“Shenron Grants Goku’s Wish” Goku Character Analysis

Welcome to the eighth Smashboards Character Analysis! These articles will not be looking at why a character is or isn’t likely, so please do not expect that going in. Instead, they will focus on how a character might play in Smash and how their series might be represented within the Fighter’s Pass.

Disclaimer: Goku, unlike previous characters in this series, is controversial to bring up in the Smash fanbase due to Goku not originating from a Video Game. Since this series is not about probability and instead about fun, we decided he was still worth covering since he is discussed. In terms of Goku, he is an exception, not a rule. We don’t want to limit ourselves from only covering gaming characters but aren’t aren’t going to go hog-wild and include every possible multimedia character.


”Shenron Grants Goku’s Wish!” Smashboards’ Goku and Dragon Ball Z Analysis

Introduction to Dragon Ball Z and Goku

Dragon Ball was originally a manga, or Japanese comic book, created by author Akira Toriyama for the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump in 1984. This series is loosely based on a Chinese 16th-century novel that’s popular in Japan called “Journey to the West''. In this story, the main character Tang Sanzang journeys with his disciples to retrieve sacred Buddhist scripts. Even though his disciples are evil, they are cleansed of evil through his actions. One particular disciple is Sun Wukong, a monkey boy. Dragon Ball omits the role of Tang but gives the title character, Son Goku, the role of Sun Wukong. Dragon Ball also adds a wide-variety of characters like the Dragon Ball-searching girl, Bulma, the turtle hermit Master Roshi, and many others. The series has received critical acclaim not only in its home country of Japan but around the world and has become a powerful franchise in its own right.

In Dragon Ball, Goku would have many travels and fights against plenty of enemies while searching for the Dragon Balls with Bulma, Yamcha, and Krillin. Goku would eventually fight his evil brother, Raditz, at the start of Dragon Ball Z who would reveal Goku’s Saiyan origins. The Saiyans were once an intergalactic empire that would destroy civilizations and auction their planets off. A meteor, however, was what destroyed the home of the Saiyans. This battle against Raditz and Goku’s subsequent death would lead to more battles against adversaries like Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, Majin Buu, and more. During his battles, Goku would unlock his latent power and even become a Super Saiyan during his fight with Frieza. Throughout the series, Goku would forge friendships with past enemies like Piccolo and Vegeta, take Super Saiyan to a whole new level, and save both Earth and the Universe time and time again. Despite not being born on Earth, Goku views Earth as his home and identifies himself as an Earthling. He will protect humanity, the innocent, and Earth - even if it costs him his life.

Phew, that was a lot. You could literally fill a book with the history of Dragon Ball and Goku. Dragon Ball has been an active series since 1984 and is still going strong as seen with the popularity of Dragon Ball Super. It not only dominated and influenced the world of anime and manga but also has massive amounts of merchandise, music, film, cards, and even video games. The first Dragon Ball game was Dragon Ball: Dragon Daihyoko (Great Exploration) which was an over-the-top shoot-’em-up game where Goku fired ki blasts from his flying cloud, Nimbus. This was released on the Super Cassette Vision in 1986. Over a hundred Dragon Ball games have been released Since then, over a hundred Dragon Ball games have been released including expansion packs, ports, remakes, arcade, mobile, and handheld. That is an extensive library of games, yet we largely see Goku as an anime and manga character and not a video game character.

Despite this, Dragon Ball and Goku’s contribution to the gaming world can’t be ignored. The series is massive and, as seen with recent games like Dragon Ball FighterZ, the series can produce high-quality games that fans and non-fans alike can enjoy. Now, let’s look at how Goku would play in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This article will include content solely from Dragon Ball Z and its movies and not the original series, GT and only a few references to Super.

Goku Character Overview

Goku is a unique fighter because he can access different transformation states, which increases all of his stats and give him a temporary boost in battle. He has over four Specials in addition to twelve other attacks that need to be “unlocked” to use. He can access these attacks by using his Down Special, Power-Up. Like Cloud’s Limit Break, players can hold down the Down Special input to power Goku up. Powering up enough will transform Goku into one of his four Super Saiyan Forms. They are:

• Super Saiyan 1
• Super Saiyan 2
• Super Saiyan 3
• Super Saiyan Blue (also known as Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan or simply SSGSS)

So what does transforming mean? By achieving a Super Saiyan level, it drastically increases Goku’s stats, with Super Saiyan Blue Goku having the highest stats. As mentioned earlier, it also allows Goku to get new attacks with entirely unique attributes. To simplify, it’s like Goku receiving temporary Custom Moves. Goku is a glass cannon because he possesses powerful attacks but they must be upgraded to make a sizable difference, much like in his home series. Goku will also eventually lose his upgraded form over time. This is noticeable in his strongest transformation, Super Saiyan Blue, it doesn’t last long, but the sheer power and damage output makes it handy in a match. Since most of his attacks have lackluster defensive capabilities; the majority of them focuses on power output. Goku has tremendous mobility but his shield is weaker than most and he is more susceptible to hitstun. Goku is all about damage output and dealing enough damage to KO opponents in the shortest time possible.

Like Peach and Daisy, Goku can hover in the air. This functions like their hover, by holding the jump button while in the air and allows Goku to slow his descent to the ground. While not a character attribute, he also floats in the air when running like Mewtwo and Cloud. Finally, as Goku is a Saiyan, he gains a slight 1.2% damage output buff after being healed to 0% by an item or technique. This buff lasts for 20 seconds. Goku is a character who does moderate amounts of damage in his base form but has the potential to be devastating once he gains his transformations. However, these transformations don’t last forever so, once achieved, players need to go all out and knock out the opponent before they can counterattack. Goku players need to use a mix between all-out-attacks and powering up to get Goku to his transformations.

Goku Specials and Final Smash

Neutral Special: Kamehameha/Super Kamehameha/True Kamehameha/God Kamehameha

The Kamehameha is synonymous with Goku and has plenty of variations to draw inspiration from. In its base form, the Kamehameha is a chargeable beam attack that fires across the stage similar in practice to R.O.B.'s Neutral Special, Robo Beam. When fired uncharged, Goku quickly cups his hands and performs a quick “Kamehameha!” However, charging it causes Goku to take the traditional “Kamehameha” stance while slowly chanting the name like so…

Upon releasing the attack, Goku says, “HAAA!!!” and then fires the powerful beam forward. In its charged form, it does multiple hits of damage before launching the opponent. Goku can direct the Kamehameha by tilting the control stick up or down immediately after inputting the neutral attack input. This allows Goku to aim the Kamehameha in five total directions. Doing this in the air allows Goku to aim it in eight directions. This is particularly useful when using his aforementioned floating mechanic. Upon transforming using the Down Special, Goku has access to unique Kamehameha attacks.

Damage: 5.3% uncharged, .8% fully charged per hit (capable of 3-6 hits), 4.2% last hit, capable of 9% damage total

Super Kamehameha

This attack is available when Goku becomes Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2. It’s a larger version of the regular Kamehameha with more damage and knockback.

Damage: 8.4% uncharged, 1.2% fully charged per hit (capable of 4-8 hits), 5% last hit, capable of 14.6% damage total

True Kamehameha

This one is only available to Super Saiyan 3. It takes longer to charge fully, but the reward is great. It releases a strong blast similar in size to Mario’s Final Smash, though obviously not as strong.

Damage: 12% uncharged, 1.6% fully charged per hit (capable of 5-10 hits), 7.1% last hit, capable of.23.1% damage total

God Kamehameha

This is the most powerful variation of the Kamehameha and is only for the Super Saiyan Blue form. The attack is smaller compared to the True Kamehameha but packs far more damage and knockback and has a vacuum effect around the beam when fired.

Damage: 15.5% uncharged, 1.8% fully charged per hit (capable of 6-12 hits), 9% final hit, capable of 30.6% damage total

Pros

• The Kamehameha is versatile when combined with transformations.
• Its long reach is similar in application to Byleth’s Neutral Special Failnaught. It’s good for playing keep-away and pressuring opponents.
• It’s excellent at trapping opponents in its attack loop and launching them.
• If it connects with all the hits, it can do devastating damage - especially the God Kamehameha.
• The True Kamehameha is weaker than God Kamehameha, but its damage radius is ridiculously large, making it the best for dealing damage within a wide area.
• The Kamehameha can be charged and released according to the current situation in the battle.

Cons

• After being fired, Goku is defenseless until the beam leaves his hands. This can lead to him getting punished. This is especially true above, below, and behind Goku.
• To get the full damage with the Kamehameha, players must fully charge the attack and hit the opponent. This can be tricky, especially with faster characters.
• Opponents can easily shield the Kamehameha.
• The God Kamehameha is the strongest attack in Goku’s moveset but is the hardest to obtain.
• While the last blast is a good finishing move, opponents can launch early from the looping damage before the finishing blast. This can lead to potential KO’s not happening.

Side Special: Super God Fist/Super God Shock Flash

Goku will launch himself forward while performing a powerful punching attack capable of doing a high damage zoom-in effect. The attack is powerful and can KO middleweight opponents at around 75% and allows Goku to close distances and even when used as a recovery move. When Goku reaches Super Saiyan Blue, he will instead use a counter move known as Super God Shock Flash. When Goku is hit with a physical attack, he will counter it by placing two fingers onto the opponent and then quickly transition into a powerful God energy-infused punch. The attack launches opponents caught by the counter but only effective against physical attacks, making it very situational.

Damage:

• Super God Fist: 11.4% (base)
• Super Saiyan: 14.2%
• Super Saiyan 2: 16%
• Super Saiyan 3: 19.2%
• Super Saiyan Blue: Super God Shock Flash: x2.5% of the attack damage received, 5.5% (collateral damage)

Pros

• Super God Fist is an excellent move for closing the distance, and its priority over mid-range projectiles helps its approach.
• When combined with Super Saiyan 2 and 3, the attack is powerful and fast.
• It can be used in the air for horizontal recovery. The distance increases when Goku transforms.
• It’s an excellent killing move.
• It lacks ending lag.
• Super God Shock Flash is a counter that has a wide window for the attack to connect.
• At 2.5x the damage received, SGSF can convert already powerful attacks into explosive finishers.
• It can also deal damage to nearby opponents because of the countered blast.

Cons

• Prior to the attack, Goku charges his fist with ki which adds a little start-up lag. This can leave Goku open to attack.
• The attack covers a good amount of distance, but misjudging it can cause Goku to miss the target.
• Because of the entire nature of the attack, it is predictable and the opponent can counter easily.
• More powerful projectiles can stop this attack.
• Super God Shock Flash leaves Goku defenseless if the counter misses and suffers from heavy ending lag.
• An attack behind Goku can interrupt the attack.

Up Special: Kaio-ken Attack/Instant Transmission/Dragon Fist

Goku will quickly power-up using the Kaio-ken Attack and shoot upwards at a diagonal angle similar to Wolf’s Up Special. Goku has slight control over his direction while moving. Goku launches anyone he comes into contact with into the air. As a slight nod to the origins of the attack, Goku will have ared aura around him. Performing this attack once more within a ten-second window will increase the speed and damage output slightly. Super Saiyan Blue will also use the Kaio-ken, which causes his aura to become a mix of cyan and magenta. After Goku becomes Super Saiyan Blue, he loses both Instant Transmission and Dragon Fist and Kaio-Ken Attack becomes available. This gives Goku’s aura a cyan and magenta look.

After becoming Super Saiyan 1 and 2, Goku has access to Instant Transmission. This is a teleport attack much like Zelda’s and Mewtwo’s Up Specials. It’s more similar to Mewtwo, however, because it's nearly impossible to see where he’s moving as he will vanish and then reappear depending on where the player moves the control stick to. Unlike the Kaio-ken attack, it has increased recovery distance but at the cost of damage output.

Finally, Super Saiyan 3 has a unique Up Special called Dragon Fist. Goku performs a jumping uppercut similar to Ryu and Ken’s Up Special, Shoryuken, but with farther traveling height. During the attack, Goku will be enveloped in a golden aura in the shape of a large dragon. This aura will spiral around Goku and then rise into the air. In smaller stages like Flat Zone, it will reach up to the top of the upper blast zone while larger stages like New Pork City will show the dragon vanishing once it reaches a certain height

Damage:

• Kaio-ken Attack: 6.3%
  Super Saiyan Blue: 12.5%
• Instant Transmission: 0%
• Dragon Punch: 4.2% (initial uppercut), 4%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 6.8% (hits 1-5), .5% (each hit as the dragon spirals upwards).

The Dragon Punch is capable of 27% damage total including the uppercut with an additional 6% damage if the total amount of hits the spiraling dragon can do after the initial attack before it vanishes. This totals to 12 hits from launching before vanishing.

Pros

• The attack comes out relatively quickly compared to other recovery moves that focuses on power.
• The attack has super armor while Goku remains charged with the Kaio-ken aura.
• Very reliable as a recovery move.
• The attack direction can be slightly altered to where the player wants to go. Goku moves at an upward angle if no input is given.
• The buff received after using Kaio-ken Attacks encourages users to rely on Base Goku rather than constantly powering up to get the Super Saiyan forms.
• Instant Transmission is easily the safest recovery move in Goku’s arsenal.
• Instant Transmission renders Goku invincible upon start-up.
• He can move past platforms and obstacles using this move.
• Goku can even use it as an evasive technique by vanishing but not moving to a new location.
• While Goku experiences some minor ending lag for Instant Transmission, inputting the quick uncharged Kamehameha after coming out of the Instant Transmission is possible as it cancels out the ending lag. This is a direct reference to the Instant Kamehameha.
• Dragon Punch is the most powerful of his up special moves and one of the stronger killing Up Specials in Ultimate.
• The dragon has the ability to push opponents upwards as it travels and this is an excellent way to score a low percentage KO.
• It has a large hitbox which allows it to cancel out low to medium-power attacks and also functions as a powerful anti-aerial.

Cons

• Kaio-ken, while being incredibly important to Goku’s overall kit, has significant start-up and ending lag.
• While the attack has super armor while Goku moves, he is vulnerable at the startup.
• It is not an ideal move for knocking out fighters at low percentages, as it won't launch them as high.
• Hitting an opponent at a low percentage with a Kaio-Ken might lead to the opponent punishing Goku. This is since the opponent can quickly get out of the knockback while Goku is still traveling.
• It's easy for opponents to predict where he will land and due to his landing lag he can be punished.
• Instant Transmission, like Kaio-ken, is vulnerable at the ending of the animation. With Instant Transmission, this is a direct reference to how Goku used it once only to get hit in the face by Krillin, after he reappeared.
• Instant Transmission doesn’t deal any damage.
• Dragon Fist suffers from both heavy start-up and ending lag.
• Unlike the previous two, the recovery distance isn’t that great, it’s less than a Shoryuken with command input.
• Goku enters a freefall state afterwards.

Down Special: Power-Up

Holding down the Down Special input will allow Goku to charge his ki in order to achieve higher power levels. Unlike Cloud and Joker, he doesn’t have a gauge to show how much power he has, but you can tell by the visual indications. The intensity of his aura shows up on both of his model and HUD portrait. Once Goku gets enough ki, he will transform into the first transformation available, but players don’t have to stop there. The player can continue charging up the Down Special to further power-up, so the player can access more powerful transformations.

Letting go of the Down Special charge will start the full transformation, or the closest possible, and will begin a countdown of sorts where Goku will steadily lose power. This will eventually cause Goku to revert to his base form. Powering-up again can stave this off, but Goku will eventually lose this transformation even when periodically powering-up between attacks. This is used to give a little extra time on the transformations before they eventually finish. Players can see how much “time” is left by observing how small the aura around the character model and HUD portrait becomes.

Damage: 0%

Pros

• Any of the four transformations can change Goku’s specials.
• The trade-off that Goku gets for powering up is far greater than the risks.
• A good strategy is to KO an opponent and immediately go into powering up so you can start the next stock with increased stats.
• After being KO’d, Goku will start with a slight power-up during the initial invincibility frames in the next stock.
• The windbox is enough to push opponents back slightly. This increases once Goku enters a transformation.
• Super Saiyan Blue Goku is the strongest transformation and offers him unparalleled speed and attack output.

Cons

• The higher the transformation, the faster it depletes.
• Getting damaged will cause a decrease in the transformation timer. Getting KO’d resets it back to base Goku.
• Powering up puts Goku in a rather defenseless state - even with the wind box effect.
• Once Goku accesses a transformation, it’s difficult to power-up again to get a higher transformation. It’s possible but requires more time. This is because the rate his ki increases at is drastically nerfed compared to when base Goku powers up. Higher transformations decrease the rate of energy increase when powering up.
• It’s impossible to revert to base Goku after initiating a transformation, so it’s possible players might reach a transformation by accident and regret it.

Final Smash: Saiyan Assault/Spirit Bomb

Goku has two Final Smashes like Ryu and Ken which depend if Goku is close or near to the opponent. If Goku is close to the opponent, he performs an attack called Saiyan Assault. This opens with Goku kicking the opponent with a high kick. This starts a cinematic cutscene where the opponents fly up into the air, followed closely by Goku. He then starts attacking the opponent at extremely high speeds which become nothing but blurry afterimages. Goku uses this extreme speed to beat the opponent in the air. Goku then appears above the opponent and prepares a massive ki blast; he then fires it downward onto the opponent. If Goku is far away, he will first dash forward while striking the opponent much like King K. Rool. Once he makes contact, it triggers a cinematic cutscene where Goku hovers in the air while gathering energy. This leads to an image of Earth from the anime.

A layer of shining particles float above Earth which shows the Spirit Bomb drawing energy from its willing inhabitants. This cuts back to Goku, taking the Spirit Bomb and tossing it downward. The cutscene ends and the game is transitioned back to the stage, however a gigantic energy ball will be approaching the stage, much like the Moon Assist Trophy. The Spirit Bomb will eventually collide with the stage and then deal huge amounts of damage before launching opponents caught in the blast.

Damage:

• Saiyan Assault 48%
• Super Saiyan: 50%
• Super Saiyan 2: 55%
• Super Saiyan 3: 58%
• Super Saiyan Blue: 63%
• Spirit Bomb: 52%
• Super Saiyan: 58.3%
• Super Saiyan 2: 63%
• Super Saiyan 3: 68%
• Super Saiyan Blue: 72.2%

Goku Smash Attacks and Other Notable Attacks

Jab Attack Infinite Jab: Goku will perform two consecutive punches before doing a kick. This can then combo into an infinite kick jab combo. This causes Goku to hover slightly in the air while doing multiple kicks before using a final jab finisher kick.

Damage:

• Base: 1.2%, 2%, .4%, 3%
• Super Saiyan: 1.5%, 2.4%, .5%, 3.6%
• Super Saiyan 2: 1.8%, 2.9%, .7%, 4.3%
• Super Saiyan 3: 2%, 3.2%, .8%, 5%
• Super Saiyan Blue: 2.3%, 3.7%, .9%, 6.8%

Forward Tilt: Super Elbow Smash: Goku steps back and then performs a short-ranged thrusting elbow attack. It has a slight start-up lag.

Damage:

• Base: 4.1%
• Super Saiyan: 4.9%
• Super Saiyan 2: 5.5%
• Super Saiyan 3: 6.3%
• Super Saiyan Blue: 7%

Forward Smash: Ki Volley: Goku unleashes a volley of ki blasts depending on how much Goku charged up the attack. If uncharged, Goku fires three individual ki blasts while a fully charged smash fires off twelve total. This makes Goku’s one of the longest smash attacks in terms of duration, but also boasts incredible range.

Damage:

• Base: 5% (uncharged) - 10% (fully charged)
• Super Saiyan: 7.2% (uncharged) - 14.4% (fully charged)
• Super Saiyan 2: 10% (uncharged) - 18.2% (fully charged)
• Super Saiyan 3: 13% (uncharged) - 23.8% (fully charged)
• Super Saiyan Blue: 15.2% (uncharged) - 26% (fully charged)

Up Smash: Power Pole Extend: Goku pulls out his trusty Power Pole and slams it down on the ground. He then screams out, “Power Pole Extend!” which causes the pole to shoot upwards about three times its height when charged. It then reverts to its normal length. Goku can be punished due to the move’s ending lag. It’s great at hitting opponents above Goku and deceiving them for its sudden surge.

Damage:

• Base: 3.3% (uncharged) - 8% (fully charged)
• Super Saiyan: 3.5% (uncharged) - 10% (fully charged)
• Super Saiyan 2: 4% (uncharged) - 11.4% (fully charged)
• Super Saiyan 3: 4.4% (uncharged) - 12.1% (fully charged)
• Super Saiyan Blue: 5% (uncharged) - 14% (fully charged)

Down Smash: Kiai Blast: Goku thrusts both of his hands on his sides and releases a sudden burst of energy that has high knockback but lacking damage output. It’s great for covering all sides of Goku and preventing attacks from connecting. The Kiai Blast is also capable of canceling out weaker projectiles.

Damage:

• Base: 4% (uncharged) - 6% (fully charged)
• Super Saiyan: 6.2% (uncharged) - 9% (fully charged)
• Super Saiyan 2: 7.1% (uncharged) - 10.4% (fully charged)
• Super Saiyan 3: 8% (uncharged) - 12.2% (fully charged)
• Super Saiyan Blue: 10.4% (uncharged) -14% (fully charged)

Neutral Aerial: Arrow Knee: Goku performs a flying knee press with a little start-up and ending lag.

Damage:

• Base: 5%
• Super Saiyan: 6%
• Super Saiyan 2: 6.8%
• Super Saiyan 3: 7%
• Super Saiyan Blue: 9.2%

Forward Aerial: Double Axe Handle: Goku cups his hands together before bringing them downwards in an arc. The attack has a sweet spot that can meteor smash opponents down which will also damage the opponents on the ground.

Damage:

• Base: 4% (whiff) - 8% (sweetspot)
• Super Saiyan: 4.5% (whiff) - 10% (sweetspot)
• Super Saiyan 2: 25.3% (whiff) - 11% (sweetspot)
• Super Saiyan 3: 5.8% (whiff) - 13.3% (sweetspot)
• Super Saiyan Blue: 11.2% (whiff) - 18% (sweetspot)

Down Aerial: Meteor Strike: Goku performs a stall-then-fall that ends with a single leg dive kick. It’s stronger than most dive kicks.

Damage:

• Base: 6%
• Super Saiyan: 6.3%
• Super Saiyan 2: 8%
• Super Saiyan 3: 10%
• Super Saiyan Blue: 13%

Pummel: Headbutt: Goku headbutts the opponent.

Damage:

• Base: 2.2% (base)
• Super Saiyan: 3%
• Super Saiyan 2: 3.7%
• Super Saiyan 3: 4.1%
• Super Saiyan Blue: 5%

Forward Throw: Dragonthrow: Goku takes the opponent and swings around while holding the opponent, much like how he did with Frieza and his tail as well as Fat Buu. He then lets the opponent go in a manner very similar to Mario’s forward throw.

Damage:

• Base: 6%
• Super Saiyan: 8%
• Super Saiyan 2: 8.4%
• Super Saiyan 3: 9%
• Super Saiyan Blue: 11.5%

Up Throw: Super Shots: Goku slams the opponent upwards into the air and fires a series of Ki shots which juggles the opponent before launching them. It’s capable of damaging not only the targeted opponent, but those nearby. The damage dealt to the targeted opponent is the same damage dealt to anyone else caught in the attack.

Damage:

• Base: 6%
• Super Saiyan: 7%
• Super Saiyan 2: 7.6%
• Super Saiyan 3: 9%
• Super Saiyan Blue: 11.7%

Entrance Animation

Goku is unique in that he has two entrance animations. It’s entirely random which one will appear at the start of a game.

• Goku appears on the flying cloud, Flying Nimbus, and jumps off of it.
• Goku appears via Instant Transmission.

Taunts

• Up Taunt: Goku pulls out the Dragon Radar and presses the button on the top several times. He then looks around and says, “Where could it be…”
• Side Taunt: Goku punches into the air and says, “All right!” and then performs a peace sign while grinning ear to ear.
• Down Taunt: Goku performs his iconic battle pose that he took when fighting Vegeta in the Saiyan Saga and says “Ready when you are.”

Idle Animations

• Goku cracks his knuckles.
• Goku pats his belly and looks at it hungrily.

Victory Animations

• Goku charges up a Kamehameha and unleashes while aiming slightly above the camera. He then turns to the camera and does his iconic thumbs-up after he defeated Kid Buu.
• Goku pulls out a bowl of food and begins scarfing it down. If the victory animation continues to play out, he will devour the entire thing before patting his belly in contentment.
• Goku hauls a giant fish into the screen and slams it down on the ground. He then puts both hands behind his head and grins while saying, “That was quite the workout!”

Classic Mode: The World’s Strongest

This classic mode takes place on Omega-version of stages to portray the World’s Martial Arts Tournament with some having a stadium-like theme to reflect this. Each character is a powerful character within their own series.

Round 1 - Vs.
Pokémon Stadium 2

Lucario’s inclusion is a nod to similarities to Goku such as energy projectiles. As well, both characters have the same English voice actor, Sean Schemmel.

Round 2- Vs.
Kalos Pokémon League (Dragon phase)

Bowser’s inclusion references the powerful brute type characters found in Dragon Ball and the wishing-granting dragon, Shenron.

Round 3 - Vs.
Mario Galaxy

Captain Falcon’s inclusion helps represent some more technological characters in the series as well as the Saiyan’s jobs of traveling the universe, albeit to dominate the planet. Ryu Horikawa, who voices Captain Falcon, also voices Vegeta in Japanese.

Round 4 - Vs.
Onett

Dark Samus’ inclusion draws on how Majiin Vegeta destroyed the World’s Martial Arts Tournament during the Majin Buu Arc. The stage reflects how evil villains, like Nappa and Prince Vegeta, often destroy cities when they make their grand appearance..

Round 5 - Vs.
Arena Ferox

Ike’s inclusion isn’t a particular nod to any character as only a handful use swords. However, “I fight for my friends” is often one of Goku’s reasons for fighting. Also, it’s slightly reminiscent of Goku’s fight with Future Trunks.

Round 6 -Vs.
Boxing Ring

Like Goku, Ryu is the poster boy for their home series, constantly finds strong opponents to fight against, and uses an internal power to strengthen themselves.

Final Round Vs. (Giant)
Namek (Destroyed)

The characters all represent villains Goku fought starting from Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, and Buu. The stage, Namek (Destroyed) will be featured in the Series Analysis next time.

Victory Theme

Alternate Costumes

• Orange (Default)
• Purple - Based on Piccolo's color scheme
• Green - Based on the color scheme of Goku’s father, Bardock.
• White - Based on Goku’s nemesis, Frieza.
• Cyan - Based on Goku’s last appearance in the closing episodes of Dragon Ball Z.
• Black - Based on the character known as Goku Black from Dragon Ball Super.
• Dark Blue - Based on Goku’s battle damage appearance seen throughout the series.
• Blue - Based on Saiyan Armor seen during the Cell Games Arc.

Conclusion

Goku doesn’t get many (serious) supporters; partially because he is a pariah within Smash speculation. One aspect of Smash speculation is having fun thinking about how to include characters in the games. Goku only has a long shot at being included in the game despite his massive popularity, the success of Dragon Ball, and their contribution to the world of gaming. Regardless how one may feel, considering how a character or a series may be included in Smash is tons of fun. I find this especially true if it has a snowball's chance in hell of making it in. Dragon Ball has tons of content from its vast library of characters, locations, techniques, and media to draw from. Goku just needs to ascend from being a “4th Party Character” to a “Super 4th Party Character” that can be in Smash.

Credits
Editing: Sari , @Zerp, @Thirdkoopa
Graphics: @Zerp, Venus of the Desert Bloom
Social Media: @Zerp
Sources: Dragon Ball Z Wikia, SSBWiki

Author’s Note: Do you want to see Goku in Smash? Does Dragon Ball Z deserve a rep or will his inclusion rip the community apart? Regardless of what one may think, Goku’s legacy and popularity is worldwide and what better way to recognize it then to include him in the greatest crossover in history!

 

I can't say I want Goku in Smash but I had a blast reading this. It's crazy how detailed it is and I can appreciate the amount of effort and care put into Goku even without ever reading Dragon Ball. Kudos.

 

I Love posts like these, Smash bros. gameplay allows for many references and callbacks so I love looking at move sets for characters regardless of if they are Video Game characters or not. Dragonball is something I quite enjoy so I liked looking at all of the references included in this post.

 

Yo this was a well detailed article! I hope we get to see Goku in Smash one day. I know he has no chance in hell but one can dream.

 

Goku vs Steve vs Bayonetta vs Luigi would be a dream come true

 

Nice article. While I do think that bringing 4th party characters into Smash is taboo and shouldn't actually happen, you can't deny that they have a lot of cool content to choose from. Honestly I'm pretty interested in writeups like these for other 4th party characters now (especially Monkey D. Luffy and Jotaro Kujo).

 

While I feel like only specific grey areas could breach the 4th-party bridge, if at all, it's always fun to see people comb the various episodes to find just the right move for Smash. I suppose it's a bit of a guilty pleasure, except we all engage in it. Is it really that guilty anymore?

 

Had an urge to open Pandora’s Box I see.

 

Luffy, Naruto, Sailor Moon, and Ichigo next!

 

Goddamnit. No!

 

as someone who is working for Project:M mod of Goku : https://twitter.com/DoctorFlux/status/1281135629993218049

Son Goku - Smash Bros./RoA Moveset

Son Goku Serie Icon: How will he play/playstyle?: Goku will a “all Around type” of character Average at most stuff kinda like Mario is Becuase Goku is also that in Dragonball games aswell Stats: 1 = lowest of XXX stat in the game 10 = highest of XXX stat in the game as a example ...

docs.google.com

i disagree with Alot of stuff here:
-Transforms SSJ1,2,3,Blue all that at once? just have x1 SSJ mode and Kaioken and do this for all the different forms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssBDy6xS1aM&t=477s
becuase of all these forms at same time there is really no Big Big difference between Base to SSJ as there is in the show and games aswell
and just becuase Steve have wood,stone,iron,gold,diamond tools(lets just say its anime transforms) does it not mean Goku needs this much aswell
it would be nice to have a big different between base and SSJ1(or the youtube concept with timestamp i linked)
and for balance reason have Kaioken be a worst SSJ1: same buffs but with lots of drawback like self damage over time and only there for short time
also SSJ2 on Goku looks Very close to SSJ1 even more in a game like smash where the camera is not always up close on the characters
so a other reason why this is not a such a good idea anyways

-Side-smash: why all Goku fan concepts needs to have Kiblast spam Goku kinda only done that once in that gif
while Vegeta is alot more known for doing this Goku mainly using kamehameha,spirit bomb as his Ki attacks rest is mostly kick/punches
even Games where Ki blasts is not a universal thing Vegeta getting that while Goku often get a rushdown move so dont give Goku some of Vegeta´s moves honestly
and those games mainly only having his Ki push on both sides(like downsmash), kamehameha & spirit bomb as his Ki attacks

-up-smash: is it Adult Goku or Kid goku moveset? becuase if adult he dont have the powerpole anymore its under kami´s lookout
its idea if it was Kid Goku and not Adult
or do what FighterZ did: GT Kid Goku with element from OG Dragonball´s kid goku
but Adult Goku: never had powerpole from the "real" source material: manga or the anime
only had powerpole on some promotion art but not other places

-Alt costums: Return of F Gi i think should there: to have DBsuper alt or/& adult GT so he can have a alt with SSJ4 form

-Specials: kinda too much going on for it to be a "Smash moveset for Goku" it is honestly more a "Goku moveset for smash"
the universal most agreed on best designed movesets for smash is often "Smash moveset for XXXXX" and not XXXX moveset for smash: like Bayonetta(mostly was a problem in 4 but now bayo kinda sucks) & little mac that is pretty much universal agreed on is not too well designed
its very important its a "Smash moveset for XXXX character" not XXXX character moveset for smash becuase those kinda often get broken or underpowered or boring ( like minmin: its ARMS gameplay but in smash and not really smash moveset for minmin but minmin moveset for smash )


Taunts/victories is nice ideas

 

My stance on "4th parties" is this: they can't happen, but if they somehow did I would welcome them with open arms - as long as we got an equal balance between comedy and action characters like we do for game characters.

 

This is the 2nd longest article I've read here.

 

This post brought up some few points so I want to touch on them;

as someone who is working for Project:M mod of Goku : https://twitter.com/DoctorFlux/status/1281135629993218049

Son Goku - Smash Bros./RoA Moveset

Son Goku Serie Icon: How will he play/playstyle?: Goku will a “all Around type” of character Average at most stuff kinda like Mario is Becuase Goku is also that in Dragonball games aswell Stats: 1 = lowest of XXX stat in the game 10 = highest of XXX stat in the game as a example ...

docs.google.com

i disagree with Alot of stuff here:
-Transforms SSJ1,2,3,Blue all that at once? just have x1 SSJ mode and Kaioken and do this for all the different forms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssBDy6xS1aM&t=477s
becuase of all these forms at same time there is really no Big Big difference between Base to SSJ as there is in the show and games aswell
and just becuase Steve have wood,stone,iron,gold,diamond tools(lets just say its anime transforms) does it not mean Goku needs this much aswell
it would be nice to have a big different between base and SSJ1(or the youtube concept with timestamp i linked)
and for balance reason have Kaioken be a worst SSJ1: same buffs but with lots of drawback like self damage over time and only there for short time
also SSJ2 on Goku looks Very close to SSJ1 even more in a game like smash where the camera is not always up close on the characters
so a other reason why this is not a such a good idea anyways

I largely disagreed with Lockstin’s approach to it. It was great but I felt it was rather lazy and “well, let’s jus let insert Goku in” without experimenting. It’s easy to dismiss something that’s “impossible” when we haven’t seen it done before and we haven’t had a character that can obtain power-up transformation before. As for visual indicators, I added that not only does Goku’s model change but so does his HUD portrait and stock icon. Not to mention Super Saiyan 2 would crackle with electricity. As for the comparisons to Steve, this moveset was made far before Steve was revealed but wasn’t published until some time later as we had to edit and work on the article.

-Side-smash: why all Goku fan concepts needs to have Kiblast spam Goku kinda only done that once in that gif
while Vegeta is alot more known for doing this Goku mainly using kamehameha,spirit bomb as his Ki attacks rest is mostly kick/punches
even Games where Ki blasts is not a universal thing Vegeta getting that while Goku often get a rushdown move so dont give Goku some of Vegeta´s moves honestly
and those games mainly only having his Ki push on both sides(like downsmash), kamehameha & spirit bomb as his Ki attacks[/quote]

I was considered giving Goku a dashing punch or Solar Flare for the Side Smash but ultimately decided against it and have him the Ki Volley attack. I do understand that this sort of attack is more attributed for Vegeta but, as I was working on this Moveset, I wanted it to be representative of not only Goku but Dragon Ball as a whole. I ultimately went with a move that’s not entirely attributed to Goku but is iconic within the series. Goku also has been known to use Ki Blasts in the videos games which is something I focused on as well. (This video at 5:54 as an example of how the side Smash would work)

its idea if it was Kid Goku and not Adult
or do what FighterZ did: GT Kid Goku with element from OG Dragonball´s kid goku
but Adult Goku: never had powerpole from the "real" source material: manga or the anime
only had powerpole on some promotion art but not other places

Power Pole was used at the start of the series including the first three movies. The Power Pole was added in the mindset that, like a lot of movesets in Smash, it’s reflective of the character as a whole rather than intensely focusing on a certain aspect. Smash breaks all sorts of canon rules and characters doing or using things they naturally wouldn’t. The Power Pole was added to reflect a certain part of Goku’s character and history. While the Power Pole isn’t a popular weapon now, it was back in the day and this was why it was added. Also, I wanted an attack that, like many of his attacks, increases the reach but wasn’t a rush or ki attack

-Alt costums: Return of F Gi i think should there: to have DBsuper alt or/& adult GT so he can have a alt with SSJ4 form

As I said earlier, I’m only focusing on DBZ content with, perhaps, only a few references to DBGT and GBS. Those are a reasons why I didn’t include Goku’s GT outfit (though his Cyan color does reference this every so slightly) and why I never have him a SSJ4 form. It’s not in DBZ and that’s the focus on this moveset.

-Specials: kinda too much going on for it to be a "Smash moveset for Goku" it is honestly more a "Goku moveset for smash"
the universal most agreed on best designed movesets for smash is often "Smash moveset for XXXXX" and not XXXX moveset for smash: like Bayonetta(mostly was a problem in 4 but now bayo kinda sucks) & little mac that is pretty much universal agreed on is not too well designed
its very important its a "Smash moveset for XXXX character" not XXXX character moveset for smash becuase those kinda often get broken or underpowered or boring ( like minmin: its ARMS gameplay but in smash and not really smash moveset for minmin but minmin moveset for smash )

I do understand this viewpoint and I think it’s a valid argument. The Specials are a lot to take in and unpack. I decided to use these Specials since
1) Goku uses a fair amount of attacks that are exclusive to his transformation forms
2) many of the DB fighting games has almost every single version Goku. Smash is a fighting game as well but it’s unrealistic to have Goku five roster spots. So this was chosen in order to nod back to the DB fighting games and his involvement in those
3) It would be a waste for Goku to be able to transform but not get any sort of reward for doing so. These are his rewards and works well with his moveset. Like in the anime, if Goku doesn’t power up, he can’t defeat a stronger opponent. In order to some of his more flashier attacks, he has to lower-up. This is also the case in Smash.

 

I honestly don't think SSJ2 is necessary for the power-ups, especially since it isn't too visually distinct from SSJ1.

 

One thing that kinda irks me is that Super Saiyan Blue feels a bit detached from the other Super Saiyan forms, like it's suddenly skips something. It's more of a personal thing than a big issue, since SSJ3 is when the "mainline" Super Saiyans end; All the future forms are either different or are a sort of hybrid transformation. Still, it feels like a bit of a jump.

 

This post brought up some few points so I want to touch on them;

I largely disagreed with Lockstin’s approach to it. It was great but I felt it was rather lazy and “well, let’s jus let insert Goku in” without experimenting. It’s easy to dismiss something that’s “impossible” when we haven’t seen it done before and we haven’t had a character that can obtain power-up transformation before. As for visual indicators, I added that not only does Goku’s model change but so does his HUD portrait and stock icon. Not to mention Super Saiyan 2 would crackle with electricity. As for the comparisons to Steve, this moveset was made far before Steve was revealed but wasn’t published until some time later as we had to edit and work on the article.

having so many forms at once in 1 moveset
will kinda make turning SSJ1 from base kinda have no impact becuase it has to be balanced around having so many other SSJ forms
and i think a anime transform as iconic as SSJ1 should have a impact
this is why Lockstin´s idea is good: only have x1 SSJ form and can be a SSJ form like a costume basically
it will include SSJ forms (btw SSJ3 can easy work with same model not sure why he said that: as somone who has played around with Goku animations and SSJ3 model in smash even but even DB games use same animations/model for SSJ transforms and base form of Goku)

-Side-smash: why all Goku fan concepts needs to have Kiblast spam Goku kinda only done that once in that gif
while Vegeta is alot more known for doing this Goku mainly using kamehameha,spirit bomb as his Ki attacks rest is mostly kick/punches
even Games where Ki blasts is not a universal thing Vegeta getting that while Goku often get a rushdown move so dont give Goku some of Vegeta´s moves honestly
and those games mainly only having his Ki push on both sides(like downsmash), kamehameha & spirit bomb as his Ki attacks

I was considered giving Goku a dashing punch or Solar Flare for the Side Smash but ultimately decided against it and have him the Ki Volley attack. I do understand that this sort of attack is more attributed for Vegeta but, as I was working on this Moveset, I wanted it to be representative of not only Goku but Dragon Ball as a whole. I ultimately went with a move that’s not entirely attributed to Goku but is iconic within the series. Goku also has been known to use Ki Blasts in the videos games which is something I focused on as well. (This video at 5:54 as an example of how the side Smash would work)

if Powerpole needs to be on a move even if "DBZ" focused i will put it here
i think Kamehameha is alot better representative of Dragonball series as a whole than just Goku spam Kiblasts: becuase Roshi, krillin, yamcha, Tien(he did it once vs. jackie chun aka roshi), gohan, cell, goten, possible more im too lazy to write or forgot can do it and was a stable move even in OG DB while Kiblast is kinda from DBZ and up after while kamehameha is the whole series
also
becuase Kiblasts is just "generic" move while Kamehameha is a iconic move that even in gintama the characters using it (even in gintama games)
this is really not a Goku thing to do
thats why kamehameha kinda do this job of a move to representative of Dragonball series as a whole
a other reminder on Kiblast is just generic and dont really representative of Dragonball series as a whole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIJ4M99s-Mk (yes a team four star clip but all of this is true still but legit the best example on this) Goku is full of stolen moves from the other characters and stuff in dragonball and then saying Kiblast is THE move to representative of Dragonball series as a whole while Goku has alot more he has stolen/learned from others

Power Pole was used at the start of the series including the first three movies. The Power Pole was added in the mindset that, like a lot of movesets in Smash, it’s reflective of the character as a whole rather than intensely focusing on a certain aspect. Smash breaks all sorts of canon rules and characters doing or using things they naturally wouldn’t. The Power Pole was added to reflect a certain part of Goku’s character and history. While the Power Pole isn’t a popular weapon now, it was back in the day and this was why it was added. Also, I wanted an attack that, like many of his attacks, increases the reach but wasn’t a rush or ki attack



As I said earlier, I’m only focusing on DBZ content with, perhaps, only a few references to DBGT and GBS. Those are a reasons why I didn’t include Goku’s GT outfit (though his Cyan color does reference this every so slightly) and why I never have him a SSJ4 form. It’s not in DBZ and that’s the focus on this moveset.

first thing: movies is not Canon at all and not really a "true" source material
only "true" source movie is : battle of gods, return of F, DBsuper broly
even FighterZ knows that its moves is basically from manga/anime unless its a movie villain like cooler
with that said using Steve as a example: look at minecraft story mode and dungeons and theirs animations vs. Minecraft´s animations and Steve´s in smash animations
they are not the real game but more "spinoff" kinda like DBZ movies is non canon
so if Steve cant get minecraft like animations from those spinoffs then i dont think Goku should have anything from the movies becuase there is still alot to pull from the manga (should be the first priority to get material from aswell)
also
"I’m only focusing on DBZ content with,"
Super Saiyan blue, goku black alt & powerpole
i know return of F was a "DBZ" movie but then DBsuper happen and retold those movies aswell as using SSJBlue just alot so it is pretty much a DBSuper thing more than DBZ

 

SAKURAI YOU FOOL!

 

having so many forms at once in 1 moveset
will kinda make turning SSJ1 from base kinda have no impact becuase it has to be balanced around having so many other SSJ forms
and i think a anime transform as iconic as SSJ1 should have a impact
this is why Lockstin´s idea is good: only have x1 SSJ form and can be a SSJ form like a costume basically
it will include SSJ forms (btw SSJ3 can easy work with same model not sure why he said that: as somone who has played around with Goku animations and SSJ3 model in smash even but even DB games use same animations/model for SSJ transforms and base form of Goku)

I get what you are saying and it makes sense. However, I’m not Lockstin and I didn’t want to create something that was too close to what he came up. I have respect for Lockstin and I liked his DBZ video but I decided to go in a different direction. My main focus was to incorporate content that’s not confined to a limited play set but to expand the boundaries of what is realistically possible. I mean, doesn’t Goku do the same thing in the series? Push past the limits to reach for new heights. Regardless, in hind sight I probably could of just included SSJ and SSJB (I have no idea what the correct abbreviations for all of these are) and called it a day but I didn’t. There are tons of moveset ideas for the character that people have created and mine is just one of them.

if Powerpole needs to be on a move even if "DBZ" focused i will put it here
i think Kamehameha is alot better representative of Dragonball series as a whole than just Goku spam Kiblasts: becuase Roshi, krillin, yamcha, Tien(he did it once vs. jackie chun aka roshi), gohan, cell, goten, possible more im too lazy to write or forgot can do it and was a stable move even in OG DB while Kiblast is kinda from DBZ and up after while kamehameha is the whole series
also
becuase Kiblasts is just "generic" move while Kamehameha is a iconic move that even in gintama the characters using it (even in gintama games)
this is really not a Goku thing to do
thats why kamehameha kinda do this job of a move to representative of Dragonball series as a whole

To be frank, this doesn’t really make sense. The Kamehameha is there for the Neutral Special. I chose to use a Ki volley blast (which he does do on occasion and more so in gaming than elsewhere). The Ki volley blast is an iconic move from the series. So what’s the issue?

first thing: movies is not Canon at all and not really a "true" source material
only "true" source movie is : battle of gods, return of F, DBsuper broly
even FighterZ knows that its moves is basically from manga/anime unless its a movie villain like cooler
with that said using Steve as a example: look at minecraft story mode and dungeons and theirs animations vs. Minecraft´s animations and Steve´s in smash animations
they are not the real game but more "spinoff" kinda like DBZ movies is non canon

They may not be canon but they are still apart of DBZ and it was something I felt made sense in the moveset. I added the Power Pole because it’s still an iconic weapon, provides something different for the character aside from punching/kicking attacks, and energy moves, has tons of history with Goku and dates back to the beginning, and works well with the character. I understand why some people, like yourself, have issues with Goku using the Power Pole but I still feel that. While not a gameplay element, Nimbus was also included as well.

also
"I’m only focusing on DBZ content with,"
Super Saiyan blue, goku black alt & powerpole
i know return of F was a "DBZ" movie but then DBsuper happen and retold those movies aswell as using SSJBlue just alot so it is pretty much a DBSuper thing more than DBZ

I said “only focusing on DBZ content with, perhaps, only a few references to DBGT and GBS”. I forgot to mention the original Dragon Ball so my apologies. Honestly though, I focused a bit more on Dragon Ball as that was original. By a few references, I mean mostly aesthetic and references within the character. Not full on gameplay mechanics which is why I didn’t include SSJ4 or Ultra Instinct. SSJB is more akin to DBS than DBZ it originated in Resurrection, a Z movie. Going by naming and titles alone, the SSJB Goku is from DBZ.

I appreciate the feedback and how there are many schools of thought on how Goku can be incorporated into Smash. As I said before, mine is just one of many and I honestly think that there isn’t one “correct” moveset for him. The fact they vary so much is a testament to the character. As for me, of course I defend my article but I’m content with it but I do appreciate counterpoints to it. I look forward to seeing your Goku mod in the future. Also, please check back again for the Dragon Ball Z Series Analysis where I will go into stages, spirit battles, music, and more. If you would like to, feel free to check out my other character articles. You can view those by clicking on my profile. I have wrote articles on characters such as Doomslayer, 2B, Crash, and Sol Badguy. Please check them out if you are interested.

 

I get what you are saying and it makes sense. However, I’m not Lockstin and I didn’t want to create something that was too close to what he came up. I have respect for Lockstin and I liked his DBZ video but I decided to go in a different direction. My main focus was to incorporate content that’s not confined to a limited play set but to expand the boundaries of what is realistically possible. I mean, doesn’t Goku do the same thing in the series? Push past the limits to reach for new heights. Regardless, in hind sight I probably could of just included SSJ and SSJB (I have no idea what the correct abbreviations for all of these are) and called it a day but I didn’t. There are tons of moveset ideas for the character that people have created and mine is just one of them.



To be frank, this doesn’t really make sense. The Kamehameha is there for the Neutral Special. I chose to use a Ki volley blast (which he does do on occasion and more so in gaming than elsewhere). The Ki volley blast is an iconic move from the series. So what’s the issue?



They may not be canon but they are still apart of DBZ and it was something I felt made sense in the moveset. I added the Power Pole because it’s still an iconic weapon, provides something different for the character aside from punching/kicking attacks, and energy moves, has tons of history with Goku and dates back to the beginning, and works well with the character. I understand why some people, like yourself, have issues with Goku using the Power Pole but I still feel that. While not a gameplay element, Nimbus was also included as well.



I said “only focusing on DBZ content with, perhaps, only a few references to DBGT and GBS”. I forgot to mention the original Dragon Ball so my apologies. Honestly though, I focused a bit more on Dragon Ball as that was original. By a few references, I mean mostly aesthetic and references within the character. Not full on gameplay mechanics which is why I didn’t include SSJ4 or Ultra Instinct. SSJB is more akin to DBS than DBZ it originated in Resurrection, a Z movie. Going by naming and titles alone, the SSJB Goku is from DBZ.

I appreciate the feedback and how there are many schools of thought on how Goku can be incorporated into Smash. As I said before, mine is just one of many and I honestly think that there isn’t one “correct” moveset for him. The fact they vary so much is a testament to the character. As for me, of course I defend my article but I’m content with it but I do appreciate counterpoints to it. I look forward to seeing your Goku mod in the future. Also, please check back again for the Dragon Ball Z Series Analysis where I will go into stages, spirit battles, music, and more. If you would like to, feel free to check out my other character articles. You can view those by clicking on my profile. I have wrote articles on characters such as Doomslayer, 2B, Crash, and Sol Badguy. Please check them out if you are interested.

i know i will be "stealing" some of the taunt/victory idea becuase taunt/victory was not my too main focus on the doc i linked
all i know was a victory must have a dragonball on it becuase the series he is from is called "Dragonball" and the rader idea in a match can fit very well with the victory too

 

While my opinions have changed, I still will never want Goku to be playable, but I still want him to be an assist trophy. I still want Goku to be in the game at least.

 

Sigh

another Goku article, eh?

it won’t happen. Goku came from magna first. Even if he did appeared in video games, I’d welcome him as an Assist Trophy at least

 

Well, never thought I'd see a Smashboards higher-up do an official Goku article (not that I'm criticizing you for it).

2020 just gets weirder every day.

 

i can easy say the Worst fan concept of a Goku moveset is Smash bros Flash 2(also SSF2´s worst designed character aswell and he is low tier and not even the hardcore Goku fans plays him i have noticed )
there is many reasons but i can give 1 example:
Final smash called: meteor combination
Barely has SSJ1: the most iconic transorm of all time but just mainly in SSJBlue: if just 1 form/Version smash should always pick the most iconic one: thats why classic megaman with lots of MM1/2 moves mainly and not too much from newer, Not nut & bolts design for banjo, and SSF2´s Goku fails big time at that
Spirit bomb is based on vs. kid buu(in the sources was in SSJ1 not SSJBlue)
meanwhile Meteor combination:
OG Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnxF8qnZMAg vs.
SSF2´s: https://youtu.be/btxaUisGTjE?t=56
Look how many SSJ/Spirit bomb there is
also the final smash is barely function: you can walk slowly to dodge it
so both gameplay wise and source material it legit sucks ass
and all of that is just the Final smash from smash flash 2 Goku´s
alot of problems like that on smash flash 2 Goku moveset both gameplay wise and source material wise

other examples(not all) with SSF2´s Goku:
-Side-B: Kiblast spam and this time its making Goku a zoner/projectile spammer so nice just how iimagine playing as Goku spam projectile instead of do combos
just gonna play Goku just like Mii gunner or PKfire spamming Ness im sure everyone imagine playing Goku like that (a other reason why that kind of move just dont fit Goku in smash it will turn him into a zoner and goku is not that type of character )
-N-B: too slow even on weak charge, the kamehameha spawn at max range instantly instead of travel forward to max range like in games/the show
-down-smash: in kaioken its true but in base form: why energy balls at that Kipush on both hands not even the OG sprites had that and its not even true to source at all

 

While my opinions have changed, I still will never want Goku to be playable, but I still want him to be an assist trophy. I still want Goku to be in the game at least.

If Goku can't get in as a fighter because he's a non-video game character then he can't get in as an Assist Trophy.

 

If Goku can't get in as a fighter because he's a non-video game character then he can't get in as an Assist Trophy.

I said when Hero was announced that if Goku had ANY chance, it would have been as a Mii Costume with Hero, as they are both Toriyama characters, but I said that even that was less than 1% likely.

 

If Goku can't get in as a fighter because he's a non-video game character then he can't get in as an Assist Trophy.

I think the videogame-exclusive only applies to playable characters, not assist trophies, mii costumes, or spirits.

 

I think the videogame-exclusive only applies to playable characters, not assist trophies, mii costumes, or spirits.

It applies to assist trophies, mii costumes, and spirits too. Getting back on topic, while I don't like the idea of Goku in official Smash games, I am cool if people put him in Smash fan games.

 

Goddamnit. No!

it won’t happen. Goku came from magna first. Even if he did appeared in video games, I’d welcome him as an Assist Trophy at least

No fun allowed, I guess.

 

Yeah. I demand Luffy to be next. One Piece is even bigger deal than Dragonball in Japan. It's freaking cultural phenomenon, even more so than Touhou.

 

Do you want to see Goku in Smash?

No.

Does Dragon Ball Z deserve a rep?

No.

 

people are taking this article so seriously lmao

but honestly i'd ditch SSJ2 as a transformation, i'd just go SSJ -> SSJ3 -> SSGSS, an easy three tiers to go up from.

 

I feel like this should have been saved for April 1st, but there's too much effort put into it to risk people going "lol a joke", I guess.

 

Goku should not just be able to throw out kamehamehas all day. He should only be able to throw out only small volleys of weak generic ki blasts until he has charged his ki enough to use kamehameha. Using any form of ki or transformations should both drain the meter. If he has no ki at all, not even generic ki blasts will work.


Also, his Instant Trasmission should not be his Up+B, but should be functionally similar to Bayonetta's Bats Within.

Instead, if he has enough ki, his Up+B will allow him burst in any direction (similar to fire fox), except you can vary how long you charge it to change how far and powerful it is (like Hero or Diddy). If he has no ki it's the same thing but there's no attack hitbox on it.

 

Pre-Melee:

Bowser - Can't be in Smash because he's a villain. All characters are currently protagonists.

Pre-Brawl:

Sonic - Can't be in Smash because he's not a Nintendo character. Also he's from a rival company. Mario's arch enemy, nonetheless!

Snake- Can't be in Smash because he's not a Nintendo character. Also his games are too mature / uses guns.

R.O.B. - (no one even predicted or argued over this one, but the argument would have been...) He's not even a video game character, he's a real life toy / accessory.

Pre-Sm4sh:

Duck Hunt - Can't be in Smash because he isn't even a playable character.

Wii Fit Trainer - (no one was even debating, but...) Can't be in Smash because they aren't even a playable character.

Pac-Man - Can't be in Smash because he doesn't have a viable moveset.

Pre-Sm4sh DLC:

Bayonetta - Can't be in Smash because she's too sexual.

Ryu - Can't be in Smash because he's from a fighting game.

Cloud - Can't be in Smash because he's not even in any Nintendo games. (other than an appearance in a Theatrhythm spinoff)

Pre-Ultimate:

Ridley - Can't be in Smash because he's too big.

Pre-Ultimate DLC:

Piranha Plant - Can't be in Smash because he's not a playable character / just a random low level.

Joker - (don't think he was even in discussion, but...) Can't be in Smash because he's not in any Nintendo games, period.

Banjo & Kazooie - Can't be in Smash because he's now owned by Microsoft.

We are now here:

Goku - Can't be in Smash because even though he has a massive history in video games going back 34 years and nearly 200 games including 54 on Nintendo consoles, and he's the #1 request on every single Smash DLC fan poll... he began as a a manga character.

 

Pre-Melee:

Bowser - Can't be in Smash because he's a villain. All characters are currently protagonists.

Pre-Brawl:

Sonic - Can't be in Smash because he's not a Nintendo character. Also he's from a rival company. Mario's arch enemy, nonetheless!

Snake- Can't be in Smash because he's not a Nintendo character. Also his games are too mature / uses guns.

R.O.B. - (no one even predicted or argued over this one, but the argument would have been...) He's not even a video game character, he's a real life toy / accessory.

Pre-Sm4sh:

Duck Hunt - Can't be in Smash because he isn't even a playable character.

Wii Fit Trainer - (no one was even debating, but...) Can't be in Smash because they aren't even a playable character.

Pac-Man - Can't be in Smash because he doesn't have a viable moveset.

Pre-Sm4sh DLC:

Bayonetta - Can't be in Smash because she's too sexual.

Ryu - Can't be in Smash because he's from a fighting game.

Cloud - Can't be in Smash because he's not even in any Nintendo games. (other than an appearance in a Theatrhythm spinoff)

Pre-Ultimate:

Ridley - Can't be in Smash because he's too big.

Pre-Ultimate DLC:

Piranha Plant - Can't be in Smash because he's not a playable character / just a random low level.

Joker - (don't think he was even in discussion, but...) Can't be in Smash because he's not in any Nintendo games, period.

Banjo & Kazooie - Can't be in Smash because he's now owned by Microsoft.

We are now here:

Goku - Can't be in Smash because even though he has a massive history in video games going back 34 years and nearly 200 games including 54 on Nintendo consoles, and he's the #1 request on every single Smash DLC fan poll... he began as a a manga character.

I hope he can't, I believe he shouldn't.

Also, French President Jacques Chirac was in a video game. So I guess you could add to your list :

We will soon be there:

Jacques Chirac - Can't be in Smash because... he began as a real person.

But of course, before that, we will have Luffy, Batman, Shrek, and Homer or Bart Simpson.

 

We are now here:

Goku - Can't be in Smash because even though he has a massive history in video games going back 34 years and nearly 200 games including 54 on Nintendo consoles, and he's the #1 request on every single Smash DLC fan poll... he began as a a manga character.

I wonder what would happen if Goku was an indie rep from Akira Toriyama who debuted in the 1980s.

 

I wonder what would happen if Goku was an indie rep from Akira Toriyama who debuted in the 1980s.

Actually indie gaming didn't exist in the 1980s so it would be more likely Akira Toriyama would have had to work at Enix and pitched the idea of Dragon Ball to his bosses. Had he came up with the idea of Dragon Ball in the 21st century, then Goku could be an indie video game character in your 'what-if' scenario since indie gaming became big then.

 

Actually indie gaming didn't exist in the 1980s

Sometimes it shocks me how people can just say things that are completely, demonstrably false like this with pure confidence.

 

Though it won't happen, I'd be absolutely ecstatic for Goku joining Smash! Especially since Goku & DBZ played a really big part of bringing Japanese media to the American masses over here. A lot of adult males I've meet where I live between teen to 30 something year olds love DBZ lol