amageish
Smash Master
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Danganronpa Duos for Smash Thread
DR1: Makoto Naegi Tests his Luck and Kyoko Kirigiri Questions Her Foes
DR2: Hajime Hinata Holds Out Hope and Chiaki Nanami Gets Her Game On
DRV3: Kaede Akamatsu Plays Her Harmony and Shuichi Saihara Begins the Investigation
Please Mark All Spoilers! This is intended to be a spoiler-free thread for those who have yet to play the games or know their stories.
What is Danganronpa?
Danganronpa is a series of horror visual novels about hope and despair in cruel and unjust circumstances. In each of them, a group of high school students recognized for their talents in a particular field, known as Ultimates, are trapped by an evil robotic teddy bear named Monokuma in an inescapable circumstance. They are told that they must murder one of their fellow students and get away with it in order to escape their capture and "graduate" from the game. The protagonists, generally, do not approve of this situation (for obvious reasons) and work to expose the masterminds behind the circumstances they find themselves in.
The gameplay is divided into three distinct modes. In Daily Life, the characters wonder around and socialize. Players can give gifts to strengthen their bonds with their fellow Ultimates, learning about each other and making friends. This is interrupted upon the discovery of a body, which begins the second phase, Deadly Life. In Deadly Life, the player investigates the crime scene, compiling evidence and testimony in order to uncover the guilty party. This culminates in the third phase, the Class Trial, where all the Ultimates argue about who is/isn't the killer, with the player using evidence as "Truth Bullets" to find contradictions in student testimony and shatter misconceptions had by the other students. In the latest entry, Danganronpa V3, the player is also able to use "Lie Bullets" to try to uncover the truth through misleading their classmates themselves. The court system also has a variety of (mildly-intrusive) minigames to help guide the player to the truth.
Who are these characters? Why have you picked six of them?
Three of these characters are the protagonists of their respective games: Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Luck; Hajime Hinata, the Ultimate ???; and Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist. I have also provided each of them with a close friend to help provide them support: Makoto is joined by Kirigiri, Ultimate ???; Hajime is joined by Chiaki, Ultimate Gamer; and Kaede is joined by Shuichi, Ultimate Detective. My pitch is that they'd work like Zelda/Sheik in previous games - you can freely switch between the protagonist and their partner by using the down-special.
My reason for this is the core gimmick I'm proposing for the characters moveset. As mentioned above, the gameplay of Danganronpa is divided into three main sections. My pitch for a moveset is to have a duo of characters - one representing the Daily/Deadly Life elements, with moves that give opponents (deadly) gifts and pocket evidence (similar to Villager's pocket), while the other represents the class trial, presenting the evidence gathered by their partner in order to deal out massive amounts of damage. In this case, Kirigiri, Hajime, and Shuichi gather evidence, while Makoto, Chiaki, and Kaede present the evdince at trial. I think this would uniquely represent the mechanics of Danganronpa while also adding a gameplay loop unique to transforming characters in Smash Bros. I also feel it mostly reflects the personalities of the characters, with the more analytical ones gathering evdience and the more outgoing ones presenting it.
Shouldn't Chiaki and Hajime switch roles, as he's the vocal protagonist who would present at trial?
See, uh, part of the thought process that led to me pitching this gimmick is related to canon heights. Chiaki/Kaede/Makoto are the shorter characters, while Hajime/Shuichi/Kirigiri are taller. So, yes, Chiaki and Hajime are not in their 100% ideal roles, but this way they can hopefully work as alts.
Since when is Kaede shorter then Shuichi?
Oh, yeah, they slightly changed Kaede's height in the English localization of Danganronpa V3. I have no idea why they did that, but she's the exact same height as Makoto in the Japanese version. So, I'm going with the Japanese height!
Do you honestly think they would make 6 unique high-quality player-character-quality models for Danganronpa of all things?
Um. Well. No.
I do think that Danganronpa would be best represented by a character with an investigation/court gimmick though, similar to the one had by Phoenix Wright in Marvel vs Capcom 3. Smash Bros lately has been doing a very good job at making characters play in ways mechanically similar to their base games and I don't see why Danganronpa would be an exception to that. If I had to realistically predict, I'd probably bet on Makoto by himself, as he's both the protagonist of the first game and he has a lot of presence in spin-offs and franchising. That said, if Sakurai randomly asked me personally to pick one character to represent Danganronpa, then my personal preference is the Piano Freak, Kaede.
That said, this thread is intended to be a general discussion place for Danganronpa protagonists, be it as a standalone character, in my duo idea, or whatever other orientation you'd prefer! Heck, if you want Komaru, the protagonist of the spin-off game Ultra Despair Girls, then that is also totally fine for this thread! Just please do remember to mark your spoilers.
Why put Danganronpa in Smash?
Danganronpa represents three things currently not playablely present in Smash Bros.
First, it's a horror franchise! We have a horror assist trophy and plenty of horror spirits, but no character represents horror games in Smash themselves.
Secondly, it's a visual novel franchise. We know Ayumi, the protagonist of Nintendo's own investigation series Famicom Detective, was considered (however briefly) for Melee. A Danganronpa protagonist would provide a great opportunity to reconsider having an investigation-based visual novel moveset in Smash Bros.
Thirdly, it's a franchise from Spike Chunsoft. Spike Chunsoft is a company with a lot of Nintendo collaborations, notably being the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon franchise and, more recently, acting as a sort of go-between company for Nintendo and Brace Yourself Games collaborating on Cadence of Hyrule. So, while Danganronpa is currently only present on Nintendo hardware via cameos in other games (notably in Crypt of the Necrodancer), the company it is from has a close working relationship with Nintendo. This puts them in a similar boat to the one Joker was in prior to his reveal; I'm not saying Danganronpa content is in any way likely, but it is a dark horse that could certainly get into Smash if the stars align.
It is also currently Danganronpa's 10 anniversary! They've teased upcoming announcements for something happening sometime this year. Maybe that'll be a character in Smash! There is like a 99.9% chance it isn't Smash, but it could be! Technically!
What about a stage?
There are a lot of options here, but three places stand out to me: Hope's Peak Academy, the location of the first game major location across the franchise's lore, could work as a moving stage similar to Garreg Mach Monestary; the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles, the location of the third mainline game, could work similarly as well; and the Class Trial Room itself, where you could easily have other students from across the franchise gathering in the background to observe the fight as it goes on.
Smash doesn't care about spoilers. Do you think Danganronpa would be given special treatment?
Honestly? Yes, I kind of do. As a mystery visual novel, Danganronpa is an interesting position for spoilers, as they can really impact player experience. One could argue that spoilers present in the movesets of characters like Banjo or Shulk don't necessarily matter, given how those are games you can play primarily for the gameplay. I think Danganronpa, a third-party murder mystery game not currently on Nintendo hardware, would be treated differently then the franchises Sakurai and the Smash team have been kind of reckless with spoilers for. Which isn't to say I wouldn't expect famous characters as spirits, Mii Costumes, and stage cameos - I would, but presented in not explicitly revealing ways. I also would be surprised if the character themselves directly spoils key plot twists. I do think the music would be taken from across the franchise though, including some endgame and post-game songs.
Now, watch as I be wrong and the next character is revealed to be Monokuma and his final Smash is a 20-minute lecture where he spoils every key event across the entire franchise...
DR1: Makoto Naegi Tests his Luck and Kyoko Kirigiri Questions Her Foes
DR2: Hajime Hinata Holds Out Hope and Chiaki Nanami Gets Her Game On
DRV3: Kaede Akamatsu Plays Her Harmony and Shuichi Saihara Begins the Investigation
Please Mark All Spoilers! This is intended to be a spoiler-free thread for those who have yet to play the games or know their stories.
What is Danganronpa?
Danganronpa is a series of horror visual novels about hope and despair in cruel and unjust circumstances. In each of them, a group of high school students recognized for their talents in a particular field, known as Ultimates, are trapped by an evil robotic teddy bear named Monokuma in an inescapable circumstance. They are told that they must murder one of their fellow students and get away with it in order to escape their capture and "graduate" from the game. The protagonists, generally, do not approve of this situation (for obvious reasons) and work to expose the masterminds behind the circumstances they find themselves in.
The gameplay is divided into three distinct modes. In Daily Life, the characters wonder around and socialize. Players can give gifts to strengthen their bonds with their fellow Ultimates, learning about each other and making friends. This is interrupted upon the discovery of a body, which begins the second phase, Deadly Life. In Deadly Life, the player investigates the crime scene, compiling evidence and testimony in order to uncover the guilty party. This culminates in the third phase, the Class Trial, where all the Ultimates argue about who is/isn't the killer, with the player using evidence as "Truth Bullets" to find contradictions in student testimony and shatter misconceptions had by the other students. In the latest entry, Danganronpa V3, the player is also able to use "Lie Bullets" to try to uncover the truth through misleading their classmates themselves. The court system also has a variety of (mildly-intrusive) minigames to help guide the player to the truth.
Who are these characters? Why have you picked six of them?
Three of these characters are the protagonists of their respective games: Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Luck; Hajime Hinata, the Ultimate ???; and Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist. I have also provided each of them with a close friend to help provide them support: Makoto is joined by Kirigiri, Ultimate ???; Hajime is joined by Chiaki, Ultimate Gamer; and Kaede is joined by Shuichi, Ultimate Detective. My pitch is that they'd work like Zelda/Sheik in previous games - you can freely switch between the protagonist and their partner by using the down-special.
My reason for this is the core gimmick I'm proposing for the characters moveset. As mentioned above, the gameplay of Danganronpa is divided into three main sections. My pitch for a moveset is to have a duo of characters - one representing the Daily/Deadly Life elements, with moves that give opponents (deadly) gifts and pocket evidence (similar to Villager's pocket), while the other represents the class trial, presenting the evidence gathered by their partner in order to deal out massive amounts of damage. In this case, Kirigiri, Hajime, and Shuichi gather evidence, while Makoto, Chiaki, and Kaede present the evdince at trial. I think this would uniquely represent the mechanics of Danganronpa while also adding a gameplay loop unique to transforming characters in Smash Bros. I also feel it mostly reflects the personalities of the characters, with the more analytical ones gathering evdience and the more outgoing ones presenting it.
Shouldn't Chiaki and Hajime switch roles, as he's the vocal protagonist who would present at trial?
See, uh, part of the thought process that led to me pitching this gimmick is related to canon heights. Chiaki/Kaede/Makoto are the shorter characters, while Hajime/Shuichi/Kirigiri are taller. So, yes, Chiaki and Hajime are not in their 100% ideal roles, but this way they can hopefully work as alts.
Since when is Kaede shorter then Shuichi?
Oh, yeah, they slightly changed Kaede's height in the English localization of Danganronpa V3. I have no idea why they did that, but she's the exact same height as Makoto in the Japanese version. So, I'm going with the Japanese height!
Do you honestly think they would make 6 unique high-quality player-character-quality models for Danganronpa of all things?
Um. Well. No.
I do think that Danganronpa would be best represented by a character with an investigation/court gimmick though, similar to the one had by Phoenix Wright in Marvel vs Capcom 3. Smash Bros lately has been doing a very good job at making characters play in ways mechanically similar to their base games and I don't see why Danganronpa would be an exception to that. If I had to realistically predict, I'd probably bet on Makoto by himself, as he's both the protagonist of the first game and he has a lot of presence in spin-offs and franchising. That said, if Sakurai randomly asked me personally to pick one character to represent Danganronpa, then my personal preference is the Piano Freak, Kaede.
That said, this thread is intended to be a general discussion place for Danganronpa protagonists, be it as a standalone character, in my duo idea, or whatever other orientation you'd prefer! Heck, if you want Komaru, the protagonist of the spin-off game Ultra Despair Girls, then that is also totally fine for this thread! Just please do remember to mark your spoilers.
Why put Danganronpa in Smash?
Danganronpa represents three things currently not playablely present in Smash Bros.
First, it's a horror franchise! We have a horror assist trophy and plenty of horror spirits, but no character represents horror games in Smash themselves.
Secondly, it's a visual novel franchise. We know Ayumi, the protagonist of Nintendo's own investigation series Famicom Detective, was considered (however briefly) for Melee. A Danganronpa protagonist would provide a great opportunity to reconsider having an investigation-based visual novel moveset in Smash Bros.
Thirdly, it's a franchise from Spike Chunsoft. Spike Chunsoft is a company with a lot of Nintendo collaborations, notably being the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon franchise and, more recently, acting as a sort of go-between company for Nintendo and Brace Yourself Games collaborating on Cadence of Hyrule. So, while Danganronpa is currently only present on Nintendo hardware via cameos in other games (notably in Crypt of the Necrodancer), the company it is from has a close working relationship with Nintendo. This puts them in a similar boat to the one Joker was in prior to his reveal; I'm not saying Danganronpa content is in any way likely, but it is a dark horse that could certainly get into Smash if the stars align.
It is also currently Danganronpa's 10 anniversary! They've teased upcoming announcements for something happening sometime this year. Maybe that'll be a character in Smash! There is like a 99.9% chance it isn't Smash, but it could be! Technically!
What about a stage?
There are a lot of options here, but three places stand out to me: Hope's Peak Academy, the location of the first game major location across the franchise's lore, could work as a moving stage similar to Garreg Mach Monestary; the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles, the location of the third mainline game, could work similarly as well; and the Class Trial Room itself, where you could easily have other students from across the franchise gathering in the background to observe the fight as it goes on.
Smash doesn't care about spoilers. Do you think Danganronpa would be given special treatment?
Honestly? Yes, I kind of do. As a mystery visual novel, Danganronpa is an interesting position for spoilers, as they can really impact player experience. One could argue that spoilers present in the movesets of characters like Banjo or Shulk don't necessarily matter, given how those are games you can play primarily for the gameplay. I think Danganronpa, a third-party murder mystery game not currently on Nintendo hardware, would be treated differently then the franchises Sakurai and the Smash team have been kind of reckless with spoilers for. Which isn't to say I wouldn't expect famous characters as spirits, Mii Costumes, and stage cameos - I would, but presented in not explicitly revealing ways. I also would be surprised if the character themselves directly spoils key plot twists. I do think the music would be taken from across the franchise though, including some endgame and post-game songs.
Now, watch as I be wrong and the next character is revealed to be Monokuma and his final Smash is a 20-minute lecture where he spoils every key event across the entire franchise...
Character is Makoto, just Makoto. I'd rather more then that, but let's just assume it's Makoto by himself doing some truth-lie stuff.
Stage is a travelling stage through Hope's Peak Academy, stopping in 4 rooms which all house 4 character cameos. I was originally going to go with the trial room, but I would expect all the fighting to be on the inside of the circle of people and can't quite picture ideal framing? Like, I don't know how to make a circle of people that circular but also doesn't result in the backs of characters blocking your view... So, I'm pitching this stage stopping in the trial room, but it wouldn't have anyone in the circle itself with cameos and all the fighters just standing in front of it... First stop on the journey through the school is the dorms, "Hotel Despair." Junko, Celeste, Mikan, and Himiko all appear here, standing around and reacting to the battle. If they don't care as much about spoilers as I do, then there is 50/50 odds on Junko being Junko or Makuro... Next is the library! Hajime and Chiaki are here repping DR2. They are joined by Toko and Keebo as fellow nerds. If they don't care about spoilers, then Toko has a 25% chance of sneezing upon witnessing a KO and turning into Jack. Third is the Music Room. No points for guessing who is here - Sayaka, Ibuki, and Kaede rep the musicians. Shuichi joins Kaede. If they don't care about spoilers as much as I do, then Shuichi has a chance of being hatless. If they don't care about all of the content in Smash being directly sourced from a video game, then this scene will change to be a music performance when one of Sayaka's songs is playing (Kaede/Shuichi play piano, Ibuki plays guitar, and Sayaka sings). Finally, the journey ends in trial room. Kyoko, Byakuya, Komaeda, and Kokichi all appear here. Monokuma appears in the background as well, watching the affairs from on high. You could have some Monokuma-related stage hazards here if you really want.
Spirit Board is: Kyoko, Byakuya, Komaru, Hajime, Komaeda, Gundham, Kaede, Shuichi, Monokids, Monokuma.
Mii Costumes are: Monokuma hat, Tenko outfit as a brawler, and Komaru outfit as a gunner.
Stage is a travelling stage through Hope's Peak Academy, stopping in 4 rooms which all house 4 character cameos. I was originally going to go with the trial room, but I would expect all the fighting to be on the inside of the circle of people and can't quite picture ideal framing? Like, I don't know how to make a circle of people that circular but also doesn't result in the backs of characters blocking your view... So, I'm pitching this stage stopping in the trial room, but it wouldn't have anyone in the circle itself with cameos and all the fighters just standing in front of it... First stop on the journey through the school is the dorms, "Hotel Despair." Junko, Celeste, Mikan, and Himiko all appear here, standing around and reacting to the battle. If they don't care as much about spoilers as I do, then there is 50/50 odds on Junko being Junko or Makuro... Next is the library! Hajime and Chiaki are here repping DR2. They are joined by Toko and Keebo as fellow nerds. If they don't care about spoilers, then Toko has a 25% chance of sneezing upon witnessing a KO and turning into Jack. Third is the Music Room. No points for guessing who is here - Sayaka, Ibuki, and Kaede rep the musicians. Shuichi joins Kaede. If they don't care about spoilers as much as I do, then Shuichi has a chance of being hatless. If they don't care about all of the content in Smash being directly sourced from a video game, then this scene will change to be a music performance when one of Sayaka's songs is playing (Kaede/Shuichi play piano, Ibuki plays guitar, and Sayaka sings). Finally, the journey ends in trial room. Kyoko, Byakuya, Komaeda, and Kokichi all appear here. Monokuma appears in the background as well, watching the affairs from on high. You could have some Monokuma-related stage hazards here if you really want.
Spirit Board is: Kyoko, Byakuya, Komaru, Hajime, Komaeda, Gundham, Kaede, Shuichi, Monokids, Monokuma.
Mii Costumes are: Monokuma hat, Tenko outfit as a brawler, and Komaru outfit as a gunner.
This is my really weird pitch for a playable trailer for a DR protag with alts. It would be released as a demo for the DR trilogy on Switch, with the demo being publicly encouraged to be played by all and advertised as having "new crossover elements" (ft. screenshots of all casts interacting). They also encourage nobody discuss the contents of the demo until 24 hours after it has been released, a tactic that I'm sure would fail, but seems worth a shot.
The demo is in three phrases - intro, investigation, and trial... like all DR demos.
Phase 1: Makoto wakes up on a desk and meets the Ultimates, just like in the DR1 demo. The casts are a mix from the three main games, plus Komaru, who claims she's been given the title of "The Ultimate Cameo" and is generally confused about what is going on, though happy to see her brother. Dialogue here can be reused from openings or all-new depending on the budget. This section ends once everyone meets at the gym, where Monokuma introduces himself and explains that they have all been trapped inside Hope Peak's Academy to play... a game. When questioned what kind of game, Monokuma says he won't say, but they need to investigate to find out and, as motivation, they will all be executed if they do not figure out why they are there within the day. Everyone panics and splits up into panicked groups to search the school.
Phase 2: While the Ultimates were in the gym, the school was seemingly used as a battleground for some kind of fight, as everything is suddenly much more destroyed. Makoto and Kyoko investigate the damage, finding that the various types of damage (including fireballs, electricity, and a lot of sword-based cuts) are varied and some rely on magic. Himiko insists this is proof of magic being real, explaining the types of attacks that would have caused such damage, while someone else is frustrated with her (IDK who... Komaeda?). You switch PoVs to Hajime, who explores the school with Chiaki and find some things that'd be impossible in reality, notably invisible walls. Miu banters with them, notably being physically unable to swear as much as she'd like and she also observes that her outfit is awkwardly censored. You then switch PoVs to Kaede, who finds a bunch of discarded items alongside Shuichi. She picks up one of them (Mario's hat but drawn as to never show the "M") and tries to encourage Shuichi to put it on, taking off his hat and giving him a pep talk about his insecurities in the process). They discover the hat physically is unable to go on his head, while Chihiro observes and compares this to some sort of programming error. Monokuma calls them to trial room to debate their circumstances.
Phase 3: In trial, Makoto has to prove the use of magic in the fighting, leading Hajime to prove they are in a E-10 video game, leading Kaede to prove it must be a crossover (all using minigames based on how they work in V3). Chiaki declares that it is "Super Sma-" at which point Monokuma declares the trial a success, with Makoto, Hajime, and Kaede as standout investigators. He decides to "award" them with an execution entitled the "Ultimate Invitiation" ("Super High School Level Special Invite" in Japanese), where they are bound together dragged out of the courtroom. As the execution begins, Kaede panickedly reaches her hand out to Shuichi, who successfully grabs her hand and is dragged with them to the new location. They are all then dropped in Battlefield, leading to a gameplay trailer as they decide to figure out how to apply their investigation skills to the world of Smash.
The demo is in three phrases - intro, investigation, and trial... like all DR demos.
Phase 1: Makoto wakes up on a desk and meets the Ultimates, just like in the DR1 demo. The casts are a mix from the three main games, plus Komaru, who claims she's been given the title of "The Ultimate Cameo" and is generally confused about what is going on, though happy to see her brother. Dialogue here can be reused from openings or all-new depending on the budget. This section ends once everyone meets at the gym, where Monokuma introduces himself and explains that they have all been trapped inside Hope Peak's Academy to play... a game. When questioned what kind of game, Monokuma says he won't say, but they need to investigate to find out and, as motivation, they will all be executed if they do not figure out why they are there within the day. Everyone panics and splits up into panicked groups to search the school.
Phase 2: While the Ultimates were in the gym, the school was seemingly used as a battleground for some kind of fight, as everything is suddenly much more destroyed. Makoto and Kyoko investigate the damage, finding that the various types of damage (including fireballs, electricity, and a lot of sword-based cuts) are varied and some rely on magic. Himiko insists this is proof of magic being real, explaining the types of attacks that would have caused such damage, while someone else is frustrated with her (IDK who... Komaeda?). You switch PoVs to Hajime, who explores the school with Chiaki and find some things that'd be impossible in reality, notably invisible walls. Miu banters with them, notably being physically unable to swear as much as she'd like and she also observes that her outfit is awkwardly censored. You then switch PoVs to Kaede, who finds a bunch of discarded items alongside Shuichi. She picks up one of them (Mario's hat but drawn as to never show the "M") and tries to encourage Shuichi to put it on, taking off his hat and giving him a pep talk about his insecurities in the process). They discover the hat physically is unable to go on his head, while Chihiro observes and compares this to some sort of programming error. Monokuma calls them to trial room to debate their circumstances.
Phase 3: In trial, Makoto has to prove the use of magic in the fighting, leading Hajime to prove they are in a E-10 video game, leading Kaede to prove it must be a crossover (all using minigames based on how they work in V3). Chiaki declares that it is "Super Sma-" at which point Monokuma declares the trial a success, with Makoto, Hajime, and Kaede as standout investigators. He decides to "award" them with an execution entitled the "Ultimate Invitiation" ("Super High School Level Special Invite" in Japanese), where they are bound together dragged out of the courtroom. As the execution begins, Kaede panickedly reaches her hand out to Shuichi, who successfully grabs her hand and is dragged with them to the new location. They are all then dropped in Battlefield, leading to a gameplay trailer as they decide to figure out how to apply their investigation skills to the world of Smash.
Smash moveset commission for @BobExistent of Makoto Naegi (and other protagonists as alts) from Danganronpa! This is one of my most ambitious moveset concepts in awhile, drawing out four different characters was a fun challenge. pic.twitter.com/xzrllb8Fk4
— Ryan's Art Account (@TKOWL_Art) November 25, 2020
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