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

[Gengar84]

Before I head out, I’ll share my Magus moveset that I created recently. I’m curious to hear everyone’s thoughts on it. I’ve got a lot more to share when I get back.

I had to make Magus a lightweight like Sephiroth for balancing reasons. He probably has way too many projectiles for a heavyweight and his recovery would probably be too strong for a character with Ganondorf’s stats.

Spoiler

 

[Paraster]

Noms: Frisk x5, Heavy (TF2) x5

The most interesting thing about Magus to me (someone who's never played Chrono Trigger) is his use of dark magic. For whatever reason, I've always liked the aesthetic of dark magic (particularly when it involves more use of blue), but so far there aren't any Smash characters that seem to be wholly themed around it except Ganondorf (though Mewtwo and Sephiroth come close), whose default color scheme doesn't really fit the aesthetic to me.

Aside from what Gengar84 listed in his moveset, are there any interesting specific darkness abilities Magus could use?

Also, if we're gonna touch on Chrono Trigger in general, I'm wondering what special abilities Crono would have. Is he just a sword-wielder, or can he use some magic? If so, what elements would be specialize in?

 

[GolisoPower]

I barely have any knowledge of Chrono Trigger, but this Magus dude is already appealing by virtue of having a scythe. Also, the dark magic brought up earlier seems pretty appealing, too. And after the likes of Sephiroth and Kazuya, I wouldn't put it past them to add another 3rd party villain like this.

 

[ZelDan]

For some Chrono Trigger stage ideas:

Well, if Magus was hypethetically the fighter, than his own castle would obviously have to be the stage (granted it could work even if Crono was the playable one, as Magus' Castle is a pretty important part in Chrono trigger's story). they could always go with the room where you specifically fight Magus too.

If we had to pick a stage that could fit Chrono Trigger in general, or could work if Crono was the playable one, Then Zeal kingdom or the Black Omen would be cool. The area where you fight Queen Zeal herself when she transforms could actually be pretty cool too, since you'd get a nice shot of Earth in the background and maybe have Zeal herself as an obstacle.

 

[Paraster]

If a Chrono Trigger character got in, would Chrono Cross music be used? If so, what might the ratio of CT music to CC music be?

 

[ZelDan]

If a Chrono Trigger character got in, would Chrono Cross music be used? If so, what might the ratio of CT music to CC music be?

I would hope CC would make it in. While I didn't like CC as much as CT, it was still a decent game and undeniably had some great music.

I'd imagine the CT would outnumber the CC in the end though. maybe 75% would be Trigger and the rest Cross? It'd depend on how much overall music the series actually gets.

 

[Technomage]

For some Chrono Trigger stage ideas:

Well, if Magus was hypethetically the fighter, than his own castle would obviously have to be the stage (granted it could work even if Crono was the playable one, as Magus' Castle is a pretty important part in Chrono trigger's story). they could always go with the room where you specifically fight Magus too.

If we had to pick a stage that could fit Chrono Trigger in general, or could work if Crono was the playable one, Then Zeal kingdom or the Black Omen would be cool. The area where you fight Queen Zeal herself when she transforms could actually be pretty cool too, since you'd get a nice shot of Earth in the background and maybe have Zeal herself as an obstacle.

How about a stage that travels through the eras you visit in the game? With a Medieval era, a Stone Age era, a Dystopian Future era, etc.

Noms: Frisk x5, Heavy (TF2) x5

The most interesting thing about Magus to me (someone who's never played Chrono Trigger) is his use of dark magic. For whatever reason, I've always liked the aesthetic of dark magic (particularly when it involves more use of blue), but so far there aren't any Smash characters that seem to be wholly themed around it except Ganondorf (though Mewtwo and Sephiroth come close), whose default color scheme doesn't really fit the aesthetic to me.

Aside from what Gengar84 listed in his moveset, are there any interesting specific darkness abilities Magus could use?

Also, if we're gonna touch on Chrono Trigger in general, I'm wondering what special abilities Crono would have. Is he just a sword-wielder, or can he use some magic? If so, what elements would be specialize in?

He does use swords, but he also uses Thunder magic.

 

[ZelDan]

How about a stage that travels through the eras you visit in the game? With a Medieval era, a Stone Age era, a Dystopian Future era, etc.



He does use swords, but he also uses Thunder magic.

that could work too, and have that happening while everyone fights on top of the Epoch (which would be kind of fitting since you do fight on top of it at one point in CT)

 

[Gengar84]

Model by Tarcísio Rezende

Who is Magus? (Chrono Trigger spoilers)

Magus is the lord of the Mystics of the Middle Ages. Depicted as an antagonist for a large part of the game, Magus is eventually revealed to be the older version of Janus, the young prince of Zeal in 12,000 BC. After an encounter with Lavos as a child, he had been sent through a time gate to the Middle Ages, where he was adopted by Ozzie of the Mystics and became their leader. Although he initially plays the role of a villain, it is later discovered that his only goal is to rescue his sister. Later in the game, you are presented with the choice of either fighting Magus to the death or recruiting him into your party.

Why should Chrono Trigger get a character?

Chrono Trigger is a classic and beloved JRPG from the SNES era. Even though it has not had a game since the PS1, many people look back on it fondly to this day. Despite Chrono Trigger's great fan reception and legacy, it does have competition within its own company from huge series not yet represented like Kingdom Hearts, Tomb Raider, and NieR. Even though I'm also a big fan of Kingdom Hearts, Chrono Trigger will always have a special place in my heart and is one of my favorite games of all time.

Why Magus specifically over Crono?

This one is mostly personal preference. Magus is one of my all time favorite video game characters and I've never been all that interested in silent protagonists like Crono. Magus also has a ton to offer gameplay wise. He would be the only scythe wielder on the roster and even the only character with a dedicated polearm weapon. He also has a huge variety of skills and magic to utilize. Magus is also very visually distinct from Hero where Crono definitely has a lot of similarities to several of them. I have come around to Crono as well since I think the partner mechanic could be really fun in Smash if properly implemented.

How would Magus play?

Magus fights using a scythe as well as a combination of all magic types, including his own exclusive "Shadow" magic. Contrary to the other characters, he does not learn any dual techs, and accessories must be found to unlock several triple techs. Because of this, Magus would lean more towards being more of a solo character than the protagonist, Crono, who would focus much more heavily on the partner mechanic of Chrono Trigger. Even though he would primarily fight on his own, I do think he would use one of his triple techs, Eternal Darkness or Omega Flare. As for the rest of his moveset, here is a quick rundown on the solo techs Magus can use:

These are Magus' skills in Chrono Trigger:

Lightning II - Magus attacks all enemies with a massive lightning storm
Ice II - Magus attacks all enemies with giant chunks of ice
Fire II - Magus attacks all enemies with a blazing inferno
Dark Bomb - Attacks enemies in range of a circle. Something like a hugely scaled down StarFox bomb item would work well here
Barrier - Boosts all allies' magic defense
Dark Mist - Attacks all enemies with a dark mist. This one could be similar to one of Palutena's custom moves from Smash 4.
Black Hole - Chance to instant kill enemies within a circle
Dark Matter - Magus' ultimate solo tech. This one deals massive shadow elemental damage to all enemies.

Here is a complete Smash moveset for Magus:

Spoiler

What kind of music could Magus bring?

Chrono Trigger is famous for its amazing soundtrack with many standout classics. Here are a few that I would love to see:

Chrono Trigger Main Theme
Battle
Battle with Magus
Corridors of Time
Schala's Theme
Undersea Palace
Black Omen
World Revolution
Frog's Theme
The Final Battle

What would his stage be?

I think a great idea for his stage would be the final battle with Lavos. Throughout the battle, you are transported thoughout every era so it would be a great way to showcase the time travelling aspect to the game.

What would Magus' alternate outfits be?

Magus has two options for alternate costumes. The first is the cloak that he wears to disguise himself as he travels back to his own time period. The second, which is a bit more out there is based on Guile from Chrono Cross. As you may know, Guile was originally planned to be Magus in the early stages of Chrono Cross but the idea was scrapped and Guile was made into his own character. I think it would be a fun callback to reference Guile in one of Magus' alternate outfits. As for palate swaps, one idea is to have one based on his sprite with the blue cape rather than the red one in his artwork.

What kind of Spirits could he bring?

The most likely scenario here is that Magus would bring over every playable character as a Spirit, including Crono himself as well as other prominent characters such as Schala as well as his generals, Ozzy, Flea, and Slash.

 

[ahemtoday]

I think a great idea for his stage would be the final battle with Lavos. Throughout the battle, you are transported thoughout every era so it would be a great way to showcase the time travelling aspect to the game.

Hey, followup question: what would the name of this stage be, in-game?

I'm... not sure of the timing on this. If I have any noms stored up, I'll put 'em toward Hat Kid.

 

[Gengar84]

Hey, followup question: what would the name of this stage be, in-game?

I'm... not sure of the timing on this. If I have any noms stored up, I'll put 'em toward Hat Kid.

That's a good question. I was thinking something along the lines of "The Final Battle - 1999 AD" but there's probably a better name somewhere.

 

[Paraster]

That's a good question. I was thinking something along the lines of "The Final Battle - 1999 AD" but there's probably a better name somewhere.

I think having it just be the year would be cute. It'd reflect the whole time travel thing.

 

[Gengar84]

I think having it just be the year would be cute. It'd reflect the whole time travel thing.

Yeah I like that. Let’s just go with the year.

Aright, I’ve got a question for everyone that I don’t think anyone but me has really thought much about. Since Chrono Trigger is an SNES game and the characters haven’t appeared in any games since, they were never given any voice acting. If a Chrono Trigger character made it into Smash, who would you like to play them? For Magus, I’d have to go with Chris Sabat (the English actor for Vegeta, Piccolo, and Garland). I think his voice suits Magus perfectly, especially his portrayal of Garland.

Here’s an example of what I imagine Magus would sound like:

- YouTube

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

m.youtube.com

 

[GolisoPower]

Here's a good question for you, Gengar:

How do you see a trailer playing out? Would it involve interrupting a duel between Sephiroth and Kazuya? The Heroes being sent back (Or forwards) in time? Another good few moments in Dracula's Castle?

 

[Gengar84]

Here's a good question for you, Gengar:

How do you see a trailer playing out? Would it involve interrupting a duel between Sephiroth and Kazuya? The Heroes being sent back (Or forwards) in time? Another good few moments in Dracula's Castle?

That is a good question. I’m not sure if I’ve ever really thought about his reveal trailer. Magus is kind of the opposite to Sephiroth and Kazuya in that he’s a villain that turns good instead of the other way around so I like that idea. The CastleVania stage definitely works well for Magus’ castle. Magus himself also has a kind of vampiric look even though he is human so something with Simon might work well too.

I imagine it would likely involve Hero as well, seeing as they are both designed by Toriyama. Dragon Quest has also dealt with time travel so I think that works really well. I’ll definitely have to put some thought into it and come up with a good cohesive trailer.

 

[SharkLord]

Quick question: How to you say the guy's name? I assumed it was "May-gus" at first, but it could be something else.

 

[GolisoPower]

Quick question: How to you say the guy's name? I assumed it was "May-gus" at first, but it could be something else.

I read it as "mag-us", like the sort of fancy-schmancy way of saying wizard.

 

[Gengar84]

Quick question: How to you say the guy's name? I assumed it was "May-gus" at first, but it could be something else.

You have it right but I always pronounce his name wrong. I say it like “magma” because I’m just used to saying it that way.

Another thought that I had is if we were to get Crono instead (which is more likely), then Magus would work really well as a Sephiroth echo. Sephiroth’s huge sword works well for scythe moves (especially for Magus since his has a giant spikeon theend for stabbing moves). Sephiroth also floats for his run and uses shadow magic. His forward special works for Dark Mist and hisneutralspecial works for Dark Bomb. Maybe just change his up special to a teleport and you’re good.

Here’s a video of all of Magus’ techs in Chrono Trigger to give you a sense what they look like in his game:

- YouTube

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

m.youtube.com

 

[Cutie Gwen]

One interesting thing about Magus is how his name in Japan's Mao, which basically means demon lord

Also, if we're gonna touch on Chrono Trigger in general, I'm wondering what special abilities Crono would have. Is he just a sword-wielder, or can he use some magic? If so, what elements would be specialize in?

Crono's generic as hell but the main draw he'd pull from are Dual Techs, Chrono Trigger had special moves which had 2 to 3 party members attack at the same time, so like, instead of just spinning his sword or Lucca using her flamethrower, they combine the two to make a deadly fire cyclone, or Crono and Toad both using their expert swordsmanship to attack at the same time. I see this working like Captain Ginyu's specials in DBFZ, where Crono would rotate party members on usage of any special, adding an extra layer of strategy as you need to think who's next in line when you want to attack. Unfortunately, I don't think Magus had any Dual Techs, likely due to his optional nature

 

[Gengar84]

One interesting thing about Magus is how his name in Japan's Mao, which basically means demon lord

Crono's generic as hell but the main draw he'd pull from are Dual Techs, Chrono Trigger had special moves which had 2 to 3 party members attack at the same time, so like, instead of just spinning his sword or Lucca using her flamethrower, they combine the two to make a deadly fire cyclone, or Crono and Toad both using their expert swordsmanship to attack at the same time. I see this working like Captain Ginyu's specials in DBFZ, where Crono would rotate party members on usage of any special, adding an extra layer of strategy as you need to think who's next in line when you want to attack. Unfortunately, I don't think Magus had any Dual Techs, likely due to his optional nature

Yeah, Crono is my least favorite character from that game since he is a bit plain. I’m also not really that big on silent protagonists in general. Even so, I still kind of like him. I agree the best way to make him interesting for Smash is to base him off dual techs.

You’re right that Magus lacks any dual techs but he does have two triple techs that could potentially be used for a final smash instead of Dark Matter. The good thing about Magus being a solo character is that he could still get in in addition to Crono as a bonus echo of Sephiroth. If Crono is based ondual techs, no other character can really say that.

 

[SharkLord]

Seems it's beginning to slow down. Let's shift over with some extra noms, ahemtoday

 

[ahemtoday]

You got it, boss.

Spoiler

 

[SharkLord]

Oh yeah, amageish maybe I'm just blind today, but it seems like we haven't gotten the noms list up yet.

Ah well, no biggie. The main focus is on the characters, so now that I've finished guitar lessons for today let's talk about Mr. Sakuraba.

 

[Perkilator]

For Neku as a fighter, I recommend reading Sari's article on him from way back when.

Assuming he wasn't able to become a fighter, I could at least see him being an Assist Trophy who does the following:

• Zip around using Blink Step
• Use Pyrokenesis to track opponents
• Interrupt opponents on the ground with Ice Risers

Noms: Sir Arthur x20

 

[amageish]

See, I'm not late on the noms list, I'm just being thematic to Chrono Trigger by having you travel into the future to find the noms list! Obviously...

Spoiler: The Noms List

 

[Rie Sonomura]

Pog

it’s Neku day

TWEWY is probably one of my fave games on the DS, I loved the gameplay and story and especially Neku’s character development

let’s uhhhh start off with the music - aside from like every single heckin Twister remix ever, what other songs do you feel can be included?

I have no noms so not nominating anybody this time

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Pog

it’s Neku day

TWEWY is probably one of my fave games on the DS, I loved the gameplay and story and especially Neku’s character development

let’s uhhhh start off with the music - aside from like every single heckin Twister remix ever, what other songs do you feel can be included?

I have no noms so not nominating anybody this time

****ing uhhhhhh Calling, Transformation, Deja Vu, Satisfy, O Parts, Hybride, Give Me All Your Love (No **** this one's never happening) just to name a few.


As for my question... Is the anime good? Didn't get around to it yet though I have a feeling TWEWY will die again as for some ****ing reason Square forgot they have people to pay for marketing

 

[Rie Sonomura]

*ing uhhhhhh Calling, Transformation, Deja Vu, Satisfy, O Parts, Hybride, Give Me All Your Love (No * this one's never happening) just to name a few.


As for my question... Is the anime good? Didn't get around to it yet though I have a feeling TWEWY will die again as for some ****ing reason Square forgot they have people to pay for marketing

Don’t forget Emptiness And and TATAKAI

Give Me All Your Love isn’t for good boys and girls so not that one, I would like to hear some of the remixes of the non-Twister songs tho

 

[GolisoPower]

TWEWY is a game that I for sure saw a large resurgence in popularity and relevance after the rerelease on Switch and the announcement of a full-on sequel. It's a fun RPG that rocked a cool 2000's aesthetic long before Friday Night Funkin' was even a thing. Well, at least I think it's 2000's.

Neku seems like the kind of mobile character that I feel could thrive on being constantly on the move to emulate the fast-paced combat of the game. He certainly has competition with the likes of 2B, Sora, and Lara Croft as far as Square reps go, but his recent resurgence seems to most certainly put him back in the limelight after his debut on the DS.

Noms:
Monika x10

 

[Technomage]

Ten noms on Bubsy.

Anyways, should Neku's NEO TWEWY outfit be one of his alts?

 

[Rie Sonomura]

Ten noms on Bubsy.

Anyways, should Neku's NEO TWEWY outfit be one of his alts?

…is that a spoiler?

 

[Technomage]

…is that a spoiler?

I don't know; I didn't check that thoroughly.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Ten noms on Bubsy.

Anyways, should Neku's NEO TWEWY outfit be one of his alts?

I didn't rewatch the trailer but isn't it literslly just his OG design with the hoodie up properly?

TWEWY is a game that I for sure saw a large resurgence in popularity and relevance after the rerelease on Switch and the announcement of a full-on sequel. It's a fun RPG that rocked a cool 2000's aesthetic long before Friday Night Funkin' was even a thing. Well, at least I think it's 2000's.

Neku seems like the kind of mobile character that I feel could thrive on being constantly on the move to emulate the fast-paced combat of the game. He certainly has competition with the likes of 2B, Sora, and Lara Croft as far as Square reps go, but his recent resurgence seems to most certainly put him back in the limelight after his debut on the DS.

Noms:
Monika x10

Yeah, TWEWY was very reflective of the culture back then, nowadays it's a call back to it. As for playstyles, I see Neku having the typical psychic idea of being a glass cannon, especially with how goddamn skinny TWEWY characters are

 

[SharkLord]

Ten noms on Bubsy.

Anyways, should Neku's NEO TWEWY outfit be one of his alts?

You mean this guy?

That's Rindo, a separate character. Unless you were referring to someone else? As far as I know, Neku isn't announced to be in NEO yet.

 

[Rie Sonomura]

What would Neku’s Final Smash be? I’m thinking of THAT one.

Yeah. The spoiler one.

 

[Technomage]

You mean this guy?
View attachment 319966
That's Rindo, a separate character. Unless you were referring to someone else? As far as I know, Neku isn't announced to be in NEO yet.

I didn't rewatch the trailer but isn't it literslly just his OG design with the hoodie up properly?

Yeah, TWEWY was very reflective of the culture back then, nowadays it's a call back to it. As for playstyles, I see Neku having the typical psychic idea of being a glass cannon, especially with how goddamn skinny TWEWY characters are

No, I'm talking about this:

 

[Rie Sonomura]

No, I'm talking about this:

I don’t think that’s Neku. Neku’s a redhead, this character is blonde

 

[Technomage]

I don’t think that’s Neku. Neku’s a redhead, this character is blonde

Yeah, but it's on his Wiki article:

Neku Sakuraba

Shut up! Stop talking! Just go the hell away! All the world needs is me... I got my values, so you can keep yours, all right? I don't get people. Never have, never will.Neku in the opening to The World Ends with You Neku Sakuraba (桜庭 音操, Sakuraba Neku) is the main protagonist and playable...

twewy.fandom.com

 

[Cutie Gwen]

Ok after rewatching the trailer that adds up but it doesn't look like Neku at all regardless

 

[SharkLord]

I haven't seen the trailer but NEO Neku has the same vibe as Future Trunks being retconned to having blue hair