Joke Characters: Yes, No or **** No?

[volbound1700]

Everyone though Jigglypuff was a joke, but her rest is an instant kill attack. Jigglypuff was eventually toned down for balancing reasons.

Under my definition of joke character, a character can still be good. I think Mr. Game & Watch is a joke character but he is a decent fighter.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Well so far we had:

64 - Jigglypuff
Melee - Pichu and arguable Game & Watch
Brawl - Arguably ROB was the joke character for this game

So picking for Smash 4 and looking at some of the ideas, the following maybe an option:

1. Tingle
2. Mii
3. Waluigi
4. Primid
5. Duck Hunt Dog - likely farfetched

Out of that group, Mii seems to me the most likely. The Miis will likely have a crazy moveset.

R.O.B and Mr. Game & Watch are not joke characters.

 

[Frostwraith]

R.O.B and Mr. Game & Watch were not joke characters.

^ This.

Jigglypuff, however, IS a joke character.

 

[volbound1700]

^ This.

Jigglypuff, however, IS a joke character.

Perhaps we have different definition of what a joke character was going to be. I also listed both as "arguably" which means not everyone agrees to that fact.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Perhaps we have different definition of what a joke character was going to be. I also listed both as "arguably" which means not everyone agrees to that fact.

What do you define as a joke character?

 

[volbound1700]

What do you define as a joke character?

Crazy, silly, and unrealistic moveset wise. Also a character this is not mainstream or popular and a surprise pick. I guess more like how we would describe WTF characters.

Why I say ROB and Game & Watch:

Game & Watch - He throws bacon in a frying pan at you, rings bells, hits you a large fish, etc. He was out of no where, he really was not a true video game character, he had a humor aspect with regard to his moveset and design.

ROB - Another out of no where wtf character that has a kind of humorous moveset and at first glance didn't fit in the roster (but to me he was one of my favorite additions and I think he fit well).

I guess I look at it by the intention/motivation Sakurai had for adding the character, his moveset, design, etc. I can also picture Sakurai and the designers laughing at some of the ideas for these characters.

 

[Curious Villager]

^ This.

Jigglypuff, however, IS a joke character.

Jigglypuff seems more like a "Lethal Joke Character" than just a plain "Joke Character" to me, at least according to Guybrush's TV tropes definitions. And at least she was like that during Smash 64 and Melee...

 

[FalKoopa]

Crazy, silly, and unrealistic moveset wise. Also a character this is not mainstream or popular and a surprise pick. I guess more like how we would describe WTF characters.

Why I say ROB and Game & Watch:

Game & Watch - He throws bacon in a frying pan at you, rings bells, hits you a large fish, etc. He was out of no where, he really was not a true video game character, he had a humor aspect with regard to his moveset and design.

ROB - Another out of no where wtf character that has a kind of humorous moveset and at first glance didn't fit in the roster (but to me he was one of my favorite additions and I think he fit well).

I guess I look at it by the intention/motivation Sakurai had for adding the character, his moveset, design, etc. I can also picture Sakurai and the designers laughing at some of the ideas for these characters.

According to TVTropes, such characters are called Fighting Clowns.

 

[volbound1700]

I guess to explain ROB a little better after thinking about it. In Brawl we had all these great additions like Sonic, Diddy Kong, Wario, Lucario, Pokemon Trainer, Olimar, Snake etc. that were great warriors from great games and then you get ROB lol. A little robot with robotic moves that does his own thing. I mean the humor is right in there from the start.

It isn't just their fighting style and design, it is also their motivation for even being in the game and their addition. That in of itself is a joke in a way because it is so WTF. Granted G&W and ROB do have a very important part in Nintendo's history but still their additions were out there from the start but so fit the crazy atmosphere of Smash.

 

[Pazzo.]

Jigglypuff seems more like a "Lethal Joke Character" than just a plain "Joke Character" to me, at least according to Guybrush's TV tropes definitions. And at least she was like that during Smash 64 and Melee...

Agreed. Jigglypuff was never really relevant in Smash 64.

 

[Frostwraith]

Joke Character is a character designed as weak on purpose. (Pichu in Melee fits this.)

Lethal Jjoke Character is one that is designed as seemingly weak, but with a secret technique/mechanic that makes him/her quite competent that what is perceived on plain sight. (Jigglypuff is a good example of this.)

Fighting Clowns are characters that fight in unusual, wacky ways. This may or may not overlap with the above characteristics. (R.O.B., Mr. Game & Watch and, to an extent, Wario fall into this category.)

 

[volbound1700]

Joke Character is a character designed as weak on purpose. (Pichu in Melee fits this.)

Lethal Jjoke Character is one that is designed as seemingly weak, but with a secret technique/mechanic that makes him/her quite competent that what is perceived on plain sight. (Jigglypuff is a good example of this.)

Fighting Clowns are characters that fight in unusual, wacky ways. (R.O.B., Mr. Game & Watch and, to an extent, Wario fall into this category.)

Well under those definitions then Pichu was the only joke character.

However, I never put Wario in a joke category because he was a demanded character and his moveset, unfortunately, does fit his personality in most other Mario series. (He uses farting for example in Super Mario Strikers).

 

[Frostwraith]

Well under those definitions then Pichu was the only joke character.

However, I never put Wario in a joke category because he was a demanded character and his moveset, unfortunately, does fit his personality in most other Mario series. (He uses farting for example in Super Mario Strikers).

Pichu is the only character in SSB that is a plain Joke Character, unlike Lethal Joke Character Jigglypuff. The self-damaging mechanic vs. the Rest special move are enough to distinguish both characters.

Wario is not a joke character, but a Fighting Clown, since the way he moves and fights is unusual and bizarre, but is still c His entire moveset evokes this trope.

If Wario was purposely weak, he would be both Fighting Clown and Joke Character.

 

[Wario Bros.]

Luigi is also a fighting clown as I said in a previous post in this thread:

I always thought that Luigi was always a fighting clown in the Smash games as every Smash he's been on there's always been weird animations/moves, "2nd banana" jokes, and acting like a total wuss/weirdo (stuff never this exaggerated in the Mario games). Heck his voice clips in 64 & Melee were nothing but recycled Super Mario 64 soundbytes sped up.

 

[Guybrush20X6]

If there is a joke character in Smash 4 it'll be Tingle and since people will hate him for existing it won't matter how ineffectual his moveset is.

 

[FalKoopa]

Luigi is also a fighting clown as I said in a previous post in this thread:

Quite a few of Luigi's moves are funny to look at (and especially the facial expressions), though I'm not sure if they are enough.

 

[volbound1700]

Mr Game & Watch, ROB, and Jigglypuff to me are more than Fighting Clowns because their additions to the game in of itself is kind of a fun joke by Sakurai. Dr. Mario may also fit this bill.

 

[Guybrush20X6]

The character most likely out of those options seems to be Tingle.

 

[xpnc]

WA WA WALUIGI TIME

 

[_R@bid_]

I would definitely like a few fighting clowns if they merit inclusion in other ways too, but not joke characters. And any joke/ fighting clown characters that merit inclusion less than most other characters should be ATs. IMO,the best ATs (Waluigi, Tingle) are the funny ones.

 

[~ Valkyrie ~]

I love fighting clowns/comical fighters with personality. Throw in them being lethal under good hands and I'll be all for 'em.

Anyway, Tingle and to lesser extent, Starfy could fit this bill.

 

[Starcutter]

I wouldn't mind pichu coming back as a joke character, but that's it. fighting clowns on the other hand....