Week in Review Issue #15

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

The Week in Review Edition #15
4/21- 4/25

Banner by @ Venus of the Desert Bloom

Staff
Writers:
@ Venus of the Desert Bloom
@TumblrFamous
@ ---
@Opossum
@Mario_and_Sonic_Guy
@Frostwraith
@ Pazzo.
@BigAxle

Editor:
@Aerodrome

First off, I would like to apologize for a lack of content on this week's and potentially in weeks to come. I am currently busy with RL stuff as well as various things here on the forums so I am unable to dedicate large amounts of time to the Week in Review. If you would like to contribute, feel free to contact me and we can set something up.

I would like to say a big and huge thank you to:
​

• @ Pazzo. , @BigAxle , and @TumblrFamous for the articles!
• @BigAxle for the Fox analysis
• @-- for agreeing to the interview
• To my staff members who help out to make the WiR great!
• To all the readers who support us!

Previous Issues

[collapse=Previous Issues]
To view the previous issues
Issue #1
Issue #2
Issue #3
Issue #4
Issue #5
Issue #6
Issue #7
Issue #8
Issue #9
Issue #10
Issue #11
Issue #12
Issue #13
Issue #13 Direct
Issue #14
[/collapse]

Want to help or contribute?

[collapse=Rules and Other Infos]This is the first edition of "The Week in Review". The Week in Review will be a series of articles I have made throughout the week concerning the Pic of Day through using posts, threads, and MiiVerse to pool information and opinions about Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS . However, the articles are not only limited to my own observation but to those of the larger Smash 4 community. Users are encouraged to submit articles and observations as well as opinions concerning the pictures that were updated throughout the week. I will explain how you can contribute later.

So what can you expect from this thread? On Friday, I will update the thread with a new article which will contain the Pic of the Day, other relevant images, information, I will also be pulling out interesting and thought provoking posts that have popped up throughout the week on the various threads such as the Wii U Discussion thread, 3DS Discussion Thread, MiiVerse Photo Thread, Roster Discussion Thread, character support threads as well as the Super Smash Bros, Wii U/3DS Backroom thus linking them altogether. In addition, I will also be adding up any information that Sakurai has revealed outside of the website/MiiVerse such as interviews and news articles.

I will open the thread on the weekend for people to talk about how the week went and comment on the articles. However, I will be closing the thread on Monday in order to prevent premature discussion about the weeks updates. I will be operating on Japanese Standard Time since both myself and Sakurai (OMG both of us in the same sentence?!?!?!) live on JST. View the JST Page in order to fully understand how time works.

Additionally, while this thread will focus on solely the Pic of the Day, I will sometimes allow pieces to be written about Smashboards, the Smash Community, MiiVerse, or Sakurai information. Additionally, once we have more information regarding the nature of the character, I will allow a user to write up an in-depth analysis of a character, veteran or newcomer. So come show your stuff!

Why is this thread needed?

We do have various discussion threads pertaining to various aspects of Smash. However, this is less of a discussion thread and more like a newsletter. I intend to present the facts and portray an unbiased review of the week. It will also serve as a hub to collect information, pictures, and articles that have been released in a weekly format thus allowing users to review the past weeks for better understanding how to predict future updates or to comb through information in an effective manner. It will also serve as a place to users to present their information, opinions, and observations in a semi-academical format. More information is listed below. If you see an interesting, funny, thought-provoking, or ridiculous post either on the SWF or on MiiVerse, PM me about it and I will include it! If you want me to remove you from a certain Tag, PM me and I will take you off.

Also, I wanted to use this space to allow users to be creative and constructive in speculating Smash in a more journalistic manner. I will not edit any posts except if they are inappropriate, bypass the censor, hateful in nature, or irrelevant.

How can I help?

You can contribute to this thread in many ways.
1) You can serve as a guest writer. This is done by contacting me via PM and apply to be a guest writer for the current week. I am able to allow or refuse the guest writer based on past credentials and reputation within the Smash 4 community so please keep that in mind.

After approval, I can either give you a piece to write OR you can choose one yourself. It should be focused on a particular Pic of the Day. Please promptly let me know which one you intend to. If I do not hear from you within a day, I will not accept an article. The article itself should be professionally written with little to no grammar or spelling mistakes. Any sources should be cited with a link to direct readers. While I understand some updates may be hard to write for, please write at least two paragraphs for each update. Unless it is an update of Luigi's nose but I am sure someone can find some Freudian psycho-analysis about that update. Please refer to the first edition post about how to write an article (though I am pretty sure many journalist/lit majors can do a much better job than I can lol).

2) You can help me gather posts that are excellent or at least interesting in nature. PM me any posts concerning a particular update and I will then add it to the articles. I frequent the above mentioned threads on a daily basis but I obviously miss things so I am heavily dependent on everyone getting me those great and thought-provoking posts. I want this thread to showcase what the brilliant minds in the Smash 4 community can do!

3) While you can discuss past and future weeks, please refrain from dissecting or analyzing the previous/future weeks and save that for the current week.

4) Could someone be a dear and make a banner for this thread. It's not urgent but a banner would be grand.[/collapse]

Table of Contents

Spoiler

1.1 Day #1: The Bar on Fire!
2.1 Day #2: No Swimming Allowed!
3.1 Day #3: The Red Carnivore
4.1 Day #4: Now You Show Up, Yoshi?!
5.1 Day #5: Mega Buster Attack x5!!!
6.1 Week Overview
7.1 Week in Review Interview: @ ---
8.1 We Want YOU to Vote! Results
8.2 We Want YOU to Vote!: Which Version will You Get?

The Bar on Fire!!!!
04/21/2014
Day#1: Monday
Writer: Venus of the Desert Bloom

​

Confirmed on the April 8th Super Smash Bros. Direct, the Beam Sword and the Fire Bar finally make an appearance on the PotD. The Beam Sword is a returning veteran that has appeared in every Super Smash Bros. game to date while the Fire Bar is a new item that hails from the Super Mario Bros. franchise.

Touching on the Fire Bar, it is a common obstacle found within the Super Mario Bros. games and often encountered in dungeons and castles such as Bowser's Castle. In the game, it spins in a circle, damaging Mario when he comes into contact with it.

Within Super Smash Bros., the item can be used much like a whacking item like the Beam Sword and the Paper Fan albeit with a unique mechanic: after every swing, a fireball vanishes though decreasing the range and potentially the hitting power (or increasing it) of the item. Undoubtedly it will have various attacks including basic and smashes though it is unknown if a smash attack will cause more than one fire ball to vanish.

According to Sakurai:

Pic of the day. For the first time in the Smash series, Beam Swords will feature graduated colors. The attack item on the left is the Fire Bar. This is a peculiar weapon that becomes shorter after each swing.

I wanted to touch on what Sakurai said in terms of the Beam Sword. Graduated colors has been taken by Smash fans to mean a lot of different things from fans.

I looked at the original Japanese which said:

複数の色相をはらんだデザイン (fukusuu no iro wo haranda dezain)

This basically translates to:

"Plural colors have been included into the design [of the beam sword]"

As you can see from the Picture of the Day, there is indeed a gradient that has been included into the swords design.

Blue near the hilt, purple in the middle and red on the point. That's one cool looking sword. Link should ditch his Master Sword and take the Beam Sword on his adventures xD

ryu muutsu

Indeed, the sword has definitely received an design upgrade with gradient colors included into the sword. The point of the sword is reddish magenta while the middle of the sword is a pink/light purple color that harks back to the Melee days, while the base of the sword is a light iridescent blue color. This gradient isn't extremely noticeable at first and even I had trouble seeing until it was pointed out to me.

Here how fans are responding to these items:

Anyways, Fire Bar looks Epic. I wonder how strong it will be.

@ MasterofMonster

I can't stress how much I love the idea of the Fire Bar.
I just really like how Sakurai took a common stage hazard from Mario, and made it an item (Kind of like the new Pirahna Plant item in MK8)!

@Mega Bidoof

Bleh. The Firebar was such a poor choice of an item.

@KingShadow

Bleh. While I like the picture itself, I think it's good that Sakurai covered two items in one picture. He could easily have had two separate updates for each. I hope this is a sign that he will try to rip through some Direct stuff.

@Radical Beam

Ever since the Direct, I was always under the impression that if you threw the Fire Bar it would pause in mid-air and spin. That's what I'm hoping.

@ Hayzie

Still, people were confused by what Sakurai meant with graduated colors.

People not understanding what gradient color is are blowing my mind, especially with the certainty with which they assert their confusion.

He is referring to the graduated color of the beam sword, or the gradience. Google the word "gradient" if you still don't understand. It means gradual transition and blending of color.

@Finalfireworker

While it is unknown if Sakurai meant gradient, I think we can assume he did.

Things Confirmed for Monday:

1. Beam Sword will feature gradient colors.
2. Fire Bar will become shorter with every use.

No Swimming Allowed!
04/22/2014
Day #2: Tuesday
Writer: MaskO`Gears

Floating in for Tuesday's pic, the 3DS exclusive Balloon Fight Stage makes its first appearance as a PoTD.

"Pic of the day. Here's a special stage exclusive to the 3DS version, Balloon Fight!! The stage loops on the left and right sides so you can walk off one side and appear on the other."

One of the more surprising and more entertaining stages revealed during April 8th’s Nintendo Direct, the Balloon Fight stage is based off the 1985 NES game “Balloon Fight”, where players controlled an unnamed character as he attempts to pop balloons from his opponent's back, while avoiding rotating flippers, lightning, and a nightmarishly large fish in the water. Another feature retained from Balloon Fighter is that when players walk off one side, they re-appear at the other. Something also to note is that although this stage was shown off during the Smash Direct, the plattforms, colors, and position of the flippers are in different locations. This points to the stage changing, perhaps randomly at the start of each match.

Director Masahiro Sakurai seems to have stuck very close to the original game, as all the main elements and art assets have been retained for the stage. Player will have to avoid the Fish and Flippers while also perhaps dodging lightning from the clouds.

Balloon Fight has had an interesting history with Smash Brothers, in Melee the Flipper appeared as an item, replacing the bumper from the original, and the Balloon Fighter himself appears as a trophy. Balloon Fighter was considered for a playable character, but lost in favor of the Ice Climbers. In perhaps a nod to this fact, in Brawl a remixed version of Balloon Fight’s main theme can be heard on the Ice Climber’s home stage, The Summit. The Fish also made an appearance on the previously mentioned stage, doing what he loves best.

In the upcoming Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, the Villager from the Animal Crossing series uses the Balloon Fighter’s hat for his Up-Special recovery.

(Balloon Fight and Smash Bros. series. Images taken from Super Smash Bros. Melee, Brawl, and Wii U respectively.)

Here’s what a few members had to say about this pic:

Balloon Fight stage, neat.

@Chris Baker

Hey, it's Tingle's Homestage

@Wegenbarth

This stage looks fun. You can't KO from the sides, you'll have to either fall into the water (and be eaten by the Fish) or knocked upwards.

Of course, the best part will be knocking characters sideways at ridiculously high %. Watch them going around and around the stage. lol

@Frostwraith

Well this is certainly new info!

@UnownLegend

Whether you’d played Balloon Fight, or you wouldn't know it from Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr.’s Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device, Balloon Fight could be the most enjoyable retro stage yet.

Things confirmed for Tuesday:​

1. The Balloon Fight Stage will have different versions that change the platforms and flippers.

The Red Carnivore
04/23/2014
Day #3: Wednesday
Writer: BigAxle

​

Another image of Smash Run has appeared on a POTD, with Charizard deciding to try and eat (or, at the least, grab) a Parasol Waddle Dee. The horror.

“Pic of the day. Don’t eat him. You can’t eat him.”

This image of Smash Run is set in the top sector of Smash Run’s Labyrinth, near the middle section. Smash Run will only be on the 3DS version and is inspired by City Trial. Footage from this sector of the stage can be seen in the Smash Bros Direct from 4.8.14.

-Smash Run’s Labyrinth, posted for reference.

While this image may seem simple at first, it shows an import of a value on enemies and aspects of Waddle Dee as well. For those unfamiliar with this enemy, here’s a synopsis of Parasol Waddle Dee.

Parasol Waddle Dees are the second most common form of Waddle Dee - a relatively harmless variant holding a red and white Parasol. It is the only Waddle Dee that bestows ability (Parasol) to Kirby when inhaled. Inhaling the parasol after it is let go of gives the same effect, but inhaling the Waddle Dee that has already dropped the parasol gives no ability.
Source: http://kirby.wikia.com/wiki/Parasol_Waddle_Dee

This image shows that unlike in the actual Kirby games and based on Sakurai’s wording, Waddle Dees and Parasol Waddle Dees cannot be swallowed or eaten by Charizard at the least. It is not known if Kirby or Dedede will be able to swallow them with their neutral special. However, like the Kirby games, a Waddle Dee carrying a parasol will drop the parasol as it floats away once they are hit. It is unknown if the umbrella will do damage after it is dropped by the Waddle Dee.

Parasol Waddle Dee was originally deconfirmed when he was shown in a sequence during the Smash Run segment of Super Smash Bros Direct. In addition, regular Waddle Dees have been shown in brief clips in the game. Therefore, nothing new has been deconfirmed as a result.

However, there’s a returning mechanic that can be seen from the Subspace Emissary’s enemies to this game. Waddle Dee, and likely like many other enemies, will be able to be grabbed, similar to the SSE. However, not all enemies will likely be able to get grabbed. Enemies like the Roturret or Gordo are likely in this field as they are air fighters who can stay in the air.

In addition, some few this deconfirms Waddle Dee and by extension, Bandana Waddle Dee as a playable character. Nothing is confirmed though so Waddle Dee supporters can breathe easy

Here’s what a few members had to say about today’s image:

Yes,charizard,your not allowed to eat him due to ESRB restrictions. =.=

[roymustang1990

He's not trying to eat him. He's trying to kiss him.

@KingShadow

It looks like enemies can still be grabbed, just like in the Subspace Emissary.

@Mario_and_Sonic_Guy

Seriously, I wonder what they taste like.

@Luigi#1

Want to Discuss Charizard? Go to the Charizard Sub-Forum!
http://smashboards.com/forums/charizard.468/

Things Confirmed for Wednesday:
1. Enemies can be grabbed, like in the Subspace Emissary.
2. Parasol Dees will drop their parasol when they get hit or grabbed.
3. Waddle Dee confirmed as an enemy in Smash Run.​

Now You Show Up, Yoshi?
4/24/14
Day #4: Thursday
Writer: TumblrFamous

​

Remember in March when we all wanted Yoshi really badly, and then we ended up getting disappointed by Tomadachi Life Collection? Well, a similar thing happened today. Many Smashers had high expectations coming into this pic, hoping for a potential Ice Climbers reveal. Of course, we were wrong. Instead, we get a picture of Zero Suit Samus and Yoshi. Kind of ironic how we wanted Yoshi all this time yet we didn't want him today.

As many of you know, today was the retail release for the Famicom Remix 1+2. Many people saw this as a time to show off the Ice Climbers. Well, we didn't get them, unfortunately. As people have said before, don't set your expectations too high, and, well, we did it again.

Anyway, back to the picture.

Pic of the day. Yoshi's Egg Throw now leaves a rainbow trail, and we've improved the pose Samus strikes when she fires the Paralyzer. Every staff member is working hard as we brush up whatever we can.

-Masahiro Sakurai

...Okay. We already knew from the Direct that Yoshi's Egg Throw produces a rainbow trail, so that's good to know (again). Zero Suit Samus's Paralyzer, her Neutral B, has been confirmed. So there is a plus. For those who played Zero Suit, you know her Paralyzer allowed her to stun enemies and get in with some good combos. The pose she strikes is now different and a lot more polished.

Which brings us to the next part of it. "Every staff member is working hard as we brush up whatever we can." This time around, expect nice polished changes to characters.

Let's see how people reacted to this photo:

Meh. Lame. Was hoping for some way better information. Like something completely unknown. I remember seeing the rainbow bit, and ZSS's bit doesn't really give much of note for me to care.

@HyperFalcon

Most pics of the day are either filler or very, very small details. They're not really worth staying up for, I just can't help but see them because I don't know what sleep is.

@Zero Suit Wario

Nice to see them make little changes. Granted we knew the egg thing but you no--one but yourselves to blame for unwarranted hype.

@Guybrush20X6

It's not that big of an announcement, but I do like the implication that they're reaching the point where they've added as much as they can before it moves on to the next production cycle.

@Quilt

Generally, people had mild responses. Most were a little ticked by the 4th Filler Pic we had this week. All four of these pics right now were easily explainable in the Direct a few weeks ago. Many see it as a regurgitation of common knowledge. However, most are staying optimistic. Though overall, this week has not been so great. We can hope for a bang on Friday, and hope for something mildly new and entertaining.

Things Confirmed For Thursday
​

1. Yoshi's Egg Throw has a rainbow trail, which we already knew.
2. Zero Suit Samus has a new pose when she fires the Paralyzer.

Mega Buster Attack x5!!!
04/25/2014
Day #5: Friday
Writer: Venus of the Desert Bloom

​

"Pic of the day. MegaMan.EXE! X! Mega Man! Mega Man Star Force! Mega Man Volnutt! The Mega Man legends, united."

Confirmed in the Direct two weeks ago, Mega Man's Final Smash is featured finally but still without a name! Still though, various versions of Mega Man that have appeared in the franchise appear to aid Mega Man in his Final Smash.

Featured are:

Mega Man.EXE
X
Mega Man
Mega Man Star Force
Mega Man Volnutt

According to Sakurai, all of the versions of Mega Man have appeared but my question is where are these versions:

Copy X

and our favorite version:

Bad Box Art Mega Man

Undoubtedly, we will see the BBAMM possibly has a trophy seeing as he is Capcom's kicking icon.

Drawing information from the Direct, this Final Smashes obviously launches a powerful combined Mega Buster attack that appears both large, powerful, and potentially cinematic in nature. Many agree that this attack truly captures the feeling of Mega Man as well as includes the various versions of Mega Man into the main character.

I wouldn't be surprised if the FS is called "Mega Man legends". That seems to be repeated quite a lot. And yeah, it's probably a cinematic FS so it'll look like that in game as well. Guess there isn't much else to it haha. I don't mind the pic, I think it's a cool shot.

@Staarih

Hm...Welp, I've got nothin' on this one. Yeah, that was pretty damn pointless. - -

Oh well, at least there's next we--...Wait a minute...

Sakuraaaaaai~!! D<

@Wave Kusanagi

Filler again. C'mon Sakurai, where are you hiding our Ice Climbers.

@FalKoopa

....worst filler pic yet....it looks exactly like a screenshot from the Direct and nothing more.

@KingofPhantoms47

I want to see their combined beam in battle! I hope he replies to his Miiverse post with a follow-up!

@Wanderer from Roseyard

And there wasn't a follow up comment. Despite getting to view the Final Smash again; the nature of it, its power, and even its name is still unknown. Many felt this PotD was rather underwhelming given the hypeness the FS created when first shown.

Even more lamenting was the severe lack of any ice climbing action via Ice Climbers.

Things confirmed for Friday

1. Nothing new

Overview​

The follow up Direct PotD continued into this week with previous seen elements of Smash Bros. with a little bit of new information. Monday was further confirmation of the return of the Beam Sword and the unveiling of the Fire Bar. It is confirmed that the Fire Bar will become shorter with each swing and the Beam Sword will feature gradient colors. Tuesday was about the Balloon Fight stage, a new stage featured on the Direct for the 3DS version. Wednesday was a bit confusing with Waddlee Dee confirmed to appear in the mode, Smash Run, on the 3DS. Waddle Dee supporters feared the worse forum-wide. Thursday was fairly underwhelming with Yoshi confirmed to sprout out rainbows as he throws out eggs and Zero Suit Samus does a very awkward looking pose when firing her Paralyzer. Finally, Friday showed us Mega Man's Final Smash without a name or explanation.

Overall, it was a underwhelming week full of Direct confirmed elements sprinkled with some new information that we may have guessed but never was outright confirmed.​

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Week in Review: Interview of the Week
@ --- (aka Try, Tryphen)​

--- or also known as Try or Tryphen is both a well-known member on Smashboards as well as a recently promoted moderator in charge of the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS Discussion Forums. Known for his love of Mega Man and, in particular, Dr Wily; Try has shown time and time again his knowledge of the Super Smash Bros. series and his ability to pay attention to the details. Try is also the creator of the third reincarnation of the Smash 4 Back Room. He is also a contributing member of the Week in Review and is integral to gathering information for it. I hope you enjoy reading about Try and learn something new about him​

1) How long have you been a member on Smashboards and why did you join? When did you become a moderator?

About 6 years during the initial Brawl release hype. Became a Mod in February, ironically it was the same day as my Birthday.

2) What is your favorite part of Smashboards? What is your least favorite part?

Favorite would probably the Social Groups/Threads. I've gotten to know a LOT of users very well despite what my Friend List shows through them.

3) Will you be getting Super Smash Bros. for Wii U or 3DS?

Least would probably be anything related to Melee Vs. Brawl. The lack of respect towards other users and the sheer negativity shows off the worst of the Smash Community.

4) Who are your Mains in 64/Melee/Brawl? Who do you plan to main in Smash 4?

I don't know about Smash 4. Depends on the characters I like as a whole and whether their gameplay style "feels" right to me.

5) Who is your most wanted newcomer for Smash 4? More than one answer is ok.

At the current time I'm more interested in returning characters such as . Beyond that, I'm interested in seeing how Palutena (assuming the leaks) will play out, and Takamaru.

6) What stages would you like to see included in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS? Past stages included?

Anything based on actual in-game locations from Pokemon or Fire Emblem. As for Past Stages: Pokemon Stadium, Fountain of Dreams, Castle Siege, Hanenbow, and Skyworld.

7) What would you like to see improved or expanded from Super Smash Bros. Brawl?

Sakurai has already addressed all the prime issues I've had with previous entries in the series. At this point, I'm the most interested in seeing all the moveset changes and seeing how balance will play out.

8) What was your most favorite Smash Bros. moment/memory?

Anytime I've played casually with my friends.

9) Where did your username come from?

It is the result of being scared of sharing personal information and a lack of creativity.

10) You are in charge of the top secret Smash 4 Back Room. For those unfamiliar to what it is, could you provide us with an idea for what the BR is and what people actually do in there?

It's basically a private version of the Smash 4 forum that has been running since about 2011. I am currently the 3rd person who has been in charge of it.

Just about every core discussion found on the regular forum is duplicated back there in addition to Casual Forum Games, Mafia games, and threads that are just there to help people to get to know each other.

It's a relatively large group of people (for a social group), but it's tight nit to the point that everyone knows each other on a somewhat personal level.

Most of the people are those who have been hanging out on Smash 4 related threads or have shown themselves to be respectful posters. Although, certain Admins and Super Moderators have used their "powers" to join in discussions as well.

If people are interested in receiving an invite feel free to VM me and I'll bring your name up in discussion. However, typically I do abstain from voting for new members (which is done monthly) so please do not take things personally.

11) Who is your favorite video game villain and why?

Probably Dr. Wily from the Mega Man Series.

There's just something very relate-able, but also somewhat tragic, about someone who's main goal in life is to prove himself to his superiors and best friend. While still obviously the bad guy, he still comes off as wise, and being a "genius" who has made robots such as Bubble or Sheep Man, there's definitely a very comedic and lighthearted side to him.

Even if you're not a Mega Man fan, I can't more than highly recommend subscribing to Archie Comics or buying a copy of the Mega Man Mega/Gigamix manga series by Hitoshi Ariga.

12) If you had a spirit animal, what would it be?

Probably a cat, so I could eat/sleep/bathe all day.

13) Please tell us one thing about yourself that we may not know?

Am pursing an International Relations major, with a Japanese Minor. I also have studied German for 4 years.

Thank you Try for agreeing to an interview! Thank you for moderating the Smash 4 community and helping out with the WiR!

Check back next week for another edition of the Interview of the Week!​

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Veteran Analysis:​

Fox McCloud
Writer: @BigAxle
​

The space vigilante has returned for a perfect attendance as a starter in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U! Fox is best known in Smash Bros as the almighty kingpin of tier lists for years after he dethroned Sheik along with his fellow wing mate in Melee (which has caused slight discontent for the character in recent years.) This time around, Nintendo didn’t wait to reveal the fox, instead revealing him at the very reveal of the upcoming game along with the 11 other characters at E3 2013’s Nintendo Direct. Let’s observe the leader of the famous space pilot team and see what this entry of Smash holds for Fox.

Appearance

His appearance has not drastically changed from his Brawl counterpart on design as much as his color scheme has. Like all other characters revealed so far, Fox’s current outfit now contains a bigger focus on primary colors and is much brighter than Brawl’s more realistic and darker textures. His jacket is now much whiter, pants much greener, and the like.

-Star Fox Command Design, followed by Brawl Design.


The reason for the minimal changes in design is mainly because of the fact that Star Fox’s last entry (Star Fox 64 3D is a rerelease, and is therefore, ignored in this case) was in 2006, before Brawl was even released. This design, introduced by Star Fox Command, was taken by Brawl and made much differently to fit the art style by including elements from his N64 incarnation. It’s mostly kept the same for the upcoming Smash, with a few exceptions; his fur is now far more detailed, and looks better up close; his overall body shape is refined in a few areas, and most importantly, Fox’s eyes appear to differ from Brawl’s, by being a shade of forest green, unlike Brawl’s bright emerald green. His height doesn’t appear to be changed, however. However, Fox’s Blaster (covered in the next section) has undergone a bigger change than his other parts.

-Fox getting grabbed by Peach.

As for aesthetics not regarding the redesigns, he certainly looks a lot more fearsome in his actions. His teeth are even sharper. For what’s been shown, he’s retained that acrobatic appearance of sorts, remaining flashy and quick in battle. From what’s been seen so far, he’s received mostly fine tuning in his past animations, and nothing quite new enough to mention in this section.

Moveset: Each Move has two additional values with a description, Damage Level and Speed. Specials have an additional value, noting if the Special Move causes the character to initiate Special Fall (No inputs other than directional influence), Pseudo-Special Fall(No Special Moves or additional jumps, but any air attack), or no Special Fall.

If the move has not been seen in Smash 4, then a picture of the move from Brawl will be used when applicable.

Special Moves:​

Neutral Special:
Blaster

-Super Smash Bros for 3DS & Wii U's Blaster Design.

-Brawl's design.

Damage Level- Very Low
Speed- Fast
Causes Special Fall? No​

First Appearance: Super Smash Bros. (N64) - The Blaster was an original weapon, as Fox’s previous games didn’t have any land combat or hand weapons other than a secret mode in the N64 game. The move originally would shoot with a limited fire rate; you would need to press the special button for each shot. Eventually, it lost these properties in Melee, giving them to Falco. Since then, the blaster can be rapid fired by hitting special repeatedly, and is a useful tool for low aerial sweeping instead of ground usage, to reduce ending lag. While the effect of the current blaster is unknown, it can be safe to assume it won’t change drastically. The customization element could possibly change what Fox’s blaster will do, perhaps emulating the effects of Falco’s and Wolf’s from past games, or his original blaster.

Ironically enough, the Blaster is likely based on the Arwing’s lasers; it can't induce flinching a character or ship, but it does light, fast damage and can be rapid fired. It is not based upon the Assault blaster even in later Smash games after its debut, as that iteration is chargeable and slower.

The Arwing's Blaster, circa Star Fox 64 3D.

In this game, the major change to the blaster is quite apparent. It now opens up when it fires. In addition, it now looks more like an actual space-themed firearm than the Brawl blaster, and is black is design rather than the metal textures from Brawl. It appears the properties will likely be similar to its Brawl counterpart.

Side Special:
Fox Illusion

-Fox Illusion.
Damage Level- Low
Speed- Medium, slow startup
Causes Special Fall? Yes​

First Appearance: Super Smash Bros Melee- Like the Blaster, this is an original move. In all games, it can be canceled by a second input to a fake dash. The dash itself does not damage upon startup, but does mid-travel. It acts as Fox’s main horizontal recovery. This seems to be based upon the dash function of the Arwing, as they seem to provide a mirror of the booster path in their wake when the function is used.

The move itself has had very little change in the series, and appears to be the case here, causing the vertical launch state and leaving Fox into a special fall state. Here, it’s seen that it will likely be the same effect.

Up Special:
Fire Fox

-Super Smash Bros N64's Fire Fox.

-The Startup manuver in Smash 4.
Damage Level- Medium or High- The Charge maneuver is medium as is the Attack itself- if both hit, it can lead to damage of at least 25%.
Speed- Medium-High, small charge-up
Causes Special Fall? Yes​

First Appearance: Super Smash Bros (N64)- This is an original move for Fox. Unlike the other moves, it doesn’t appear to be based upon a major element of Star Fox, as the ships only get covered in flames when they happen to be crashing.

This is Fox’s primary vertical recovery, as although it can be aimed in 8 directions, Fox Illusion is much faster and often a tad safer for typical horizontal recovering. This move has changed in properties once; in the classic N64 Smash, it has no beginning hitbox, and the fire effect around fox is almost nonexistent. In Melee onwards, the first hitbox has been included, and has led to ledge stalling tactics now possible for Fox. In Smash for 3DS and Wii U, it’s a combination of the Melee and Brawl aesthetics and appears to be the same effects as well for charge up time and control. However, it’s also useful on the ground- hitting yourself into a platform will cause a wave dash -esque maneuver, canceling end lag and propelling you on the ground for a brief moment.

Down Special:
Relfector (Better known as the Shine)

-The Reflector, taken from Smash 4.
Damage Level- Varies-Reflects projectiles with equal power of the projectile, first hitbox on Reflector does light damage.
Speed- Very Fast
Causes Special Fall? No​

First Appearance: Super Smash Bros (N64)- This is an original move for Fox, but it’s origin is much more pronounced than his other specials. This is based on the Barrel Roll’s alternate function of deflecting enemy fire. But whereas the Arwing can’t hold it forever, Fox can, but there’s startup horizontal knockback with weak damage for a single frame giving the space pilot's mobile version an edge. In Brawl, it was confirmed that Slippy Toad designed this item and its design is likely a reference to Star Fox 64’s hexagonal Health Rings.

The Reflector returns in Smash Bros 4, and it’s often the most famous thing about Fox. Many techniques and combos often require heavy usage of the reflector, an example being waveshining. It reflects projectiles and can be held down forever unless Fox is hit with a physical attack. In addition, it has a startup attack, causing horizontal knockback. In Brawl & Melee, this was balanced out by having it so if the Reflector is held down and reflects enough projectiles, the projectile will damage Fox and ignore the Reflector, either breaking it in Melee or passing through it in Brawl. It appears that for balance’s sake, this will continue. In addition, while it hasn’t been seen yet, another likely mechanic returning is the slowed fall of Fox while in use.

Unlike Fox’s Neutral and Up Specials, this move has not changed in design drastically, other than a brighter hue of blue and a white outline in Melee when it reflected. In 4, this design seems to be identical to the Brawl counterpart.

Normal Attacks:
Standard Jab Series

-The Basic Jab Series, taken from Brawl.
Jab->Hook->Rapid Kick->Finisher Kick
Damage Level- Low-Low-Low-Unknown
Speed- Fast​

Fox first makes a quick left jab, with a quick startup. His next attack is a quick hook. This does about the same damage as the first attack. After this, he'll go into a quick loop of rapid kicks.

-Fox's new combo ender, shown in a POTD.​

However, whereas his final attack was initially an endless attack, it seems that Sakurai has tweaked this in favor of a finisher attack. This kick seems to have a longer reach and seems to be a stronger version of his lower rapid kick move, making it a closing combo. Sakurai has also noted that he’s revamped all of said moves, but to what extent remains yet to be seen. In addition, from what can be seen with Little Mac, it appears that the characters will do the infinite attack a small number of times and lead into this new ender.

Dash Attack

-Smash 4's Dash attack for Fox.
Damage Level- Medium-Low
Speed- Medium​

Fox’s Dash attack is a simple running kick. It’s good as a small setup tool, but can be shield grabbed easily and is short in range.

Tilt Series: Ground
Side Tilt

-Fox's side tilt. Shown in the Mega Man Trailer.
Damage Level- Medium
Speed- Medium

A side kick attack that can be angled. Good for spacing, but not much else. It can be angled.​

Up Tilt

-Fox's up tilt in Brawl.
Damage Level- Low
Speed- Fast
​

Fox’s main launcher attack for good combos is often his up aerial attack. Fox will do a scorpion kick and his whole body becomes a hitbox.

Down Tilt

-Fox's Down tilt.
Damage Level- Low
Speed- Fast​

Fox will swipe with his tail. Good after a grab or for players who don’t take advantage of a ukemi or quick wake up. Has some good vertical knockback at higher damage levels.

Tilt Series: Air
Neutral Tilt

-Fox's neutral aerial.
Damage Level- Medium-Low
Speed- Medium​

Fox’s neutral aerial is a straight kick that turns nearly his entire body into one hitbox, rendering it a good defensive technique. It’s by far one of his most effective tools in combos. Given its fantastic horizontal knockback, this can severely punish and finish off recovering opponent and in spacing.

Forward Tilt

-Screencap of one of the kicks. Taken from the 3DS version.
Damage Level- Varies, each kick is Medium Damage Level.
Speed- Fast​

Fox does a multi-kick attack. This will reduce his falling speed but increases jump height. It’s good for dealing heavy damage quickly but is rather exacting in doing so.

Backwards Tilt

-Fox's Back air, from Brawl.
Damage Level- Medium-High
Speed- Slow​

Fox kicks back with a spin kick (similar to his side Smash in the original Smash Bros), but it’s a slow kick with high power. While it’s great for edgeguarding, it’s a very unsafe move that has lots of ending lag, making it very unsafe to use outside of the offstage.

Up Tilt

-Fox's Up aerial, from Brawl.
Damage Level- Low/Medium
Speed- Medium​

A upward tail kick. Originally in older games, this was a upwards kick with one hit. It’s a two hit, with the kick being a good vertical finisher and one of his great juggle moves.

Down Tilt

-Brawl's infamous Fox down aerial.
Damage Level- Medium
Speed- Fast​

A drill kick. This attack can deal good damage, but it requires very precise timing. It’s not a great gimping tool as much as his neutral aerial, it’s an effective damage tool. However, what makes this move great is its momentum cancellation on air to ground transition, allowing for a grab or follow up attack.

Wake Up Attack​

Fox gets up and proceeds to kick in both directions. Decent knockback for a wake up.

Ledge Attack​

Fox uses a slide kick to pull himself up, in a move similar to his Smash N64 incarnation's side Smash.

Smash Series​

Side Smash

-Brawl iteration of Fox's forward smash.
Damage Level- Medium
Speed- Medium​

Fox does a spin kick, with moderate knockback. At higher damage levels, this causes a ground bounce, allowing for a follow up.

Up Smash

-Fox's redesigned back-flip.
Damage Level- Medium
Speed- Fast​

Considered to be one of the best Smash attacks in Brawl and likely to remain in 4, this move is a strong back-flip attack and one of the most reliable ground finishers in the entire game, and a great combo extender. In this game, it appears that Fox’s Up Smash will place Fox a bit more airborne than last game.

Down Smash

-Fox's down smash, taken from Wii Fit Trainer's page.
Damage Level- Medium
Speed- Medium-Fast​

Fox will do a split kick, hitting in both directions. It has good horizontal knockback at higher damage levels, and has good range for a Smash.

Throw Series​

Pummel
Damage Level- Pathetic
Speed- Fast​

Fox will knee the opponent quickly. Fairly weak.

Forward Throw
Damage Level- Low
Speed- Medium​

Fox punches the opponent, causing them to get knocked forwards.

Back Throw
Damage Level- Low
Speed- Medium-Fast​

After throwing the opponent back at an arc, Fox will shoot his blaster at the victim. A smart player can avoid it with Directional Input.

Up Throw
Damage Level- Low
Speed- Medium-Fast​

Fox will do the similar action of the Back Throw, but instead throws them up vertically.

Down Throw
Damage Level- Medium-Low
Speed- Medium
​

This throw slams the opponent onto the ground and Fox triple shoots the opponent. This can be followed up with a variety of actions and is his best throw by far.

Final Smash
Landmaster​

-Brawl's Landmaster.​

Fox will hop into a Landmaster after flying up to the top of the screen. This changes Fox’s moveset to have three moves. It’s more balanced than Falco’s aerial based one, or Wolf’s power-inclined version.

Pressing any attack button fires the cannon. The cannon does heavy damage and can be spammed akin to the the Ray Gun. Pressing Down on a ground surface will have Fox do a Barrel Roll, injuring anyone attempting to camp atop the Landmaster. Lastly, Fox can fly in the Landmaster for a short time, allowing you to further punish campers by forcing a upper blast zone KO. Players can escape, but quick reaction is required.

Non-Battle Elements​

-When entering the arena, Fox ejects from an Arwing.

-While no Star Fox stages have been confirmed, in previous games, Fox has been able to perform a special taunt where he can get onto a voice communication line with other Star Fox members by quickly inputting his down taunt. However, no Star Fox stages have been shown, so there’s no way of knowing at the moment if it will return, although it’s likely.

Taunt Series

Up Taunt

-Note: This is the same image of Fox’s startup for his Fire Fox, as the moves aesthetically look alike, so it could have been either move.​

Fox performs a charge up maneuver akin to the beginning of Fire Fox, and will unleash a quip such as “Here I come!” It’s usable for faking.

Down Taunt

​

Fox will do his Melee Taunt, which has him bend down, lean back, and say “Come On!”

Side Taunt

​

Fox throws his blaster in a flip maneuver and catches it in midair.

Competitive Speculation:​

This section takes a gander at the Veteran in question’s changes and how they could affect their performance in Super Smash bros for Wii U and 3DS’s potential metagame. This is only a general analysis, as we cannot determine every single detail and technique that could appear, covering their ground and air games.

Ground Game: In Brawl, Fox had dipped slightly from the tier lists at his lofty position of king of Melee. The change in the environment and engine hurt him; rather, he was adjusted to have greater knockback, poor endurance and recovery both horizontally and vertically due to his weight being one of the heaviest in Brawl, and became more predictable as a riskier character. However, Fox still had his blaster up his sleeve and offensive prowess of a fantastic level, allowing him to still be powerful in many competitive listings and tourneys, especially in the East.

With 4 having a much bigger emphasis on speed and being heavier, and from the gameplay that has been seen out of Fox, it seems that it’s going to help him this game. His new combo ender is a nice help, allowing for extra damage. However, what is more interesting is the emphasis on his changes to his Up Smash, his greatest and most reliable (if not predictable) KO tool. It seems that this move will have more height, allowing for possibly more range than before. However, it should be noted that this comes at a possible cost; Due to the fact that it sends him more airborne than in previous titles, the possibility of the opponent being able to duck under it is a possible issue. However, Fox’s speed seems to be restored in many areas, and the transition game that Fox yields doesn’t appear to have changed so far.

As for his own knockback, it appears that Fox will keep his dangerous knockback and weight that can hinder him greatly, if video clips have shown us. Fox appears to retain this and it appears that players will still need to work around it to survive in the metagame.

Air Game: Brawl’s iteration of Fox focused primarily on one move. This move was his down aerial, a move that when timed correctly allowed for a transitional follow up, and a move fantastic for gimping and transitions. In addition, his airgame also has a destructive stalling tool that appears to be nerfed, due to the changes regarding edge-hogging. In Brawl and Melee, Firedashing allowed Fox to hog a ledge with Fire Fox. However, due to the new properties regarding trumpeting an edge grab, a player with the right timing could easily trump the grab and counter the Firedasher. This will be one of Fox’s hard nerfs that can be seen from the game. However, it seems Fox’s useful moves are back in full force; even without SHFFLing, Fox’s short hop allows for powerful Fire Cancelling on ground and his neutral aerial remaining the defensive technique that it has been, it’s safe to say that Fox will be receiving a slight nerf in this regard… but with the noting of that every character is affected by the grab changes. The air game of Smash 4 will be one that drastically shakes up the view of off-stage combat and safety.


And, with that, the coverage of Fox for this Veteran Analysis has concluded. The Space Animal has a lot of things to adjust to in Smash, and some new tools to work with.

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

We Want YOU to Vote! Poll Results

Who is your Favorite Newcomer thus Far?​

​

Last week, I polled Smash 4 fans on who their favorite newcomer is. As a refresher, these are the following newcomers revealed:

• Villager

• Mega Man

• Wii Fit Trainer

• Rosalina and Luma

• Little Mac

• Greninja

Each newcomer brings a unique playstyle to the game such as Mac's aggressive punches, Rosalina and Luma's puppetry, Mega Man's projectiles, Ms. Fit's health based fighting style, Villagers collecting, or Greninja's watery and fast ninjutsu.

Well, Smashboardians have spoken:

1. Villager
   9 vote(s)
   10.2%
2. Mega Man
   21 vote(s)
   23.9%
3. Wii Fit Trainer
   7 vote(s)
   8.0%
4. Rosalina and Luma
   24 vote(s)
   27.3%
5. Little Mac
   17 vote(s)
   19.3%
6. Greninja
   10 vote(s)
   11.4%

It appears that, surprisingly, Rosalina and Luma wins with 24 votes for 27.3% of the overall votes.

Coming in second place is Mega Man at 21 voes or 23.9%.

Third was Little Mac at 17 votes or 19.3%,

Fourth was Greninja with 10 votes or 11.4%

Villager came in fifth with 9 votes or 10.2%

And last place was awarded to Ms. Fit with 7 votes or 8%.

I was quite surprised at Rosalina taking the first place spot and I wonder if that is due to her being the first newcomer announced outside of the E3...3, her unique puppeteer play style, or just a general love of the character. There is no secret that she has enjoyed a fair amount of popularity recently and that she is being toted by Nintendo; especially with her unlockable appearance on Super Mario 3D World.

Mega Man was obviously a highly voted character for obvious reasons that are obvious. He was one of the most wanted 3rd party characters and his reveal seriously hyped people up.

Little Mac at 3rd place seems right as he was both heavily requested as well as heavily expected.

Greninja beat out both Villager and Ms. Fit. This could be due to his recent reveal trailer.

And sadly, both Villager and Ms. Fit got the last two places. They were both seen as rather odd inclusions and very unexpected - with some thinking that their rosters spots should be given to characters to deserve it more.

Regardless, it appears that many Smashboardians (or those who watch this thread), are excited to see Rosalina playable and look forward to trying her out once Smash 4 comes out.

We Want YOU to Vote!
What Version will you get?

The reveal that Super Smash Bros. 4 will also have a 3DS version certainly sent waves through the Smash community; some excited at seeing a portable Smash or others disappointed with the idea that it might limit the roster. Regardless, fans have fallen in one of three camps: Wii U, 3DS, or both. Where do you fall in? Let us know!
​

1. 1. 1. 1. I will purchase only the Wii U version
            
         2. I will purchase only the 3DS version
         3. I plan on purchasing both
         4. None of them

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Misc Information/Requests
The WiR is a huge commitment for me. I typically spend anywhere from an hour to 5 hours of my day making sure the WiR is as good as it can be. But I do have a job that I constantly have to prepare and study for as long as taking online classes myself and studying Japanese to further my career. Not to mention I have a social life, a wife, and commitments that conflicts with the WiR.

Therefore, I depend A LOT on outside help. If you would like to help write a WiR, please contact me via Private Message and we can work out the details. If you have any idea or would like to contribute something different, I am open to ideas. For example, the veteran analysis was entirely @APC99’s idea. I could also use some help in finding quotes, watching threads, and proofreading. If you see some interesting posts that you think may help me in writing the WiR, simply quote it in a Private Message or quote/tag me in your post on that thread. That way, I am sure to read it and within its context.

Secondly, I want to open to three Requests I have for people. If you are interested in helping out, please put "____________ Submission" so I know what you are applying for.


Little Mac Newcomer Analysis

Are you planning on maining Mac? Was he one of your most wanted characters? Or are you interested in writing about him? I am looking for a capable writer to help cover the Little Mac analysis.

If you want to write up a analysis on Little Mac, hit me up on PM.

Potential Character Analysis: Ridley

Are you an avid supporter of Ridley! Show your knowledge of the space dragon by writing up an analysis of how Ridley would be incorporated into Smash! Everything from move sets, stats, game play, and more! Contact me for more details!
​

 

[Hayzie]

Wow neat thread. Will subscribe to these weekly issues

 

[MasterofMonster]

I am somehow happy I was mentioned in this. Since it is by random chance. Does that bring luck?

Anyways, I rarely have a chance to read very much about these Weekly things, but I do like them. Keep up the good work.

 

[Silvera]

Quite a short interview from the mod Also, nice review.

 

[Ryan.]

Great Week in Review. :D On the poll, it seems like I'm the only one so far only getting the Wii U version only. I don't own a 3DS.

 

[Pazzo.]

Another successful week! Great job to all the writers!

 

[---]

Quite a short interview from the mod Also, nice review.

Didn't think people really read those interviews that much, and I figured people wouldn't want my life story. Embarrass

 

[SuperHyperMegaTurbo]

Ground Game: In Brawl, Fox had dipped slightly from the tier lists at his lofty position of king of Melee. The change in the environment and engine hurt him; rather, he was adjusted to have greater knockback, poor endurance and recovery both horizontally and vertically due to his weight being one of the heaviest in Brawl, and became more predictable as a riskier character.

​

It's not a big deal, but I think it is important to be specific when talking about weight and falling speed, since they are completely separate attributes. I believe this statement here was calling Fox heavy because he falls quickly, but it should probably be noted that Fox is actually very light in Brawl (only a little heavier than the lightweights Kirby, Pikachu, and Meta Knight!) so his ability to endure in a match is harmed by this (he gets KOed easily), as well as the fact that falling off the side is more hazardous for him than most characters due to his fast falling speed.

But I did enjoy the analysis and the rest of the info! Nice to see everything getting summed up and put in one place.
Additionally, I agree that Fox will likely find more ability to perform in Smash 4 than in Brawl. The general physics of the engine seem like they'll be more in his favor, as far as I can see!

 

[dimensionsword64]

Didn't think people really read those interviews that much, and I figured people wouldn't want my life story. Embarrass

I thought you already got interviewed on WIR for some reason.

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

I know the interviews are often well received. I always try to include them for that reason.