Just another one of the "possibilities": Ragna the Bloodedge for Smash Ultimate!

[amageish]

I imagine this was expected, but it's still good to know.

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Hopefully other VA announcements aren't too far away.

I like how she also uses #BBTank. Is ArcSys forcing everyone to use that as the dedicated hashtag?

 

[EarlTamm]

I like how she also uses #BBTank. Is ArcSys forcing everyone to use that as the dedicated hashtag?

I wouldn't be shocked if this is just happening naturally. Either way, it's bizarre that it's there.

 

[amageish]

So, we have a prominent leaker discussing ArcSys games...

Spoiler: Possible Generic ArcSys Leak

There was a problem fetching the tweet

... thoughts on what these could be?

 

[EarlTamm]

So, we have a prominent leaker discussing ArcSys games...

Spoiler: Possible Generic ArcSys Leak

There was a problem fetching the tweet

... thoughts on what these could be?

It really depends on what "surprise" means in this scenario. It could either mean a game that was not expected to get a Switch version, or a new game entirely that may be Switch focused(Iit's not too crazy an idea that ArkSys could make a fighting game out of a Nintendo property). Have no clue what that sports game could be though.

 

[amageish]

It really depends on what "surprise" means in this scenario. It could either mean a game that was not expected to get a Switch version, or a new game entirely that may be Switch focused(Iit's not too crazy an idea that ArkSys could make a fighting game out of a Nintendo property). Have no clue what that sports game could be though.

Yeah... Like, does it mean ports? I don't know what those could be, as a lot of games either have their newest versions on Switch or have them coming out (ex/ why port Under Night when Exe Late[cl-r] is coming out on Switch). The new Guilty Gear and Arcana Heart games are coming out sometime in the future with no announced platforms, but that doesn't sound very "soon." Persona 4 Arena Ultimax seems more likely out of ports, actually, as it seems likely that P5A is a while out still.

Sports game sounds virtually guaranteed to be a River City title though - be it a port, collection, remake, or new game. ArcSys owns the IP and the titular girls of River City Girls came from sports games, so it should be receiving a boost in brand notoriety.

Now, actual new games would be far more interesting... Lots of people in Sabi's replies are hoping for a JoJo game, as ArcSys did a poll about possible lisenced fighters a while ago that JoJo won. As for a Nintendo collaboration, that would be awesome. Which Nintendo IP would people like to see ArcSys work with?

 

[EarlTamm]

Yeah... Like, does it mean ports? I don't know what those could be, as a lot of games either have their newest versions on Switch or have them coming out (ex/ why port Under Night when Exe Late[cl-r] is coming out on Switch). The new Guilty Gear and Arcana Heart games are coming out sometime in the future with no announced platforms, but that doesn't sound very "soon." Persona 4 Arena Ultimax seems more likely out of ports, actually, as it seems likely that P5A is a while out still.

Sports game sounds virtually guaranteed to be a River City title though - be it a port, collection, remake, or new game. ArcSys owns the IP and the titular girls of River City Girls came from sports games, so it should be receiving a boost in brand notoriety.

Now, actual new games would be far more interesting... Lots of people in Sabi's replies are hoping for a JoJo game, as ArcSys did a poll about possible lisenced fighters a while ago that JoJo won. As for a Nintendo collaboration, that would be awesome. Which Nintendo IP would people like to see ArcSys work with?

And how many of those ports would be also seen as surprises?

That makes sense.

Was that poll official? I saw some people claim it wasn't. As for Nintendo IPs that could work well with ArkSys, I think it mainly relies on how well the series can do an Anime style and a good roster of characters to work with. With that being said, I could see Mario(The series can be extremely flexible when it wants to be), Legend of Zelda, Kirby, and Fire Emblem. I don't think Pokémon would be there choice, as Pokken Tournament is already a thing and I think they would want to give the full blown fighting game treatment to someone who hasn't gotten it yet(Kirby Fighters may also count, but I feel that is far from standard fighting game fare).

 

[amageish]

And how many of those ports would be also seen as surprises?

That makes sense.

Was that poll official? I saw some people claim it wasn't. As for Nintendo IPs that could work well with ArkSys, I think it mainly relies on how well the series can do an Anime style and a good roster of characters to work with. With that being said, I could see Mario(The series can be extremely flexible when it wants to be), Legend of Zelda, Kirby, and Fire Emblem. I don't think Pokémon would be there choice, as Pokken Tournament is already a thing and I think they would want to give the full blown fighting game treatment to someone who hasn't gotten it yet(Kirby Fighters may also count, but I feel that is far from standard fighting game fare).

True... Well, we may have gotten our first surprise at least!

I don't see anyone discussing it, but it looks interesting-ish as far as beat-em-ups go? It's a beat-em-up and not a fighter though, and Sabi hasn't tweeted about it, so it may just be another ArcSys game... No clue.

Oh. Yes, I've fallen victim to a faulty rumor. The real ArcSys did tweet about it, it seems, but that was just the English account responding to an intense of their name trending and nothing major. Shucks.

As for Nintendo, those are all great choices. Zelda would probably generate the most hype overall, especially if they take a Guilty Gear/Dragon Ball/Granblue approach to a stylized 3D artstyle. Fire Emblem could be great too and Nintendo also has a metric tonne of data on what characters people like and would be willing to shell out money for due to Fire Emblem Heroes. Kirby is one I had not considered, but it'd be cool to see an anime fighter with smaller circular characters for sure. I'm honestly unsure about Mario - it definitely could work, but I don't know if it fits well into anime fighter versus a more cartoon Capcom-esque experience, as I'd be concerned that the traditionally-somewhat-difficult-to-learn anime fighter movesets may not jive with the traditionally-younger target audience for Mario...

I'll also throw out Xenoblade and Kid Icarus as options 'cause why not.

 

[Mordrehr]

So, we have a prominent leaker discussing ArcSys games...

Spoiler: Possible Generic ArcSys Leak

There was a problem fetching the tweet

... thoughts on what these could be?

I imagine one could be a port of GBVS considering the aim of it was the casual market and the people who play the mobage. The fact they just released a fully portable version of the Switch helps to support that idea somewhat. The second fighting game could be a port of Xrd maybe, since we already have Guilty Gear and Guilty Gear XX though we are missing GGX and GG2. Perhaps it's one of those instead. Uniclr is getting a Switch port too but that's already been confirmed so I doubt it's one of them.

An unrealistic but hopeful guess would be Persona 5 Arena. That domain was registered ages ago and I've been itching for info ever since. Not sure why it'd be only noted to be coming to Switch though since I would assume a PS version would also be released. The same would apply for GBVS since that isn't out until February.

Another idea might be a BlazBlue collection of sorts. With CF and Tag on the system I don't think it'd be completely unbelieveable. It'd just be CT, CSEX and CPEX on one cartridge. Then of course people get attached to the dub and CF dub gets brought up again and ArcSys has no choice but to give up CFEX I'm not dreaming it is only a matter of time please ArcSys I've been waiting almost 5 years to finally play CF story dammit

 

[amageish]

I imagine one could be a port of GBVS considering the aim of it was the casual market and the people who play the mobage. The fact they just released a fully portable version of the Switch helps to support that idea somewhat. The second fighting game could be a port of Xrd maybe, since we already have Guilty Gear and Guilty Gear XX though we are missing GGX and GG2. Perhaps it's one of those instead. Uniclr is getting a Switch port too but that's already been confirmed so I doubt it's one of them.

An unrealistic but hopeful guess would be Persona 5 Arena. That domain was registered ages ago and I've been itching for info ever since. Not sure why it'd be only noted to be coming to Switch though since I would assume a PS version would also be released. The same would apply for GBVS since that isn't out until February.

Another idea might be a BlazBlue collection of sorts. With CF and Tag on the system I don't think it'd be completely unbelieveable. It'd just be CT, CSEX and CPEX on one cartridge. Then of course people get attached to the dub and CF dub gets brought up again and ArcSys has no choice but to give up CFEX I'm not dreaming it is only a matter of time please ArcSys I've been waiting almost 5 years to finally play CF story dammit

That is a good point. GBVS probably could run on the Switch as well, though it may get downgraded from 60 FPS. If they do do it, I hope they would announce it before its PS4 release so I can hold off from buying it... I feel like it would be a decent surprise announcement though, as we're on-track to that game's release without any news of a port. I could see it be one of the missing GG games as well, which would kind of make sense to build hype up for the upcoming GG title.

I would love it to be Persona 5 Arena, but I struggle to believe that would be announced anywhere expect next year's Persona Sound-Bomb (unless they plan on springing it on us and having it out before next April, which seems unlikely). I would be surprised if it didn't have a PS4, Switch, and, honestly, Xbox One version, given how P4A got both PS3 and Xbox 360 and Persona's brand profile has only gone up since then.

A BB collection would be awesome - extra credit if they throw Clone Phantasma in there too as a bonus gag. That would definitely be the best-case scenario as far as ports go. And, yes, I would really really really like a dub and wholeheartedly support your dreams, however unlikely they may be.

Now, let's all sit back and watch as it is revealed to be another BlayzBloo title.

 

[EarlTamm]

As for Nintendo, those are all great choices. Zelda would probably generate the most hype overall, especially if they take a Guilty Gear/Dragon Ball/Granblue approach to a stylized 3D artstyle. Fire Emblem could be great too and Nintendo also has a metric tonne of data on what characters people like and would be willing to shell out money for due to Fire Emblem Heroes. Kirby is one I had not considered, but it'd be cool to see an anime fighter with smaller circular characters for sure. I'm honestly unsure about Mario - it definitely could work, but I don't know if it fits well into anime fighter versus a more cartoon Capcom-esque experience, as I'd be concerned that the traditionally-somewhat-difficult-to-learn anime fighter movesets may not jive with the traditionally-younger target audience for Mario...

I'll also throw out Xenoblade and Kid Icarus as options 'cause why not.

I think LoZ can pull off that style very well. I also think we have already gotten a great glimpse of the sort of roster a LoZ fighting game can bring through Hyrule Warriors. I hope a ArkSys Fire Emblem game would have a rather diverse roster, both in gameplay and game representation. The Kirby series has no shortage of anime like moments despite its cuteness, and I think a roster comprised of the characters that were turned into Dream Friends would be great(Plus some more outright villain characters). As for Mario, I guess I kinda agree that a more Capcom style would fit the series more.

Bot of those series would work rather well.

Another idea might be a BlazBlue collection of sorts. With CF and Tag on the system I don't think it'd be completely unbelieveable. It'd just be CT, CSEX and CPEX on one cartridge. Then of course people get attached to the dub and CF dub gets brought up again and ArcSys has no choice but to give up CFEX I'm not dreaming it is only a matter of time please ArcSys I've been waiting almost 5 years to finally play CF story dammit

Man, this would be great. Not only for the dub(Which would be amazing and more probable now since BBTAG got a dub), but it would be quite the boost to Ragna's chances for Smash. If ArkSys did get to put a character in Smash, I would imagine it would be the character that has his entire series on the console.

 

[amageish]

I think LoZ can pull off that style very well. I also think we have already gotten a great glimpse of the sort of roster a LoZ fighting game can bring through Hyrule Warriors. I hope a ArkSys Fire Emblem game would have a rather diverse roster, both in gameplay and game representation. The Kirby series has no shortage of anime like moments despite its cuteness, and I think a roster comprised of the characters that were turned into Dream Friends would be great(Plus some more outright villain characters). As for Mario, I guess I kinda agree that a more Capcom style would fit the series more.

Bot of those series would work rather well.

Yeah, though Hyrule Warriors has had a lot of games to get to the amazing roster it has right now. I imagine that an ArcSys game would have to make some though calls, especially if they wanted to include OCs, toon characters, and the various versions of Link/Zelda. I'd be interested in seeing them maybe un-toon and anime-ify characters like Tetra or Medli though...

Yes, if we got an FE fighter, then it'd be a good idea to expand outside of the Shadow Dragon and the newbie approach for rosters that Warriors and #FE both had. I feel like they'd be obligated to though, as Echoes and Three Houses are both successful and it would be kind of absurd to claim we're "limiting" it to "just 5 games," especially as Lyn is also rather obligatory.

Kirby is adorable and could definitely work. I wonder how much Kirbies would be in the roster though, as he has so many powers... It'd be great to see some secondary Kirby characters get another chance to shine outside of Star Allies free DLC.

If ArkSys did get to put a character in Smash, I would imagine it would be the character that has his entire series on the console.

I mean, that logic didn't exactly work out for the supporters of Flynn from SMTIV, but fair I suppose...

 

[EarlTamm]

Yeah, though Hyrule Warriors has had a lot of games to get to the amazing roster it has right now. I imagine that an ArcSys game would have to make some though calls, especially if they wanted to include OCs, toon characters, and the various versions of Link/Zelda. I'd be interested in seeing them maybe un-toon and anime-ify characters like Tetra or Medli though...

Yes, if we got an FE fighter, then it'd be a good idea to expand outside of the Shadow Dragon and the newbie approach for rosters that Warriors and #FE both had. I feel like they'd be obligated to though, as Echoes and Three Houses are both successful and it would be kind of absurd to claim we're "limiting" it to "just 5 games," especially as Lyn is also rather obligatory.

Kirby is adorable and could definitely work. I wonder how much Kirbies would be in the roster though, as he has so many powers... It'd be great to see some secondary Kirby characters get another chance to shine outside of Star Allies free DLC.



I mean, that logic didn't exactly work out for the supporters of Flynn from SMTIV, but fair I suppose...

Oh, for sure. I doubt they will be able to get a perfect roster for any series, but I do want to see them go full anime with whatever they work with. If Hyrule Warriors can give Ganondorf a full blown mane, then I would love to see what ArkSys could do with these iconic characters.

Yeah, they certaibnly have little reason to avoid more game representation. I just hope the characters themselves can be rather diverse in gameplay, which will be quite the thing to figure out in relation to the class system.

I imagine they are going to figure out some way to give Kirby quite the kit be moves(They could approach ability use like Smash does and have certain abelites be moves and have some others traits be obtainable through the enemy, which they have done before with Android 21). If they can't get everything, drop the rest of the ability representation on Gooey, as he also has copying powers. The cast of Star Allies can form quite the variety of characters on its own, and that is before taking into account non-playable villains.

We both know who the favored child of Atlus is by this point. The fact that Sakurai loved Persona 5 so much was icing on the cake. With BlazBlue and Guilty Gear, it seems a bit more even.

 

[amageish]

Oh, for sure. I doubt they will be able to get a perfect roster for any series, but I do want to see them go full anime with whatever they work with. If Hyrule Warriors can give Ganondorf a full blown mane, then I would love to see what ArkSys could do with these iconic characters.

Yeah, they certaibnly have little reason to avoid more game representation. I just hope the characters themselves can be rather diverse in gameplay, which will be quite the thing to figure out in relation to the class system.

I imagine they are going to figure out some way to give Kirby quite the kit be moves(They could approach ability use like Smash does and have certain abelites be moves and have some others traits be obtainable through the enemy, which they have done before with Android 21). If they can't get everything, drop the rest of the ability representation on Gooey, as he also has copying powers. The cast of Star Allies can form quite the variety of characters on its own, and that is before taking into account non-playable villains.

We both know who the favored child of Atlus is by this point. The fact that Sakurai loved Persona 5 so much was icing on the cake. With BlazBlue and Guilty Gear, it seems a bit more even.

ArcSys designs would be amazing for everyone, especially the main trio.

That is true, though I think the results of the Choose Your Legends polls could help steer them through that. The three polls have provided some characters who are popular while not just being standard swordusers. If you got some bows, spellslingers, lancers, axes, and dancers... I think you could figure out how to make the roster feel different, even if it means ignoring some lords in favour of their more-popular supporting cast.

Right, Gooey would work! That'd be cool. Kirby having a Smash-like moveset would make sense. Otherwise, yeah, there is an abosulte tonne of variety of options there - I'm sure Adeleine fans would love to see more of their girl, same with Magalor fans... Toss in Prince Fluff and Elline too, because spin-offs are fun... Heck, if you want to go completely crazy, bring someone in from the Kirby Right Back At Ya anime... Lots of potential there.

That is very true... It's a harder nut to crack for sure.

 

[EarlTamm]

Well, this certainly is good news for BBTAG.

There was a problem fetching the tweet

I think this means, at a minimum, we will get 3 new episodes of story content.

Edit:
For further clarification, I think it would be off there was not an episode for Arcana Heart and Senran Kagura, though the phrasing of this tweet implies that the episode is more based on what character is being played rather than series, as it is just referred to an "Episode for Akatsuki" rather than Akatsuki Blitzkampf. I wouldn't mind this format going forward.

 

[amageish]

Well, this certainly is good news for BBTAG.

There was a problem fetching the tweet

I think this means, at a minimum, we will get 3 new episodes of story content.

Edit:
For further clarification, I think it would be off there was not an episode for Arcana Heart and Senran Kagura, though the phrasing of this tweet implies that the episode is more based on what character is being played rather than series, as it is just referred to an "Episode for Akatsuki" rather than Akatsuki Blitzkampf. I wouldn't mind this format going forward.

Interesting! I assumed it would be new side-stories. I do wonder how they will tell an Akatsuki story with only him and Blitztank from his game though... I guess maybe he remembers his interactions with the In-Birth crew? Or will they pull a base game and have future DLC characters casually hanging out in the story mode?

 

[EarlTamm]

Interesting! I assumed it would be new side-stories. I do wonder how they will tell an Akatsuki story with only him and Blitztank from his game though... I guess maybe he remembers his interactions with the In-Birth crew? Or will they pull a base game and have future DLC characters casually hanging out in the story mode?

I think they will inroduce a new story concept for the new episodes beyond the whole tournament thing, so I don't think a lack of other reps from the series is too much of a problem. Plus, the nature of his appearance in Under Night is weird. I wouldn't be shocked if other AB characters were referenced or appear, but I don't think they will fight.

 

[amageish]

I think they will inroduce a new story concept for the new episodes beyond the whole tournament thing, so I don't think a lack of other reps from the series is too much of a problem. Plus, the nature of his appearance in Under Night is weird. I wouldn't be shocked if other AB characters were referenced or appear, but I don't think they will fight.

Ahhhh, yeah, they could have some people pop up as NPCs... It'll be interesting to see what it is either way.

 

[EarlTamm]

Some more English casting announcments.

There was a problem fetching the tweet

 

[amageish]

Some more English casting announcments.

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Oh, hey, it's Owain! I believe he was also just in River City Girls, so it's nice to see his continuing to get gigs with ArcSys.

Also, hey, only 20 days left! Woo-hoo!

 

[Mordrehr]

Yumi English voice announced also

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Seems as though a lot of VAs are revealing their roles now, including those confirming they're reprising their roles for the new interactions

 

[EarlTamm]

So, with Terry getting two side specials because of his ability to face opponents, I imagine Ragna could possibly do the same(Ragna would likely face his opponents as well, as all of the fighting game characters do this). Not one for making movesets, but I can definitely see the impact this could have.

 

[amageish]

So, with Terry getting two side specials because of his ability to face opponents, I imagine Ragna could possibly do the same(Ragna would likely face his opponents as well, as all of the fighting game characters do this). Not one for making movesets, but I can definitely see the impact this could have.

I also imagine we would have a lot of cameos hanging around in the background too - though I don't know if all the BB gang are appropriate for good boys and girls, now that I think about it...

 

[EarlTamm]

I also imagine we would have a lot of cameos hanging around in the background too - though I don't know if all the BB gang are appropriate for good boys and girls, now that I think about it...

I mean, there are certainly some characters that reach similar heights to Mai. If I were to guess, Litchi, Mu 12, Bullet, Nine and the Blazblue Mai would be exempt from appearing due to being too inappropriate in appearance. Though, what are the chances of some of these characters appearing even without that factor?

 

[amageish]

I mean, there are certainly some characters that reach similar heights to Mai. If I were to guess, Litchi, Mu 12, Bullet, Nine and the Blazblue Mai would be exempt from appearing due to being too inappropriate in appearance. Though, what are the chances of some of these characters appearing even without that factor?

Good picks and, yeah, fair. Realistically, we'd probably get Jin, Noel, Rachel, and Hazama for sure. I'm slightly unsure who else would be in, as I feel like they could go a lot of directions honestly? BlazBlue has given a lot of different characters moments in the sun. I doubt they would be as generious as SNK was with crossover characters though, as the different ArcSys franchises don't share a universe the same way SNK does...

Also, the most important question: If they had a Noel cameo, does she have her hat design or her no-hat design?

 

[smileMasky]

Give me Hakumen or Satsano (sorry if I butchered the name) and command inputs an we are golden. Side note OMG loving the Terry gameplay. If Ranga ever comes to smash they need to give him the same love as terry

 

[Mordrehr]

Good picks and, yeah, fair. Realistically, we'd probably get Jin, Noel, Rachel, and Hazama for sure. I'm slightly unsure who else would be in, as I feel like they could go a lot of directions honestly? BlazBlue has given a lot of different characters moments in the sun. I doubt they would be as generious as SNK was with crossover characters though, as the different ArcSys franchises don't share a universe the same way SNK does...

Also, the most important question: If they had a Noel cameo, does she have her hat design or her no-hat design?

In the background, I would assume Jin, Noel, and Rachel are the safest picks. Tager and Bang might possibly be in there too. Taokaka depending on where the stage is placed in Orient Town or maybe even Nu and Hakumen if the stage is the Kagutsuchi Cauldron. Hazama would probably be lurking around too either way. Perhaps even Jubei could be in with Platinum following suit. For the more promiscuously designed characters, they would have to be cut like you guys said beforehand, though I think Litchi could probably get into it if she's in her doctor's outfit, once again depending on whether we go to Orient Town or not. Perhaps they could do something similar to Mythra with Bullet and give her jeans/cover up her cleavage. It's honestly a real shame that some characters would have to be cut completely from being featured but you can't really do much with adapting the source material for all ages everywhere.

As for Noel's cameo, I would assume she would be in her BBCP design since that now is more recognisable. Though it'd be nice if they were both in and just triggered randomly upon loading the stage.

So, with Terry getting two side specials because of his ability to face opponents, I imagine Ragna could possibly do the same(Ragna would likely face his opponents as well, as all of the fighting game characters do this). Not one for making movesets, but I can definitely see the impact this could have.

We're 3 for 3 right now with the fighting game characters facing the opponent, having command inputs and special cancels so I think it'd be safe to assume Ragna would be the same. Now with back specials being put into play, that opens up our options considerably. I'm gonna write out a moveset since we have this new information and I haven't really added or proposed anything for the moveset created prior.

Overview

Ragna will be a more combo oriented character compared to other characters. Because of this, his initial damage compared to others will be rather low. However, I believe the buffs and extras he gains from his mechanics make up for that.

Normals

Spoiler

His jab combo would be his 5A, 5C then 6A. A quick, simple combo that puts the enemy into the air. Cancelling on the second jab can let you hit them with a special move like Terry.

His Forward Tilt would be the BlazBlue classic, 5B. It would allow the player to poke at the enemy from a safe distance and can also cancel into specials.

Up Tilt would be his 6C launching the opponent upward. It'd be slow but put the enemy in a bad place if hit leading to a combo. It can also be used as an anti-air due to it's big hitbox but the aerial will have to be predicted due to the startup.

His Down Tilt would have to be 3C to sweep the opponent of their feet.

Throws

Spoiler

Forward throw will be his regular throw from BlazBlue wherein he picks up the enemy and his sword extends, launching them away. This will be used as his combo throw.

His back throw will take notes from his air throw. Ragna will turn around and knee the enemy launching them at a similar angle to that of his forward throw.

Up throw will be Ragna's back throw from BlazBlue. Ragna throws the enemy to the ground and drags them upward. This will likely be a kill throw.

Down throw is challenging but I have an idea. Ragna will slam his enemy on the floor and use his Crush Trigger. It will send a lot angle.

Aerials

Spoiler

His Neutral Air would be his j.B allowing for crossups like in BlazBlue.

Foward Air would be his j.C. Down Air would be his j.A but be a fiercer version that spikes eg Ryu, Ken and Terry's spikes.

For his Up Air, I'm quite puzzled. Up Air may have to be a newly created move like Terry's because he doesn't really have anything like that other than the second stage of Inferno Divider (which is his Up Special spoilers).

Back Air will be pulling from the BlazBlue Alter Memory anime and use the flip kick he uses against Jin. He pivots around and does the motion seen in that episode.

His Down Air would be Belial Edge from BBCS-BBCP. It drags the enemy down with Ragna at a 45° angle downwards towards whichever direction Ragna is facing. It bounces the enemy if you hit the ground with them.

Specials

Spoiler: Discussion not really suited for how I've laid this out but feel free to read

Neutral Special would be 5D (j.D in the air) and Up Special would absolutely have to be his Inferno Divider. Side Special would be Hell's Fang and Down Special could be Dead Spike.

With the new Back Special, we could add Blood Scythe into the mix but the only problem with that would be 1. What would be the command and 2. it might be too big of a move for Smash. Having it not be able to be enhanced with command inputs might help with both balancing and dealing with the command issue but it's still huge in terms of hitbox size.

However, there is an alternative with not being able to bring in Blood Scythe. Moving Dead Spike to Forward Special/236 and Hell's Fang to Back Special/214 would have it represent Ragna's commands in the BB games more accurately and then leaves Down Special open to maybe his 2D, 6D or maybe even his Not Over Yet allowing Ragna to pick up the opponent and send them flying. I will go with this idea since I feel more comfortable with it.

Spoiler

The Special button would act like the D button from BlazBlue presumably, allowing Ragna to use his Drive, "Soul Eater." The only special move that does not use his drive is Down Special.

Neutral Special hits twice on the ground and once in the air. The ground variant is dash cancellable. There is no command input for this move.

Forward Special would be Dead Spike. Depending on whether the user presses or holds the button will change which version of Dead Spike comes out. Pressing the button puts out BBCT Dead Spike. This version of Dead Spike will have less knockback and damage compared to the other variant but sends at a higher angle. Holding the Button will send out BBCP Dead Spike which hits three times, does more damage, sends at a lower angle and is dash cancellable on hit. However, this version has more startup and recovery than the other version and will leave you open to attacks if blocked or whiffed. The command input for Dead Spike will be 236 and a button.

Back Special will be Hell's Fang. Ragna lunges forward with his left hand and hits the opponent. Hitting the button again will initiate the second hit of Hell's Fang which launches the opponent forward. Like in BlazBlue, it's used to push the enemy away. Holding down the button will allow the user to use Gauntlet Hades, another two hit move that sends the enemy upward instead. Ragna launches off the ground and hits the enemy with the same hand then flips around to hit the enemy with a Spin Kick. Both of these moves are bad on block and the second hits of both moves can be delayed. When Hell's Fang is used in the air, only Gauntlet Hades will ever come out. The command input for Hell's Fang/Gauntlet Hades will be 214 and a button. The second hit can also be executed with 214 and a button.

Up Special is Inferno Divider. Ragna uppercuts with his sword. There are two versions of Inferno Divider depending on whether you press or hold the button. Pressing the button will give the player the C version of Inferno Divider and holding will give the D version. Like BlazBlue, the C version will have invulerability on startup to fulfill the use of a "get off me" move, but only when used with a command input. It doesn't go as high as the D version, but it has a lot of recovery so if the opponent predicts it, Ragna can be easily punished. The same drawbacks effect the D version of the move, except the D version never has any form of invincibility. The difference between the two otherwise will be discussed later. Inferno Divider's command input is 623 and a button.

Up Special has three stages; Inferno Divider, Upper and then for the last stage two options can be selected. These options are called Straight Punch and Ax Kick. On hit, the enemy will be placed near Ragna. Pressing the button again will execute Upper and then after the player will have a choice. Straight Punch is used by pressing forward and special or 236+button and Ax Kick will be preformed by pressing back and special or 214+button. Straight Punch sends away from Ragna and Ax Kick sends downwards but does not spike.

Down Special is Not Over Yet. It is a command grab that only grab people when they are on the floor like after missing a tech or down due to Down Tilt. It is mainly used as a combo or ender tool (if the enemy is high percent). Ragna picks the enemy off of the floor and punches their stomach. It is dash cancellable on hit. The command input for this is 22 and a button.

In the air, using Down Special will instead give the player Nightmare Edge, which drags the enemy directly down towards the stage. The move will deal more damage the further it travels however there is a maximum amount of distance it can travel. If the move does not end before hitting the ground, pressing the button again will allow for Ragna to perform the second hit of Nightmare Edge. The command input for Nightmare Edge is 236+button and can be done again when executing the second hit.

Mechanics

Spoiler

Ragna's mechanic would relate to how his Drive operates in his home game. Any moves that make Ragna use his drive allow him to steal life from the enemy he hits. On hit, Ragna will lose percentage gained. The moves effected by this mechanic above are:

Neutral Special and Aerial Neutral Special
Both versions of Dead Spike
The second hits of both Hell's Fang and Gauntlet Hades
Ax Kick and the first stage of D Inferno Divider
The second hit of Nightmare Edge

In a true combo, the amount of life gained from each attack will increase by 0.10. Each inital hit of each combo will remove 1% from Ragna's percentage.

Ragna will have a super mechanic like Terry but it will have a bar like Cloud's Limit instead of being an unlimited amount upon reaching a percentage threshold. Upon being hit, doing damage and blocking damage, Ragna's meter bar will increase slightly. Once his meter bar fills, Ragna will be able to use a super. He will have two supers to choose from once his meter is full. These supers are Carnage Scissors and Devoured By Darkness. Both of these supers adhere to the Soul Eater mechanic.

Carnage Scissors is similar to Terry's Buster Wolf wherein Ragna will move forward with his sword out and slash once, crumpling the enemy on the ground. Ragna will then deliver a second hit after slashing his sword a second time as dark energy blasts from the ground forming two crossing spikes. Carnage scissors launches far at high percents. The button can also be held to stop the second hit from coming out, leaving the enemy in a crumbled state. They are then open to continuing a combo. Carnage Scissor's command will be 632146 and a button.

Devoured By Darkness is a command grab super. Ragna's hand turns into the claw of the Black Beast and he picks up the opponent. He then deals damage through the dark tendrils that cover the enemy and finishes the attack as the arm explodes and hits them away. This super will deal more damage than Carnage Scissors as well as recover more health than it. The command for Devoured By Darkness will be 214214 and a button.

Final Smash

Spoiler

Ragna's Final Smash will be his Astral Heat from BlazBlue, Black Onslaught. Ragna hits the opponent with an uppercut from his sword and then transforms it into a scythe. Ragna then hits the opponent with the scythe and gradually drains their soul. He then charges it for a small bit before dealing the final blow and taking their soul completely. At over 80%, this move will make the opponent explode like Zelda's Final Smash but under that, it will blast them away. Ragna also gets percentage reduced from this move as well.

Misc

Spoiler

Ragna's Intro will be his intro from the game wherein he is crouching on the ground with his back to the camera. He lifts his sword out of the ground and slashes it to the left before planting it on his back.

Ragna's taunts consist of his actual taunt from BlazBlue and his two win poses. His side taunt will be the taunt wherein he scratches his head and berates the enemy. His Up taunt would be where he plants his sword into the ground and steps on it, waiting for his opponent to attack. His Down taunt has him turn around and when he swings his arm down, a black wing appears before he turns back.

All his animations will be reminiscent of his animations in BlazBlue. These include his walking, running, idle, hit, rolling and blocking animations.

And that's about all I can muster. I think I've covered everything but this is how I see the character. It would have been awesome to see Overdrive as a mechanic but conisdering he has supers too, I think it'd be too overwhelming. I'll probably add onto it by adding stages, music and spirits. Apologies for the long message.

 

[amageish]

In the background, I would assume Jin, Noel, and Rachel are the safest picks. Tager and Bang might possibly be in there too. Taokaka depending on where the stage is placed in Orient Town or maybe even Nu and Hakumen if the stage is the Kagutsuchi Cauldron. Hazama would probably be lurking around too either way. Perhaps even Jubei could be in with Platinum following suit. For the more promiscuously designed characters, they would have to be cut like you guys said beforehand, though I think Litchi could probably get into it if she's in her doctor's outfit, once again depending on whether we go to Orient Town or not. Perhaps they could do something similar to Mythra with Bullet and give her jeans/cover up her cleavage. It's honestly a real shame that some characters would have to be cut completely from being featured but you can't really do much with adapting the source material for all ages everywhere.

As for Noel's cameo, I would assume she would be in her BBCP design since that now is more recognisable. Though it'd be nice if they were both in and just triggered randomly upon loading the stage.

All solid picks! I definitely considered Tager and Bang as likely, but I don't think they're quite as mandatory. My logic behind putting Hazama as a must-have was just that Sakurai seems to like characters that operate in the general orbit of "quippy edgelord." The stage itself definitely would effective who is chosen as well, yeah... Taokaka would be a lot of fun to see celebrate KOs in the background for sure. Litchi could work with certain outfits, though I wouldn't personally consider it to be one of the main icons of BlazBlue? That's subjective though, especially as the franchise loves to change up main characters across stories... Bullet in high-rise jeans would be hillarious, if they could pull it off. I feel like she'd be more censorable then Mai (KoF) though, as she's not primarily known for her cleavage in quite the same way? Characters like Nine and Mai (BB) seem more, er, challenging though...

Ooo! What if they had her change design depending on the music track, like how the Persona stage changes colours and the music effects the cameos on the KoF stage? Though, yeah, her current design is certainly better-known nowadays...

We're 3 for 3 right now with the fighting game characters facing the opponent, having command inputs and special cancels so I think it'd be safe to assume Ragna would be the same. Now with back specials being put into play, that opens up our options considerably. I'm gonna write out a moveset since we have this new information and I haven't really added or proposed anything for the moveset created prior.

Fantastic moveset with an amazing amount of effort put inside of it! I wish I had more to say, but I don't. Well done!

 

[Mordrehr]

All solid picks! I definitely considered Tager and Bang as likely, but I don't think they're quite as mandatory. My logic behind putting Hazama as a must-have was just that Sakurai seems to like characters that operate in the general orbit of "quippy edgelord." The stage itself definitely would effective who is chosen as well, yeah... Taokaka would be a lot of fun to see celebrate KOs in the background for sure. Litchi could work with certain outfits, though I wouldn't personally consider it to be one of the main icons of BlazBlue? That's subjective though, especially as the franchise loves to change up main characters across stories... Bullet in high-rise jeans would be hillarious, if they could pull it off. I feel like she'd be more censorable then Mai (KoF) though, as she's not primarily known for her cleavage in quite the same way? Characters like Nine and Mai (BB) seem more, er, challenging though...

Ooo! What if they had her change design depending on the music track, like how the Persona stage changes colours and the music effects the cameos on the KoF stage? Though, yeah, her current design is certainly better-known nowadays...

Yeah, the first few I mentioned and Hazama were the ones I thought were mandatory as well. I just thought since Sakurai seems to be representing these franchises pretty well I may as well throw in some of the OG characters and fan favourites. They aren't really main icons of BlazBlue since I think that boils down to Ragna, Jin and Noel but every character has it's fans so I thought if it were to happen Sakurai would probably try get as many in there as possible. I agree with that point about Bullet. I believe she'd be able to be censored but still have her feel there. Her personality and mannerisms never truly relied on her looks so changing her outfit up a bit wouldn't really affect much. Hell, one of her old designs was just her unchanged with spats under her short shorts. If he went with that design for her, that's be bonus points in my book. Nine and Mai would absolutely be more challenging lol.

I never thought about that. Perhaps with songs from BBCT and BBCS they have the old Noel and songs from BBCP and BBCF they have the new one. That'd be really neat!

Fantastic moveset with an amazing amount of effort put inside of it! I wish I had more to say, but I don't. Well done!

Thank you very much! Guess it was worth the couple of hours and the sacrifice of an extra pot noodle if you liked it that much. Glad I could get the ideas I had down somewhere and not have them be strange to someone else.

 

[EarlTamm]

You know, I do think the chances of BlazBlue background cameos on the same level as SNK is less likely, as it is a reference to how partners would hang out in the back of the stage in Fatal Fury, but it's still fun to speculate about.

In other news, I found a pretty cool trailer for a Nu 13 Project M mod of all things. Saw it through Koefficients reaction to it. Will link both that reaction and that trailer in the tab below.

Spoiler: Videos

Pretty cool to see.

 

[amageish]

Yeah, the first few I mentioned and Hazama were the ones I thought were mandatory as well. I just thought since Sakurai seems to be representing these franchises pretty well I may as well throw in some of the OG characters and fan favourites. They aren't really main icons of BlazBlue since I think that boils down to Ragna, Jin and Noel but every character has it's fans so I thought if it were to happen Sakurai would probably try get as many in there as possible. I agree with that point about Bullet. I believe she'd be able to be censored but still have her feel there. Her personality and mannerisms never truly relied on her looks so changing her outfit up a bit wouldn't really affect much. Hell, one of her old designs was just her unchanged with spats under her short shorts. If he went with that design for her, that's be bonus points in my book. Nine and Mai would absolutely be more challenging lol.

I never thought about that. Perhaps with songs from BBCT and BBCS they have the old Noel and songs from BBCP and BBCF they have the new one. That'd be really neat!

Yeah, that's fair. BlazBlue is kind of interesting in how well it handles its ensemble cast. It does a very good job. Bullet definitely just needs her attitude in my mind, so, yeah, an old design of her that's a bit more appropriate would work for sure. Mai, meanwhile, would probably feel like a different character were she to cover up more haha.

It would be! I don't know if it'd be worth the development time, but it's just a combination of things they've already done, so maybe? There is quite a bit of contention about which look is better, from what I've seen.

Thank you very much! Guess it was worth the couple of hours and the sacrifice of an extra pot noodle if you liked it that much. Glad I could get the ideas I had down somewhere and not have them be strange to someone else.

It was definitely worth it! You can see the effort in it as well for sure. I'd consider posting it on one of the BB subreddits, if you haven't already.

You know, I do think the chances of BlazBlue background cameos on the same level as SNK is less likely, as it is a reference to how partners would hang out in the back of the stage in Fatal Fury, but it's still fun to speculate about.

Excluding DQ, every DLC stage has had background character cameos in some shape or form. I think it's safe to say we'd get something; however, I do agree that the idea of getting anywhere near 20 characters is unlikely. I also generally doubt that any DLC pack will reach the heights of SNK when it comes to content, as holy moly it's packed full of stuff.

 

[Mordrehr]

In other news, I found a pretty cool trailer for a Nu 13 Project M mod of all things. Saw it through Koefficients reaction to it. Will link both that reaction and that trailer in the tab below.

That's actually super crazy. She's really damn accurate to how she is in BlazBlue. Koefficient's reaction is exactly how I reacted too lol. Sad there isn't a download yet but as soon as there is one, I'm definitely trying it out.

It was definitely worth it! You can see the effort in it as well for sure. I'd consider posting it on one of the BB subreddits, if you haven't already.

I'll probably end up posting it on the main BlazBlue subreddit but I'd need to make a big visual list with fancy graphics and such to actually make it appealing/not just some massive text post.

Excluding DQ, every DLC stage has had background character cameos in some shape or form. I think it's safe to say we'd get something; however, I do agree that the idea of getting anywhere near 20 characters is unlikely. I also generally doubt that any DLC pack will reach the heights of SNK when it comes to content, as holy moly it's packed full of stuff.

DQ actually had a character cameo in the background, if you count Slime as a character. It is the mascot for the series so it's understandable it's there. I agree with the fact that BlazBlue probably wouldn't get as much content as SNK since Sakurai absolutely loves their games and put on his and the team's A Game for Terry. The main characters will probably be the only ones sadly, but I'd still be cool with that. Anyone else after them is just a huge plus for me.

 

[amageish]

That Nu mod is definitely one of the most impressive character mods I've seen.

I'll probably end up posting it on the main BlazBlue subreddit but I'd need to make a big visual list with fancy graphics and such to actually make it appealing/not just some massive text post.

Ahhhhh, good plan. Good luck with the graphics collecting then!

DQ actually had a character cameo in the background, if you count Slime as a character. It is the mascot for the series so it's understandable it's there. I agree with the fact that BlazBlue probably wouldn't get as much content as SNK since Sakurai absolutely loves their games and put on his and the team's A Game for Terry. The main characters will probably be the only ones sadly, but I'd still be cool with that. Anyone else after them is just a huge plus for me.

Very true. DQ also has the most location cameos, versus the more static/spiralling other stages. I don't think Sakurai ever gives less then his A-game, but SNK seemingly was just abnormally amiable for licensing - which kind of makes sense, given how they probably have the most to gain from Smash promotion in comparison to the other characters thus far (DQ was always going to sell well regardless of Smash, Banjo is only currently making money off of merch, and Persona is still primarily targeting PlayStation customers). If we ever get something else with SNK-level content, then I would expect it is another company who really wants some promotion.

 

[EarlTamm]

How are people feeling about BBTAG 2.0 so far? Also, turns out Susano'o is voiced by Ray Chase! Been listening to the Susano'o intros and he did an amazing job!

There was a problem fetching the tweet

 

[Mordrehr]

How are people feeling about BBTAG 2.0 so far? Also, turns out Susano'o is voiced by Ray Chase! Been listening to the Susano'o intros and he did an amazing job!

There was a problem fetching the tweet

So far I’ve been having a lot of fun with the update. I haven’t had a chance to fiddle with the DLC yet because it comes later for European regions but from what I’ve seen on social media all the new characters seem crazy fun. Really looking forward to downloading and trying out both them and the new story episode. Really hope they keep updating the game because this feels like it’s the most populated it’s been online and I want to keep playing.

Also while I was disappointed at first about Doug not playing Susan, Ray Chase did an amazing job as him.

 

[toonito]

supports ragna

 

[amageish]

How are people feeling about BBTAG 2.0 so far? Also, turns out Susano'o is voiced by Ray Chase! Been listening to the Susano'o intros and he did an amazing job!

There was a problem fetching the tweet

BBTAG 2.0 is pretty fantastic overall. I've been mostly just goofing around offline, but the new story mode is a lot of fun and I like the new characters mechanically. Lots of fun crossover interactions too - though I'm sad we don't get people reacting when they are fighting alongside a literal tank...

 

[Jedisupersonic]

Just throwing my support it for Ragna since i've been back to BBTag and also Central Fiction and I absolutely adore the boy.

 

[amageish]

So, we have a prominent leaker discussing ArcSys games...

Spoiler: Possible Generic ArcSys Leak

There was a problem fetching the tweet

... thoughts on what these could be?

Hey, remember this leak? We've gotten one of the games from it finally...

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Yes, Family Tennis is back! I'm sure this is everyone's favourite ArcSys series and everyone here is jumping for joy!

This leaves the fighting games left to be revealed......

 

[Mordrehr]

Hey, remember this leak? We've gotten one of the games from it finally...

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Yes, Family Tennis is back! I'm sure this is everyone's favourite ArcSys series and everyone here is jumping for joy!

This leaves the fighting games left to be revealed......

It'll probably end up being GGX and the second could be an Arcana Heart 3 port considering the new version was announced earlier this year or the Uniclr port since ArcSys publish both.

Spoiler: Please ArcSys

But it'd be awesome if we got BBCFE please I beg

 

[amageish]

It'll probably end up being GGX and the second could be an Arcana Heart 3 port considering the new version was announced earlier this year or the Uniclr port since ArcSys publish both.

Spoiler: Please ArcSys

But it'd be awesome if we got BBCFE please I beg

I assume that Under-Night isn't an option as it was already announced and Sabi said they'd be "surprises." Xrd seems believable though, as does Arcana Heart.

As for BBCFE, well, uh, hope is the thing with feathers and all that!