Saturday, March 01, 2008
Our weekly brawl countdown continues with seven more characters!
Day 22: Ice Climbers
Series: Ice Climbers
First Apperance: Vs. Ice Climber [Arcade, 1984]
Last Main Apperance: That same Ice Climber game, but on different platforms.
Smash Experience: Veteran
Intro: The Ice Climbers have only been in one game. Its not that great of a game. There has been absolutely no sign of there being any kind of sequel of this game. Yet, here they are, Ice Climbers, quite unique characters in that you control both of them at once. I'm almost surprised Urban Champion guy hasn't shown up yet.
Standard B: Those mini Icebergs they shoot out are quite resiliant. They cancel out many projectile attacks, and since there's two of them, one will cancel out a projectile while the second moves on and deals damage.
Side B: Its a spinning hammer attack. With only one Ice Climber, its not that great. With both Ice climbers, its... decent enough.
Up B: The Belay move is useless with only one Ice Climber. With both, it turns into an excellent recovery move.
Down B: This little freeze breath attack of theirs can be quite useful at times, with the chance of freezing. The second Ice Climber has the first's back.
Final Smash: Giant Iceberg appears. It deals damage. It freezes opponents. It takes up a huge amount of space. Its quite formidable.
Other Notes: On a dojo update, it notes that only Nana has access to a meteor smash, leaving Popo without one. This may only fuel the rumors that the player can only play as Popo and not Nana. Which isn't cool. ...pun not intended.
My Expectations: Ice Climbers weren't very popular in Melee, much like their game. Giant Iceberg aside, they don't seem to be that much different in Brawl. Much like their second g... oh, wait.
Day 23: Lucas
Series: Mother Series
First Apperance: Mother 3 [GBA, 2006]
Last Main Apperance: Mother 3 is Lucas' only appearance.
Smash Experience: Newcomer
Intro: Mother 3 is not like either of the other two Mother games. While Mothers 1 & 2 are both quite upbeat, lighthearted adventures, Mother 3 is quite tragic, quite often. Lucas personally experiences two tragedies; one near the beginning of the game and one at the end. Despite this, Mother 3 also brings in many lighthearted moments. Which just makes the experience weird. I dunno. Game just weirded me out with its lighthearted tragedy. I mean, what the hell.
Standard B: The trend of Mother characters using moves they can't learn in their games continues, except moreso. Ness' Standard B, PK Flash, is a move Lucas CAN learn. Yet, Lucas doesn't have PK Flash. Instead, Lucas uses PK Freeze has his Standard B, a move Lucas CAN'T learn. Ugh. Its not as powerful, but it obviously comes with the ability to freeze.
Side B: PK Fire. The main differences from Ness' PK Fire is that, unlike Ness' whose PK Fire hits and creates a column of fire with no knockback, Lucas' PK Fire works like a gunshot. Boom!
Up B: Lucas' PK Thunder is also different. Sharper turns, goes through enemies, and sends Lucas twice as far when he hits himself with it compared to Ness.
Down B: Lucas' Recover is a bit odd. Its still a round ball, but Lucas puts it in front of him, only being able to absorb energy damage from the front. Those who are inside the ball of recovery take damage.
Final Smash: PK Starstorm, again a move Lucas can not use in Mother 3, is his Final Smash. Unlike Ness', whose Starstorm goes off in diagonals, Lucas' goes straight down. Probably best used on small stages, with multiple brawlers, and with Lucas doing anything possible to get people hit by it. PEEEKAAAY STAAAARRSTOOOOORRRM!!!
Other Notes: Lucas never uses a bat in Mother 3. He uses blunt wooden objects that could be cheap versions of bats, but never specifically a bat. Oddly enough, this fact is held true (yet not the PK attacks), as Lucas' forward smash uses a tree branch instead of a bat. Also, since Lucas never uses Yo-yos in Mother 3, his Up and Down smashes uses a psi-like damage maker instead of a yo-yo.
My Expectations: Lucas comes from a tragically lighthearted game. Or a lightheartedly tragic game, whichever. In any case, those who had fun playing as Ness are going to have fun with Lucas, and even those who didn't use Ness much may find something nice about Lucas as well.
Day 24: Wolf
Series: Star Fox Series
First Apperance: Star Fox 64 [N64, 1997]
Last Main Apperance: Star Fox Command [DS, 2006]
Smash Experience: Newcomer
Intro: As Fox is the leader of StarFox Wolf is, naturally, the leader of StarWolf, those two groups being quite the huge rivals. I'd say more about him, but my experiences of Star Fox games with Wolf is limited just up to the part in 64 where he says his famous first line: "Can't let you do that, StarFox!"
Standard B: Wolf's blaster is the slowest of the three StarFox reps, but its the most powerful of the three.
Side B: Whatever its called, its similar to Fox's and Falco's side B, except Wolf doesn't go as far and he actually dashes uphill. That's not the best way to explain it, but... yeah.
Up B: There's no fire involved with Wolf's Up B, unless its that dark, evil fire associated with evil characters. That's what it looks like. Also, there's no charge or delay involved unlike Fox and Falco's Up B.
Down B: Wolf also has a reflector. It doesn't have knockback but it still hurts. It covers both sides of Wolf, but it appears as though it doesn't protect Wolf from above. Also, its light red instead of light blue.
Final Smash: Wolf has a landmaster. It doesn't last as long as the common StarFox landmaster, however it is more powerful. Also, instead of the blue and white StarFox landmasters, Wolf's is an evil shade of black and red. I thought Wolf was more of a jerk mercenary, not an inherently evil guy wolf, but again I haven't played many StarFox games.
Other Notes: Despite the similarity of B moves, I hear Wolf's A button arsenal is quite different than both Fox and Falco.
My Expectations: The StarFox series as a whole got a lot of love in Brawl, perhaps to make up for the series' less-than superb outings since Melee. Wolf is probably the result of that pity-love, especially with a fighting set, B moves and FS aside, that reflect this love.
Day 25: Pikmin & Olimar
Series: Pikmin Series
First Apperance: Pikmin [GCN, 2001]
Last Main Apperance: Pikmin 2 [GCN, 2004]
Smash Experience: Newcomer
Intro: The two Pikmin games were intriguing puzzle games for the Gamecube where, essentially, you needed to implement the various kinds of Pikmin to solve puzzles and complete each game. In Brawl, Pikmin & Olimar are very unique. Olimar can barely do anything without any Pikmin while the Pikmin themselves are not just his main threat, but if used properly one of the bigger threats in the game.
Standard B: With this move, Olimar pulls up a Pikmin. There are five types, which I'm not inclined to describe right now. Each one, though, has their own abilities and perks.
Side B: Olimar throws a Pikmin with this move. With the exception of the purple ones, Pikmin will latch onto the opponent and chip away at an opponents %. Obviously, the more Pikmin on someone, the more damage that will stack. White pikmin also throw in some poison, too.
Up B: With the Pikmin currently out, Olimar quickly turns them into a vine for emergency edge latching action! Its an okay offensive move, though.
Down B: Olimar whistles, rearranging the order of Pikmin. This is useful if, for example, you want to use a Red pikmin but its way in the back. As you can see, only two of Olimar's four B moves deal any actual damage, the other two are simply for Pikmin management.
Final Smash: This Final Smash, oddly, doesn't use Pikmin at all. Olimar somehow wills it to be "End of Day" and as such, gets the hell out of there in a magically appearing spaceship of his. Those that are left behind (re: not Olimar) are left to be the food of those slug creatures you see in Pikmin. While this doesn't really KO anybody, watch out. Olimar's spaceship returns afterwards and will crash, destroying itself and anybody the ship crashes into.
Other Notes: Olimar needs Pikmin to do his smash attacks. Olimar needs Pikmin to throw. Olimar needs Pikmin to not die in Pikmin 1. As you can see, its obvious why the character's official Brawl name is "Pikmin & Olimar".
My Expectations: Definiately an unique character, Olimar can be quite devastating when put into the right hands, yet those not willing to invest in mastering his B moves will probably work on staying away from him more than most other characters. Hopefully, there will be more cases like the former.
Day 26: Kirby
Series: Kirby Series
First Apperance: Kirby's Dreamland [GB, 1992]
Last Main Apperance: Kirby: Squeak Squad [DS, 2006]
Smash Experience: One of the Originals
Intro: First you draw a circle, then you dot the eyes. Add a great big smile, and presto, its Kirby! That line, taken from Kirby's Adventure, pretty much sums up the lighthearted yet usually epic adventures the pink puff goes through in its games. Swallowing enemies and spitting them back out or swallowing enemies and copying their abilities. Kirby is quite unique, and that continues as such in Brawl.
Standard B: Kirby's signature move, it swallows an opponent and copies their standard B move, coming complete with a cute little Kirby hat or hair or skin of some kind. It normally fully copies another character's Standard B with a few exceptions (Olimar Kirby picks then immediatly throws Pikmin, for instance). Kirby loses the hat by either being KOed or by using one of its taunts.
Side B: Kirby's hammer has been reported to be different in Brawl. I haven't seen much of it in action, especially in midair, so I don't have too much to say. From what I can see from its hammer while on the ground, there's slightly less power for slightly less charge time.
Up B: Kirby's cutter is pretty much the same. ...not much more to add.
Down B: Kirby's Stone ability also seems to have little difference than before.
Final Smash: Cook Kirby is here to serve up some pain. ...yeah. When Cook Kirby clangs on its frypan, anybody in range and not doing other things will suddenly fly into Kirby's pot. When Kirby's done cooking, various things spit out, including food, super-spicy curry, non-food items somehow, and fiery flying opponents.
Other Notes: Kirby was nerfed quite hard in Melee, and I've heard that's been rectified some in Brawl. As a whole, Kirby's moves seem stronger and provide harder knockback.
My Expectations: Kirby's bag of tricks hasn't changed much since Melee. Well, they kinda have. Those tricks have gotten a tad stronger. Kirby fans who miss Kirby from the 64 days may still not find that Kirby in Brawl, but its a step in the right direction.
Day 27: Toon Link
Series: The Legend of Zelda Series
First Apperance: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker [GCN, 2003]
Last Main Apperance: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass [DS, 2007]
Smash Experience: Newcomer (possibly Veteran)
Intro: While Link appears to be young in many Zelda games, the grown up Twilight Princess model is the official 'Link' for the time being. Meanwhile, this model of Link, once known as 'Wind Waker' Link and now known as the more silly 'Toon Link' has appeared in quite a few games as this specific model. From Wind Waker to the various Four Sword games, from the disappointment that was Minish Cap to another disappointment that was Phantom Hourglass. Toon Link appears in these, and Toon Link appears here, apparently the new version of Young Link as he is much faster yet quite weaker than Link.
Standard B: His Bow is weaker, doesn't go as fast, and actually flies in an slight arc regardless of how much you charge. Fire arrows are gone.
Side B: His boomerang is a normal boomerang unlike TP Link's Gale Boomerang. It also moves slowly and deals 'meh' damage.
Up B: Toon Link's spin attack seems to have quite the recovery when used in midair. From this the fact that Toon Link is the master at spin attacking is quite evident, while TP Link is left in the spin attack dust.
Down B: Toon Link's bombs are based off their WW model, complete with that very nice looking explosion effect.
Final Smash: Even with the differences in the B moves, it doesn't seem like Toon Link's final smash, another Triforce Slash, is any different than TP Link's.
Other Notes: Toon Link's grab is also the Hookshot, although I say 'also' knowing Link's is now the 'Clawshot'. Some might of expected the Grappling Hook, but Hookshot works just fine. Thankfully, Toon Link actually does get a Hookshot in at least one of his games. *looks sternly at Ness and Lucas*
My Expectations: Toon Link is the new Young Link. The agile, weaker counterpart to normal Link. I expect Toon Link to play similarly to that of the old Young Link, minus that overly long 'milk drink' taunt that I'm sure Toon Link doesn't have.
Day 28: Peach
Series: Mario Series
First Apperance: Super Mario Brothers [NES, 1985]
Last Main Apperance: Super Mario Galaxy [Wii, 2007]
Smash Experience: Veteran
Intro: Princess Peach always needs a rescuin'. ...except in Super Princess Peach. In that game, she's doing the rescuin', but in most other games she needs a rescuin'. In the Smash games, she needs no such rescuin' as she is just as able to fight as everyone else (except in SSE mode in Brawl...). Will she be able to keep up again?
Standard B: Poor toads. Not only does Peach force them to take hits, but then they go and spew up some kind of toxic gas. ...poor toads.
Side B: Her Peach bomb or whatever it is no longer packs the power of an explosion. It now packs the power of... hearts. Lots of them. Tons of them. Pow.
Up B: Her parasol attack is relatively unchanged. While using it to float, the parasol can still deal damage. I'm... not sure if that was in Melee or not.
Down B: Her turnip toss can pull up, among weird looking stronger turnips, bob-ombs, Mr. Saturns and Beam Swords.
Final Smash: Peach dances. Some music plays. Two 2D Peach models appear for some reason. Peaches, the fruit, appear. The opponents fall asleep, having been dealt 40% damage somehow. Peach can use this time to either heal with those peaches, or put some smack and down on her sleeping foes. Possibly both if she's fast enough. A final smash such as this can be quite formidable in 'scrolling' stages like Mushroomy Kingdom or Jungle Japes.
Other Notes: Is it me, or was there a little too much attention made to Peach's dress? I mean, just look at all those details. Looks like there were a few Peach fans on the development staff. Their graphic work on Peach shows... in more ways than one.
My Expectations: With her strong air game and Brawl's greater emphasis on the air game, it will be interesting to see how much better she is, if any. Just be careful if you get "no items, Smash Ball and Peach only, Mushroomy Kingdom".
--Written By Rick52 [GameWinners Moderator]
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on 03/01 at 01:36 PM
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Saturday, February 23, 2008
Rick summarizes seven more characters for our weekly Brawl Countdown.
Day 15: Falco
Series: Star Fox Series
First Apperance: Star Fox [SNES, 1993]
Last Main Apperance: Star Fox Command [DS, 2006]
Smash Experience: Veteran
Intro: Falco Lombardi is one of Fox's wingmen in multiple Star Fox games. Despite this fact, Falco is often a loner; not wanting help from others when taking down foes and such. In Melee, Falco was a slower, slightly stronger version of Fox without the odd super speed fall and a blaster that could flinch. Also, points to Falco for having just a slightly more original name than "Peppy Hare" and "Slippy Toad".
Standard B: Blaster. Like Fox's, except not quite as fast and it flinches opponents.
Side B: That flash thing of his when he does his Side B looks unchanged from Melee. I don't know how much different it is from Fox's right now.
Up B: His Fire Falcon or whatever its called doesn't look too much different either.
Down B: His Reflector, however, is different. As Falco is the apparent jerk of the Star Fox universe, I guess he has to reflect that attitude in at least one of his abilities. ...no pun intended. His Down B has him taking his taking his reflector and kicking it forward, then it somehow slings back like a yo-yo. So, as you'd expect, it probably deals a decent amount of damage but Falco can't deflect anything behind him.
Final Smash: While the Star Fox universe having three reps may make some people wonder, others are simply perplexed that all three of those reps have the same final smash. Landmaster, a craft I assume was introduced in Star Fox 64, comes from the sky and deals massive damage through spinning, turning, or firing its cannon. Those foolhardy enough to stand on the Landmaster could be sent flying, as the Landmaster can go sky high. When it comes to that last part, apparently Falco's last the longest.
Other Notes: "Mind your own business, Fox!" ...that's all I got here. You can tell my Star Fox knowledge is quite limited.
My Expectations: Falco wasn't as great as Fox was in Melee, and unless Fox got nerfed some it doesn't seem like it'll be much different in Brawl. However, Falco himself is still quite formidable.
Day 16: Lucario
Series: Pokemon Series
First Apperance: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl [DS, 2007]
Last Main Apperance: Diamond/Pearl has been Lucario's only main appearance.
Smash Experience: Newcomer
Intro: While Lucario was a pokemon many wanted in Brawl, the way in which it happened stirred controversy. Mewtwo, who was in Melee and was the strongest of the original 151 Pokemon that many are aware of got replaced by Lucario, a pokemon not nearly as many are familiar with and apparantly gained most of its fame from some Pokemon movie. What's more, Lucario plays similarly to Mewtwo, but with traction and some other differences for the better. Its like they made Mewtwo better... but its Lucario. From that one movie. ...yeah.
Standard B: Lucario's Aura Sphere works like Mewtwo's Shadow Ball. Pretty much the same, actually.
Side B: Force Palm, I think, forces the opponent sideways with Lucario's palms. I think. Also, it can grab. With its palms. I think.
Up B: His Up B is Extremespeed, which, like Pikachu, can send Lucario in whichever direction you so choose (though not twice like Pikachu). I think this move also allows Lucario to cling to walls and such, but I'm not sure if that's something it can do freely rather than only do it after this move.
Down B: Reversal. Similar to the Fire Emblem guys' Down B, anyone that dares attack Lucario during its down B will be swept off their feet instead. Doesn't seem to have the same impact as Marth's or Ike's Down B, though.
Final Smash: Not sure what its officially called. Some say Flash Cannon. Others, Hyper Beam. While it is unwise to use either in a Pokemon game, its fine to use Lucario's FS here. He jumps up to the center of the field and fires a Shinkuu Hadouken-like beam. It doesn't deal too much damage, especially if Lucario doesn't hit you right away, but it has some nice knockback.
Other Notes: Despite being a Fighting/Steel type in the games, Lucario's attacks have the same 'dark' effect to them like some of Mewtwo's attacks. I would draw a comparison to the movie if I had actually seen it. I still don't get how a pretty good but not godlike pokemon like Lucario could get this popular just from one movie. In other news, its been pretty much confirmed that Lucario's attacks will do slightly more damage the more its hurt, dealing 1.5x normal damage once its at 200%. That's pretty neat.
My Expectations: Lucario seems like a nice addition to the series, and this fact would probably be more agreed upon if that addition wasn't by subtraction as well.
Day 17: Samus/Zero Suit Samus
Series: Metroid Series
First Apperance: Metroid [NES, 1987]
Last Main Apperance: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption [Wii, 2007]
Smash Experience: One of the Originals
Intro: When Melee came out, Samus' appearances was still at three (Metroid, Metroid 2, Super Metroid). Since then, Samus has appeared in seven games. Seven! In more than one of those, Samus appears at times without armor, in a suit referred to as her Zero Suit. Her weapons are limited to a paralyzing whip gun of sorts, and loses a lot of power as a whole, though she is faster without the armor. This new dynamic is interesting for Samus, but there's been talk that Samus herself has been nerfed a bit...
Samus Standard B: Her Charge Shot does the same thing as always, though now it makes a sound similar to Sonic's spin attacks. I dunno why.
Samus Side B: His missiles look kinda like Super Missiles now, but it doesn't seem like they hurt like Super Missiles. I'm guessing they're homing missiles like before unless you smash B forward where they instead just go on a straight line.
Samus Up B: Her Screw Attack never really does that much damage, her Screw Attack item does slightly less. But, it makes for some nice recovery.
Samus Down B: Her bombs are difficult to put to real use. They don't do a lot of damage, and while they give Samus an air boost its not easy to put that to application in a game like Smash Bros.
Samus Final Smash: Her Final Smash, the Zero Laser, fires exactly that in one direction. Anybody caught in its decent range has a good chance of going down as it has very nice knockback. Upon using this FS, however, Samus loses her armor and becomes Zero Suit Samus.
ZSS Standard B: Paralyzer. In Metroid Zero Mission, Zero Suit Samus couldn't kill anything. Her only weapon was this Paralyzer and as the name indicates it could only paralyze. Same theory applies here. It doesn't have much range, but of course whomever it hits will be stunned for a short time. It can also be charged and be sent in some other direction.
ZSS Side B: Plasma Whip just whips opponents. Whips 'em good. ... ... ...especially at the tip.
ZSS Up B: Plasma 'wire' works like Plasma whip, except from above instead of straight ahead. It can also apparently draw people toward Samus.
ZSS Down B: Her Down B simply flip jumps from one spot to another, usually up and over an opponent. I suppose, after doing this, Samus can quickly hit the opponent in the back.
ZSS Final Smash: Officially named "Power Suit Samus", Samus goes into a position not unlike the "Crystal Flash" one in games past. This doesn't do a whole lot of damage, which is ZSS's schtick as we all know, nor does it have a lot of knockback. However, upon completion of this Final Smash Samus will have regained her power suit and start dealing decent damage again.
Other Notes: Zero Laser is only one way of getting Power Suit Samus. Holding down the Shield button after selecting Samus on the character/stage select is another way. Quickly pressing the up/down/up taunts is the third way. However, there apparently isn't another way to turn Zero Suit Samus into Power Suit Samus aside from her Final Smash. How odd.
My Expectations: Is it just me, or does it seem like Samus seem completely lacking in any real power moves? I'm not even talking about Zero Suit Samus this time. Samus is always fun to play as, but it must not be easy koing opponents at low levels with her aside from a well timed charged shot.
Day 18: Yoshi
Series: Mario Series, later Yoshi's Island Series
First Apperance: Super Mario World [SNES, 1991]
Last Main Apperance: Yoshi's Island DS [DS, 2006]
Smash Experience: One of the Originals
Intro: Yoshi has had quite the adventure over the years in terms of its games. First appearing in the wonderful Super Mario World, Yoshi shined with its ability to eat things and use powers from certain Koopa shells, as well as being a noble 'double jump' sacrifice at times. Yoshi's Island, the things's first main game, was also excellent. However, since then its been a bit of a slipperly slope. Yoshi's Story was not well received even though many who've played it say otherwise, and the only time you saw Yoshi on the Gamecube was either in Melee or a similar party/sports game, or once again appearing as Mario's occasional sacrifice/'steed' in Sunshine. Yoshi's tried to make a comeback on the DS with moderate success. So... long story short, Yoshi is back in Brawl, probably ready for some vengence.
Standard B: Yoshi swallows foes, and they turn into eggs for a short time. While in the egg, Yoshi can pile on the damage, but its usually easy to break out, and you can still move in midair to foil Yoshi's attempts to eat then egg you over a pit.
Side B: Yoshi's rollout doesn't seem any different than in Melee.
Up B: You know, I never really figured out how to completely use Yoshi's egg toss until a Dojo update a few days ago. It seems so simple, yet I never got it down. Then again, I don't use Yoshi all that much.
Down B: Yoshi's Ground pound. Has pretty nice knockback.
Final Smash: Called "Super Dragon", Yoshi harnesses the powers of its original appearance, gaining wings and the ability to spew fire. There's two types of fire; a flamethrower type and a fireball type you can use with 'a button' the update says. If used well, Yoshi can be quite the danger while under its FS.
Other Notes: Yoshi is, I think, the only character that does not have a midair jump. That's because its initial jump is massive, better than some characters' double jump. Heck, I don't think Yoshi gets that much air in most of its games.
My Expectations: Yoshi is a pretty unique characters, all in all. Doesn't seem much different in Brawl than it did in Melee, so that'll please some Yoshi users.
Almost forgot today's character.
Day 19: Diddy Kong
Series: Donkey Kong Series
First Apperance: Donkey Kong Country [SNES, 1994]
Last Main Apperance: Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber [DS, 2007]
Smash Experience: Newcomer
Intro: Diddy Kong is the Luigi of the Donkey Kong series. Except Diddy Kong has had a bit better treatment, being the star of Donkey Kong Country 2 and the N64 Diddy Kong Racing, and his personality hasn't been shot all to hell. He's far more 'wild' than Donkey Kong, though, and thankfully to some doesn't play like the latter at all.
Standard B: Peanut Popgun is a weird gun. It can charge up. Charging it up too much will make it blow up in Diddy's face. When it fires, it looks like it stings like hell, yet it doesn't seem to make the opponent flinch. As it is shooting peanuts, after all. Peanuts that do not hit the target will break open and become edible for some healing.
Side B: With this move, he tries to land on the opponent and, if successful, will flip off the target's head straight up. It could make for some nice recovery if Diddy and an opponent are trying to recover at the same time. In fact, then it would be very useful.
Up B: Diddy's actual recovery move is pretty standard. He pulls out barrel rockets, and blasts off for some nice vertical recovery, though he's helpless until he lands.
Down B: Diddy's down B has him taking out a banana peel and throwing it onto the ground, perhaps to try to get the opponent to slip and trip on it. How annoying.
Final Smash: Diddy's Final Smash combines those barrel rockets with two peanut guns. He flies around, firing his peanut guns straight below him, and it actually hurts this time. Seems hard as hell to control, though. Plus, there's a good chance Diddy won't hit his targets plenty of times, leaving lots of peanuts for them to recover on.
Other Notes: One of his alternate colors makes him look disturbingly like Dixie Kong with obvious differences. That's all I got.
My Expectations: Diddy Kong is definately different than most characters in Smash, and it may take some quite a while to really master his moves and abilities. Diddy has some potential, it just looks like it'll take some work to unlock it all.
Day 20: Ike
Series: Fire Emblem Series
First Apperance: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance [GCN, 2005]
Last Main Apperance: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn [Wii, 2007]
Smash Experience: Newcomer
Intro: Ike is the main character in the last two Fire Emblems, Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. The Ike in Brawl is that of his PoR model, as his RD model is much more buff. Ironically, only the RD version of Ike suffers from a lack of speed while PoR Ike is just fine in terms of speed, and Brawl's Ike is also pretty slow. Don't expect Ike to be just the new Roy, though, Ike has some key differences.
Standard B: His eruption attack is pretty close range, and is chargable. Obviously, its not a good idea to either let Ike charge up or to be in the attacks range if he is charging up.
Side B: His side B is called Quick Draw, which again is pretty weird considering its slow ol' Ike. It works similarly to Fox/Falco's Side B, except this one can be charged. It sends Ike quite the horizontal distance, and makes for an unexpectedly nice recovery.
Up B: Aether, in comparison, may not seem like such a recovery. It looks like Ike's Aether in PoR, except its really different. No second hit, no Sol or Luna effects, etc. In Brawl, Ike can't be flinched after he tosses his sword up (probably because he doesn't have very many frames without his sword), which brings up a bunch of different strategies regarding this move. There's a video of Ike surviving 12 straight Falcon Punches by using this move over and over again.
Down B: The only real 'clone' move of Ike's is his Counter, which works at a slower pace than Marth's but counterattacks for slightly more damage.
Final Smash: His Great Aether is also not a real Aether. Unlike Aether, which deals just two strikes, Great Aether deals 15 strikes, the first being the 'if I hit you you're screwed' hit and the last one having great knockback.
Other Notes: This isn't really about Ike, but I wish the Fire Emblem stage wasn't so generic. Random castle, random interior with weird statues, random fire pit, repeat. To make up for this, the included Fire Emblem stage music is generally really, really awesome.
My Expectations: Ike is not the new Roy, despite being the slower, stronger FE counterpart to Marth. Ike's almost completely different B moveset is a testament to this, and it seems like he's set up to be a more defensive character which is odd to say given that it is Smash Bros we're talking about. I look forward to using him.
Day 21: Robotic Operating Buddy (R.O.B.)
Series: NES Robot Series
First Apperance: Gyromite [NES, 1985]
Last Main Apperance: Stack Up [NES, 1985]
Smash Experience: Newcomer
Intro: The story goes, it was through the Robotic Operating Buddy accessory that Nintendo was able to sell the Nintendo Entertainment System as a "toy". This move supposedly increased sales and brought video gaming back out of that ditch it fell into during 1983. Despite the fact it was rather useless in the two 'meh' games it could be used in, R.O.B. is held in high regard for the aforementioned reason. Its made spot appearances here and there since, but none as big as this. Many disapprove of ROB's apperance as it got in over whatever character they wanted in, but I personally don't care.
Standard B: It fires a laser from its eyes. The end.
Side B: Its side B makes it spins its arms around and around at a rapid pace. It makes ROB rise off the ground a little, just a little.
Up B: I think its Up B gives it a jet boost, making it similar to an extra jump. I think. There's only been a couple of videos showing this things moves.
Down B: It apparently charges up... a Gyro I'm guessing? Hard to tell. Anyway, it charges up similar to DK's Punch and such. Upon releasing the thing, it'll be flung forward for decent damage. The item itself will remain for anybody to pick up and throw.
Final Smash: I don't know what this thing is called. Upon activating its Final Smash, a red field continously emits from its eyes with the attack button, dealing minor damage and little knockback, though enemies can be trapped in this field. I think it can also shoot out stronger lasers, but I'm not sure.
Other Notes: Its default color is that of the Famicom, the Japanese NES. Famicoms and Super Famicoms were quite colorful, yet the North American NES and SNES were drab and gray, with some purple on the SNES. As such, American ROBs were also gray. I wouldn't doubt some of the reason for the delay is to... SSE spoiler: fix its colors in the Subspace Emissary mode, in the movies and such. Also, I'm not sure, but I don't think ROB has a double jump.
My Expectations: Even though I personally don't mind ROB being in Brawl, it doesn't seem like ROB will be that great. It doesn't seem to have a lot of power moves despite looking like a heavy type character.
Written by Rick52 [GameWinners Moderator]
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on 02/23 at 03:52 PM
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Saturday, February 16, 2008
I decided to do a weekly character countdown rather than a daily.
Day 8: Donkey Kong
Series: Donkey Kong Series
First Apperance: Donkey Kong [Arcade, 1981]
Last Main Apperance: Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber [DS, 2007]
Smash Experience: One of the Originals
Intro: They say that this incarnation of Donkey Kong is the (somehow) grandson or nephew (I forget which) of the arcade Donkey Kong, the latter becoming some old codger in the DK Country games. Unlike the old Kong, Donkey Kong is full of 'tude. Thankfully, unlike the overload of 'tude Sonic's game have had recently, DK's 'tude is at just about the right level to NOT kill several kinds of species. Well, I imagine the DK rap killed a couple.
Standard B: Giant Punch. Self-explanatory. Imma chargin ma punches and then imma punchin!
Side B: Head Butt. I'm guessing it'll be the same 'headbutt you into the GROUND' as before. I never was a fan of that move.
Up B: Spinning Kong. Probably the same 'better at side recovery than up recovery' move as before. Its this kind of strategy that those who need to use recovery a lot need to keep in mind to not suck as badly.
Down B: Hand Slap. In Melee, I did 15-minute Melee by doing this non-stop. I went 13 minutes the first time and lost, but then I cleared it the second time. The hand trauma DK received from such a battle must've nerfed the move a bit for Brawl. >_>
Final Smash: Konga Beat. In recent years, Donkey Kong has gained a taste in music. Not that stereo stuff he was trying to 'tude with in DK Country, but more specifically, Bongos! This FS takes timing to be used at its maximum effiency, which is to deal damage and send foes flying like most other things do. Haven't seen it do as well as other Final Smashes, though.
Other Notes: You ever notice how DK tries to be the 'jerk' of the bunch? His taunt and winning animations show as much. What a jerk that DK is, with his minimal amount of 'tude. Sonic isn't a jerk.
My Expectations: Looks like DK will be the same as before, possibly a bit stronger. His 'meh' FS isn't doing him favors, though.
Day 9: Bowser
Series: Super Mario Brothers Series
First Apperance: Super Mario Brothers [NES, 1985]
Last Main Apperance: Super Mario Galaxy [Wii, 2007]
Smash Experience: Veteran
Intro: Oh, Bowser. For some reason you, as a giant turtle-like creature, continue to capture and possibly have relations with a human female yet get continually thwarted by a crafty though incredibly short human and rarely his taller brother time and time again. Will you ever gain new tricks to help you destroy your foes? The answer... may be surprising.
Standard B: This is his flamethrower, and I'm guessing it still loses juice the longer you hold the B button down.
Side B: His weird little claw/grab attack here is a little different, particularly the, I think, forward grab. Apparently retaining his mad flipping skills from Super Mario Galaxy, Bowser grabs you, jumps up and flips, and slams you back into the ground. What if there's no ground? Why, he'll slam you - and himself - into oblivion. DK's throw suicide and Kirby's swallow suicide have nothing on Bowser's grab suicide. Watch the hell out if you're down to your last stock against this guy.
Up B: Flying Fortress is basically him spinning in his shell really fast for some good horizontal recovery. I believe this time around electricity is involved. Oh, that crafty, crafty koopa.
Down B: The Bowser Bomb. I don't know why he keeps using this move. This move practically kills him in Super Mario 3, and it doesn't do much for him in other Mario games. In this game, however, it's a rather decent power move.
Final Smash: When Bowser grabs a smash ball, he turns into one of the more talked about characters in Melee. That being... Giga Bowser! He moves are that much more powerful! Can anything stop it!? By that I mean, Jigglypuff's Rest > it? Is it? I can't tell, the dojo update indicates that Giga Bowser can't be flinched or even hurt. Bad news for everyone else.
Other Notes: Seriously, if you're down to your last stock, and Bowser has at least two, you better hope you have access to ranged weapons or chances are your last moments are going to be between oblivion pit and koopa belly. Not a fun combination, I assure you.
My Expectations: Bowser seems to of been kicked up a notch from Melee. He'll probably be as slow and powerful as he was before, and with some new options for the King of the Koopas, he'll be suiciding against you and everyone else in no time!
Day 10: Mr. Game & Watch
Series: Game & Watch
First Apperance: Ball [G&W Silver, 1980]
Last Main Apperance: Game & Watch Gallery 4 [GBA, 2002]
Smash Experience: Veteran
Intro: I tell ya what, Mr. Game & Watch sure did come out of nowhere in Melee. A flat, monochrome person of sorts doing frame-by-frame motions of what seem to be attacks was not what fans had in mind when they were speculating for new characters before Melee. Yet, he came and was met relatively well I would hope. He has returned for Brawl, but I dunno if he's been changed much, what with so few frames and all.
Standard B: Frypan, or whatever its official name is. The frypan hurts and burns, and those things which I assume are pancakes deal small bits of damage as well.
Side B: Damage Hammer. The higher the number, the bigger the pain. I don't see much different with it now.
Up B: Parachute. Somehow, two other G&W like guys appear with a trampoline and boost Game & Watch as he parachutes to safety. Oh, I think the parachute part is new. How neat.
Down B: Bucket. Fill'er up three times, then it spills out some weird black stuff that only Game & Watch could identify. Whatever it is, it hurts. Of course, this moves' usefulness depends on who you're playing against (as in, with no items, he could have a field day with Fox while that bucket would go unused against Marth).
Final Smash: Luigi had a pretty out-of-nowhere FS. Game & Watch's isn't as bizarre, but its still pretty screwy. He turns... into Octillery. Well, the sprite looks pretty damn like the octapus pokemon that evolves from a fish somehow, but its probably just a generic octapus. Whose one-frame tentacles deal pain and suffering. Also, its huge.
Other Notes: Game & Watch has new color schemes, including Gold! And (almost) Silver! Who said they were ignoring those two games, huh? Huh!?
My Expectations: Game & Watch looks pretty much the same as before. I mean, its pretty tough messing with a moveset as unique and surprising as his was in Melee. With R.O.B stealing the 'who, where and why' bit from Game & Watch, he can just sit back and go old school on everyone who dares enter his flat zone.
Day 11: Link
Series: Legend of Zelda Series
First Apperance: The Legend of Zelda [NES, 1987]
Last Main Apperance: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess [GCN/Wii, 2006]
Smash Experience: One of the Originals
Intro: Link is back, this time adapting the look and weapon design of his Twilight Princess counterpart. Many thought Link improved from his N64 appearance to his Melee one, how will his Brawl version stack up? I'm mainly curious as I mained Link in both games.
Standard B: Hero's Bow. Doesn't look much different than it did in Melee. What'd be cool is if it did some awesome knockback with a charged shot, but that's probably not true.
Side B: Gale Boomerang. Unlike normal boomerangs in the Zelda series, Twilight Princess' boomerang had wind properties to it. When the boomerang comes back, a mini-tornado appears, pulling anybody in it slightly toward Link. I guess it could make for boomerang-Forward smash combos, but I dunno. The dojo update didn't exactly make the Gale Boomerang's ability all that great.
Up B: The Spin Attack. Apparently, this can now be charged. I wonder, if its charged while in mid-air, will it increase the distance Link will go? Seems like its been improved regardless.
Down B: Bombs. They take its Twilight Princess look, but it doesn't seem like they'll be much different. Heh, one of the things I liked to do in Melee was get a bomb ready, throw it straight in the air, then immediatly grab my opponent and throw him right into the bomb. That's awesome.
Final Smash: Triforce Slash. What would've been awesome is if Link's multiple sword attacks were made in a fashion where he cuts the design of the Triforce himself. Instead, two Triforces are already there, apparently trapping the foe as they have no choice but to take Link's onslaught of pain. Morons who get too close to said onslaught feel the pain as well. The next thing to occur is most likely death.
Other Notes: Link's Hookshot, which I guess would now be called the Clawshot to keep consistent with Twilight Princess, will now lock onto ledges should it be used for recovery instead of going straight forward and probably missing the ledge. I also wonder if any of Link's normal attacks have adapted some of his sword abilites that he could acquire in Twilight Princess...
My Expectations: Looks like Link is going to play similarly to how he did in Melee, with a couple of perks here and there, but nothing that much improved or nerfed from before. Gonna take awhile to get used to his new voice, though. His old voice was pretty awesome.
Day 12: Pikachu
Series: Pokemon Series
First Apperance: Pokemon Red & Blue [GB, 1998]
Last Main Apperance: Pokemon Diamond & Pearl [DS, 2007]
Smash Experience: One of the Originals
Intro: Pikachu has garnered most of its fame from the Pokemon television show, which is a laugh for several of the wrong reasons. Don't get me wrong, I actually like Pikachu. I actually like Raichu more, but Pikachu's pretty cool too. After all, he can aim for horns and defeat ground pokemon he's not supposed to beat, and can hit flying pokemon but not hurt them but rather infuse them and itself with magical Thunder Armor. Oh, TV Show, how silly you are.
Standard B: Thundershock. A weak attack, Thundershocks used while on ground will wrap around the landform while thundershocks shot in midair will go down and to the side in a ball like form. Pikachuuu!
Side B: Skull Bash is the name. It works like Luigi's side B, but without the threat of misfire. Pretty easy to dodge, though, unless you don't charge at all, then the attack won't be worth much. PIIIIIIIIIII ... ... ... ...-kah!
Up B: I forget if its called Quick Attack or the more accurate Agility. In any case, after a short delay, Pikachu will shoot to whichever direction you will it too, and will even do it twice if you choose two directions quickly enough. A nice recovery, though Pikachu is helpless after using it. Pi, pi!
Down B: Thunder. Powerful if it hits, but it doesn't hit very often. Just like in the game! If a foe is sent straight up, Thunder can ensure that foe's death, but its of no use if there's a landform above Pikachu. Pika! *boom*
Final Smash: Volt Tackle works very similarly to Super Sonic and I would even go as far as saying that one is a FS clone of the other. Simply put, like Super Sonic, Pikachu flies all over the level severely damaging whomever it touches. Pressing A makes it shoot in a certain direction.
Other Notes: Some say that this Pikachu is Melee's Pichu who has evolved, evidence by how Pikachu in Brawl can wear the same goggles Pichu wore in Melee. But, if that's the case, where did Melee Pikachu go? Did it evolve and, as poor Raichu, get sent into obscurity? If that's the case, that's a shame. Poor Raichu
My Expectations: Many say that Pikachu in Melee was far worse than its 64 counterpart. While I didn't really notice the changes that much, if his Brawl counterpart returns to its 64 days, I won't complain.
Day 13: King Dedede
Series: Kirby Series
First Apperance: Kirby's Dreamland [GB, 1992]
Last Main Apperance: Kirby: Squeak Squad [DS, 2006]
Smash Experience: Newcomer
Intro: Its strange. In Japan, its name is pronounced "daydayday", as 'de' makes that sound, yet here in America its officially "deedeedee", even though 'de' is supposed to still make that 'day' sound. What even stranger is how Dedede, supposed King of Dreamland, continuously gets possessed in Kirby games. Seriously, and this is a Kirby's Dreamland 3 spoiler, I freaked out when I first battled possessed Dedede in that game.
Standard B: Inhale. Unlike Kirby, who can copy the ability of the people it eats, Dedede carries no such ability. As such, when Dedede eats someone, he just spits them back out as a star. Woo.
Side B: Waddle Dee toss. Those poor Waddle Dees, they're so worthless. This is like Peach's turnip toss, except not as useful as, again, Waddle Dees are worthless. Unless Dedede pulls out a Waddle Doo or a Gordo. Then its time to rock.
Up B: Super Dedede Jump. It's apparently like Bowser's down B, except with more jump and less rump. Sorry, the rhyme presented itself. It can also be cancelled, which is a good thing as Dedede will be left open for a moment after it lands.
Down B: Jet Hammer. That Dedede is so crafty, putting a jet of some sort into its hammer. It can be charged up for harder jet hammer pain.
Final Smash: Waddle Dee army. While Waddle Dees by themselves are useless, tons of Waddle Dees can prove troublesome, as this Final Smash calls tons of them to screw with Dedede's opponents. Gordos can also appear to cause more direct pain.
Other Notes: Like Kirby and Meta Knight, Dedede has multiple midair jumps. This is handy, as Dedede is considered a heavy character and you don't normally see heavy characters get recovery like the one Dedede gets.
My Expectations: Dedede seems like a character where you'll have to pile up damage with him using Waddle Dees and whatnot before you can use the strong stuff to finish. Yeah, theoretically the same is true for every character, but its especially the case with Dedede from what I've seen thus far.
Day 14: Mario
Series: Mario Series
First Apperance: Donkey Kong [Arcade, 1981]
Last Main Apperance: Super Mario Galaxy [Wii, 2007]
Smash Experience: One of the Originals
Intro: Mario. One of the most recognizable figures in video games. He can jump, he can do... other things. In the Smash games, Mario has always been a model of balance. He's not too fast and he's not too strong. He comes with changes this time around, will they be for the better?
Standard B: Fireball. It bounces, it deals minimal damage. The end.
Side B: Mario's cape from Super Mario world can flip opponents around (though useless against computer opponents) and can reflect projectiles. Remember when Mario's cape helped him fly? Like its 1991? ...yeah.
Up B: Mario's coin jump does more damage as a whole when compared to Luigi's coin jump, but Mario's jump doesn't have the possible smash effect to it like Luigi's.
Down B: ...and now for something really different, Mario's Down B is... FLUDD! That thing from that game haters like to hate is in Brawl. It does no damage, but instead its used for knockback. The more damage an opponent takes, the farther they apparently fly after being hit by it. I haven't seen it used in much capacity, so I can't really say how effective it is...
Final Smash: Mario Finale. It's a stream of fireballs being blasted in one direction. Seems like a move Mario would have; a move that isn't that powerful but doesn't have a high chance of hitting everyone as a result. Balanced.
Other Notes: His old Down B, the Mario Tornado, is now his Down A. ...or was it his midair down A? ...I'm guessing the former. Meh.
My Expectations: It'll probably take some time to get used to FLUDD and the new placement of the Mario Tornado. That's fine, though. Balanced ol' Mario will probably remain balanced, and those who like that balance will probably be pleased with Mario once again.
--Written by Rick52 [GameWinners Moderator]
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on 02/16 at 11:14 PM
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Saturday, February 09, 2008
A favorite among the population appears in Super Smash Brothers Brawl, Rick52 goes into deep detail about this character.
Day 7: Sonic the Hedgehog
Series: Sonic the Hedgehog Series
First Apperance: Sonic the Hedgehog [Genesis, 1991]
Last Main Apperance: Sonic Rush Adventure [DS, 2007]
Smash Experience: Newcomer
Intro: Some people don't like Sonic. Maybe its the old Sega hatred in them back in the SNES days. Maybe they're only experienced in his good-to-mediocre-to-awful 3D games. Or maybe they're jealous that they haven't had the joy to experience more of Sonic the f'in Hedgehog in his awesome games. Like most of his 2D outings. Most of them are pretty awesome. Play them.
Standard B: Homing Attack. His main method of attack in the 3D games seems simple enough from what I've seen. He gets into his patented spinning motion, and goes right for the nearest thing he can find. Pretty simple. Thankfully for him, unlike in his 3D games there's NOT a 40% chance a missed homing attack will send him into an oblivion pit. This time, its just around 3%.
Side B: Spin Dash. Sorta. It doesn't have homing capabilities, it's just him dashing forward in his super attack spin ball. Of awesome.
Up B: Spring Jump. The spring makes the same "BOING!" sound as it does in the old 2D Sonics, and as such Sonic in Brawl is the most awesome thing ever. See, I was worried that it was gonna make that lame "bonk" sound such as in the later games, then I'd be downright sad. The bonk sound is lame, the BOING! sound is pure win. In other news, Sonic gets some great height with the spring, and should make for a good recovery.
Down B: Spin Dash. Uh, I mean Spin Charge. 'cause he's chargin' hiz lazers. I mean, himself. To Spin Dash. At foes. Awesomely.
Final Smash: Super Sonic. Finally, for the first time since 1994, you can use Super Sonic outside of the Final Boss! Shame its not an actual Sonic game. It seems to work like Pikachu's Volt Tackle where he can fly around, killing anything he touches. I bet hitting A makes him dash in a certain direction.
Other Notes: Sonic seems to be a fast character in the game, which is, you know, obvious. He better be the fastest character in the game. It just wouldn't be right if Sonic was somehow slower than Fox. Also, I don't like how the other characters' representation was geared toward the new games. Shadow the not-f'in Hedgehog is a confirmed Assist Trophy, while awesome Tails and awesome Knuckles get knocked back into mere background duty in Sonic's stage (along with Silver the Hedgehog, whom I haven't seen enough of to form an opinion towards).
My Expectations: I'm a big Sonic fan, having grown up with his awesome 2D games, and it seems like Sonic has been represented well. I look forward to jumping and spinning my hapless foes with Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic the f'in awesome Hedgehog.
--Written by Rick52 [GameWinners Moderator]
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Friday, February 08, 2008
Day 6, Rick52 talks about Meta Knight. [A newcomer]
Day 6: Meta Knight
Series: Kirby Series
First Apperance: Kirby's Adventure [NES, 1993]
Last Main Apperance: Kirby: Squeak Squad [DS, 2006]
Smash Experience: Newcomer
Intro: Meta Knight is pretty cool. I mean, he looks like an evil Kirby... but in evil armor! First seen in Kirby's Adventure and really making a name for himself in Super Star, Meta Knight appears to be the quickest of the sword users in the game. He comes with some neat tricks as well that should make him an enjoyable character to use.
Standard B: Mach Tornado. Meta Knight spins, apparently at mach speed, to create a small tornado which does a fair amount of damage. Sounds like fun.
Side B: Drill Rush. Similar to Pit's arrows, you can change the direction in which you Drill Rush. I wonder how far it goes. It might make a decent recovery move if Meta Knight didn't already have...
Up B: Shuttle Loop. It starts off like Marth's Up B, but once he reaches the top, it seems like Meta Knight can glide to safety. From how I understand it, its a nice recovery though you might have to be careful as to how far you glide.
Down B: Dimensional Cape. Like Zelda/Shiek's Up B, you can warp to a different spot to screw with people (not so much recovery), but unlike Zelda/Shiek's Up B, you can attack immediately upon re-entry. Warp, slash. Warp, slash. Quite an irritating if possibly effective strategy.
Final Smash: Galaxia Darkness. Meta Knight's Cape can screw with dimensions, and with the Smash Ball in his hands, that cape will screw with you. Anything that falls into its range during Meta Knight's Final Smash is gotta get slashed. Hard. Well, not that hard, but its still gonna hurt. Plus it looks as cool as an evil Kirby in evil armor can make it look.
Other Notes: I haven't been able to confirm if he can fly or glide like Kirby or Jigglypuff can. I don't think so, as his Up B is recovery enough, and he doesn't seem as easy to knock away as the other two, what with the evil armor and all.
My Expectations: It's nice to see the Kirby Series get more representation, at least in terms of characters. Meta Knight should be a fun character to use.
Posted by
on 02/08 at 01:38 PM
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