'Smash Ultimate' 5.0.0 Balance Patch Buffs a New Character's Most OP Attack

Nintendo shook the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fandom Wednesday with the release of Banjo and Kazooie, the reveal of SNK’s Terry Bogard as the game’s fourth DLC fighter, and that a reveal that even more characters are under development. To top off the monumental Nintendo Direct, the company even announced a new version of Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Version 5.0.0 brought back the long awaited Home-Run Contest mini game, introduced new Spirits and cosmetics, but most importantly balanced and tweaked a few characters.

Most notably the patch buffed one of Hero’s most powerful abilities and it fixed an annoying air dodge quirk.

Here’s a breakdown of all of the changes coming to Smash Ultimate with its fifth update:

Hero Changes

Hero, Smash Ultimate’s third DLC fighter received three changes one of which buffed one of his strongest spells: Magic Burst.

• Magic Burst now stun opponents for longer at the beginning of the spell’s massive hit box.
• When Kafrizz — Hero’s fully charged Neutral Special — hits an enemy or wall it explodes and hits multiple times. Before 5.0.0 the spell’s multi-hits were not considered projectiles and couldn’t be reflected, absorbed, or blocked. That’s no longer the case so Ness and Lucas can absorb them with PSI magnet, Link can block them with his shield, and the Star Fox characters can reflect them with Shine.
• When Hero hit the ground facedown, he was taking longer to get up than the rest of the cast. This has been fixed to match the other characters.

Big Air Dodge Issue Fixed

One of Smash Ultimate’s biggest flaws was fixed in 5.0.0. Before players couldn’t directionally air dodge and land while holding shield. The game would buffer a roll or spot dodge upon landing even if the player wasn’t holding their joystick in a direction.

The 5.0.0. patch fixed this issue and lets players safely land with their shield out without the fear of rolling into a bad spot.

Grab Mechanics Are More Consistent

If two characters’ grabs clashed before, some characters weren’t able to act as quickly as others, giving certain fighters a slight advantage. Now, the end lag of grab parrying is universal.

Yoshi Changes

Yoshi wasn’t able to buffer a grab after rolling in 4.0.0 like every other character. Wednesday’s patch fixed this weakness in dinosaur’s kit.

Peach and Daisy Changes

The hit boxes for Peach and Daisy’s Up Special should seamlessly connect into each other now. That means opponents should fall out of the move less frequently.

Peach and Daisy’s Up Special leaves the princesses extremely vulnerable. Fixing its hit boxes means Peach and Daisy players can use the move more aggressively without the fear of enemies dropping out and punishing them.

Ice Climbers Changes

In Smash Ultimate, grabbing onto a ledge that has already been grabbed by another player will gently remove them from the ledge, a mechanic known as “ledge trumping.” Every character had the ability to do this except Nana, the second half of the Ice Climbers duo.

With 5.0.0 now in affect, Nana can ledge trump and allow Ice Climbers to pull off even more dazzling combos.

Villager Changes

Villager’s Up Smash was not able to blast opponents out of a burry, which was a shame because their Down Smash can bury grounded opponents.

Now, Down Smash into Up Smash should work just fine now and be a deadly kill combo at late percents.

Rosalina & Luma Changes

Hero’s Snooze spell, which put characters to sleep at range, would keep Rosalina & Luma players from using their star-shaped sidekick. That’s been patched out and Luma can now protect Rosalina if she put to sleep by Hero.

Joker Changes

When Joker hit the ground facedown he would take a bit longer to get up compared to the rest of Smash Ultimate’s roster. That’s been fixed and he’s just as fast as everyone else now.

Update 5.0.0 is available now for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Nintendo Switch.