Template:SSB4 to SSBU changelist/Lucas

Aesthetics

• As with other previous downloadable fighters in SSB4, Lucas' appearance is largely unchanged, although his model features a more subdued color scheme due to the aesthetic used in Ultimate. Details on his clothes and weapons are more prominent, such as the stitching on his socks. Additionally, his hair is more defined, and his skin tone is slightly tanned.
  • The Rope Snake's scales are more pronounced.
• Lucas faces the foreground at an angle, instead of facing directly forward. In addition, he always faces the screen regardless of which direction he turns, causing all of his animations to be mirrored while altering some. However, he reverts to Ness' previous idle animation while holding a small item.
• Lucas has a new idle pose where he points to his forehead with his eyes closed with his leading hand and then waves it in front of him. It replaces the animation of Lucas waving his fists in front of him.
• Lucas is more expressive: his eyes are now more prominent when using his attacks, as well as his new facial features when hit.
• Lucas' PSI graphic effects have been changed: they are now dominantly light blue instead of magenta, closely resembling the colors of PK Love in Mother 3.
• Lucas' left-inputted victory pose now has a light glow from where the Needle is pulled, as well as glittery particle effects coming from its trail. Lucas also strikes a different pose.
• Lucas has a new victory theme; it is an arrangement of the last two out of the Eight Melodies from EarthBound Beginnings.
• As with all previous downloadable fighters in SSB4, Lucas now has a unique Palutena's Guidance conversation.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Lucas' jumpsquat animation takes three frames to complete (down from 5).
• Lucas walks slightly faster (0.82 → 0.893).
• Lucas dashes faster (1.5 → 1.65).
  • Lucas's initial dash is significantly faster (1.3 → 1.815).
• Lucas' air speed is slightly faster (1.1 → 1.155).
• Lucas' double jump grants much more height (34.48 → 44.13), increasing the height of his maximum jumping height (63.89 → 73.54).
• Forward roll has less ending lag (FAF 30 → 29).
• Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-17 → 4-15).
• Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frames 4-17 → 5-16) and more ending lag (FAF 30 → 34).
• Spot dodge has less ending lag (FAF 27 → 25).
• Spot dodge grants less intangibility (frames 3-18 → 3-17).
• Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 33 → 56).
• Air dodge grants more intangibility (3-28 → 3-30).
• The reintroduction of directional air dodges benefits Lucas more than the rest of the cast, as his directional air dodge grants more distance compared to other characters' (a trait he shares with Ness), and it provides him with a reliable recovery mixup to avoid leaving himself vulnerable by using PK Thunder.
• Because footstools can now be teched, Lucas' "down throw/up aerial into footstool" combo game has been removed.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • All three hits of Lucas' neutral attack have more hitlag (1.0/1.0/1.0 → 1.7/1.8/2.0).
  • Neutral attack's second hit can be interrupted sooner, improving its potential for mix-ups.
  • The second and third hits deal slightly less damage (2.0% (hit 2)/4.0% (hit 3) → 1.5%/3.5%), with compensation on the third hit's base knockback (60 → 64).
  • All hits have a lower duration (2-4 (hit 1)/3-5 (hit 2)/6-8 (hit 3) → 2/3/6-7).
  • The first and second hits have significantly smaller hitboxes, greatly reducing their range (jab 1: 2.8u/2.8u/3.5u → 1.4u/1.6u/1.8u/1.6u/1.8u, jab 2: 3.2u/3.2u/4.2u → 2.0u/2.2u/3.0u.
  • The third hit has altered sizes on their hitboxes and one less hitbox (3.0u/3.0u/5.0u → 4.0u/5.0u). The hitboxes are now placed independently from Lucas's body. Overall, this reduces its range.
  • The third hit launches at a lower angle (48 → 361) and the two first hits now use the sakurai angle alongside a 180 tipper on the first hit, allowing both to lock.
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack has less startup (frame 15 → 13) and less ending lag (FAF 39 → 38).
  • Dash attack has a longer hitbox duration (frames 13-15 → 13-17).
  • Dash attack has increased knockback scaling (70 → 81), increasing its KO power.
• Forward tilt:
  • Sweetspotted forward tilt deals more base knockback (30 → 55) and knockback scaling (75 → 80), increasing its KO power.
    • The sweetspot also has a bigger hitbox during the first 2 active frames (4.7u → 5.6u).
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt has less ending lag (FAF 37 → 34).
  • Up tilt now utilizes the electric effect.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt deals more damage (3% → 5%).
  • Down tilt's close hit has more vertical angle (76° → 84°), allowing more consistent follow-ups.
  • Down tilt has increased base knockback (18/8 → 20/10) and combined with its higher damage, makes it easier to combo at lower percents.
  • Down tilt has an altered animation and its far hit was removed, lowering its vertical range.
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash has slightly less ending lag (FAF 47 → 46).
  • Sweetspotted forward smash deals more knockback (88 → 91), improving its KO potential.
  • The reflector activates later with a shorter duration (frame 10-19 → 11-19).
• Up smash:
  • Up smash's hitboxes are handled differently. The new hitbox positions jitter a bit more without affecting the total reach of the move.
  • All of the second hit's hitboxes deal 2% more damage (19/18/16/14/12% → 21/20/18/16/14%) without compensation on their knockback , increasing their KO power.
  • The hitboxes in the second hit are all smaller (12u/11u/10u/8u/6.5u → 11u/10u/9u/6u).
  • Up smash has more active frames (frames 30-53 → frames 30-55) due to having an additional hitbox.
  • Up smash has more invincibility during startup (frames 1-4 → 1-7).
• Down smash:
  • Lucas now bends his elbow after each shot of down smash, and his fingers are more pronounced throughout.
  • All hits of down smash have increased active frames (2 → 3 frames).
  • The three hits of Lucas's down smash now reset between hits, allowing it to hit opponents or shields multiple times.
    • The individual hits of down smash deal significantly less shield damage to compensate (0/0/0 → -10/-8/-6).

Aerial attacks

• All aerials excluding grab aerial have less landing lag (13 frames → 12 (neutral), 12 → 7 (forward), 15 → 9 (back), 12 → 7 (up), 24 → 16 (down)).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial has much larger hitboxes (5.3u (loop)/8u (last) → 6.9u/10.2u).
  • Neutral aerial is harder to SDI out of, despite retaining its 2x modifier, as its hitlag has been reduced (1 → 0.44).
  • The looping hitbox has fewer active frames (frames 7-23 → 7-21), consequently reduces the maximum number of hits to 4, reducing its total damage (12% → 10%).
  • Neutral aerial now sends opponents behind or in front of Lucas depending on which part of the hitbox hits the last hit. This makes it more difficult to guarantee combos with.
    • Although, this grants it followups with back aerial which were previously absent in Brawl and SSB4.
  • Lucas appears furious during the ending hitbox rather than looking scared.
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 38 → 34), re-enabling it to auto-cancel out of a short hop.
  • Forward aerial's sweetspot deals more damage (11.5% → 12.5%), launches at lower angle (46° → 42°), and has increased knockback scaling (97 → 103), significantly improving its KO potential.
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 39 → 34), enabling it to auto-cancel out of a short hop.
  • Back aerial has more active frames (frames 15-20 → 15-22), giving it additional vertical range below Lucas and allowing it to hit small targets.
    • The sweetspot for aerial opponents has a shorter duration (15-20 → 15-19).
  • Back aerial can now spike grounded opponents. While this benefits from opponents' inability to tech grounded spikes, this hinders its ability to send grounded opponents offstage from behind him.
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 38 → 34), re-enabling it to auto-cancel out of a short hop.
  • Up aerial's hitbox is now attached to Lucas's head. This removes its blindspot and increases its range.
    • The primary hitbox is now extended and an extra hitbox is added behind him on frames 8-10, giving the move a noticeable disjoint behind Lucas.
    • A motion trail has been added above Lucas's head to indicate the hitbox's new pattern.
  • Up aerial has much less ending lag (FAF 46 → 32).
  • Up aerial has increased active frames (frames 7-9 → 7-10), giving it additional horizontal range, and improving its juggling potential.
  • Up aerial deals less damage (13% → 11%) without full compensation on its base knockback (10 → 20), slightly hindering its KO potential.
    • However, its higher base knockback combined with its lower ending lag makes it safer on hit and more useful for comboing at low percents.
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial’s first three hits connect more reliably due to an altered angle (90° → 363°)
  • Down aerial now pushes grounded opponents away from its hitboxes, rather than picking them up from the ground as in Smash 4.
  • Down aerial’s hitboxes at Lucas’ feet are smaller (5u → 4.2u (Hits 1-3)/6.9u → 5.5u (Final hit)) and has an altered hitbox-placement (Y offset: -5 → -4), decreasing its range below Lucas.
• Grab aerial:
  • Grab aerial has less range.
  • Grab aerial has more active frames (9-19 → 9-21).
  • Grab aerial deals slightly more damage (4% (clean)/2.8% (late) → 5% (snake head)/3% (arm and snake body)).
  • Grab aerial has less ending lag (FAF 60 → 52).
  • Grab aerial can be double jump canceled, allowing Lucas to use it very close to the ground to start combos and approach.

Throws and other attacks

• Grab:
  • The ending animations of Lucas' grabs now feature interruptible animations during which the Rope Snake doubles back to return to Lucas.
  • Lucas's animation when holding a grabbed opponent has been altered; he now holds Rope Snake in one hand and uses the other to hold the opponent in place with telekinesis.
  • Lucas now features an angry expression on his face during his grab animation.
  • All grabs have less active frames (8 frames → 6 frames).
  • Standing grab has one frame more ending lag (FAF 46 → 47).
  • Dash grab has one frame less ending lag (FAF 56 → 55).
• Pummel:
  • Lucas' pummel animation now depicts him blasting his grabbed opponent with PSI.
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw's animation has been altered: Lucas throws the opponent with single-handed instead of two-handed.
  • Forward throw has increased knockback scaling (65 → 69), improving its KO potential.
• Back throw:
  • Lucas has a new back throw: a telekinetic-underhanded throw backwards.
• Up throw:
  • Up throw deals more knockback (78 base/69 scaling → 77/73), improving its KO potential.
• Down throw:
  • Down throw has a new animation: Lucas lifts the opponent in the air using telekinesis, then forcefully slams them into the ground. It retains its aesthetic bury effect before the opponent is released.
  • It deals noticeably more damage (6.5% → 11%), making it one of the most damaging down throws in Ultimate.
  • It has more ending lag (FAF 50 → 58), altered knockback (78 base/51 scaling → 100/32), and no longer inflicts 6 frames of hitlag on the opponent upon releasing them. Altogether, these changes significantly hinder its combo potential, no longer having guaranteed follow-ups past medium percents, and more importantly removing its KO confirm into up aerial at high percentages, which was one of his most reliable finishers in Smash 4.
  • It launches at a slightly more horizontal angle (80° → 74°).

Special moves

• PK Freeze:
  • Lucas' animations during the move have been tweaked; Lucas himself now completely faces the screen, and the particle effects of the explosion now feature the PK Freeze graphic effects from Mother 3.
  • PK Freeze deals 1% more damage on all charges (9%-22% → 10%-23%).
  • PK Freeze deals more knockback (80 (base)/21 (growth) → 35/60), improving its KO potential.
  • The projectile travels faster, giving it more utility overall.
  • The projectile can now travel through soft and semisoft platforms.
  • PK Freeze no longer dissipates upon making contact with hard platforms and can instead be held at the ground until the move is fully charged.
  • The projectile now launches opponents at a horizontal angle (80° → 34°) away from Lucas (no matter which direction he faces), making it significantly better for edgeguarding and KOing.
  • Lucas no longer becomes helpless when firing PK Freeze in the air.
  • It has more active frames (1 → 4).
  • The changes to freeze duration make the move freeze for much less time when charged, especially at low percents, which combined with the knockback changes removes the move's followup potential, and effectively reduces its damage output overall.
  • Fully charged PK Freeze has more startup (89 → 92) with its total duration compensated (115 → 118).
• PK Fire:
  • Lucas' hands now feature a red spark until PK Fire is fired, similarly to his finger in his down smash animation. The same spark appears when PK Fire successfully connects. PK Fire's graphics from Mother 3 now appear when Lucas fires it and when it bursts.
  • PK Fire has slightly increased damage (9% → 10%).
  • PK Fire has increased knockback growth (97 → 110) and launches at slightly lower angle (45° → 42°), improving its KO potential.
  • PK Fire's projectile travels faster (speed: 2.5 (ground)/2.8 (air) → 2.8/3.1), but doesn't last as long (19 frames → 18). Overall, the projectile travels slightly further, but is less obstructive.
  • The flame pillar doesn't last as long (30 frames → 20).
• PK Thunder:
  • PK Thunder's graphic effects have been changed; rather than maintaining its magenta coloration from Smash 4, PK Thunder has been changed to be varying hues of blue. The move has also gained particle effects which resemble its respective PSI graphics from Mother 3.
  • PK Thunder's electric ball travels faster.
  • Grounded PK Thunder has less ending lag.
  • It has an angle indicator when the ball of lighting moves close to Lucas. While this allows for the player to more accurately determine the trajectory Lucas will travel during PK Thunder 2, it also makes it more predictable to opponents.
• PK Thunder 2:
  • PK Thunder 2 has less landing lag.
  • The window for using PK Thunder again after bouncing against a wall is much bigger.
  • Lucas' momentum at the end of PK Thunder 2 is lower, slightly shortening its recovery distance.
  • PK Thunder 2 deals less damage when all hits connect (35.5% → 32.5%).
  • PK Thunder 2's last hit now triggers Special Zoom.
• PSI Magnet:
  • PSI Magnet now features its PSI graphics from Mother 3 upon usage. Lucas' back is angled lower in the end of his animation, similar to the beginning of his run animation in Mother 3.
  • PSI Magnet's launching hitbox is now extended (Z offset: 12 → 7-9), however, it isn't as far out, reducing its maximum reach, but making it more consistent at hitting opponents close to Lucas.
  • PSI Magnet now features a windbox on frame 6 which drags opponents closer to the PSI Magnet's hitbox.
    • This windbox doesn't scale with the opponents' percentage when Lucas is on the ground, but it does in the air.
  • PSI Magnet begins absorbing sooner (10 → 7 frames) and has less ending lag (36 → 28 frames).
  • PSI Magnet no longer halts Lucas's momentum in the air. This prevents Lucas from being able to use it to mix up his landing as effectively.
  • PSI Magnet heals noticeably less (heal multiplier: 2.5x → 2x).
• PK Starstorm:
  • PK Starstorm is now similar to its Brawl iteration, firing meteors inwards towards the center of the stage, but at a slower rate and with slower meteors. His pose during the move no longer reuses the animation of Ness' Final Smash, and is instead replaced with one reminiscent of his animation in Brawl. Lucas is also assisted by Kumatora and Boney. Like his other PSI moves, the move features graphics from PK Starstorm's animation in Mother 3, including the background from the Final Boss.
    • However, the trajectory of the meteors can still be angled.