Character Exploration Thread - Day 79: Axel Stone (Streets of Rage)

[Paraster]

What would Miriam's spirits be? Who would be the Legend spirit, and what would be its unique skill?

 

[SharkLord]

Alright, so here's some brainstorming for my attempt at a revamped moveset.

In terms of weaponry, I'm sticking with the sword Blue Rose, the greatsword Eternal Blue, and the whip Andromeda. Blue Rose is the sword she's usually depicted with, and alongside Eternal Blue, it's used in her boss fight in Zangetsu Mode. Andromeda acts as a stand-in for the CotM whip.

Blue Rose would be used for the forward tilt, up tilt, and neutral aerial. Eternal Blue is sued for the forward smash, forward aerial, and dash attack. Andromeda would be the down smash, back aerial, and maybe up smash? But on the other hand Riga Storaema would fit the up smash really well. Her jab would be the kick attack she used when unarmed or with boots, her down tilt is the Slide, and her down aerial is the Dive Kick. Up aerial is the initial flip of the Hatchet Heel technique.

Still figuring out the specials. Maybe one of the guns for her neutral special? In this case, we could have Verethragna for a standard straightforward gun, or Adrasteia for some homing bullets. There's also Cerulean Splash which is the first Shard you get in the game. Could be either a neutral special or a side special. Invert would probably be up special. I feel like Flytrap would also make a pretty good down special, being a sort of trapping attack to set. For her Final Smash, I'd go for Thrashing Tentacle, seeing as it's the first boss Shard you get.

 

[chocolatejr9]

This might be a weird question, but I know Bloodstained was created as a spiritual successor to Castlevania, so I was wondering exactly how similar they are? As in, would Miriam play similarly to the Belmonts, Alucard, Soma Cruz, etc.?

Nominations: Freddy Fazbear xMax

 

[amageish]

What would Miriam's spirits be? Who would be the Legend spirit, and what would be its unique skill?

I imagine we'd want to cover all the player characters (in both the main game and the Curse of the Moon games), plus the main antagonists... I honestly don't know which one would get the top billing though.

 

[Gengar84]

Sorry I was visiting friends we haven’t seen since the pandemic started so I wasn’t really able to contribute to the conversation today. I haven’t played Bloodstained but the aesthetics look really cool. From what I’m hearing, Miriam’s moveset is kind of giving me Dante vibes with stylish sword and gun attacks.

Most of the questions I had in mind have already been asked but I’m curious to hear some of Bloodstained’s music. CastleVania has such great music so I wonder if the same is true for its spiritual successor. What are some songs you’d like to see get in with Miriam?

 

[Commander_Alph]

Is there a good stage for Bloodstained?

 

[SharkLord]

For a Legend Spirit, I'd personally go with Zangetsu. He's the second-most prominent protagonist, starred in both CotM games, and aside from being extremely %$#@ing powerful, the Zangetsu title looks to be Bloodstained's equivalent to the Belmont Clan.

Also, he has one of the best themes in the game. It's not what most songs in the game sound like, but here's one song I'd like to see, so that's my answer for you Gengar84 .

 

[Flik]

Here's how Bloodstained music looks/sounds like in Smash Bros:

 

[ZelDan]

As far as spirits go, they'd definitely go with the 7 playable characters between both Curse of the Moon games, and would also probably add a spirit for Gremory. As far as Ritual of the Night goes, well, The only important character in RotN to not show up the CotM games that I remember was that male alchemist dude with the glasses.

While not as "important" to RotN's plot, there's also O.D I guess if they wanted more than 9 spirits.

 

[SharkLord]

Is there a good stage for Bloodstained?

I'd say the castle in general (Called the Hellhold in some sources). Seeing as Bloodstained is a metroidvania, I think there's potential for a really big stage that encompasses a lot of areas. If we want a smaller stage, I'd go with the Tower of Twin Dragons, which is a very memorable location for it's scope, harkening back to the iconic Clock Tower stages, and it's music

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Sorry I was visiting friends we haven’t seen since the pandemic started so I wasn’t really able to contribute to the conversation today. I haven’t played Bloodstained but the aesthetics look really cool. From what I’m hearing, Miriam’s moveset is kind of giving me Dante vibes with stylish sword and gun attacks.

Most of the questions I had in mind have already been asked but I’m curious to hear some of Bloodstained’s music. CastleVania has such great music so I wonder if the same is true for its spiritual successor. What are some songs you’d like to see get in with Miriam?

Gears of Fortune, The Executioners, Cursed Orphan, Silent Howling, Voyage of Promise, Luxurious Overture and Valiant Stride seem mandatory to me

 

[ZelDan]

Some Curse of the Moon music would be nice as well:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

(for some reason the only good music uploads I could find for CotM2 mostly had gameplay footage attached with it. Yeesh.)

 

[Gengar84]

Some Curse of the Moon music would be nice as well:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

(for some reason the only good music uploads I could find for CotM2 mostly had gameplay footage attached with it. Yeesh.)

Thanks for posting these. I’m actually glad they had the gameplay with them because I hadn’t seen the game in action before. I didn’t even realize there was an 8/16 bit version of Bloodstained. The gameplay and stage design is definitely very similar CastleVania but I think the character swapping definitely keeps things interesting. The music is also very good from what I’m hearing and I’d say it holds up pretty well compared to CastleVania.

For my next question, Bloodstained, like CastleVania, seems like it would lend itself well to some really good boss battles in Smash. Who would you like to see make it in as a boss if Miriam became playable?

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Thanks for posting these. I’m actually glad they had the gameplay with them because I hadn’t seen the game in action before. I didn’t even realize there was an 8/16 but version of Bloodstained. The gameplay and stage design is definitely very similar CastleVania but I think the character swapping definitely keeps things interesting. The music is also very good from what I’m hearing and I’d say it holds up pretty well compared to CastleVania.

For my next question, Bloodstained, like CastleVania, seems like it would lend itself well to some really good boss battles in Smash. Who would you like to see make it in as a boss if Miriam became playable?

It'd have to be Gremory, who's appeared in all 3 games and is Bloodstained's version of Death

 

[Technomage]

Now, what alternate costumes should Miriam get? I'm thinking at least one of them should be her Pre-Curse appearance:

 

[Commander_Alph]

Now, what alternate costumes should Miriam get? I'm thinking at least one of them should be her Pre-Curse appearance:

Is there a difference in power during her pre-curse appearance, since she doesn't have the tattoo? Just for lore sake considering I've only seen it as a costume which would be cool to have it be half of the recolor.

 

[Technomage]

Is there a difference in power during her pre-curse appearance, since she doesn't have the tattoo? Just for lore sake.

Hmmm, probably; I guess that costume would be kinda odd.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Is there a difference in power during her pre-curse appearance, since she doesn't have the tattoo? Just for lore sake considering I've only seen it as a costume which would be cool to have it be half of the recolor.

Yeah, the tattoos are because of the Shard's power so it adds up

Now, what alternate costumes should Miriam get? I'm thinking at least one of them should be her Pre-Curse appearance:

The Valkyrie Dress is a dead ringer, it's the only outfit that changes Miriam's look

 

[SharkLord]

Now, what alternate costumes should Miriam get? I'm thinking at least one of them should be her Pre-Curse appearance:

Is there a difference in power during her pre-curse appearance, since she doesn't have the tattoo? Just for lore sake considering I've only seen it as a costume which would be cool to have it be half of the recolor.

Like Gwen mentioned, the Valkyrie Dress is just a cosmetic change. It's not the absolute most powerful outfit stat-wise, but it still decently strong and is the only outfit in the game o actually change her appearance. I think it'd at least make for a cool white alt, if not having an entire set of alts.

 

[Dan Quixote]

Is there a difference in power during her pre-curse appearance, since she doesn't have the tattoo? Just for lore sake considering I've only seen it as a costume which would be cool to have it be half of the recolor.

Smash has never really cared for perfect canon accuracy about things like this anyways

 

[Technomage]

Smash has never really cared for perfect canon accuracy about things like this anyways

True; just look at Min Min's maskless face in her reveal trailer.

 

[Dan Quixote]

True; just look at Min Min's maskless face in her reveal trailer.

How about Samus? Those different colored suits are VERY established in canon as having incredible abilities.

I'm glad they do this though, I enjoy the references in the alternate costumes in this game, especially when they also have a great design on top of the reference, like most of the Fire Emblem kids.

 

[amageish]

Hey, you know what else has a lot of stretchgoals due to increased demand? The noms list!

Seriously, we have a 3-way tie for third place and a 3-way tie for 7th place... We should probably make explicit rules for what happens if there is a tie, as the RTC method of doing the tying characters/concepts on the same day sounds like it'd make this thread into a labyrinth of discussion even Miriam couldn't navigate...

Spoiler: The Noms List

50+ noms
Freddy Fazbear - x137
Amiya - x105
Battletoads - x100
Crash Bandicoot - x100
Cadence - x100
Magus (Chrono Trigger) - x95
Chosen Undead - x90
Neku Sakuraba - x90
Imperial (Etrian Odyssey) - x90
Gran/Djeeta - x85
Maxwell - x75
Amaterasu - x65
Sarah Kerrigan - x60
Filia (Skullgirls) - x55

26-50 noms
Estelle Bright - x45
Endo Mamoru - x45
Frisk - x44
2B - x40
Saber - x40
Elma - x38
Maxwell - x35

11-25 noms
Octoling - x25
Black Mage - x20
Master Hand - x20
Laharl - x20
Hearthstone Innkeeper - x20
Mega Man X - x15
Isaac (Golden Sun) - x15
Shovel Knight - x15
Astral Chain rep - x15
Trauma Center Content - x12

5-10 noms
Daitoryo - x10
Saber - x10
Ryza - x10
Bubsy - x10
Ryza - x10
Chibi-Robo - x5
9-volt - x5
Gunvolt - x5
Jill Stingray - x5
Nathan Drake - x5

 

[GolisoPower]

Hey, you know what else has a lot of stretchgoals due to increased demand? The noms list!

Seriously, we have a 3-way tie for third place and a 3-way tie for 7th place... We should probably make explicit rules for what happens if there is a tie, as the RTC method of doing the tying characters/concepts on the same day sounds like it'd make this thread into a labyrinth of discussion even Miriam couldn't navigate...

Spoiler: The Noms List

50+ noms
Freddy Fazbear - x137
Amiya - x105
Battletoads - x100
Crash Bandicoot - x100
Cadence - x100
Magus (Chrono Trigger) - x95
Chosen Undead - x90
Neku Sakuraba - x90
Imperial (Etrian Odyssey) - x90
Gran/Djeeta - x85
Maxwell - x75
Amaterasu - x65
Sarah Kerrigan - x60
Filia (Skullgirls) - x55

26-50 noms
Estelle Bright - x45
Endo Mamoru - x45
Frisk - x44
2B - x40
Saber - x40
Elma - x38
Maxwell - x35

11-25 noms
Octoling - x25
Black Mage - x20
Master Hand - x20
Laharl - x20
Hearthstone Innkeeper - x20
Mega Man X - x15
Isaac (Golden Sun) - x15
Shovel Knight - x15
Astral Chain rep - x15
Trauma Center Content - x12

5-10 noms
Daitoryo - x10
Saber - x10
Ryza - x10
Bubsy - x10
Ryza - x10
Chibi-Robo - x5
9-volt - x5
Gunvolt - x5
Jill Stingray - x5
Nathan Drake - x5

Maybe there'd be some sort of tiebreaker Poll like what was held for Ayumi Tachibana?

 

[chocolatejr9]

Hey, you know what else has a lot of stretchgoals due to increased demand? The noms list!

Seriously, we have a 3-way tie for third place and a 3-way tie for 7th place... We should probably make explicit rules for what happens if there is a tie, as the RTC method of doing the tying characters/concepts on the same day sounds like it'd make this thread into a labyrinth of discussion even Miriam couldn't navigate...

Spoiler: The Noms List

50+ noms
Freddy Fazbear - x137
Amiya - x105
Battletoads - x100
Crash Bandicoot - x100
Cadence - x100
Magus (Chrono Trigger) - x95
Chosen Undead - x90
Neku Sakuraba - x90
Imperial (Etrian Odyssey) - x90
Gran/Djeeta - x85
Maxwell - x75
Amaterasu - x65
Sarah Kerrigan - x60
Filia (Skullgirls) - x55

26-50 noms
Estelle Bright - x45
Endo Mamoru - x45
Frisk - x44
2B - x40
Saber - x40
Elma - x38
Maxwell - x35

11-25 noms
Octoling - x25
Black Mage - x20
Master Hand - x20
Laharl - x20
Hearthstone Innkeeper - x20
Mega Man X - x15
Isaac (Golden Sun) - x15
Shovel Knight - x15
Astral Chain rep - x15
Trauma Center Content - x12

5-10 noms
Daitoryo - x10
Saber - x10
Ryza - x10
Bubsy - x10
Ryza - x10
Chibi-Robo - x5
9-volt - x5
Gunvolt - x5
Jill Stingray - x5
Nathan Drake - x5

You have Ryza listed twice.

 

[SharkLord]

Maybe there'd be some sort of tiebreaker Poll like what was held for Ayumi Tachibana?

Hahaha, yeah, the polls...

Those polls were just messy, to be honest. I think I'll just find a randomizer and spin the wheel to spare us the trouble.

 

[ahemtoday]

Honestly, if a tie tosses someone out of the week, I think they should just get frozen at the top of the noms list so they're guaranteed to go next week. Though maybe that'd get messy if too many characters build up there...

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Honestly, if a tie tosses someone out of the week, I think they should just get frozen at the top of the noms list so they're guaranteed to go next week. Though maybe that'd get messy if too many characters build up there...

This is a case of 2 3 way ties. Personally I'd use ties as seperate placing as the RTC method doesn't really feel like it'd work here, though it might be a good idea to still try

 

[Gengar84]

I’ve got two characters I nominated in the top 7 at the moment (Battletoads and Magus). I would gladly push one of mine back a week if it makes things easier. Maybe the best way to do that is to just not add nominations to Magus this round and put them all into Battletoads?

 

[Technomage]

I know other people have already talked about Miriam's moveset here, but I do have a question/idea for a move of hers: Should one of her moves involve firing a gun?

 

[Commander_Alph]

I know other people have already talked about Miriam's moveset here, but I do have a question/idea for a move of hers: Should one of her moves involve firing a gun?

Wait, there's a gun? I mean you could but that doesn't really represent her even if it's one of her weapon.

 

[Technomage]

Wait, there's a gun? I mean you could but that doesn't really represent her even if it's one of her weapon.

Yes, there are guns in the game (they're one of the weapons Miriam can equip). You do, however, have a point with representation; it's just that having an early/colonial-era gun is something that, for some reason, interests me a bit, as well as something we don't have in Smash yet (I will admit that is not a good enough reason to advocate for a character or a move).

 

[Cutie Gwen]

I know other people have already talked about Miriam's moveset here, but I do have a question/idea for a move of hers: Should one of her moves involve firing a gun?

It feels like referencing the fact she can use guns for the sake of referencing it and considering everything else she can do, it seems like a waste

Wait, there's a gun? I mean you could but that doesn't really represent her even if it's one of her weapon.

Yeah, guns also happen to be some of the strongest weapons assuming you have the ammo, though ammo has to be crafted and unless you equip a special item that you get for clearing all the food sidequests, the ammo can be pretty damn rare

 

[Gengar84]

Since I haven’t played the game before I’m not really sure how important Miriam’s gun is to her overall play style. Would it be correct to say that the gun is less important to Miriam’s moveset than Dante’s gun is to his? From what little I’ve seen, it looks like Miriam has a ton to work with before even considering gun attacks if it isn’t a huge part of her kit.

 

[Technomage]

unless you equip a special item that you get for clearing all the food sidequests, the ammo can be pretty damn rare

Wait, why is ammo rare in that game? In real life, crafting bullets is cheap and easy (compared to say, arrows or bombs).

Since I haven’t played the game before I’m not really sure how important Miriam’s gun is to her overall play style. Would it be correct to say that the gun is less important to Miriam’s moveset than Dante’s gun is to his?

Probably.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Since I haven’t played the game before I’m not really sure how important Miriam’s gun is to her overall play style. Would it be correct to say that the gun is less important to Miriam’s moveset than Dante’s gun is to his? From what little I’ve seen, it looks like Miriam has a ton to work with before even considering gun attacks if it isn’t a huge part of her kit.

Correct, Miriam's most often portrayed with her Blue Rose sword, a whip or the Swordwhip, Ebony and Ivory are a staple of Dante that's consistent in every game

Wait, why is ammo rare in that game? In real life, crafting bullets is cheap and easy (compared to say, arrows or bombs).



Probably.

You're going to have to grind for a ****ton of materials with a lot of ammo types using rare drops, Diamond Bullets are especially noteworthy as they're the strongest ammo, but diamonds are so rare that if you don't use that hat, you're going to be very conservative with it

 

[SharkLord]

Since I haven’t played the game before I’m not really sure how important Miriam’s gun is to her overall play style. Would it be correct to say that the gun is less important to Miriam’s moveset than Dante’s gun is to his? From what little I’ve seen, it looks like Miriam has a ton to work with before even considering gun attacks if it isn’t a huge part of her kit.

Yeah, guns are notable for being a bit unusual compared to the other weapons and having the best range and power, but as Gwen mentioned, they're not the most practical of weapons and there isn't really a gun that Miriam's readily associated with.

 

[SharkLord]

Alright, that's enough time. After ahemtoday passes down the extra noms, we're finally shifting over to Ayumi's day.

 

[amageish]

I’ve got two characters I nominated in the top 7 at the moment (Battletoads and Magus). I would gladly push one of mine back a week if it makes things easier. Maybe the best way to do that is to just not add nominations to Magus this round and put them all into Battletoads?

I don't think we need you to do that, but that is a super kind offer! You gain +2 Kindness.

Spinning a wheel for the people tied for 7th and putting the other two as a lock for the next week sounds like a good strategy to me... I do get that nominating the same people can just be a bit mind-numbing after a while lol (re: the noms processes duing fixed schedules on RTC).

 

[ahemtoday]

Alright, it's Ayumi time!

Spoiler

Paraster x10 (15 Total)
Technomage x10 (15 Total)
amageish x5 (10 Total)
Cutie Gwen x10 (15 Total)
Commander_Alph x15 (20 Total)
SharkLord x5 (10 Total)
C chocolatejr9 x5 (10 Total)
Gengar84 x10 (15 Total)
ZelDan x10 (15 Total)