WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR BANDANA DEE! SMASH4 DLC
DLC is a great opportunity for fans to vote in new candidates for Smash4! Newcomers who can really bring something new to the table as fighters and grow representation for our most beloved Nintendo (and some third party) franchises.
The newcomer I’ve voted for is Bandana Waddle Dee! This character is the prefect 4th rep for the Kirby franchise. He’s been around since original KSS on the SNES and although his role was small then, it has since truly expanded! BDee is one of the few reoccurring characters to truly remain as a staple character in the franchise. He’s truly earned his way to 4th main character of the series. Players who’ve had the chance to play him in titles like Kirby’s Return to Dreamland and Rainbow Curse certainly have an idea of what Bandana Dee can bring to the table.
FIGHTING STYLE AND MOVE POTENTIAL
What would make him unique as a fighter? Well he would wield a weapon that no other contender has. His spear! A weapon with this level of reach truly has potential!. His play style would truly involve attention to spacing and precision. With his sharp tip, he’s got the option of a concentrated sweet spot! BDee is also able to toss his spear as well, giving him a great projectile. Not only are all these moves interesting considerations for his fighting style, but he even has an attack that works perfectly as his recovery move! Bandana Dee is able to spin his spear so fast he’s able to fly! His spearcopter move would give him great recovery! Bandana Dee is such an attractive contender as a fighter given the fact he’s got plenty of moves that could be implemented in a more elaborated moveset! This video show cases moves such as his Moon Drop (which would make for a perfect down aerial) and his Spear Barrage (which could be his jabbing move) among various other diverse options!
More information regarding the spear moveset and it’s various moves can be found here -
http://kirby.wikia.com/wiki/Spear
RELEVANCY TO RESPECTED FRANCHISE AS QUALIFICATION FOR SERIES REP
Bandana Waddle Dee has appeared in all these games
Kirby Super Star - Small role as opponent in Mega Ton Punch
Kirby Mass Attack - Cameo in Mini game Strato Patrol EOS
Kirby Super Star Ultra (Revenge of the King) - In this game mode Bandana Dee is distinguished and established as King Dedede’s right-hand man. He’s characterized as incredibly loyal. He and Dedede converse through out the mode. He is a nonthreatening sub boss in the game. BDee is seen as the only spectator to the fight between Kirby and King Dedede and in the ending credits walking a long side a sad and defeated King Dedede.
Kirby Return to Dreamland - In this game Bandana Dee is a playable option in multiplayer and unlockable as a playable option for 1st player in Arena/True Arena! He’s originally seen in the first cutscene following Dedede who is chasing Kirby. This is the first game where his main ability, to wield a spear, is shown off. He possesses a diverse moveset and is depicted to be a capable fighter much like King Dedede, Metaknight, and Kirby with his spear. You are even able to defeat all bosses with him as an option in both Arena modes.
Kirby’s Dream Collection - Bandana Dee has a simple cameo in the credits for the challenge mode included but considering it’s a compilation anniversary title, it’s still a very nice inclusion. Especially one celebrating Kirby and his franchise.
Kirby Triple Deluxe - In this title, Bandana Dee helps Kirby with rescuing King Dedede who has been kidnapped. Although he is not playable he plays a role in the game’s street pass (giving Kirby Keychains) and as an ally. He often is see tossing Kirby health related items for storage before boss battles.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse - In this game title, Bandana Waddle Dee is once again playable! In fact he’s the only Kirby character players can have control over. (since Kirby has to be directed as a ball.) The magical paint brush character, Elline, clones Bandana Waddle Dee (similar to the way Kirby has copies of himself in Amazing Mirror and other games). Players 2-4 can assist Kirby on his adventure all as Bandana Waddle Dee!
Other Inclusions
Bandana Dee has been featured in the Street Pass puzzle for Return to Dreamland, as an attainable hat for your Mii, and on a club Nintendo Pin that featured the other main characters of the franchise (Kirby, King Dedede, and Metaknight).
Common and Refutable Arguments Against Bandana Dee’s Inclusion.
“The Kirby franchise does not need a new rep.”
- This is subjective. Fire Emblem certainly has plenty of representation. Pokemon also has more than enough. Kirby simply has 3 in comparison to these other franchises. Kirby however has been around for over 23 years. It’s an incredibly supported entry level franchise series that’s showcased a great variety of diverse games. Kirby is one of the most popular franchises in Japan. It ranks as the 4th most beloved franchise for men and 3rd for women!
http://mynintendonews.com/2012/09/22/japan-ranks-their-favourite-nintendo-franchises/
Also if any series deserves representation in a Smash game it’s Kirby!! Why? Well Smash literally wouldn’t exist without Kirby. Not only did Kirby’s very creator and developers work on smash but many of Kirby Super Star’s game elements have shaped Smash’s design. Various examples of this include the game’s shield mechanic influence by Mirror ability’s guard
http://kirby.wikia.com/wiki/Guard
than there is the fact that the iconic Master Hand is essentially Kirby Super Star’s GCO final boss,
Wam Bam Rock. Featuring many of his moves. It’s also implicated by HAL’s recently discovered coding (
GoMasterHand.brres.cmp in Return to Dreamland - Discovered by Smash Boards member:
Reserved) that the very hand that’s been featured in Kirby’s game over screen may very well be Master Hand himself. Making him a character that’s actually first appeared in a Kirby game. Considering they’re both the same cartoon style gloved hand, it’s most likely the case.
Also Kirby Superstar’s very powers are the foundation for the Smash Series fighting style. The way movesets operate are similar to KSS. Kirby Super Star was the first and of the few Kirby titles that gave depth and variety to Kirby’s abilities by allowing him to preform various moves with each power. This was simply done by allowing different moves to be preformed with a variety of directional inputs and the attack button. This gave the game a particular action leaning more so than other standard platformers. In a more recent title, Kirby Triple Deluxe, powers with movesets were also implemented. The game also featured a smash-lite mode called Kirby Fighters which SIMPLY took these movesets and slapped them into a fighting game mode with very few if any changes to how the powers are utilized. Seeing this mode, it’s easy to grasp how HAL got the design idea for Smash’s combat. Simply add your (B) button + directionals for specials and you’ve got yourself some smash.
NOT even mentioned yet are influences such as modes like Smash Run coming from Kirby’s Air Ride, Challenge Grid from Air Ride, some platforming things from Sub Space Emissary coming from a variety of Kirby games, etc etc etc….
So do I think Kirby deserves more rep in smash and DOES Kirby deserve more rep in smash? Yes… yes he does. /end of that.
“Waddle Dee is generic” or “Waddle is just a generic enemy”
Bandana Dee is generic? In what way? There are no other spear users on the roster or mouth-less, round, bandana wearing characters. So from a design/fighter perspective, no he’s not generic.
The argument that he’s also a generic enemy is also false. Bandana Dee is a
specific character. The same waddle dee wearing a bandana that keeps showing up in a variety of Kirby games is the same specific waddle dee who is King Dedede’s Spear Captain, Kirby’s friend, a master of the spear, and a reoccurring staple character in the series thus far. So no, he’s not a generic enemy. He has a much greater role and has been straight up playable more than once. It’s very similar to the fact that Yoshi comes from a species but as a character is specifically important. Barring stand-out characters simply because they are from a species is invalid and would imply that characters like Yoshi and the Pokemon are all generic and that’s not true. Neither is Bandana Dee being generic.
SO WHY VOTE BANDANA WADDLE DEE??
He’s a great potential fighter with an existing moveset that can already be pulled from. He has the potential to posses a variety of neat moves, a reach that no character would match, a potentially great recovery, and he’d make a great rep for the Kirby franchise. He’s adorable and a loyal friend. He fought a long side Kirby, King Dedede, and Metaknight and it’d be great if all 4 got together again. The Kirby franchise more than deserves a bit more representation for how influential it’s been on the smash series. Even with a 4th rep he would not out rep other major franchises like Mario or Pokemon. Bandana Waddle Dee has really had a great presence in modern Kirby titles and having more representation of modern Kirby would also be great since most of Kirby’s levels, trophies, items, and characters represent an age when Sakurai was in charge of the franchise!! SO DO IT!!
VOTE BANDANA WADDLE DEE!!!
(Something I wrote in support of BDee. Don't be shy to share it.)
Well, here goes! :
