Week in Review Issue #2

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

The Week in Review Edition #2
Writer: Venus of the Desert Bloom

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Week in Review! First off, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who reads and supports this thread. I ecstatic to see so many people supporting and willing to help with the WiR. I will do my best to ensure this becomes a facet of the Smash Bros. 4 Discussion forums!

To view last weeks WiR, please go here!.
[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]



Up in the Sky! Is it Rayman?! Is it Donkey Kong Returns?! Is it the Adventure Mode?! We don't Know!
Day 1: Monday
01/20/2014

The week started with much confusion and speculation about the Pic of the Day; especially in the MiiVerse Daily Photo thread. Posts were speculating what this new stage, level, or possibly mode could be. The confusion was compounded by the fact that Sakurai, yet again, was vague in his description stating

...To be clear, the new Super Smash Bros. games do not feature a story mode like The Subspace Emissary.

At least he was kind enough to tell us that it was not in fact apart of a Subspace Emissary-esque level. I went to the MiiVerse Daily photo thread to see what I could get from the discussion and this is what some users had to say:

DKC:TF

@MopedOfJustice

I think it's an original stage for Adventure Mode.

@KeithTheGatherer

I'm thinking it's an original adventure mode stage because the art style doesn't fit with any specific character stage so far and he also mentioned adventure mode in the miiverse post.

@Muster

Metroid

@APC99

To read more of their responses, please click on this link.

There seems to really no indication what this picture is about but let's take a look at some games with similar stages and graphics.

Many believe this to be in-connection with the forest-type stage we saw on the E3 trailer. Please watch : of the trailer to refresh yourself. However, it was pointed out that the platforms in different; the video showing stone slabs while the pic of the day shows a more futuristic touch. The argument can be made that the stage alternates between different visuals yet nothing can be proven yet. It does look that there is a connection between the two concerning they are both featured predominately on the 3DS and are natural in appearance.

In addition, many consider the trailer stage to out of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze but, seeing as how the game has yet to be released, it is unsure if this stage does appear in the game. The 3DS focuses on more handheld stages so it may be important to note that DKC:TP is set to be released on the Wii U so a DKC:TP inspired stage may be more appropriate for the Wii U. However, who says we can't have both?

Others believe this may be connected to Ubisoft's Rayman franchise and may point at Rayman being a playable 3rd party character. Believers points at Rayman graphic style being similar to that of Monday's Pic of the Day. Here are some comparisons to allow you judge if they are similar.

Debates raged on between...

I actually do get a rayman-y vibe from looking at it. It's weird.

@majora_787

If it isn't a Rayman stage, what would it be?

@KingShadow
and

Nah.
I think it does look more like Rayman.
The streams of light on the trees, the light in between the trees in the background, and the floating balls of yellow light make it look more like Rayman.

But Mega Bidoof was quick to change sides with

Donkey Kong Country.
That's what a lot of people are saying.

in replying to KingShadow's post. However...

@Opossum went the direct route and said

The pic has absolutely nothing to do with Rayman.

However, why reveal (unlikely) 3rd party newcomer through a stage? While it's possible, I doubt Ubisoft would like Nintendo to reveal their star mascot through a stage. The believers that it is a Rayman stage shrunk into nothingness a few days after the update.

Alternatively, some believe it to be a Luigi's Mansion type stage due to similar designs with the trees and considering that Luigi's Mansion 2 is on the 3DS but nothing has been proven yet.

As seen in the above posts and in the MiiVerse thread, there is are a lot of members who think this to be an original stage unique to Super Smash Bros. and, possibly, to the 3DS version. This could be connected to an adventure mode or a misc mode such as Board the Platforms or something new. This has become the popular opinion among speculators and one that is gathering a lot of support.

@Mario_and_Sonic_Guy went further and said

It might just be an original stage for all we know.

That seems to be the general consensus as seen above.

Adventure Mode stage? Looks like it.

FalchionX7

However, Sakurai officially said prior to this pic of the day that there won't be a Subspace Emissary like story mode in the new Super Smash Bros. game, stating

“There will be a single player [campaign], but it won’t be like the [Subspace Emissary] mode in Brawl.

.
http://nintendoeverything.com/sakurai-confirms-single-player-campaign-for-smash-bros-wii-u3ds/
However, that is to not say that an Adventure Mode will be absent as well. Sakurai has a habit of being vague with stages such as the Find Me update (click here to view it) or concerning Yellow Devil's status. However, he tends to be frank when announcing Assist Trophies as see with Ashley and Skull Kid.

I think it's safe to assume that this is restricted to only to the 3DS and, through popular opinion, it may be apart the Adventure Mode or a bonus mode in the same vein as Board the Platforms or Smash the Targets.

What do you think it is? Let us know!

Thing that were confirmed for Monday's Pic:
- The pic of the day is on the 3DS
- There will a natural level/stage on the 3DS.

HAPPY 15th ANNIVERSARY!!!
Day 2: Tuesday
01/21/2014

Tuesday came and went with much speculation. I mean why wouldn't it since it was technically the 15th anniversary of Smash Bros. 64. Tensions and speculation was high with many speculators trying to predict possibly what this day could possibly mean for Smashers.

Some of predictions were:

Maybe some kind of group picture of the original cast (Not counting unlockables)

Although Yoshi isn't confirmed

Maybe a pic of Mario, Link, Kirby and Pikachu

@PsychoIncarnate

Smash Ball will be confirmed with a new design maybe.

@BluePikmin11

I said this earlier in another thread, but I'm guessing Break the Targets or the Bumper.

@ MasterOfKnees

My guess: Mario, Link, Kirby, and Pikachu on Battlefield, all doing taunts, with a caption saying that they're celebrating fifteen years of Smash Bros.

My (reasoned) hope: A picture of a Homerun Contest, Break the Targets, or something along those lines.

@Groose
All very good predictions that with logic and reasoning, appear sound considering Sakurai knack of releasing content on anniversary dates and how important this date is to Super Smash Bros. and Smash fans.

However, some speculators opted to be more reserved in their guesses

Probably gonna be a useless pic. I highly doubt we get anything special.

@PadWarrior

THE HYPEST DISAPPOINTMENT FOR THE 21ST!!!

@8-peacock 8

I'm not getting my hopes up. I think it is likely they will acknowledge the anniversary in some way, but with something as special as a character reveal? Nah, I don't really think so.

@TumblrFamous

Many suggested that nothing will happen at all or nothing related to the anniversary that is. One post stuck out though that I want to share:

I predict, that there will be something. People will feel things, and post a lot about it.

@Starphoenix
And right you are. The MiiVerse thread was full to the brim of angry and disillusioned posts that spoke evils concerning Sakurai.

I believe this post made by @Vintage Creep, best sums up the feelings a lot of Smash fans had while N3On countered that; stating that Smash fans feel entitled to updates and take them for granted.

However, Tuesday's update wasn't completely devoid of anniversary mention. For those with access to MiiVerse, Sakurai commented

Today is the 15th Anniversary of the launch of the first Super Smash Bros. There may be some players out there who played it on the Nintendo 64 as kids that have grown into adults.

I must say I played Smash 64 back in 7th grade and I thought it was coolest game ever. I remember going camping with family and laying in my sleeping bag; playing with my Mewtwo and Mario tou; pretending they are fighting. It was then I thought how cool if Mewtwo was included in Smash.

What are your Smash 54 memories? Private message them to me or post them and I will add it up in this section!

Regardless, we did get an update about Rosalina. It is helpful to know which side Luma is facing and will be a helpful mechanic for Rosalina mains. I am very curious on how you can control either Rosalina and Luma. Sakurai seems to be tanilizing us with this information.

Rosalina mains; how will this improve your Rosalina game? let me know!

Things confirmed:
1) Sakurai did not reveal a anniversary-themed Pic of the Day
2) He did acknowledge the anniversary
3) Luma's attack, Luma Shot, changes colors depending on where it is facing.
4) Players can switch between controlling Luma close by or far away

Edge Hogger
Day 3: Wednesday
01/22/2014

For starters, this update was posted around 3:30 JST. That is a record in how early it was posted. i was pretty shocked and hopefully its a sign that the time the pic is posted continues to become earlier and earlier. When Sakurai first started the Pic of the Day, it was being released at 5:30. Then it was being released at 5 and then 4. Today was the first it was released around 3:30. Let's see if this trend continues!

After the let down that was the Anniversary (or Disspointevary), Wednesday was slightly interesting for those wondering about the game play mechanic. Sakurai posted

There are many changes being made to attack and defense options for grabbing edges. In this picture, Link is actually trumping Mario's grab.

I think its safe to assume that Sakurai will regularly comment on his Pic of the Day as seen below the pic

Some other changes include:
-Air time and accumulated damage will determine your period of invincibility while hanging on an edge.
-Grab controls will no longer be affected by whether you have above or below 100% damage.

Smashers speculated what this could mean and the thread New Ledgegrabbing Mechanic Confirmed yielded the best results. One particular post that shed light on this mechanic and the possibilities was @Jack Keiser:

I don't think this means NO more edgehogging, but I *do* think it means more refined edgeplay. Think of it this way:

In Melee, edgehogging was trivial. You were considered "on the edge" for so long, even after rolling or jumping up, that really the timing to edgehog wasn't that strict; it was less strict than a wavedash or L-cancel, that's for sure. So, really, once you got down reverse wavedashing off the edge of a stage, you knew how to edgehog; all you needed to do then was make sure a recovery straight to the stage wasn't an option (or was the only option, which you would then punish).

In Brawl, we had the opposite problem: edgehogging was, on the whole, very difficult. With the variable concerning ledge occupancy being updated more quickly, it was much harder to hog without being punished for it. Yes, invincibility was longer, but many recoveries could also stall out on the ledge and beat out that invincibility, especially if the hog wasn't timed just right. In addition, there was little counterplay on the ledge, especially in the case of tethers; that's why they're all so low tier, because it was impossible for a tether to recover once someone was already on the ledge. Add in the fact that it was easier to recover to the stage and harder to punish it from the edge, and you have a much less complex edge game. In Brawl, people spent a lot of time on the edge, but it was mainly to stall or camp.

This, however, changes all of that. The variable invincibility timer allows ledge play to be carefully balanced around recovery, and not low-percent gimps. In addition, the occupancy variable is no longer an issue like it was in previous games: now, the operative variable in recovery attempts is the ledge occupant's invincibility timer, which is MUCH more intuitive and makes much more sense. Edgehogs have to be carefully timed, but also, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to hogging anymore, since your own percentage will determine the timing you have to use to hog: do it too early, and the ledge is taken from you. This also fixes ALL the problems with tethers: if anything, it's a MASSIVE buff, since it may no longer be viable to reliably hog them at all. There's real counterplay on the ledge now.

I absolutely can't wait to see how this all plays out.

In easy to understand terms, Jack Keiser thinks that while edgehogging isn't dead but, rather, is more refined and will require more precision and timing but should be easier than in Brawl. Another user @ScubaF_ingSteve

From what it reads like I think it means that edgehogging will require better timing. So, if I'm understanding the concept right, it works like this:

Say you're fox and you go straight up and begin freefalling, if someone is trying to ledgehog they can't just get there before you firefox and sit there for a few seconds past the invincibility they gain. So you can only ledgehog when you have invincibility, meaning you have to time your ledgehogs better. In addition to that, your ledge invincibility is determined by your percent, so it will be longer or shorter if you are more damaged. I guess this is a response to in brawl people planking and camping the ledge, giving people less camping options on the ledge.

If I'm interpreting this correctly, I think it's honestly a good thing for smash. Less ledge camping and more strict ledgehogging timings so when you recover, you have more timing mix ups and you're not completely ****ed if you have a sub-par recovery.

So do you think that this new mechanic is good or bad for Smash?

Things that were confirmed today:

1) Edgehogging is now revamped
2) More refined edgefighting gameplay
3) Air time and accumulated damage will determine your period of invincibility while hanging on an edge.
4) Grab controls will no longer be affected by whether you have above or below 100% damage

THE LEAAAAAAAAKK!
Day 3: Wednesday
01/22/2014

Wednesday saw one of the biggest and most hyped of leaks ever seen since Super Smash Bros. Brawl was released. Unless you were hiding under a Thwomp, two images surfaced on the internets about Palutena being in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS.

To clarify, here are the alleged pictures:

The first picture details a supposed 3DS screenshot Mario and Palutena standing face to face on Battlefield. The second picture is Palutena standing in her

The elephant in the room is that are these pictures legit or fake? On one hand, every leak should be taken with a grain of salt while, on the other hand, the screenshots seem high quality and very accurate.

Let's go to the newly stickied Leaks and Rumors Thread and see what they had to say....well...there is much to say on this. Days worth in fact.

@Meelow was the first to post the pictures which racked up 50 pages within two days.

@Sonic Storm was one of the first that identified that the Mario pose is something we have yet to see on a 3DS picture

Decided to take a quick tour of all the pics on the Smash Bros. site, as well as the backlog of all the pics of the day.

There is no single picture that displays Mario in that same posture, Wii U or 3DS version. The closest is the picture of Mario in the story mode stage a few days ago, but Mario's fists in that picture are out of alignment.

It's not something a dedicated artist can't overcome, but it's something to think about.

. Not to mention that

... the model of Palutena was not taken from anywhere else. So the model would have to have been made from scratch, which would be VERY difficult.

There don't appear to be any real inconsistencies with official 3DS pics either, none that we have noticed.

@KingofPhantoms47

and

Basically for this to be fake. The leak maker would've had to:

Make a model for Palutena
Presumably also make a model for Mario since none of the pictures of him match up.
Make a whole new background that matches what we already know about Battlefield.
Paste his/her Palutena and Mario models onto his/her custom made background.
Add additional details to make them look authentic and feel as if snatched directly from footage or a Palutena character page.
Put them onto a 3DS, either through shop or loading them on his/her 3DS

And god damn that's a lot of dedication for a fake. A LOT.

If fake? This is the highest quality most believable fake for the game yet.

@CosmicQueen

The Smash community has been scrutinizing and analyzing this to such an extent that I would be able to write a whole weeks worth; detailing the communities stances and change between non-believing to believing and even back again. This is quite possibly one of the largest non-roster leaks if not the largest.

Some non-believers suggested that Palutena was just an Assist Trophy and this is entirely possible save for one thing. While not confirmed, it is entirely possible that AT's will not have a black outline.
@ Frostwraith will explain why:

If this Palutena picture is real, she may be a playable character. Why? Because of the outlines. Unless Assist Trophies are also outlined like playable characters, I think the fact she has the outline means she's a newcomer. The problem is that we haven't seen Assist Trophies on the 3DS, but, so far, only playable characters seem to have them.

Please look at those images:
[collapse="Characters summoned by playable characters don't have outlines"]

[/collapse]
[collapse="Stage characters don't have them either..."]

[/collapse]

Considering the purpose of the outlines, which is to make the playable characters easier to see in the small 3DS screen so it is easier for the player to not get lost in the chaotic action of the game, it wouldn't make sense for Assist Trophies to have them.

Now, I have been tooting the believers horn for a while and I want to bring some evidence against the Palutena leak.

I can see the gripes with the pictures of Palutena. Really, I'm not saying they don't exist.

But a lot of people are ignoring the things that are TRUE about these pictures.

1)The model is completely unique
2)The black outline is not always consistent, as stated by Sakurai with the Pikachu picture months ago
3)It seems illogical to me that Assist Trophies would have the dark outline, as it would confuse players assuming there are several characters on screen at once. However, this doesn't really add to the legitimacy of this picture.
4)There is no source of that picture of Mario, nor the background of the second picture of Palutena. So the pictures are unique to anything else available.

Basically, these pictures, regardless of Palutena being in them, are pictures that have no background information to them. They aren't from a pic of the day, they aren't from the Facebook page. These are unique. If we take that fact into account, then that means that Mario's placement in the picture is fake as well. So the entire picture would have needed to be fabricated.

The graphic clipping of Palutena and her staff are something that may or may not happen in game. I think you could theorize that the clipping would add to the legitimacy of the picture, because of the previous examples of Zelda in a pic of the day.

If it were a preexisting model, then I highly doubt that the model would already be clipping. That doesn't sound right. If the game is in it's polishing stages, then this isn't anything to deem suspect.

I just keep thinking about this. Some of you will probably think I'm nuts. But hear me out. I think some of these things that are being used to falsify the leak are miniscule things that have logical explanations.

@Scoliosis Jones makes an excellent, unbiased point that is not "I don't care cause I don't like Palutena." The main points that the believers are making, according to Scoliosis Jones, is actually their downfall if this is a fake leak. I wouldn't say creating these screenshots to be impossible and, from a talented Photoshopper, could falsify these screens.

@majora_787 was vocal about his belief that the leak was fake and stood by it despite direct opposition.

I am still convinced the leak is fake, not that I think Palutena isn't in the game. I am also still convinced that Medusa is more likely and the better decision for a number of reasons over Palutena. Even though if we have both that would be pretty amazing.

and

I don't know. I could see someone putting effort into something they enjoy doing to rile people up for a while and then drop kick their hopes when it turns out to be a massive lie.

Responses did range between "I just don't like Palutena" to actual reasons why it's fake.

However, Smashboards has a larger amount of people who believes the leaks whereas places such as Neogaf is a bit more skeptical. This was pulled from the user BGBW:

The differences in lighting is easily identifiable but the poses look fairly similar with a little bit of variation. If a skilled faker made this, using this image and slightly adjusting it wouldn't be too of a problem.

The Neogaf user Dice also had this to say

Sakurai said the outlines are "mushy" which, looking at those pics, would seem to suggest there is no outline where a strong contrast is already established. Look at Pit's wings and the bright white parts of his clothing. The outline is not there as opposed to darker parts like his legs and hair. As for the Marth pic, the sword doesn't seem much brighter than Link's but it is massive as it is so close to the camera, so an outline probably isn't needed, especially if it is 3D.

With this in mind, I see some issues with the leaks.

Why does the blue weapon have a blue outline between it and the blue background? Why is her bright skin given an outline when it is already heavily contrasted from the background?

Why is there so much varying thickness in outlines comparing her to Mario, given that their contrast levels are similar?

This doesn't match the more black-looking style we have seen in the outlines, yet does show a possibility that Mario and Palutena were separate assets Photoshopped in after being edited to have an outline, and Palutena was shrunk down a bit compared to Mario.

They were definitely displayed on a 3DS screen and photographed, but I'm not sure it was the game playing rather than a Photoshop they loaded on to the 3DS. [/URL]

However, as Wednesday wore into Thursday, the believers increased in numbers; both in Smashboards and outside.

At Smashboards, there was an attempt to use internet tools to discover if the images were doctored though

posting results now
quality up too 100, error up too 50
View attachment 7080

@lonekonwolf

compared to an official screenshot

and here's an official picture from the site (same as the other 100 quality, 50 error)
View attachment 7081
according to this online tool, the official picture actually has more errors than the leaked picture
conclusion: this online tool is useless and unreliable in this situation

Regardless, this is an incredible leak and one that should be paid attention to because of the hype in generated and what it means to Smashers. Can we expect another leak like this? Will it be this level of professionalism that we think it is legit or will it be sub-par?

Lastly, do you think these two pictures are real or faked?

Things that were confirmed about today:

Nothing. Nothing at all.

God, that took too long to write.

Palutena and now Viridi?!
Day 3: Wednesday
01/22/2014

After the hype train that was the Palutena leak, today's Pic of the Day was the hammer in the coffin for many people because the screenshot was of Kid Icarus and, in particular, was of Viridi.

...Viridi in a screenshot.
I now 100% believe the Palutena leak.

@DakotaBonez

But this does deconfirm the Goddess of Nature so go ahead and pay your respects at the [/URL]Viridi support thread. Judging from the picture, she appears as a stage hazard or a stage effect. However, I think it is safe to assume that will will be using that reset bomb. I think a more appropriate description would had been "Filthy humans! I will destroy you all!" but Sakurai instead said:

Pic of the day. This is definitely not a friendly girls night out…

While discussion was brief and its limelight was stolen by Palutena's leak, some users had things to say about Viridi and her reveal as a stage element:

Viridi might not even be a stage hazard, she could be like Metal Gear REX on the Shadow Moses Island stage lol.

I don't think Viridi had much going for her in the ways of moveset design either, so this isn't really surprising.

@Aerodrome

Tbh, I knew Viridi was gonna be part of the Reset Bomb Stage. After all, that Chapter in Uprising is her debut chapter, with her appearing in the background after the Reset Bomb explosion. Just wonder how long it'd take for Sakurai to show us, and now we got it. I'm kinda sad a bit too since I liked Viridi, but at least she's in the game in 1 way or form. That's an improvement compared to those who aren't in at all.

@Admiral Pit

Olimar and Viridi are mortal enemies.

@CardiganBoy

Things that were confirmed today:

1) Viridi is a stage element on the 3DS stage Reset Bomb

Maybe there mighty be some interest dialog about that relationship....

ALL ABOARD THE ALPHONSO HYPE TRAIN
Day 5: Friday
01/24/2014

After all the commotion that the the first half of the week caused, Friday ended fairly peaceful and non-eventful yet very interestingly. Apparently, when playing the Phantom Tracks train on the 3DS with Toon Link, Conductor Link switches out with Alphonso. Don't know who Alphonso is> Go on over to the Zelda wiki for some more info on the man.
This is a very interesting mechanic and one that we may see more than once in this generation of Smash. It also brings up the age old argument that "A background character means deconfirmed." I think we can say that argument has been thoroughly smashed now thanks to this pic of the day.

As well, a MiiVerse user named [/URL]CruztheMan makes an interesting point

Alfonzo has a black outline and isn't a playable character. Palutena had a black outline too. This means that just because the palutena leak has a black outline does NOT mean she is playable.

So what does this spell for Palutena in terms of playability since one of the largest arguments for the leak was that non-playable characters will not have the black outlines.

However. @Banjodorf offers an explanation

I think it's just the way the shot is taken. I don't think it's an outline in the same way the characters have them.

However, I feel like things are about to get messy because people won't care about making sense.

Likewise, @KenithTheGatherer goes on show:

Guys, I got something that will help you out with the outline debate...

Spoiler

It appears characters in Spirit Tracks have a sort of "outline" ingame, created by their shading.
Alfonzo's is probably a variation of that.

With the black outline debate just starting, maybe this Friday won't turn out to be so cherry after all. If you see any debates of any kind, let me know so I can cover them this weekend!

On the topic of background characters, some users believes this further supports Ridley's cases as a playable character despite the Pyrosphere stage.

Ridley fans have another piece of evidence to shoot down their opponents.

@ FalKoopa

Pic of the day. When Ridley joins the battle, Kraid is in charge of the Pyrosphere. Kraid: "Leave it to me!"

@Hippopotasauce

Or...

While some may jest, it is quite the revolutionary upset in Smash Bros. speculative logic. While there are other things that may hurt Ridley's chances as well as other potentially at risk newcomers but, with this, speculators are going to have to rethink how they pick and predict character. I mean, everyone and their mother (save for a few diehard fans and anti-cutsies) took Toon Link of their rosters after the E3 trailer.

Please note this article could use more buffing up so if you would like to add a piece of Friday's Pic of the Day, PM me and I will add it up!

What was confirmed for today:

1) Alphonso appears as a background stage element
2) Conductor Link swaps out for Toon Link when Toon Link is play on the Spirit Tracks stage on the 3DS


Overview


Well, this week was pretty eventful considering we did not get any newcomer or veteran reveals.

Monday gave us a potentially new adventure mode or a stage within a bonus mode
Tuesday gave us an update on one of Rosalina's moves
Wednesday gave us an update about the changing of the edgehogging mechanic and a number of other mechanics,
Wednesday also gave us a humongous lead regarding Palutena being in the game regardless playable or not
Thursday gave us Viridi as a stage element in the Reset Bomb stage,
Friday gave us information about Conductor Link swaping out for Alphonso when Toon Link is in play on the Spirit Tracks stage.

It is quite interesting that we had a total of 3 3DS photos. Could this be a new shift by Sakurai to even out the images by including more 3DS rather than Wii U? As well, the Palutena leak continues to rage on and will continue until the leak is confirmed or proved false.

As always, if you have anything useful or interesting add, please just post it down below or PM me it and I will add it up. I am looking for guest writers so if you would like to write for the WiR, please let me know! I would be happy to have you writer! You can take either a single day or even a full week. But don't worry though if that scares you, I am willing to help.

As well, I do all of the researching and post hunting myself but if you would like to help with that, please let me know! I could always use the help.

This is your reporter, Venus reporting live from the Wii U/3DS Discussion forum. Have a great weekend, Sakurai bless, and stay classy Smashboards.

ATTENTION ALL VILLAGER FANS!!!!!

I am looking for several fans of write up an article detailing information regarding the Villager, prospective move set ideas and game play, as well as match ups and competitive ability. If you or anyone else might have any information and interested in writing up about your favorite character, let me know! I will also be posting this is The Villager Social​

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

For some odd reason, the CloudFlare on Smashboards is not allowing me to edit the OP.

I get the Error 502 Bad Gateway. So please bare with me as I edit some portions of the thread.

 

[dimensionsword64]

This series is a really cool idea!

 

[Zonderion]

So I live under a Thwomp (Trust me, not as fun as it sounds) and I didn't see those leaked pictures. As far as my comp shows, is just an image saying 4chan.org. Do you think these were removed for a purpose?

Edit: Just googled it and found the pictures... interesting.

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Hmmm it could be. I'll fiddle around with it in the morning. In sorry if the OP is full of grammatical/formatting errors.

 

[dimensionsword64]

I'll write about the Villager. He's most likely going to be my main.

Here it is: Villager seems to have a unique playstyle. He can plant trees and grab enemy projectiles so they are forced to come in close. He can use the shovel to temporarily disable opponents so you can charge a smash attack or plant a tree. He will most likely be very good against characters like Link. He can plant trees and use his pocket ability to stop Link's projectiles, which forces Link to come in close, and as we all know, Link's close range game isn't the best. Villager will most likely be very good against all projectile reliant characters, except possibly Megaman.

Villager will most likely not be very good against characters like Meta Knight who are fast and don't rely on projectiles. Villager won't be able to touch them, unless you have amazing timing. They can just run around Villager, slowly whittling down your health. They can avoid the shovel and are fast enough to prevent Villager from planting trees. If you do manage to plant a tree though, it becomes a little more even, but you most likely won't be able to plant any trees.

Villager has a unique movepool that is good against projectile characters, but not very good against fast characters. He seems to be very fun to play as. I know I'm going to enjoy stuffing lasers into my pocket!


So, yeah. There's my brief review of Villager.

 

[Superyoshiom]

Once again, a very nice and well put together review. I I've you props for that, Venus.

 

[TheMagicalKuja]

Well done, and thanks for the review. This was a very interesting (and entertaining) week.

 

[MasterOfKnees]

These are great reads, especially since it really gets the community into it, they'll will be incredibly fun to read again once the game is released. Keep 'em coming!

 

[FalKoopa]

This week was quite spectacular, with the Palutena leak, Viridi's disconfirmation, the unknown stage and Alfonzo on Spirit Tracks. You've summarized it well.

I didn't expect you to cover other websites in the review too. Props for that!

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Thanks! I'm glad to see people are receptive in including other sites.

Thanks Dimensionsworld. I'll consider adding it to next weeks edition

 

[dimensionsword64]

Thanks! I'm glad to see people are receptive in including other sites.

Thanks Dimensionsworld. I'll consider adding it to next weeks edition

No problem.

 

[GreenReaperGod]

Not sure if anyone has suggests this, but I would recommend having a poll like for example "Do you think the Palutena leak is real?"
You could then post the results in he next issue along with the new poll.

 

[soviet prince]

A+++++++++++++++++====

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

@ GreenReaperGod
That's a great idea! I think I'll implement that this weekend!

 

[Sarki Soliloquy]

I volunteer to pitch in to write an article summarizing and prospecting the Villager. I am an avid Animal Crossing fan and can describe his moveset with relation to Smash Brothers as well as how they reference his line of games. I can also speculate on what else we're yet to see from the Villager. The least amount of journalism experience I have is through my high school newspaper and I also write fanfiction in my free time.

For the competitive end, you can look for someone else to collaborate that information to the article. If not, I'll try my best to reflect prospective matchups. Please PM me if you are interested in my offer.

 

[PikaJew]

If you were to make a Youtube version of this I would not be able to get rid of my boner.
There are literally no Smash 4 dedicated Youtube channels out there.
There is Games Radar but it is literally worse than tripping.

We need something with this much attention to detail, knowledge, reasonable speculation and information.
I'm sure everyone here would love to watch this because we are lazy pricks.

 

[Katy Parry]

Your Viridi thread link is actually a link to a member's profile, not an actual thread.

 

[Ryan.]

Great reading, thanks for taking the time to put this together for us. I actually did not know about the Palutena pictures lol as I haven't been online much this week. They seem very interesting, I do hope they are legit.

 

[Frostwraith]

Nice series of articles. This week certainly was interesting with the leak and whatnot, not forgetting the Smash anniversary and new information on stages.

 

[Sarki Soliloquy]

If you were to make a Youtube version of this I would not be able to get rid of my boner.
There are literally no Smash 4 dedicated Youtube channels out there.
There is Games Radar but it is literally worse than tripping.

We need something with this much attention to detail, knowledge, reasonable speculation and information.
I'm sure everyone here would love to watch this because we are lazy pricks.

You should look at Gamexplain. After every week, they basically sum up the Pics of the Day and give their thoughts and impressions. This newsletter just gets more in-depth with the community and actually is more interactive.

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

A YouTube channel would be interesting but, sadly, I'm not a big Youtuber. I'm camera shy (−_−＃)

I'm still trying to see if I can edit the OP.

As always, open to suggestions or help on how to improve the thread!

 

[dimensionsword64]

If you were to make a Youtube version of this I would not be able to get rid of my boner.
There are literally no Smash 4 dedicated Youtube channels out there.
There is Games Radar but it is literally worse than tripping.

We need something with this much attention to detail, knowledge, reasonable speculation and information.
I'm sure everyone here would love to watch this because we are lazy pricks.

There's Smash Central Official. But it would be awesome to see this on Youtube.

 

[warionumbah2]

If you were to make a Youtube version of this I would not be able to get rid of my boner.

Are you being serious?

 

[Zonderion]

Are you being serious?

How long have you known PikaJew? Yes he is being serious...

 

[warionumbah2]

How long have you known PikaJew? Yes he is being serious...

Don't visit this site often so of course i won't know a random person on a forum. If he is being serious then poor him.

 

[Zonderion]

Don't visit this site often so of course i won't know a random person on a forum. If he is being serious then poor him.

You should come by more often. PikaJew can be quite the... character. He is quite funny tho.

I second the YouTube Channel!!

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

I will look into the Youtube channel idea but, at the moment, I really only have time to be doing this weekly article. I am leaving this open for a little while and will be closing it Tuesday morning or evening.