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

[GolisoPower]

RTS, particularly Starcraft's gameplay, would be difficult to translate directly into Smash. But zerg summons would serve as an easy way to represent units. Maybe they'd cost minerals or vespine gas?

As mentioned before, Jack-O' from Guilty Gear XRD could make for a good point of inspiration, since her moveset and gameplan are heavily-inspired by RTS's.

 

[Gengar84]

RTS, particularly Starcraft's gameplay, would be difficult to translate directly into Smash. But zerg summons would serve as an easy way to represent units. Maybe they'd cost minerals or vespine gas?

I just posted a fully fleshed out moveset I thought up for her. It took quite a while to make and I put a fair amount of work in it but I'm pretty proud of how it came out. I'd love for anyone to take a look and share any feedback with it. Yeah, I agree that Vespian Gas is a great way to manage resources that she can use to summon Zerg units. I was thinking of having a few drones in the background of the stage (like Pokemon Trainer) that gathered material that charged a meter that she could use. The drones would mostly be there for visual effect.

 

[GolisoPower]

Questions, guys: how would a trailer go? Would she be called "Sarah" or "Kerrigan" in Smash? What would her reveal tagline be?

 

[Gengar84]

Questions, guys: how would a trailer go? Would she be called "Sarah" or "Kerrigan" in Smash? What would her reveal tagline be?

I think her trailer should start out with Samus exploring an alien cave only to get ambushed by Kerrigan and her Zerg army. I had the idea of a dual reveal of her and Bill Rizer from Contra where Bill eventually shows up to help Samus defeat Kerrigan. I would love this since all three games drew heavy inspiration from the movie Alien. I think if they are going to shorten her name, they’d go with her last name. Kerrigan just sounds cooler and more unique than Sarah.

One idea I had for a stage is working in a “creep” mechanic. In Starcraft, the Zerg can only build structures by first corrupting the land. Any Zerg standing on it also gradually recovered health as well. You could have Zerg units move around the background and slowly corrupting parts of the stage. For Smash, it might make sense to have the opposite effect and gradually damage players.

For a tag line, I like “ Kerrigan rushes in!” to reference the zergling rush. This was a tactic that Zerg players often used to try to end a match early by going on the offensive with their early zergling units before the opponent could prepare.

 

[Eldrake]

Questions, guys: how would a trailer go? Would she be called "Sarah" or "Kerrigan" in Smash? What would her reveal tagline be?

I think she'd be called Kerrigan. That's usually what she's called in short because people generally know exactly who you are talking about when you just say Kerrigan, whereas Sarah is a comparatively common name and could refer to a lot of characters.

 

[GolisoPower]

I think she'd be called Kerrigan. That's usually what she's called in short because people generally know exactly who you are talking about when you just say Kerrigan, whereas Sarah is a comparatively common name and could refer to a lot of characters.

That is a fair point. I just wanted to pose the question since Simon doesn't use his full name and all. Also because of the fact there are a few fighters with normal-sounding names, too (Lucas, Ike, Steve, etc).

 

[Gengar84]

As mentioned before, Jack-O' from Guilty Gear XRD could make for a good point of inspiration, since her moveset and gameplan are heavily-inspired by RTS's.

So how exactly does Jack-O’ work in Guilty Gear? Is it anything like the moveset I came up with for Kerrigan? I’m intrigued how an actual fighting game made the idea work.

 

[GolisoPower]

So how exactly does Jack-O’ work in Guilty Gear? Is it anything like the moveset I came up with for Kerrigan? I’m intrigued how an actual fighting game made the idea work.

Here's the Dustloop page about her:

GGXRD-R/Jack-O'

www.dustloop.com

TL;DR: She has Specials that allow her to place "Ghosts" that spawn different Servants depending on which button is pushed, much like how certain units need specific buildings in StarCraft. If they survive for long enough, they level up and produce stronger Servants to fight with.

 

[Gengar84]

Here's the Dustloop page about her:

GGXRD-R/Jack-O'

www.dustloop.com

TL;DR: She has Specials that allow her to place "Ghosts" that spawn different Servants depending on which button is pushed, much like how certain units need specific buildings in StarCraft. If they survive for long enough, they level up and produce stronger Servants to fight with.

Oh that’s pretty cool. I just skimmed through the wiki link and it does seem like that could work really well. My idea is probably a little simpler in that it’s basically just a fancy MP gauge. I think both ideas would be cool.

 

[Dan Quixote]

Sarah Kerrigan
"I am the Swarm. Armies will be shattered. Worlds will burn. Now at last, on this world, vengeance shall be mine. For I am the Queen of Blades."

View attachment 320568​

Artist: PANSUP KIM

Introduction
​

Starcraft is a science fiction real time franchise developed by Blizzard Entertainment. While the series is mostly known for being a PC game, the original game did release on the Nintendo 64 as Starcraft 64 in 2000. The franchise received a sequel in 2010 which spawned several expansions. It remains one of the most popular and influential games in its genre to this day.

Who is Sarah Kerrigan?
​

Prior to her infestation, Sarah Kerrigan began as a psychic terran soldier known as a ghost operative. During a mission, Kerrigan was abandoned by her superior, Arcturus Mengsk, when things began to look bad and was left to die. Instead, Kerrigan became infested by an alien insectoid race known as the Zerg and became one of them. In time, Kerrigan rose to become the leader of the entire Zerg race and swore revenge on the one who betrayed her.

Why Kerrigan would be great for Smash
​

Kerrigan is an iconic character that would offer a lot to a game like Smash Bros. For one, she is both a female and a villain, two things which Smash is still lacking (but are definitely catching up with Ultimate). I believe Sarah Kerrigan is the best character to represent the RTS genre due to her ability to control the Zerg. RTS games are all about resource management and creating an army of units to crush the opponent's base. This is something I think Kerrigan can utilize in Smash. Starcraft also really meshes well with the Metroid universe and would make for some really cool interactions if there is any kind of story mode in future games if she returns.

Potential Moveset:

​

Spoiler

Special Traits / Other:
Kerrigan would be the first true summoner character in Smash. All of her special attacks other than Psionic Shift summon various Zerg units to aid her in battle. In order to balance this, I decided to incorporate an element of resource management similar to her home series.

Vespian Gas - As the battle goes on, Kerrigan builds up resources that she can spend to use all of her special attacks minus Psionic Shift (which doesn’t cost anything since it is her recovery move). Being a simple attack, Zergling Rush attack uses the least amount of gas while the Hydralisk/Defiler/Mutalisk uses the most. She initially starts with 0 Vespian Gas but builds it up gradually as the battle goes on. The way this works in Starcraft is you have units called Drones (for the Zerg at least) traveling to mining points and bringing back Minerals and Vespian Gas to your base which you use as a currency to construct buildings and units. To simplify things for Smash, I cut it down to just Vespian Gas. I think it would be a nice touch to represent this by have some Drones (pictured below) in the background gathering resources by moving around, similar to Pokemon Trainer. If Kerrigan tries to summon a Zerg without sufficient Vespian Gas, there will a be a disembodied voice of the Overmind stating "We require more Vespian Gas".

View attachment 320561


Weak Attacks:
A Combo – Chain Reaction
Kerrigan attacks with a flow of electricity. Like Megaman’s A combo, this is a projectile attack and deals no knockback. In multiplayer, the electricity can flow to other nearby enemies if they are close enough.

Forward Tilt – Kinetic Blast
A small short range explosion from her hand

Up Tilt – Razor Swarm
Kerrigan sends out several mini shockwaves diagonally upwards

Down Tilt
A low claw swipe

Running A
A running double claw swipe

Smash Attacks:
Forward Smash - Ravage
Kerrigan lunges forward and stabs the opponent with her wings.

Up Smash
Kerrigan thrusts her wings upward and stabs above her

Down Smash – Impaling Blades
Kerrigan slams the ground causing spikes to rise from the ground on both sides

Specials:
Neutral B – Hydralisk /Defiler / Mutalisk (pictured from left to right)
Similar to Dedede’s original side B that summoned Waddle Dees, Kerrigan summons one of a variety of Zerg units that wander along the battlefield and attack opponents. The hydralisk is the most basic of these. They travel along the ground and attack any opponent nearby. The defiler doesn’t actively attack but instead inflicts various status effects on anyone that gets too close with a cloud of poisonous gas. Finally, the mutalisk flies through the air and attacks any airborne opponents in its range.


View attachment 320562View attachment 320563View attachment 320564


Forward B (Grounded) – Zergling Rush (pictured on the left)
Kerrigan summons a pair of Zerglings to rise from the ground and charge forward for a bit before diving back into the ground.


Forward B (Aerial) – Scourge (pictured on the right)
If performed in the air, Kerrigan hatches a pair of Scourge who fly forward and explode into any opponent they touch.


View attachment 320565View attachment 320566

Up B – Psionic Shift
Kerrigan surrounds herself in energy then dashes in the chosen direction, damaging anyone she touches

Down B - Lurker
Similar to Snake’s mine attack, Kerrigan summons a Lurker to burrow in the ground right next to her. Anyone who walks over this location is attacked with a rising spike attack for a short while. Like the Hydralisk, only one Lurker can be summoned at a time.

View attachment 320567

Grabs:
Grab
Kerrigan impales the opponent with her wings

Pummel
Kerrigan grabs the opponent’s face and shocks it with energy

Forward Throw
Kerrigan kicks her opponent forward

Back Throw
A simple toss backward

Up Throw
Kerrigan throws her opponent upwards followed by a quick lightning attack

Down Throw
Kerrigan slams her opponent into the ground

Aerial Attacks:
Neutral A
Kerrigan surrounds herself with electric energy and attacks around her, much like Mewtwo

Forward A
A forward claw swipe

Back A
A backward thrust kick

Up A
A somersault kick

Down A – Quantum Ray
Shoots a beam of energy diagonally downward

Final Smash: Apocalypse
Kerrigan surrounds herself in a radius of energy. Any opponent that comes within range is struck by an explosion which triggers a cinematic cutscene. This scene mimics the final few seconds of the Betrayal on Kerrigan scene. After landing the initial strike, the opponent is transported to a ruined planet where he or she is surrounded by zergs on all sides. As they reach the target, the screen turns to black. It then returns to the normal battle screen and the opponent takes massive damage and knockback.

Apocalypse

​

What music could Kerrigan bring?

There are lots of great options for songs but I particularly love all the Terran themes. Here are a few songs that I think would be amazing in Smash:

StarCraft - Terran Theme 1

StarCraft Music - Terran Theme 1 (Playing at 1080P is recommended due to file compression)

www.youtube.com

Starcraft Terran Theme 2

This is the second terran ingame battletheme. All Copyrights go to Blizzard Entertainment

www.youtube.com

Starcraft Terran Theme 3

This is the third terran ingame battletheme. All Copyrights go to Blizzard Entertainment

www.youtube.com

StarCraft - Terran Theme 4

StarCraft Music - Terran Theme 4 (Playing at 1080P is recommended due to file compression)

www.youtube.com

Starcraft 2 Soundtrack - Terran 05

Official Soundtrack of the Starcraft 2 Beta© Blizzard Entertainment- Download -Terran: http://ul.to/nnbne6Protoss: http://ul.to/0iezlkZerg: http://ul.to/jitpsf

www.youtube.com

​

This is the post that's finally convinced me on Kerrigan tbh. Like I'm still a WoW boy so I'd vote for a Warcraft character first, but the idea that Kerrigan could summon Zerg to become the first real summoner fighter in the game AND she could represent the strategies of the RTS genre with that mechanic is just too damn appealing to me.

Ain't it so weird that the only RTS anything in Smash is Pikmin? Gotta pull more from one of the biggest genres ever.

 

[Gengar84]

This is the post that's finally convinced me on Kerrigan tbh. Like I'm still a WoW boy so I'd vote for a Warcraft character first, but the idea that Kerrigan could summon Zerg to become the first real summoner fighter in the game AND she could represent the strategies of the RTS genre with that mechanic is just too damn appealing to me.

Ain't it so weird that the only RTS anything in Smash is Pikmin? Gotta pull more from one of the biggest genres ever.

Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. Yeah, I would honestly be really hyped for a WarCraft, StarCraft or Diablo character. Illidan is actually my favorite Blizzard design but I do think Kerrigan makes the most sense to represent RTS mechanics. It helps that she is also a badass female villain with a unique and awesome design herself.

 

[Technomage]

Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. Yeah, I would honestly be really hyped for a WarCraft, StarCraft or Diablo character. Illidan is actually my favorite Blizzard design but I do think Kerrigan makes the most sense to represent RTS mechanics. It helps that she is also a badass female villain with a unique and awesome design herself.

Also, she's a bug, which we don't have any of in the roster.

 

[GolisoPower]

Another question is what her alt costumes would be. I could think of alts based on Abathur, the Primal Zerg and maybe the Xel'Naga, among others.

 

[Gengar84]

I like this design from StarCraft 2 as an alternate outfit. She can incorporate the robotic insect wings from her Heroes of the Storm alt.

Another option is just use her Heroes of the Storm alternate outfit:

There’s also the possibility of using her red headed, pre-infested design as an alt but it wouldn’t really make much sense for her to be summoning zerg in that state.

 

[Paraster]

Noms: Hat Kid x10

If Starcraft got an Assist Trophy, would it make sense for it to be a lore character or to make it a generic unit (or a group of units, a la the Infantry & Tanks AT from Brawl and 4)?

 

[GolisoPower]

Noms: Hat Kid x10

If Starcraft got an Assist Trophy, would it make sense for it to be a lore character or to make it a generic unit (or a group of units, a la the Infantry & Tanks AT from Brawl and 4)?

Honestly, if Kerrigan were to have a moveset around summoning different Zerg units like what Gengar suggested, I think it'd make sense for StarCraft Assist Trophies to be from either the Terrans or the Protoss. More than likely similar to the Infantry & Tanks AT. Or a single, giant unit, perhaps. A Protoss Colossus is one that comes to mind.

 

[Gengar84]

Noms: Hat Kid x10

If Starcraft got an Assist Trophy, would it make sense for it to be a lore character or to make it a generic unit (or a group of units, a la the Infantry & Tanks AT from Brawl and 4)?

There are so many great options that its really hard to narrow it down to just one. Lore wise, Jim Raynor and Zeratul would be really cool but there are lots of generic units that would work well too like a Carrier, Battlecruiser or Ultralisk. I’m leaning towards Raynor that drives along the stage in a Vulture (essentially a speeder bike from Star Wars) and fires at opponents.

Artist: Wei Wang​

 

[SharkLord]

Alright, tagging amageish and ahemtoday . I've got a little vacation trip today now that I've got both shots in and if I don't transition now I am most definitely gonna get distracted so let's do it early before I forget.

Noms: Ryza x10

 

[Commander_Alph]

I'm free! glad I can comeback here again before my character days, say what are my score? Might as well ask this now.

 

[Cutie Gwen]

I gotta say, of all the days I missed discussion on this is the one I'm most interested in, love that the thread's working as intended

 

[ahemtoday]

A little hard to come up with in-theme messages for nom-posting when the thread is specifically designed for obscure characters.

Spoiler

GolisoPower x20 (25 Total)
Rie Sonomura x5 (10 Total)
Perkilator x5 (10 Total)
G Guynamednelson x5 (10 Total)
Eldrake x5 (10 Total)
Gengar84 x30 (35 Total)
Paraster x5 (10 Total)

 

[Perkilator]

Noms:
Sir Arthur x10

 

[Rie Sonomura]

Nominations:
Elma x5
Darkest Dungeon Content x5

 

[GolisoPower]

Noms:
Monika x15
Warframe Rep x10

 

[Paraster]

Noms: Hat Kid x10

 

[amageish]

Whoops, uh, I apparently missed all of the Starcraft day. I mean, my only exposure to it is StarCraft 64, which was a game I played less out of interest and more amusement at the game's existence. RTS reps would be nice to have though.

Also we're rocking another 3-way tie for 7th place! We're very good at ties!

Spoiler: The Noms List

50+ noms
Monika - x130
Scorpion - x83
Jill Stingray - x80
Filia (Skullgirls) - x70
Elma - x83
Sir Arthur - x70
Hearthstone Innkeeper - x65
Laharl - x65
Hat Kid - x65

26-50 noms
Estelle Bright - x45
Endo Mamoru - x45
2B - x40
Saber - x40
Ryza - x35
Zero Escape Rep - x30
Heavy - x30
Bubsy - x30

11-25 noms
Klonoa - x25
Octoling - x25
Isaac (Golden Sun) - x25
Warframe rep - x25
Shovel Knight - x25
Trauma Center Content - x22
Black Mage - x20
Master Hand - x20
Bill & Lance - x20
Mega Man X - x15
Astral Chain rep - x15

5-10 noms
Chun-Li - x10
Daitoryo - x10
Saber - x10
Axel Stone - x5
Ezio - x5
Chibi-Robo - x5
9-volt - x5
Gunvolt - x5
Nathan Drake - x5
Darkest Dungeon Content - x5
Spyro the Dragon - x3
Tracer - x3
Sly Cooper - x3
Chell - x3

 

[Guynamednelson]

Nomming
Isaac (GS) x5
Mega Man X x5not to be confused with the game where you fight against guns n roses

 

[SharkLord]

Alright, Maxwell day. This one's interesting, actually; At least, it is if you were working on the SmashBoards-made SSBI thread.

 

[Technomage]

Since Maxwell's from Scribblenauts, should his moveset involve spelling?

BTW I place 5 noms on Bubsy.

 

[Gengar84]

I like the idea of a character creating objects to fight with. He reminds me a bit of Steve in that way. How do you think he could play to differentiate himself with Steve?

x35 Bill & Lance

 

[GolisoPower]

So I remember getting really creative with Scribblenauts and making so many combinations of so many things, and even being pleasantly surprised when I actually made something I didn't think it would have (Like how many people are aware that THIS THING exists, let alone is in Scribblenauts???). It got its start on Nintendo consoles and is arguably a breakout hit on its debut with the DS. Sadly, the series hasn't seen a new entry since Showdown, but who knows? Maybe 5th Cell will come back with a new game.

As for a moveset...it's hard to think of a set since all he seems to do is just use that Notebook. Write anything, draw anything, I honestly kind of feel like if we're gonna make a Maxwell set, we'd have to give him some attacks that don't use "writes in notebook" as a base animation. Like, for example, swiping with a pencil. Or flipping the pages for a multi-hit attack. Now I'm not saying he shouldn't use his notebook as he does in Scribblenauts, just that it should be less than one may think just to make him more appealing.

 

[Commander_Alph]

Alright, Maxwell day. This one's interesting, actually; At least, it is if you were working on the SmashBoards-made SSBI thread.

I remember that, never thought that someone else knew this game other than myself. Cthulhu with a gun is my favorite character.

 

[ahemtoday]

Oh, boy, it's time for a character I'm about to be really into.

Since Maxwell's from Scribblenauts, should his moveset involve spelling?

BTW I place 5 noms on Bubsy.

Honestly? Almost certainly not. You thought Hero raised some issues with language barriers? Try an actual gameplay change.

The spelling isn't really the exciting part of the notebook anyhow.

I like the idea of a character creating objects to fight with. He reminds me a bit of Steve in that way. How do you think he could play to differentiate himself with Steve?

x35 Bill & Lance

Almost completely different. Steve creates terrain, primarily. Maxwell doesn't. The closest you can ever get is by writing in "Wall", and that gives you a big boxy wall that is still affected by physics.

Also, Maxwell can create individuals with the notebook as well, and doing so is just as common as creating objects in the game.

I think one of the keys to Maxwell is that the stuff he gets from the notebook is basically entirely independent of him once he creates it. If you create Cthulhu, you do not then control Cthulhu. In fact, Cthulhu will probably attempt to kill Maxwell if you don't set things up right. With that in mind, interpreting the notebook as something that just makes things that, like... stop existing when Maxwell's done with them feels... fundamentally off.

 

[Gengar84]

Oh, boy, it's time for a character I'm about to be really into.

Honestly? Almost certainly not. You thought Hero raised some issues with language barriers? Try an actual gameplay change.

The spelling isn't really the exciting part of the notebook anyhow.


Almost completely different. Steve creates terrain, primarily. Maxwell doesn't. The closest you can ever get is by writing in "Wall", and that gives you a big boxy wall that is still affected by physics.

Also, Maxwell can create individuals with the notebook as well, and doing so is just as common as creating objects in the game.

I think one of the keys to Maxwell is that the stuff he gets from the notebook is basically entirely independent of him once he creates it. If you create Cthulhu, you do not then control Cthulhu. In fact, Cthulhu will probably attempt to kill Maxwell if you don't set things up right. With that in mind, interpreting the notebook as something that just makes things that, like... stop existing when Maxwell's done with them feels... fundamentally off.

Oh that’s pretty cool. So Maxwell could essentially be a summoner character as well. I don’t really know much about Scribblenauts other than the fact that you can create tons of different items by scribbling in a notebook. I just kind of assumed that also extended to terrain.

 

[Eldrake]

I can't really say much as I haven't played Scribblenauts, but Maxwell feels like one of these characters who'd wind up Steve tier when it comes to complexity. I can't imagine that he wouldn't at least have prefixes as an unique mechanic in some way when it comes to creating objects.

Also, putting all of my noms on Gordon Freeman from Half-Life.

 

[Paraster]

I got a few random Maxwell ideas.

1. What if some of his attacks had him summon different things chosen at random that were functionally identical? Like if up special had him fly with wings or a jetpack, but there were no differences between how they performed? Or if he had an attack that could be a sword or a chainsaw, but they did the same damage and knockback?

2. A similar idea: what if Maxwell had a Command Selection-style special where he could select one of several items from a list? (It could be partially random like Command Selection or a consistent list each time.)

3. The Scribblenauts games have very underrated soundtracks. I'm particularly fond of the first two games' (here and here), mostly for how they nostalgically remind me of the Drawn to Life series (David J. Franco composed for all the Scribblenauts and Drawn to Life games to my knowledge, but the DS games have a real charm in their soundfonts), but Unlimited is pretty good as well.

4. What would Scribblenauts get as a stage? It's not exactly known for iconic locations. Maybe Edwin's Farm?

5. I think an obvious alternate color would be Doppelganger, but what about his other ones? Would they be based on Maxwell's brothers? Would we get Lily as an alternate model?

6. If Maxwell got in, Team Fortress 2 would be only 2 degrees of separation from Smash.

 

[ahemtoday]

1. What if some of his attacks had him summon different things chosen at random that were functionally identical? Like if up special had him fly with wings or a jetpack, but there were no differences between how they performed? Or if he had an attack that could be a sword or a chainsaw, but they did the same damage and knockback?

I think that could be a fun way to add some more variety without actually complicating the moveset.

Though, like I said before, I think conceptualizing Maxwell's summoning ability as Villager-like moves kinda misses the mark on how the character feels.

2. A similar idea: what if Maxwell had a Command Selection-style special where he could select one of several items from a list? (It could be partially random like Command Selection or a consistent list each time.)

I think the random element feels somewhat in the spirit of Scribblenauts, but Command Selection is designed around turn-based RPG menus. Stapling Scribblenauts stuff into that framework would be functional, yes, but it wouldn't be as resonant as Command Selection because nothing like it (of much importance, anyway) is a menu in the original game.

 

[GolisoPower]

Okay, question here: should Maxwell be able to summon items found in Smash? I mean obviously not something like Homerun Bat or Death's Scythe, but maybe something like a Green Shell or a Beam Sword.

 

[ahemtoday]

Okay, question here: should Maxwell be able to summon items found in Smash? I mean obviously not something like Homerun Bat or Death's Scythe, but maybe something like a Green Shell or a Beam Sword.

Yes. Yes. Yes. The stuff Maxwell summons is much more comparable to items than they are Villager's tools, so something like this would suit him perfectly.

Heck, I would argue this sort of thing should be the cornerstone of his moveset. I don't think he would necessarily produce items from other IPs, but he probably could produce the Scribblenauts equivalent - it's got ray guns, and laser swords, and soccer balls in it.

 

[Technomage]

Has anybody gone over alternate costumes, yet?