Character customization
Character customization, officially character creation (キャラ作り, character building), referred to as Custom Move Sets (カスタマイズ必殺ワザ, Customize Special Techniques) in the Smash Direct, is a feature in Super Smash Bros. 4. It appears to allow players to alter several fundamental properties of characters' special moves. All characters have 1 standard and 2 variations of each special move to choose from, with the exception of Palutena and the Mii Fighters, who instead have a selection of completely different specials, which are all unlocked from the start. Certain characters, such as Mega Man, have moves that appear to function significantly differently as well.
Before the Super Smash Bros. Direct where the feature was officially announced, in June 2013, Masahiro Sakurai had stated that players will be able to customize characters in the 3DS game and transfer those customizations to the Wii U game. He had also stated that the customizations will not be alternate costumes (Mii Fighters are an exception), and that they would not have to be unlocked through repeated tasks.[1]
It is possible to save up to 10 custom versions of each character, except for the Mii Fighters (up to 99 of them can be saved). From the Character Select Screen, upon selecting a character, all customized versions of that character will show up, and the player can choose which version to play as or against. The same goes for Mii Fighters, with which every Mii Fighter ever created by the player will appear in a list for the player to choose from. Character customization can be enabled when playing locally or when playing online with friends, but not when playing online with anyone.
Customizations can also be copied between the 3DS and Wii U versions. However, copied customizations can't be modified at all, requiring the player to have to go back to the customization's game origin to make any changes.
General
The options for customizing movesets appear in the form of "Custom parts", which come in multiple types[2]:
- Equipment: Collected through the games' numerous game modes, these items can be equipped to characters as to boost three potential stats: speed, attack, and defense. Some of these items may be identical in appearance in menus, but offer different stat boosts. They do not affect the appearance of fighters in-game.
- Specials: Lets players change the special attacks of various characters. Details are shown in a later section.
- Headgear: Head accessories for Miis that behave similar to outfits. The available headgear shown so far are:
| 1-Up Mushroom Hat |
| Barbara the Bat Wig |
| Bear Hat |
| Beehive Wig |
| Captain Falcon Helmet |
| Cat Ears |
| Cat Hat (DLC) |
| Chef Hat |
| Chicken Hat |
| Chomp Hat |
| Cow Skull Hat (Bovine Skull Hat) |
| Cowboy Hat |
| Daisy's Crown |
| Devil Horns |
| Dog Ears |
| Dragon Helmet |
| Dunban Wig (DLC) |
| Fancy Pirate Hat |
| Floral Hat |
| Football Helmet (American Football Helmet) |
| Frog Hat |
| Hibiscus |
| Hockey Mask (Ice Hockey Mask) |
| Lacy Headband |
| Link Cap (DLC) |
| Lion Hat |
| Luigi's Cap |
| Magic Hat |
| Majora's Mask (DLC) |
| Mario's Cap |
| Master Gardener's Crown |
| Meta Knight Mask |
| Mii Force Helmet |
| Mini Top Hat |
| Monkey Hat (DLC) |
| Ninja Headband |
| Panda Hat |
| Peach's Crown |
| Pirate Hat |
| Prince's Crown |
| Princess Zelda Wig |
| Princess's Crown |
| Proto Man's Helmet (DLC) |
| Red Ribbon |
| Red Shell Hat |
| Regal Crown |
| Samurai Helmet |
| Samus's Helmet |
| Santa Hat |
| Sheik Mask |
| Shy Guy Mask |
| Spartan Helmet |
| Spiny Hat |
| Straw Hat |
| Super Mushroom Hat |
| Swimming Cap |
| Top Hat |
| Waluigi's Cap |
| Wario's Cap |
| Wedding Veil |
| Western Hat (Wild West Hat) |
| X's Helmet (DLC) |
- Outfits: Can be used to customize the outfits and accessories of Mii Fighters. Costume parts can be earned from Classic Mode and, in the 3DS game, Smash Run. Some costumes also alter the appearance of the weapon held by Swordfighters and Gunners (such as a leather bodysuit changing a Swordfighter's sword into a beam sword, or a tuxedo giving a Gunner's arm-cannon a smaller, sleeker appearance). Most costumes are exclusive to one class of Mii Fighter. The available outfits shown so far are:
| Swordfighter | Brawler | Gunner |
|---|---|---|
| Cybernetic Suit | Biker Gear | Dragon Armor |
| Neon Suit | Fighter Uniform | Fancy Suit |
| Ninja Suit | Mecha Suit | High-Tech Armor |
| Pirate Outfit | Protective Gear | Mage Robe |
| Plate Armor | Standard Outfit | Standard Outfit |
| Samurai Armor | Tracksuit | Steampunk Getup |
| Standard Outfit | Vampire Garb | Wild West Wear |
| SSB T-Shirt (DLC) | SSB T-Shirt (DLC) | SSB T-Shirt (DLC) |
| Link Outfit (DLC) | Cat Suit (DLC) | X's Armor (DLC) |
| Dunban Outfit (DLC) | Proto Man's Armor (DLC) | |
| Monkey Suit (DLC) |
- Powers: Assorted powers implied to only take effect in Smash Run. A similar system was earlier used in Kid Icarus: Uprising. Most if not all powers have multiple levels; higher levels grant a greater number and/or more effective uses, but take up more of the total weight limit [3]. The total weight limit is determined by a character's weight and speed, including equipment affecting their speed; the faster and lighter they are, the lower the weight limit.
Trivia
- In the 3DS version, when taking the first letter of each category of custom parts available to Miis (Equipment, Specials, Headgear, Outfit, Powers) yields the word "eShop".
- When copying a character, Kirby will always copy that character's default neutral special, even if that character has it set to a custom move.[4]
- When all special moves are collected, the game shows a message that says "Collected every custom special move! Show me your moves!", which references Captain Falcon's taunt in all four games.
- While it states that Bowser's Flying Fortress does not do damage, it actually hits once at the start of the move.
