'Smash Ultimate' Update 2.0.0 Patch Notes: Tier List Changes Are Coming
Who's better? Who's worse? We break down the biggest changes in patch 2.0.0.
by Eric FranciscoRestart your training, grasshoppers. The big update 2.0.0 has finally rolled out for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch, and Masahiro Sakurai’s team has made a ton of adjustments you need to know about in the game’s first major patch.
On Tuesday, Nintendo released patch 2.0.0 for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. A significant update, the game has been heavily tweaked when it comes to most of its robust roster of fighters. If you notice that some things aren’t quite the same since you last picked up a controller, update 2.0.0 is why.
The full list of adjustments can be seen here on Nintendo’s website. We’ve picked out a few that will be of importance to certain players, especially those who main fighters like Jigglypuff, Bowser, Mewtwo, Lucas, and King K. Rool. (Also the Mii Fighters, but, uh, no one uses the Mii Fighters.)
Fire up Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and head to Training Mode. Here’s all the biggest changes you should be aware of.
Link
- Up Air Attack: “Shortened the landing time after using the move.”
- Neutral Special: “Extended the time from when the arrow is loosed to when it disappears.”
So Link has less lag time from using Up Air and arrows don’t disappear so quickly when his bow (Neutral Special) is used. So far, so good.
Samus and Dark Samus
- Down Special: “Reduced vulnerability.”
Samus mains have nothing to fear when using the generally helpful Down Special, which is when Samus curls up into a ball and lets loose a mini-bomb. While Samus was previously prone to attacks while in her morph ball, Update 2.0 makes this a non-issue.
Luigi
- Up Smash Attack: “Extended launch distance.”
- Down Air Attack: “Opponents on the ground will no longer suffer a meteor effect.”
- Side Special: “Reduced vulnerability.”
- Down Special: “Extended launch distance.”
Luigi is basically a lot less annoying to use. His Side Special is no longer a liability and he’s got extended launch distances for Up Smash and Down Special. Cool.
Jigglypuff
- Side Tilt Attack: “Reduced vulnerability.”
- Down Tilt Attack: “Extended launch distance.”
- Up Smash Attack: “Increased attack power of low-power zone.”
- Back Air Attack: “Increased attack speed.”
- Forward Throw: “Adjusted launch angle.”
- FS Meter: “Extended launch distance”
With six total adjustments, Jigglypuff has almost the biggest work done out of everyone else on the roster, behind Rosalina & Luma. As a non-Jigglypuff main, this is sorta gibberish to me, but if you’re a power ‘puff user, hopefully these changes will benefit your dominance.
'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate' (2018)
Bowser
- Neutral Attack: “Increased power.”
- Side Tilt Attack: “Increased power.”
- Down Smash Attack: “Extended launch distance.”
- Up Special: “Made it easier to hit multiple times.”
- Final Smash & FS Meter: “Crouching opponents will now be launched the same as standing opponents.”
Bowser also got a handful of adjustments that appear to improve his overall use. More power, more launch distances, and his dreaded Up Special can now rack up more damage than ever. Beware the Bowser mains.
Sheik
- Up Smash Attack: “Increased the first attack’s range.”
- Down Smash Attack: “Made it easier to hit multiple times.”
- Forward Air Attack: “Shortened the amount of time you cannot grab edges after using the move.”
- Up Air Attack: “Shortened the landing time after using the move.”
- Side Special: “Reduced vulnerability.”
Sheik also had quite a bit of adjustments done, including reduced vulnerability for her generally unwieldy Side Special and shortened times for landing and grabbing.
Mewtwo
- Dash Attack: “Shortened the downtime from shielding.”
- Side Tilt Attack: “This move will now always launch forward.”
- Up Special: “Made it easier to grab edges.”
While not as major as other characters, Mewtwo had a few key tweaks. Its otherwise abysmal Up Special has been improved, which is a relief.
Zero Suit Samus
- Side Smash Attack: “Shortened the launch distance when the attack hits the middle of an opponent’s body.”
- Forward Air Attack: “Shortened the amount of time you cannot grab edges after using the move.”
- Up Air Attack: “Shortened the amount of time you cannot grab edges after using the move.”
- Down Special: “Shortened the amount of time undamaged opponents are buried.”
As a casual Zero Suit Samus main these are pretty big. Her Up Special is a bigger help now, though I’ve lost the advantage of buried opponents with her Down Special. There is also shorter launch distance when using her Side Smash, which had gotten me out of dodge once or twice. Dang.
Lucas
- Up Tilt Attack: “Added electrical damage.”
- Neutral Air Attack: “Shortened the amount of time you cannot grab edges after using the move.”
- Down Air Attack: “Added electrical damage.”
- Grab Attack: “Added electrical damage.”
Lucas mains will be pleased to know he’s got more electricity flowing through him. Who does he think he is, Shazam?
Rosalina & Luma
With NINE adjustments, Rosalina & Luma underwent the most changes in Update 2.0. Because I have literally only used Rosalina & Luma like, once in my life, I’m not going to copy and paste every tweak. But here’s the link again to Nintendo’s website so you don’t have to scroll back up.
When you see talk of "launch distances," this is what folks mean. Launch distance is the distance players are "launched" after a particular attack. The range varies depending how much damage the recipient has already received.
Little Mac
- Neutral Air Attack: “Shortened the landing time and the amount of time you cannot grab edges after using the move.”
- Up Air Attack: “Shortened the amount of time you cannot grab edges after using the move.”
Little Mac is one of my favorite characters but his recovery game in Ultimate was weak-sauce. These improvements will make it easier to get back in the fight, which I’m thankful for.
Ridley
- Neutral Air Attack: “Shortened the amount of time you cannot grab edges after using the move.”
- Forward Air Attack: “Shortened the amount of time you cannot grab edges after using the move.”
- Down Air Attack: “Shortened the amount of time you cannot grab edges after using the move.”
Apparently there is a shortened amount of time you can’t grab edges after using these moves.
ALLIGATOR BOY IS BEST BOY
King K. Rool
- Neutral Special: “Shortened the length of the vacuum effect.”
- Up Special: “Reduced the range of the attack.”
- Downward Throw: “Shortened the amount of time undamaged opponents are buried.”
That viral video of “How to King K. Rool” showed everyone just what a monster that alligator can be. But these adjustments appear to fix what was probably the most broken fighter in the whole roster. Less burial times and reduced ranges means fighting King K. Rool is a less frustrating experience.
Incineroar
- Up Smash Attack: “Extended launch distance.”
- Up Air Attack: “Shortened the amount of time you cannot grab edges after using the move.”
- Down Air Attack: “Shortened the landing time after using the move.”
- Up Throw: “Extended launch distance.”
- Up Special: “Extended vertical and horizontal distance.”
One of the biggest disappointments in Ultimate was just how underwhelming Incineroar turned out. These changes don’t fix everything, but they are quality of life improvements that make him more of the ferocious fighter we all wanted him to be in the first place.
Captain Falcon
No changes were made. My son is perfect. <3
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now for Nintendo Switch.
