Jotari
Smash Journeyman
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2015
- Messages
- 408
So this is something that came up in the Zelda Light Arrows thread is the notion of giving gimmicks to older characters. A gimmick on a character is something that only really popped up in Brawl, but is now pretty frequent. Some of them are the entire basis of the moveset, like with Steve or Olimar, sometimes it's something quite minor, like Bayonetta's bats or Ryu's button inputs, and sometimes it's something inbetween, like Cloud's limit or Mac's KO punch. I think there's some vague feeling of distaste for newer characters being more gimmicky in design, but honestly I think pretty much all of them have been fine in this regard, usually they're either a creative moveset or just a little touch up that makes the character more interesting. It's mainly the more minor ones I'm considering here. For example, if Sephiroth somehow got into the game in Melee, I don't think he'd have his One Winged Angel form (let's ignore that the form literally didn't exist at that point and that Sephiroth never had any chance of getting into Melee). It just wasn't the kind of thing Melee designed on its characters. But I do like the One Winged Angel Form, it's one of those extra little things that makes him more interesting.
I feel like I've been meandering around the point here just talking about gimmicks in general, I think, because, I'm expecting people to not really like the idea of giving gimmicks to older characters, but let's just have fun for a moment thinking up ideas. What gimmicks could older characters get that would make them more interesting or take advantage of newer abilities that are conspicuously missing? The one idea I've come up with so far is for Zelda's smash attacks changing by charging up a set of three orbs like Cloud's limit. Maybe I'll think of some more later.
I will note that they actually have went back and added a gimmick to one older character. Specifically, in SSB4 they gave Bowser his Tough Guy Armour that let him shrug off weaker attacks without flinching (something I think Ganondorf should get too). So, while I'm not expecting something crazy like Pikachu evolving into Raichu mid battle or anything, giving minor gimmicks to older characters isn't something unprecedent.
EDIT: I've also remembered Link was given a Sword Beam on his forward Smash, but only when he's at 0%. So they've given minor gimmicks to two old characters.
I feel like I've been meandering around the point here just talking about gimmicks in general, I think, because, I'm expecting people to not really like the idea of giving gimmicks to older characters, but let's just have fun for a moment thinking up ideas. What gimmicks could older characters get that would make them more interesting or take advantage of newer abilities that are conspicuously missing? The one idea I've come up with so far is for Zelda's smash attacks changing by charging up a set of three orbs like Cloud's limit. Maybe I'll think of some more later.
I will note that they actually have went back and added a gimmick to one older character. Specifically, in SSB4 they gave Bowser his Tough Guy Armour that let him shrug off weaker attacks without flinching (something I think Ganondorf should get too). So, while I'm not expecting something crazy like Pikachu evolving into Raichu mid battle or anything, giving minor gimmicks to older characters isn't something unprecedent.
EDIT: I've also remembered Link was given a Sword Beam on his forward Smash, but only when he's at 0%. So they've given minor gimmicks to two old characters.
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