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Super Smash Bros. Melee Character Strategy Guide by Alasdair Lo
Ice Climbers Guide
System: Nintendo Gamecube
E-mail: kylohk@netvigator.com
Date: 24 June, 2004
Version 1.9
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Contents: [Search Key]
1. Introduction [IC1]
2. Updates [IC2]
3. Basics [IC3]
	a. Basic Information [IC3A]
	b. Glossary of Terms [IC3B]
4. Character Moves and Strategies [IC4]
	a. Properties of the Ice Climbers [IC4A]
	b. Standard Attacks [IC4B]
	c. Strong Attacks [IC4C]
	d. Air Attacks [IC4D]
	e. Smash Attacks [IC4E]
	f. Special Attacks [IC4F]
	g. Rules of Engagement [IC4G] 
5. Playing 1-P mode with the Ice Climbers [IC5]
	a. Regular Mode [IC5A]
	b. Adventure Mode [IC5B]
	c. Stadium [IC5C]
	d. Event Battle [IC5D] *****PENDING CHANGES*****
6. Item Usage with Ice Climbers [IC6]
7. Some Fun Things to do with the Ice Climbers [IC7]
8. Conclusion [IC8]
Appendix I. Feedback Information [A1]
Appendix II. Letters from Readers [A2]
Appendix III. Glossary of Terms [A3]

----------------------
1. Introduction [IC1]
----------------------
I must say, the Nintendo Exclusive Super Smash Bros. Melee is my favorite 
and one and only fighting game that I play. After all, my parents do not 
allow me and discourage me to play other fighting games of the genre. I 
remember when I was 9, and I got Super Street Fighter for my SNES, and 
my parents said, "Too violent! Don't play this!" But when they saw this 
game, they only laughed. 

Oh well, I AM surprised that this innovative fighting game got a Teen rating 
from the ESRB! Of course, in every fighting game, each character has their 
own special attributes, and the Ice Climbers are not an exception. What 
is so unique about them is that they are the one and only one character 
in Super Smash Bros Melee that appear as a pair!

The Ice Climbers are a newcomer to Super Smash Bros. Melee, along with 
characters like Bowser, Peach and Zelda. I have no idea why Nintendo and 
Hal Labs would like to put those two in this game. Both Ice Climbers wear 
snow suits, or parkas, as they say it. It is rather easy to determine the 
sex of each Ice Climber by the color of the coat they wear. I guess it 
is due to Nintendo's policies of sexual stereotype, I guess. (Note that 
Princess Peach, and Princess Zelda also wear Pink, and Samus is the only 
character to have orange as the main color, although she can be pink too.) 
The lead character is Popo, with the blue coat is the character you control, 
while his girlfriend Nana, tags along behind him as the support character. 
The two originally appeared in the NES game Ice Climber, and they, like 
Ness' Earthbound were re-released for the Gameboy Advance. Of course, these 
little guys still use their hammers, for some spectacular damage! As there 
are two kids at once, a player can make use of them for some highly complex 
gameplay.

Like Ness, a lot of people find it hard to use them due to their unique 
properties, and of course, I will give some strategies to tell you how 
to make better use of Popo and Nana. Therefore, this guide can make a 
beginner's to intermediate's guide for the Ice Climbers.

For your information, this guide contains: 
The basics for SSBM, 
The move list of the Ice Climbers and their respective tactics (Beginner 
to Intermediate level)
The strategies for the Ice Climbers in various 1-P modes, and
The strategies concerning item usage for the Ice Climbers

Of course, I always welcome to all extra tactics you can think of, and 
I won't mind continuously adding new stuff to my guides. However, if you 
have any good ideas, CONTACT ME THROUGH E-MAIL. After all, with the fighting 
game, comes the infinite number of tactics! Besides, I can be contacted 
through MSN Messenger with my e-mail address.

As for the search keys, I added them because someone complained about it 
being difficult to find stuff in this huge mountain of words, and hopefully, 
the keys can help reduce scrolling time. Anyway, I like to be a chatterbox 
at times.

-----------------
2. Updates [IC2]
-----------------
Version 1.9:
Modified a little of the Break the Targets' strategies to suit my needs. 
I can break them all within 15 seconds with them now. (Don't blame me if 
you can't, it's done after a lot of sprained wrists and fingers.)

Version 1.8a:
Added another glossary at the front.

Version 1.8:
Updated the rules of engagement a bit, with some advice from someone with 
a pseudonym NintendoAddict. Also added something more in the air attack 
section, and added some strategies for the Home Run Contest to suit those 
people who are after a far record.

Version 1.7a:
Changed a few words in the contact section. I will not be updating until 
after the final exam. I also added a new technique which involves an 
alternated Ice Shot, and I amended the grab and throw move a little bit.

Version 1.7:
Added and changed some parts of the Rules of Engagement Section.

Version 1.6:
Added some search keys, added something more about the Blizzard move. I 
also added a new section explaining how most people underestimate the Ice 
Climbers and how you can surprise those people.

Version 1.5a:
Added a glossary of terms at the far back.

Version 1.5:
Clarified why you usually cannot L-cancel after a downward air attack. 
Also added a few more ways to use throws. (There is at least a million 
possible ways to use them.)

Version 1.4b:
Added a couple of submitter's tip. Added a new section, called Appendix 
II. Letters from Readers. Most letters people write to me in feedback will 
now be posted, along with my answers, if they follow all instructions as 
mentioned in Appendix I. Feedback Information.

Version 1.4a:
Added the rules of engagement for the Ice Climbers when playing against, 
Link, Zelda/Sheik, Kirby, Pikachu and Ness.

Version 1.4:
Added the rules of engagement for the Ice Climbers when playing against 
Donkey Kong, Captain Falcon, Ganondorf, Falco, Fox and Samus.

Version 1.3: 
Added some rules of engagement for the Ice Climbers when playing against 
Dr. Mario, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach and Bowser.

Version 1.2:
Added some more strategies concerning grabs and special attacks with the 
Ice Climbers.

Version 1.1:
The Strategies for Event Battles 3,4,6-10 have been added.

----------------
3. Basics [IC3]
----------------
----------------------------
a. Basic Information [IC3A]
----------------------------
Pros and Cons of using the Ice Climbers:
Firstly, playing as the Ice Climbers has its own shares of pros and cons. 
Here they are.

- Cons:
1. The Ice Climbers are rather lightweight
2. The Ice Climbers cannot jump very far horizontally
3. If the supporting Ice Climber is knocked out, the Ice Climber's offensive 
capabilities will be halved.
4. The Ice Climbers have a rather difficult learning curve

+ Pros:
1. The Ice Climbers have a very powerful offensive power when they are 
together, and can attack opponents with two smash attacks at once
2. Popo can still recover quite well by himself even without Nana, as he 
can use the Squall Hammer (Tap B rapidly to make Popo move a bit higher.)
3. The supporting character can fend for him/herself, and can someties 
knock out enemies for you 
4. Popo and Nana can hold two items at once
5. As Popo and Nana are wearing studded shoes, they will not slip as much 
as other characters on slippery services. (Good to catch opponents while 
they are slipping.)
6. It is always nice to have someone to beat up the victim while he is 
being interrogated face to face. (That is, when you grab an opponent.)

Walking and running:
To make the Ice Climbers walk, hold the Control Stick in the horizontal 
direction you want the couple to walk in. To make Popo and Nana run, TAP 
the control stick in the direction required.

Jumping:
To jump, press up on the control stick, or diagonally upwards in the 
direction you want the Ice Climbers to jump. However, I personally 
recommend using the Y Button to jump, as it is more user-friendly. For 
me, at least. (Having played Street Fight II on the SNES, I find an extra 
jump button to be a very helpful alternative.)

Falling:
The Ice Climbers will be affected by gravity, and fall if they have nothing 
beneath their feet. To make them fall faster, press and hold the control 
stick downwards.

Attacking:
A Button is the ordinary attack button. Press A repeatedly and the Ice 
Climbers will perform a multiple hit combo on the enemy. Press A while 
holding a Control Stick in the desired direction will cause your character 
to perform a strong attack in the desired direction. Press A while tapping 
the Control Stick in the desired direction will cause your character to 
perform a Smash Attack in the desired direction. As simple as that. Pressing 
A while your character is in the air with or without holding the Control 
Stick will cause your character to perform a Mid-air attack in the desired 
direction.

Grabbing and Throwing:
Press Z to grab an enemy, A to hit him/her a couple of times and then tap 
the control stick in the direction you want to throw him/her in. Pressing 
A while holding the R button also works. Besides, pressing A while Popo 
is hitting his victim will cause Nana to whack her hammer on the victim 
too, provided she is close enough. For more protection, press and hold 
R, then press A. It's called a shield grab.

Protective Measures:
Press R or L while standing to pull up a shield, and R or L while in midair 
to perform an air dodge. If you tilt the control stick in any of the 
directions, you can air dodge anywhere you like. Oh, another thing, if 
you have just made an air-attack with the Ice Climbers and land on the 
ground, you normally will be immobile for a second before you can move 
again while Popo and Nana stands up again. To shorten the time taken to 
"stand guard", press the R or L button before their feet touch the ground. 
Their recovery time will be shortened by say, half a second.

Dodging and Wavedashing:
Another use for the air-dodge is for the Ice Climbers to gain forwards 
momentum, so that they can speed across horizontal surfaces. You can jump, 
and immediately Press R + Down-Right + A to air dodge downwards and to 
the right. This will enable the Ice Climbers to dodge and propel themselves 
forwards. You can repeat this as many times as you like as you gain ground. 
This maneuver is called the Wavedash, as the Ice Climbers soar forward 
like a wave crest here. You can also perform this maneuver back and forth 
if you wish to confuse the enemy. This is why there is a certain degree 
of psychological warfare involved. But still, I see people do this, and 
yet I can stay calm. Oh well, I guess some people have a higher level of 
arousal than others...

Alternating attacks:
Most of the time, Popo and Nana will swing their hammers in unison, hence 
resulting in a pause between attacks. To avoid this, you can have Popo 
and Nana attacking right after each other with this trick. You can run 
very fast at the enemy, then perform a roll in front of him, and then 
attacking instantly after the roll. (If you want to stay in the same spot, 
use the spot dodge, by tapping the control stick downwards.)

If done right, Nana will deliberately miss a Smash Attack or Dashing Attack 
while Popo starts hitting the enemy. Now, as I observed, after tapping 
the A button continuously while moving forward, the Ice Climbers seem to 
be attacking in a delay after the other. The two will then swing their 
hammers right after each other, resulting in a faster attack frequency. 
I tried performing Blizzard right afterwards, and in the end, they ended 
up performing the move alternately, right after each other. Other attacks 
that can be alternated include the horizontal strong attack and the hammer 
smash. If your hands are quickly enough, you can have one do a Blizzard, 
and another smash. Et cetera.
	
Special Moves:
Press B alone or accompanied by a tilt of the Control Stick to perform 
a special move unique to the Ice Climbers. The Ice Climbers have the Ice 
Shot, Squall Hammer, Belay and Blizzard. They will be explained in detail 
later.

Using Items:
Sometimes, in a middle of a fight, an item will appear. Go over to the 
item and press A to use it. Some items like food or healing items will 
take effect as soon as you press A. The others will be grabbed. For throwing 
items, capsules and carriers, Press A again to throw. For the other items, 
Press A to shoot or bash your enemies with the item. To throw those away. 
Press Z, preferably at your enemies to hurt them! The Ice Climbers have 
the advantage that they can use 2 items, not one at once! See the item 
usage section for more details.

Devaluation of moves:
Whenever the Ice Climbers are on the field, their damage for a particular 
attack against a particular enemy will slowly depreciate. For instance, 
if I perform the upward strong attack against an enemy, the first time, 
they can do 21% damage, the second time, 18% and the third time 14%. 
Therefore, all damage values in this guide are referring to its maximum 
first hit value (Notice the UP TOs). Do reset the damage values, have your 
Ice Climbers knocked out. Or commit suicide (self destruct) when you have 
a very large lead in score. (I elaborated on this part, as someone with 
a pseudonym Rygar the Ninja suggested I should add this in, even if I knew 
it from the start.)

Two Heads are better than one:
When you play as the Ice Climbers, you get to have the Climber with the 
darker colored parka in the lead. (Blue/ Green Popo or Orange/ Red Nana) 
In either case, try to keep both Climbers close together for maximum effect. 
If your support character is knocked out, you still won't suffer from a 
Fall (1 point deduction). But things will go tougher as the lead character 
has to fight on his/her own. Beware of that.

Using Nana as a shield:
When an opponent uses a shooting item on you. Run away, and let Nana trail 
behind Popo a bit. As a result, Nana will be the person who gets shot, 
and not Popo, and the damage meter will not increase for your main character. 
However, protect Nana afterwards, or she will be smashed away, and she 
will not love you.

----------------------------
b. Glossary of Terms [IC3B]
----------------------------
This is where I add the glossary of all the specialized terms players like 
to use while playing Super Smash Bros. Melee. Of course, I have tried very 
hard to use only layman terms to write my guide, but in case you need to 
know, I would just add it for your reference anyway.

Air Dodge- L or R in the air results in an air dodge. Until a character 
lands after an air dodge, he cannot do any attacks or jump, like after 
most recovery attacks. You can also influence the direction of an air dodge 
with the control stick.

Attack- The A button, B button, Z button, and C-stick all make your 
character do an attack. The B button is for special moves, and the rest 
control standard attacks (C-stick can only be used in versus modes, and 
Z button only in the air.) Samus, Link, and Young Link do not do attacks 
with the Z button, instead they shoot their respective grappling items 
when in the air. Neither Donkey Kong nor Peach have aerial down B's.
Damage- Each character in a fight has a counter of his own at the bottom 
of the screen that tallies his health in points, displayed as a percentage. 
At the lowest percentage (0%) attacks will not send your character very 
far, and effects like Jigglypuff's sing are easy to shake off. Grabs become 
harder to get out of at higher damages, and attacks become much more 
powerful.

Dodge- A quick tap of down on the control stick while shielding will make 
a character dodge (C-stick works also). Dodge times for each character 
are different.

Friendly Fire- Another way of saying Team Attack.

Grab/Throw- Every character can grab with Z or L/R + A/Z. Hit A or Z while 
holding an opponent to do a grab attack, and then tilt the control stick 
in a direction to hurl them in one of four directions.

Handicap- Handicap affects knockback ratios. Higher handicaps will 
augment a character's ability to send an opponent flying, while making 
them more resistant to being tossed off the edge themselves; a low handicap 
will do the opposite.

Item-catch- When an item passes over you, you can hit A on the ground or 
Z in the air to catch that item (you can even catch items that are thrown 
at you).

Jump- X, Y, or up on the control stick will make a character jump. Kirby 
and Jigglypuff have 6 jumps, but everyone else has 2.

Recovery attack- Any attack that gains horizontal or vertical distance, 
that can be used to recover after being sent away from the stage.
Roll- Hitting left or right on the control stick (or C-stick) while 
shielding.

Smash attack- "Smashing" the control stick while pressing the A button. 
The C-Stick, too, is used for smash attacks.

Smash charging- After initiating a smash attack, you can hold A to hold 
the attack, thus increasing it in power. It is automatically released after 
a set amount of time, if not manually released.

Taunt- ^ on the directional pad will yield a taunt. Some characters (Pichu, 
Captain Falcon) have 2. Fox and Falco can hit <, >, <, > on the d-pad to 
call their buddies on either of the StarFox stages.

Teching- When you are tumbling in the air after being hit, you can press 
L, R, or Z near the ground or a wall/ceiling, with or without a direction, 
to recover faster than usual. Holding left or right on a ground tech will 
result in a roll in the direction.

Tilt attack- Holding any one of the four control stick directions, and 
hitting A. Some <, > tilt attacks can be aimed to the diagonal.
Wall-jump- Hitting the opposite direction when your character is near a 
wall, and not tumbling. Works only with Mario, Samus, Young Link, Fox, 
Sheik, Falco, Pichu, and Captain Falcon.

?air- refers to aerial attacks in the four directions and neutral. Replace ? 
with n, u, a, b, or d to signify which. 

Attack Cancel- From the air, many characters can cancel attacks or effects 
of attacks by doing an attack close to the ground. Some examples:  

Bat drop- Z dropping the bat, followed by an attack that prevents it from 
flying off the platform, most often a spike attack. Does a lot of damage 
in a short amount of time. Used to get high scores in Home Run Contest.
Chain-throw- Continually throwing another character in such a manner as 
to prevent them from landing.

Combo- A combo can be either natural or improvisational; a true combo is 
two or more hits that register a 'Combo' reading in training mode. In a 
looser term, a combo is any set of attacks that is difficult to escape 
from, and may do a lot of damage in a short amount of time.

Crouch-canceling- Holding down on the control stick when hit by an enemy 
attack. Up to a certain damage percentage, this will prevent you from being 
sent flying, though you will slide back. Also, a crouch cancel counter 
(ccc) is crouch canceling using a character's down-A attack.

C-Sticking- Used to describe the act of using the c-stick to do aerials, 
smash attacks, and other things in multiplayer mode.

Dash-canceling- During a run, pressing down will stop the run.
Dash-Dancing- Quickly alternating left and right on the control stick, 
so the character only does the opening animation of the run.

Dash-Dashing- Jamming the control stick repeatedly in the same left or 
right direction, so the character only does the opening animation of the 
run. For some characters, this will result in a form of movement faster 
than conventional running. Some people refer to this as the "Foxtrot."

Dash-jump- Jumping out of a dash, often with a short jump. The character 
will usually move faster forward in the air than if it were a non-dash-jump. 
Directional Influence- The trajectory of an-air character can be 
influenced by a control stick direction. The most helpful uses of this 
technique are escaping combos and juggles, and for recovery.

Double dash attack- Requires a super scope, ray gun, or fire flower, as 
these items do not have a running attack. Do a dash attack holding one 
of the items, and while you're doing the attack, hit Z. Your character 
will attack, then throw the item.

Double Jump cancel- To stop the upward motion of Mewtwo, Ness, Peach, or 
Yoshi's second jump with an aerial attack. This can be demonstrated by 
having Ness do two jumps in short succession, followed by a quick aerial 
attack. Ness should be VERY low to the ground if you do this quickly enough. 
Thanks to MaskedSheik for this term. Double Jump cancel is abbreviated 
"DJC."

Edge-guarding- Using attacks to prevent the enemy from recovering to the 
stage.

Edge-hogging- A character holding onto an edge will not permit another 
character to do the same. This is useful in preventing an enemy's recovery. 
The best way to edge-hog is to either wavedash or short-jump backwards 
onto the ledge.

Edge-hop- A jump quickly following a press of down from an edge-hang will 
let characters do a short edge-hop. Most, if not all characters can do 
attacks out of this.

Fast-falling- Pressing down while in the air will make your character fall 
faster than usual. You can fast-fall out of aerial attacks, air dodges, 
and failed ^B attacks. Young Link, however, is nearly unaffected by this.
Hyper/Power Shielding- Shielding at the exact instant an attack or item 
hits your character. Will result in a white flash and the attack not hitting. 
Projectiles will be reflected.

Ice Climbers' infinite grab- This technique differs from the infinite grab 
in that you can do it in a 1-on-1 match. Grab with the main character 
(default=Popo) and hold down on the control stick as you're doing the grab. 
Keep hitting the A button, so that Popo does his grab attack, and Nana 
does her down tilt. You can keep this up forever. This can be combined 
with other Ice Climber grab combos, and because of this fact, it is 
essentially an instant-KO grab combo.

L-cancel- When L, R, or Z is pressed before you hit the ground, you 
circumvent the normal recovery time after an aerial attack. Link's aerial 
down-A L-cancelled will result in his pulling the sword out of the ground 
faster.

Light Shield- Holding L or R lightly, to prevent shield-stab, or to guard 
against weak attacks. When used by holding the Z button, light shielding 
is called Z-shielding.

Juggle- Keeping the opponent up in the air, using ground attacks or air 
attacks that send the opponent on an upwards trajectory.

Jump-cancel- Jumping out of a dash; can be linked to a grab or an attack. 
Also used to describe jumping out of Falco/Fox's reflector to bypass the 
usual lag after the attack is stopped.

Jump-cancel (alternate meaning)- Jumping out of the shield. Yoshi cannot 
do this. You can then cancel your jump with an attack, such as an up-B 
or a smash attack.

Meteor Jump- Jumping out of a meteor smash. The key indicator between spikes 
and meteor smashes is that you cannot meteor jump out of a non-meteor-spike.
Mewtwo's Double Jump boost- With Mewtwo, if you perform an aerial attack 
at the end of his double jump, he'll get a small extra boost upwards.
 
Natural combo- Any combo that is built into the game, such as the variations 
of Marth and Roy's >B attacks, and also the A, A, A... combo that many 
characters have.

No-ping hit- Hitting with the handle of a home-run bat, so that it does 
not make the distinctive "ping" sound. Sends the target a higher trajectory 
than a tip-hit. 

Running smash- Dash-cancel, then hit a c-stick direction. You can also 
grab out of a DC, by hitting Z.

Running smash (alternate)- Only works for up/down smashes. While running, 
roll to either of these positions, while hitting A. Works best with 
characters that slide when they stop running.

Sex Kick- This term refers to any neutral aerial A kick that does damage 
after the actual movement of the foot is over. The attack gets weaker and 
has less knock back the longer it is out. The only exception is Dr. Mario. 
His sex kick attack actually gets stronger, and has more knock back the 
longer it is out. Fox and Falco's aerial backwards A is also considered 
a sex kick.

Shffl'd- This is an acronym meaning "Short-hopped, Fast-falled, 
L-cancelled." It is basically the most effective way certain aerial attacks 
can be pulled off, and is a must in competitive play.

Shield dash- Wavedashing out of a shield. Can be followed by anything a 
regular wavedash can be followed by.

Shield grab- Hitting A or Z while L or R shielding.

Shield shifting- Using the control stick to angle the shield to prevent 
shield-stab, or provide extra protection in a given direction.

Shield-stab- Attacking a shielded opponent where the shield's leaving a 
part of the character vulnerable, allowing them to bypass the shield's 
defense. Thanks to NJE789 for this term

Short jump- While running or standing, pressing the jump button more 
lightly than usual will result in a shorter first jump. In adjectival form, 
short jump becomes short hop or short-hopped.

Spike attack- Any attack that sends an enemy at an acute downward angle 
(less than 45 degrees away from straight down). Many, but not all spike 
attacks are considered meteor smashes.

Super-Wavedash- A wavedash done from a jump (best way to explain it is 
that it is done while falling, not while jumping (as a conventional wavedash 
is)).
 
Swing-Jumping- A late double jump cancel, used to create more vertical 
distance for characters with the ability to DJC.

Tip-hit- Also called a "tipper." Hitting with the tip of the home-run bat. 
Sends target much farther horizontally than a non-tipper.

Tipper- In addition to the meaning mentioned above, "tipper" is used as 
another name for hitting with the optimal range of any of Marth's attacks, 
said range being any range where there is distinct damage and knockback 
(the tip).

Tumble-recover- When a character is in the air from an attack, he/she/it 
might be spinning around. A tumble-recover is alternating left/right on 
the control stick while this spinning is going on. This allows stability 
without wasting a jump.

Turret Fighting- Tactic that is used by mainly projectile characters in 
which the player spams his/her weapon to its fullest, while staying in 
the same spot. Falco, Samus, Fox, and Shiek users are known for this 
annoying tactic, and can be very effective when in the hands of an expert. 

Upward Pound- A tactic with Jigglypuff where you use Pound, and then quickly 
press up so Jigglypuff pounds in a more upward direction. This helps 
vertical recovery (Pound and then jump gains more vertical distance) and 
horizontal recovery (consecutive upward Pounds give Jigglypuff infinite 
horizontal recovery). You can also do it downwards. Thanks to MaskedMarth 
for this term.

Vertkill- Jumping and spiking at the same time, usually by a character 
already in the air. Some useful ones are Captain Falcon's, Ganondorf's, 
Marth's down aerial.

Wallbombing- Using the Peach Bomber attack (forward+B) as a smash attack 
makes Peach pop up a little bit, allowing her to use it repeatedly without 
losing height. If kept up for long enough, this can be used to stall out 
time matches.

Wall-climbing- After an Mario hits a wall with up-B, he can wall jump. 
This can be continued until the wall ends.

Wall-grapple- With Link, Young Link, or Samus, hit Z in the air and near 
a wall, facing it, to latch onto it. Hit A while hanging, or after the 
initial latching to climb the grappling device. Can only be used once per 
time in the air (you have to land before you can use it again), but you 
can use the character's ^B after using a wall-grapple.

Wall-hop- For characters that can wall jump, you wall jump and immediately 
double jump. You gain more vertical distance this way. Can be done on some 
ledges.

Wall of Pain- Jigglypuff strategy that is focused on its superb aerial 
ability, and in particular, its aerial back A.

Wavedance- Wavedashing back and forth.

Wavedash- Air-dodging diagonally toward the ground, as close to the ground 
as possible, will result in a movement that abuses the games physics by 
allowing a player to make themself slide across the ground. Most obvious 
with Luigi, Marth, Roy, Mewtwo, and Ice Climbers. You can turn around more 
quickly by wavedashing in the opposite direction of your run, then picking 
up on the momentum.

Waveshine- Fox's reflector followed by a wavedash, can be linked to a grab, 
smash, or looped until the edge of the stage is met. A prerequisite for 
Fox's infinite combo.

Wavesmash- A wavedash, then a c-stick direction.

Disjointed Hitbox- When a hitbox is not attached to the character, such 
as in Marth/Roy/Link/Young Link's sword attacks and Ness's bat smash. A 
sword and a leg (such as Captain Falcon's) are going to be affected 
differently by fire. The character whose knee comes in contact with the 
fire is going to get hit, but the character with the sword is not, since 
damage to the weapon (a disjointed hitbox) does not affect the character.

Freezing glitch- Ice Climbers: Roll behind the enemy using the L or R shield. 
Half-way before the roll is over, start holding Z, and the second Climber 
MUST grab the enemy. Do a forward B in the direction you just rolled from 
and if it worked, the enemy should be frozen after Nana (default) throws 
him/her/it. 

Lag (also called recovery time)- When a character executes an attack, there 
is a certain amount of time after the attack is over in which that the 
character cannot move. This is called lag time. Moves that are "laggy" 
carry an large amount of lag time. Some examples are Ganondorf's ground 
forward-B when it misses, and Link's aerial down-A not L-cancelled. Related 
term: L-cancel

Knockback- Refers to how far a character is sent after being hit by an 
attack.

Priority- What the chances are of an attack taking precedence over another 
attack if they collide with each other.

Roy Zone, The- Different from phantom hits in that the attack doesn't even 
do damage, though it hits. Named for the character it most affects, Roy.

Spamming- Continuously and persistently using an attack. Usually used in 
reference to projectile attacks.

Startup- How long an attack takes to start. Attacks with high startup time 
include Falcon Punch (C. Falcon's B) and Ganondorf's Warlock Punch (B) 
/ Volcano Kick (tilt up-A). Attacks with low startup time include 
Fox/Falco's reflector (down-B), Mewtwo's aerial forward-A, and Mr. 
Game&Watch's up-B.

Stun- When a character is hit, there is a certain amount of time in which 
the player can do nothing. If a character is hit during stun, it's 
considered a combo.

Super Jump- Catching Link's or Young Link's boomerang while hanging from 
a hookshot (See wall-grapple) will result in a very high jump. Note that 
this supposedly works only on certain versions of the game (I think 1.0, 
and 1.1), but try it anyways if you aren't sure.

Sweet Spot- Any part of an attack that does more damage, or has a better 
effect than other parts of the same attack. Unconditional examples are: 
Marth (very tip of sword), Roy (large center portion of sword), the home 
run bat (the very tip), and Mr. G&W (the edge of his body). Conditional 
ones include: Captain Falcon's aerial forward A, Ness's aerial back A, 
Zelda's aerial back and forward A's, and the tip of Ness's smash forward 
A (bat).

Tiers- A ranking of how formidable each character is at the peak of the 
current metagame. An in-depth look at tiers

Tournament legal- Any stage, item, or ruleset that is acceptable in a 
tournament environment. General rulesets follow this example: 4 stock, 
with time doubling (or almost doubling) stock, items on low or off, with 
Maxim Tomato, Heart Container, Hammer, Super/Poison Mushrooms, and Party 
Ball off. Hyrule Temple, Yoshi's Island 64, and Brinstar Depths, Termina, 
and Corneria are always off (and can't be chosen, even under slob picks). 
Team attack is usually on, and no stage can be played twice in the same 
set. A set is the best two of three, where the loser can either change 
a character, or choose the next stage. Thanks to David Kirk for this 
information.

----------------------------------------
4. Character Moves and Strategies [IC4]
----------------------------------------
Before I talk about the moves of the Ice Climbers, let me first introduce 
you to their properties.

-----------------------------------------
a. Properties of the Ice Climbers [IC4A]
-----------------------------------------
Weight:
Firstly, the Ice Climbers, as you can see, are just kids, they are just 
as short as Ness, and are as small as him. Therefore, both Ice Climbers 
are lightweight characters in this game, however, they are still heavier 
than the featherweights like Kirby or Pikachu. Even still, the Ice Climbers 
can take quite a considerable amount of damage before they are sent skyhigh, 
but it is not so good to push your chances if you have more than 130% damage, 
because by then they are very vulnerable to most Smash Attacks. Therefore, 
grab any healing items as quickly as possible before you get knocked out. 

Note that Nana has her own damage meter. If let's say that Popo never takes 
any damage, and Nana is always the girl who gets all the hits. If someone 
smashes Nana, she will be knocked out, even if Popo has 0% damage, she 
will be knocked out. Therefore, always protect your girlfriend at all costs 
or suffer the consequences. (Same goes for the Stamina Mode.)

Jumping Ability:
The Ice Climbers came from a NES/E-Reader/Gameboy Advance game that has 
them jumping up a mountain, fighting seals, birds and collecting vegetables 
on the way up. That game is a very vertical stage. Therefore, as a token 
of reality, the programmers of this game have programmed Popo and Nana 
to be quite good vertical jumpers, and they can jump considerably high.

On the other hand, due to the same reason, the Ice Climbers do not have 
any decent horizontal jumping abilities. If you compare the horizontal 
jumping distances of the Ice Climbers to those of Ness, Kirby and Pikachu, 
the Ice Climbers will come out on last. Fortunately, the Ice Climbers have 
two special moves that can greatly increase their range.

Versatility:
Now, I have to consider the versatility of the Ice Climbers. You may wonder 
why I have not talked about the speed of the Ice Climbers, but still, in 
a fighting game, one must be fast and precise at the same time, and this 
is what versatility is all about. The Ice Climbers are quite versatile, 
thanks to their lightweight, and they are just as versatile as Pikachu. 
When they jump, they land in an acceptable amount of time, and they have 
a medium-fast speed run. But still, that is nothing when compared to even 
more versatile characters like Fox and Captain Falcon.

Again, their special moves are there to help to balance this deficiency. 
Besides, their studded shoes can help their feet to grip onto slippery 
services like the UFO hover over the Fourside stage, the lights in the 
Brinstar Stage, the icy surfaces on Icicle Mountain and the Oil in the 
Super FlatWorld. 

Thirdly, the Ice Climbers do have a rather fast air dodge. You can use 
the air dodge to move quickly in the air, or you can do it on the ground 
as well. Let's say you want the Ice Climbers to move to the right. You 
jump, and immediately after jumping, you air-dodge, diagonally to the right. 
You gain horizontal distance, and the momentum of the dodge causes the 
Ice Climbers to sail even further to the right. Then you can do this 
repeatedly again and again to move even faster. This maneuver can also 
help Ice Climbers ambush their enemies. However, repeated use of this move 
may arouse their suspicion. So be careful, and be fast.

---------------------------
b. Standard Attacks [IC4B]
---------------------------
Standard A Button Attack:
Attack: Quadruple Hammer Combo
Those 2 hammers brought to the arena by the Ice Climbers really helps! 
The Ice-Climber's standard attack will cause both Ice Climbers to each 
swing their hammers at their enemies twice. As they are two people, not 
one, the interval between combos can be significantly short, and it is 
possible for the Ice Climbers to achieve 9-10% damage every 4 hits! Now 
you find the advantages of having two people working as a team. Even the 
weakest of attacks will deal a lot of damage when used rapidly!ened. This 
attack really packs a punch! Each blow deals up to 3% damage.

Strategy:
If in any event do Popo and Nana get separated, try to approach the enemy 
in a way so that the two surrounds the enemy. Then start with your hammer 
combo. As there are two people on both sides of the enemy for him/her to 
target, the Ice Climbers can play tennis with the enemy together for a 
considerable amount of time, taking turns at bashes before they are 
reunited again! Besides, the good thing is that Nana has a mind of her 
own, and when the need arises, she can defend herself with this attack 
while you sneak up on the people attacking her as Pop and finish them off! 
That's the sandwich theorem at its finest!!! Tee hee hee...

Dashing Attack:
Attack: Shoulder Nudge
Ah, this has got to be one of the Ice Climbers few moves without the usage 
of their hammers, and yet, they are still pretty deadly! Popo and Nana 
will charge forward towards their enemies and lunge out swinging their 
arms at the enemy! Sending them flying. As there are two people here, things 
can be made much more powerful. Having monitored their damage in training 
mode, I found that Popo dealt 9% damage, while Nana dealt another 8%! This 
makes up to 17% damage! Oh this is amazing!  The impact force is also right 
down impressive! After all Bowser flew just as high as when he was hit 
by Ness!

Strategy:
Even if Nana has been knocked out, you can still deal reasonable damage 
with Popo alone, so do not lose heart at all! With this move, you have 
plenty more room to maneuver as once the enemy is hit, he/she will 
immediately be knocked back. This is of course, another must-use move for 
all those Multi-Man Melee matches.

Cool Tip! Stagger Tactic
Oh, another thing. There is another way to use this move that can help 
you deal a lot of damage before he/she/they can regain control, 
particularly they underestimate the Ice Climbers' reach. First, run 
towards your opponent, and perform the elbow nudge on him before he can 
react. (Particularly important when some moves have a higher priority than 
others) Even if he/she/they are at zero percent damage, they will still 
be sent into the air, and now, you should try and follow the flying opponent 
and juggling him around for a while. 

In general, the more damage the enemy has, the easier it is to follow through, 
as he/she/them will be sent flying higher than when they have low damage. 
Besides, if you are up against someone who just prematurely dodged your 
attack, you can simply wait for him/her to touch the ground again and send 
him/her into the air.

You can also do a Blizzard on the enemy as he/she falls down, and then 
he/she will be temporarily held up in the air, allowing the Ice Climbers 
to follow up with a grab, and hence continuing to rack up their damage.

Grab and Throw:
Well, the behavior of the Ice Climbers really reminds me of the way the 
mafia treat their enemies. That's right! One person will grab the victim 
while the other hits him in the head! "Will you talk!" "No!" Punch! "Will 
you talk!" "No!" Punch! "Will you talk?" "Yes! Just don't hit me anymore!" 
Popo will grab the enemy and headbutt him, while his girlfriend hits him/her 
in the head with her hammer! Now, I really don't know how many hits can 
Popo deal on Bowser, but I think I have seen Popo headbutt Bowser 10 times 
before Bowser could break free! Now for the throws. When you throw an enemy 
upwards, I think 11% damage can be dealt. When you do it horizontally, 
10% damage will be dealt. For a downward throw, 11% damage can be dealt. 
But is that all? Not really! There is a useful strategy for you to consider 
below! Enjoy!

Strategy:
When throwing someone with the Ice Climbers, having Nana beside you can 
help in the throw. For instance, if you tap in the direction you want to 
throw and press A at the same time, Nana may be able to perform a strong 
attack or smash attack on the enemy, and sometimes be able to knock him/her 
out! I find the horizontal combination to be the easiest to deliver while 
the upwards one is rather difficult. (But in multiplayer mode, it's even 
easier, as all you have to do to make Nana smash her foe is to tilt the 
C stick in the direction you want her to smash her enemy in.) But sometimes 
it may work. There is an even meaner way to use this, and you will find 
the tactic in the section, using items with the Ice Climbers.

Here are some more interrogation techniques you can use while you have 
someone in Popo's hands. There are possibly a million different ways.

Cool Tip! Cold air is bad for you
"Gee, you look nervous and sweaty, my friend. Let me cool you down a little," 
Nana says in a kind voice. Nana blows some cold, snowy air into the poor 
victim's face as Popo grabs him. In fact, sometimes, to make sure that 
the person in Popo's hands cannot get away in low damages, press Down + 
B while the victim is held securely, and Nana will perform a Blizzard attack 
on him/her, accumulating damage. To lower the chance of Popo performing 
a down throw, hold down the instant the victim is grabbed.

Cool Tip! Chain Throwing
Similar to the tactic above, you can always throw an enemy downwards, and 
then perform the Blizzard move on them as they bounce up. This stuns him 
for a moment, in which you can grab him and repeat the procedures again 
and again.

Of course, due to the same reason, you can always slam an enemy to the 
ground, wait for him/her to bounce up, then grab him/her again so that 
you can continuously accumulate damage on the poor victim.

Cool Tip! Finishing Moves
There are some ways to finish of someone using the grabs. If Popo is alone, 
tilting C-Stick in a direction will cause him to throw the victim to the 
direction. While he will just smash if no one is in his hands, therefore, 
if you grab someone, and you girlfriend is there, tilt the C-stick upwards. 
Popo will throw the victim upwards, while Nana smashes him upwards with 
an upward hammer smash. This works on the same principle of a badminton 
serve. After all, you throw the ball, and then hit it upwards to the 
opponents' side of the court. (If you want to prevent someone from 
recovering, shield grab him from the edge.)

Another way is by the ping-pong ball serving method. To do this, grab the 
highly damaged opponent, or just grab a not so damaged opponent, and damage 
him up to say, a little over 100%. Tilt the control stick downwards, and 
at the same time, tilt the C-stick upwards. This way, Popo will drop the 
ping pong ball, which is your opponent, who bounces off the floor, while 
Nana swings her hammer upwards, this is the serve.

You can also play croquet with the enemies. You grab an enemy, damage 
him/her to the desired damage percentage, and then you tilt the control 
stick downwards, and then the C-stick downwards right after that. This 
way, Popo will drop the croquet ball onto the ground while Nana hits the 
ball away. This can be used to knock out most enemies that have a bit over 
100% damage, with the exception of the heavy weighted ones like Bowser. 
(They take even more than that, and sometimes, you will be required to 
desync the two, as sometimes Popo will throw before Nana can even hit the 
foe.)

"How dare you not listen to my boyfriend?" Nana cries. You can also have 
Popo grab some one who has heavy damage, and then as you throw the victim, 
press Y to have Nana jump, and at the meantime press A while holding the 
control stick in the direction the Ice Climbers are facing and Nana can 
perform a airborne hammer pound. If done near the edge, then the victim 
can sometimes be knocked out.

There is a freezing glitch with the grabbing. Roll behind the enemy using 
the L or R shield. Half-way before the roll is over, start holding Z, and 
the second Climber will always grab the enemy. Do a forward B in the 
direction you just rolled from and if it worked, the enemy should be frozen 
after Nana (default) throws him/her/it. 

There is an infinite grab combo that involves Nana performing downward 
hammer sweeps at the enemy while Popo headbutts. However, due to my policy 
of attempting to distribute strategies evenly among different moves the 
Ice Climbers have, I'd suggest you see to the strong attack section, which 
is just down there.

There are some more strategies with the grab, and they are associated with 
the usage of items. For those, please see the section called "Using Items 
with the Ice Climbers".

-------------------------
c. Strong Attacks [IC4C]
-------------------------
Horizontal Strong Attack:
Strong Hammer Attack:
The Ice Climbers do not like to kick people, even though they have so many 
studs on the bottoms of their shoes! Instead, they will just make use of 
what they have on their hands, their hammers! This attack looks almost 
identical to their standard hammer attack, only that the Ice Climbers seems 
to swing them at a wider angle. This attack deals up to 15% damage to the 
enemy, and like all the other strong attacks, has just reasonable impact 
force. That's all.

Strategy:
Cool Tip! Desync Combo
Teamwork is a very good thing, as even Strong Attacks can be made into 
a very rapid combo. To do this, run forward towards your enemy, and have 
Popo and Nana be separated by rolling (That is, the two Ice Climbers are 
close together, but they do not occupy the same screen space.) Then when 
you are up to your opponent, immediately stop running and then perform 
the strong hammer attack repeatedly at the opponent. Keep tapping A. Popo 
and Nana will hit the opponent with their hammers alternately, instead 
of in unison.(Therefore, their moves are not synchronized, and such action 
is called a desynch) Repeat this maneuver until the opponent is almost 
off the ledge or is very close to a wall. Then there will almost always 
be a hammer hitting the opponent, and he will have to take damage for quite 
a while. A nice damage accumulator, eh?

Note: Nana sometimes performs a Smash Attack, sometimes she deliberately 
misses a strong attack when you attack after rolling. Either way, she will 
not be attacking in unison with Popo for a short time, and you can also 
use other means of alternating attack, like Blizzards.

Upward Strong Attack:
Attack: Upward Hammer Drill
Hmmm... sometimes some of the potential uses of hammers are overlooked. It's 
amazing that the Ice Climbers can actually use their hammers to drill into 
the enemy! When an enemy is hit, he/she will most likely be trapped in 
the spin, allowing the Ice Climbers to perform up to a 14 hit combo on 
the enemy! In fact, up to 21% damage is dealt at the same time! Wow, go 
and cop them you guys up there!

Strategy:
There are several useful strategies to use with this Hammer Drill. One 
is to use it to obtain the Juggler Bonus, after all, while performing this 
move, you have successfully kept your foe in the air for 14 hits! Besides, 
if you do it rapidly enough! This move makes a good connector move for 
other follow up moves as the enemy is sent vertically above, and it would 
not be too hard for Popo and Nana to catch them! Please note that this 
move is more effective against larger characters like Bowser or Ganondorf, 
as their larger bodies provide a larger surface area for the hammers to 
act on. The same following moves apply as in the dashing attacks.

Downward Strong Attack:
Attack: Low Hammer Sweep
The Ice Climbers will now act like the Hunters in Resident Evil. They will 
use their hammers to sweep at their enemies from below, dealing rapid damage 
in packets of 2-3% per hit. Again, you can repeat this procedure again 
and again and again, and the enemy will be dealt progressive damage, so 
they will be knocked about a little bit, but still, that would not pose 
too much of a problem. In fact, as there are two people there, the frequency 
can be enhanced.

Strategy:
The Low Hammer Sweep may seem to be useless if you only use it once, but 
when you use it rapidly, it will be much more effective. This is because, 
the enemy can be held at bay and sometimes be juggled around, not being 
able to retaliate for a short time. In fact, I would suggest performing 
a combo which consists of 4 Low Hammer Sweeps in a row, and then following 
up with a Downward Smash Attack. The enemy (particularly if they are human) 
probably will not be able to move regardless of how hard they struggle 
or air dodge. If they do air dodge, pause for a moment before you continue. 
(The CPU reacts much faster than humans, I think.) Also, you can consider 
alternating the hammer sweeps.

Cool Tip! Infinite Grab Combo
There is a neat trick with the Low Hammer Sweep that allows Popo and Nana 
to never lose their grip with their victim. To do this, grab the enemy, 
while holding Down on the control stick at the same time. Then, wait for 
Nana to duck completely, then you tap A continuously. If the timing between 
Popo and Nana is correct, the opponent can never break free from the grip. 
When the damage is high enough, tap down on the control stick and up on 
the C-stick and the enemy will be blasted to oblivion.

-----------------------
d. Air Attacks [IC4D]
----------------------
The Ice Climbers do have a wide assortment of Air Attacks, but before I 
explain them, I would have to introduce two skills that can help while 
in the air. They are namely the L-cancel, and the crouch cancel.

L-cancel:
Most people, having jumped from a height, will bend their knees upon landing 
on the ground in order to maximize the time of impact, and to minimize 
the force. The same goes with the Ice Climbers. Having executed their air 
attack, they will land on the ground, bend their knees, and straighten 
their knees. This results in a lag and leaves the Ice Climbers vulnerable 
to attack for a few moments. To prevent this from happening, press L while 
in the air before you hit the ground. The air dodge will cancel out the 
momentum and they can land on the ground without much lag, and can get 
back to the stand guard position much quicker.

Crouch Cancel:
On the other hand, if you do fall into someone's well prepared air defense, 
be prepared to expect the worst. To prevent yourself from flying too far 
away, press and hold down on the Control Stick. Then, as long as you have 
lower than a certain percentage, you will be prevented from flying too 
far back. But still, the Ice Climbers are not very good at this maneuver. 
So, you should be careful enough to not get hit at all.

Neutral Air Attack:
Attack: Airborne Hammer Attack
The Ice Climbers will simply swing their hammers around in mid air towards 
their opponents. There really is nothing so special about this move is 
there? It seems that Popo will deal 8% damage while Nana will deal up to 
7% damage, making up a total of 15% damage on the enemy. Of course, the 
impact force of this move is still satisfactory. What more is there to 
say? Eh? Oh well... 

Upward Air Attack:
Attack: Upward Hammer Poke
This time, the Ice Climbers will stick their hammers up into the air and 
attempt to poke anything above. I never knew that a simple poke can be 
THAT painful, I guess their hammers must have a considerable amount of 
splinters... Anyway, this move can deal up to 17% damage to the enemy. (Popo 
deals 9%, Nana deals 8%) the enemy is also sent flying at about 80 degrees 
to the horizontal, and that can be considered to be more vertical than 
horizontal, in my opinion.

Strategy:
It's amazing how a simply poke with the hammer will be enough to knock 
out someone. If an enemy has had enough damage, they can be knocked out 
in a star KO. Try using this in stages with a low ceiling like Icicle 
Mountain or Superflat Zone for the best effect!

Cool Tip! Prioritize
Oh, another thing, as the Ice Climber's hammers are rather long, it is 
possible to hit the enemies with the tip of the hammer a lot. This gives 
the Ice Climbers an advantage when priority is concerned. For instance, 
you are playing against Captain Falcon, and he is vertically in the air 
above you, and you jump up to intercept him. Then, he is ready to give 
you a downward meteor attack. If both players perform their respective 
attacks at the same time, the Ice Climbers should just hit the heel of 
Captain Falcon's foot just as he straightens up for the stomp. As a result, 
his feet did not make any contact with neither Popo nor Nana's bodies, 
and as a result, Captain Falcon is hit.

However, sword wielding characters like Link have an even higher priority 
than the Ice Climbers here as their swords are so long, so be extra careful 
when facing those guys with this move.

Downward Air Attack:
Ice Climbers:
Attack: Downward Hammer Attack
The Ice Climbers will be imitating Link for this move. They will lower 
their hammers and sort of sit on them, and then let themselves and the 
hammer drop down on any unsuspecting foes below and squishing them with 
their weight. Cool. In fact, this time the boy and the girl will do the 
fair share of the damage because Popo and Nana will each deal 9% of damage 
to the victim, dealing him/her up to 18% damage. What a pity that the move 
with exert an average impact force on the enemy. Again, the strategy for 
this move is simple, use it to take over a platform from above, or to swoop 
down on your friend while he/she is inattentive. Note that you usually 
cannot perform an L-cancel after this move, unless you are so far away 
from the ground that the Ice Climbers will get out of that pose with the 
hammers. (That is, air dodging just before your character touches the 
ground)

It seems that I shall have to elaborate more on why the Ice Climbers USUALLY, 
but not NEVER able to L-cancel. OK, I played a vs. match, and I deliberately 
dropped off the western edge of the cliff in the stage. I performed down 
+ A when the Ice Climbers were at the same height of the ledge. I waited 
for a while, and it took a considerable amount of time before the Ice 
Climbers return to their neutral position so that I can press the R button. 
By that time, the Ice Climbers were at the same height of the lower edge. 
Now, as you can see, the drop distance is rather long here, and that if 
you do not like your Ice Climbers to drop that far down, you usually will 
not get a chance to perform this maneuver. This is dependent on your playing 
style. IF you like long drops with this move, then you usually CAN L-cancel.

Strategy:
I would be very careful if you use this move. The enemy will not be stunned 
when hit by this move, and they can just get up and continue to attack 
you right after impact. So get ready to roll out of the way right after 
the attack, or else, you may be exposed to a big combo from your opponent.

Horizontal Air Attack:
Attack: Airborne Hammer Pound (Meteor Attack)
The Ice Climbers will pound the ground with their hammers, both of them 
at once. Boy, and are they really determined this time! You know what it 
is like to be pounded from above? You get slammed down hard! This is why 
it is a Meteor Attack. Boy, I guess the two sexes are really equal here, 
both Popo and Nana can deal up to 10% damage at once, and this contributes 
to a whopping 20% for a horizontal airborne attack. Superb!

Strategy:
This move has a high tendency of sending people on the ground into the 
air, so land immediately and perform any upward attacks to continue with 
your assault. You can always perform some juggling with this move, as the 
hit enemy usually will fly vertically upwards when hit.

Besides, once you throw an enemy forward, try to intercept his/her body 
and perform a horizontal air attack, slamming him/her down to the ground 
again. This is an excellent set up to use if you want to finish the enemy 
off with a downward hammer spin.

You can edge guard with this move by jumping off, performing an airborne 
hammer pound to pound the enemy downwards if you like. Just make sure you 
will be able to recover and get back on to the ledge, or else.

You can also jump, and perform this move after you have went forward a 
short distance. (Short hopping)

------------------------
e. Smash Attacks [IC4E]
------------------------
Upward Smash Attack:
Attack: Upward Hammer Smash
The Ice Climbers will aim upwards into the air, as if they are trying to 
hit some fly there, and then they will spring up into the air and smash 
the enemy above with their hammers! For this attack, the boy hurts more 
than the girl, as Popo can deal up to 15% damage, while Nana deals up to 
13%, making up a total of 28% damage! Always remember, two smash hits at 
once are always better than one!

Strategy:
This attack can hit enemies even if they are on the ground. Make sure that 
they are close enough. In multiplayer mode, you can use this move much 
easier if you simply tilt the C-stick upwards. This makes a good juggling 
move for certain characters like Fox or Zelda. Follow them around and always 
strike first.

Downward Smash Attack:
Attack: Downward Hammer Spin
The Ice Climbers, being kids, like to play games. For this move, they will 
play Merry-Go-Round the Mulberry Bush, except they are taking their hammers 
with them! The hammers are stuck out while they turn around, so anyone 
around them will be damaged. Again, the boy has more strength than the 
girl here. Popo can deal up to 17% damage while Nana can deal up to 14% 
with this attack, making up to a massive 31% damage! This really shows 
that Popo can take care of himself even when his girlfriend has been knocked 
out! Ha ha ha!

Strategy:
I would suggest performing a combo which consists of 4 Low Hammer Sweeps 
in a row, and then following up with a Downward Smash Attack. The enemy 
(particularly if they are human) probably will not be able to move 
regardless of how hard they struggle or air dodge. If they do air dodge, 
pause for a moment before you continue. (The CPU reacts much faster than 
humans, I think.) The larger the target, the easier it is for the Ice 
Climbers to pull it off.

Cool Tip! Edge Guard and Edge Hog All in One
You can also edge guard with this move, as you can simply hit people 360 
degrees around you. First, move the Ice Climbers to the edge, with their 
backs facing the edge. Then, press R, and then tap down on the Control 
Stick to do a dodge on the spot. Then as soon as it is over, tap Down + 
A. Nana will begin to charge the downward hammer spin. At the same time, 
hold A and tap Y and then press L + (diagonal direction towards edge) on 
the control stick. Popo will air dodge there (with him facing the edge). 
Tilt the control stick in the direction of the drop, still holding A to 
send Popo over the edge, and as soon as he is facing the edge, release 
A. Nana swings her hammer, blocking the area above the edge, while Popo 
grabs the edge, preventing people from recovering from below.

But be aware of people who can counter your attacks, or any high jumpers 
out there.

Horizontal Smash Attack:
Attack: Hammer Smash
The Ice Climbers will use their hammers to smash their enemies. As simple 
as that. They swing their hammers at such a large angle that even the enemies 
jumping above can get hit. This is just the Ice Climbers' ultimate example 
of their brute force. Again, boys are better than dealing damage than girls, 
as Popo will deal up to 19% damage, while Nana deals up to 17%. So, they 
can deal up to a total of 36% damage! This does not matter how far they 
are from the enemy, so treat this as a bonus. Let's all get smashed!

Strategy:
If you jump down from above onto an opponent, he/she may be on the alert, 
waiting for you in order to smash you or hurt you in anyway from below. 
However, there is a way that you can even make formerly slow and rugged 
attacks like the Hammer Smash to be much more cunning than ever! To do 
this, drop down to you opponent, and before you are in contact with him/her, 
perform a diagonally downward air dodge on the enemy (in the direction 
on the enemy, or do it so they end up behind his/her back), and then tilt 
the control stick in the direction of your enemy. As soon as Popo and Nana 
touch the ground, immediately tilt the C-stick in the direction of your 
opponent, and the Ice Climbers will immediately smash their hammers at 
the surprised opponent! This is even better if you can catch them off guard 
from behind! Note that this move works only in vs. Mode, as the C-Stick 
is used to zoom in and out in the 1-P mode. 

Finally, even if Nana is down, the damage is halved, but the impact force 
won't be changed. Popo's smash can deal up to 19% damage on his own, and 
can still be lethal provided the enemy has enough damage.

Cool Tip! Alternating Edge Guard
The Hammer Smash is also very good at edge guarding. Due to the fact that 
Popo and Nana will swing their hammers in 90 degrees from above their head 
to the ground, most people trying to jump back on the stage from the above 
can be stopped. To maximize its effect, desync and alternate the smashes 
with other moves like Ice Shot or Blizzard. So are any opponents that are 
jumping horizontally towards you. If they are coming from below, consider 
having Nana perform a Blizzard on the enemy while Popo smashes him/her 
away while he/she is held up, or use the strategy with the downward hammer 
spin as stated above.

Besides, if an enemy has a high damage and is attempting to return to the 
stage, press R to hold up your shield, and then A to grab him/her. Then 
immediately tap the C-stick to the direction you want the enemy to fly 
in. (That is, back off the stage.)

--------------------------
f. Special Attacks [IC4F]
--------------------------
Standard B Attack: Ice Shot
Type of Attack: Ballistic Attack, Physical Attack, Disabling Move
The Ice Climbers will release two small pieces of ice that can slide along 
the terrain towards the enemy, dealing up to 5% per icicle. Of course, 
as they are sliding across the terrain, you would have a better chance 
of hitting the opponent if you are attacking from the top of a slope. That 
is not all, if the enemy is close enough to the Ice Climbers, he/she can 
also be hit by their hammers, as a result, up to 26% damage can be dealt, 
and they can be knocked out if they have had enough damage. You should 
be able to hit the enemies like this without trouble if they are falling 
towards you. Happy juggling! Another thing to note is that if the enemy 
has had enough damage, he/she can be temporarily frozen!

When you see someone trying to perform a recovery move from below, have 
the Ice Climbers perform an Ice Shot off the edge of that cliff. The two 
icicles will knock the foe downwards, requiring him to perform another 
recovery again. You can hence edge guard with this move, performing Ice 
Shots repeatedly until the enemy is well beyond recovery. (Or use it on 
the opponent's air jump.)

Cool Tip! Doubling Rate of Fire
To increase the rate of fire of this move, desync the Ice Climbers. Perform 
a spot dodge and hold the B button before it is finished. Nana will send 
out an icicle. At this moment start tapping the B button, and a continuous 
stream of icicles can be made. Good for edge guarding.

Horizontal B Attack: Squall Hammer
Type of Attack: Physical Attack, Recovery Move
The Ice Climbers will play Merry-Go-Round the Mulberry Bush again with 
this move. This time, they will spin around on the ground. Anything that 
gets in the way will be dealt several blows. If you intend to use this 
move to damage the enemy, you should release the control stick as soon 
as the enemy starts to be hit, and then Popo and Nana will spin in place 
and can deal up to 24% damage to the enemy. Otherwise, tilt the control 
stick in the direction you want to go if you want to ploy through them. 
If Popo is alone, this move can be used as a second recovery move. Just 
keep tapping B and Popo can gain a little altitude, much like a helicopter 
as he spins towards the stage. Therefore, even if your girlfriend is down, 
don't give up!

Up B Move: Belay
Type of Attack: Vertical Attack, Recovery Move
Belaying is actually an action where two mountain climbers join together 
by a rope, so the one above can support the weight of the one below for 
safety. But for the Ice Climbers, it is another thing. Popo will throw 
Nana up, which attacks enemies above and then hurl Popo up after her. This 
covers a lot of vertical distance and horizontal distance, and so you should 
keep the two together at all costs. This move makes a good finishing move 
if someone is above you and has high damage. Whenever the Ice Climbers 
are belaying, do not mess with Nana or you would be in trouble!

Down B Move: Blizzard
Type of Attack: Ballistic, Disabling Move
The Ice Climbers will release a gush of snow with this move. If both are 
together, then Popo and Nana will blow out snow on opposite directions. 
If you want both Ice Climbers to blow snow in both directions, jump and 
press B while holding down on the control stick. Then Popo and Nana will 
concentrate on the direction they are facing. This move deals progressive 
damage, at higher damages, the Ice Climbers can also freeze enemies in 
for a second, allowing them to follow up with a more powerful move.

A good thing about this move is that it can stop many charging attacks 
dead in their tracks. Let's say Captain Falcon is trying to come to you 
through a Raptor Boost, and if you perform a Blizzard Move, he will be 
stopped in mid charge, allowing you to move in and counter attack. The 
Blizzard is also capable of stopping most recovery moves.

To be more precise, this move can hold up an enemy while they are trying 
to recover back to the stage, so this makes it a good edge guarding move. 
While you spot the enemy performing the Up B recovery move, press down 
B when they are within range, and the enemy will be held in place for a 
short while, allowing the Ice Climbers to follow up with a hammer smash 
on them, send them away from the stage again. (have Nana and Popo attack 
alternatively, with Nana doing the Blizzard while Popo smashes.)

Cool Tip! Ice Shielding
Another way is to roll towards you enemy, and then having Nana only 
performing the Blizzard. Then, the move can be served as a shield that 
can block the enemies' incoming attacks, allowing you to do whatever you 
want to do with them. You can edge guard with this tactic too. While Nana 
blows the cold air out, holding the enemy, have Popo smash him/her back 
out there.

Cool Tip! Freeing your boyfriend
If Popo has been grabbed by the enemy, and Nana is right beside him, have 
Popo's girlfriend do a Blizzard on the grabbing. Not only can Popo break 
free from the grab, the enemy will be stunned by the wind, and hence they 
will be vulnerable to the Ice Climber's grabbing.

------------------------------
g. Rules of Engagement [IC4G]
------------------------------
This section will tell you what to do against all the other 24 characters 
in the game if you play as the Ice Climbers. Different characters have 
different properties, and hence, different rules of engagement are needed 
to deal with them. Some people even will bother dividing different 
characters into different "tiers", and state which ones are more likely 
to win when two equally skilled players clash in a match. But still, if 
this is so, why would anyone play as someone in the lower tiers? Therefore, 
tiers are pointless, and as long as someone has the skill at using a 
character, he can eventually win.

----------------
General Tactics
----------------
Beware of Counter Attacks: There are a total of three characters who can 
counter the Ice Climber's attack. They are Peach, Marth and Roy.

If you deliver a fully charged hammer smash (19+17=36%) and he 	counters 
it you will be attacked by him but the attack will be 1.5 times what it 
originally was (54%). To avoid Peach from countering you attack from behind 
her, or just grab her altogether so that she cannot retaliate. Also for 
Marth and Roy make sure they don't have a chance to counter you when you 
deliver a powerful blow, also if an opponent playing as Marth or Roy is 
falling down towards you chances are they will use their counter so don't 
use an upward hammer smash. Consider grab them with or without the shield 
if they do try using the counter move.

Against fast characters: When facing fast characters who dodge a lot, you 
can consider hitting them with a downward hammer spin, Blizzard or Squall 
Hammer, all of these have a great area effect, and is bound to connect. 
Then grab them and have fun. 

Against fast falling characters: Characters like Fox and Falco fall very 
fast. They are also rather lightweight. If you can grab them near the edge, 
smash them horizontally, and the more damaged they are the further they 
fall, and the less time they have to recover.

Against other Ice Climbers: Get their 2nd Ice climber our first and early 
to make their attacks less effective.

The Ice Climbers have a very high Belay recovery move, and hence it won't 
be easy for people to edge guard you. But still, the two will be separated 
for a while after the jump, therefore, you should get back on your feet 
and regroup as soon as possible.

To edge guard against enemies coming from above, alternate hammer smashes 
with projectiles on the edge. To edge guard against enemies coming from 
below or at the same height, have Nana edge guard with a downward hammer 
spin while Popo edge hogs. (See above.)

----------------
Cunning Tactics
----------------
A lot of people have the bad impression that the Ice Climbers are very 
bad characters in the game, particularly after they have beaten computer 
controlled opponents or human players who cannot make use of the Ice 
Climbers' sterling properties. Here is your chance to use your own cunning 
to exploit this underestimation, and to prove them wrong. This is also 
known as a stagger tactic.

Many people love to underestimate the versatility of the two Ice Climbers 
due to them having two people working in a team. Some people will just 
dodge or shield prematurely. So, what do you do? The character is helpless 
for a brief moment before he/she touches the ground, and that is when you 
can take him/her by surprise.

For instance, you can deliberate attack slower than you already do. Wait 
for him/her to finish with the dodge, then attack. The best way to do it 
is to hold the A button to charge your hammer smash, then the attack can 
be timed correctly. This is also important if you face characters like 
Fox, Falco, Peach, Zelda, Marth and Roy, as they all have attacks that 
can reflect your hits to yourself.

On the other hand, if you can alternate the two Ice Climber's attack, you 
can take the opponents' defenses by surprise. Let's say he/she puts up 
a shield, and blocks Popo's hit, thinking that it is over, and opens his 
shield. Immediately after he/she released the shield, Nana comes forward 
and attacks. Then, he will be taken by surprise, and you know the rest. 
You can also combine an airborne blizzard with a grab.

Another thing that people will do is to forget about Nana's presence. The 
supporting Ice Climber's parka is lighter in color than that of the main 
character, and sometimes can help him/her blend in with the surroundings, 
preventing people from noticing her. (This is particularly true if the 
background color has low contrast with Nana. That's the problem of the 
human eye, after all, a person can focus on one thing at a time while the 
others appear to be blurred.)

If your opponent is focusing on Popo, while Nana is slightly away, you 
can just let Nana hit the enemy a couple of times while they regroup. All 
grabs, no matter normal grabs or shield grabs can be breached if Nana blows 
Blizzard into the enemy as soon as Popo is being grabbed.

Many people just like to wait for Popo and Nana to drop from the sky so 
that they can juggle them. They are in for a surprise if you wavedash to 
the left or right from him just before you are within range, and he has 
just released the attack. This can also help penetrate his air defense.

---------------------
Character Strategies 
---------------------
Mario: (And Dr. Mario)
If you play against Mario, you are up against the most average player in 
the game, which means that he has a wide range of attacks that are 
considerably effective.

Speaking of close quarters combat, do not be that close to Mario, and 
maintain the distance of one character's width. Otherwise, he can just 
turn you around with a Cape or simply perform a Mario Tornado on you, and 
will potentially separate Popo and Nana. That is what Blizzard is for. 
If you hold the control stick in the direction you are going, the Ice 
Climbers should be able to turn back right after they are turned. It is 
possible to have only turn back if you charge at Mario while the two Ice 
Climbers are alternating, as one will be behind the other at most times.

One thing to note about Mario is that his yee-haw horizontal punch is a 
very good move to finish the Ice Climbers off, so make sure that Nana is 
not distracted by anyone else while Popo is being guarded, or else.

Then you can grab and start tormenting Mario. If he does try to come back 
onto the stage using a Super Jump Punch, you can also perform a Blizzard, 
grab him, and smash him back to where he came from. However, it takes very 
precise timing as the jump punch has a higher priority than most attacks 
and is hard to intercept.

Luigi:
If you are up against a not so good Luigi player, he would be rather sluggish, 
and would not be hard to beat. On the other hand, if put to good use, Luigi 
can become extremely versatile. He can wavedash just as quickly as the 
Ice Climbers, and his horizontal air attack is different from Mario's in 
the respect that it is executed instantly after the pressing of the A-button, 
which means that you have to be hit without any warning. Therefore, Luigi 
can have a decent advantage in the air due to all this.

As with Mario, do not get up close face to face with Luigi. His Super Jump 
Punch will become the Fire Jump Punch once you are up close. It is very 
powerful at that point, and it will be guaranteed to send Popo to the moon 
if he has had enough damage. That is what their hammers are for.

Luigi is quite easy to edge guard. He has two recovery moves, and both 
of them are one way recovery moves, that is that either gain horizontal 
or vertical distance. To be more precise, his Green Missile gains 
horizontal distance, while the Super Jump Punch gains vertical distance. 
You can always airborne hammer pound him into submission. If he is coming 
from above, wait for him to drop down, and then swat the green fly into 
the sky with an Upward Hammer Smash.

Yoshi:
The Ice Climbers are now going to be up against Yoshi, the dinosaur of 
Nintendo. As in past games, many opponents love to use Yoshi's Egg Lay 
or simply grab you with his tongue. The good thing is that even if Popo 
is grabbed, Nana will still be free. In that case, you can just press Down 
+ B for Nana to do a Blizzard on Yoshi, and can stun him, holding him up 
while Popo breaks free. Then, the initiative will be the Ice Climbers' 
and they can just counter grab Yoshi and start abusing the dinosaur.

Players who play as Yoshi just love to use his airborne foot drill, or 
his downward air attack. You can counter this with the Ice Climbers' long 
hammers by performing your own upward Nammer Poke at him, or, if you do 
not want to risk it, perform a Belay, and let Nana hit Yoshi in the air. 

Another weakness with Yoshi is that he only has a double jump, but not 
a triple jump. This can be an advantage to Yoshi, as he can increase his 
range with DJC canceling, and his second jump is rather resistant to impact 
forces. Therefore, it may be easy for him to jump through your defenses 
and catch you off guard. On the other hand, if you send Yoshi way below 
the stage, you can just edge guard by hurling Ice Shots down at Yoshi, 
and this will keep him down. Otherwise, wait for him to spring up and do 
a Blizzard. You will then know what to do. This is just one of the ways 
to edge guard.

Peach:
The Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach Toadstool is not 
really a big threat to the Ice Climbers. Princess Peach does not have any 
decent ballistic attacks, and sometimes, the Ice Climbers can just catch 
the vegetables that she throws at you and hurl them back. Besides, Peach 
cannot use that move if she already has an item in her hand. Therefore, 
you can always feel free to charge or wavedash and Peach to attack her. 

Peach herself is a lightweight, and hence she can be quite versatile. A 
lot of her moves, like her air attacks and downward smash attacks have 
great speed and priority. Her downward spin kick, in particular, as a 
similar horizontal radius as the low hammer spin, and they have a tendency 
to cancel each other out.

One of the things to be aware of is her floating abilities, due to her 
float canceling, she can be quite versatile in the mid air. If she floats 
down to you with a Peach Parasol, you can simply let her drop down and 
smash her. Just don't let the tip of the Parasol hurt you.

On the other hand, some people would simply drop below the Ice Climbers, 
and surprise them by stabbing them from below. If you are standing on those 
ledges that can be jumped through (Like those in the Rainbow Cruise stage), 
be prepared to roll out of the way, and be prepared to jump back forward 
and slam her down with an airborne hammer slam.

Bowser:
The Ice Climbers are much more versatile when compared to the King of the 
Koopas, Bowser. Bowser's attacks are have lags and delays, but they do 
pack a punch, and by simply L-cancelling, they can be shortened. Most people 
would try to use the Fire Breath on you as soon as you get close. This 
is rather hard to dodge, therefore, you should jump up with the Ice Climbers 
and then perform a airborne hammer pound of Bowser in case this happens. 
The element of surprise is essential here, or you can find your damage 
racking up very quickly. Make use of maneuvers like the wave dash and give 
Bowser all sorts of surprises. You should be happy that the downward strong 
attacks work very effectively on Bowser, and can keep him down for a 
considerable amount of time while you follow up with a Blizzard combo. 
Then, you can grab him and hurt him some more.

When engaging Bowser in the air, timing is very important when you are 
directly below him. Most people love to use the Bowser Bomb. If you go 
up after him, you should perform an upward hammer poke at Bowser just so 
that the tip of the hammer strikes Bowser's bum. Then, the Ice Climbers 
should not take any damage while Bowser is sent soaring high.

Finally, Bowser's recovery move, whirling fortress is not so hard to edge 
guard. Some Blizzard will be all you need.

Donkey Kong:
D.K.! Donkey Kong! D.K.! Donkey Kong is here! The good thing is that, the 
Ice Climbers are not like Mr. Freeze, they can wear their cute parkas out 
to the hot jungle without suffering from a heat stroke! Anyway, Donkey 
Kong is just as stubborn and slow as Bowser, and the same rules of engagement 
can apply to him. Donkey Kong can easily repel the Ice Climbers with his 
fists if Popo and Nana charge at him directly, and Squall Hammers are easily 
cancelled out. Due to his large hands, he can protect himself quite well 
against enemies in the air, and his arms are longer than the Ice Climbers' 
hammers. However, if you see him winding up for the Giant Punch, you are 
in for a treat. You can easily wave dash or jump behind him and hit him 
with Blizzard while his back is turned, and then you can start grabbing 
him and torturing him. Speed is essential here, as once they see you coming, 
they are likely to stop run and wavedash. If they do you must follow them 
to their landing zone. On the other hand, Donkey Kong's lack of projectiles 
can be exploited. The only projectile attack that is the Ice Shot, and 
that can be used to cover Popo and Nana as they move close for more 
maneuvers.

On the other hand, Donkey Kong's air attacks are not much of a threat to 
the Ice Climbers due to their lower priorities. Just remember to time your 
attacks so that only the hammers can come in contact with Donkey Kong, 
and you will be fine. However, Donkey Kong's Spinning Kong recovery move 
is rather difficult to stop due to its very high priority, and can sometimes 
tear through your Blizzard, so I would suggest smashing him after Donkey 
Kong has landed on the ground. Otherwise, jump out at him and attack him 
with an airborne hammer pound before he can even start the move. (Belay 
back ASAP.)

Captain Falcon:
Captain Falcon has got to be one of the Ice Climbers' worst nightmares. 
He is so versatile, so that he can easily outsmart both Popo and Nana at 
the same time. The best rule of engagement is to be more cunning than Captain 
Falcon himself. (The Ice Climbers are quite versatile themselves.) Captain 
Falcon is very fast, but at the same time, he has just too much momentum 
in him due to his mass. (Momentum = mass x velocity), therefore, he can 
easily overshoot his mark and make himself vulnerable. For instance, he 
charges forward so fast, and yet he will slip forward a bit when you stop, 
making him up for grabs at that particular moment.

Captain Falcon can be tricky in the air, as he has up to two moves that 
can slam the Ice Climbers down on to the ground. To be precise, they are 
is downward and horizontal air attacks. Therefore, you should always take 
advantage of the length of the Ice Climbers' hammers to poke Captain Falcon 
before he can come in contact with the Ice Climbers' bodies. Most of the 
time, the Ice Climbers' hit will connect, while Captain Falcon will be 
knocked back. Also watch out for the Raptor Boosts in mid air, because 
they also have the effect of a meteor attack.

As for Captain Falcon's recovery move, one should put up a shield and grab 
him as he comes up, as the Falcon Dive can easily grab Popo and hurl him 
away from the edge, ruining your edge guard. With the shield up, you can 
grab Captain Falcon more easily and smash throw him back.

Fox (or Falco):
You are now up against the members of the Starfox intergalactic patrol 
team. Fox is a lot like Captain Falcon, with his versatility. The good 
thing is that Fox's Blaster will only damage, not stun the Ice Climbers, 
while Falco's will. Fox fires faster than Falco though. You should also 
be aware of Fox's kicking combo, as well as his charging Smash Attack. 
To intercept his Fox Illusion, you can simply use the Blizzard move to 
hold him up, and then grab him as you please. His reflector cannot reflect 
the Ice Shots back very far away from Fox, so there is no need to worry 
if you want to hit Fox with your Ice Shots. But use Blizzard with caution. 
Besides, the reflector reflects projectiles only, so, if anyone attempts 
a combo with the reflector, you can easily hit him with your long hammers 
long before you are touched.

Fox's air attacks are nothing so special, just the usual assortment of 
kicks, but his downward kick can drill through your Ice Climbers if you 
do not pay attention, so be careful. But still, Fox really is not much 
of a threat when compared with the Ice Climbers. Just juggle and juggle 
with your hammers, as if the two are playing those games with a ball tied 
to a racquet with a string, and try to keep Fox flying at a low altitude 
so you can follow him. (He is rather light, you can knock him out with 
a well placed upward hammer smash with him having about 85% damage.)

It is rather difficult to edge guard against Fox, as his Fire Fox recovery 
move gives him a lot of momentum in the air, and he can easily penetrate 
your Blizzard. Therefore, a sensible method will be to wait for him to 
land (He still cannot control himself yet.) and smash him back to where 
he belongs. (The usually Blizzard grab tricks apply again.) If you have 
the timing, charge a hammer smash, and let go of the A button the moment 
he is just within range.

Samus:
Samus is one tough customer. Although she is not as versatile as Fox or 
Captain Falcon, her various ballistic attacks can be a big threat on the 
playing field. But still, she is more vulnerable when she is charging her 
Charge Shot. That's when you can attack. Samus' grab is a big threat to 
the Ice Climbers due to its range. But do not give up. Once Popo is grabbed, 
let Nana come close to Samus and press Down + B. Nana will let out a Blizzard, 
freeing Popo and allow you to counter grab Samus. Another annoyance the 
Ice Climbers will face while facing Samus is that many people like to fire 
missiles at you repeatedly (spamming), and that can prove difficult to 
block as the Ice Climbers. Therefore, you should wave dash at Soapy Sam.

At close quarters, Samus has a disadvantage is that her normal A attack 
does not hit rapidly enough. You can hence roll towards Samus and start 
tapping A like mad, as then the Ice Climbers can hit her alternately, with 
twice the initial rate of swinging. Mix in some Blizzard and Ice Shots 
with the alternations, and then grab.

Samus may be a big threat in the air due to her down + A air attack, in 
which she uses her cannon to hit your Ice Climbers down. But you can always 
fight back with the airborne hammer poke upwards, and she can be knocked 
considerably upwards, you can use this to finish Samus too, as she is medium 
weight at best. When the Ice Climbers and Samus meet head to head in the 
air, the same concepts of Texas shoot outs apply, as you should always 
slam Samus with your hammer before she can send out a barrage of blasts.

At the same time, it seems that Samus cannot really defend herself well 
from attacks from above while on the ground, and this is one of the areas 
to be exploited. Either land and perform a Blizzard with both Ice Climbers 
facing the same way, or use the airborne hammer pound. It should just out 
reach her cannon barrage.

Samus' Screw Attack recovery move is easy to stop. Having attacked, Samus 
will continue to be coiled up in a ball, and that leaves her vulnerable 
to a Smash Attack before she lands. So, this is how the Ice Climbers should 
edge guard against Samus.

Link:
Link also has an absolute advantage over the Ice Climbers when on the ground. 
After all, Link's master sword is way longer than the hammers of the Ice 
Climbers. Fortunately, Link does not run any faster than the Ice Climbers, 
therefore, the Ice Climbers' cunning is going to help them a lot. Another 
thing to be aware of is Link's grab. His Hookshot can grab you on the ground, 
but only damage if you are in the air. Then you can jump forwards for a 
short distance, and then perform a Blizzard. In this way, both Popo and 
Nana will chill out in the same direction, doubling its effect.

Whenever you are grabbed happens, have Nana come close, and then perform 
a Blizzard to set Popo free, and then you two can counterattack. Make him 
pay. On the other hand, if Link ever fails to grab Popo with his hookshot, 
he would have to pause for a second to withdraw the cord. That's when you 
can swoop in, and do what you want with him. (Say, grabbing or smashing.)

Whenever he uses a bow or boomerang, use a shield or what not to block 
them. If Link misses with his boomerang, he has to wait until it has vanished 
before he can use it again.

Link also has the absolute advantage over the Ice Climbers when in the 
air. He has a higher priority with his upward and downward air attacks, 
as his sword is so long. However, the Ice Climbers do have the advantage 
when they are attacking horizontally, as their hammers hit further than 
Link can kick. In the event of Link approaching from above or below, it's 
a matter of reaction time. Attack faster than Link does, and you should 
be able to have the higher priority.

Link's Spin Attack is rather easy to stop. Just drop some Ice Shots down 
at Link as he attempts to come up, and he would be knocked downwards again. 
IF he is coming from above, let him drop, greet him with a Blizzard, then 
grab him, and smash throw him back or up and away. (By tilting the C-Stick 
upwards.)

Young Link is different from Link, and has his own unique properties in 
spite of him being a clone.

Zelda/Sheik:
The Ice Climbers are now up against the split personality of Zelda/Sheik. 
Zelda is less versatile than Sheik, and is more vulnerable in that stage. 
The only thing that you should aware of is that Zelda's downward strong 
attack can jam the Ice Climbers in the same position for a period of time. 
So, when you run towards Zelda, consider shoulder nudging her into the 
air, as Zelda is rather lightweight.

You should be particularly aware of Zelda's horizontal and backwards air 
attack. They are capable of knocking out the Ice Climbers at about 100%. 
Therefore, you should try to stay beneath Zelda when she is in the air, 
then you can simply juggle her around with the hammers. On the other hand, 
be aware of shuffled attacks, as they can hit you while you are just 
preparing your air defenses.

Sheik is another story. She is much faster and flexible than when compared 
with Zelda. Her needle storm is very annoying and at a range. The good 
thing is that Sheik is still just as lightweight, and her attacks do not 
have a greater priority than the Ice Climbers. Therefore, you can always 
consider keeping her at close range when fighting her, and then she can 
have less space to maneuver.

Zelda and Shiek both have their respective teleporting Recovery Moves, 
with Zelda having the further one. It is much easier to predict where Sheik 
will land than when Zelda will land. But still, as their controls will 
freeze up until they touch the ground, you can easily hold them back with 
a Blizzard or just smash them back off the stage. Besides, people playing 
as Sheik may consider transforming back to Zelda to take advantage of the 
further ranged Fayore's Wind. Of course, once she appears, there is no 
stopping you from running after her and exploit her vulnerabilities.

Kirby:
Kirby is one of the super-duper lightweight characters in the game, and 
he is also very easy for the Ice Climbers to deal with. Kirby likes to 
swallow the Ice Climbers to steal his Ice Shot. The good thing is that 
he can only swallow one of the Ice Climbers at once. Therefore, you can 
counter attack by having Nana hit Kirby while Popo is inside him. 

On the ground, Kirby has a cutting move at close range, he also can charge 
at your characters in a fireball, but that can be stopped with a Blizzard, 
or simply a Hammer Smash. Kirby's moves do have as much horizontal range 
than the Ice Climbers. Besides, he just lacks impact force, so don't expect 
to be knocked back too far away if you are hit.

If Kirby every tries to smash charge your characters, roll out of the way 
quickly and then you maybe able to desynch the two Ice Climbers and then 
follow up with an alternating combo on Kirby.

Practically all of Kirby's air moves are body combat moves, and therefore, 
the Ice Climbers can usually outsmart Kirby. However, Kirby's hammer move 
is still something to be avoided, as Kirby would spin like a ferris wheel 
with the Hammer if he does that trick. On the other hand, if you hear the 
sound of Kirby hardening, you should respond with an upward hammer poke 
from below, as Kirby is going to use his Stone attack to squish the Ice 
Climbers. If you can do it quickly enough (before Kirby has completely 
hardened), the attack can be stopped. Otherwise, just roll out of the way, 
and let him land, then release a Smash Attack the instant Kirby softens.

To edge guard Kirby, do it a distance from a stage. Your opponent may cause 
Kirby to use his final cutter as a protective measure against you, so if 
Kirby is at a length of two characters away, start using Blizzard. If he 
is coming from below, use the Ice Shot against him. In spite of having 
a quintuple jump, Kirby floats ever so slowly towards the stage, so it 
will not be hard to anticipate him.

Pikachu (or Pichu):
Many lightweight characters are no match for the Ice Climbers, and Pikachu 
is not an exception. Things to pay attention to when facing Pikachu 
including his upward rolling kick smash attack. Pikachu players may 
sometimes kick the Ice Climbers upwards, and then follow up with a Thunder 
attack. This attack has the ability to knock out the Ice Climbers at 
relatively low damage percentages. So, try not to fall directly onto 
Pikachu or get within touching distance of them.

When engaging Pikachu from above, make sure that there is something 
covering the Ice Climbers from above, as most players will use Thunder 
on the Ice Climbers to knock them away, and the presence of a roof or ledge 
of any kind will block the bolts from hitting the Ice Climbers. The Thunder 
move also has a long recovery time, and hence you will be in for a treat 
if you can dodge the Thunder.

On the other hand, most of Pikachu's physical attacks have a shorter range 
than the Ice Climbers. Decent ranged attacks to deal with Pikachu include 
the hammer smash, and the airborne hammer pound. Both are capable of 
outranging Pikachu.

It is rather difficult to edge guard against Pikachu. Pikachu's recovery 
move is so fast and precise, that usually no one can stop him in mid-flight. 
Your best bet would be to wait for Pikachu at his landing zone and then 
grabbing him by the neck. Otherwise, you will have to time just so well 
that the hammers hit just as the Quick Attack passes in front of the Ice 
Climbers.

Pikachu players, on the other hand will attempt to edge guard the Ice 
Climbers with his rather high up Thunder attack. Fortunately, the Ice 
Climbers' Belay can usually go even higher than the thundercloud. If you 
do not want to risk it, simply grab the edge when recovering.

Ness:
We are now in a scenario where kids beat the life out of each other. On 
the ground, the Ice Climbers definitely have a longer range than Ness with 
their hammers, and therefore you can fight a close quarters battle with 
Ness. On the other hand, Ness' Gutsy Bat is just as long as the Ice Climbers' 
hammers, and also has considerable impact force. Fortunately, the Ice 
Climbers' can easily cancel out the bat. You can attempt to alternate Smash 
Attacks, so that the bat and the first hammer cancel each other out, while 
the second hammer hits Ness.

I will not recommend using Blizzard by itself here, as Ness will simply 
absorb the cold air into health with his PSI Magnet. Therefore, you must 
grab Ness beforehand.

Ness' threats in the air include his shuffled psychokinetic electric push, 
his backwards kick and his neutral spinning punch. They happen so fast, 
and without warning, and can pose a nasty shock (literally) in a short 
instant. Therefore, has a human being, you may have to react faster by 
releasing your attacks prematurely, as if you can foresee them doing those 
tricks, otherwise, initiative will be lost to Ness.  

To edge guard Ness, you must act quickly, if Ness is attempting a PK Thunder 
at range, use Blizzard to stop him, and Ness' controls will freeze up, 
causing him to fall to his doom. Once the thunder bolt hits his bum, there 
really is no stopping Ness until he slows down. If he is coming from below, 
even simpler, drop a couple of Ice Shots on his head and he will fall down 
fast. If you are daring, jump towards the thunderbolt and let it hit you. 
Now, Ness' controls will be locked up for sure, and he can say goodbye 
to you for sure. On the other hand, Ness is hopeless when he is inside 
a narrow pit, so that's where you can consider knocking him into.

Jigglypuff:
A bonus the Ice Climbers have when facing Jigglypuff is that due to their 
relatively small sizes, the rest move seldom has any effect on Popo and/or 
Nana.

Otherwise, she is not very hard to knock out due to her having a similar 
weight as Kirby. One of the moves that you should be aware of are her 
horizontal and backward air attacks. She has the ability to use that 
backward kicking repeatedly that some people will just dub them the wall 
of pain. But still, you can easily hit through those leg attacks if you 
smash your hammers out at the right moment. This is why timing is important.

Jigglypuff, like Kirby has a quintuple jump. She can jump rather high into 
the air in this respect, and so to edge guard against a Jigglypuff, you 
should not stay on the ground. Let her jump a couple of times, slow down, 
then jump out to meet her with an Airborne Hammer Pound, knocking her 
downwards. Just trap her in a brawl and you will do fine.

Mewtwo:
In the hands of a skilled player, Mewtwo can be even more cunning and fast 
than the Ice Climbers. He is rather unpredictable with his dodges and 
teleports, as he disappears, and reappears again, and it is hard for you 
to predict in which direction is Mewtwo going to escape to.

You should also watch out for Mewtwo's grabs. He has a rather long reach, 
and can hold you up with Confusion and Disable. In fact, sometimes, people 
can just grab you at the edge of the screen and throw you out. In that 
case, you should quickly press down + B and have Nana perform a Blizzard 
to set Popo free immediately after he has been grabbed. Then, you may be 
able to counter grab Mewtwo and give him what he deserves.

However, Mewtwo has his own fair share of weaknesses too. He is a big target 
for the Ice Climbers to hit, and he is not so good at attacking upwards. 
Besides, many of his smash attacks do not have a large impact force.

There is no way you can edge guard against Mewtwo, as his just disappears 
and reappears with his Teleport. Therefore, you should just race for 
Mewtwo's landing zone and hit him there.

Mr. Game and Watch:
Being the 2-dimensional matchstick man that he is, this Mr. Game and Watch 
is just plain dull and average. His attacks lack range, besides, he will 
have to repeat that sluggish juggling animation before throwing Popo away, 
so there is plenty of time for Nana to take action and free her boyfriend.

Pay attention to Mr. Game and Watch when he is in mid air. He can shuffle 
all those parachutes, snapping turtles, aerosol sprays, film and keys at 
you, giving you some headache in dealing with all of them.

Besides, his special attacks are highly irregular, with the Judgment move 
having a 11.1% probability of striking number 9. I am sure that his Fire 
recovery move will not be hard to intercept.

There really is nothing so special that Mr. Game and Watch can pull on 
the Ice Climbers. After all, their hammers easily outreach anything that 
he will try to throw at you.

Marth (and Roy):
Marth, with his long sword, is just as a nightmare to the Ice Climbers 
as to Link. He has much longer reach than the Ice Climbers, and can easily 
keep them at bay on the ground. His moves also have quite a lot of impact 
force, and can often cancel or simply cut clean through the Ice Climbers' 
hammers. Therefore, you should anticipate his moves and preemptively 
attack him. Or distract him with your Ice Shots so that you can get close. 
Wavedashing is another good idea to move in fast.

Some players may simply play trench warfare with the Ice Climbers and 
attempt to keep you away, this is yet another time where items and 
projectiles can be of great help. Whenever Marth attempts to Counter, you 
should simply grab him before you smash him, then it can be ensured that 
he cannot reflect the damage to you. Otherwise, charge the hammer smash 
for a second until Marth stops glowing. Then strike.

Whenever you manage to knock Marth far off the stage, he will just attempt 
to shorten the distance first by a couple of horizontal B special attacks. 
It also lowers his height. Then, he will use his Up B recovery move, which 
is mostly vertical, this proves easy to edge guard as you can have some 
range still left as he has completed the move.

------------------------------------------------
5. Playing 1-P mode with the Ice Climbers [IC5]
------------------------------------------------
This section will help you in using the Ice Climbers in the 1-P Mode. The 
1-P Mode has the Regular Match mode, where you play in the Classic Mode 
or Adventure Mode, and eventually the All-Star Mode, when you have unlocked 
all 25 characters in the game. There is the Event Battle Mode, where you 
have to fight certain specifically designed battles, following certain 
objectives. There is also the Stadium, where you can have Multi-Man Melees, 
Target Tests and the Home Run Contest. Now, let me start with the Classic 
Mode.

-----------------------
a. Classic Mode [IC5A]
-----------------------
So, for Classic Mode, you will basically play through 10 predetermined 
levels before you reach the final boss. This is just like the way the classic 
fighters will be! Get it? OK, let's begin.

Round 1: vs. 1 Character
In this level, you will play against any single unlocked character in the 
game. The enemy has normal aggressiveness, and should not prove too 
difficult for you to beat. There is no fixed strategy for this, really. 
Just be aggressive yourself.

Round 2: vs. 2 Characters with 1 computer player to help you
This is basically a 2 vs. 2 battle. You will have a single computer 
controlled ally to help you, and your goal is to defeat 2 computer players 
allied against you. As we are using the Ice Climbers, it is actually 3 
against 2! That's already an initial tactical advantage. Again, this is 
not so difficult, but you will have to beware of the fact that in harder 
difficulties (Particularly on the VERY HARD Difficulty), your ally is most 
bound to screw up, so you had better do some fighting yourself instead 
of just letting your ally do all the work. After all, you won't have a 
high enough score even if you do win! The length of the battle varies. 
It can be an epic battle, or sometimes, the CPU will just do something 
stupid and get killed in less than 30 seconds.

(To be more precise, I once played against Ness allied with Peach, and 
while I quickly defeated the lightweight Peach, Ness and my ally were too 
busy and got knocked away by a passing car!)

Round 3, Bonus Stage: Break the Targets
This is the first bonus stage of the Classic Mode. You will have to go 
through a specially designed obstacle course and use your attacks to break 
all the targets within 2 minutes. All of the courses are specially designed 
so that you would have to make use of every single feature of your selected 
character. So, you had better master all characters well in order to 
complete the stage in the shortest possible time! If you do manage to break 
all targets, you will be awarded points based on how quickly you have 
completed the level, and you will get the Target Master bonus after beating 
the entire Classic Mode!!

Here is the strategy for the Target Test. Your target will be to finish 
it in fewer than 40 seconds.

---------------
Walkthrough
---------------
It seems that Popo's girlfriend Nana must have been gone shopping or 
something, as she cannot aid him here. You are playing solo here! The target 
to the right should be destroyed with a Squall Hammer move, or you risk 
breaking the ice platform and sending Popo to his doom. Then jump up to 
the brown ledge and destroy the target using another Squall Hammer. Jump 
up and do the same to the target on the blue platform above.

Wait for the cloud to come and jump on it. Then jump on the solid blue 
platform above and break the target there. No need to use Squall Hammers 
anymore, as the platform is solid! Make your way to the top of this stage, 
destroying any targets you find. Take care that the second highest target 
here can be destroyed using an Ice Shot from the solid platform above.

Having reached the top, you will find the final target being carried around 
by a flying bird. When it is close, jump up and use the Squall Hammer to 
make sure you can hit it!

Round 4: vs. 1 Character
In this level, you will play against any single unlocked character in the 
game. The enemy has INCREASED aggressiveness, so always be on your guard 
and react faster than the computer does, or you are bound to find yourself 
chewed up and spat out as soon as the level begins!!

The best thing to do when you are playing as the Ice Climbers is to stand 
your ground, and wait for your opponent to come and attack you. Then, when 
he/she is close, charge up a Smash Attack and hit them with it. Then, you 
can gain the initiative in this battle and can start to brutally mutilate 
your opponent. If you have doubt, you can just resort to item throwing, 
and slowly rack up the enemy's damage and then smashing him/her when it 
is high enough.

Round 5: vs. 1 Giant Character
In this level, you will play against any single unlocked character in the 
game. The only thing is that he/she is a giant! But still, you are free 
to treat this as any single one-on-one match. The good thing is that you 
have 2 allies to help you, the good thing is that you are now playing in 
a team of 4 against one; the bad thing is that the giant character will 
have increased range, weight and attack damage than before!

A good idea would be to consistently perform downward strong attacks on 
the opponent, as he/she is much larger than Popo and Nana. While your allies 
hold the giant at bay, smash him/her.

I noticed that there may be a glitch when I play against Giant Luigi. 
Sometimes, Luigi will try to perform a jump kick at you, but ending 
following into the gap between his starting ledge and your platform, 
leading to an easy win! (This is the chance for you to get the Button Holder 
bonus.)

Round 6, Bonus Stage: Snatch the Trophies!
This is the second bonus stage of the Classic mode. In this level, your 
character is standing on a platform with a basket in the middle. 3 trophies 
will fall down on top of your character. Your job is to knock as many 
trophies as possible into the basket. Is that clear? Any trophies obtained 
will be added to your collection. If you manage to get all 3 trophies into 
the basket, then you will obtain the Collector bonus after you have beaten 
the Classic Mode!

If a trophy is very far away from the basket, have Popo and Nana perform 
a horizontal hammer smash in a outward direction, then, the trophy will 
fly in an inward direction into the basket. If the trophy is close, have 
Popo and Nana perform a vertical smash attack on the trophy in an outward 
direction. It is not very hard to collect all 3 here.

Round 7: vs. 1 Character
In this level, you will play against any single unlocked character in the 
game. The enemy has normal aggressiveness, and has a slightly reduced 
weight! So, this should prove much easier than Round 1. Be brutal, my dear 
climbers!

Round 8: vs. 10 Characters
In this level, you will play against a team of 10 characters of the same 
kind. All characters have reduced weight, and hence you should not have 
any problems with them... if you act quickly enough. Most characters will 
be knocked out with a single Smash Attack, so you must act quickly before 
you are overrun! Otherwise, things will be very difficult!

Some good moves for instant KOs include the Belay (wait for the enemies 
to bunch up before hand), the Hammer Smash and the Shoulder Nudge. If things 
go terribly wrong, resort to Pokeball combat.

Round 9, Bonus Stage: Race to the Finish
This is the third and final bonus stage of the Classic Mode. You will have 
to send your character through any of the exits before the timer runs out. 
The further the exit is, the more points you will get. The furthest exit 
is worth 80000 points! As you go through the obstacle course, you will 
come across a 3 way junction. I suggest you go through the second one for 
all characters as the lava pits there are easy to jump pass. The rest is 
luck, and practice. Enjoy. 52 seconds are really more than enough for the 
Ice Climbers.

Here is the walkthrough for the Race to the Finish stage:
As soon as you start, run forward and drop down the gap. Then keep running 
forward until you reach the door by the wall. Do not go through the door.

Instead, jump up to the platform above and send your Climbers up to the 
right. You will find a gap there. Drop down through the gap. It is a long 
drop, and you will most likely lose Nana here, which is not a big deal. 
Make sure that Popo does not land on any of the platforms, or time will 
be wasted.

As soon as you drop to the bottom, run to the right and jump up the platform. 
You now have to send Popo all the way up to the top of this passage.

When you have reached the top, continue to go right, and beware of that 
big pit there beneath the door. You need to go through the gap above the 
pit, but not into the pit itself.

Having run through the gap, you will come across a 3-way junction. I would 
pick the one in the middle. Popo will arrive at an obstacle course comprised 
of lava pits. Use a horizontal air dodge or the Squall Hammer to boost 
the distance of Popo's jump.

As soon as you are clear of that area. Simply continue to the right until 
you reach the final door, avoiding the spike before it. This is it. 80000 
points are in the bag.

Round 10: vs. 1 Metal Character
In this level, you will play against any single unlocked character in the 
game. The enemy has had a Metal Box in use, so he/she/them will prove to 
be heavier. Sure, it means that they can take more damage before they are 
sent flying, but it also means that they will have a harder time jumping 
back onto the stage! Use this to your advantage.

When playing as the Ice Climbers, I would recommend keeping your distance 
from the metal opponent, and make use of Ice Shots to slowly damage them. 
Afterwards, you can start smashing them off the stage and then edge guarding 
to keep them away.

Boss Battle! Master Hand (and Crazy Hand)
Yes, having beaten the previous ten rounds, your character will face the 
final boss of the Classic Mode. It's Master Hand! The Master Hand has a 
variety of moves, including, a fingerwalk attack, a palm slam attack, a 
rocket punch attack, a laser attack, a finger missile attack, a grab and 
squeeze attack, a drill attack and a fist punch attack! Most of these 
attacks can be dodged by jumping or air dodges, so always be alert. To 
damage Master Hand, you will have to hit him with every single airborne 
attack you've got. Instead of having a percentage meter, the Master Hand 
has an HP Meter. It ranges from 150HP for Easy Mode to 360HP for Very Hard 
Mode!

When playing as the Ice Climbers, I would recommend the following moves, 
as they can do either rapid or great damage to the Master Hand:
Upward Hammer Smash
Upward Hammer Poke
Ice Shot (let the hammers hit too)
Air Hammer Swing
Squall Hammer
Upward Hammer Drill
Airborne Hammer Pound

As you can see, most of these moves are air attacks, if you can perform 
all air attacks on Master Hand, you will get an All-Aerial Bonus.

If you managed to reach the final stage in 18 minutes or less without 
continuing, then you get to face Crazy Hand (the left hand) once Master 
Hand's (the right hand) HP drops to 150! The Crazy Hand has all of the 
Master Hand's attacks, and they are much more powerful! Besides, the Crazy 
Hand can do combos with the Master Hand like the Applause and the Sandwich 
Punch! The Crazy Hand can also drop debris on you, and do a palm crawl 
on you! Sometimes, the two hands are coordinated in a way that you cannot 
avoid both of them at once! 

I wish you the best of luck in defeating them in case they show up! Always 
remember to keep Popo and his girlfriend Nana together! If you do beat 
the two hands, or the one single hand, then you get a trophy of your 
character. As simple as that! Them you get to go through a credits screen 
where you can shoot at the credits for additional fun before coming to 
the congratulatory screen! (with 8 Ice Climbers fighting each other on 
the Jungle Japes stage.)

-------------------------
b. Adventure Mode [IC5B]
-------------------------
Stage 1: Mushroom Kingdom
The first stage of the Mushroom Kingdom has 2 courses, the first is a 2-D 
course. You just have to move your character through the stage, killing 
as many Goombas and Koopa Troopas as you go. The Koopa Troopas can only 
be killed by grabbing them and throwing them. However, if you stun one 
and throw the shell into another set of koopa shells in a ditch, the shells 
will roll, hit each other, allowing your character to score maximum points! 
In the middle of the stage, you will have to fight a team of 10 Yoshis. 
Of course, they are weakened. The best way to deal with them is to either 
perform Belay jumps on them while they are still airborne, or simply let 
them surround you and perform a Downward Hammer Spin on them. Your target 
should be to perform 3 Triple KOs. Take them out and then head for the 
finish line, marked by the checkered mat! 

This is the first of two stages where points are a bonanza, so you should 
try to hurt more enemies and rack up your scores as much as possible here.

In case you lose Popo and Nana in the stage, you will restart at the last 
pipe that you have passed. Be aware of that.

The second course is simply a match against Mario and Peach. These two 
are rather aggressive, so stay on your feet. If you complete the previous 
course with a 2 in the hundredth or tenth second digit, you get to face 
Luigi instead of Mario! Beat him, and you will have a chance to unlock 
him after you have completed the Adventure Mode! 

You start on a platform, and you should wait for them to come close and 
as they are jumping towards you, have your hammer smash ready to intercept 
them in the air. Then, with them knocked back, you can gain the initiative 
and start to counter attack them. But do not be trapped against a wall 
or be surrounded, or you will be in a fix!

For this battle, you can take advantage of the fact that Mario and Peach 
will seek shelter at either end of the stage when a Bullet Bill comes. 
So, that's your chance to finish them off! That's all.

Stage 2: Kongo Jungle
The first course will pit your character against two tiny Donkey Kongs 
on the Kongo Jungle stage. You know what to do to get rid of them. 

As they are smaller than you, you should perform more low hammer sweeps. 
Perform them in a combo if you wish, and then perform a Downward Hammer 
Spin. If all goes well, the Sweeper bonus will be yours.

Then, you will face a giant Donkey Kong in the Jungle Japes stage! Be aware 
of the giant's increased range and you will be fine. OK? 

I find the upward hammer drill very effective against Donkey Kong, so you 
should wait for him under the platform outside Cranky Kong's house, and 
when he drops down, dig the hammers into him. Also send out your fair shares 
of low hammer sweeps. When his damage is high enough, smash him away. (You 
may want to attempt an Airborne Hammer Pound (Meteor Attack) on Donkey 
Kong as he is over the water.)

In fact, sometimes the giant Donkey Kong will fail to use the Spinning 
Kong recovery move, and end up further away from the stage than closer!

Stage 3: Underground Maze
Again, the stage has two courses. The first course places your character 
in a vertical stage and you will have to find the exit. There are 6 potential 
exits, two on the left side, and 4 on the right side. Only one of them 
is real, and that has the triforce by the door. Otherwise, you will find 
a Master Sword in each of the rooms, and you will have to face Link! Which 
means, you can face Link up to 5 times! IF you beat all Links, you will 
get the Link Master bonus, worth 30000 points! 

If you want to fight the Links, you should run to the center of the arena, 
and charge your upward hammer smash as Link drops down to you. Then, release 
the A button when he is just about to come in contact with you. Then he 
will be knocked back up, and you can continue to smash him until he is 
gone. (A minimum of 3 smashes may do the trick). Use the items, particularly 
the Star Rods and Ray Guns to help you if possible. The Ray Gun has the 
ability to shoot Link further and further away from the arena until he 
is beyond recovery.

Besides the 5 Links, you will face Redeads, Octoroks and Like Likes in 
this maze. Redeads are zombie like creatures that will try to charge and 
bite Popo and Nana. But one single hit can break their attack. Octoroks 
take fewer hits to kill, and they look like octopuses spitting out pebbles 
at you, that can have a very high impact force if you get hit with damage 
over 100%. Like likes are membrane like creatures that trap you within 
themselves for a short period of time before spitting you out. The more 
damage Popo or Nana has, the further away they will be spit out. Take as 
many out as possible to maximize your score. Then you can find the exit 
and leave.

In the second course, you will fight Zelda in the Hyrule Temple Stage. 
She is not that hard really. But you have to watch out for her Din's Fire 
at the beginning. Otherwise, an easy stage.

Stage 4: Brinstar
First, your character will fight Samus in the Brinstar Stage. There is 
nothing so special about that. 

You should let Samus jump towards you and then you should charge up your 
hammer smash, and hit her back. Repeat as necessary. If Samus decides to 
stay on the central platform, go and hit her from below. Repeat until she 
has high enough damage, and smash her.

Then, you will find that Brinstar is about to blow, and you will have to 
evacuate by going up to the transport in 40 seconds. Your character will 
start at the bottom of a course, and then, you should use your jumping 
abilities to make it to the top. This is the stage where I tested each 
character's versatility. I consider a character that can complete the 
course the quickest to be the most versatile in each group. Once you get 
on the yellow transport pad, you will win! Then Brinstar will blow up, 
and Popo and Nana will have got away with a Warp Star! It is time for the 
next stage, Green Greens!

Stage 5: Green Greens
First, you will face a single Kirby on Green Greens. As he is just so 
lightweight, this battle will prove to be easy. Just hit him with all you 
have with your Smash Attacks! Then, a large group of Kirbys with their 
predetermined copied abilities will airdrop onto you with Warp Stars! This 
is basically a team battle match. Just smash, smash and smash and they 
will be taken out in no time. Hit them with the Ice Shot hammers if you 
want a Bull's Eye KO. If you can defeat this large group of Kirbys in 30 
seconds or less, then you can get to fight a GIANT Kirby! This is basically 
a simple giant one to one match, only that you should damage Kirby up to 
200% damage before you can knock him out. Besides, you can also lure the 
Giant Kirby into performing his Stone Attack on those yellow star blocks. 
Kirby is often stupid enough to do this, and it saved me a lot of trouble 
all the time!

Stage 6: Corneria
You are now on top of the Giant Fox flying over Corneria. It seems that 
Fox McCloud has found out that you two have hijacked his plane, and is 
not up to get you. For some strange reason, he seems to be waiting for 
you to get close before you strike. So, I suggest you strike either from 
a range or swiftly. 

Stand at the top of the slope, facing Fox, then repeatedly perform Ice 
Shots at him until he has enough damage. Then, run forward and shoulder 
nudge Fox. He will at best hit you a couple of times before retreating 
to either end of the ship to wait your next move. Fox will only run out 
if a Pokeball or any healing items appear. That is your chance to cmash 
him off on the plane.

Sometimes, Fox may end up standing on the gun port of the Giant Fox, and 
if that happens, all you have to do is to wait for the cannon to fire, 
and Fox will be blasted off the screen.

But what is this? Fox's buddies Peppy and Slippy seems to have found out 
that Fox is in trouble, and are flying over to assist you! Oh dear! Now, 
you will face Fox, or Falco, if you have unlocked him. This time, the enemy 
will be more determined to get you, so watch out! But still, you can always 
take advantage of the Arwings around the Giant Fox, as they seems to be 
taking random pot shots at everything! Use this to your advantage and take 
out Fox (or Falco)! Then you can leave.

Stage 7: Pokemon Stadium
You are now in the Pokemon Stadium, it seems that it is you against a team 
of 12 rabid Pikachus (and Pichus and Jigglypuffs too, if you have unlocked 
them)! All pokemon have decreased weight, but it seems that they are not 
nocked out as easily as before. Your weapons are all over the place! That's 
right! The Pokeballs! Grab them and throw them all over the place and sit 
back while they do the job for you! As there are two pairs of hands to 
use, the Pokeball distribution can be twice as fast than the other guys. 
That's all. Good luck!

Stage 8: F-Zero Grand Prix
You are now on the Big Blue F-Zero race course, but it seems that you have 
to travel on foot! However, it seems that a race is currently taking place, 
and you will have to run as fast as you can while dodging those racers! 
Fortunately there are a lot of save havens for the Ice Climbers to wait 
on when you are notified with a warning sign of the racing cars' approach. 
Always jump on the pink platforms to avoid the racers! Note that this level 
is used as another benchmark test to compare each character's versatility. 
The faster the character finishes, the more versatile he/she/them is.

The Ice Climbers should be able to get past the starting gate and hide 
in the depression that follows before the first wave of F-Zero racers come. 
They will be able to at least reach the safe platform 2 platforms away 
from the downward tilting piece of track before the racers come round again. 
If you are fast, you can reach the finishing line before the racers come 
round again. Otherwise, take your time and stop once more.

After the oceans of Big Blue, it is time for the bustling Mute City! It 
is you against Captain Falcon on the racetrack. It is always better to 
knock him off the platform and let the moving ground deal damage for you. 
If you knock Captain Falcon onto the racetrack and he is knocked out, you 
will receive the Kiss-the-Floor KO bonus!

Stage 9: Onett
You are back in a sunny town called Onett, and you have 3 Nesses against 
you! That's two vs. 3, hardly seems fair, doesn't it? The 3 Nesses seemed 
to enjoy using the Mr. Saturns a lot, and they will constantly throw them 
at you, so you should always fight fire with fire! Just think of all the 
bonuses you can get! You can get: Mr. Saturn Fan (Use only the Mr. Saturns), 
Saturn Siblings (Use more than 3 Mr. Saturns), Saturn Ringer (Caught a 
Mr. Saturn and threw it right back) and lastly, Mrs. Saturn (held a Mr. 
Saturn in your hand for 30 seconds or more). Getting the Item Catching 
bonus is easy with ice Climbers, as Nana sometimes may catch the item Popo 
throws out before she throws it out again. The Nesses are not very smart, 
they often get knocked out by the passing cars. But still, for maximum 
points, I suggest you attack them yourself.

Stage 10: Icicle Mountain
At last, the Ice Climbers have returned to their home turf!

Grab your mountain gear, you are climbing a mountain now! You will now 
be maneuvering up the Icicle Mountain, and you will meet a lot of 
interesting enemies like Topis and Polar Bears. Knock them out for extra 
points! At first, the stage will scroll up slowly, but suddenly, it will 
go up like mad! (Pay attention to the music and you will know when it starts 
scrolling) So jump quickly! Eventually, you will be ambushed by 4 other 
Ice Climbers. It's a matter between humans and drones. Just knock them 
out as usual and you will be fine! (the computer is very bad at using the 
Ice Climbers, and leaves many players with the false impression that the 
Ice Climbers are very bad units.)

Stage 11: Battlefield
You are now transported to a battlefield which looks as if it were in the 
middle of nowhere. First, you will be attacked by 15 Wire Frame Fighters. 
These guys are super light and hollow, as they are just frames. Just deal 
with them as if you are in a team battle.

I once was able to score a Quintuple KO using the Belay jump! Want to try, 
anyone?

Then, Metal Mario (and Luigi) will drop down to get you! You know what 
to do! Just defeat them as before and you will be fine. Luigi is basically 
hopeless if you let him fall lower than the stage, as all he would use 
is Green Missile, and that only gains horizontal distance, and no vertical 
distance.

Stage 12: Final Destination
You are back at the stage out in space, and you are up against a Bowser 
that is slightly larger than a normal one. You know what to do to get rid 
of him do you? This is rather easy. But I recommend using Ice Shots and 
Blizzard on him until he gets enough damage. Then smash him off the screen!

After Bowser is gone, the Popo and Nana will high-five each other, saying 
"Yup!" in unison, and it is over! But is it? If you have beaten Adventure 
Mode in 18 minutes or less, then another Bowser, who is maybe 4 times larger 
than the Bowser you will just face will come after you! It's Giga Bowser! 
Giga Bowser is just plain evil. He is maybe 10 times more brutal than any 
normal Bowser! 

He slashes the Ice Climbers will absolute brute force, and if you are caught 
with his Bowser Bomb, you most likely will be screwed! Therefore, keep 
away from him, and use the Squall Hammer to hover above Giga Bowser.

Your best bet will be to hit him from a range to avoid risking a serious 
mauling. Extensive use of Pokeballs will also help! 

Weezing is the most effective Pokemon by far, as Giga Bowser will be trapped 
in his Smokescreen until Weezing disappears, and by the time he breaks 
free, he can accumulate way over 200% damage!

On the other hand, Giga Bowser never uses shields, so whenever you pick 
up a Ray Run, you can