Zero Laser (Samus)
The Zero Laser (ゼロレーザー, Zero Rēzā) is Samus's Final Smash. Samus charges her arm cannon and fires a large beam of energy that deals a high amount of damage. The Zero Laser also passes through characters and portions of stages. After firing the beam, Samus's Power Suit is "damaged" and falls off of Samus's body, transforming her into Zero Suit Samus.
After the beam has been fired and the Power Suit removed, the damaged pieces of the suit can be picked up and thrown as items by any player. The items have very high knockback and decent damage, but, like any other item, they also can be picked up by opponents and thrown back at Zero Suit Samus or others.
The Zero Laser lasts about a total of 4 seconds. The move's damage varies depending on how long a character is caught in the beam, ranging from 40-78% damage. While not necessarily a one-hit KO, if used near the edge of a stage the laser can push opponents past the blast line, or close enough that the final burst from the attack will do so.
While Samus is using the attack, she and the laser itself have a vacuum effect. Opponents behind Samus will be sucked into the line of fire, and opponents above the laser will also be sucked in.
The Zero Laser can also be angled slightly up or slightly down by tilting the control stick in the desired direction, though this does not have much of an effect on the laser's area of effect and cannot be moved above approximately a 30 degree angle.
The transformation into Zero Suit Samus takes quite a while, and thus is easily punished. Even characters KO'd by the Final Smash are often able to return to the stage and attack as the transformation finishes. It is also possible for an opponent to dodge the move by being behind Samus during the attack, again allowing them to attack Samus as soon as the laser stops.
Finishing the Final Smash in mid-air does not put Samus (or rather, Zero Suit Samus) into a helpless state; however, she will fall for quite some time until all her suit pieces fall off. If she is not above a platform, this is often enough to KO her.
Should Samus be falling off the stage, activating the Final Smash will not stop her from falling. If Samus activates the laser while falling off the stage, she will continue to fall until she actually fires the laser. If Samus reaches the blast line, she will be KO'd. The change to Zero Suit Samus will still occur.
Since the move doesn't engulf the entire screen and only a horizontal strip, some prefer to jump and then use the Zero Laser to maximize its area of effect. The reasoning behind this is that a shot fired on the ground will KO characters who are standing on the ground, but a shot that's fired even a short range above the ground will hit characters who are on the ground and characters who are a bit higher or trying to be able to stay above it's range.
As demonstrated in the Tokyo vs Kyoto match, Zero Laser's effect was slightly changed in the released game's version; it lasted 2 seconds longer than what it currently is.
The move is to reappear in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. 4. It is known whether it will continue to transform Samus into Zero Suit Samus.
Origin
The move is unique to Brawl. Originally, Samus's Power Suit is somehow lost in a crash when her starship is shot down in Metroid: Zero Mission, not involving any type of beam on her part. However, rival bounty hunter Gandrayda can use a move nearly identical to the Zero Laser when mimicking Samus's form in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, though due to the game's release date, this is likely a coincidence or a possible reference to Brawl instead. Also in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Samus could access a Phazon Mode, during which she uses a move strikingly similar to the Zero Laser, though this beam actually consists of two beams intertwined and rapidly fires streams of Phazon beams instead of one massive beam.
The Zero Laser may also have been inspired by the Hyper Beam, an extremely powerful attack used against Mother Brain at the end of Super Metroid, though their appearances differ, as well as the Hyper Beam having no known detrimental effects.
Glitch
A glitch can be performed with this Final Smash that makes it so Samus doesn't transform to Zero Suit Samus, as well as the Laser resulting in a non-damaging energy ball. Performing it is the same as performing the other regenerating terrain glitches.
Instruction booklet description
A laser that, while slow, is almost unrivalled in power, and can be aimed up and down. The power of the blast destroys her Power Suit, turning her into Zero Suit Samus.
Trophy description
Samus's Final Smash. The beam emerging from her Arm Cannon is dreadfully powerful and causes great damage to enemies. The beam travels slowly but can be swept up and down. The recoil of the beam is so great that it tears off her Power Suit, revealing Zero Suit Samus. The pieces of her armor can be picked up and thrown as weapons.
Gallery
- Zero Laser1.jpg
Samus getting ready to fire the Zero Laser.
- Zero Laser3.jpg
Once the laser is finished, her Power suit pieces fall off of her.
- Zero Laser4.jpg
The pieces are now throwable items.
External links
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| Neutral special | Charge Shot | ||||
| Side special | — | Missile | |||
| Up special | Screw Attack | ||||
| Down special | Bomb | ||||
| Final Smash | — | Zero Laser | |||
