Elma for Smash Ultimate: Strength comes from experience. That’s true on any planet.

[Calamitas]

The upcoming Grandblue Fantasy game is developed by Platinum Games, the folks behind Bayonetta. If I recall correctly, it's an ARPG, and it looks promising. The last time I kept track of it was almost a year ago, but I added it on my "to buy list", when it comes out in the US because I'm a huge fan of Platinum's stuff.

Here's some gameplay:

I don't believe the DLC rumors, but I'm not gonna lie, she'd be cool. Not what I was expecting, but not the worst thing ever. I don't think her inclusion would hurt Elma's chances or anything of course, and I can understand how most folks in this thread wouldn't care about that character, but yeah... The game is worth keeping an eye on it you're a fan of ARPGs and/or Platinum. Just saying.

Huh, that does actually look pretty interesting. It helps that this Katalina (that's how you spell her, right?) has a pretty good design for a female RPG character.
Remind me again, though, were there any leaks/rumors about a Switch verison of that game coming up, or why was she suddenly relevant for Vergeben and others?

I know virtually nothing about Elma but I'm definitely interested and have kept my eye on her throughout this speculation cycle. I could just Google it but I prefer when fans explain the appeal themselves. Things I already like:

-Fights with two swords and guns (?)
-a PoC woman who kicks *** and isn't a giant stereotype
-is a mech pilot (?)
-Overall great character design

Alright Elma fans; sell the character to me.

I'm gonna leave some of the more decisive points to other people here, but what she'll inevitably bring with her is some pretty great music (which so far doesn't seem to be in Ultimate at all). To give some examples:

 

[CyberSkies]

I don't want to sit here and quote several people but a lot of people have been speculating about us getting dlc characters sooner than we think. Sakurai said they hadn't even started working on them yet. Though I don't think that means they haven't been planned out as I'm sure at least most of them were planned for base roster and cut due to time. Although if they are done developing the game (which they should be) then they're probably going to be working on them soon. Obviously they wouldn't just be working on piranha plant but I think we could expect the first dlc character to be announced in about 3 months which just so happens to put us around piranha plant's release window and possibly a new nintendo direct maybe.

 

[Deleted member]

So I was thinking about Elma and I thought of this for her neutral special: Ghost Factory

It would work more as in XC2 then in XCX in that it would actually create two clones of Elma with one at her left and one at her right that can be desynced if they take knockback

They would move exactly how the main Elma moves and has all the same stats EXCEPT they disappear after either they take too much damage or Elma herself takes too much damage, and they also glow purple to distinguish themselves from her. Also she has I-frames during the animation of her starting it up BUT she has a lot of endlag just to balance it out

Actually idk if this would be balanced I dont play competetive but I think it would be fun

 

[KatKit]

I know virtually nothing about Elma but I'm definitely interested and have kept my eye on her throughout this speculation cycle. I could just Google it but I prefer when fans explain the appeal themselves. Things I already like:

-Fights with two swords and guns (?)
-a PoC woman who kicks *** and isn't a giant stereotype
-is a mech pilot (?)
-Overall great character design

Alright Elma fans; sell the character to me.

Ability-wise, she can: gain a power boost by sacrificing a portion of HP, can temporarily gain intangibility, and has a stealth move that allows her to briefly go undetected. She's also capable of enhancing her attacks/stats by increasing her "TP" (think of something like Limit Break) and temporarily entering a state called Overdrive.

Moreover, she's not human (in more ways than one!), so despite her agility, she's very durable and jumps high. Also, the "mech" she pilots can fly and it transforms into a ground vehicle. You're right that she dual wields both swords and pistols. In-game, she can switch between them on the fly, so she's a versatile combatant. How that translates into Smash means she would specialize in both long and short range combat, and mastering her would require switching between the two.

Other positive attributes about this character? She's very laid back, mysterious, likes cats, is a good leader, and saved humanity. Also, dat voice.

 

[CyberSkies]

Ability-wise, she can: gain a power boost by sacrificing a portion of HP, can temporarily gain intangibility, and has a stealth move that allows her to briefly go undetected. She's also capable of enhancing her attacks/stats by increasing her "TP" (think of something like Limit Break) and temporarily bentering a state called Overdrive.

Moreover, she's not human (in more ways than one!), so despite her agility, she's very durable and jumps high.

She's also a PoC in more ways than one! lol

 

[Flyboy]

I know virtually nothing about Elma but I'm definitely interested and have kept my eye on her throughout this speculation cycle. I could just Google it but I prefer when fans explain the appeal themselves. Things I already like:

-Fights with two swords and guns (?)
-a PoC woman who kicks *** and isn't a giant stereotype
-is a mech pilot (?)
-Overall great character design

Alright Elma fans; sell the character to me.

She's just honestly really cool. She has a cool factor to her but just because she's serious doesn't mean she doesn't have warmth. She's done a lot and there's a lot about her that is complex and her morality is very grey, but overall she's caring and compassionate to her squad and tries to make the right choices for humanity. That doesn't mean morally right all the time, but pragmatic for sure. It's very interesting.

She also absolutely is a WoC who kicks ass. Everything from her weapon arts to her big mech ("Doll" in Japanese, "Skell" in English) are just plain fun and flashy and exciting, and would translate to a really spectacular Smash moveset.

I personally love how she interacts with the squad, especially Irina who has a giant infatuation with her. It's really compelling and heart-rending stuff. Some of my favorite moments of the game are between those two.

Elma more than anything was a surprising character to me. She's very nuanced and layered and instead of just being purely heroic or evil she's in-between in that she has to constantly make tough decisions to lead humanity across this dangerous planet and save the human race. It's great stuff and very philosophical and I just really dig that! She's so cool.

 

[Phoebe3315]

I know virtually nothing about Elma but I'm definitely interested and have kept my eye on her throughout this speculation cycle. I could just Google it but I prefer when fans explain the appeal themselves. Things I already like:

-Fights with two swords and guns (?)
-a PoC woman who kicks *** and isn't a giant stereotype
-is a mech pilot (?)
-Overall great character design

Alright Elma fans; sell the character to me.

To add a little to what people have already said about her personality, she is one of the most sensible characters I've seen in a long time. She urges people to learn facts and come to their own conclusions. She's selfless, smart and makes great speeches:
https://youtu.be/xqsIJGu2bes
I've seen many people call her boring because she appears serious most of the time (especially in the main story), but what else would you expect from the leader during such a dire situation? She has lots of personality, it just isn't shown off much in Xenoblade X's main story. For example:
https://youtu.be/u5WBGpM9yMI?t=95

 

[Deleted member]

I still believe she’s dlc because where’s the xenoblade x music?

 

[Izayoi]

I still believe she’s dlc because where’s the xenoblade x music?

That's the biggest thing going for us, yeah.
The other big things would be lack of Xenoblade X characters in Spirits (so far), special mention of Xenoblade 2 during the direct, and nothing related to Xenoblade X in general.

 

[Phoebe3315]

It's still possible Xenoblade X music and/or spirits of characters are in the game...I guess we'll find out in a month. Best case scenario Elma+Mira stage+Sawano music is DLC. Otherwise, I hope Elma, Lin, and a few others are spirits. I'm starting to think Sawano music won't be in the game unless it's part of DLC, but hopefully there are at least more spirits. If there aren't, Sakurai probably doesn't like X at all...

 

[Deleted member]

Sakurai probably doesn't like X at all...

What do you mean? Sakurai loves the xenoblade series.

 

[PSIGuy]

He's literally never written or spoken about X at all, though. He goes to concerts for XB1, writes glowing reviews for 2 in his Famitsu column, showcases tons of content from 1 and 2 in the Direct, but the single piece of X content is a sticker that you'll miss if you're not looking for it.

 

[GolisoPower]

If there’s anyone in Japan right now next in line to interview Sakurai, we need to convince them to ask him a question about Xenoblade X, get an opinion out of him! I mean, if we have enough to convince them.

 

[Phoebe3315]

What do you mean? Sakurai loves the xenoblade series.

As PSIGuy said, he's never stated his opinion on Xenoblade X. To some people, the "Xenoblade series" means the original Xenoblade Chronicles, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

 

[Izayoi]

He might not regard it as his favorite but I highly doubt he disliked Xenoblade X especially when...well... Didn't he consider Elma for Smash 4 before scrapping her for Corrin at behest of Nintendo for advertising purposes?

 

[Phoebe3315]

He might not regard it as his favorite but I highly doubt he disliked Xenoblade X especially when...well... Didn't he consider Elma for Smash 4 before scrapping her for Corrin at behest of Nintendo for advertising purposes?

Do you have a source for that? I just remember Source Gaming's video about how Elma was probably the best choice after Corrin for DLC. Maybe Sakurai never considered her at all. If he did, she might have a better chance because not even I thought she'd be a great addition to Smash until I considered what her moveset could be like.

 

[AustarusIV]

He might not regard it as his favorite but I highly doubt he disliked Xenoblade X especially when...well... Didn't he consider Elma for Smash 4 before scrapping her for Corrin at behest of Nintendo for advertising purposes?

Elma was never considered for SSB4 DLC as far as I know. The reason Corrin was added was because the development team (or marketing team, not sure which) really wanted to add a newcomer for promotional purposes and were especially interested in Corrin, and despite Sakurai’s initial misgivings about the idea, he relented and added them in.

I’m pretty sure Sakurai talked about XCX at some point in his weekly Famitsu articles, particularly around or shortly after the game’s release in Japan. A lot of his writings tend to go untranslated unless they’re related to Smash, or so I think.

 

[Izayoi]

Oh, I see. I hope he said something good about X.

 

[PSIGuy]

I’m pretty sure Sakurai talked about XCX at some point in his weekly Famitsu articles, particularly around or shortly after the game’s release in Japan. A lot of his writings tend to go untranslated unless they’re related to Smash, or so I think.

I find it hard to believe Sakurai could talk about any high profile Nintendo release and not have it translated. Especially when his comments on everything else from Minecraft to his PS4 get translated. Until we see evidence otherwise there's no reason to assume he spoke about XCX.

 

[Nonno Umby]

Do you have a source for that? I just remember Source Gaming's video about how Elma was probably the best choice after Corrin for DLC. Maybe Sakurai never considered her at all. If he did, she might have a better chance because not even I thought she'd be a great addition to Smash until I considered what her moveset could be like.

Elma was never considered for SSB4 DLC as far as I know. The reason Corrin was added was because the development team (or marketing team, not sure which) really wanted to add a newcomer for promotional purposes and were especially interested in Corrin, and despite Sakurai’s initial misgivings about the idea, he relented and added them in.

I’m pretty sure Sakurai talked about XCX at some point in his weekly Famitsu articles, particularly around or shortly after the game’s release in Japan. A lot of his writings tend to go untranslated unless they’re related to Smash, or so I think.

To be fair they reserved a DLC spot for a promotional character and then they decided to who it would go. And considering that Sakurai was initially unsure about Corrin kinda proves that he had at least a second choice in his mind, which going by the SourceGaming analisys it would have to have been Elma.





Speacking of the Ultimate DLC, I think those 5 (and probably too) were chosen since the project proposal. When you think about the newcomers they added on the base roster:
-They are all hype inducing characters or from huge series, so it makes sense that Elma wouldn't take priority over any of those.
-They all don't need a new stage except for Inkling and Simon who are from new series. This is interesting to note because all of the 5 DLC characters would need a new stage, and we know that Elma's sci-fi artstyle and Sawano's music wouldn't really mesh that well with Gaur Plains, especially considering that XCX had a great enphasis on its world (also being an HD game they can also re-use serveal assets for a stage).
-Speaking of stages, the fact that there are exactly 5 missing stages on the SSS I think proves that those 5 DLC were planned for a long time.

 

[Phoebe3315]

Speacking of the Ultimate DLC, I think those 5 (and probably too) were chosen since the project proposal. When you think about the newcomers they added on the base roster:
-They are all hype inducing characters or from huge series, so it makes sense that Elma wouldn't take priority over any of those.
-They all don't need a new stage except for Inkling and Simon who are from new series. This is interesting to note because all of the 5 DLC characters would need a new stage, and we know that Elma's sci-fi artstyle and Sawano's music wouldn't really mesh that well with Gaur Plains, especially considering that XCX had a great enphasis on its world (also being an HD game they can also re-use serveal assets for a stage).
-Speaking of stages, the fact that there are exactly 5 missing stages on the SSS I think proves that those 5 DLC were planned for a long time.

This is what I was thinking when I said Xenoblade X music might be separated from the regular series music. The styles are just so different. Even if Gaur Plains looks kinda similar to Primordia, it would feel weird to me mixing the fantasy music and sci-fi music. Especially with the vocal songs in X often relating to that game specifically.

 

[Nonno Umby]

This is what I was thinking when I said Xenoblade X music might be separated from the regular series music. The styles are just so different. Even if Gaur Plains looks kinda similar to Primordia, it would feel weird to me mixing the fantasy music and sci-fi music. Especially with the vocal songs in X often relating to that game specifically.

I would think they would still be united, but by having two stages you can just set to 0% the possibility of having X music on Gaur Plains and vice versa.

 

[CyberSkies]

If Elma's in the stage with her would probably be primordia but I kind of hope we get a stage from one of the other continents. My personal favorite would be Sylvalum but I think the fan favorite is Noctilum right? Either way the day-night mechanic from gaur plains better carry over because it would have a way better effect with an XCX stage.

 

[Icana]

Huh, that does actually look pretty interesting. It helps that this Katalina (that's how you spell her, right?) has a pretty good design for a female RPG character.
Remind me again, though, were there any leaks/rumors about a Switch verison of that game coming up, or why was she suddenly relevant for Vergeben and others?

That Granblue character's design kinda reminds me of:

This artwork is on Monolithsoft's recruitment page for a medieval Action RPG they're working on. What are the chances this figure is a lead character for that upcoming game? And could they be a candidate for Smash DLC to promote this title?

Anyway, I'm a Sawano for Smash person, and his music is missing in Ultimate so far. Elma is the best shot of seeing that change, so obviously I'm cheering for her inclusion, because I know the second I see her reveal trailer and hear something like 'The Key we've lost' play in the background, I'm gonna feel the hype!

 

[Calamitas]

I just saw a bunch of videos by more prominent YouTubers talking about which Nintendo characters actually survived the "massacre" of deconfirmations last Direct. . . and they all acted like Bandana Dee was the only one to make it. Urgh. Seems like we still have quite a way to go before people actually acknowledge Elma.

 

[Flyboy]

I just saw a bunch of videos by more prominent YouTubers talking about which Nintendo characters actually survived the "massacre" of deconfirmations last Direct. . . and they all acted like Bandana Dee was the only one to make it. Urgh. Seems like we still have quite a way to go before people actually acknowledge Elma.

This just means we will have more to gloat about after she gets confirmed.

(Though I am also a big Kirby fan...)

 

[IronWarrior94]

The more I see X haters claim the game was a failure and no one cared about it, the more I want vindication. We may not be getting a Switch port anytime soon, but they keep on forgetting that a sequel is still on the table, and very possible to be the next Xenoblade game.

 

[Phoebe3315]

The more I see X haters claim the game was a failure and no one cared about it, the more I want vindication. We may not be getting a Switch port anytime soon, but they keep on forgetting that a sequel is still on the table, and very possible to be the next Xenoblade game.

Yeah, the tiny amount of Xenoblade X content (especially compared to 1 & 2) in Ultimate wouldn't bother me as much if it weren't for all the stupid claims that it's a bad game. Thankfully, no matter how much some people hate X, Monolith Soft loves it and have expressed interest multiple times in a port and a sequel.

 

[Flyboy]

Yeah, the tiny amount of Xenoblade X content (especially compared to 1 & 2) in Ultimate wouldn't bother me as much if it weren't for all the stupid claims that it's a bad game. Thankfully, no matter how much some people hate X, Monolith Soft loves it and have expressed interest multiple times in a port and a sequel.

I think that's my big thing and why I latched onto Elma. It's not like I don't like the other Xenoblade games - I have only seen the first and want to play the 2nd's DLC since the story and characters sound neat - but X specifically appealed to me more than the other two. It was more than just a good game, it was a beautiful and imaginative one that I still think about every so often. Like I'll just be sitting around and some scene or location or music piece will pop into my head. It's not even one of my favorite games ever, but it still left a mark on me and to get next to no representation in Smash feels wrong.

But at the same time, plenty of games I love aren't repped in Smash. Sure, Spirits have now given us Ouendan/EBA, Style Savvy, and now Chibi-Robo has a Mii, and to be honest I'm FINE with that. That's real acknowledgement and more than I ever expected I'd get. I love the Chibi-Robo references and Spirits! I doubt Marina Liteyears is ever getting in Smash or even getting a Spirit but I'm not gonna cry about it. But that's because the supposed "fans" of those games don't sit down and try and roast every single aspect of the games I like! I have to hear all the time about X's music being bad, about the game or characters or story being boring, about how it'll never get a port or that it's not worthy of getting a port. I already faced that **** with Xenogears fans towards Xenosaga and I'm not in the mood to face it again.

If Elma gets in as DLC I will be over the moon because I'll feel vindicated and yeah, you night see me be a LITTLE gloating or petty but damn it, we've earned it!

Of course if she isn't in, again, I won't cry about it. It will be a bummer, though. At least some X Spirits would be nice. I'm a huge fan of that mode and the Spirits battles so that doesn't seem like a demotion or insult to me. But yeah, obviously I want playable.

 

[Izayoi]

What if Elma adds an extra section to the World of Light map?

 

[Camc10]

Let's be very clear about the leaks.

Spoiler

> Verge only says that there will be a SE rep and Minecraft content. the other leaker says that Minecraft will get a character and that Grandblue is in talks to get a character. Me Personally cannot believe the later cause I feel Sakurai would have just saved Rex for DLC if they haven't decided all of them yet.

-Speaking of stages, the fact that there are exactly 5 missing stages on the SSS I think proves that those 5 DLC were planned for a long time.

There are actually 6 spaces left on the SSS

 

[Deleted member]

I don't believe any leaks at this point tbh after Grinch leak. When Grinch came out it convinced almost EVERYONE, including me somewhat even though I still wasn't completely sure (70/30 towards real). And then P L A N T happened which ****ed with leaks even more. At this point I don't trust anyone

 

[ReeseBalaski]

What if Elma adds an extra section to the World of Light map?

I would enjoy that.

I think it actually might be likely to happen, considering that the DLC characters were decided early this time.

 

[Camc10]

I would enjoy that.

I think it actually might be likely to happen, considering that the DLC characters were decided early this time.

I assume this too, at least with Piranha Plant.

 

[Deleted member]

whoops looks like I posted this on the wron thread

 

[dezeray112]

I don't believe any leaks at this point tbh after Grinch leak. When Grinch came out it convinced almost EVERYONE, including me somewhat even though I still wasn't completely sure (70/30 towards real). And then P L A N T happened which ****ed with leaks even more. At this point I don't trust anyone

The Grinch leak certainly decieved many of us (including myself, even though I was 50/50.)

Anyways, I do feel that Elma would have a decent chance being a DLC fighter.

 

[Camc10]

we have word that 700+ of the 800+ songs in Smash will be unlocked from the start.

 

[Calamitas]

we have word that 700+ of the 800+ songs in Smash will be unlocked from the start.

Where's this information coming from?

 

[Rie Sonomura]

we have word that 700+ of the 800+ songs in Smash will be unlocked from the start.

isn't it 900+ songs tho?

 

[Camc10]

Where's this information coming from?

http://www.siliconera.com/2018/11/0...tes-singleplayer-modes-at-nintendo-live-2018/
Nintendo Live Friday/Saturday

isn't it 900+ songs tho?

I thought It was 900+, but it's apparently 800+