Heir to the Monado. Shulk General Discussion/Social Thread

[Deleted member]

Whatever the case may be with the Monado, I extremely doubt that it will be an item. Shulk is highly demanded, his game was petitioned to get here, Shulk would be easier to get than some 2nd party characters (Shulk is 1st party), and Sakurai recognizes Shulk and the Monado thanks to that Twitter pic. I highly doubt Sakurai would treat Shulk and Xenoblade like that. (and if he does, I'll go insane)

Assuming Shulk himself will be playable and not an AT (that is the only situation that would make me genuinely mad at Sakurai), who would make a good AT?

I am personally hoping that Reyn is an Assist Trophy. I dunno what he would do (maybe take damage for you?), but I would love to see him get summoned and say "NOW IT'S REYN TIME!"

 

[foolssigma]

I never considered this as an AT since I always thought he should be a boss, but I want Metal Face. Melia could do some exciting things as an AT. Otherwise, blossom dancing Dunban.

I'm not even considering the possibility of the Monado appearing as an item. Without spoiling anything, what quotes do you think should be in smash if Shulk is in?
One of my favorites was always: "The future doesn't belong to you." Good victory phrase

 

[FlareHabanero]

The monado being an item wouldn't make sense in context, because A) the item would be redundant with the Beam Sword, B) it wouldn't take advantage of the capabilities of the weapon, and C) the weapon isn't suppose to be wield by mortals to begin with because it causes nasty side effects.

 

[Pega-pony Princess]

Assuming Shulk himself will be playable and not an AT (that is the only situation that would make me genuinely mad at Sakurai), who would make a good AT? I think Melia would be a good choice, plus she could be one that does a different attack each time she appears like Tingle or Togepi.

Melia would definitely be an interesting trophy. If her attacks were as powerful as they are in Xenoblade then that would keep players on their toes so they don't get blown off the map.

Riki would be a funny, but potentially useful ally. I can totally imagine him saying something like "Riki the Heropon to the rescue!" or "Hero time!" as he attacks. Perhaps an aura of some sort could surround him and the player, giving them increased strength or agility, etc.

 

[Snagrio]

I think it's quite probable that whenever we (finally) get more info on X it'll end with something along the lines of, "Also regarding this series, we'd like to show you this." and cue the epic Shulk trailer. Or it could be whoever the protagonist for X is, but I'm pretty sure Sakurai is going to go with the already recognizable Shulk.

 

[Louie G.]

My only worry for Shulk is that he gets the Isaac treatment.
He's a character from a noteworthy new RPG IP that many people consider to be likely...
And then shows up as an assist with a few songs from Xenoblade thrown in.
If this happens I'm not expecting Shulk for Smash 5 either, since I'm not expecting Isaac for Smash 4.

 

[Scoliosis Jones]

That could happen, but as I have said before, that wouldn't do much for the character. Isaac was able to make himself pretty unique and can be flashed out to be a full character. Shulk should be able to do the same.

The difference between Golden Sun and Xenoblade, is that Xenoblade is essentially going to be a series for Nintendo now, assuming X does well. I think we can assume that X is relatable to Xenoblade, and therefore Shulk would make sense to reveal. Golden Sun hasn't had any sort of info on its future, and while they had a recent game, I don't think Isaac is going to make it.

I don't think Sakurai would choose the protagonist for X. We have no info on him at this point, and Smash is within a year of its intended release. However, this has made me realize that at some point, Nintendo is going to take the time to talk about it in detail at some point (possibly E3), and with that could be Shulk's reveal trailer.

 

[Louie G.]

I also have a lot of faith in Shulk due to his large popularity in Japan.
I'm pretty sure Isaac was lacking in that department, but he was very popular in the West.

 

[yoonb]

Ah, yeah. I hear Shulk is super popular in Japan. He's the equivalent to our Ridley/Mewtwo is from what I heard, but that definitely seems like a stretch.

 

[Louie G.]

Ah, yeah. I hear Shulk is super popular in Japan. He's the equivalent to our Ridley/Mewtwo is from what I heard, but that definitely seems like a stretch.

Along with Black Shadow, surprisingly.

 

[Deleted member]

Ah, yeah. I hear Shulk is super popular in Japan. He's the equivalent to our Ridley/Mewtwo is from what I heard, but that definitely seems like a stretch.

Shulk is among the most wanted characters in Japan. He is on par with Mewtwo, King K. Rool, Palutena, and an already confirmed Mega Man.
More can be found in this thread.

Along with Black Shadow, surprisingly.

One of the things that make the people in Japan want Black Shadow is the F-Zero anime. He is voiced by a famous Japanese voice actor, Norio Watamoto, and the people in Japan want Norio to reprise his role if Black Shadow is playable. Heck, he even stated in an interview during Brawl that he would reprise his role if he received a call from Nintendo or Sakurai… which never happened.

Seeing the state of F-Zero though, Black Shadow is unlikely…

 

[yoonb]

Wow, it's probably because we got a limited release that he's so much less popular here than he is in Japan. Also considering his game is a JRPG.

If we had lots of copies as well, I think he'd definitely be a much more popular request. But I'm just pointing out the obvious here.

 

[Scoliosis Jones]

Wow, it's probably because we got a limited release that he's so much less popular here than he is in Japan. Also considering his game is a JRPG.

If we had lots of copies as well, I think he'd definitely be a much more popular request. But I'm just pointing out the obvious here.

Eh, well the way I see that, is that Marth and Roy were to be Japan exclusives. Marth had never appeared in North America, so I think the entire premise of "didn't get a lot of exposure" in one region isn't that big a deal.

 

[N3ON]

Ah, yeah. I hear Shulk is super popular in Japan. He's the equivalent to our Ridley/Mewtwo is from what I heard, but that definitely seems like a stretch.

It is a stretch. Shulk is the most popular of new series characters, but a ways behind the most popular characters in Japan, and not even close to how popular Ridley and Mewtwo are here.

In Japan Shulk is probably... in the top 10 (or at least he was when the roster was being created), but towards the bottom of it. Japan tends to favour remaining characters from big series there.

 

[Scoliosis Jones]

Yeah I was going to say. Shulk isn't Ridley or Mewtwo tier, but he's definitely a popular character in Japan.

 

[soviet prince]

playing xenoblade now and it's incredible good so far.

 

[FirstBlade]

Very well put together moveset, but I can't help but have the issue that it seems to make him a bit (if not too) overpowered. His range is ridiculous on some of those attacks and he doesn't sound at all easy to kill based on the qualities you described. Not to mention there's literally no downside to activating the Monado, save for not being able to use the frankly inferior moves, so depending on what you imagined the cool down on it to be, it's just giving him more moves than everybody else gets.

That said I commend you trying to fit in both his normal arts and Monado arts, and those Final Smashes are fresh takes on the two most used FS ideas: Buster and visions.

Thanks for the feedback! My goal was to create a unique moveset and it is refreshing to see that based on yours and foolssigmas comments it is. I can see how the Shulk I made is potentially OP because he is fast, strong, and hard to hit off the stage. There are probably 3 ways I can think of to fix this. 1) Shulk is instead quite light and can be KO'd pretty easily in vein similar to Marth. 2) If Shulk is heavy he doesn't have very good jumping ability and can have a hard time getting back to the stage 3) Without the Monado activated, his attacks are weaker/aren't very strong. I still want him to mainly keep his "fast and strong" style that was present in Xenoblade but was would your guys thoughts on balancing this out be. Also, there is a mistake in his forward aerial on my moveset. It's not supposed to be Air Slash but a forward/downward swing.

Regarding AT, I am surprised nobody brought up Fiora. I don't want to spoil anything but she seems the most likely to me. Melia and Riki are both good choices though, considering they have plenty of potential for attacks that could induce status ailments. (Also, there is plenty to pull from Melia)

 

[SmashChu]

@ FirstBlade : I added your moveset to the OP. I will say I like the idea of activating the Monado. The only thing I disagree with are the Monado special. I think you should have Monado Buster in there. It makes the most sense and an ability you use throughout the entire game. Also, I think Monado Purge is a better up special. Though it was defiantly a good one to add either way,

As an aside, if any of you want me to add anything to the OP, please send me a PM (message). I'll add media, movesets, and any arguments (though only if it's really good).

 

[DaDavid]

Thanks for the feedback! My goal was to create a unique moveset and it is refreshing to see that based on yours and foolssigmas comments it is. I can see how the Shulk I made is potentially OP because he is fast, strong, and hard to hit off the stage. There are probably 3 ways I can think of to fix this. 1) Shulk is instead quite light and can be KO'd pretty easily in vein similar to Marth. 2) If Shulk is heavy he doesn't have very good jumping ability and can have a hard time getting back to the stage 3) Without the Monado activated, his attacks are weaker/aren't very strong. I still want him to mainly keep his "fast and strong" style that was present in Xenoblade but was would your guys thoughts on balancing this out be. Also, there is a mistake in his forward aerial on my moveset. It's not supposed to be Air Slash but a forward/downward swing.

Regarding AT, I am surprised nobody brought up Fiora. I don't want to spoil anything but she seems the most likely to me. Melia and Riki are both good choices though, considering they have plenty of potential for attacks that could induce status ailments. (Also, there is plenty to pull from Melia)

I guess my thoughts on balancing out the moveset you gave would either be to make him easier to KO like you mentioned, or to work in the Monado activation gimmick more carefully.

The thing is that even if you make his non-Monado specials weaker, he still has more options than every other character by merit of having more specials. This of course excludes transformation characters, but they each have a set-back built into them that creates a balance (for example, PT's stamina system.) I guess I would maybe make it so that he
1.) Doesn't receive any sort of buff just by merit of activating the Monado
and
2.) Runs some sort of risk by attempting to activate the Monado, or suffers a set back after activating the Monado.

 

[True Blue Warrior]

If Shulk is in as playable, what is more likely? Him being a starter character or him being unlockable?

 

[Pega-pony Princess]

If Shulk is in as playable, what is more likely? Him being a starter character or him being unlockable?

Personally, I'd say unlockable, seeing as Xenoblade hasn't been represented in Smash Bros yet.

 

[Deleted member]

If Shulk is in as playable, what is more likely? Him being a starter character or him being unlockable?

He's probably going to be an unlockable character. Though, he could be revealed early to promote X or to draw in attention.

 

[DaDavid]

If Shulk is in as playable, what is more likely? Him being a starter character or him being unlockable?

Unlockable for sure. As popular as he is in Japan and I guess here, he's still relatively niche so his un-locking would be an awesome "hell yes" moment for fans and a "well now who the hell is this mate?" moment for any unaware.

I'd imagine it to be a lot like mine (and presumably others') reaction to Marth and Roy in Melee.

 

[yoonb]

If Shulk is in as playable, what is more likely? Him being a starter character or him being unlockable?

Unlockable. He's suited for that the best.

And as a side note, I'm really glad that this topic's activity went up recently. It's really encouraging to see.

 

[BluePikmin11]

I personally think he should be a starter. That way people get to know about Xenoblade quickly.

 

[Pega-pony Princess]

Unlockable. He's suited for that the best.

And as a side note, I'm really glad that this topic's activity went up recently. It's really encouraging to see.

All we need now is more news in regards to X

 

[foolssigma]

I think unlockable is the way to go. If I remain unaware of the hidden characters this time around(if there even are hidden characters) seeing something like this would be one of the greatest gaming moments……ever!

 

[Pega-pony Princess]

I think unlockable is the way to go. If I remain unaware of the hidden characters this time around(if there even are hidden characters) seeing something like this would be one of the greatest gaming moments……ever!

If the only way to unlock Shulk was to do all the single player modes on intense difficult, to hell with it. I'd stay up for hours until I got him.

 

[DaDavid]

I think unlockable is the way to go. If I remain unaware of the hidden characters this time around(if there even are hidden characters) seeing something like this would be one of the greatest gaming moments……ever!

Exactly. That feeling would be way too great. Even for people who don't know who he is, seeing him as an unlockable would leave a way bigger impact Imo then if he was just among the starting cast.

 

[Deleted member]

I think unlockable is the way to go. If I remain unaware of the hidden characters this time around(if there even are hidden characters) seeing something like this would be one of the greatest gaming moments……ever!

If I didn't even know anything about Xenoblade prior and I saw this, I would definitely think that Shulk would be rather cool and get interested in where he came from. I know I was thinking "Who the heck are these people?" when I saw Marth and Roy for the first time.

However, I have played through Xenoblade Chronicles, so sadly I won't have that feeling. I'm just waiting for an awesome trailer featuring You Will Know Our Names. If I saw that in a future Nintendo Direct… I would be so freaking hyped!

I rather know about the whole cast prior to SSB4's release than to keep it secret. I hate spoilers, but I wanna know the whole roster to be excited or disappointed now than later. I wouldn't mind it too much if he was an unlockable (I would probably jump for joy if I saw his silhouette), but I would love to see some trailer magic.

 

[Snagrio]

Shulk is stupidly close to stealing Palutena's spot as my most wanted character by this point. Which is incredible considering when people were starting to throw around wish lists I had absolutely no idea who Shulk was.

I didn't get Xenoblade till much later and even then only by the generosity of a fellow Nintendo Life user who gave me his copy in exchange for a few eShop codes. Heck even after I got the game I only played till getting stuck at the Xord battle in the Ether Mines before putting it down for about half a year. In fact only within the last month and a half have I really gotten into it.

 

[DaDavid]

Shulk is stupidly close to stealing Palutena's spot as my most wanted character by this point. Which is incredible considering when people were starting to throw around wish lists I had absolutely no idea who Shulk was.

I didn't get Xenoblade till much later and even then only by the generosity of a fellow Nintendo Life user who gave me his copy in exchange for a few eShop codes. Heck even after I got the game I only played till getting stuck at the Xord battle in the Ether Mines before putting it down for about half a year. In fact only within the last month and a half have I really gotten into it.

Yeah I was a bit like that. I only gained interest in Xenoblade when I kept seeing him pop up in wishlists and stuff so I asked my brother to let me borrow it (since his Wii was busted anyway) but even after he mailed it to me college made it nearly impossible to play beyond Eryth Sea. Then a long weekend happened and, well... probably my favorite weekend of that year haha.

 

[foolssigma]

Cool, everyone's Xenoblade stories. I actually got the last copy at my local Gamestop almost a year after the game's release. I honestly had no idea what Xenoblade was about. I was merely a big JRPG fan coming off of...actually I cannot recall what series I played prior, but it was probably another JRPG (Persona?). I wanted an epic game to play and remembered hearing about the Operation Rainfall campaign as well as the rarity of the game. Once I purchased Xenoblade, I tried it out after a few weeks(I think I was preoccupied with something else), but once I did, it was over within the month. What an experience. Hopefully with X I can get some of my friends into the series. Can't wait to jump back in for my second play through once this semester is over.

 

[Deleted member]

I was aware of Xenoblade thanks to Project Rainfall. I didn't think too much about Project Rainfall or the games; when I saw Xenoblade on sale for the first time, I passed it. Years later, I've heard how good the game was and I was late at that point since the game became rare to find. In terms of Smash, Shulk has been a character that I have been predicting for quite some time, even before SSB4 was shown at E3 (I simply called him "the main character from Xenoblade" since I had no knowledge of the game prior) I was thinking that he was a likely candidate for Smash.

In prep for Smash 4, I planned to buy some games to prepare myself for it. I got Punch Out!! for the Wii, DKCR 3D, and Kid Icarus: Uprising in prep for Smash 4. I've had Xenoblade on my mind, but I had trouble finding it due to how rare it was. Whenever I was in GameStop, I always checked the used section to see if they had copies. Luckily for me, I found a copy… and I bought it for $70.

I remember spending hours playing Xenoblade. I wanted to explore every nook and cranny of an area and experiencing the story to the game. It was all at a nice pace, I never felt pressured by the game, and I had to level grind once in the whole game. Once, I checked my Wii's Daily Activities and I found out that I played Xenoblade for 8 straight hours one time.

My want to play Xenoblade was less about people's wish lists and more of seeing how critically acclaimed this game was and I wanted to experience it for myself. I kinda wanted Shulk prior to my play though as he was my best bet for a new and recent series to get represented in SSB4. (Pikmin 1 was released in 2001 and Brawl was released in 2008… that's a massive gap) During my time with Xenoblade, Shulk skyrocketed as my fifth most wanted newcomer and I believe that he has earned a spot on the roster. I would be extremely surprised if he isn't on the roster with all things considered.

 

[Deleted member]

In prep for Smash 4, I planned to buy some games to prepare myself for it. I got Punch Out!! for the Wii, DKCR 3D, and Kid Icarus: Uprising in prep for Smash 4. I've had Xenoblade on my mind, but I had trouble finding it due to how rare it was.

Do you plan to play some Wii Fit too ?

 

[Deleted member]

Do you plan to play some Wii Fit too ?

To be honest, I got Wii Fit years ago just for the mini games. With that being said, I never even considered her anything in regards to Smash.

 

[Snagrio]

I did have Wii Fit for a while, but gave it to my sister who actually uses it. Kind of regretting that now.

 

[foolssigma]

I hear in Wii Fit U Plus, Shulk is going to be one of the trainers along with the rest of the Nintendo cast.

Anyways, that's rad how you're buying games to prepare for Smash. I haven't done anything like that, but it reminds me of how smash bros can be a game about promoting products just as much as a game for the fans. With that being said, (I think I mentioned this already somewhere) Shulk's inclusion may very well make or break the success of the upcoming X game. Not taking anything away from the game on its own of course, but it will likely sell much better if it has representation in Smash.

 

[yoonb]

I don't exactly remember where I first heard of Xenoblade, but I started doing some research on YouTube on it and spoiled some of the game for myself (I regret it). I then had Xenoblade borrowed from a friend and eventually got my own copy after realizing how much there is to do in the game. It took me months to beat the game because I'm a very streaky gamer and I simply didn't have the time to play as much as I hoped to. League of Legends kinda took a lot of time, also, but that's getting off-topic. I finally beat the game and it became probably my second favorite JRPG of all time (behind TWEWY). Yeah, I loved the game.

And in other news, Nintendo Direct tomorrow! You guys have any hopes for Shulk tomorrow? I definitely see a possibility but considering that DKC is coming out tomorrow as well, I'm doubtful he'll be revealed this time around.

 

[DraginHikari]

Well Shulk kind of falls into the catorgory, there really isn't evidence for either way. As in I don't think there is much of an approriate time to reveal him if he's going to be in and just would be one of those random moments.