Ice Climbers

For fighter info, see Ice Climbers (SSBM) and Ice Climbers (SSBB).

Ice Climbers
Artwork of Popo and Nana from Ice Climber.
Alternate names	Ice Climber
Universe	Ice Climber
Debut	Ice Climber (1985)
Appears in
Console of origin	Nintendo Entertainment System
Species	Humans
Gender	Male (Popo) Female (Nana)
Designed by	Tadashi Sugiyama
Voice actor	Sanae Kobayashi

The Ice Climbers (アイスクライマー, Aisu Kuraimā^?), are the pair of playable protagonists from the game Ice Climber, released in the pre-Super Mario Bros. era of NES games. When playing one player, the player plays as Popo (ポポ). When playing two player in Ice Climber, player one plays as Popo, while player two plays as Nana (ナナ). In both Melee and Brawl, both Ice Climbers appear, but only Popo is controlled, while Nana mimics the moves performed by Popo. However, color changes allow players to control Nana instead of Popo. Despite not being displayed, the CPU-controlled Climber in the Super Smash Bros. series does indeed have his or her own separate percentage or stamina counter. This factor alone results in the Ice Climbers' extremely high learning curve for all the games they have appeared in, as players must ensure the safety of not one, but two characters at the same time.

Character description

Both of the Ice Climbers are small in size. They both wield wooden mallets, which they used to whack enemies and break ice cubes. Both of them wear parkas; Popo's parka is blue, while Nana's is pink. They can also be identified by the patch of hair exposed from their hoods. Relationship-wise, several fans believed them to be siblings, or even spouses, despite their young appearance, but according to Nintendo, the nature of their relationship is up to the player's imagination. However, during Melee's development, it was said that Sakurai wanted them to be lovers.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

As a playable character

The Ice Climbers made their debut appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series after sixteen years of the release of their original game. They are a dual-controlled pair of fighters, making them unique compared to the other fighters. They, as a singular entity, are one of the 14 default characters available from the start.

They were selected over Balloon Fighter and Pit, among others, to be representatives of the Famicom/NES period in Nintendo's history.

Trophies

Ice Climbers

That's Popo in the blue and Nana in the pink. These two stars of the game Ice Climber have scaled many an icy summit in their mountaineering careers. Back in their glory days, they chased eggplants, cucumbers, and other vegetables that inexplicably fell from frosty summits when a condor reigned supreme. They're rarely seen apart.

• Ice Climber [10/85]

Ice Climbers [Smash]

This unique twosome fights together as a team. Your score will not be affected if the CPU-controlled character is KO'd, but a lone Ice Climber won't be able to use teamwork moves, which will make for a tough and frantic solo fight. The Ice Shot fires mini-glaciers out of their hammers, while Squall Hammer is at its strongest when Nana and Popo combine their strength.

• B: Ice Shot
• Smash B: Squall Hammer

Ice Climbers [Smash]

The colors of the Ice Climbers' parkas denote who's in the lead: Nana's in pink or orange, while Popo's in green or blue. Their hairstyles are also slightly different. Belay allows them to cover great distances, but doesn't give foes the chance to target their landing. Blizzard is best used in close quarters; in the fray, Nana and Popo sometimes freeze opponents.

• Up & B: Belay
• Down & B: Blizzard

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

As a playable character

The Ice Climbers yet again consist of the duo Popo and Nana. They still fight as a pair with Nana following along. With Nana, special moves are better than just being Popo. Both Ice Climbers can now hang on a ledge at the same time and their Down Special in the air is no longer an auto-freeze. The Ice Climbers' Final Smash consists of a large iceberg taking up a large portion of the screen. The iceberg can damage, and eventually freezes, enemies who come near it. Like in Melee, the character can switch between Popo or Nana as the leader of the duo based on which color of costume is chosen.

Trophy Info

The Ice Climbers' trophy in Brawl.

Ice Climbers

The one in blue is Popo, and the one in pink is Nana. They use their incredible jumping powers and hammers to break blocks and climb to the summit. They grab veggies, and if they can catch the condor at the end, they conquer the mountain. Other than breaking blocks, their hammers are good for sending foes flying, climbing down from blocks, and destroying icicles.

• (NES) Ice Climber

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U

The Ice Climbers' trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

The Ice Climbers do not return as playable characters for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, although they appear in both versions as a collectible trophy. According to Masahiro Sakurai, the Ice Climbers were fully functional in the Wii U version, but there were some issues implanting them in the 3DS version and Sakurai did not want version-exclusive characters. Additionally, they were deemed as low-priority characters since it was very unlikely that the duo would have a new game in their series.

Trophy Info

Ice Climbers

This pair of adventurers starred in an action game released in 1985. Popo wears blue, and Nana wears red. The goal of their adventure was to reach the top of the mountain, collecting vegetables and defeating animals along the way. Grabbing the condor earned them a nice bonus too!

• (NES) Ice Climber (10/1985)

Trivia

• In the Super Smash Bros. series, the Ice Climbers appear to be left-handed, since they carry their hammers with their left hand and hold items in their right hand, just like Link in the Zelda series.
• The CPU Ice Climber can attack an opponent that is being held by the human controlled Ice Climber.
• It is possible for Nana to eat food items such as Food, Maxim Tomato, and Heart Container. Because Nana's health does not affect the character's percentage, this results in the item having no effect.
• Their jump and side smash seem to be the only canon moves that they can use.
• In the early development stages of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, shortly after its official announcement, there was a rumor that the Ice Climbers, along with Mr. Game & Watch and Young Link, would not return. However, this turned out not to be true, as the Ice Climbers and Mr. Game & Watch were, in fact, playable characters. Young Link, on the other hand, was the only one out of the three to be excluded, and was seemingly replaced more or less by Toon Link, as the rumor had stated.
• The Ice Climbers are one of two characters in Super Smash Bros. who have yet to receive a sequel to their main series game, the others being Duck Hunt.
• In the German release of the game, Popo's name was changed to "Pepe". This was due to the fact that "Popo" means "butt" in German.
• The Ice Climbers are the only characters in the Smash Bros. series to ever be veterans in the previous game (Brawl), to be cut from the next (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U).

External links

Ice Climbers in Smash History (Trailer Drake)