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ICE CLIMBERS When SSB:M was announced, people were overjoyed to see all of the old characters return, and glad to see some additions that had been notably absent in the original. However, there was one big surprise that came at the end of the reel showing the characters: There they were! In the flesh! Those two lovable Inuit dudes, the Ice Climbers! Nintendo has definitely dug far back into their game archives to unearth these two, and the Ice Climbers return in 128-bit glory. For those who don't know, the Ice Climbers are from the classic two-player NES game called (gasp) Ice Climber. Players bashed through blocks and fought Topis and Polar Bears, climbing from level to multicolored level in order to reach the top of the mountain. And when they made it? They did it all over again! Like in many NES classics, repetitive fun was the name of the game. The Ice Climbers return in SSB:M with style. Basically, you control both. You move Popo, the blue Ice Climber, and Nana, the pink one, will follow, and mimic you. Since there are several different colour combinations (some of them putting Nana in the lead instead), it can get confusing as to who you control. Just remember that no matter what, your Climber will be wearing the bolder, brighter colour. The Ice Climbers generally have very good jumping, but their third jump separates them by sending them flying in different arcs, and if you're too far away from Nana (or worse, she's been KO'd), well, the Up+B move is useless. If Nana is knocked too far away to get back to the platform on her own, it can be well worth it to leap out to her and fling both Climbers safely back to the platform, saving her without sacrifice. One good thing about being separated is that Nana will fight tooth and nail to get back to you. If a player is caught between the two, they should be prepared for a smash attack from both sides. It's possible for Nana to be KO'd when you play as the Ice Climbers, so be careful. If you lose Nana, your attacks are only half as effective, and your jumping goes from good to dismal. The Ice Climbers have excellent smashing ability, seeing as there's two of them. You can even make Nana smash while Popo is grabbing somebody. They can also carry two items, and hit two people at once. Even if Popo grabs a hammer that turns out to be fake, Nana can still fight, working as handy insurance. However, by the same token, it's difficult to get the full benefit of some items. Since items will only effect one Climber at a time, you'll usually be left with only one invincible, metal, or giant Ice Climber, while the other remains normal. Not only that, but only one of them can grab a ledge at a time- whuh-oh! CLASSIFICATION: Close Range Regular Attacks Nana and Popo hold their hammers over their heads, then smack them down on an opponent. There's a slight delay between the two, meaning that you can deliver a one-two punch. If you miss with Popo, you still might hit with Nana. This attack is still a great smash when you are alone, so don't hesitate to use it even when Nana is gone. When you smash downwards, the Ice Climbers will hold their hammers near their feet and spin a full 360 degrees. Nana starts the move a little later, giving you the advantage of a double hit on both sides. Not bad at all. This move is pretty well the same as the forward smash, but they swing their hammers upwards instead. It would be a great juggle starter, but sadly, the Ice Climbers aren't the greatest jugglers. Still, it can easily finish off a weakened opponent, and in team battle you may have a friend who is a better juggler than you. Special Attacks Ice Shot: This is a simple attack. The Ice Climbers each create a little ice block and smack it across the ground. It'll annoy enemies, and will pick up a lot of speed heading down ramps. Unfortunately, it's pretty well grounded. It can't cross gaps without falling, and it gets no vertical distance whatsoever. However, it's still good when you stand on a high perch and pelt ice blocks down at those below. If you're lucky, this move can momentarily freeze opponents. The freezing seems fairly random, though. Squall Hammer: This is a good hit and run move. The Ice Climbers stand back to back, holding their hammers out, and spin across the ground. You can enter the fray, get a few hits in, and make your escape, all in one move. It's handy for damage racking. When you are separate from Nana, use this as your third jump. You can't grab ledges, and you don't get much vertical distance, but you go pretty far horizontally, and it's great compared to your pitiful up+B hop without Nana. Belay: Without Nana, this is a pitiful hop. With her, it's the highest jump in the game (however, Peach still holds the record horizontally). The Ice Climbers will stretch out a cord between them, and fling each other into the air. Popo is flung substantially higher than Nana, but Nana also gains more than enough distance to get back. It's impossible to get knocked too far away to save at least Popo, because you'd have to be well past the KO wall. However, Nana and Popo have to be fairly close together to use it, and it's not too precise. Any character who is hit by either Nana or Popo right after they're flung will take a bit of damage and be knocked upwards. It won't do much at low damage, but it's a useful hit at high damage. Blizzard: It must be REALLY cold up North where the Ice Climbers live, because even in tropical climates like the Kongo Jungle, their breath is STILL frozen. When you do this move, the Ice Climbers will face opposite directions and breath frigid air at enemies. It doesn't have the range of Bowser's fire breath, but it goes in two directions. Like the Ice Shot, Blizzard will randomly freeze opponents. Strategies for the Ice Climbers Swordsmen -Link -Young Link -Marth -Roy Don't try to attack these guys head on, as they can react quicky, and can hit you before you get close enough to hit them. Instead, stand like a rock (well, a pair of rocks) a short distance away from your opponent(s). If you are approached, prepare a smash. Then, when they're down, swarm them and defend your territory. Don't chase them if they want to run away. Just get rid of them until they try to attack you again (however, this can be risky if there's other opponents around to rack up kills on them). The best place to hit these guys is from below, using Belay and your midair up+A. Swordsmen's defenses are mainly for attacks from above and in front, so they won't be able to stop you easily. Speedsters -Fox -Falco -Pikachu -Pichu -Captain Falcon These guys aren't really a problem. They can pummel you quite a bit, but one smash from you is equal to several hits from them, making it a pretty even fight. Basically, you'll want to get into the fray and just hit them every which way. You might want to abuse Squall Hammer a bit, since it hits repeatedly. Close Range -Dr. Mario -Mario -Luigi -Yoshi -Mr. Game & Watch -Ice Climbers There is one simple strategy for fighting other close-rangers: smash and smash and smash. Don't worry about your special moves, because they aren't too hot against these guys. You just want them away from you, where they can't do as much damage. Be sure to edge-guard, as well; their return moves won't harm you unless you are hit directly. A battle with another set of Ice Climbers could be neck and neck, but remember that the Ice Climbers are good at dodging and countering their own moves. Long Range -Ness -Samus -Mewtwo No matter what character you are, there's only two options against Long Range fighters: juggle them, or get in their face. The Ice Climbers aren't the best jugglers, so you know where that leaves you. You'll want to treat these guys similarly to the Close Range bunch, but be more agressive, and focus less on knocking them away from you (that is, until it's time to finish them). Try to get them in the air, where they're helpless. Be persistent. They have good smashes, so don't give them the opportunity to use them. Lightweights -Kirby -Jigglypuff -Peach -Zelda Ever notice how all the lightweights are pink? Er... yeah. Anyway, these guys are fairly simple to beat. Every move of yours is effective against these guys, so just use them all whenever the opportunity arises. Make good use of that grab/smash that only the Ice Climbers can do, and use belay to launch around the arena at them, since they all like to move through the air. But be careful of Zelda, as she's dynamite in Sheik form. Sheik can separate you and juggle you like nobody's business. Still, the same strategy should work. It'll just be harder to pull off. Heavyweights -Donkey Kong -Bowser -Ganondorf These big fellas are nothing to worry about. You are fairly light, and will fly far if hit, but they'll have trouble chasing both of you at once. Simply swarm them. Don't give them room to breath, and smash them away once you've brought down their defenses. They're not much of a problem for the Climbers (though you may frequently lose Nana if she can't get away in time).