Week in Review Issue #30

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

The Week in Review Edition #30
8/04- 8/08

Banner by @ Venus of the Desert Bloom

Staff
Writers:
@ Venus of the Desert Bloom
@TumblrFamous
@---
@Opossum
@Mario_and_Sonic_Guy
@Frostwraith
@MaskO'Gears
@BigAxle
@Vegito2727

Editor:
@Aerodrome


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

@BigAxle @TumblrFamous for writing the daily articles this week
@BigAxle for agreeing to an interview
@MaskO'Gears for Sakurai's Diary and Top 11 Newcomers
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
Issue #15
Issue #16
Issue #17
Issue #18
Issue #19
Issue #20
Issue #21
Issue #22
E3 in Review
Issue #23
Issue #24
Issue #25
Issue #26
Issue #27
Issue #28
Issue #29
[/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 Man Without A Name
2.1 Day #2: SHINY.
3.1 Day #3: Supportive Pokemon to the Rescue!
4.1 Day #4: "Welcome to the Trophy Store! What can I get for ya'all?"
5.1 Day #5: ♪Ba-ding!♪
6.1 Week Overview
7.1 Week in Review Interview: BigAxle
8.1 Franchise Analysis: Star Fox
10.1 Stage Analysis: Arena Ferox
11.1 A Look inside Project Unity
12.1 Sakurai's Diary
13.1 Editorial of the Week
14.1 We Want YOU to Vote! Results
15.1 Help Wanted

The Man Without A Name
8.04.14
Day #1: Monday
Writer: @BigAxle

Sakurai, is this a trend or something? Just like last week, we got the announcement of another Assist Trophy on Monday, coming from a game that wasn't ever released outside of Japan, For The Frog Whom The Bell Tolls! This game originally came out on the Game Boy. But who is this assist trophy? Sakurai details in this POTD:

Pic of the day. In this Smash Bros. installment, this little guy is also making an appearance! I…don't know his name, but he's the Prince of the Sablé Kingdom. He's from the Game Boy game Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (translated as The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls), which was only released in Japan.

In addition, he added in another post!

Here's the trophy of the Sablé Prince. He transforms into a snake or a frog, and unloads multiple attacks on any opponent he catches. Keep attacking your foes when they're trapped in his dust cloud.

The Sable Kingdom's mighty prince shall appear as an Assist Trophy in this game! His name... well, as a little fun fact, he never actually has an official name. He's the Prince of the Sable Kingdom, and as a result, the game refers to him as Prince Sable. While Sable himself is marking his second appearance in a video game and his first official in-game appearance in a Smash Bros game (stickers are ignored here), like Takamaru, his game has had a couple of nods and references.

For instance, Prince Sable himself appears in Brawl as a sticker. In addition, his rival, Prince Richard, appears in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening as an NPC. He lives in a Villa, complete with frogs (This nod was made due to heavy comparisons made with the games)

This wasn't just some random oddity, you know...

As for how Sable will actually work, it's confirmed that after he is summoned, he will turn into his Snake or Frog form (showcased by his trophy) and will attempt to trap an opponent in a dust cloud. This leaves the victim trapped for Sable's summoner to damage the opponent! For one, Sable sounds like a dangerous and powerful assist!

Here's what a few of you had to say about this guy making his third appearance in a videogame!

So I guess every Monday is "Retro Disconfirmation Monday" now.

@KenithTheGatherer

Its a shame, but at least Prince Sable does get referenced in the game somehow.

@dezeray112

Welp, in the very least he's an Assist Trophy and he does what we wanted him to - attack with the frog and snake.

I'm glad to see even these niche character requests be somewhat shown in the game at all.

@Relax Alax

I had a huge weird feeling that Sakurai was going to post a pic of the day about something Kaeru no Tame ni wa Naru related, and BAM! it looks like I was right. At first I was pretty bummed about it, but then I realized that this gives him a good shot at being the next revived Mac character (He still has Takamaru to deal with, that's his biggest competitor for the next installment). I didn't get to see a Wii U HD model though, that was the only bum for me in this pic of the day. But it is at least great Sakurai posted this right after his birthday, it's like he wanted to show his all-time favorite unknown Nintendo character to celebrate his cake.

And the other great thing about it is that I get to here some thoughts about me in video discussions like Gamexplain (Although I won't expect much thought into it) and the fact we will get a strong chance of his seeing "The Prince's Adventure" and maybe the "Credits Roll" too in the music department! Hopefully after this pic of the day, he actually gets more exposure to Nintendo and the people who saw this picture and was curious about the game, I really don't want him to go the low direction where he just only appears in eShop games or low-success games like Chibi Robo, Starfy, Dark Dawn, Star Successor, etc.

I must say Sakurai, thank you for this pic of the day, realistically this was probably the best bet for Sable, I have stayed committed to him and put him in my prediction rosters since I first discovered him June 6th of 2013, but unfortunately I have to let go of my all time favorite Gameboy character and bid him farewell.

R.I.P. The Prince of the Sable Kingdom.

@BluePikmin11
Things Confirmed for Monday:
1. Prince Sable will appear as an Assist Trophy.
2. Sable's ability as an AT has him turn into his Snake or Frog form to attack the opponent, trapping them in a dust cloud.



SHINY.
8.05.14
Day #2: Tuesday
Writer: @TumblrFamous

After the lovely Hyrule Warriors Direct, there was a widespread assumption that we would see a picture today focused on something from the Legend of Zelda. Be it an Assist Trophy, Ganondorf, item, or stage, a Zelda picture was the pic-to-be. Instead, we got a new character stage assist trophy Smash Run enemy item from Kid Icarus Uprising! Please make way for the Daybreak!

"Pic of the day. Look at these three radiant pieces... Yup, you guessed it! It's another combinable item like the Dragoon-the Daybreak."

-Masahiro Sakurai

"This is what it looks like when all three parts are combined together. How powerful will its beam blast be? FYI, you can fire shooting items while moving backward and forward. Change direction by flicking the Control Stick or Circle Pad toward the back of the fighter."

The Daybreak is very similar to the Dragoon from the Kirby series (both created by Sakurai). It is available in Kid Icarus: Uprising's multiplayer mode. What the player has to do is just like what they have to do with the Dragoon: collect its three parts and then the player has the ability to unleash its power. Like the Dragoon in Brawl and this game, once you collect all three pieces you will use it immediately. Also, similar to the Cracker Launcher, you can change directions by tapping the Control Stick or Circle Pad on the Wii U and 3DS, respectively.

The Ultimate Weapon: It's a OHKO!

It is to be believed this will be a weapon that will basically OHKO any opponent, just like the Dragoon. This was to be expected if the weapon made its appearance.

Ah! another KI:U item and its one of my favorites too, can't wait to melt some faces off with this baby.

@Gune

ENTER! Kid Icarus Uprising's DAYBREAK! <3

Think of is as the Kirby "Dragoon", except it shoots a super powerful laser.

@ Admiral Pit

Ooh the Daybreak. I knew that thing was going to be an item in Smash Bros when I first used it in Uprising. Looks pretty shiny. c:

@Kikwi-Kiwi

So now we're having quite a bit of Kid Icarus Content, huh? While most fans liked the inclusion of this item, many people began to realize the vast amount of KI representation we have. We have 2 characters, 2 stages, 2 Assist Trophies, 6 items, and over a dozen Smash Run enemies. Personally, I love KI:U, so it doesn't bother me as much, but I can definitely see where people are coming from. We need more representation for the games right now. What about Donkey Kong, Kirby, Star Fox, even Earthbound and F-Zero?

Hopefully, this is just an indication that all franchises will be getting more representation, not just this one franchise simply getting more than it should receive. But many people brought up the excellent point that the amount of KI content is staggering:

KID ICARUS UPRISING SURE HAS A LOT OF STUFF

WE GET IT SAKURAI

@Hippopotasauce

Another Boring Kid Icarus Item. Over-rep much sakurai?

@Keybladeguy

Oh look, yet another Kid Icarus item.

*audibly groans*

@KenithTheGatherer

"Pic of the Day. Here is another Kid Icarus Uprising item, the Daybreak! Just in case it wasn't fully apparent already, I made Kid Icarus Uprising."

@shrooby

"Six! That's six new Sakurai's Baby items! Ah ah ah!"

@BKupa666

This. I loved Kid Icarus Uprising. I still do. Easily one of the best games on the 3DS. But this is getting out of hand. I could take most of the items fine- Backshield, X-bomb, Ore Club, Drill Arm, that mortar eye thing (the name escapes me right now). I could of course take the stages fine since all series should get them. Assist trophies? Magnus is a great pick and Phosphora looks great too. I could take the characters fine because i second Pit in Brawl and wanted Palutena for this game. But enough is enough. Series that have been in the game since the beginning don't have this much content and it's just not fair. Look at Star Fox- confirmed we have only one character, one Assist trophy, one item, a stage tease. Look at DK- two confirmed characters, no assist trophy, can't recall any item, and a returning stage. Not even anything new. And don't even get me started on Mother...I love Kid Icarus as much as the next guy, but when Sakurai has no desire to continue the series he reboot, why bother with it all? It's showing favoritism and it's not right. Enough is enough!

@egaddmario

While it's certainly great to see all of this KI content, the pic was received with moderate backlash. Make no mistake, it's a cool item, and handsome to look at as well. It's just... let's not limit all of this representation to just one small franchise, Sakurai. Let's throw in some love for DK and Kirby and Earthbound! We can only hope there's not much left content for Kid Icarus...​

Things Confirmed for Tuesday:
1. The Daybreak is an item in the game.
2. It acts similar to the Dragoon, where you collect three pieces and unleash its power.
3. You can change the attack's direction by flicking the control stick or circle pad.




Supportive Pokemon to the Rescue!
8.06.14
Day #3: Wednesday
Writer: @ Venus of the Desert Bloom

​

Back during October, many expected a new Pokemon character to be revealed with the launch of Pokemon X and Y on the 12th. However, nothing was shown on that date that related to Pokemon...though Sakurai teased fans on the 18th by showing a portion of Xerneas' head saying....

We have absolutely nothing to announce today regarding Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. Really!

Xerneas was finally shown during the Super Smash Bros. Direct back in April but ntohing abou tit's attacks was actually explained...

However, it was obviously Geomancy but how it works was largely unknown...until Wednesday. Sakurai confirmed not only what Xerneas does in battle but what Victini does too!

Victini and Xerneas are both support Pokémon. Victini's Victory Star boosts the attack of whoever throws the Poké Ball, and also prevents flinching. Xerneas's Geomancy increases the launch power of all fighters, but exceptionally raises it for whoever had the Poké Ball.

It is confirmed that Geomancy will increase the launch power of all the characters but the player who summoned Xerneas will get an even greater increase. This is to say characters will be buffed with launching power thus allowing the characters to kill each other easier. The player who summoned Xerneas will have a slight edge on the other players as his or her moves will have more killing potential. Within the Pokemon games, Geomancy...

The user charges the move on the first turn. On the second turn, the user's Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed increase by two stages.

http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Geomancy_(move)

It is unknown if the attack will be need time to charge like in the games but it will buff characters launching power nonetheless. In a way, it kind of correlates to Smash Bros. as maybe Special Attack can be related to launching power? Or maybe speed? Or maybe that's a stretch.

Victini on the other hand will perform it's signature ability "Victory Star". Victory Star...

Victory Star increases the accuracy of moves used both by the user and its partners in Double and Triple Battles by 10% of their original accuracy.

.
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Victory_Star

So it isn't actually an attack but, rather, an ability. So while Xerneas boosts the launching power of all of the characters, Victini focuses on the one who summoned it and boosts the attack power and eliminates flinching. This is odd given that Victory Star is a group-based ability; meaning that it affects all the players Pokemon that are in play rather than just Victini itself. This could possibly be utilized if it is released during Group Matches and the team who summoned it all get attack boosts/flinching removals.

It begs to question what other confirmed Pokemon without any explanations of what they do...well do. Or if the opposite of Xerneas, Yveltal will appear in Super Smash Bros. as well and what it will actually do.

Finally, this is the umpteenth time that the Kalo Pokemon League was featured yet nothing was shown about it. It makes one wonder if this stage will ever be shown.

Here are what fans had to say about this PotD:

It's nice to finally know what Xerneas does.

@MasterLuigi

Super Sudden Death Mode + Xerneas = Death

@N7S

"boosts attack power, prevents flinching"
WHAA-
"increases everyone's launch power but increases the thrower exceptionally"
WHAA-

Loving these supporting roles Pokemon are giving. This is a really good sign of the developers implementing the games mechanics & going further with it through added effects.

@Masonomace

I hope Yveltal has a part in this game. Or how about this: why not every legendary have a part in Smash?

@Lox!

That stage is beautiful <3

@Fluggerson

But I wanna know about the stage, mama!

@ R RascalTheCharizard

Things Confirmed for Wednesday:
1. Xerneas performs Geomancy and boosts the launching power of every character; especially the player who summoned it.

2. Victini performs its ability Victory Star. It boosts the attack of the summoner and prevents flinching.

"Welcome to the Trophy Store! What can I get for ya'all?"
8.07.14
Day #4: Thursday
Writer: @ Venus of the Desert Bloom

​

Thursday showed the trophy gallery for the Nintendo 3DS. Sakurai revealed some shocking news concerning the trophy menu.

Pic of the day. Here's the trophy gallery for the 3DS version. You can rotate the trophies by drawing circles on the bottom screen. Super Smash Bros. Brawl had tons of trophies, but rumor has it that the 3DS version alone may have more than Brawl. Looks like the Dr. Wily that we made from scratch for the 3DS version is on his knees in disbelief

Sakurai also included a second picture and comment:

​

Here's something new--the trophy shop. If you're having a hard time getting certain trophies, why not just buy them? They sometimes go on sale, too.

The first PotD showed us not only the trophy gallery but confirmed that players can rotate the trophy by drawing a circle on the stylus pad on the 3DS. In addition, Sakurai basically stated that the 3DS version will have more trophies than Brawl did. I would like to address each subject one by one so we can get a better idea of what he meant:

1) The gallery menu most likely has thumbnails of the trophies but also allows for the player to cycle through trophies using the L and R buttons while viewing a trophy or to change the page of the description.. The circle with the three lines next to the trophy title could be to adjust the background of the trophy. Sakurai confirmed that the trophies will contain various backgrounds that can be changed a while back. The symbol on the right side of the Dr. Wily description is also peculiar. It could be used maybe to adjust the brightness or even may hint at narrated trophies. It has yet to be confirmed. On the bottom of the screen appears to be the current time as well as the battery power. Players can rotate the trophy via stylus pad and it is possible that the stylus and stylus pad may be incorporated into other modes.

2) The 3DS is apparently rumored to have more trophies than Brawl did. This quite the feat considering that Brawl had 544 trophies altogether. This is interesting as people consider the 3DS limited in size which could negatively impact the character roster as well as the content. This is something that has become a major focal point for those who blame the 3DS for limiting the roster size. It makes one wonder how many trophies the Wii U will have.

3) Confirmed for the first time is Dr. Wily's involvement in Super Smash Bros. For hose unfamiliar with the Mega Man franchise, he is the sworn enemy of Mega Man and the creator of the Robot Masters. Some has questioned as to why Dr. Wily is depicted in this manner and it's because, upon defeat, he is often seen begging for his life only to resurface and cause chaos again. However, this is a pretty iconic position he takes in the games:

Due to him being an important part of Mega Man, this could be one of several trophies featuring Dr. Wily and may hint in him being featured more predominately than just a trophy. Possible a Boss character, a Smash Run enemy, an Assist Trophy, or maybe something even greater? Fans of the doctor are asking as to why Sakurai and his team didn't use an equally or even more iconic position of him in his aircraft:

It would seriously be pretty cool to have an animated trophy like this.
​

On to the second picture, it is confirmed that Super Smash Bros. will come with a Trophy Store. Drawing inspiration from Kid Icaurus Uprising, where players can exchange hearts for goods such as weapons and equipment. Just in this case, it's now trophies.

​

This is a great way for players who may not have the time to grind through hours of gameplay and other modes just to get trophies and, u\instead, use their coins to purchase actual trophies. It i curious as to why Sakurai means that there will be sales for trophies. This may indicate that connection to the internet will be needed for several of the games features or that there may be pre-determined times or events needed to unlock these sales.

Pictures in the second picture are the following from the top row; left to right and then the bottom row:

Andrew Oikonny
300 coins

Phantom
210 coins (On Sale)
300 regular

Viridi
300 coins

Oshawott
300 coins

Tingle
300 coins

Goomba
300 coins

It is interesting to note that all of these characters aside from Oikonny are all confirmed content in Super Smash Bros.

• Phantom = Zelda's Down special
• Viridi = Apart of Reset Bomb Forest stage
• Oshawott = Pokeball Pokemon
• Tingle = Assist Trophy
• Goomba - Smash Ru enemy

Therefore the trophies as well as the background do not deconfirm or confirm any characters so don't go looking! Unknown if these are an indication that these are common or uncommon trophies. Also, apparently it seems like the player is unable to skip through pages as there's no indicator that you can switch pages. However, seeing as how it does not show the two screens together (or it may!), we don't really know.

Here is what people had to say:

HOLY CRAP!!! 0_0 More trophy's than Brawl in the 3DS version of Smash Bros!? That's insane! How many trophy's will be in the Wii U version of Smash Bros!? The completionist in me must have every trophy, therefore I will be playing Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS forever it seems lol XD

@Syrek

Hopefully I wasn't the only one who didn't like Brawl's minigame to use coins on trophies, so being able to just buy them like this is great.

@EdgeTheLucas

And with some trophies being different in both versions... we could have upwards of 1000 unique trophies.

@juddy96

Great news for me. I love collecting these trophies and reading the descriptions. Also love how the layout is exactly like Kid Icarus Uprising.

I proposed an idea awhile back where players can take their 3DS' to tournaments and sync up their "Pass/ID" to play and that way, while they're out and about competing at tournaments they'll be rewarded with trophies, coins and possibly exclusive trophies only found through this feature. Even if you lose, you still get something out of it!

@к★мíсζ

THIS is the image for Dr WIly they decide to use?
Is this peculiar to anyone? To me it certainy seems to indicate he has at least one other trophy, if not an Assist Trophy in him.
I would not be able to handle this disrespect as to only show him in such an inferior position. This is a Japanese made game.

@DukeNapoleon

This was a great update imo. The amount of content that is going into both games is a pretty big deal. Gotta appreciate even the little things...although having more trophies than Brawl in the 3DS version ain't no joke.

GO SAKURAI, GO!

@Hokori

Awesome update, I'm guessing 750 for the 3DS and about 1,000 for Wii U, with some being shared (Characters, Items, Assist Trophies, Pokemon).

@abrinx77

This is kinda cool actually.
I'm still struggling to get all the stickers in Brawl.
I don't really care about trophies, but when I do, I'll be glad I wont have to grind away at Trophy shooter this time.

That Dr.Wily pic cracked me up.
Hope we get to see a Roll, Protoman, and Bass trophy as well! :D

@shinhed-echi

​

Things Confirmed for Thursday:
1. There is a Dr. Wily trophy for the 3DS.
2. You can rotate the trophy by drawing a circle on the stylus pad.
3. There may be more trophies than Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
4. There is a Trophy Shop where people can purchase trophies.
Oiknonny, Phantom, Viridi, Oshawott, Tingle, and Goomba are trophies.
5. The store will have sales for trophies.


♪Ba-ding!♪
8.08.14
Day #5: Friday
Writer:@Venus of the Desert Bloom

​

Sakurai revealed on Friday a brand new stage for the 3DS version which is based on the old Game Boy screen that many of us fell in love with back in the old days. It looks pretty spot on complete with the green retro screen, battery, and gray casing. Sakurai actually had two comments concerning the PotD:

Pic of the day. "♪Ba-ding!♪

and

If you turn on the 3D effect, it really looks like there's a Game Boy inside the screen.

And indeed it does resemble the old Game Boy of lore....

Back in the day, we used to have to fight dinosaurs in order to get a Game Boy

​

It is largely unknown how this stage will progrss, if the stage will be a little bti more than the Nintendo title screen or if the stage will be a bit more complex in nature. Some suggested that the stage could contain various levels from the various Game Boy games. Some of these could potnetially include:

Super Mario Land

Kid Icarus: Of Myth and Monsters

Kirby's Dream Land

Mega Man 2

Metroid II: Return of Samus

Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

Pokemon​

While we could see all of these appear in the Game Boy stage, nothing is known for sure as the stage was just revealed. However, it is fun and nolstalgic to think about those games and the music. It would be a great tribute to both the Game Boy and Nintendo. It also raises the question if we will get a NES stage for the Wii U version.

Here are a few comments from the News section:

So I'm guessing this is a stage where hazards are homages to past game titles.

It'd be awesome if we had an N64/SNES themed one for the Wii U version.

@KayB

"♪Ba-ding!♪"

Curse that peculiar rule of 3DS stages only having two music tracks each. There are so many GB chiptunes that could bring this stage to life, so I hope they have a good medley prepared.

@Wanderer from Roseyard

I totally called this feature......

This is NOT a stage, it's the start up screen.

@tomvoxx

The first video game I ever played was Super Mario Land on the Game Boy. For the longest time, Mario and Pokemon were the only Nintendo games I knew about. But then a friend showed me Smash Brothers...

It's like everything's come full circle.

@FrostShock

That is sick! Maybe this will be a transition stage moving through different Game Boy games, like Super Mario Land and Tetris? I'm really excited to see the 3D on this too!

@KenboCalrissian

Things Confirmed for Friday

1. Game Boy stage for the 3DS version.
2. Kirby and King Dedede has retro palette swaps that appeared in Brawl.

Overview:
Monday revealed yet another retro assist trophy in the form of Prince Sable. He'll trap opponents by transforming into his snake or frog form. Tuesday revealed the Daybreak, another Dragoon-like weapon (ironically enough, originally inspired by it in Kid Icarus: Uprising) This gun doesn't leave you flying into the air, instead, it acts like an aim-able laser array! Wednesday gave details to two already revealed Pokeball Pokemon, Xerneas and Victini. Xerneas will increase the launch power of all fighters, whereas Victini increases physical power and negates flinching for the summoner. Thursday revealed that the 3DS version has a lot of trophies, such as Dr. Wily, Andrew Oikonney, and the like. The game even has more than Brawl! Friday teased a new stage similar to what occurred in Flat Zone: The Game Boy! It appears that everyone's palettes will resort to monochrome with a green tint though it could be the character palette swaps that appeared in Brawl.

THANKS FOR READING!!!​

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Week in Review Interview of the Week

@BigAxle
​

BigAxle is a recent addition to the Smash 4 Moderating team, a writer for the Week in Review, and a productibe member here on Smashboards. He is active in most areas of the Smash 4 boards as well as the Smash 4 Leaks thread. Known for his stylistic anime avatars and his grasp on the speculation scene on the forums, he is a well respected and knowledgeable member on the site. I hope you enjoy this interview from one of the newer Smash 4 mods, a writer for the Week in Review, and an amazing member on Smashboards.

1) How long have you been a member on Smashboards and why did you join? When were you made a moderator? What were your thoughts?

I joined Smashboards on August 18, 2013, and became a moderator on June 13, 2014. My main reason for joining is out of pure boredom at first; when Smash for 3DS and Wii U was first revealed, I knew I was going to buy it, but I decided to not take a backseat and started speculation. Overall, my adventures have led to me becoming a mod even before I've been a member a year on here, but I feel like a member of the community regardless as we grow and anticipate the new age of Smash.

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

My favorite part, without a doubt, is seeing and talking with fellow speculators and speculators in discussion. It's really enjoyable to discuss topics and gameplay with people on characters. My least favorite part is the fact that Xenforo Mobile can sometimes be a pain to deal with for regular discussion. When I'm there, I'm typically limited to short posts.

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

I'm getting the 3DS Version the day it comes out! Can't say for sure I'm getting the Wii U version, however.

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

I main Ness in 64, Dr. Mario and Falco in Melee, and Meta Knight, Dedede and Falco in Brawl. In Smash 4, my plans are to main (out of the current reveals) are Dedede and Greninja.

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

Whenever this question is asked to me, I always give out the big 2 characters I want. These two are Bandana Waddle Dee and Shulk. I love both of their series and want to see both of these guys make it.

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

The main stages I'd like to see are Fountain of Dreams from Melee, Dream Land from Smash 64, and a new stage based on Kirby's Return to Dreamland.

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

To me, the most important thing I want to see expanded is a bigger effort on balancing. With Brawl, characters such as Ice Climbers or Meta Knight had giant exploits or advantages over the entire cast, and nothing was done despite it being blatantly obvious that it was a disaster that ruined other characters. With the new generation, patches are possible and allow for fixing bugs and balancing out characters to keep the metagame fresh and not feeling broken if we find a character in 4 is the next IC or MK.

What is your best/favorite Smash Bros. moment/memory?

My favorite moment in all of Smash is definitely EVO 2013. Before then, Smash as a whole wasn't really back in the swing of things, and most people didn't want a repeat of Brawl at EVO. However, watching Evolution 2013 showed people that Smash is back in full force, and it's a great showcase of how the community has grown and risen, once again.

9) Where did your username come from? What is your avatar of?

I created this tag in 2009, looking for a username to call myself. It symbolizes my enjoyment of mechanics and machinery. However, I wish that, now that I have changed my tag everywhere else, I now have grown distasteful of my current name, but sadly have no means of currently changing it. My avatar is always changing. At the moment, my avatar is Ana from Deemo.

10) What is your favorite part about writing for the Week in Review? What was your least favorite part?

My favorite part of working for the WiR was definitely getting to publish an issue. I always enjoy publishing things and I greatly appreciated getting to do so. My least favorite part is when I'm unable to write up articles or I'm only able to do my usual spot of the overview.

11) You are active in many of the groups on Smashboards? How do you think user groups benefits users? Are there any problems with user groups?

I usually am invited to many groups primarily because of my status as Moderator and as a resource for people. I also join groups out of my own interest, wanting to get involved with the Smash community on a variety of levels, not just as a moderator. I think the groups benefit users to a point, as long as they are not abused, then they can help users congregate and evolve as a whole. There's only a few cases where user groups have been an issue, but the good outweighs the bad.

12) What is your favorite anime and character and why?

If I had to pick a favorite anime, it'd be Hellsing Ultimate. I love ridiculous action animes with nonsense plot and humor, and Hellsing has stood out to me, despite typically hating vampires. I've watched it many times before, and it always sticks out to me as this fun, dark and ridiculous romp.

As for my favorite character (media-wise), it would appear like a tough question for me to answer, given my wide like of characters, but if I had to pick one character in specific... my favorite character in any form of media is Kidd from Chrono Cross. Her personality, demeanor and dialogue makes her a character I seriously enjoy.

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

Well, a few people already know this, but I love electronic music, underground and unknown labels in particular. The world of EDM (Electronic Dance Music) has grown and evolved massively over the years and the smaller labels that exist burst with talent, such as labels like Monstercat supporting artists with great abilities, and help them grow by not placing restrictions on them.

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

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Franchise Analysis: Star Fox

The Star Fox series is an important franchise within the Nintendo universe. Star Fox is a Sci-fi Railshooter/Action Adventure video game series featuring the main character Fox McCloud and his team of interplanetary star pilots. Most of the characters in the franchise are anthropomorphic animals and visible forces of good an evil. The evil mad scientist Andross fought Fox McCloud and his squadron many times during the Lylat Wars. The Star Fox was originally a Railshooter Piloting game where the player takes command of an Arwing, a space fighter with excellent mobility. Star Fox 64 included the ability for the player to pilot a hovertank as well as a submarine in various levels. Star Fox Adventures was a major departure from the Star Fox formula by allowing the player to travel and explore the world on foot instead of solely in space or in the air. To date, there have been 5 fully released main franchise games, 1 cancelled game, 1 remake, and 1 future planned game:

• Star Fox (SNES, 1993)
• Star Fox 2 (unreleased)
• Star Fox 64 (N64, 1997)
• Star Fox Adventures (NGC, 2002)
• Star Fox Assault (NGC, 2005)
• Star Fox Command (NDS, 2006)
• Star Fox 64 3D (remake) (N3DS, 2011)
• Star Fox Wii U (future title)

While a popular franchise, Star Fox has had moderate success in various times of its life. It enjoyed its height of popularity following the release of Star Fox 64 and lowest point during Star Fox Command. Star Fox fans rejoiced at the games return when Star Fox 64 was ported to the Nintendo 3DS and the announcement and early game play demo of Star Fox Wii U.

A History of Smash Bros. and Star Fox

Star Fox has had an important presence in Super Smash Bros. 64. The franchise did not only enjoy the fact that it's main character, Fox McCloud was playable but several stages as well.

In Super Smash Bros. 64....

• Fox as a playable character.
• Sector Z as a stage

• 11: A remix of trademark Star Fox music, heard on Sector Z.
• 21: The victory fanfare of Fox is an orchestration of the standard "Mission Complete" theme heard in general Star Fox games.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee.....

Fox as a playable character
Falco as a playable character
Corneria and Venom as stages

• 13: Corneria: An orchestrated medley two songs from the original Star Fox with the Venom level and the main theme. It is heard on Lylat System: Corneria.
• 14: Venom: An orchestration of main theme heard in Star Fox 64. This is heard on Lylat System: Venom.
• 44: Fox's Victory: The victory fanfare of Fox and Falco is an orchestration of the standard "Mission Complete" theme heard in general Star Fox games.

• Fox McCloud's three game trophies
• Falco Lombardi's three game trophies
• Andross (two)
• Arwing
• Great Fox
• Landmaster Tank
• Peppy Hare
• Slippy Toad
• Wolfen

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl....

Fox as a playable character
Falco as a playable character
Wolf as a playable character
The Landmaster appearing in all three Final Smashes
Lylat Cruise and Corneria as stages
Andross as an Assist Trophy
The Smart Bomb appearing as an item

• Space Armada - An arrangement of the Space Armada theme from the first Star Fox game. Is used on the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Corneria - A remix of the Corneria background music from the original Star Fox. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Main Theme (Star Fox) - An orchestrated version of the main theme of the original Star Fox. The remix is taken directly from the Star Fox credit's soundtrack. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage. This song is also played during Fox's Classic Mode credits.
• Main Theme (Star Fox 64) - A techno styled remix of the main theme of Star Fox 64. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage. This song is also played during Falco's Classic Mode credits.
• Area 6: The background music of the level known as Area 6 from Star Fox 64. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Area 6 Ver. 2 - A techno styled remix of the Area 6 theme. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Star Wolf - The music that plays when facing the renegade Star Wolf team in the Star Fox series. This remix is taken directly from the Star Fox 64 soundtrack. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage. This song is also played during Wolf's Classic Mode credits.
• Space Battleground - Taken directly from Star Fox Assault, this was the music played during the first half of the first mission. It is the theme of the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Star Wolf (Star Fox Assault) - Taken directly from Star Fox Assault, this is the slower, more methodical remix of the traditional Star Wolf theme. It is used on the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Break Through the Ice - Taken directly from Star Fox Assault, this was the background music of the Fichina level. It is played on the Lylat Cruise stage.
• Corneria (Melee) - Taken directly from Melee. It is used on the Corneria stage. It is a remixed version of the music heard on the stage "Venom" in the original Star Fox.
• Venom (Melee) - Taken directly from Melee. It is used on the Corneria stage. This is a redone version of the Star Fox 64 main theme.

• Fox McCloud
• Landmaster (Fox)
• Falco Lombardi
• Landmaster (Falco)
• Wolf O'Donnell
• Landmaster (Wolf)
• Fox (Assault)
• Falco (Assault)
• Falco (Command)
• Peppy Hare
• Slippy Toad
• Krystal
• Tricky
• General Pepper
• ROB 64
• Panther Caroso
• Leon Powalski
• Arwing
• Great Fox
• Great Fox (Assault)
• Wolfen
• Smart Bomb
• Andross

• Andrew
• Arwing
• Bullfrog
• Falco
• Fox
• Krystal
• Leon
• Panther
• Peppy
• Pepper
• Slippy
• Wolf
• Wolfen

In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS...

Fox as a playable character
Great Fox as a stage
Andross as a returning Assist Trophy
The Smart Bomb as a returning item

• Fox
• General Pepper
• Great Fox

While certain franchises such as Super Mario Bros., Fire Emblem, Pokemon, and Legend of Zelda been receiving a lot of attention in the PotD updates; Star Fox has been oddly left out. It was just until recently that a Star Fox stage was finally shown and it was an extremely vague picture without any true indication what the stage actually is - not even a name.

Fox's Crew: Star Fox Veteran​

Star Fox has always received a new character with each Super Smash Bros. game. In Super Smash Bros. 64, Fox was included with Falco being included in Melee and Wolf in Brawl. Confirmed to appear again is Fox:

Fox​

While he has a more cartoony look to him compared to his more realistic look in Brawl, he remains relatively the same - still retaining his Landmaster Final Smash. Here is a list of confirmed content concerning Fox:

• Fox has better jumping capabilities and improved overall speed.
• Fox now has a finishing kick to his neutral combo of increased power.
• Fox Illusion no longer leaves Fox helpless after the move is performed in the air.
• Reflector now comes out instantly, as it did in Melee.
  • It now has drastically lowered knockback.
• Up smash is much faster.
  • However, it deals less damage.
• Fire Fox travels a greater distance, now nearly as much as it does in Melee (NTSC).
• All of his aerial attacks and mid-air Blaster have greater landing lag.
• Forward air no longer gives the "hover" effect it did in Brawl.
• Landmaster is less powerful.
• Fox's Blaster has a redesigned appearance, and its lasers appear to have a lighter hue to them, being more pink in color.
• Fox has a new up tilt. He kicks his legs upwards in a similar fashion to his up smash.
• Some of his ground attacks produce a purplish streak.

http://www.ssbwiki.com/Fox_(SSB4)

In addition, his custom moves have yet to be confirmed but his Up Special is said to have a custom moved called "Charged Blaster". This was seen during one of the E3 demonstrations. It is unconfirmed what this could potentially be but most likely the ability for Fox to charge his Up Special for many more controllable power.

For more discussion on Fox, go to his character sub category!


Falco
​

Falco is widely speculated to not make an appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. Some speculators even removed the character from their rosters - citing the need for Sakurai to trim down the roster in order to add newer characters or that Falco is too much like Fox and should be removed. Regardless, Falco has become an integral part of the Super Smash Bros. universe and, while he could potentially be axed, he is a fan favorite and most likely return (much like Sheik.)

Most likely, he will retain his attire from Super Smash Bros. Brawl but with a more primary color and cartoony design than before. Much like how Fox made this transition. However, he could potentially swap his entire gray coat look for a more Assault flavor.

Falco in Assault while carrying a big gun.
​

However, the Falco in the previous two Super Smash Bros. games is easily the most recognizable and the Falco that everyone fell in love with. Though, the Assault attire could work as a potentially costume for the character. As well, fans may be more partial to Falco in his regular attire rather than Falco in his Assault attire.

Gameplay wise, it makes sense to keep Falco with his current moveset as it works with him and why fix something if it isn't broken? The only change to Falco that I could see happening IS something that fans want changed - his Final Smash which is the Landmaster. Many Super Smash Bros. fans called the an end to cloned Final Smashes such as Falco and Wolf, Sheik, and Toon Link though the later are confirmed to have the same Final Smashes as in Brawl. While there still is hope that Falco will have his own unique Final Smash, it is possible that he will retain his Brawl one.

As for ideas for newer Final Smashes, the most popular is easily the Arwing. In fact, Falco uses an Arwing for his Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Crusade, a Smash Bros. fan game. It would be controllable just like the Landmaster but in the air...not to mention that the player can perform barrel rolls and such while in the air.

Overall, Falco is a fan favorite and was once a very viable competitive player that could regain his spot with a little tweaking. Not to mention reworking his Final Smash so it does not resemble Fox's.

For more discussion on Falco, please visit hos character sub-category!​

Wolf ​

Wolf is Fox's rival and a Class S criminal. While Fox and Wolf has always remained at odds, they both have a begrudgingly respect for each other. Wolf was a top contender for the 3rd Star Fox character roster spot along with Fox's romantic interest: Krystal. However, Krystal's playable status was not to be so when Wolf snatched the spot away from her. Wolf was well-received by fans but many questioned his ability to remain in the rpster come Super Smash Bros. 4. His roster spot still remains contested with fans; sighting Wolf's overall unimportance to Smash Bros. and his likeliness to Fox - especially his Landmaster. Others argue that Wolf is popular enough to keep his roster spot and that Wolf is very different compared to Fox. In fact, some argue that Wolf isn't even a semi-clone but an entirely original character as opposed to Falco. However, fans all over the internet agree that Wolf should be given a new Final Smash.

Visually, Wolf could keep his attire in Super Smash Bros. Brawl but with a color scheme that keeps true to the primary colors. Seeing as how Fox and potentially Falco all keep the Assault attire, Wolf could keep his Assault outfit but possibly simplified. Costume wise, they could include Wolf with an eyepatch:

I can't let you do that, Star Fox.​

In terms of gameplay, Wolf's move set works well for him with a reach game that can startle and surprise opponents and a lot of options for his special attacks. However, he is suspectible to chain throws and can easily be killed or sersiously damaged by them. This is do to his middle-heavyweight class and fast falling speed. He also horrible vertical momentum canceling which is worst than some of the other characters with fast falling speeds. Fans debate whether his move set should be changed to be less like Fox but many Smashers argue that this is not needed and that Wolf is perfectly fine with his current move set.

However, fans do argue that Wolf needs a new Final Smash but this is in relation to people asking for decloned Final Smashes. In the game, Wolf uses a Wolfen Landmaster much like how Fox and Falco uses a Landmasters albeit a bit different. However, some fans think that a Final Smashes that utilizes a combined Wolfen attack from the likes of Pigma Dengar, Leon Powalski, Andrew Oikonny, and Panther Caroso. Seeing as how Pigma and Andrew were expelled during the vents of Assault, it is conceivable that Leon and Panther could potentially be in the Final Smash instead of the entire canon team.

While Wolf's spot is contested by fans, many still want him back albeit a bit more buffed in terms of being able to handle chain grabs and improving his vertical momentum canceling. As well, including replacing his current Final Smash with a non-Landmaster Final Smash; in particular one that includes his Star Wolf team would be well received by both Wolf and Star Fox fans.

For more discussion on Wolf, please visit his character sub-category!​

New Recruits: Star Fox Newcomer Characters

For many, the Star Fox franchise is already well represented with the 3 characters: Fox, Falco, and Wolf. Others think that Star Fox could use four representatives; citing the recent 64 remake for the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U game as a resurgence in Star Fox popularity. So if Star Fox was to get a 4th representative or possibly Falco and/or Wolf getting the axe, who could work from the pile of characters? There are a number of characters that could be included into Super Smash Bros. but the front-runner for a potential newcomer is....

Krystal

Krystal made her debut in the game Star Fox Adventures with the ability to utilize her magical staff as well as telepathy. She is the only survivor of her homeworld Cerinia and, using her telepathic powers, found the planet Sauria. There, she soon learned of the plight of its inhabitants as they were being mercilessly enslaved by the tyrannical General Scales. It was here that Krystal first met Fox McCloud and the Star Fox team though she was imprisoned in crystal at the time. Once Fox mastered the power of the staff, she was freed and they worked together to free the inhabitants of Sauria. Shortly after the Saurian Crisis, she joined up with Star Fox and became their fourth pilot after the retirement of Peppy Hare. Fox and Krystal also started a relationship that was rocky at times. In Command, there are various endings the player can achieve. In one ending, Fox and Krystal reunite and ignite their relationship. In another ending, Fox and Krystal finally split up and Krystal goes to Panther. Yet in another ending, Krystal breaks her connections with both Star Fox and Star Wolf and carves her own path as a bounty hunter.

Andross is drinking delicious tears​

However, despite being the front runner for the Star Fox newcomer, what makes her unique - something that Sakurai is striving for?

• She wields a magical staff. Albeit so does Palutena but Krystal is able to fire out ice and fire projectiles, use it as a recovery move, can disguise users, create ground cracks and force fields, and open energy doors. http://starfox.wikia.com/wiki/Staff_Upgrade
• Telepathic abilities. She is able to sense distress signals which could be a way to avoid incoming attacks or to cause confusion in opponents,
• Utilize her dinosaur friends as attacks. One such dinosaur is Prince Tricky.
• Whereas Palutena appears to be more floaty and slower; Krystal could incorporate speed and reach into her game. She could easily close distances with her speed and attack from afar to confuse her opponents. She could be a great character for mind games.
  
• She is a female although this is becoming less and less important with the Wii Fit Trainer, Rosalina, Female Villager, Palutena, Lucina, and Mii Female being included into the roster. Still, female representation doesn't hurt.

Here are two movesets created by @KumaOso and @Amical and posted by @Shorts

~ Krystal Movesets ~​

[COLLAPSE="Specials"]B: Fire Blaster
Krystal shoots a Fireball with small knockback from her staff. However, by holding B, you can hold the charge and have a stronger, in general fireball. The main purpose for this attack is for zoning and scaring your opponent that you’ll shoot a fireball.

Side B: Ice Spray
Shoots a spray of ice from her staff. While Krystal is in any part of the startup or while it’s active, Krystal can adjust her aim. This is used as an anti-air, keep-out attack, or an edge guard move. Over time, the range of the spray decreases. If the spray is done at point blank, however, the opponent will be frozen.

Down B: Quake
Krystal strikes her staff to the ground to create a localized shockwave, there are three “points” where the shockwave will rise. This depends on your directional input. If you hold back during the startup, the shockwave will be close to you, while holding forward goes for max range. Holding just down or neutral lands between the two points. Useful for countering camping, or like the fireball, scaring the opponent. This attack is also jump cancelable. This attack does not work in the air for obvious reasons.

Up B: Rocket Boost
Krystal raises her staff and flies up. Doing straight Up causes her to go up vertically while Up-Left and Up-Right will cause her to travel in those directions. Like’s Snake’s Cipher recovery, Krystal can exit out of the recovery.[/COLLAPSE]

[COLLAPSE="Ground attacks."]AAA: Krystal does a forward jab with her staff high, then low, and then does two kicks.
FTilt: Swings her staff downward. A good poke.
DTilt: Krystal crouches and sticks her staff out, this is her best poke.
Up Tilt: Like Pit’s UTiltt, but has two hitboxes. If the opponent is next to you as you hit, the move has more knockback and damage, but the hitbox on the feet has less knockback and damage.
Dash: Does a swipe at the opponent's foot, causing them to trip, but because of the reward, this attack is unsafe at close range.
FSmash: Krystal raises the staff behind her and drops the staff like an axe.
DSmash: Krystal places her staff to the ground, spins around and then does a downward angled double kick to the opponent. This has good horizontal knockback, but poor vertical knockback. This is best used for tech chasing or as an edgeguard.
USmash: Krystal holds her staff like a baseball with the charge going to her staff’s head. She swings upward. Unlike the above attack, this has poor horizontal knockback, but good vertical knockback.
Wakeup Attack: Like AA, but the second hit goes behind her.
Ledge Attack: Climbs and does a quick, weaker version of her FTilt
100% Ledge Attack: Weaker version of her DSmash[/COLLAPSE]

[COLLAPSE="Aerials"]NAir: Spins once with her staff horizontally.
FAir: Spins once with her staff vertically. The range, unlike her NAir, goes far in front instead of covering both sides.
BAir: Swings staff horizontally behind her. Has two attacks. First few active frames have good knockback not too far from Zelda's kicks. The rest of the active frames function as a sex kick.
DAir:Pokes directly below her.
UAir: Extends her staff 30 degrees upward to the direction she’s facing.[/COLLAPSE]

[collapse="Throws"]Pummel: Knees the opponent.
FThrow: Lunges at them in the stomach.
BThrow: Stomps on their foot, uses the staff to push them behind by their neck moving them behind her, and then kicks them.
DThrow: Tosses them to the ground, does a quick jump and spin of the staff above her, land with her staff hitting the opponent and causing a ground bounce.
UThrow: Punches the opponent and then uses the staff like a shovel to launch the opponent.[/collapse]

Playstyle: Krystal is a character that excels greatly at mid-range combat thanks to her range while having her Fire Blaster and Quake as zoning backup. Your objective with Krystal is to scare the opponent with these projectiles while being close enough to poke in for damage. Her preferred way to K.O. is horizontally. Her attacks don’t do the greatest knockback aside from a few so use her aerial pokes, Ice Blast and potentially other attacks for edgeguarding the opponent which she is also good at.

(Created by Kuma)

Spoiler

KRYSTAL'S MOVE SET:

- Staff Attacks

>AAA:
Krystal punches, then kicks, then swings her staff. (Comes out very quickly, ends fairly quickly. Punch and kick are short ranged, staff swing is medium ranged. Knockback is good and launches forward at a 45 degree angle. Does 12 damage total when fresh. First hit does 2 damage, second does 3, and third does 7. Not a kill move.)
> Dash Attack:
Krystal rushes forward and swings her staff in an upward motion. (Comes out semi-slowly, like Marth's Dash Attack. Long ranged. Knockback is decent and launches forward at a 45 degree angle. Does 8 damage when fresh. Not a kill move.)
> F Tilt:
Krystal stabs forward with her staff. (Comes out almost immediately. Long ranged. Knockback good and launches straight forward. Does 10 damage when fresh. Only a kill move at higher percents.)
> U Tilt:
Krystal quickly spins her staff above her, like a helicopter. (Comes out very quickly, ends very quickly. Medium ranged above her. Knockback is small and launches straight upward. Does 6 damage when fresh. Not a kill move.)
> D Tilt:
Krystal crouches and swings her staff horizontally in front of her. (Comes out fairly quickly. Long ranged. Knockback is minimal and launches at an 80 degree angle forward, allowing for it to combo into itself. Does 5 damage when fresh. Not a kill move.)
> F Air:
Krystal swings her staff vertically in front of her. (Comes out very quickly. Long ranged. Knockback is good and launches straight forward. Does 10 damage when fresh. Kill move, but at higher percents.)
> U Air:
Krystal backflips and slashes above her with her staff. (Comes out almost immediately. Long ranged. Knockback is minimal and launches straight upward, allowing it to easily combo into itself. Does 7 damage when fresh. Not a kill move.)
> D Air:
Krystal stabs her staff downward. (Comes out semi-slowly. Long ranged. Knockback acts as a powerful meteor. Does 11 damage when fresh. Kill move at low percents when off-stage.)
> B Air:
Krystal spins and slashes horizontally behind her, using both hands. (Comes out semi-quickly. Long ranged. Knockback is good and launches straight backward. Does 13 damage when fresh. Kill move.)
> N Air:
Krystal rapidly spins her staff around, forming a circle around her. (Comes out fairly quickly. Medium ranged. Hits multiple times, and the final hit's knockback is minimal, and launches the opponent back in the direction they came from. Does 14 damage if all hits connect when fresh. Not a kill move.)
> F Smash:
Krystal uses both hands to slash the staff diagonally in front of her. (Comes out fairly quickly. Long ranged. Knockback is great and launches straight forward. Does 14 damage when fresh. Kill move.)
> U Smash:
Krystal stabs the staff straight up, and it is surrounded in flames. (Comes out very quickly. Long ranged. Knockback is good and launches straight up. Does 16 damage when fresh. Kill move, but at higher percents. Does fire damage.)
> D Smash:
Krystal stabs the staff into the ground, creating a quake around her. (Comes out semi-slowly. Range extends slightly above her head because of the staff, and it has medium range on either side of her because of the quake. Knockback is great and launches straight forward or backward if it hits with the quake, and launches straight up if it hits with the staff. Does 18 damage when fresh. Great kill move.)
> Neutral B:
Krystal shoots ice from the tip of her staff, like Charizard's fire breath. The angle can be controlled. (Comes out semi-quickly. Long ranged. Knockback works exactly like Charizard's fire breath. Starts at 10 damage per second, and slowly decreases to 1 damage per second. Not a kill move. Does ice damage.)
> Side B:
Krystal takes a great leap forward, flips, and slashes with her staff. Can be used in the air. (Comes out fairly quickly. The jump goes a long distance, and the slash is medium ranged. Knockback is good and launches at a 30 degree angle forward. Does 13 damage when fresh. Kill move, but only at higher percents.)
> Up B
Krystal uses the staff to launch herself up a great vertical distance. Horizontal distance is minimal. Krystal can use aerials out of this move, like Snake's recovery. (Comes out fairly quickly. The jumping motion has a hitbox, which hits multiple times and finally launches forward or backward at a 70 degree angle. This move always does 15 damage if all hits connect. Only a kill move at very high percents.)

DOWN B: STANCE CHANGE
(Krystal changes stances between her Staff Stance and her Assault Stance. The change starts on frame 1 and ends on frame 5, allowing for a quick transition. If she is holding her staff, she puts it in a sheath on her back, and pulls out a blaster from a holster on her hip. If she is holding the blaster, she puts it in its holster and draws her staff.)

- Assault Attacks

> AAA:
Krystal swings her blaster in front of her, punches, and then kicks. (Comes out fairly quickly, ends fairly quickly. Swing is medium ranged, punch is short ranged, and the kick is medium ranged. Knockback is decent and launches forward at a 45 degree angle. Does a total of 13 damage when fresh. First hit does 3 damage, second hit does 4, and third does 6. Not a kill move.)
> Dash Attack:
This is one of Krystal's very few real "clone" moves. It is exactly the same as Fox's Dash Attack.
> F Tilt:
This move looks the same as Falco's F Tilt. However, the only difference is in knockback: it launches straight forward, does 10 damage when fresh, and is a kill move at higher percents.
> U Tilt:
Krystal does a quick backflip, kicking above her with both legs and landing gracefully back on her feet. (Comes out very quickly. Medium ranged. There are two hits, one for each leg, and the second kick has good knockback that launches straight upward. Does 12 damage when fresh if both hits connect. Kill move at high percents.)
> D Tilt:
Krystal crouches down and swings her legs in front of her. (Comes out fairly quickly. Medium ranged. Knockback is decent and launches at a 45 degree angle forward. Does 7 damage when fresh. Not a kill move.)
> F Air:
Krystal kicks, spins, and kicks again in quick succession. (Comes out fairly quickly, ends semi-quickly. Medium ranged. Knockback is good on both hits, making it much harder to air dodge, and launches straight forward. Each kick does 7 damage when fresh. Kill move at higher percents.)
> U Air:
Krystal backflips and throws a grenade a very short distance above her, creating a medium-sized explosion. (Comes out semi-slowly. Long ranged. Knockback is great and launches straight upward. Does 15 damage when fresh. Kill move.)
> D Air:
Krystal throws a quickly-exploding grenade beneath her, creating a medium-sized explosion. (Comes out semi-quickly. Long ranged. Knockback is decent and launches straight up, but only about enough to get opponents above her head a short distance, allowing this move to lead into her N Air, which will be explained shortly. Does 9 damage when fresh. Only a kill move at very high percents.)
> B Air:
Krystal spins and kicks behind her. (Comes out very quickly. Medium ranged. Knockback is good and launches straight backward. Does 10 damage when fresh. Only a kill move at higher percents.)
> N Air:
Krystal does the splits and a backflip at the same time, creating two hitboxes spinning around her. (Comes out very quickly. Medium ranged. Knockback is decent on both legs, launching in the direction that the opponent came from. Each leg does 10 damage when fresh. Not a kill move.)
> F Smash:
Krystal leaps forward with a spinning kick. (Comes out fairly quickly. The leap carries her a short distance, and the kick is medium ranged, lasting for the entire leap. Knockback is good and launches forward at a 30 degree angle. Kill move at higher percents.)
> U Smash:
Krystal does an uppercut, and when the opponent is above her, she throws out several grenades toward them, which create a big explosion. (The uppercut comes out semi-quickly, and knocks the opponent straight up, only slightly above her, and it only does 1 damage. However, it stuns the opponent long enough so they cannot do anything while Krystal quickly throws the grenades at them. The grenades come out immediately after the uppercut. They create a large hitbox above her, like Lucas's U Smash. Knockback is a bit stronger than even Fox's U Smash, launching straight up. The grenades do 20 damage when fresh. Definitely a kill move. However, if Krystal misses with the uppercut, she will still throw grenades, and the cool down is laggy, so she can be punished hard for it. But if the uppercut DOES connect, then the grenades will always hit, no matter how the opponent DIs.)
> D Smash:
Krystal plants a sensor bomb. (Comes out semi-slowly. The bomb will explode when a player steps on it. Knockback is good and launches straight up. Does 12 damage always. Kill move at higher percents.)
> Neutral B:
Krystal shoots her blaster. The lasers are green. (Comes out fairly quickly. The lasers can shoot slightly faster than Falco's. Knockback is minimal, stunning the opponent for half a second. Always does 3 damage per laser beam. Not a kill move.)
> Side B:
This move has two effects.
If the player is already holding forward and then presses B, Krystal will quickly throw a grenade. (Comes out fairly quickly. Grenade launches as far as Snake's do when thrown normally. They explode after 2 seconds. Knockback is decent, launching the opponent in a random direction upward, but not downward or to the sides. Always does 8 damage. Not a kill move.)
If the player presses forward and B at the same time, then Krystal pulls out a missile launcher and fires a missile. (Comes out semi-slowly. The missile itself travels very quickly, and will explode after ten seconds if it doesn't hit anything. On contact, knockback is good, and launches the opponent in the same direction that the missile hit from. Always does 15 damage. Kill move at higher percents.)
> Up B:
Krystal pulls out a jet pack and is able to fly around freely for five seconds. After the five seconds, she free falls. This move can be cancelled into her aerials, but has no hitbox. (Comes out semi-quickly.)

-Throws (Both Stances)

> Normal Grab
Krystal lunges forward and grabs, giving her grab range similar to something between D3's and Marth's.
> Dash Grab
Krystal's Dash Grab has a much shorter range.
>Pummel
Krystal punches the opponent with her staff in hand. (Always does 1% per pummel. Pummels are moderately fast.)
> F Throw
Krystal throws the opponent into the air slightly, then slashes with her staff. (Knockback is good and launches forward. Does 10 damage when fresh. Kill throw at higher percents.)
> U Throw
Krystal throws the opponent up into the air and shoots them multiple times with her blaster, like Fox's U Throw. (Does 7 damage when fresh. Not a kill throw.)
> D Throw
Krystal slams the opponent on the ground and shoots them with her blaster, popping them into the air a short distance. (Does 10 damage when fresh. Not a kill throw, but good for leading into other attacks.)
> B Throw
Krystal tosses the opponent behind her, then spins and slashes with her staff. (Knockback is good and launches straight backward. Does 8 damage when fresh. Kill throw at higher percents.)

- Miscellaneous

> Normal Get-Up Attack
Krystal spins around, swiping her staff on either side of her. There are two hitboxes.
> Get-Up Attack above 100%
Krystal slowly stands and stabs with her staff on either side of her, first in front, then behind.
> Ledge Attack
Krystal flips onto the stage, swinging her staff in front of her.
> Ledge Attack above 100%
Krystal slowly gets up, flips and kicks in front of her.

Final Smash: Demon Sniper
Krystal pulls out a demon sniper from thin air, and fires it across the stage. The bullet works like Marth's FS and Zelda's FS combined, going through everything. It instantly kills anyone in its straight path.

Play Style:
Krystal is a character that allows you to choose between two options while fighting: A ranged fighter, or a close ranged fighter. While in her Staff Stance, she is mainly a horizontal killer. Your objective is to space your opponent with her staff, similar to Marth's style. She can rack up damage in this stance with her good speed and range. Good pokes for her are her F Tilt and D Tilt. While in her Assault Stance, she becomes a vertical killer. Your objective is to control the stage with her sensor bomb and grenades, stop approaches with her missile launcher, and rack up damage with her swift attacks if your opponent gets too close. Her U Smash will easily kill around 100% on most characters with no DI, but it is high risk, so it should only be used when the timing is absolutely perfect. However, her melee range is shorter than that of her Staff Stance.

Other Comments:
All her moves in her Staff Stance have more priority than the moves in her Assault Stance.
Krystal is a medium weight character.

Behold, the most extremely unique and versatile character of all time: Krystal.

(Created by Amical)

Krystal is a highly requested character not only among Star Fox fans but Nintendo fans all over. Visually, Sakurai and his team could use the following portrayals.

Left: Star Fox Adventures, Center: Star Fox Assault, Right: Star Fox Command
​

Drawing from the Fox model, it is likely that if Krystal was to be implemented, she would appear in her Assault outfit. While her Adventures outfit is widely recognized, her Assault is more popular and probably the most iconic Her Command outfit was received poorly. Krystal would also benefit from the HD graphics with her hair and fur being highly detailed and her colors (especially the blueness) really popping out. She could also have a number of costumes:

Far Left: Cornerian Army suit, Second to Left: Motherhood, Second to Right: Star Wolf Suit, Far Right: Bounty Hunter
​

None of of these costumes are really popular though so, most likely, Krystal would appear in her Assault model as a default and then have Adventures and/or Command as additional outfits. It also doesn't hurt considering that her Brawl trophy depicted her in the Assault outfit:

​

A lot can be said for Krystal and she certainly has the popularity and the uniqueness. However, she was glossed over in Brawl and, while that isn't an excuse to consider her unplayable; Sakurai may feel that Star Fox is well-represented and there are more important characters to include. Not to mention, she has yet to appear in a Star Fox game since Command. Regardless, she still remains high to mid-range in polls concerning wanted/likely characters. In the Rate Thier Chances thread, she scored a...

Krystal has a 27.41% overall in likelihood with 32.86% from Smashboards and 14.3% from GameFAQs. Her want score is a 47.99% overall with 49.54% on Smashboards and 40.45% on GameFAQs.[

@鉄腕アトム

and again...

Krystal Chance: 33.33%
Krystal has a few things up her sleeve. First off, she's the clear frontrunner in her series. Slippy and Peppy are cool, but she's surpassed them by far. Her popularity is massive; she's a borderline top-ten request worldwide. I'm not going to lie, her hatebase is sizeable, but it is smaller than her fanbase. She's also got pretty good moveset potential, AND could easily be a semi-clone--that combination is not something many characters can claim. However, despite all these positives, I'm only going to give her a third shot at getting in, mostly due to her series. Star Fox is wounded, and it's limping away from Krystal. I'm not even sure if she has a role in the future of the series--heck, I'm not even sure the series has a future. Also, it already has three characters in Smash; Krystal could become a fourth or she could become a replacement, but neither scenario seems particularly likely to me.

Krystal Want: 25%
I'm not a Star Fox 64 purist. Do I think it's the best game in the series? Yes, by far. Do I think its sequels were good games? Well, Adventures was OK, but nothing to write home about, while Assault was a pretty solid game. As for Krystal... didn't care for her too much in any of those games. She fits on the team fine enough, but she's not as memorable as the other characters. Honestly, I don't really see why anyone would hate her or love her. She gets a low want score from me mainly because there are other characters I want, and I don't necessarily have to see more Star Fox in this game.

@Groose

So while Krystal may not have the popularity like Ridley, King K. Rool, Shulk, or even Paper Mario but she still has many followers and is iconic within the Super Smash Bros, universe.

To discuss more about Krystal, go visit the Krystal support thread.​

While there aren't too many other contenders, some characters do have a slight amount of popularity and potential...

Leon Powalski​

Leon is a member of the Star Wolf team and is the assassin of the group. While never fully examined in Star Fox, his abilities could potentially include assassin and stealth techniques such as using invisibility, assassin-oriented close combat, and sneaky dirty tactics. Leon is a relatively well-liked character in Star Fox and has the honor of being in the Star Wolf team since it's creations as opposed to Pigma and Andrew who were kicked out and Panther who was newly recruited. As well, he has a move set that could be largely inspired by assassin and stealth attacks. Here is a move set created by @gothrax

LEONS SPECIAL MOVESET

NTR SPECIAL (proximity mine)
_________________________________
Leon tosses a disk like thing that goes in an arch if it contacts a player it simply ignores the player, but if it touches a wall or floor it then sticks and opens up if the player then contacts it then it blows up!! With minimal damage
there can only be two in the room at once

SIDE SPECIAL (the leon leap/leon piledriver)
_________________________________
Leons more creative special on my part
Leon jumps at you with arms and legs wiggling
And if he grabs you he then spins you around and pile drives you causing weak damage and knockback BUT naturally you can comit leonside with it.

But thats just one of its uses leon can also recover with it in two ways (first) it acts alot like the monkey homp? So you can leap back on stage (second) but another thing about this move is that leons TAIL will tether to a ledge if you leap AWAY FROM IT

And naturally if your committing leonside AND YOUR TAIL IS TETHERED THEN!! <.< >.> YOU TOSS THE PLAYER UNDERNEATH THE STAGE

DOWN SPECIAL (cloaking device)
_________________________________
Remember when i said leon would make an amazing competitive char? Well this is why
Because leon would be the first(and possibly only) char to manually turn invisible

How it works is it starts with little lag and he vanishes for about 10 sec but there are alot of ways to reappear
1 press Bdown again
2 get hit by anything
3 attack in anyway
4 wait it out
but still that doesn't mean you cant invisible ledge hog lol

UP SPECIAL (cold blooded cool down)
_________________________________

However, Leon remains largely unpopular; even among Star Fox standards - especially when considering Krystal is considered the Star Fox front runner. Some argue that Krystal should be the Star Fox newcomer and anyone else would be an injustice. Leon would be a very unique character that revolves around an assassin/lethal stealth-based moveset.

For more discussion for Leon, visit the Leon support thread!​

Slippy Toad
​

Even Slippy Toad enjoys a fair amount of attention from fans. Slippy is a member of the Star Fox team, the teams main mechanic and scientist, and seen as the comical element of the Star Fox series. Slippy is the newest member of the Star Fox team but has remained a member of the team throughout its history though he has stepped down on numerous occasions to focus on his job as a mechanic. While some may roll their eyes at Slippy, Slippy could very well be a unique character that revolves around using his gadgets and robotics. R.O.B. could have potentially been a character that utilizes gadgets and such but, in the end, this was not to be. Slippy could be the first character to primarily use gadgets and inventions to fight opponents. Here is a move set by @Afrodude

"SPECIAL MOVES"
Up B- Booster Pack (Jet Pack):

Activates the booster pack he's wearing. It will allow Slippy to hover around like R.O.B.'s up B but with more horizontal air mobility for a short amount of time, then starts to fall down in a helpless state while spinning around.


Neutral B- Barrier Sphere:

Slippy activates it, which forms a small transparent blue bubble around him. The barrier lasts for 8 seconds, and protects you from projectiles and cuts damage of your opponents attacks in half. You can stop using the barrier by pressing L or R (however you shield) but every time you use it again the barrier's time continues until it runs out. If your opponent walks into it, the result would make your opponent take minor damage (about 4% for every second). Once the barrier runs out it'll take 30 seconds to recharge.


Down B- Container (Credit to gothrax for the ROB 64 idea):

Slippy signals ROB 64 to send him supplies (makes the signal sound as well). It's a 2 second wait (for the signal and the supplies to come) til the container drops from the sky to where you signaled ROB 64. This special allows Slippy to use one random weapon out of the three different weapon classes sent to you: Grenade, Gun, and Launcher. The weapon order is random and you're only able to have one out at a time until it runs out of ammo or explodes (grenade only explodes). Opponents can pick up your weapons and use them the same way you can (like items), as well as throw the guns at your opponent, the ground or in the air. These guns will disappear if you leave them on the ground for too long. The A button would trigger the weapon, similar to throwing a bob-omb or using a super scope and ray gun. Another thing. Depending on what weapon is in the container, it can spike your opponent if it falls on them off stage. So you can run off stage and signal ROB 64 and it'll act as a Pit Fall.


Grenade (2 grenades):

Throws a grenade at opponent. Not counting his Usmash, Slippy can have two grenades out at once on the field.

Machine Gun (40 rounds):

Good for racking up damage but it'll have medium range and weak hit stun (not like Fox's blaster). This move is more like a series of weak mid ranged jabs coming out of a gun.

Homing Launcher (3 rockets):

Shoots a large homing rocket at your opponent (as big as Kirby). Slippy's strongest supplies weapon. There's a 2 second wait in order to fire the next rocket. You have to be a certain range for the rockets to lock on to your opponent, if you are too far it'll just fire horizontally.

Side B- Bull Frog (Credit to gothrax for the idea and name):

Slippy yells "BULL FROG!!" and charges at you. There are two versions of this move

Ground: has Diddy Kong's side B speed and high horizontal knock back. Slippy will slowly fall if used in the air. Bull Frog leaves a bright green aquatic effect trailing him horizontally.

Air: Has the same attributes as the ground version but works like a grab similar to Diddy Kong's side B. Slippy will kick off the opponent, inspired Killer Instinct's Orchid.

"SMASH MOVES"
Fsmash- Wrench:
Does a two handed horizontal swing with his wrench. Whenever you use his Fsmash his range gets a tiny bit longer as the wrench is slipping out of his hands. The longest one would be Slippy throwing his wrench like a boomerang by accident. His Fsmash will be useless until after his wrench returns to him (3 second wait).

Dsmash:
Slippy spins around while shooting his machine gun. If you're up close you can get hit by the machine gun itself. You can move while spinning, similar to using Luigi's down B but more than half the length. This move can follow up with a grab depending on how long Dsmash is held and percentage of opponent. The bullets have a weak hit stun. Dsmash will leave you in a helpless state if using it to move off stage.

Usmash- Grenade Toss:
Tosses a grenade up in the air and it explodes. The longer the charge the higher the toss.

1) If no charge: Slippy will lightly toss the grenade with one hand and it will hit the ground and explode. You'll have time to light toss a grenade and dash away before hurting yourself.

2) Medium charge: Slippy puts a little more force into his toss. The grenade will explode by hitting the ground, but also explode in the air or your opponent by catching it as it's falling. You can move normally with it like an item in your hand while having the option to lightly toss the grenade, a medium throw or fully throw it in several directions (or blow up). You can have three grenades out at once by using side B if you have down B set to it.

3) Full charge: Throws up the bomb and it explodes on impact or in the air.





Tilts & Jab:

Utilt: Does a small hop and stretches his arm upwards with his screwdriver.

Ftilt: Leans forward trying to poke you with his screwdriver.

Dtilt: Does a slow sweep with his wrench.

Jab combo: Swings his wrench with his right hand once, swings it again, then does a continuation of vertical stabs with his screwdriver (left hand) while looking the opposite way, eyes closed.

Dash Attack: King Dedede's dash attack but weaker.



Grabs:

Pummel: Pokes you with his screwdriver.

Up Grab: Lifts you up with his wrench with two hands.

Forward Grab: Kicks you with both feet.

Back Grab: Bear hugs you and falls backwards while tossing you, ends grab with him shooting his blaster at you.

Down Grab: Jumps up and slams you to the ground with his wrench.



Aerials:

Uair: Slippy does a Barrel Roll, holding his wrench with both hands.

Nair: Does two kicks, similar to Ness' Nair from ssb64.

Fair: Similar to DK's ssb64 but slower and does a full front flip while holding his wrench. A weak spike move.

Bair: Stretches left arm backward while poking his opponent with a screw driver.

Dair: Slippy does a quick stomp and spikes the opponent. Reliable kill move.




Taunts:

Up Taunt: Tosses his blaster up in the air like Fox but comes back down and hits him in the head.

Side Taunt: Says "You want a piece of me?" like in SF 64.

Down Taunt: Says "Enemy Shield Analyzed!"



Winner/Loser Animations:

Winner:

1) Puts his hand on his head and reports to base saying "Slippy here, I'm okay!"

2) Starts to dance like his winning animation in SF Assault.

Losing:

His losing animation from SF Assault.



Stage Entrance:

Just like the other Star Fox characters, except he lands on his butt and gets back up.


Final Smash:

Demon Launcher

The Demon Launcher will only have 1 rocket, and the single rocket will have an auto lock like Samus' weaker missiles but faster and does a 1 hit KO to your opponent(s).

I will leave the rest of the discussion for everyone else. I'll make a support list if anyone wants to be added. Also feel free to submit a move set for Slippy or make a suggestion if my move set seems too broken. Much criticism needed.

The problem Slippy faces is that he is a side character and not as important/popular compared to Falco, Wolf, or Krystal. While he has made many appearances in the Star Fox franchise, his story or background was never truly expanded nor his character likes how Falco, Wolf, or Krystal was and while he could be unique; this does not mean he would be included. Overall, not a likely character to make his debut into Smash Bros, as a playable character but still an interesting prospect nonetheless.

To discuss more about Slippy, visit the Slippy support thread!​

Other Recruits​

Star Fox has a host of other colorful characters however, it is extremely unlikely that any of them would be included in to the game. These include:

Peppy Hare
known for his Barrel Roll comment but, other than that, has no notable skills he could use in Smash Bros.

R.O.B. 64

The successor of R.O.B.? Most likely not...

General Pepper

Save for issuing out orders, he doesn't have any notable skills for Smash Bros.

Pigma Dengar

A porky member of Star Wolf. Popular character but extremely unlikely. Would have an interesting Aparoid-infused Final Smash tho.

Panther Caroso

Everything that Pigma is not, a refined and elegant fighter but still unlikely. Managed to snatch Krystal outta Fox's hands though.

Andross

Despite being the main villain of the series (a vein that is followed in Smash Bros. Mario Bros. = Bowser, Legend of Zelda = Ganondorf); he is very unlikely. Maybe being a gigantic head and hands as well as being an Assist Trophy is the root cause for it?​

The Lylat System: Potential Star Fox stages​

If one thing is predictable about Star Fox in Super Smash Bros. is it's stage representation. Most Star Fox stages appear in outer space and/or on top of the Great Fox. In Super Smash Bros. 64, Sector Z was fought on top of the Great Fox. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, both Corneria and Venom were fought on top of the Great Fox albiet in the planets atmosphere. Super Smash Bros. Brawl only hd two Star Fox stages but one stage went away from the Star Fox formula, and rather, had them fight in space on top of a space craft. However, there are still plenty of stages that could be used for Super Smash Bros. that could deviate from this pattern.

Sauria

When people think of Star Fox stages, one of the most requested is in fact Sauria. Sauria boasts a wide range of enviroments such as the evergreen forest ThornTail Hollow, the paradise Cape Claw, the floating apalce CloudRunner Fortress, the icy wasteland Snowhorn Wastes, and many others. The stage could potentially be centered on the main locations of Adventures; traveling from place to place via dinosaur or aircraft. Alternatively, having it being a non-transitional stage is also posslbe with it being centered in Cape Claw or The Walled City. In the stage, it could have various dinosaurs walking about and interacting in the background. They could also serve as potential stage hazards or even stage bosses if General Scales would be included. It would be a great way to represent the Adventure series as well as great stage for the Wii U version. As well, having Sauria would make Krystal's chances more likely.

Sargasso Space

The territory for Star Wolf and potential home stage for him. This region would be fought obviously on a space craft but could have a Pilot Wings mechanic where it dumps players onto other space craft. Alternatively, it could also have players fight either on the space station while the dogfight between Androssian forces and Cornerian forces rage overhead. Asteroids and Wolfen and Androssian fighters could be potentially stage hazards. Seeing as how this stage appeared in Assault, it could be a good Wii U stage.

Orbital Gate

The Orbital Gate could be a potential stage where players fight on a platform hovering in front of the gate. The stage could be fought around the gate as ships and space craft go in and out of the gate or the main platform itself could travel through the gate; taking players into other areas of the space over various planets like Sauria, Venom, and Macbeth. Seeing as how this was first introduced in Assault, it would make sense for it to be a Wii U stage.

Katina

I have a personal connection to this level as a fan of Star Fox 64. I recall playing this stage exstensively and, maybe it's my own bias, but I felt this was a very iconic stage for the Star Fox series. It was amazing trying to destroy the enemy flyers and the mothercraft before it destroyed the base. Being a fan of "Independence Day", this was like a dream come true. The stage could be fought on a floating platform as Cornerian and Venomsian fighters blast each other overhead. It would be a chaoitc stage. The mothership could be utilizes in various ways:

• If the Cornerian fighrts are successful, the mothership crash lands away from the main base during th ematch.
• If the Venosian fighters are successful, the main base is destroyed.

Or the main stage could position itself close to the motherbase core where Fox had to fire at in order to destroy it. It would be then a race to delay the main attack by hitting the core. After several hits, the stage would float back to its original position and the mothership would be delayed. However, if they are unable to defeat it, it fires a very power laser that KO's everyone instantly. I feel this stage is very iconic to the Star Fox series and would work well for the 3DS version.

Macbeth

Macbeth first appeared on Star Fox 64 and again for the 3DS version. The stage could be fought on a floating platform that follows the hovertrain or could even be attached to it in some fashion. It travels through the planet and occassionally, the boss Mechbeth could attack players by trying to knock them ff the train. Again, I feel this stage would work well on the 3DS.

Solar

Solar is the star of the Lylat System and is a mission in Star Fox 64 and 3DS. Here, the player must navigate the fires and monsters of the star. The stage could be fought on the Great Fox or an other star ship as it passes over its raging flames. Potential stage hazards could include the various enemies found on the mission as well as the fires and lavaplumes jetting out from the stars core. This stage would work well on the 3DS as well.

Wait...what about the new Wii U Star Fox stage?

That will be covered in another Week in Review Stage Analysis.​

Assisting the Battle: Star Fox Assist Trophies​

As with any potential newcomers, they could also become assist trophies. Just look at Dark Samus, Skull Kid, Ashley, Takamaru, and Prince Sable. Considering that Star Fox is already chalked full of representatives, we may see another Assist Trophy for Star Fox. As mentioned before, Krystal could just as easy to be a newcomer as an assist trophy.

Let's look at some potential Assist Trophies for Star Fox:

Krystal: Krystal would have the ability to utilize many of her special abilities such as the staff, telepathy, combat prowess, and the dinosaurs.

Leon: Leon could become invisible and start attacking players with his stealth/quick attacks.

Slippy: Slippy could use one of his gadgets to cause mayhem on the stage.

Prince Tricky: Prince Tricky cold appear and start ramming into other players or possibly summon his dinosaur friends.

General Pepper: This is a bit of a stretch. General Pepper appears as a hologram and calls in a Cornerian military assault which causes explosions and laser beams to rain down onto the stage.

General Scales: Given that he is not a Smash Run enemy or a boss on a Star Fox stage, General Scales could be an interesting Assist Trophy. He could jump out and start slashing at opponents and then finally finish them off with a powerful slashing attack.

Star Fox Armory: Items
​

Confirmed to appear again is the item, the Smart Bomb. However, other than that, Star Fox items that can translate well into Super Smash Bros. is few and far between. However, here are a few ideas:

Plasma Cannon

A powerful cannon that could have a few shots before it expires. Powerful yet slow and burdens the holder - making them slow and cumbersome.

Demon Launcher

Given to the player who has the fewest lives. It can OHKO as low as 15%. Very powerful and fires homing missiles. However, it is heavy and cumbersome like the Plasma Launcher.

Supply Rings

Touching these rings will cause them to hover around the person who touched them. It will continuously heal damage throughout the fight for a limited time but can break if too much damage is done.

Saurian Staff​

The staff belonging to Krystal. This could appear in Krystal in not playable nor an Assist Trophy. It could do a number of attacks such as fire and ice projectiles by inputting various Smash commands.

Bogey Database: Smash Run Enemies​

SharpClaw Clan


Brain Squid

Screech


RedRye


T.A.D.T.​

Star Fox Base: Trophies​

Since most represented series get trophies for content that is the game, trophies concerning Fox is pretty much set. As well, there have been various other trophies shown in Directs as well as PotD showing Star Fox trophies:

• Fox
• Fox (Landmaster)
• Andross
• Andrew Oikonny (confirmed in the PotD)
  
• Great Fox (confirmed on the E3 2014 event)
  
• Smart Bomb

Considering that we could be getting Falco and Wolf back, they would also be shown as trophies along with Final Smashes. Additionally, I wouldn't be surprised if we also got alternate costume trophies for the character who have them. Now, aside for those mentioned, what other trophies could we see?

• Slippy Toad
• Peppy Hare
• General Pepper
• R.O.B. 64
• Dash Bowman
• Arwing
• Landmaster
• Blue Marine
• Krystal
• Prince Tricky
• Panther Caroso
• Pigma Dengar
• Leon Polwaski
• Wolfen
• Wolfen !!
• Venosian Fighter
• General Scales
• Sauria Tribes
• Sauria
• Corneria
• Venom
• Bolse
• Ktina
• Fichina
• Macbeth
• Garuda
• Saucerer
• Shogun
• Andross (Star Fox 64 3DS)
• Aparoid
• Aparoid Moth
• Aparoid Infected Pigma
  
• Aparoid Queen

In Conclusion​

Star Fox is an incredibly rich and important series to not only Super Smash Bros. but to Nintendo as a whole. The diverse characters, worlds, settings, and story is both engaging and dramatic - drawing inspiration from many fictional Sci-Fi works. Since Super Smash Bros. 64, Star Fox has seen a continuous amount of content inclusion in the form of items, assist trophies, stages, and collectable trophies. However, the Star Fox franchise has been strangely absent in Directs and PotD's on the main website. Just recently, a new Star Fox stage was shown but here hasn't been much Star Fox content shown which has raised concerns for Star Fox fans. Sakurai and his team can heavily draw from only Star Fox 64, Adventures, Assault, Command, and the 3DS - especially the last two as they were released post-Brawl. I tiwll be interesting to see what is in store for Star Fox's future.

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Stage Analysis: Enter the Arena
by: @mimgrim​

Arena Ferox is a new stage for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.It’s origins is from the game Fire Emblem Awakening. You arrive at Arena Ferox in chapter 4 of Fire Emblem Awakening where Chrom and his Shepherds fight “Marth” and “his” fighters. It’s a fairly simple design in Fire Emblem Awakening but Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo 3DS gives it a nice flair.

Enter the Videos​

With the all the footage we have of Arena Ferox, it seemed like the best thing to go deep into the stage. [/quote]

Arena Ferox will randomly transform into a different version from the start of the match, there is no preset order. The stage will revert back to it neutral stance, completely flat with nothing on it, before going into another transformation. Once the match begins it will take about 7 seconds for the stage to go into its first transformation. A transformation will last for about 35 seconds. After a transformation disappears it will take about 12 seconds to begin the next transformation. There are 4 different transformations in total, 5 if you count the neutral stance which I won’t be for this analysis, and are as follow.

In this picture we have a low wall with a platform on top of it with one platform a little above to the right and left and another platform directly above it. It seems pretty mild. A character good with platforms will be able to abuse this transformation well. However an eye needs to be kept on the wall, as they are notorious for creating infinities.

Here we have two statues with the one on the left holding a platform with a decent incline and the one on the right holding 2 platforms with the bottom platform having a slight incline and the top being completely flat. The statues are also breakable. If platforms become a problem all you will need to do is break the statues. It’s on the tame side.

Here things get a bit more hectic. We have 2 platforms that constantly spin in a square. We have a thick platform in the middle, it can’t be jumped through or fastfalled through. And we have another platform at the right which is stationary. Slight camping seems like it would be promoted here.

Now things are starting to get crazy. We have a long thick platform that sits relatively high to the left. In the middle we have a small platform at the bottom which is connected to a wall suspended in the ait with a steep inclined platform leading from it. To the right we a platform at the bottom again and once again is connected to a wall with a thick short platform leading further to the light from it. Camping seems like it will be strong in the transformation.

Music
​

We know of one track that will appear on Arena Ferox for the Nintendo 3DS:

"Id (Purpose)" - Fire Emblem: Awakening​

Seeing as how there will be only two songs per stage for the 3DS version...there is technically only one song that will appear for the Arena Ferox stage. Here are some other ideas for songs:

"Destiny (Ablaze)" - Fire Emblem: Awakening

"Old Battlefield" Fire Emblem: Awakening

"Assault" Fire Emblem: Awakening

"Training" Fire Emblem: Awakening​

Though I am willing to bet we will see a arrangement involving this song

"Fire Emblem Main Theme" Fire Emblem: Awakening

Enter the Finale​

All in all it seems like it is going to be a solid stage. The transformations seem pretty straight forward without being too radical. It will most likely see use in competitive play. Either way I am super excited for this stage and hope you are as well!

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

A Look Inside Project Smash Bros. Unity
By @ APC99 and @ Venus of the Desert Bloom ​

If you haven't heard of Project Smash Bros. Unity, it is a fangame by some notable Smash 4 speculators such as @ APC99 , @Mega Bidoof, and others. While still in its infancy, the project has suffered hardships and ordeals that comes with any fan game that is just starting yet have weathered and learned from them. @ APC99 has some things he would like to say about Project Smash Bros. Unity:

First off, the name has been changed from Smash Bros. Affinity to Smash Bros. Unity. We've decided to change it to reference the program we're using, Unity. The main reason I'm posting this, though, is to say the demo has been delayed. Our coders are having some serious troubles in real life and need to take a break. I'm not sure when they're coming back, but we do know that they're simply waiting for one or two spritesheets to begin a demo for beta testers. Once we can fix any bugs, we'll add in a few more stages/characters and have it available to the public. We hope they'll return before August ends, or worse-case scenario before SSB4 releases in Japan.

We do, however have some W.I.P. pictures to show. These come straight from our spriters.

This stage is a W.I.P. called Unity.EXE. It's very similar to Final Destination from past games, but takes place within a maze of coding. Fighters arrive here to duke it out. Who knows what surprises are in store!

Here's a stage I'm currently working on, but the background is unfinished and in need of some fixes. As to what it is, I can't reveal yet. But you'll find out soon enough...

Finally, we want to announce some of our demo characters! For the public demo, or Super Smash Bros. Unity v.01, we're attempting to include 20 characters: 15 veterans and 5 newcomers. I won't reveal them all, but here's some to show while we're still working:

The "Elite 4" of Smash Bros. games, we see Mario, Link, Samus and Kirby return to the battlefield! While none of them have received extreme changes so far, there are some subtle changes we'll touch on later.

3 more veterans appear! Ness, Pikachu and Sonic are ready to rumble in Smash Unity! They've gotten some changes to their moveset, such as Pikachu using Iron Tail for his Side Special. Ness also uses more unique PSI moves, like PK Rockin' and PK Teleport, improving his formerly difficult recovery.

Here are some newcomers we announced before: Balloon Fighter, Dr. Robotnik and Little Mac. Sadly, they will not appear in the public demo while we're attempting to introduce their mechanics into the program. However, it won't stop me from elaborating on them! Balloon Fighter's main focus is on his balloons. Balloon Fighter can actually be compared to that of Captain Olimar in Brawl: He can inflate balloons to a maximum of 3. These make his jumps go farther, his falling speed slower, but he still retains his weight, making him harder to KO than other light characters like Kirby or Jigglypuff, for example. Robotnik heavily relies on upgrading himself. As you fight, the evil doctor can use his abilities to upgrade his machinery. A prime example is his recovery, the Jetpack. As you upgrade yourself using his Down Special, the Jetpack will go farther and farther, doing more damage. He also can use his ray-gun and other tools, but those will be elaborated on later. Little Mac's currently being changed to more fit his SSB4 incarnation, including his powerful KO Uppercut. We want to wait until SSB4 releases before we include characters like Little Mac or other SSB4 newcomers, so we can fully see how they play.

(Not the final Challenger Approaching screen, if you can't tell)
However, that doesn't mean I can't hint at the ones in the demo. It's been a blast, hope that you guys understand!

Oh, and one other thing: Those of you who want to playtest for Unity, I'm going to make a list. If you're interested, PM me with this information:

1. Smashboards Username/Preferred Name
2. Smash 64 Main
3. Melee Main
4. Brawl Main
5. Project M Main
6. Have you played any other Smash fan games? (Crusade, Smash Flash 2, Smash Land, etc.)
7. Why do you want to playtest for us?

To learn more about Project Smash Bros. Unity, visit their main thread!
http://smashboards.com/threads/super-smash-bros-affinity.342020/

I'm accepting anywhere from 50-100, so make sure to contact me or any of our lovely team members ASAP! Thank you all for being patient! Don't forget to also check out SSF2's v.09b release tomorrow! The Unity Team is as excited as most of you guys are!

This is APC99, signing out.​

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

saved for diary

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Editorial of the Week: Super Smash Bros. and DLC
by: @ Venus of the Desert Bloom ​

DLC (Downloadbale Content) is content put out by developers during a game's post-release in an effort to drive up sales, add additional content that did not make it into the game, and/or to expand the storyline. DLC started in the early 2000's but really took off in the mid to late 2000's, going into the early 2010's. Many games to date offer downloadable content during the post-release and it has become a large source of revenue for game developers. Most DLC comes in the forms of patches and updates, additional characters, levels, items, weaspons, and other game play content. Nintendo, however, has been pretty late on the DLC scene with many of t\it's key titles not including DLC content. While DLC wasn't unheard of for Nintendo, the Wii and Nintendo DS systems never really had DLC content. Super Smash Bros. Brawl didn't have any downloadable content after it's release desptie people speculating it may.

However, with the Wii U and 3DS, Nintendo has began to embrace DLC and started including after the release of their games. Some notable titles include Fire Emblem Awakening, Pokemon X and Y, Animal Crossing New Leaf, Mario Kart 8, Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 2, Pikmin 3, and many others. With Nintendo including DLC into the game's post-release phase, it certaintly looks good for Super Smash Bros, for Wii U and 3DS. Popular fan demand for Smash Bros. DLC is character balance patches, new character and stages, additional story line content, additional events and challenges, costumes and palette swaps, and potential theme packs based around franchises. Smash Bros DLC would be an absolute gold mine for Nintendo and would help boost sales for oth versions of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS as well as extent the life of the game itself. However, Sakurai still isn't too sure about DLC and Super Smash Bros.

Here is what he had to say concerning including DLC into Super Smash Bros:

At the current time we have no plans. I consider my job at this point and my main responsibility to make the Wii U and 3DS versions the best and fullest experience possible. That said, once finished, it's the type of thing we could take into consideration, but for now, you could consider DLC as not being in the card."

Some have taken this statement into Sakurai outright saying that DLC is not an option and will not appear during the post-release which I outright disagree with. Sakurai is stating that there aren't any plans currently to include DLC content and that Sakurai wants to focus on including as much content as he can into the finished product. After the releases of the games, DLC is a potential option. Not to mention Sakurai said this last year in 2013. With the 3DS version coming in little over a month in Japan and October 2nd in the West; it might be just about the time Sakurai starts to consider including DLC content if he already hasn't.

I would like to propose what I think would be the best option for Sakurai and his team to take in terms of DLC. The 3DS version would be a great way for Sakurai to use it to beta test the game among players. After the games release, people will be going through the game and trying every possible thing. It would extremely smart of Sakurai to take feedback from the game and tweek it in order to create a more refined and polished game play that is focused on players feedback. Thus, the first DLC for Super Smash Bros. woudl take the form of a game play patch with these game play fixes, bug fixes, and character balancing issues. This patch would obviously be free and would be included in the Wii U version upon release. I feel this would not only please fans but also improve the game for all kinds of players.

Now, there has been some concern about the 3DS version sating fans appetite thus limiting the sales of the Wii U version though this exactly isn't a huge concern but it is something to consider. Here is something I propose:

With the release of the Wii U version, Sakurai and his team can include two entirely new character to promote the game. It would be best if these characters were both requested and in a already existing franchise as to generate enough hype for them. They would be included on the disc for the Wii U version. Following the release of the Wii U version. these same two characters would be available for download on the 3DS version thus keeping the roster the same for both versions.

Following the release of both versions will be a time of future DLC and patches. Sakurai and his team could use this time to improve game play and removes bugs buy distributing DLC. In terms of characters, I propose that Sakurai and his team release downloadable packs that differs from each version:

Wii U

• Character
• Stage important to the character
• Select song choices
• Trophies and other misc content involving the character

3DS

• Character
• Trophies and other misc content involving the character
• Potential stage

The Wii U DLC pack could prove to be a rather large download and if that is the case, then it would be feasable to break up the pack into separate downloads. This could also serve to allow Sakurai and his team to release a character that is from an entirely new franchise. That is to say, suppose Isaac wasn't included in the Smash 4 release roster but was featured as DLC content down the road. However, due to Isaac being DLC content Golden Sun wouldn't get a the just amount of representation in Smash Bros. such as stages, trophies, assist trophies, items, and such. It was be a large injustice to the franchise.

By including DLC content after the games release, it would lengthen the life of the Smash 4 game and continue the hype for months after the release. Ideally, DLC woudl be announced via Nintendo Direct and would be available after the Direct. Now...how much would they cost?

I think Nintendo could take a note from Sony Playstation All Stars Battle Royal. While that game has a fair amount of problems with it...actually a lot but one thing that I really enjoyed about the way they handled DLC was that some DLC content was free for the first month of the release. While that might see like a lost of profit, it continues to advertise the product and get players interested. After the months release, Nintendo could charge players to download the content.

However, Nintendo could charge fans around $2-3 for some stages or additional content packages; depending on the quality of the content and what kind of content. I feel this would be the best path for DLC as it would renew interest in the game and extent the games life time as well as turn a profit for Nintendo. Regardless if you like or dislike DLC, adding post-release content isn't always a bad thing if done properly with the consumer in mind.[/quote]

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

We Want YOU to Vote Results!

Is the Gematsu/Sal Romano Leak Dead?​

Now for some controversy! Do you think the Gematsu/Sal Romano leak is dead. As a refresher,t he Gematsu/Sal Romano Leak stated that the following would be newcomers:

• Villager
• Wii Fit Trainer
• Mega Man
• Little Mac
• Pac Man
• Mii
• Chrom
• Palutena
• Pokemon X and Y rep
• Shulk
• Chorus Man
• Chrom

These predictions came during big events such as E3 and Nintendo Directs. Sal Romano's information was fairly accurate though missed a bit such as saying Little Mac would be shown at E3 2013 however Little Mac was shown later in February. However, the Sal Romano leak came under a lot of fire following the new character reveal in July where he stated that his sources indicated Shulk would appear in the trailer. However, not only did Shulk not appear but it showed two characters that did not appear on the leak: Robin and Lucina. In addition, Chrom was leaked as a playable character but, instead, was incorporated into Robin's Final Smash. Many felt this was the death bell for the Gematsu/Sal Romano leak while defenders of the leak jumped to help save it.

How do you feel about the Gematsu/Sal Romano leak? Is it still alive or kicking?

Here are how the votes tallied up:

Is the Gematsu/Sal Romano Leak Dead?

1. It is still alive and kicking!
   2 vote(s)
   2.7%
2. It is still legit but may have some inaccurate predictions.
   16 vote(s)
   21.3%
3. I think it has loss credibility,
   33 vote(s)
   44.0%
4. It is deader than a horse!
   24 vote(s)
   32.0%

I think that this poll is pretty clear in that many think that the Robin, Lucina, and Falcon reveal really shook the Gematsu/Sal leak. Only 2 votes (2.7%) felt that the Gematsu leak is still legit and truthful. 16 votes (21.3% ) felt it is still legit but has inaccurate or outdated predictions. 24 votes (32%) outright felt that the Gematsu is completely dead and none of it's future predictions true. While I am unsure to how many people changed their minds prior to that Monday reveal but this could be some of those who were against the leak in the beginning. The option with the most votes was "I think it has loss credibility." with 33 votes or 44.% of the total votes. I think this indicates that voters felt this was the average/marginal answer. The Gematsu leak did suffered quite the kick in the teeth but if Shulk and the Chorus Men do prove to be playable, it might get a resurgence in credibility.

I suspect the first Gematsu leak is legit, but the second and third ones are dead.

Also, the stage analysis pics are broken.

I wish there was a "I never believed that leak" option, but I'll manage without it.

Poll of the Week

​

When discussing Super Smash Bros., people tend to differ what they find is the most important part of Super Smash Bros. The roster? Without characters, you can't play. Game play and mechanics? With those, characters would just stand still without moving. Stages? Without them, players would be fighting on a white space. Game Modes? Without those, we could access the game's content. What do you think is the most important part of Super Smash Bros?
What aspect of Super Smash Bros. is the most important to you?

1. Game play and mechanics
   
   
2. The Roster (including character balance)
   
   
3. Stages
   
   
4. Items (including AT and PokeBalls)
   
   
5. Game Modes
   
   
6. Collectables
   
   
7. Cuztomization
   
   
8. Other (Please let us know!)

 

[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.​

Greninja Character Analysis

Did you give Greninja a try at the demo? Are you planning on maining the ninja water-type frog? If so, how about write a newcomer analysis for the Week in Review? If you are interested, contact myself or another Week in Review staff member about writing one!

Potential Character Analysis: Ghirahim

Ghirahim is the main antagonist of Skyward Sword and considered the fore bearer of the conflict that resides in Hyrule. While he isn't extremely likely, he has a lot of potential to be had in Super Smash Bros. Ate you fan of the fabulous character and want to see him included? Write a potential newcomer analysis for him!

Stage Analysis​

Are you interested in writing about stages? Feel free to contact me and apply to write about a Stage Analysis!

Here is a list that you can choose from!​

1. Balloon Fight

2. Find Mii

3. Pac Maze

4. Paper Mario

5. N's Castle/Unova League

6. Garden of Hope

7. Palutena's Castle

8. Pac Land

9. Kalos League

​

Let me know if you are able to write an analysis for either one of these stages!​

 

[aldelaro5]

So, I assume I can post (I hope, but delete this if I couldn't).

There should be another choice in the poll for "general representations". I selected other, but that's what I care the most. Basically, everything, but the elements proper to the game itself (like gameplay or modes if the said mode is proper to smash only).

It mostly has to do with how well the game represents so much franchise. The situation that is particular with smash is details. Since at least melee, the representation was so detailed that you could almost feel playing the other games. Great bay stage in melee is a perfect example of how detailed it can go. You could see the complete moon fall with the giants cutscene at the end of Majora's Mask. To go that for for decoration in the background is worth mentioning.

I could talk a lot about how mostly everything that is made to reflect something from another games are doing it so well. It's impressive to be that much accurate, but what also matters is how broad it represents Nintendo and third parties.

That's why it's not just the roster, but also stages, music, items, assist and pokeballs, events and finally the lowest level; trophies.

I use the term "general repping" to something that can be told as the whole picture. You do not just look at one series at a time, but the consistency in how broad it intended to be. This requires you to look from an overall perspective how series are repped and their degree which would make the game feel even more like Nintendo's home. What I realised is that one of the main intent of this series is to actually feel like a home for Nintendo and their series with some third party as guests.

What this means is that if I spot some elements that are really obscure or, are really far from the main series (from a subjective perspective of course), I can expect the general repping to be broad which would make most of the game better. If however I don't see this happening that much, I expect that it limits some series to be repped which would mean less contents. It's rare for me to have an issue with the quality of the elements themselves, but their place is what I would have issue with quality if it has one.

For example, Mario is playable. Having him in this role and not having any variation of his main theme included in the game isn't something I would call "good" repping. It shows that it would forget some elements that just would make so much sense to be there. I stated an obvious example, but you could do those comparison everywhere.

So, when I see this game having stuff like smash run enemies, more characters to be likely, lots of stages, 3ds version confirmed to have broader repping in trophies, tons of new items; THAT'S what I like to hear. It shows me that the game is really broad in the representation which would mean that lots of series would get more than before and in overall, more content and I'm confident on the quality side so far like I am with every smash game. Overall, the quality of the whole game is upgraded because of this since it makes a more enjoyable experience.

So far, I have no questions concerning the presence of some elements and absence expect those who are obvious (like kirby stage, it may be for an unknown reason that it's not revealed). In fact, it got so far that I don't even know where it would stop. Prince sable as trophy, wft playable, little mac from captain rainbow as trophy and even THE thing I wanted so much, Paper Mario getting more than trophies and get at least a stage and 2 music. Those are very promising and I can't wait to know how it would end.

So, would you mind adding general representation as a new choice? I think I'm not the only one that care just for the roster.

 

[APC99]

Thank you @ Venus of the Desert Bloom for doing this for me! It's highly appreciated!

 

[Admiral Pit]

I was tagged for Daybreak! I thank you so much! <3 That week was really great honestly.

 

[RascalTheCharizard]

I feel like my... sillier posts tend to be the ones that make it into these

I was one of the speculated few who picked "Gematsu is deader than a horse!" believing that it was fake the whole time. I may sound proud of this, but given how certain people responded to my beliefs, I'd say I shouldn't be. Being the minority sucks sometimes.

Anyway I voted "the roster" in this poll, if only because it includes character balancing. Balance is of the utmost importance to me, if "roster" didn't include balance, then I probably would have voted for "gameplay and mechanics" or "customisation".

 

[pichupal]

Thanks for this! Just curious, have you been reporting about the Weekly Famitsu scans? It's not a lot of information, but talking about some of the custom moves like Rosalina's changes to her Gravity Pull or Palutena's moveset that get revealed seems like it'd be pretty interesting!

I still need to catch up to the older reviews, so I'm sorry if this has been covered.

 

[dimensionsword64]

I really hope we don't get DLC. For one, I would prefer not to have to buy the same extra content for both versions of Smash, and spend double the money. Also, what if you decide to main a DLC character, then you go to a friends house and they haven't bought that character. DLC really is just a cheap money grab that they know everyone will be forced to buy to get the full Smash Bros experience.

 

[Maraphy]

This is a ton of information and analysis; thank you!

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

I really hope we don't get DLC. For one, I would prefer not to have to buy the same extra content for both versions of Smash, and spend double the money. Also, what if you decide to main a DLC character, then you go to a friends house and they haven't bought that character. DLC really is just a cheap money grab that they know everyone will be forced to buy to get the full Smash Bros experience.

That is why you make the first month that the DLC is released free which makes it available to just about everybody. You do raise the problem though with the different versions. My only idea with that is there would be different DLC that is exclusive to either version bar characters. And if you download a DLC character and have to pay for it; then it could be possible that they are then given a code to download on the system they didn't originally download/purchase it on.

Though it would be great if they had a unified Smash store that serves both the Wii U and 3DS.

 

[dimensionsword64]

That is why you make the first month that the DLC is released free which makes it available to just about everybody.

That would be great, but this is Smash Bros. If there's character DLC and people can get it free for a limited time, literally everyone would get it free, and Nintendo would get barely any money, which defeats the point of them doing DLC.

You do raise the problem though with the different versions. My only idea with that is there would be different DLC that is exclusive to either version bar characters.

That could work, since they already have different stages. I'm definitely against having version exclusive characters.

And if you download a DLC character and have to pay for it; then it could be possible that they are then given a code to download on the system they didn't originally download/purchase it on.

What about the houses that have two or more people with a 3DS, but only have one Wii U? They would each need to buy the DLC separately, so they would have multiple codes, which they might just give away to their friends or something, losing Nintendo money.