- Game Versions
- Smash 3DS, Smash Wii U
Table of Contents
1. Overview
2. Pros and Cons
3. Moves
3a. Ground Attacks
3b. Smash Attacks
3c. Aerial Attacks
3d. Specials
3e. Grabs and Throws
4. General Strategy3b. Smash Attacks
3c. Aerial Attacks
3d. Specials
3e. Grabs and Throws
5. Matchups
6. Additional References
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1.) Overview
Zero Suit Samus is a combo based, aerial focused character. Alot of her problems from Brawl have been fixed, and some of her strengths have been given a power up. She is extremely fast, and when she is hitting her moves and opening up, she is fluid and fun. However, with alot of her set ups having long lag times, missing or messing up will cause things to go downhill very quickly. As much of a goddess as she is in the air, most of her moves are centered around setting it up. If your opponent knows what you want to do, there isn’t a lot of ways to change things up too much. She doesn’t dominate, as you need to be smart in using her. This being said, she does very well in most matchups, but still requires a decent player to do well. She has a high level of entry but has a high skill cap.
2.) Pros and Cons
Pros
- Shes hot
- High Mobility and Speed
- That alternate costume
- One of the best aerial and off stage games
- Alot of ways to combo
- Great Recovery ability
- Good spacing and long range
- High skill cap
- High lag on many moves
- Some inconsistent kill moves
- Takes time to learn her spacing
- Easy to punish her mistakes
- Can be a bit one dimensional
*NOTE - Differences from Brawl/Project M will be in Red/Green depending if nerf or buff*
*NOTE - Kill Moves are in yellow and have been Starred*
3a. Ground Attacks
Her increased speed and increased knockback on her kicks has turned this into a pretty strong element of her overall kit. You are going to use most of it to set up her aerials, as most of her ground attacks act as great set ups.
Neutral A
What is it?
Dash AttackBasic 3 hit jab. Hits for 2%, 2%, 3%, respectively, for a total of 7% damage. First hit connects on the first frame, one of the fastest moves in the game. The second and third hits are easy to powershield, although the jab is inescapable if the opponent is in the air.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownZSS has an excellent jab. Like mentioned in the description, the first hit is still one of the fastest moves in the game. There isn’t much hit stun but there is enough where it can be used to both effectively set up combos or as an escape method. It should be used often quite by a good ZSS player.
What is it?
Forward TiltDoes a flying knee forward. Has transcendent priority. Does 10%. The range is shorter than the sliding kick from Brawl. Sends opponent in a upward back diagonal direction.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownOne of ZSS’s best moves. With how fast her movements are and how fast this attack comes out, it seems to catch a lot of people off guard. Its a perfect setup for some good aerial combos. That being said, don’t overuse it, since eventually your opponent is most likely going to know its coming, and you can and will be punished hard if it misses.
What is it?
Down TiltAn around-the-body kick 45 degrees from horizontal. Decent knockback. Does 6% damage.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownZSS’s forward tilt is decent. Mainly used to keep spacing if you get caught too close. It’s pretty quick, has surprisingly good range, and a decent amount of knockback. Doesn’t really allow you to follow up or create anything or kill, so you won’t be using this too much if you are playing her right LOL.
What is it?
Up TiltA leg-sweep. Knocks diagonally. Does 8% damage (Up from 6% in Brawl). Does not appear to have the 2 hitboxes like in Brawl.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownExtremely good and important move for ZSS. The range is good but most importantly the knockup strings into pretty much all of your aerial combos, much like your dash attack, but you won’t get punished as hard if you miss this one. Its your main way to put on shield pressure.
What is it?
Spinning handstand split, legs kick twitch. First hits for 5% then second for 7% damage. Pretty good knockback at higher percentages, and at low percentages it sets up combos well.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownThis move is a great close range option. Works very well out of shield, and sets up a various combos. Also hits from both sides. However it is one of her slower attacks, so you will be open for quite a bit if you aren’t able to connect with it.
3b. Smash Attacks
Alot of usage here. The addition of her new forward smash make this a well rounded part of her game. Definitely something for new players to look into, as this area provides a very newbie friendly move, a spammable punish, as well as your most consistent kill move.
*Forward Smash*
What is it?
Down SmashDouble kick forward with good knock back. New move for her (Completely different from Brawl)
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownThis is one of only 3 kill moves ZSS has. The first kick is a small knockback, and the second one is the killing blow. Even at low percentages, it does provide a good knockback and alot of damage. However, like most smashes, it does have quite a bit of ending lag, so missing it will cost you.
What is it?
Up SmashAims down and shoots paralyzer gun at the ground in front of her, creating a lightning effect. Only hits in front. Low damage and stuns the target in place for a short time. The stun and damage have been nerfed from Brawl, but it is faster.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownThis is still a staple of ZSS. It is alot more spammable now, and even with the nerf, the stun is amazing. You still can’t use it to stop approaches, but it’s still great to punish dodges or grabs, as well as a good edge guarding tactic.
What is it?
Extends the Plasma Whip up while spinning in place. Hits multiple times, has long vertical disjointed range and decent horizontal range, and fast startup. Only the tip of the plasma whip does small knockup. Can be mashed out of.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownOne of ZSS’s more versatile moves. It’s hitbox is huge, making it the a great move for players trying to learn. There is alot of end lag, but with the hitbox as big as it is, chances are you are going to hit something. Its not amazing, but its a solid move that you can use to set up some aerial combos if you hit with the tip, or even set up your dash attack if you can get the hit stun on the other hits.
3c. Aerial Attacks
Bread and butter of using ZSS. Live and die by how well you execute this element of her game. Every other part of her kit is to set up her aerial strings. This is where the majority of your damage is going to come from. Your objective should be to get them in the air and keep them there.
Neutral Air
What is it?
Forward AirSpins the Plasma Whip around herself. Fairly long range, but with below average knockback. Does not decay due to move repetition, so consistently hits for 10%
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownThis is a move that really doesn’t do much for ZSS’s kit. Its not a horrible move but once you have your opponent in the air, there are just way better options here. The knockback is small, and the move as a lag to it, so both of those reasons make it a horrible set up for bigger strings. I can’t really think of a reason you would use this move in place of another aerial. It does do a consistent 10%, but still.
What is it?
Back AirTwo forward kicks. The second kick is stronger and slightly faster than the first. First kick does 5% then second kick does 7% damage. (Down from 6% and 11% in Brawl). Knockback on both kicks, although at higher percents, the first kick may cause the second to miss.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownThis move just misses out on being a kill move. It is definitely top tier. It is more reliable then it was in Brawl, as the second kick is way easier to hit, without much set up. The knockback is great, but it doesn’t quite have the kill power until pretty high percents. However this is ZSS’s 4th best option to secure a kill.
What is it?
Up AirFast backward kick with a large hitbox. High knockback. KO at very high percentages. Does 12% damage.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownVery similar to her forward air that we just went over. Its a great move overall. But it gets a grade down just due to the knockback not being quite as good as in Brawl, so it takes away from its potential as a kill move. But it does outrange the forward air.
What is it?
Down AirSomersault kicks above her head. It can chain into itself. Hits slightly behind her too with low knockback. Deals 8%, 10% if sweet spotted. Sweetspot is directly in front of ZSS
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownThis is ZSS’s bread and butter. Most of your gameplan should be to set up this move. It can chain into itself which makes it an amazing juggling tactic, which you can lead into 2 of your kill moves. On stages with lower ceilings, you can kill by just chaining 2 of these correctly. I can’t stress enough how important this move is.
What is it?
ZSS shoots down diagonally in a flying downward kick. If it hits in midair, the first hit knocks the target into the second hit. Spikes upward once hitting the opponent into the stage. Does 4% on contact, 5% landing. Huge landing lag
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownThis move is tricky, but useful if you are careful. It has a high priority so it can be a good way to quickly and safely get back on stage if your opponent goes for an aerial. You can also use it for a quick spike if you approach with a hop, which you can use as a set up for your other aerials. But the landing lag is long, so misses with it will be your downfall. And getting hit in the air before it’s used will cause it to be a much slower descent. This is a good move when used correctly, but its very easy to get wrong
3d. Specials
ZSS has one of the most unique Special sets in Smash. 3 of her specials work as recovery and 2 are also important but inconsistent kill moves. Aside from her aerials, this is one of the most important areas to fully understand how to use ZSS.
Neutral Special
What is it?
Side SpecialZSS fires a shot out of her blaster. Deals damage and paralyzes the target. The shot can be charged that increases the range, damage, and stun duration.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownHere is the move that will make or break your success as a ZSS player. You’ll be zoning and baiting with this move pretty consistently. Players will be wary of it, so its a strong weapon even if you aren’t actually hitting with it. If you can hit it, you can set up pretty much anything. If you can space and zone with it, then you can control the flow of the game and use it as a strong approaching tactic.
What is it?
*Down Special*Shoots the Plasma Whip forward. Has small knockback and damage throughout the entire whip, however has a sweetspot at the tip, increasing the knockback and damage by quite a bit. Alot less damage and knockback than in Brawl (No longer a kill move). Much luck the grab you have to wait for it to react, so the lag is pretty long. It also doubles as tether recovery, which grapples the edge of the stage. This adds alot horizontal range to ZSS’s recovery options.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownAgain, the move isn’t bad, but its not nearly the monster it was in Brawl. It’s startup and ending lag make it very dangerous, and the nerfs it received just make it not worth the risk anymore. I would say to use it to space and keep it in the mind of your opponent, but you shouldn’t be using it all that often. Maybe as a recovery tool, but not an attack.
What is it?
*Up Special*ZSS does a flip and a horizontal jump through the air. It functions as ZSS’s third jump, but it does allow her to use her tether recovery in addition. She is also given invincibility during the initial rise. If the player inputs any attack button while Zero Suit Samus is flashing, she will stick out her foot at a 45 degree angle, performing a kick, sending the opponent downwards in an above average power meteor smash, with rather high knockback. Flip Jump can now bury opponents. (New addition)
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownThis is one of ZSS’s kill moves, but one of the stranger and unique moves in all of Smash. The initial jump is a useful third jump, and the invincibility can get you out of some tough spots. The key to this move is the use of the secondary kick. When it connects, it is her strongest killing move, easily sending people off stage. Even if they aren't sent off stage, the kick spikes the opponent very high, which will allow you to string together a number of different combos. However learning and mastering this move takes time, and is difficult to hit against an opponent that knows what it can do.
What is it?
Performs an upward kick. It will drag the opponent upward with you then a spin kick to send them flying at the end. However the final spin kick may not connect if the opponent flies too high. Also her main recovery move.(New move)
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownAnother one of ZSS’s 3 kill moves. It seems like a basic recovery move, which it is for the most part. The real kill move is the end spin kick. It can kill at medium percents, but sometimes the rising part of the move causes the opponent to fly too far and the spin kick will miss. But it still is a consistent way to secure some kills.
3e. Grabs and Throws
These are probably the weakest area of ZSS’s game. There is alot of lag on the grab, and only a few good options afterwards if you can land one. Should only really be used to punish or once you get a stun.
Grab
What is it?
PummelShoots out the Plasma Whip and pulls in the target. Very long range (Even longer than in Brawl). Need to wait for the whip to retract if you miss, so alot of lag.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownZSS’s grab is terrible. You need to set it up with your paralyzer, or know for sure that its going to connect.
What is it?
Forward ThrowQuickly knees the opponent. Does 2% each hit
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownNot a bad pummel, but if you are lucky enough to get a grab, you have better options here.
What is it?
Back ThrowHits opponent forward with gun. Deals 2% then 7% damage, total of 9%. Good knockback
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownThis is a pretty good throw. It can be chained into another grab, or a dash attack, or even some aerials.
What is it?
Down ThrowKicks opponent back. Deals 2% damage then 4%. Low knockback.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownYou really won’t be using this one. Its not a bad throw, just that there are better options. Her forward throw does more damage and more knockback. You’d only really use it to get someone off stage in that direction.
What is it?
Up ThrowHolds opponent on ground and then kicks them down. Deals 2% then 5%. Spikes with high knockup.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownThis is ZSS’s best throw. You’ll be using this often, as it sets up very easily for your aerial strings.
What is it?
ZSS jumps into the air and kicks the opponent back. Deals 2% then 8% damage, total of 10% worth damage. Small knockback, very high landing lag.
Thoughts/Uses/BreakdownBy far her worst throw, maybe even her best move. Even at high percents, has very small knockback. The high landing lag makes it impossible to follow up on it at all. It is her highest damage dealing throw, but just not useful
4.)General Strategy
Pretty much everything about ZSS is to set up her aerial game. The way to do this is to mix up your approaches and find different ways to get your opponent in the air. So lets talk about the most basic way to get you started.
This is the most basic way to play ZSS. You start by backing up and getting good distance between you and your opponent. Use your paralyzer (Neutral B), and zone. Inch closer or further to keep your opponent on the defensive, mixing up the length and distance of the paralyzer. Sometimes you can get some shots to hit, in which case you can quickly rush in for a dash attack or get a grab.
Once you hit the stun a few times, or even after a while of them playing defensive, they are going to be in lulled in a false sense of security and you can usually catch them off guard by running in with a dash attack, short hopping into a down aerial, or even jumping in using a Down Special (Down+B).
The point of all of this is to get them up in the air. Once you have that then your job is to keep them there. You can combo two up airs, and even secure a kill with an Up Special (Up+B), if the ceiling is low enough, or they are at a high enough percent. Even if you drop the combo, you can line up a good down air and spike them up before they land for another easy opportunity to string some aerial magic. Pretty much rinse and repeat at that point.
5.) Match-Ups
Most of Zero Suit Samus’s matchups depend on the ZSS player. Like I said earlier, she needs to be played smart. These won’t really be guides to the matchups, but more so things to watch out for. Looking to add to this section (Still a work in progress)
Mario- Most of Mario’s kit is short range, so you can use that to your advantage
- Mario players look to set up forward air and down air, so they want to get you off the ground as much as you want get them.
- You can punish them pretty hard if they get too fireball happy.
Luigi- Luigi has strong aerials, but you have a range advantage and can punish him.
- He’s alot more floaty than Mario, which opens him up to your kill moves.
Peach- Toad can be used to counter and deal some good damage to you if you mess up your approach
- You can punish if she floats too high
- She is alot slower than you, use that advantage.
Bowser- He hurts….alot, be careful not to miss and get caught in a lag.
- You have a huge speed and mobility advantage
- He is very heavy, so keep him off stage and don’t let him breathe once you have him there.
Yoshi- Has good range. One of the few characters you might want to get in close on
- Watch for his down air, its a long combo with alot of damage
Rosalina & Luma- Has alot of zone potential, may want to get inside as quickly as possible to get her up.
- Heavier than she looks and her recovery move is easily punishable.
- If you have the chance, go for Luma. It kills her spacing and will allow you to control the stage more easily.
- Pretty low mobility
Bowser Jr.- Pretty slow
- You can pick up his Koopa toy bomb and throw it back, makes a good set up
- Tall enough where you can hit aerials while he is on the ground.
Wario- Alot of lag on his moves. Easy to counter
- Heavy, but faster than he looks, might want to be careful with your approaches.
Mr. Game & Watch- Watch out for the Hammer, if RNGeus is on their side, you could feel the hurt.
- Has a strong down spike on his down air, so careful when trying to combo
- If he doesn’t down air back to the ground, he isn’t that useful in the air
Donkey Kong- Tall enough to hit with aerials while hes on the ground
- Surprising vertical range on his up smash
- Most of his attacks have solid range, could catch you off guard when you are trying to space.
Diddy Kong- Watch out for the banana peels, they can really mess up your approaches if you rush it.
- Can punish you if you get to close.
Link- Tricky matchup
- He has the projectiles to zone with you and even more so than you can
- He can punish you if you get to close
- His down air can be trouble
- Best option is to get in close and try to roll and grab
Zelda- Has a surprisingly good aerial game
- Her teleport can be hard to punish if they use it correctly
Sheik- She wants to get in your face and combo you, don’t give her that chance
- Zone and space like your life depends on it….because it does
Ganondorf- Extremely slow, but strong. Space and dance around him
- Not to good in the air, just get him there
Toon Link- Tricky matchup
- He has the projectiles to zone with you and even more so than you can
- He can punish you if you get to close
- His down air can be trouble
- Best option is to get in close and try to roll and grab
Samus- Has alot of the same strengths as you, but even stronger projectiles
- Tricky fight, but your main advantage lies in your speed
- You’ll have to out position her and get into spots to limit her openings
- Need to play a bit more defensive
Zero Suit Samus- Think of everything that annoys and bothers you and do that. Chances are it’ll bother them too
Pit- Most Pit’s will use the arrows to control the game
- You have enough of a speed advantage to take him head on
- He has great recovery, so just watch out how far out you are going to get him off stage.
Palutena- Has a reflector shield that can deflect your paralyzer
- Has alot of projectiles
- Little to zero mobility and very little ability to counter you. So feel free to go in
Marth- The counter is your number one enemy. Wait for it before you go in to punish
- Has solid aerials, could cause you some trouble
- Has landing lag when getting back on stage, use that as your chance
Ike- Like Marth, Counter is your worst enemy. Bait it out then commit
- Slow fighter, moves take alot of set up time
- Easily readable aerials
Robin- You have to play him/her depending on the style they are playing
- Arcfire/Levin Sword are the 2 ways he/she does the most damage, so zone or go in depending on what they are trying to use
- Has a meteor smash with her/his Elwind that hits down, so careful when setting up your juggle or going after her/him off stage.
Kirby- Crazy light, so you can knock him around easily, but he still is very floaty.
- He can float high enough to get out of your juggle and down special to spike you if you are still under
King Dedede- Heavy but has good recovery. Still very slow, so you should be able to control the movement
- You can hit Gordos back at him if you time it correctly
Meta Knight- This can be a tough fight. He is fast and has some great aerial moves
- Watch for the tornado, its not as good as in Brawl, but its still very strong and sets up into his combos
- Its tricky but you need to zone correctly with him, but again he is fast, so be careful
Little Mac- This is a match up of complete opposites
- You should be getting to an edge as quickly as you can and start spacing with your paralyzer.
- His side special allows him to jump over the paralyzer shot, but its not too hard to read and you can in many cases roll and avoid it. If he misses, theres your opening. Or sometimes he’ll even fly off the stage for a free kill
- If you arent able to get him in the air, you aren’t going to win this fight.
- Its hard to be aggressive in this match up, so just play it safe and let him come to you
Fox- Still a fast character, but you are still faster
- His reflector reflects your paralyzer of course, but also the shine from it can really hurt you if they time it correctly when you go in for your punishes.
- He isn’t as strong in the air as he has been previously, so you should have an advantage there
Falco- His reflector reflects your paralyzer of course, but also the shine from it can really hurt you if they time it correctly when you go in for your punishes.
- He isn’t as strong in the air as you, but its not bad. He’s still going to be looking to set up for some aerial strings
Pikachu- Has good spacing, so approaches might be difficult as he out ranges you.
- He is small, so hitting your combos can be tough if you aren’t use to it.
Charizard- He is very slow, but has a pretty good aerial game and recovery. So as easy as it may be to get him in the air, sometimes you might not want him there.
- Use your range and only go in if you know you can get something started.
- His attacks hit harder than you think.
Lucario- Understanding his Aura mechanic is the key to beating him. The more damage he takes the more damage and range he has.
- That being said, you need to go for some early kill moves just so they can’t take advantage of a high Aura power.
- He has good projectiles, but there is a bit of lag on them, so you might be able to punish it if they are used incorrectly.
Jigglypuff- She still is crazy floaty and wants to be in the air most of the time.
- You aren’t going to be able to juggle her easily, so might want to just go for some basic damage rather than kill moves, since she’s going to survive most of it.
- Be wary for Rest, its her make or break move. She hits and you lose, she misses and you have alot of time to do whatever you want
Greninja- Once again, the counter he has is going to be the bane of your existence. Need to bait it and then go in
- He is highly mobile and alot of his attacks send you up, but his aerials aren’t as strong as you’d think they’d be
- His shadow makes juggling or just aerial stringing in general difficult.
Duck Hunt- He has some of the best zoning tools in the game. Beware the can….beware the can
- Pretty bad in the air, can’t really fight you up there, but has a pretty good recovery
R.O.B.- Pretty slow, but has good aerials and recovery
- One of the few character you might want to punish on the ground, rather then just try to launch them in the air
Ness- Has some great throws, careful not to let him grab you
- Feels a bit floaty and has decent aerials
- Not great offstage
Captain Falcon- Probably the closest character to you speedwise
- He wants to go in hard and all the time
- Has a strong, aggressive aerial game
- Need to control him with the paralyzer
Villager- Has alot of projectile options, but most of them are pretty easy to read.
- Not great in the air
- His recovery balloons can be popped
- Bait out the bowling ball attack, and counter
Olimar- Want to avoid his Pikmin, and if you can do that you pretty much win.
Wii Fit TRAINER- Her sun projectile is pretty strong, so you may want to keep that in mind when zoning
- Alot of her moves hit on both sides, so rolls can be punished if you go in the wrong direction
Dr. Mario- Most of Dr. Mario’s kit is short range, so you can use that to your advantage
- Dr, Mario players look to set up forward air and down air, so they want to get you off the ground as much as you want get them.
- You can punish them pretty hard if they get too pill happy.
Dark Pit- Most Dark Pit’s will use the arrows to control the game
- You have enough of a speed advantage to take him head on
- He has great recovery, so just watch out how far out you are going to get him off stage.
Lucina- The counter is your number one enemy. Wait for it before you go in to punish
- Has solid aerials, could cause you some trouble
- Has landing lag when getting back on stage, use that as your chance
- Quicker than Marth
Shulk- Has a counter like the other sword uses. Again it is your worst enemy
- Has solid range, and can be extended with certain moves
- Read up on the colors of his auras and what they do. Its really important to understand to succeed in the matchup
- His moves have some startup lag, so you should be able to see them coming and counter them before they start.
Pac-Man- Most Pac-Man’s are going to be greedy to get the key, you can punish if they charge too much.
- His hydrant has some weird properties to it. It works as a spike that you have to watch for when setting up your aerials, and if you roll, you still have to watch for the water jets.
Mega Man- There are so many projectiles. And they all have different properties
- With most of his attacks being projectiles, if you can get in you could be able to punish.
Sonic- Very fast and mobile. One of the few you might have trouble keeping up with.
- His aerial game is ok, but feels awkward to play against
- He is horrible off stage
Mii Fighter- Refer to Little Mac when fighting the Brawler. Works like a worse Little Mac
- Refer to Marth when fighting the Swordsman. Again though just watch the counter.
- Refer to Mega Man and Samus when fighting the Gunner. Not as many projectiles as Mega Man but not as strong close as Samus.
6.) Additional References
I will be adding various videos or links to other guides or matches featuring Zero Suit Samus. Hopefully it will be updated and added to consistently. I will be adding suggestions that people send in or post onto the comments of this guide.
ZeRo's Smash 4 Analysis on Zero Suit Samus
GameBoy Luke Playing some For Glory with Zero Suit Samus
Awestin (Ness) vs Dakpo (ZSS)
Dakpo (ZSS) vs AeroLink (Palutena)
