Template:SSB4 to SSBU changelist/Ice Climbers

Aesthetics

• Due to Ultimate's graphical improvements, the Ice Climbers gain a sleeker design with more subtle detailing in their hair and parkas, and their overall color scheme is significantly more vibrant and subdued. The duo wear coats with detailed furry lining, similar to Melee. The duo have slightly smaller more proportionate heads, more faint blushes on their cheeks, and slightly thinner eyes on top of losing the purple hue in their eyes. Their boots and hammers also appear to be covered in light powdered snow.
• Both Ice Climbers face the foreground at an angle, instead of facing directly forward. In addition, they always face the screen regardless of which direction either of them turn, making all of their animations mirrored while altering some.
• The Ice Climbers have a new idle pose of them turning to look behind themselves. It replaces the animation of them dropping their hammers and then lifting them back up.
• Like other fighters, the Ice Climbers are more expressive than before: they appear excited when using their specials and forward smash, scowl when shielding and charging their up and down smash, and the partner climber will also panic when the leader is grabbed.
  • In addition, the partner climber will have a worried expression and wince periodically when the main climber gets frozen, dizzy, or gets attacked.
• Nana has received new voice-clips for a few of her moveset, such as her smash attacks.
• The Ice Climbers' spot dodging, air dodging and ledge-hanging animations have changed.
  • When air dodging, the Ice Climbers look towards the camera for longer.
  • When hanging onto a ledge, the Ice Climbers grab the ledge with their free hand instead of with both hands.
• The Ice Climbers' on-screen appearance has them give each other an enthusiastic high-five, which was waist-height in Brawl. The animation also no longer differs depending on the starting position based on the player's controller port.
• The Ice Climbers only jump once when using up taunt, as opposed to three times.
• At the end of a solo-match, only the leading Ice Climber will be shown inside the losing pane on the results screen. Both Ice Climbers are still shown if the match ends in a No Contest.
• The Ice Climbers' victory pose where they alternate left and right now has them circling their heads around .
  • Their victory theme has been shortened to only contain the second half.
• The Ice Climbers' crowd cheer is "I scream, you scream, Ice Climbers!"
• Nana's crowd cheer is no longer the back-sound of the menu if she is currently the leader.
• The Ice Climbers' knockback-based voice-clips will no longer play if Nana is the leader.
• The Ice Climbers has been updated with universal features introduced in Smash 4.
  • The Ice Climbers has a Boxing Ring title, a Palutena's Guidance conversation, and two additional alternate costumes.
    • Their black costume has slightly been modified: Nana's parka is now brown instead of black. Additionally, their costumes have been re-ordered; the Nana-leading costumes now occupy the second half of their costumes instead of the even-numbered costumes, which is how their costumes were ordered in Melee
  • The Ice Climbers' voice-clip numbers in Sound Test are numbered individually (i.e. "Popo: Voice [number]"/"Nana: Voice [number]"), similar to other team-based fighters as well as the Mii Fighters, Assist Trophies, Poké Ball Pokémon and bosses.
• The sound effects of the partner are quieter. This is best heard when they are either Star or Screen KO'd.

Attributes

• Like all characters, both of the Ice Climbers' jumpsquat animations take 3 frames to complete (down from 4).
• The partner climber is generally faster than the leader. This helps them keep up if the two are separated.
• If either Ice Climber lands a hit, the other one takes a small amount of hitlag, regardless of whether their attack connects or not.
  • This makes desynching slightly more difficult to perform.
• The partner Ice Climber sustains 1.02× times the damage and knockback from attacks, making them slightly easier to separate and KO.
• The partner now stands slightly behind the leader, in addition to being slightly in the z-axis. This reduces their grounded moveset's range, minus down smash due to hitting behind the partner.
• The partner has a longer delay (4 frames → 6), causing some of the partner's attacks to miss but also improving their combo and frame-trapping potential.
• The Ice Climbers walk faster (0.96 → 1.008 (leader), 1.1088 (partner)).
• The Ice Climbers run faster (1.388 → 1.53 (leader), 1.683 (partner)).
  • Their initial dash is noticeably faster (1.4 → 1.68).
• The Ice Climbers' air speed is faster (0.7708 → 0.83 (leader), 0.8715 (partner)).
• The Ice Climbers' falling speed is faster (1.2 → 1.3).
• The Ice Climbers' gravity is slightly higher (0.077 → 0.082), although it is lower relative to the cast.
• As with all returning veterans, the Ice Climbers have much more traction (0.035 → 0.077), although it is still the second lowest in the game.
• The following Ice Climber's air acceleration is slightly higher (0.09 → 0.0945).
• Forward roll has less ending lag (FAF 31 → 30).
• Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-19 → 4-15).
• Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frames 4-19 → 5-16) and more ending lag (FAF 31 → 35).
• Spot dodge has more startup with less intangibility (frames 2-20 → 3-17).
• Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 48 → 58)
• Air dodge has less startup (4 → 3).
• The reintroduction of directional air dodging benefits the Ice Climbers more than most of the other returning veterans, as the duo have access to using a secondary recovering option with them or can extend or mix-up their recovery by using one, especially when combined with Belay's long distance as a tether recovery.
  • The following Ice Climber now performs a directional air dodge if off-stage when separated from the leader, instead of typically using Belay to recover.
  • The introduction of air dodge landing lag glitch benefits the Ice Climbers more than any other returning veteran, as if the duo perform an uninterrupted air dodge and land on the floor in their helpless states after using Squall Hammer, their normal landing lag will get approximately reduced.
• The removal of chain grabbing hinders the Ice Climbers more than any other character, as it drastically reduces their cheesing ability, and zero-to-deaths, while still possible, are now much harder. They also greatly suffer from the ability to tech footstools as it removes their guaranteed lock setups from grabs.
• The following Ice Climber's AI is worse as they have more difficulty recovering and making it back to the leader, which can lead to them self-destructing.
• The duration opponents are frozen from the Ice Climbers' ice attacks are much longer, allowing for easier unavoidable follow-ups at high percentages. At very high percentages, Blizzard and Ice Shot can even freeze them long enough to be unable to recover from near the ledge.
• Ice Climbers arguably benefit the most from the reintroduction of wavedashing because of their very low traction, significantly increasing their approach and mobility, as well as giving them more mixups with grabbing and attacking opponents.
• The partner Ice Climber's attacks affect the duo's staleness queue; in previous games, they would use the queue but could not alter it. This generally means that the duo's attacks will both stale and refresh twice as quickly.
• When the leader is KO'd by reaching 0 HP during their last stock in Stamina Mode, the partner climber instantly enters the defeat animation regardless of being hit or not, similar to Rosalina's Lumas.
  • This consequently removes the partner Ice Climber's ability to intervene the results of opponents, hindering their impact on Stamina battles.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • Neutral attack can lock opponents and connect both hits together more consistently due to its altered angle (60° → 361°/180°).
  • The partner's second hit deals more damage (2% → 2.6%) without full compensation on knockback (45 (base)/100 (scaling) → 60/95), improving its KO potential when combined with the second hit's lowered angle.
  • The first hit transitions into the second hit earlier (frame 11 → 10).
  • The first hit can be transitioned into the second hit by holding/tapping onto the attack input for 10-30 frames, or by holding onto the button until frame 13, as opposed to tapping the button until frame 11.
  • The move deals less damage (3% → 2% (leader hit 1), 4% → 3.5% (leader hit 2), 2% → 1.5% (partner hit 1), 11% → 9.6% (total)).
  • Second hit of neutral attack has more ending lag (FAF 20 → 30).
  • Both hits have a shorter duration (frames 4-7 (hit 1), 4-6 (hit 2) → 4-5 (both)).
  • The first hit has an increased hitlag multiplier (1.0× → 1.3×), giving the opponent more time to SDI it.
  • The first hit has gained 2 additional hitstun frames. This allows it to stun opponents longer to connect into the second hit, and thus pressure them more effectively, but also gives them more time to SDI it.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt has less ending lag (FAF 33 → 30).
  • The partner's forward tilt deals less damage (7% (non angled) → 6.75%).
  • The move has a shorter duration (frames 9-12 → 9-10).
  • The partner's forward tilt has an increased hitlag multiplier (0.5× → 1×), matching the leader's.
• Up tilt:
  • The final hit of up tilt has more combo potential due to the removal of hitstun canceling.
  • The partner's final hit deals less base knockback and more knockback scaling (40 (base), 100 (scaling) → 38, 118), allowing it to combo better from low/medium percents, while also improving its KO potential at very high percents.
  • The move deals less damage (1% (loop hits) → 0.8% (leader loop hits), 0.6% (partner loop hits), 17% → 15.4% (total)).
  • The final hit has more startup lag (frame 26 → 27).
  • The looping hits deal more knockback (15 (base), 20 (scaling) → 65/60/20, 10), with the higher knockback hitboxes being used to raise the opponent towards the higher, low knockback hitboxes.
• Down tilt:
  • The partner's down tilt deals consistent damage (4%/5% → 4.5%), making it deal more damage at point-blank range but dealing less damage elsewhere.
  • 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.
  • The move connects less consistently at higher percents when both climbers are present due to the partner being more delayed.
• Dash attack:
  • The partner's dash attack deals more damage (4% → 4.5%) and has increased knockback scaling (40 → 60).
  • The move has a longer duration (frames 11-12 → 11-14).
  • The outermost-hitbox has been extended forward (Y offset: 5u → 5u—7.5u), increasing its range.
• Forward smash:
  • It has less ending lag (FAF 49 → 47).
  • It has more base knockback (30 → 50) and the partner's forward smash has more knockback scaling (118 → 126).
  • It has an altered animation where the Ice Climbers don't slam their hammers as far as horizontally, hindering its range. It also no longer hits behind and above the Climbers.
  • It no longer provides a sweetspot that deals more damage, reducing its overall maximum damage output (13% → 12% (leader), 10% → 9% (partner), 23% → 21% (both)).
• Up smash:
  • Up smash has less startup lag (frame 13 → 12).
  • The partner's up smash has more knockback scaling (113 → 126).
  • The loss of hitstun canceling improves the move's ability to lead into combos.
  • The partner's up smash deals less damage (9%/8% → 8.25%/6.75%).
  • It has more ending lag (FAF 48 → 50).
• Down smash:
  • Down smash has been reworked: each Ice Climber individually sweep their hammers at specific directions (with the leader sweeping in front, while the partner sweeps behind the leader).
  • The move provides more horizontal coverage when together, making it more versatile for punishing rolls and approaches.
  • The hitboxes come out sooner (frame 9 → 7), improving its utility as a burst punishing option.
  • It deals more damage (12%/10% → 13% (leader), 9%/8% → 9.75% (partner)) and more knockback than the previous sweetspots (30/50 (base), 105/102 (leader scaling), 113 (partner scaling) → 50, 105, 126)
  • It has less ending lag (FAF 44 → 41).
  • The move only hits on a single side with a solo-climber, making the remaining climber more vulnerable to rolls.
  • Due to its altered animation, it is drastically harder to connect with both climbers.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag (15 frames → 7 (neutral/back), 20 → 10 (forward), 30 → 14 (up), 42 → 20 (down).
• The Ice Climbers can no longer perform a two back or up aerials in a short hop due to their increased falling speed, as well as the latter having increased ending lag.
• Neutral aerial:
  • The partner's neutral aerial deals more damage (5% → 5.25%).
  • The partner's neutral aerial also has less knockback scaling (128 → 120) hindering its KO potential despite its higher damage.
  • The move's lowered landing lag improves its utility in combos both desynced and synced.
  • The move connects less consistently when both climbers are present, especially at higher percents.
• Forward aerial:
  • The partner's sourspot deals more damage (7% → 9%) and has more knockback scaling (100 → 114).
  • The removal of meteor canceling improves the partner's sweetspot's reliability.
  • The removal of teching for grounded meteor smashes improves the combo potential of the partner's sweetspotted forward aerial onstage, compounded further by its reduced landing lag.
  • The partner has less active frames, now matching the leader (19-21 → 19-20).
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial deals less damage (11% → 10% (leader), 8% → 7.5% (partner), 19% → 17.5% (both)) although its knockback was mostly compensated (scaling: 107 (leader), 128 (partner) → 115/138) and connects less reliably when both climbers are present especially at higher percents.
    • The partner's attack now has more knockback overall, and is more in-line with the leader's, although it is still a bit weaker.
• Up aerial:
  • The Ice Climbers' up aerial has been reworked: an overhead hammer-swing in a horizontal arc. Compared to their previous up aerial, it provides much more horizontal range and hits in front of them, providing more efficient coverage than before.
  • It has more knockback scaling (120 (leader), 142 (partner) → 129, 154.8), improving its KO potential despite its lowered damage.
  • It deals less damage (10%/9% → 9% (leader), 7%/6% → 6.75% (partner)).
  • It has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 6-23 → 7-11) and more ending lag (FAF 30 → 36).
  • It provides less vertical range compared to the previous one, making it much harder to connect against grounded opponents.
• Down aerial:
  • The partner's down aerial deals more damage (5% → 6%).
  • It auto-cancels earlier (frame 58 → 54).
  • The removal of the stall-then-fall glitch allows the Ice Climbers to land with the move more reliably out of hitstun.
  • The Ice Climbers bounce up before performing down aerial, similar to Sheik's down aerial.
    • As a result, it has more startup with a shorter duration (frames 9-51 → 12-51).
  • Its initial auto-cancel window has been removed.

Throws and other attacks

• Grabs:
  • If missing a grab, the leading Ice Climber will receive a surprised expression.
  • Their dash grabs grant more horizontal momentum and substantial speed-boost, improving their approaching potential despite their increased ending lag.
  • All grabs have more startup (frame 6 → 8 (standing), frame 8 → 10 (dash/pivot)) and ending lag (FAF 30 → 40 (standing), frame 40 → 48 (dash), frame 40 → 41 (pivot)).
  • All grabs have smaller hitboxes (4.5/3.5u → 3.6/1.8u (standing), 5.5/3.8u → 2.9/1.45u (dash), 5.5/3.8/3.8u → 3.6/1.8u (pivot)).
• The partner cannot act while the leader is held by an opponent's grab while on the ground, and enters a panicking animation instead (although this can be avoided with desyncs).
• The partner can no longer grab, and will taunt with a cheerful jump during the leader's throw while on the ground. This removes their chain grabs and locks the Ice Climbers were infamous for in previous titles.
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals more hitlag (1 frame → 10 frames), but has drastically less startup (frame 11 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 19 → 7), overall resulting in a 1 frame shorter loop.
  • The hitbox has a shorter duration (frames 11-12 → 1).
• Throw:
  • All throws no longer have SDI multipliers.
  • Back throw and down throw are now weight-independent. This improves their combo ability against heavyweights, but worsens it against lightweights.
• Forward throw:
  • The removal of hitstun canceling improves its utility in tech-chasing and setting up an edgeguard.
  • The collateral hitbox no longer has fixed knockback (90 → 50 (base)/60 (scaling)).
  • The collateral hitbox has a significantly increased hitlag multiplier (0.3x → 1.2×), making it much easier to DI.
  • The collateral hitbox is smaller (7.2u → 5.0u), but with an altered positioning (Y offset: 5.6/0u → 6.5/10.0u).
• Back throw:
  • The removal of hitstun canceling allows back throw to lead into follow-ups both desynced and synced, as well as improving its ability to set up an edgeguard.
  • The removal of chain grabing drastically hinders the move's utility.
• Up throw:
  • Up throw deals more damage (2% (hit), 4% (throw), 6% (total) → 3%, 5%, 8%) without full compensation on the throw portion's knockback scaling (28 → 26), making it more reliable for combos at lower precents when combined with the loss of histun canceling, while allowing it to KO slightly earlier.
  • The collateral hitbox no longer has fixed knockback (90 → 75 (base)/60 (scaling)), making the throw portion slightly stronger and allowing it to KO at very high precents.
  • The collateral hitbox lasts longer (frame 25 → 25-26).
  • The collateral hitbox has a significantly increased hitlag multiplier (0.2x → 1.2×), giving the opponent much more time to DI.
  • The collateral hitboxes are smaller (7.2/5.76u → 5.0/4.0u), but with altered positionings (Y offset: 5.6u → 6.0u).
• Down throw:
  • The leading Ice Climber clinches the opponent with both hands, lift them up in the air before slamming them on the ground.
  • The changes to hitstun canceling improve down throw's combo potential beyond lower percents with a solo-climber.
  • It deals has higher knockback scaling (100 → 116).
  • The removal of chain grabbing hinders down throw's damage-racking potential at lower percents, even with a solo-climber.
• Floor attack:
  • The leader's floor attacks deals more damage (6% → 7%).
  • The partner's floor attacks deals less damage (6% → 5.25% (front & back), 5% → 3.75% (trip)).
• Edge attack:
  • The Ice Climbers ram their hammers horizontally in a straight line, similar to their slow ledge attack in Brawl.
  • It deals consistent damage compared to their previous ledge attacks, even though the partner's is weaker (8% (hammer)/6% (body) → 8% (leader), 6% (partner)).
  • It deals less damage compared to their old slow ledge attack (10% (hammer), 8% (body) → 8% (leader), 6% (body)).
  • The Ice Climbers do not hunch over when performing it, making them easier to punish.

Special moves

• Ice Shot:
  • Ice Shot deals more damage (3%-1% → 3.5%-~2.25%).
  • It has less ending lag (FAF 60 → 56).
  • It can function as a projectile blocker since the sliding ice pieces won't get destroyed by any projectiles, and will cancel them out no matter how powerful they are.
  • It has more startup lag (frame 17 → 18).
  • Reflected ice chunks can damage the Ice Climbers.
  • Ice Shot makes a different sound effect.
• Squall Hammer:
  • Solo Squall Hammer ends with a stronger hit that much more knockback (5 (base), 30 (scaling) → 50, 100) and launches at an altered angle (30° → 361°).
  • Solo Squall Hammer has less startup (frame 12 → 10).
  • Desynced Squall Hammer has more consistent utility to trap opponents between both Ice Climbers.
  • Squall Hammer's multihits launch at altered angles (30° → 25/32) and have altered knockback (5 (base), 80 (scaling) → 25/13, 95).
  • Duo Squall Hammer deals more damage (2% (hits 1-7), 3% (final hit), 17% (max) → 2.2%, 4%, 19.4%). When combined with the introduction of the 1v1 multiplier, this improves the move's damage-racking ability and the final hit's KO potential.
  • All of Duo Squall Hammer's hits come out earlier with slightly less gaps in between (frames 9, 13, 18, 22, 27, 32, 40, 53-54 → 10, 14, 18, 23, 28, 34, 40, 51-52).
  • All of Solo Squall Hammer's hits come out earlier (frames 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 28, 32, 36, 42, 49, 56 (solo) → 10, 15, 21, 28, 37, 49-50). Although it has slightly more gaps in between (combined with the fact that Solo Squall Hammer now has 6 hits instead of 11), it now includes back hitboxes during the move which come out later than the frontal hits (frames 10, 15, 21, 28, 37 → 13, 18, 24, 32, 42) to offset that.
  • Squall Hammer grants much less vertical distance with button mashing, worsening its usage for recovery.
  • Duo Squall Hammer has more startup (frame 9 → 10) and ending lag (FAF 70 → 78).
  • Solo Squall Hammer deals less damage (2%/3% → 1.3%/2% (leader), 0.975%/1.5% (partner)).
  • Squall Hammer emits a twinkling sound effect when performed, especially with both Ice Climbers.
• Belay:
  • If the partner is separated from the leader off-stage, the partner will perform a directional air dodge to reach the ledge instead of typically using a Belay.
  • Belay has increased tether recovering distance.
  • The leader is no longer prevented from using the move if it is automatically performed by the partner.
  • Belay covers slightly more distance with a solo-climber, and the solo-climber possesses more control while using it.
  • Belay has less startup (frame 16 → 13).
  • When both Ice Climbers are present, the solo-climber covers more vertical distance, but less horizontal distance, making their recovery slightly more linear.
    • The duo's faster air speed and improved aerial mobility nevertheless makes Belay less linear, improving their recovery.
  • Belay has a smaller hitbox (7.0u → 6.0u), making it harder to land against grounded opponents.
  • Belay uses a unique sound effect rather than regular jump sound from Ice Climber.
• Blizzard:
  • Both Ice Climbers aim Blizzard forward while on the ground instead of aiming it in both respective directions, similar to their aerial version in previous installments. This increases its damage output when performed on the ground, but this means that Blizzard can no longer hit the opponents behind them, hindering its spacing potential and overall coverage.
  • The universal changes to freezing duration result in Blizzard freezing opponents for a much longer period overall, no longer allowing the opponent to thaw out almost immediately.
  • It has more ending lag (FAF 80 → 85).
  • It deals less damage at point-blank proximity (2% → 1.8%).
  • It also no longer causes hitstun or freezes opponents when further from point-blank proximity, both removing its ability to lock and hindering its spacing potential simultaneously.
• Iceberg:
  • Iceberg spins and features a teetering Polar Bear that launches opponents with greater knockback. During the move, a Condor will circle the Iceberg around the top of the screen, which the Ice Climbers can grab onto, and it will also deal damage to opponents that touch it.
  • Opponents can no longer damage the iceberg and make it recede.
  • Iceberg lasts a shorter duration. While this does make it less obstructive to the following Ice Climber, this makes it overall much easier for opponents to stall out and avoid entirely, while other changes made to the move make it less likely to cause problems for the partner Ice Climber anyway.
  • When paired, the Ice Climbers no longer emit a whooshing sound upon activating Iceberg.
  • The iceberg no longer has solid terrain, and instead utilizes stronger windboxes to push both opponents and the Ice Climbers out. This overall weakens the move's ability to interrupt recoveries, especially combined with the new vertical knockback, and prevents the Ice Climbers from standing on the peak. However, it also does not obstruct the Climbers as much, nor will it block ledges, making it less likely to cause the following climber to SD. In addition, it can no longer be performed to make the Ice Climbers clip through stage-objects, as this was caused by a pair of merging walls.
  • The iceberg can be moved across the stage, although doing so can be risky if the Ice Climbers are not holding on to the Condor.
  • Iceberg no longer freezes opponents.
  • Iceberg no longer causes platforms to damage the opponents.