Test of Island Courage: Mike for SSB4!

[Gallowglass]

I'm hoping that he'll get in but I've thrown a few posts out in the Miiverse and nobody seems to recognize him (and these are Americans). Its a shame how great retro games get forgotten. Just like Guardian Legend.

 

[Stompman]

Honestly, Mike has been my most supported longshot character for every iteration of this game. I know he has almost no chance, but still, I would love to see him in! If I'm not already on the supporter list, add me!

 

[shinhed-echi]

Honestly, Mike has been my most supported longshot character for every iteration of this game. I know he has almost no chance, but still, I would love to see him in! If I'm not already on the supporter list, add me!

Mine too. :,)
Not sure if with every SSB game made his chances are improving (due to the process of elimination) or getting worse (due to becoming even more forgotten).

Anyway, added you to the support list. :D

 

[Gallowglass]

I think Mike is more popular now then he has been since the NES days. I've never heard of him until after brawl and I've been playing Nintendo since the late 80's. Thanks to the virtual consol Star Tropics is much more accessable. So from my viewpoint his popularity is growing not shrinking.

 

[Crap-Zapper]

Ofcourse mate! Mike is awesome! Startropics in General is awesome! More Retro, and More Nostalgia! :D

 

[Zzuxon]

I'm not a huge supporter but he'd be cool. Put me down as a supporter.

 

[Stompman]

Here's what I've though: Mike is a completely unknown character to most people. So were the Ice Climbers, Ness, Mr. Game & Watch, ROB, and to an extent, Marth and the cast of Fire Emblem. So that's my hope . . . that Sakuri digs deep into the Nintendo pool of characters and pulls out Mike.

 

[Zage]

I support him, but his chances seem to be less than 5% which is really lame. I hope Startropics atleast gets a trophy or something this time around.

 

[Crap-Zapper]

I based the "Smash Icon" out of your Signature.

 

[Gallowglass]

Some fan art I found and I thought I would share it.

Spoiler

source: http://elemental-aura.deviantart.com/art/Mike-Jones-for-SSB4-425948956

source: http://diegichigo.deviantart.com/art/New-Comer-Mike-Jones-211544787

source: http://diegichigo.deviantart.com/art/Mike-Jones-197651644

Also this is amazing! Combines my two most want series in Smash.

Punch Tropics
http://diegichigo.deviantart.com/art/PunchTropics-123244199

 

[bksbestbwoy]

Hey guys, just stopping by to say I've been a pretty big supporter for Mike dating back to the first realization that Smash would be a recurring Nintendo franchise. While in recent times I've kinda grown to accept that he might not make a big splash ever again, I've been having fun elsewhere on the net entertaining the idea of what I'd like to see done with his character and potential in a smash game. As such, here's an old (like 5 or 6 years old) move set spruced up for your viewing pleasure for him. I'd like to preface this by saying that my Mike move set focuses primarily on his use of the yo-yo for a flail weapon and his own athleticism (he was always referred to as the star pitcher of his junior year team, so athleticism should be played up somehow). I'd love to see Smash add one of these to its roster one day and took it upon myself all that time ago to attempt making it.

A (Jab - See Forward Pass) - Pitches the plain island star straight forward.

A>A>A Hold (Barrage) - Pitches his Yo-Yo forward in quick succession at varying angles, building up damage similar to Fox's Kicks or Link's old AAA stabs.

Dashing A (Walking the Dog) - Mike runs forward then quickly launches his Yo-Yo forward at a 60 degree angle to the floor. Does average damage but has decent knock back, can KO at high damages if caught in the initial yoyo toss or first few instances of the "Walking The Dog" animation.

Up Tilt - Quickly throws his yo-yo, now resembling the Morning Star upward and makes it rotate, doing damage like Sonic's up smash.

Forward Tilt - Mike pitches the yo-yo in morning star form forward and it rotates in place damaging in a manner similar to his up tilt before retracting back to himself. This damages enemies while keeping then at bay.

Down Tilt - Mike wraps the yo-yo in its morning star form around his leg and does a "Skip It" motion with it gliding along the ground. The end of the yo-yo can meteors in certain situations (i.e. catching an opponent before grabbing the ledge) and the chain can sometimes trip opponents caught in it on the ground. Has a light pop-up effect when hit with the Star part on flat ground.

Forward Smash (Forward Pass) - Mike does a quick & simple forward pass pitch with the Island yo-yo, now donning a Supernova appearance to signify his Smash Attack. Has strong knock back, strong damage and the pull back motion can drag opponents closer to you. The longer you charge, the harder and quicker the hit. The yo-yo animates to reflect this strength (it will start sparking up greater than usual before released).

Up Smash (Around The World) - Mike swings his yo-yo over his head in a wide arc while psychic charging both the chain and Supernova. The greater the charge, the more devastating the effect.

Down Smash - Similar to Ness' downward smash, except Mike's yo-yo darts forward first then back and has a faster motion. Mike does a small hop animation as the yo-yo travels under him. It also retains the the Supernova properties of sparking up due to being a Smash attack. Has a great horizontal knock back and damage.

Neutral Air - Does a somesault with his morning star out and swings it in a sweeping somersault motion. (Think MetaKnight's nair but with the base yo-yo's reach)

Forward Air - CLEATS! More specifically, does a jumping full body kick reminiscent of Mario & Luigi's Forward Air from Smash Bros. 64.

Back Air - Back kick like Fox's Brawl bair using his cleats.

Down Air - A twirling kick much like Mario's old drill kick that racks up moderate damage. The last hit has a weak spike effect.

Grab - Mike just runs up to them and grabs them Yusuke (Yu Yu Hakusho) style.

Grab Attack - Mike casually slings the yoyo at their face while holding them with the other arm.

Back Throw - Mike tosses the character behind him and brings the island yoyo up to swat them away.

Forward Throw - Mike throws the opponent by their shirt forward.

Upward Throw - Mike throws them moderately high then shoots a volley of small psychic flash bombs at them all at once with his slingshot.

Down Throw - Mike jumps on top of them and stomps them (a la Kirby) with his cleats.

B Special (Pitch) - Mike will reach into his pocket and toss a Wonder Horsehide baseball at an opponent. Has minimal to good knock back and damage. When B is held down however, Mike will lob the baseball a small distance upward into the air before catching it again and putting it into his pocket unless it's interacted with via his Forward B (Swing).

Forward B (Swing) - Mike will swing a baseball bat forward. Does moderate knock back. There is also a random chance of him swinging either an ancient caveman's ax or a katana at the opponent. When a pitched baseball is in play, this move will always produce a baseball bat. Using this from his pitch cancels the animation of his standing B into a batter's stance where he can swing at the baseball he pitched upward. This can send the projectile in very different ways forward. When sweet spotted, the intensity of the projectile is dramatically enhanced.

Up B (Anklet Jump) - With wings on his shoes, Mike takes a mighty leap forward with his knee extended creating a pressure effect like Wolf's. Opponents are dealt one solid upward blow instead of being carried though. The wings then flap and keep his forward momentum up for recovery purposes.

Down B (Mirror Palms) - Mike makes a gesture like Mr. Mime in the Pokemon anime and an Aegis Reflector styled barrier that reflects projectiles is put in place in front of himself.

Final Smash: Ultra Psychic Shockwave - Mike tosses a psychic charge forward like a molotov cocktail that explodes with an electrical effect multiple times over a wide area.

Taunts
- Mike jumps in place twice mimicking his NES jumping sprite
- Mike takes out a "Try Your Luck" sign that rotates and reveals either a Smash logo, his series logo or a "+1" after the spin. This is in reference to how Try Your Luck signs in the series were guessing games involving him spinning a sign.
- A sound like someone going "ring ring" is heard and Mike looks for a phone on himself before a thought cloud appears over his head and Mica (the guide for all of StarTropics 2 and princess saved in StarTropics 1) looks at him scramble mischievously.

 

[APC99]

I support Mike Jones 100%. I just hope to see StarTropics 3...

 

[Megadoomer]

I'd like to be added as a supporter - I never got particularly far in Star Tropics on the Virtual Console, but I enjoyed the game from what I played of it, and given that I don't think the series even got a sticker in Brawl, Mike should make some sort of appearance in this upcoming game. It could be like a reverse of the situation with Marth or Lucas, where a character who never made it to Japan makes his debut there in Super Smash Bros.

 

[shinhed-echi]

Glad to see more support all around. I've added you guys to the support list. :D

If I'm not too busy later, I'll add a section dedicated to movesets.

 

[Arcadenik]

I support Mike Jones 100%. I just hope to see StarTropics 3...

Maybe if Mike Jones gets in SSB4 as an Assist Trophy, many more people would finally acknowledge his existence and start supporting him... then maybe in SSB5, he gets in as the next Western-centered retro newcomer like Little Mac is for SSB4. Maybe we might get StarTropics 3 after that?

 

[APC99]

So, I decided to get an NES emulator, and among the games I included was StarTropics.

Holy mother of god, do I love it. I actually prefer it to the classic Zelda, and that's saying something. It's fun and addicting. So, Mike Jones has just gone up a few notches on my cool list, over Sukapon actually.

 

[Sinn]

So, I decided to get an NES emulator, and among the games I included was StarTropics.

Holy mother of god, do I love it. I actually prefer it to the classic Zelda, and that's saying something. It's fun and addicting. So, Mike Jones has just gone up a few notches on my cool list, over Sukapon actually.

StarTropics and Zoda's Revenge are still two of my favorite NES games of all time. I've been rooting for Mike for years, and it's sad that he seems about as well known as the Ice Climbers were prior to when they got into Melee. He has so much Smash potential, and the series itself could definitely use another installment.

 

[smashkirby]

Could I be a supporter please?

 

[shinhed-echi]

Could I be a supporter please?

Why sure!
*******************
*You got added!*
*******************

StarTropics and Zoda's Revenge are still two of my favorite NES games of all time. I've been rooting for Mike for years, and it's sad that he seems about as well known as the Ice Climbers were prior to when they got into Melee. He has so much Smash potential, and the series itself could definitely use another installment.

I'd love to make another run through both games. I love them too much as well.
My pace is always broken in the Old West stage from ZR for some reason... Stupid cactus dance... XD

 

[darkcat1]

I've wanted Mike in Smash for a very long time and everytime another game in the series comes I wonder why nothing Startropics is in it. The farthest I've made it in the first one without cheating(us kids were stupid and loved our game genie) is the chapter where you have to sink the ship to get through the straight.(having trouble with that dungon) Ever since I got miiverse on my 3DS I've made a few startropics posts and gotten a very small amount of attention for it...

BTW: found your board while looking for more fanart and info ^^

 

[Gallowglass]

So in case you guys don't know Star Tropics has a facebook page. They show some pretty cool images. This is what they have.

Spoiler

Spread the fandom!

 

[shinhed-echi]

I've wanted Mike in Smash for a very long time and everytime another game in the series comes I wonder why nothing Startropics is in it. The farthest I've made it in the first one without cheating(us kids were stupid and loved our game genie) is the chapter where you have to sink the ship to get through the straight.(having trouble with that dungon) Ever since I got miiverse on my 3DS I've made a few startropics posts and gotten a very small amount of attention for it...

BTW: found your board while looking for more fanart and info ^^

Hey! Welcome!

I'm surprised you found this place! I mean, it's not like there's a lot of fan art here, but nice having you on board!

Same here, been wanting him in SSB since 1999. :D
Is StarTropics out for the VC on 3DS yet? I know I'll always support that game. I tend to buy the game on whatever system it's out. (Both games).

So in case you guys don't know Star Tropics has a facebook page. They show some pretty cool images. This is what they have.

Spoiler

Spread the fandom!

That's freaking awesome!

Although that render of Zoda is a little too thin for my mental image of him, it's still awesome and scary as heck.


Speaking of Fan Art, I stumbled accross a SSB comic that poked me in a nostalgic spot.

Poor guy, trying to Pause out of training with WFT. XD

 

[darkcat1]

Same here, been wanting him in SSB since 1999. :D
Is StarTropics out for the VC on 3DS yet? I know I'll always support that game. I tend to buy the game on whatever system it's out. (Both games).

No it's not on there. Startropics needs to hit this and the Wii U!

 

[shinhed-echi]

Remember this?

Spoiler

This is the ultimate form of straw-graspery, but I couldn't sleep last night... So in an attempt to dig out hints of the whereabouts of StarTropics in today's Nintendo agenda, I stumbled upon a dim ray of hope for this series...

Anyway, I present to you...
The clues.

Clue #1

-Kensuke Tanabe is apparently tasked with recreating games made by Genyo Takeda.
-Genyo Takeda was Nintendo's very first Video Game Designer. (He's now focused on hardware only)

-List of games produced by Genyo Takeda
Blue: Ressurrected games
Red: Possible candidates to be ressurrected

-You can see here that Punch Out! and Pilotwings were brought back by the same man...
Kensuke Tanabe, who I cite again...

That's TWO out of FIVE plausible games made by Genyo Takeda to be brought back by Kensuke Tanabe.
-Punch Out (2009)
-Pilotwings Resort (2011)

Which means... that the next game produced by Kensuke Watanabe MIGHT be around the corner if there's a 2-year gap between each of his projects.
The question is... will it be:
-Sheriff?
-Space Firebird?
-StarTropics?
Maybe Nintendo has something planned for StarTropics. And if Little Mac and Punch Out have seen the light of day once again, it's possible that Iwata might be more aware of StarTropics, especialluy if HE is now in charge of Nintendo of America.
And that concludes my rambling and series of observations from a 2-hour-long worth of free time.
​

Well, a few minutes ago, Gonintendo posted news regarding Retro.
In there, Nintendo Producer Kensuke Tanabe confirmed that they're working on a new game.
The casuals are all wondering wether it's a Star Fox or F-Zero game, but just the fact that Mr.Kensuke is confirming this, takes me back to my theory.

So MAYBE, we're on the brink of a StarTropics ressurrection. (Or Sheriff, or Firebird)

What do you guys think?

Dude in charge of remaking Genyo Takeda's games + Western studio = West-exclusive franchise revival?

 

[Rubberfrog]

Hey everyone! New here!

As for Mike Jones as a playable character in Smash Bros 4, put me down as a supporter. The poor series hasn't gotten ANY attention at all in the past 20 years. It's high time he took back his spotlight.

I'm just afraid that Japan has no clue he exists, and apparently, they don't take kindly to Western-loved characters. Take a look at this link:
http://legendsoflocalization.com/what-does-japan-think-of-little-mac-in-smash-bros/
http://legendsoflocalization.com/what-does-japan-think-of-little-mac-in-smash-bros/

Most of those comments describe how angry, disappointed, or confused Japanese fans are to Little Mac's inclusion and his character in general. It's likely that Sakurai classified Mac as the Western character and is thinking, "Okay, I finally got those Westerners to pipe down. Time to focus on more Japan-exclusive characters like Takamaru and Prince Sable." The chances of another Western-specific character getting in are next to nothing, even as an Assist Trophy.

Eh, maybe I'm just pessimistic. I really, REALLY want Mike Jones playable in Smash; not necessarily for the fun gameplay of the character, but mostly just as a reminder that Nintendo hasn't forgotten about Startropics (if they haven't already). The only real hope is a Startropics reboot by Retro Studios, which is plausible after the points and clues you gave.

 

[darkcat1]

Hey everyone! New here!

As for Mike Jones as a playable character in Smash Bros 4, put me down as a supporter. The poor series hasn't gotten ANY attention at all in the past 20 years. It's high time he took back his spotlight.

I'm just afraid that Japan has no clue he exists, and apparently, they don't take kindly to Western-loved characters. Take a look at this link:
http://legendsoflocalization.com/what-does-japan-think-of-little-mac-in-smash-bros/

Most of those comments describe how angry, disappointed, or confused Japanese fans are to Little Mac's inclusion and his character in general. It's likely that Sakurai classified Mac as the Western character and is thinking, "Okay, I finally got those Westerners to pipe down. Time to focus on more Japan-exclusive characters like Takamaru and Prince Sable." The chances of another Western-specific character getting in are next to nothing, even as an Assist Trophy.

Eh, maybe I'm just pessimistic. I really, REALLY want Mike Jones playable in Smash; not necessarily for the fun gameplay of the character, but mostly just as a reminder that Nintendo hasn't forgotten about Startropics (if they haven't already). The only real hope is a Startropics reboot by Retro Studios, which is plausible after the points and clues you gave.

I'd love to see a new game but the gameplay would need some updating. I wouldn't want it to be a generic action adventure but at the same time hopping on blocks to reveal switches it's kinda old by today's gaming standards. I really support him for smash becase I like his charater and I've always thought that the dungon items he gets in both games would make good smash moves

 

[bksbestbwoy]

You know something I've been thinking about lately? I feel that a big reason why Mike remains as niche as he does is because no one has stepped up to the plate and done any great fan art for him. Keep in mind, I don't aim to shame or offend people that have shouted him out in the past but when you compare the quality of more popular franchises and the fan art generated and how easily this stuff gets traffic and visibility, there's no question that we StarTropics fans are drowned out both in quality and quantity.

We need to get an initiative started to sell the franchise's good points, namely the characters and setting. The good thing about the franchise though is that it was in such a state that creative interpretation could go in a lot of different directions.

Now if only I could draw...

 

[darkcat1]

You know something I've been thinking about lately? I feel that a big reason why Mike remains as niche as he does is because no one has stepped up to the plate and done any great fan art for him. Keep in mind, I don't aim to shame or offend people that have shouted him out in the past but when you compare the quality of more popular franchises and the fan art generated and how easily this stuff gets traffic and visibility, there's no question that we StarTropics fans are drowned out both in quality and quantity.

We need to get an initiative started to sell the franchise's good points, namely the characters and setting. The good thing about the franchise though is that it was in such a state that creative interpretation could go in a lot of different directions.

Now if only I could draw...

I can't draw either. What we need to do is to lure out what fans there are and get new people to play both games to build up a following to find these people. What we have here is a cult classic and an underrated gem...we need to show it to everyone who picks up a NES controller ^^

 

[shinhed-echi]

You know something I've been thinking about lately? I feel that a big reason why Mike remains as niche as he does is because no one has stepped up to the plate and done any great fan art for him. Keep in mind, I don't aim to shame or offend people that have shouted him out in the past but when you compare the quality of more popular franchises and the fan art generated and how easily this stuff gets traffic and visibility, there's no question that we StarTropics fans are drowned out both in quality and quantity.

We need to get an initiative started to sell the franchise's good points, namely the characters and setting. The good thing about the franchise though is that it was in such a state that creative interpretation could go in a lot of different directions.

Now if only I could draw...

Well I've been down that road, despite my art being not exactly awesome, but I've probably done more Startropics related fan art above anything else.

I think the problem lies on Nintendo marketing side.

No StarTropics mini-games on the Warioware franchises?
No mention of its characters anywhere within Smash Bros.?
No Startropics to be seen in any of their NES Remix games.
Nintendo not daring to touch the series as a whole. You can see Earthbound at least had something running when they campaigned the return of EB for the VC. Of course, EB alreadh has a decent enough fanbase size to back it up. If they did that with ST at least it would get some attention.

They also need to bundle them up some more. Like the ambassador program, for example, add ST to the mix. Add it EVERYWHERE, as long as it's mentioned.

By today standards, ST could be a blend of God of War and Uncharted, but with a Nintendo approach (and obviously less to no QTE).
It could also retain the top-down view as a staple.

 

[Cobalsh]

I support Mike Jones!

 

[MetalMario128]

I do as well.

 

[shinhed-echi]

Added you guys both.

Also, bumping because of that new rumor, which I wish to the southern cross that it's true.

If it's not, well... I guess I can still live.
But if it IS true. Remember I had the clues. :D

If Mike makes it in, I hope he gets both his ST1 outfit, and his Zoda's Revenge outfit as alternate costume.

 

[NonSpecificGuy]

Added you guys both.

Also, bumping because of that new rumor, which I wish to the southern cross that it's true.

If it's not, well... I guess I can still live.
But if it IS true. Remember I had the clues. :D

If Mike makes it in, I hope he gets both his ST1 outfit, and his Zoda's Revenge outfit as alternate costume.

Put me down as a supporter pal.
He's gonna be my last character that goes on my support list so I'll be hitting up this thread more often just to keep it lively.

 

[shinhed-echi]

Put me down as a supporter pal.
He's gonna be my last character that goes on my support list so I'll be hitting up this thread more often just to keep it lively.

You bet! Fans of Takamaru are more than welcome in the thread about his sister game.

Added!

 

[Yoshi-Thomas]

Supporting, nothing to lose. If the rumor becomes real, I want to be recognised as one of the few supporters. And I looked at the game and feels like trying it too.

 

[Stompman]

I guess we'll know in six days. May the Force be with us.

 

[Capybara Gaming]

I support. Awesome.

 

[MasterMushroom]

http://youtu.be/SUbgG5U895w

Seems like the director of excel saga liked Star Tropics, a lot.

 

[Rubberfrog]

Added you guys both.

Also, bumping because of that new rumor, which I wish to the southern cross that it's true.

If it's not, well... I guess I can still live.
But if it IS true. Remember I had the clues. :D

If Mike makes it in, I hope he gets both his ST1 outfit, and his Zoda's Revenge outfit as alternate costume.

what and where is this new rumor? i want to check it out.

 

[shinhed-echi]

what and where is this new rumor? i want to check it out.

It hasn't been proven fake yet, but it most likely is.

http://boards.deniableplausibility.net/v/thread/246053410/#246053410

I did raise my eyebrows because this guy is claiming that Retro's new game is StarTropics. Given the fact that Kensuke Tanabe is leading them, this isn't out of the realm of possibilities. Especially since:

1.-Retro is a Western studio, and ST is a western franchise.
2.-They brought back Metroid to life through Prime. And the same goes for DKC through Returns and Tropical Freeze.
3.-As I already mentioned back one page, Kensuke Tanabe is resurrecting games made by Takeda. And ST is the next likeliest choice.


Now asuming StarTropics WERE to be resurrected by Retro Studios... Looking back to Metroid Prime and DKCR, we could potentially get at least ONE sequel. :3 But that's getting REALLY ahead of myself. Let's hope that Retro Studio's project is indeed StarTropics first. THEN we can actually look forward to Mike Jones being in SSB4. And then we can focus on sequels. :D