Super Smash Brothers: Melee character FAQ.
Today's topic: Ice Climbers
Started on 12/15/2001 by Earthshaker (Earthq3846@aol.com)
Last updated: 12/20/2001
Copyright 2001 by Earthshaker.
Version 1.01


Anyone may reproduce this FAQ electronically, but do not sell it for
money. Proper legal action will occur if you make a profit off of this
work.

This FAQ may ONLY be posted at www.gamefaqs.com.  Why?  Because they 
are the only site that I go to and check up on (plus I've had run-ins 
with other sites in the past.)  So do not attempt to post this FAQ on 
your site.  Really.  Do not try to email me to ask, either, since I
have a very fast deleting finger.  Questions, comments, gripes, 
additions, subtractions, divisons, and raisings to the x power can be 
sent to Earthshaker via my email, posted above.  Intelligent ones will
most likely be responded to.

'Saright?  'Saright. 

========================================================================
-------------------------- LE TABLE DE CONTENTS ------------------------
========================================================================

1.  Version History
2.  Introduction
3.  Pros and Cons
4.  Moveset
5.  Tactics 
6.  Adventure Mode 
7.  Multiplay (To come.)
8.  Thanks!
9.  Closing Statements

========================================================================
---------------------------- VERSION HISTORY ---------------------------
========================================================================

Version 1.01 (12/20/01)- First hopefully accepted version of this FAQ.  
Included Adventure Mode, and added some tactics.

Version 0.50 (12/19/01)- First version of the FAQ.  Still needs extra things 
to be done, but the moveset is here.  Knowing my trend, it will not be finished 
until April 2003, but most of the stuff is here.  More will come tomorrow 
after I hand in my term paper.

========================================================================
----------------------------- INTRODUCTION -----------------------------
========================================================================

The Ice Climbers, being my current favorite character in Super Smash
Bros. Melee, have the honor of having my first SSB:M FAQ written about
them.  The Ice Climbers come from a very old game (circa 1985) of the 
same name, which I have not had the honor of playing yet.  In this game,
they went in search of fruit and veggies that inexplicably fell from 
the top of a mountain where a giant condor resided, and... I don't know
much more, this is just from trophy info :-).  Anyway, I'm never good 
with introductions, so on with the FAQ!

========================================================================
----------------------------- PROS AND CONS ----------------------------
========================================================================

Pros                                               Cons
--------------------------------|---------------------------------------
-Two characters at once means   | -If the CPU controlled character 
 double the damage if both are  |  gets knocked out, the character you  
 in action and in the same spot.|  control becomes severely limited in
                                |  his/her abilities.                   
-The CPU controls a character,  |                                       
 so if you get knocked flying,  | -Popo and Nana are a bit lightweight. 
 and the CPU doesn't, he/she    |                                      
 will attack opponents until    | -The two can't horizontally jump well,
 you make recovery distance.    |  true to their game's roots.          
                                |                                      
-Recovery is great, alone or    | -Things can get confusing if you can't
 with both Popo and Nana.       |  discern which of the two Climbers you
                                |  are in a heartbeat.                  
-You can hold two items at once.|                                       
                                | -Don't expect to run anywhere too     
-If one Climber grabs someone,  |  fast with the Climbers.              
 the other can be controlled to |                              
 perform normal moves while the | -They boast, IMO, a HORRID home level.
 opponent flails (SMASH attacks,|                                       
 anyone?)                       |  
                                |                                      
-They do not skid as much as    |          
others on slippery surfaces     |
such as ice, the UFO, oil, or   |
the lights in Brinstar Ruins.   |
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anymore you can think of?  Send 'em in!

========================================================================
------------------------------- MOVESET --------------------------------
========================================================================

Remember, both Ice Climbers will attack if next to each other.  If you 
are separated, the CPU controlled Ice Climber will attack by himself/
herself until you are in range to join up again.
Damages will come in a later version.

A- Hammer tap.  Light damage.

A+A- Backswing.  More light damage.  Quick and easy, Popo and Nana just
swing their hammers in the opposite direction.  Low damage.

Tilt forward+A- Hammer swipe.  A bit more severe than the hammer taps.

SMASH forward+A- Hammer smash.  Charge for best effect.  It knocks 
enemies upward at a 45 degree angle if directly in front of you.

Tilt down+A- Hammer sweep.  Deals light damage, but knocks opponents
upward a bit, setting up combos.

SMASH down+A- Hammer SMASH sweep.  Deals HEAVY damage, is very quick, 
hits low, and hits on both sides.  One of the better attacks.  Charge
for best effect.

Tilt up+A- Hammer twirl.  The Ice Climbers twirl their hammers above 
their head.  Deals a lot of damage if you hit with all hits.  Doesn't
knock opponents very far, but excellent for combo set-ups.  It can 
deal 14 hits at most.

SMASH up+A- Overhead hammer smash.  The Ice Climbers smash attack
people above them or directly next to them.  Charge for best effect.
This is best used as a knockout move.

Midair A- Another hammer smash (It's hard to be original.)  They twirl,
and after a brief moment, swing their hammer around.  Not very damaging
and it does not knock opponents far.  Use something else, unless you
are trying for special bonuses.

Midair Down+A- Link wannabe hammer thrust.  The Ice Climbers stick 
thrust their hammers below them.  Unfortunately, they don't bounce, and
opponents go absolutely nowhere.  It IS decent for damage though.

Midair Up+A- Link wannabe hammer thrust 2.  This time, they stick their
hammers upward.  This deals good damage too, and knocks opponents 
upward a tad bit.

Midair Back+A- A decent defense on people behind you, the Climbers 
swing their hammers behind them.  Damaging with both.

Midair Forward+A- Probably the Ice Climbers best midair attack, and 
also their Meteor Smash (read: spike, from SSB on N64.)  It's fast for
a spike, but knocks people just as far.  Also deals loads of damage.

B- Ice Shot.  The Ice Climbers shoot a sliding block of ice along the
ground.  It deals little damage, and does not knock people anywhere
(unless they get hit by the hammers.)  The best they can do is Edge
Guarding.

Side+B- Squall Hammer.  The Ice Climbers grab hands and twirl in a 
tornado-like fashion.  It deals an incredible amount of damage, and if
you only have one Climber left, it is the best recovery move
(continually tap B to rise into the air.)

Up+B- Belay.  This move will ONLY work if both climbers are near each
other.  The Climber you control throws the other Climber in the air
(who, if they hit anyone, gets 15-20 damage.

Down+B- Blizzard.  The Climbers blow a cold wind, which combos, and 
will occasionally freeze enemies solid.  To stop the climbers from
blowing in opposite directions, perform a short hop and do the move.

Throws- Explained in the pros and cons section.  The four directions 
each have a different trajectory.  Try them out!
 
Taunt (D-pad up)- The Ice Climber you control (and the other, if he/she
is near.) raises his/her hammer, puts his/her other hand on his/her 
hip, and says something that sounds (phonetically) like "Yup!" (you
also hear a little wind sound effect.)  Style points!



All these next sections are to come...
========================================================================
------------------------------- TACTICS --------------------------------
========================================================================

This section is reserved for tactics and notes on the Ice Climbers.

Some notable ones for them include...

-Never, ever, EVER use Belay unless your other Climber is directly next to 
you.  Bad things will happen if you don't (I.E. a quick death, if you are 
trying to recover.

-The Ice Climbers moves are obviously more effective if you have both of them 
together.

-If the CPU controlled character dies, don't give up hope just yet!  You can 
tap B repeatedly when performing the Squall Hammer move to use as a recovery.

-If you die before your CPU controlled character, he/she'll vanish and appear 
with you on the starting platform.  Good for confusing opponents.

-Use the two climbers to your advantage at all times!  If there are more than 
two items onscreen, have Popo grab one, and Nana another.  You can set up 
endless combinations, such as a Super Scope and a Lip's Stick, or a personal 
favorite, two fans!  Many proclaim this to be an ultimate annoyance, but all's 
fair in love and Melee.

========================================================================
---------------------------- ADVENTURE MODE ----------------------------
========================================================================

This is just a copyright reminder.  This only belongs on 
www.gamefaqs.com!!

OK, this will take you through adventure mode step by step.

Stage 1-1- Mushroom Kingdom.  This level consists of the Climbers moving 
through a sidescrolling level towards the left.  To defeat Goombas, stomp 
on them, or attack them.  To defeat Koopa Troopas in such a way that you don't 
hit yourself with a shell, grab them.  To defeat Koopa Paratroopas, knock 
them out of the air with any attack, and grab them on the ground.  Good for 
raising points.

About midway through the level, a team of Yoshis appear to attack you.  They 
all appear to have their damage ratio set to 3.0 on earlier difficulties, 
so just use SMASH attacks to knock them out with ease.

Continue onward, stomp on a few more Goombas, throw a few more Paratroopas, 
and cross the Finish Line.  Mind the time, if the seconds digit is at the 
number "2", then the next stage will be altered a tad bit.

Stage 1-2- Peach's Castle.  The main thing to remember is to stay AWAY from 
Peach and Mario/Luigi, who will make you get the Punching Bag "award" very 
quickly.  Instead, throw items.  If one or both of them moves to the edge 
of the stage and stays there, go CLOSE to them (not within fighting range, 
though.)  The reason they do this is because a Bullet Bill is on its way to 
exploding.  You do NOT want to be caught in this, but try your hardest to 
send Peach or a Mario Brother into its explosion.  Once one dies, the other 
should be cake.

Stage 2-1- Congo Jungle.  In this stage, you fight two tiny Donkey Kongs.  
They are very easy to send flying, but on harder difficulties they can be 
a pain in the neck to get rid of.  Just keep smashing away.

Stage 2-2- Jungle Japes.  This time around, you fight a GIANT Donkey Kong.  
He's fairly stupid, dodging in midair for no reason.  Try to knock him off 
the platform you start on even slightly, and he'll spaz out trying to get 
back on.  On many occasions, he will kill himself by touching the water while 
trying to recover.  He dies even quicker if a Klap Trap is nearby :-)

Stage 3-1- Underground Maze.  Aah, one of the "fun" levels.  To beat this, 
you must find the Triforce in one of several rooms throughout the maze.  The 
best tactic to finding them, IMO, is dropping to the bottom of the well, 
heading through the bottom left door.  Room #1!  Edge in slowly, and if you 
see a Master Sword, then double jump and Squall Hammer your way through the 
room, or else you'll pointlessly need to fight Link.  Be careful jumping over 
the lava, and midair smash the Like Like to knock it out.  Double jump and 
triple jump your way upward through the platforms, and you'll arrive at Room 
#2.  Check for the Triforce.  If not in here, double jump and Squall Hammer.  
Make your way right, back into the well, and reach the right wall, where 
another cave opening appears.  Enter, make your way through for Room #3.  If 
it's not in here, fall downwards, ignoring the leftmost fork, and head right 
once you hit the ground (watch out for Octoroks!)  Room #4 awaits.  
If the triforce isn't in HERE, then you're almost done anyway.  Jump over 
the sword, as usual, and exit.  Fall down, make your way left, and into room 
#5.  If the triforce isn't in here then you weren't looking before jumping.  
So boo to you!

Stage 3-2- Hyrule Temple.  This is a one-on-one battle with Zelda, who can 
become very annoying.  Just use your best attacks, and shield often 
(especially when she does her annoying Leg kick on the ground.)  If she 
transforms into Sheik, stay away for a little while and throw items, since 
Sheik is too fast for the Climbers to keep up with.  Since she is very 
lightweight in either form, A Smash Up+A should do the trick at around 60%.

Stage 4-1- Brinstar.  I love the music to this level, plain and simple.  It 
mixes nicely with beating down the bounty hunter Samus Aran.  This is your 
usual bash 'er, smash 'er, and crash 'er.  Hit her with all you've got, and 
for goodness sakes, avoid the acid!  (This stage is a tad difficult for the 
Ice Climbers.)

Stage 4-2- Brinstar Escape.  Like the Metroid games before it, you must escape 
Planet Zebes before it blows up.  Since the Ice Climbers have awesome vertical 
jump capabilities, this level should be a cinch.  Just make sure you hit the 
platforms each time, and DON'T FALL under any circumstances.

Stage 5-1- Green Greens.  This is another basic brawl, and since Kirby is 
incredibly light, it shouldn't be hard to knock him flying.  So do it!

Stage 5-2- Green Greens w/ Kirby Team.  This level is much like the Yoshi 
Challenge on stage 1-1, except you are pummelling Kirby's with varied 
abilities.  I must mention they are much lighter than Yoshi, so even a simple 
Hammer Twirl (Up+A) will do the trick.

Stage 5-3- Green Greens w/ Giant Kirby.  You can access this level by... um, 
I don't know, to tell you the truth.  Anyway, this Kirby is no pushover like 
the others.  He will absorb you right away, then fight dirty using his 
incredible bulk to absorb your attacks and sending you flying.  To obtain 
a cheap win, stand on top of one of the columns of [*] blocks and lure him 
above your head.  The CPU almost always uses Stone, so he will crash right 
through the blocks and fall to his doom.

Stage 6-1- Corneria.  You begin by fighting a cowardly Fox, who will stand 
at one of the edges of the Great Fox and occasionally take potshots at you 
with his laser.  Wait for an item, and chuck it at him.  You get coins for 
the more time you blow on this level, so more power to you!  He never directly 
attacks you unless you get close to him, so continue with throwing items, 
or use the Ice Shot from a long distance.

Stage 6-2- Corneria w/ psycho Arwings.  You battle Fox in this level again 
(or Falco, if you've unlocked him, but you can never tell who you are about 
to battle unless you watch the cutscene before this stage.)  Main problem 
here, these guys aren't afraid to fight you, and they have their wingmen 
taking potshots at the level.  If you see shots coming, raise your shield 
IMMEDIATELY.  Smash attacks with the Climbers win the day here, but they work 
best if you can smash Fox/Falco into the blaster fire of an Arwing.  Knock 
Fox/Falco out for the win.

Stage 7-1- Pokemon Stadium (w/ Jigglypuffs and Pichus, if you've unlocked 
them.)  This level is very tough to beat on higher difficulty levels, even 
though the Pokemon have a higher damage ratio.  Dodge the Pokemon until a 
Pokeball or two appears, and then throw away!  The match should be over in 
no time if you can get to every single Pokeball without taking that much damage, 
PLUS you might be able to find Mew or Celebi (I hate you if you find Celebi, 
since I STILL don't have the trophy as of the 12/20/01 update.)  If you start 
getting surrounded, use Squall Hammer and Blizzard, or just good ol' 
smashing.

Stage 8-1- F-Zero Grand Prix track (level unknown, probably Big Blue.)- This 
level is plain EVIL if you take risks to get to the finish as fast as possible, 
but don't rush it!  You have PLENTY of time.  Run your way along the track, 
and if a ! sign appears, find shelter on a higher platform or jump in the 
track IMMEDIATELY.  Near the end, where you are jumping across a gap, if the ! 
sign appears, hit the high main track again and wait until the cars pass over 
you, then cross the finish line.  Don't forget to pick up any trophies along 
the way (sneaky locations for it- near said big gap, there is a platform up 
in midair on by the very edge.  Also, the Climbers shouldn't have a problem 
reaching one on the big black arch, since they have great vertical jump.)

Stage 8-2- Mute City- Captain Falcon is nasty.  Stand in place until he 
performs a Falcon Punch, then begin an all out offensive.  If he begins to 
fight dirty, dodge and roll around a bit.  Knock him off the platform whenever 
it moves for easy damage, and finish him off with any of the three smash 
attacks.  Don't forget to edge guard when the platform stops moving!

Stage 9-1- Onett- Three Nesses against two Ice Climbers?  Hardly seems fair.  
Try to single out one Ness at a time, and when the Mr. Saturns start appearing, 
use good timing and block every one that comes your way (grab one in midthrow 
for style points (AND bonus points.)  To finish them off, try doing Star KO's, 
since they fly fairly high and the level has a low ceiling.  If you start 
feeling swarmed, use Squall Hammer, Blizzard, or Belay.  And, for goodness 
sakes, JUMP when the car flies through the street!  It's hazardous to your 
health otherwise.

Stage 10-1- Icicle Mountain- The Climber's home level!  Just make your way 
up the top of the screen, knocking out enemies on the way (and grabbing a 
trophy if you are lucky.)  If you see a Polar Bear, KO it as fast as possible!  
Use a grab and throw, which is an instant kill.  If you don't kill these things 
quickly, they may jump and move the screen upward quickly.  Once the screen 
starts scrolling fast on its own, ignore knocking out the Topis and Polar 
Bears, and concentrate on survival.  When the screen begins to slow down, 
two pairs of Ice Climbers attack you.  They are fairly weak, so use smash 
attacks to dispatch them quickly.  Star KO's are easy to pull off here, since 
you probably jumped incredibly high on the screen.

Stage 11-1- Battlefield.  This level is INCREDIBLY easy, if you don't take 
too much damage before dishing out attacks.  The objective here is to KO 
fifteen fighting wire frames, which isn't hard to do, since their damage ratio 
is increased.  One oddity of this level, however, is that gravity is lowered, 
so if you jump, you will fly REALLY HIGH.  This also affects your falling 
speed slightly, so don't worry if you go flying.  Smash attacks once again 
win the day here (and I'm sorry to everyone who dislikes reiteration.)
  
Stage 11-2- Battlefield w/ Metal Mario/Bros.  If you have unlocked Luigi, 
then you must fight TWO of these liquid metal monstrosities.  Stay in the 
center and try to smash them often.  When one is around 100%, head for the 
edge, grab one of them, and chuck them over your shoulder.  Beat the other 
metal brother (if there is one; otherwise, edge-guard.)  Continue until their 
heavy masses make them fall into the abyss.

Stage 12-1- Final Destination.  Ice Climbers versus a Giant Bowser!  It's 
not too hard, with Bowser's tremendous girth.  Get in close, and do a few 
Tilt Up+A Hammer Twirls to get his damage up.  Then use smashes and play the 
Edge Guarder, keeping Bowser from the main platform until he dies.  
Congratulations!  You've beat Adventure Mode with the Ice Climbers!  Or have 
you?

Stage 12-2- Giga Bowser showdown.  AAAAAAAHH!!  This behemoth only appears 
if you obtained over a million points before reaching this level, and... and... 
he will beat you to oblivion in two shots.  The best defense is a good offense 
of course, so get right on top of him and smash at will.  If he starts to 
attack, shield, and continue on.  When you have him at high damage, attempt 
to throw him off the cliff.  If you get any items, then lucky you!  Two Screw 
Attacks will increase the mammoth's percentage very quickly.

========================================================================
------------------------------ MULTIPLAY -------------------------------
========================================================================
To come.

========================================================================
------------------------------- THANKS! --------------------------------
========================================================================
To come.

========================================================================
--------------------------- REPEAT COPYRIGHT --------------------------
========================================================================

Super Smash Brothers: Melee character FAQ.
Today's topic: Ice Climbers
Started on 12/15/2001 by Earthshaker (Earthq3846@aol.com)
Last updated: 12/20/2001
Copyright 2001 by Earthshaker.
Version 1.01


Anyone may reproduce this FAQ electronically, but do not sell it for
money. Proper legal action will occur if you make a profit off of this
work.

This FAQ may ONLY be posted at www.gamefaqs.com.  Why?  Because they 
are the only site that I go to and check up on (plus I've had run-ins 
with other sites in the past.)  So do not attempt to post this FAQ on 
your site.  Really.  Do not try to email me to ask, either, since I
have a very fast deleting finger.  Questions, comments, gripes, 
additions, subtractions, divisons, and raisings to the x power can be 
sent to Earthshaker via my email, posted above.  Intelligent ones will
most likely be responded to.

'Saright?  'Saright. 





