Zero Suit Samus (SSBB)

This article is about Zero Suit Samus' appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For other uses, see Zero Suit Samus. Also, for information about the result of Zero Suit Samus using her Final Smash attack, see Samus Aran.

Zero Suit Samus
Zero Suit Samus
Universe	Metroid
Appears in	SSBB
Availability	Starter

Unveiled at E3 2006, Zero Suit Samus (ゼロスーツサムス, Zero Sūtsu Samusu), often abbreviated as ZSS, 0SS or Zamus, is a character that appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Zero Suit Samus lacks power and stamina compared to Samus, but is faster. She uses a gun known as the Paralyzer, which can also be converted into a Plasma Whip. Her whip can be used to recover, similar to Samus's Grapple Beam.

The impact from Samus's Final Smash is enough to remove her Power Suit, transforming her into Zero Suit Samus. Zero Suit Samus is able to transform back into normal Samus by using her Final Smash, which causes her to get her suit back while performing a move similar to the Crystal Flash from Super Metroid. [1]

In order to select Zero Suit Samus as a character, the player must hold the shield button while on the character select screen before continuing. On normally configured controllers, this refers to either the R or L button on the Gamecube and Classic controllers, the Z button for the Nunchuck/Remote configuration, and the - button for the Remote only configuration.

Transforming from Samus to Zero Suit Samus

Samus can also switch to Zero Suit Samus while in battle by doing the up taunt, down taunt, and up taunt in quick succession. It appears to be rather difficult to achieve, as Dojo!! states, "It's not easy [...] Try it out next time you feel like showing off."[2]

Though there is a very easy way to do it with either the Gamecube/Classic Controller or Wii Remote + Nunchuck:

1. Hold the Gamecube/Classic controller/*Wii Remote sideways so your left and right hand thumbs are on the "Up" and "Down" taunt Dpad buttons respectively.

• For the Wii remote + Nunchuck, put your thumbs on the "1" and "2" buttons.

2. Press "Up taunt" first. This is the only thing that actually needs to be pressed in the right order.

• Press "1" on the Wii remote to activate the "Up" taunt first.

3. During Samus's "Up taunt", rapidly press both "Up" and "Down" as fast as you can, make sure you are actually doing it as fast as you can.

• For the Wii remote + nunchuck, press the "1" THEN "2" buttons and repeat rapidly. Do not press "1" + "2" at the same time, or else this will activate the side taunt.

You should be able to transforms very easily doing this method.

Role in Subspace Emissary

Samus is first seen breaking into the base of the Subspace Army. Soon she comes across a Pikachu being drained of its electrical power. Samus uses her whip to break the container the Pikachu is being held in, summoning a security force of R.O.B.s. Later, she comes across her Power Suit, but is confronted by two Shadow Bug clones mimicking her Power Suit.

After reacquiring her Power Suit, Samus and her new companion Pikachu come across Ridley. He grabs Samus and starts to drag her against the wall, until Pikachu returns the favor and uses Thunder, causing him to drop Samus. Once they defeat him, the duo exits the base and come across a cave.

Samus and Pikachu make their way to the Subspace Bomb Factory and find the Ancient Minister with the R.O.B. squad. Soon, Diddy and Donkey Kong and Captain Falcon and Olimar find the factory and enter. A hologram of Ganondorf appears and orders the R.O.B. squad to activate the bombs. The Ancient Minister tries to stop them, but is set on fire when Ganondorf orders them to retaliate. After The Ancient Minister is revealed to be a R.O.B. himself, the characters set out and all join the quest.

After getting her suit, one can still become Zero Suit Samus by pressing any direction on the C stick when selecting her or using up and down taunts repeatedly, but since Smash Balls don't appear in Subspace Emissary, Samus will be unable to regain her Power Suit until the end of the level.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Tied with Sheik for fourth fastest Dash in the game
• Fast tilts and aerials with solid knockback, range, and damage
• Attacks chain together easily
• Most weapon-based attacks provide great horizontal range
• Her aerial kicks are quite strong; if your opponent's damage is beginning to get high a clean kick can KO them or knock them flying
• Ranged grab, which can grab out of the air
• Up Smash and Up Special provide great vertical range
• Standard Special and Down smash paralyze, which can guarantee more hits
• Down Special acts as third jump, can provide up to four free wall-jumps in certain cases
• Can Wall-jump
• Can Crawl
• Up Special and Side Special are both a Tether Recovery in addition, making her the best Tether-recovery dependent character
• Longest Tether Recovery in the game
• Down Special, Down Aerial, and Up Special can all spike the opponent if used properly
• Down Aerial is a Stall-Then-Fall aerial
• None of her attacks put her into a state of helplessness
• Transformation, even at the start, drops three Power Suit Pieces, which are powerful throwing items.
• Plasma Wire pulls an opponent above you down, which can lead to further combos
• One of the more powerful users of B-Sticking for Plasma Whip and Plasma Wire especially
• If she tries to footstool jump during her Flip Jump, she gets a special jump that gives her an extremely long horizontal range. This can also be used on teammates and on most items
• Flip Jump is an effective yet relatively safe edgeguard
• Plasma Wire, if used right after her jump, gives her a good vertical boost; if augmented with her Flip Jump, gives her phenomenal recovery

Cons:

• Tether Recovery can be edgehogged rather easily, especially since the tether itself reaches longer than the normal attack hitboxes. This means that if she's edgehogged from a greater distance, she can't even retaliate, whereas some other tethers like Pikmin Chain and Vine Whip can sometimes at least get a hit in.
• All spikes are difficult to pull off, and can backfire badly and result in SDs.
• Slowest grab in the game.
• Several weak attacks.
• Floaty.
• Easy to combo and juggle.
• Fairly large target.
• Poor air speed.
• Easy to knock around/light in weight.
• Reliant on edge-guarding for early kills.
• Her own Power Suit Pieces can be used against her and her teammate(s) (if she has any).
• Difficult to approach with aerials.
• Down Smash Attack only hits in one direction.

Standard Moves

Ground Attacks

• Neutral A - Palm Strike, Pistol Whip, Hip Thrust
• Dash A - Similar in appearance to Fox's dash attack. Leaps off of the ground, leg extended horizontally, traveling forward a bit
• Forward Tilt - Similar in appearance to Sheik's Forward tilt. An around-the-body kick 45 degrees from horizontal (Up Forward Tilt). Can also be angled closer to horizontal (Forward Forward Tilt) or a quick, short ranged low leg sweep (Down Forward Tilt)
• Down Tilt - Similar in appearance to Sheik's down tilt, a prone leg-sweep. Knocks upwards.
• Up Tilt - Does handstand-splits while spinning in place, legs moving up to vertical. Hits twice.
• Forward Smash - Slashes forward with the whip. Fairly long range, disjointed hitbox, good knockback, hits a bit behind.
• Down Smash - Shoots paralyzer gun at the ground in front of Zero Suit Samus. Only hits in front. Low damage, delayed knockback, but stuns the target in place for a short time (depending on how much it was charged).
• Up Smash - Samus spins, extending the Plasma whip up above her head in a swirl. Hits multiple times, long vertical (disjointed) range and decent horizontal range.

Aerial Attacks

• Neutral Aerial - Samus spins the whip around her body in a similar trajectory to Marth's Neutral Air. Fairly long range.
• Forward Aerial - Several forward kicks, each slightly faster and only slightly weaker than Samus's Back Aerial.
• Back Aerial - Backwards kick, similar in speed, appearance, and knockback to Samus's Back Aerial.
• Up Aerial - Flip kicks both legs above her head, similar to Fox's Up Aerial.
• Down Aerial - A Stall-Then-Fall. Samus stalls momentarily in midair, and then shoots down diagonally (similar to Sonic or Sheik's Down Air). If it hits in midair, pulls down with the trajectory of the attack, into the second hit. Upon hitting the ground, it hits a second time, knocking anyone close away a fair bit (not enough to KO). Like most stall, then shoot down moves, this can be used to cancel vertical knockback if used while being knocked back vertically. This move can spike.

Grabs and Throws

• Down Throw: Slams opponent on ground and kicks them (similarly to Captain Falcon's Up Tilt).
• Forward Throw: Hits opponent forward with gun.
• Back Throw: Kicks opponent.
• Up Throw: Flips into the air and kicks the opponent.
• Pummel: Knees them in the gut.

Stickers

Since Samus and Zero Suit Samus share the same trophy base, it's important to chose which one you want to use, since Smash Balls don't appear in Subspace Emissary Mode, if one transforms into Zero Suit Samus, they will be unable to change back until the end of the level. Focus on Leg, Energy and Weapon damage, and you should be able to boost both Samus and Zero Suit Samus evenly.

Special Movements

Taunts

Up: Throws her Gun into the air and catches it, then says "Is that all?".

Side: Uses her whip, flicks it and says "Try me!"

Down: Spins her whip around her and says "You're mine!".

On-Screen Appearance

Her Power Suit falls off and she stands up.

Victory Pose

• Side Kick flex
• Cartwheels to the screen
• Slashes with her energy whip and says "Be still."

Trivia

• Zero Suit Samus is the only character in Brawl to have to two Tether recovery moves, one used for horizontal range and one used for vertical range.
• Samus is usually a silent protagonist in the Metroid series. However, ZSS talks when taunting and in one victory pose.

External links

• Zero Suit Samus's page at Smash Bros. Dojo!!.