3.4u → 3.5u (late)), and they extend further horizontally (Z offset: 7u-10.5u → 6u-13u (clean), 7u-10u → 6u-11u (late)), noticeably improving its range.
  • The clean hit has a longer duration (frames 6-7 → 6-8).
  • The clean hit has slightly less base knockback (20 → 15), hindering its KO potential.
  • The clean hit has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.2×), making it easier to DI.
  • The late hit has a shorter duration (frames 8-14 → 9-12).
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial has less startup (frame 10 → 8), less ending lag (FAF 40 → 36), and auto-cancels earlier (frame 22 → 20).
  • It deals more damage (9% → 10%) and has noticeably more knockback scaling (100 → 115), greatly improving its KO ability, without worsening its combo ability due to its reduced lag.
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial's looping hits deal more damage (1% → 1.3%, total: 7% → 8.5%), with knockback scaling compensated (107 → 100).
  • The looping hits have a noticeably lower hitlag multiplier (1.5× → 0.8×), alongside a larger hitbox (5u → 6u), increasing their range and making them harder to escape from.
  • It can no longer be frame canceled, with its landing lag not reduced enough to compensate. As a result, it has more landing lag relative to Smash 4 if the landing hit connects, hindering its combo potential.
  • The last hit has a smaller hitbox (6.2u → 5.6u).

Throws and other attacks

• Grabs:
  • All grabs have more ending lag (FAF 28 → 34 (standing), 39 → 42 (dash), 33 → 37 (pivot)), albeit they are still among the fastest in the game.
  • All grabs have less range (Z2 offset: 10.2u → 9.4u (standing), 12.1u → 11u (dash), -17.9u → -15.7u (pivot)).
  • Dash grab has slightly more startup lag (frame 8 → 9).
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals less damage (1.55% → 1%).
  • It has less startup (frame 9 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 10 → 6), but deals considerably more hitlag (4 frames → 11), increasing its effective duration.
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw has Kirby jump slightly higher and further backwards at the end of the animation, able to reach the height of Battlefield's lower platform. The additional height weakens its combo potential at low percents, while the additional backwards distance prevents him from benefitting from the extra height at higher percents.
• Back throw:
  • Back throw has Kirby jump immediately after releasing the opponent, as opposed to a few frames later, causing him to be much higher in the air after the move ends. Additionally, Kirby lands a short distance forward relative to where the throw is initiated from, rather than in the same spot. This removes the throw's followups at low percents, and weakens its edgeguarding potential, as it pushes Kirby away from edges.
  • It has an altered animation where Kirby doesn't squish as much upon slamming the opponent to the ground.
• Up throw:
  • Up throw has gained a collateral hitbox upon landing that deals 7%, similar to Meta Knight's up throw, increasing its effectiveness in battles with multiple opponents.
• Down throw:
  • Down throw's first nine hits deal more damage (0.8% → 1%, total: 10.2% → 12%).
• Edge attack:
  • Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).

Special moves

• Inhale:
  • Inhale has less startup lag (frame 14 → 10), making it much easier to combo into.
  • It has a larger vortex hitbox (7u → 8.5u) with altered hitbox placements (Y offset: 7.5u → 7u, Z offset: 13u → 15.5u), and an additional vortex hitbox, increasing its range.
  • It has less ending lag when failing to inhale anything (FAF 73 → 64), and after copying an opponent (FAF 30 → 21), preventing the copied opponent from being able to hit Kirby before he can move.
  • The swallowing hitboxes are larger (4.2u/4.6u → 5.3u/5.8u), increasing the safety of copying an opponent when others are nearby.
  • It can catch projectiles to heal Kirby, albeit with noticeable ending lag.
    • Kirby can keep certain projectiles, like a fully charged Charge Shot, inside his mouth and then choose to spit them out as a star that deals damage or swallow them to heal himself.
  • Kirby dies later when performing a Kirbycide, though he still dies first. This gives the opponent less time to recover after Kirby is KO'd.
  • Kirby receives a 1.2× damage multiplier for his Copy Abilities compared to the copied opponent's neutral special.
  • Kirby cannot lose his Copy Ability by getting hit for 20 seconds after receiving it, allowing him to keep it much more efficiently.
  • The distance an opponent travels in a star scales with damage, allowing Kirby to KO spat opponents near edges more effectively at higher percents.
  • Rather than a 3.125% chance regardless of move, the chance for Kirby to lose his Copy Ability by getting hit is equal to the damage % taken, thus increasing it for hits that deal more than 3.125% damage.
    • This also means moves that deal less than 3.125% (like some multi-hit moves) are less likely to make Kirby lose his ability.
  • Inhale has a more opaque visual effect.
• Hammer Flip:
  • Hammer launches at a lower angle when not fully charged (53° → 48° (grounded), 55° → 50° (aerial)), slightly improving its KO potential.
  • The grounded version has intangibility (frames 2-10) and more super armor (frames 11-13 → 11-17) when fully charged.
  • The aerial version deals slightly more damage (15%-27% → 16%-28%) with no compensation on knockback.
  • The aerial version sends at a higher angle when fully charged (45° → 50°), slightly reducing its KO potential despite its increased damage.
  • Kirby may use his uncharged or fully charged voice lines from Smash 4 when swinging an uncharged Hammer.
  • A fully charged Hammer triggers Special Zoom.
• Final Cutter:
  • Final Cutter has less landing lag (34 frames → 30).
  • It can snap to the ledge earlier (frame 36 → 33).
  • The rising hit has a longer duration (frames 23-24 → 23-26). The set knockback during the additional active frames is lower (117/102 → 60/50) to link into the falling hit as well.
  • The landing hit no longer has set knockback (120 set/100 scaling → 85 base/95 scaling).
  • The falling hit has smaller hitboxes (6.5u → 6u (meteor), 6u → 5.5u (late)).
  • The falling hit's meteor smash portion has slightly less set knockback (100 → 96).
  • The projectile has a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.7×), although this is compensated by the universal increase to hitlag.
• Stone:
  • Aerial Stone has super armor during startup (frames 19-28).
  • The landing hit launches at a higher angle (0° → 25°) and has much more base knockback (40 → 86), although with its knockback scaling compensated (40 → 24), allowing it to set up edgeguards more effectively, while also increasing its KO power.
  • The aerial hit can no longer combo into the landing hit, significantly decreasing its shield damage.
  • If Stone is hit with a reversing move such as Cape, the transformation will visually spin around.
  • Stone can transform into a Treasure Chest found in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's shrines.
  • If Kirby is metal when using Stone, the transformation will also be metal.
  • Kirby doesn't change back to normal if he lands underwater.
• Ultra Sword:
  • The final hit has less knockback scaling (100 → 95), hindering its KO potential.
  • It features a special background effect upon usage, in a similar fashion to the use of Super Abilities in Kirby's Return to Dream Land.