Ice Climbers (SSBM): Difference between revisions

The '''Ice Climbers''' ({{ja|アイスクライマー|Aisu Kuraimā}}, ''Ice Climber'') are playable characters in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. They are voiced by Sanae Kobayashi in the game.

They rank 8th on the tier list (in the B+ tier). Among the Ice Climbers' strengths are their devastating grab game. When both Popo and Nana are alive, the Ice Climbers can land a zero-to-death on any character in the game off of a grab through [[wobbling]], and can perform hand-offs in settings where wobbling is banned to achieve nearly as punishing results. They are immune to chain grabs and some other combo setups, as if one Climber gets grabbed, the partner can hit them out of the grab at any time. The Ice Climbers have access to fast and powerful smash attacks, great disjoint on their hammer moves, such as up aerial and back aerial, and one of the longest [[wavedash]]es in the game, aiding their offensive capabilities. They also can perform various techniques through [[desyncing]], which allows the player to control both Climbers at different times; when combined with their [[Blizzard]] projectile, this makes the Ice Climbers especially difficult to break through defensively. Their unique attributes and threat of an instant KO off of a grab forces other characters to adopt unique and often frustrating playstyles against the Ice Climbers.

However, the Ice Climbers are crippled by the difficulty of keeping both Climbers together at the same time. The Ice Climbers can easily be separated when hit by most attacks, which gives the opponent an opportunity to freely KO the CPU-controlled Climber, leaving the player with just one Ice Climber until they lose a stock. A single Ice Climber, known as "[[Sopo]]", loses access to its grab punishes and has one of the lowest damage outputs and worst recoveries in ''Melee''. The Ice Climbers also are hindered by their low [[traction]], which causes them to slide farther across the stage when hit in shield, limiting their ability to land shieldgrabs and other punishes. Despite their threat of a zero-death, the Ice Climbers tend to lose against most other top tiers, as opponents can KO the partner climber to make wobbling difficult. This includes an especially poor matchup against {{SSBM|Peach}}, as her float canceling techniques allows her to attack the Ice Climbers from the air without much fear of getting punished. Additionally, the Ice Climbers' low gravity and air speed makes them vulnerable to air stalling and evasion tactics, such as by the aforementioned Peach or {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}. Regardless, the Ice Climbers have strong matchups against the majority of the cast, and can hold their own against most high and top-tiers.

The Ice Climbers have arguably the most unusual fighting style in all of ''Melee''; the player is tasked with controlling two characters at once, and their fighting potential becomes considerably worse should Nana (or Popo depending on which costume is selected) be KOed. Outside of this, their unique physics make them difficult to use; they boast an above average jumping height alongside low air and falling speed, and their traction is also among the lowest in the game.

As a result of this quirk, the Ice Climbers have among the most powerful ground-based approaches in the game. Disjointed hitboxes, a variety of useful tilts and smashes, and a long, floaty wavedash give the Ice Climbers a wide variety of options on the ground. Their most powerful tool on the ground is their [[grab]]; despite having below-average grab range, they boast low knockback throws, giving them significant chain throwing potential. They can also perform the [[Wobbling]] infinite out of a grab, which is the most powerful single technique in the game if players can master it. In addition, the presence of Nana allows players to significantly rack up damage on opponents when they grab them. The presence of Nana also makes grabs and chain throws against Popo difficult to utilize, as she can potentially attack opponents during their grab to break it. Furthermore, the Ice Climbers have among the best projectiles in the game, [[Ice Shot]]; it is a ground-based projectile that limits the opponent's approach options, and falls off edges very quickly, allowing it to cover various low recovery options. While short-ranged, [[Blizzard]] can also have approaching applications, as Popo and Nana face the same direction when the attack is used during a short-hop; it can also be used as a reliable tool to rack up damage off a grab if Nana uses it while Popo pummels. The Ice Climbers also have the ability to perform the [[Freeze glitch]], which prevents their opponent from moving in any capacity when performed. Due to its [[broken|game-breaking]] potential, the tactic is banned in tournaments.

The Ice Climbers' [[desynch]]ing techniques also have powerful ground-based applications. Since it essentially allows the control of both Climbers to some degree, experienced players can force Nana to perform certain tasks while Popo is occupied. This includes grabbing opponents immediately after Popo has thrown them (known as a hand-off) and attacking them while Popo keeps them locked in place, among other powerful benefits. Desynching, however, requires significant practice to use consistently, making the Ice Climbers one of the most technically demanding characters in the game.

Despite a powerful ground-based approach, they have a difficult aerial approach. A high jumping height, low falling speed, slow, laggy aerials, and the second lowest air speed in the game (behind only {{SSBM|Luigi}}) give the Ice Climbers a poor [[SHFFL]]. Their low aerial and falling speeds also make pursuing airborne enemies extremely difficult. Some of the Ice Climbers' aerials have powerful applications; their down aerial keeps the enemy mostly in place due to its set knockback, allowing Popo to regrab if Nana uses it after a throw, and their neutral and back aerials are good spacing tools, with the latter having reliable KOing ability under 150%. However, due to their poor air speed and falling speed, and only one situational meteor (their forward aerial), their air game does not complement their powerful ground game overall. These various traits also give the Ice Climbers a below-average edgeguarding game, and they lack an extremely effective off-stage option. In addition, the Ice Climbers have the second worst traction in the game; similar to Luigi, this makes them highly reliant on wavedashing to approach, and technical errors, such as mistimed [[air dodge]]s, can set them up for significant punishment. Owing to their slightly below-average weight and low falling speed, the Ice Climbers are also highly vulnerable to being KOed from the upper blast line.

Players who use the Ice Climbers must also know how to prevent themselves from losing Nana, as when she is KOed, Popo cannot fight nearly as effectively. As the Ice Climbers' attacks were designed to be two-in-one, Popo's attacks alone lack damage racking ability, making it much harder to accumulate percentage on the opponent despite the power of his smash attacks. Popo also cannot perform nearly as many chaingrabs without Nana, and cannot Wobble by himself, greatly reducing the threatening nature of their usual grabs. In return, Popo is left vulnerable to chaingrabs and throw setups himself due to his low air speed and falling speed, and is limited in his recovery options; he is forced to recover with [[Squall Hammer]], which travels only horizontally. Unfortunately, most high-tiered characters have attacks, such as Fox's [[shine]] and Peach's forward aerial, that can easily separate Popo from Nana. Their recovery, while long, is prone to endangering Nana, as she can either miss the ledge entirely or be left vulnerable against edgeguarders. All of these flaws require Ice Climbers players to be situationally aware and abuse their powerful ground and grab games to prevent their Climbers from being separated and KOed.