Knowing the position of the YS cloud: a lil guide by AustinP

[ꓰspeon]

I think many people, like me, got mad at his opponent being saved by the cloud at Yoshi's Story and crying "it's random, you got saved by luck", but I thought, it can't be random, the cloud always travels on the same road and with the same speed, so it mmust have a lap time. Ok here's what i discovered.

Cloud's cycle time is exactly 20 seconds: that means every 20 secs the cloud will do one lap and return on the start place.
The cloud travels counterclockwise and stays 5 secs covered by the stage, then 5 secs on one side, then another 5 secs covered and the left 5 secs on the other side. It doesn't move for the first 10 sec of every match, then appears on the right side.

How can you use these hints to your advantage? Well, in a stock battle with time limit, you can use the countdown on the top as your chronometer. You see, when the first big digit on the right, that one of the secs, goes from 9 to 5, then the cloud is covered; if it goes from 4 to 0, then it is visible and steppable on. But which side is it on? The trick is watching the 2nd big digit from the right: if it is odd, then the cloud is (or will appear soon) on the right side, if it is even then it is (or will be soon) on the left side.

What you can use the cloud for? Well, maybe knowing that the cloud will be on a certain side soon could help a recovering Luigi, Mario or Doc that won't try to get the ledge, but instead stalling with their downb to wait for the cloud. But I think YOU should try and find some uses for this. (I guess everyone's recovery, and maybe some more, but who knows. )

 

[DtJ Glyphmoney]

The trick is watching the 2nd digit from the left, if it is odd, then the cloud is (or will appear soon) on the right side, if it is odd then it is (or will be soon) on the left side.

Im guessing one should be even, right?

 

[ꓰspeon]

Oops. Correcting immediately.

 

[DtJ Glyphmoney]

Ah, thanks. I don't know how often I can really look at the clock, but if I can this is a really handy thing to know

 

[Kragen]

Very nice find. I salute you.

 

[Smashmaniac_91]

Cool find! It doesn't affect me though, because somehow I always get saved by that godly cloud rofl

 

[FastFox]

I've officially dubbed this cloud, Randall.

From now on, everybody must refer to the cloud on Yoshi's Story as Randall.

Thank you.

 

[FalseFalco]

^^^He's right.

Randall.

 

[SPAWN]

Cool find AustinP. I guess I can try and use this. FastFox, from now on whenever someone lands on that cloud, I'll be like, dam you for landing on Randall; or I'll be like yay I got saved by Randall.

 

[MDZ]

But how useful could this really be? It would be a very good thing if SSBM was a much slower paced game, but at the time of getting spiked down to hell, do you really have time to figure out when you want to be hit so you can be saved by the thing formerly known as a cloud, but now is known as Randall? Though, since I guess this is just a bit more than a thesis, I will also look into it to see what Randall can be used for. If he turns out to be very usefull, then this would of been an excellent topic

I'm just skeptical as to how usefull this could really be and if it could be incorporated into serious play. To me it just seems like it would be a life saver if you're really lucky with the timing. Randall doesn't seem to have the characteristics to completely improve your game on Yoshi's Story. Ah well, still a neat idea

God bless you, Randall, if you really can help!

 

[Hozart]

I'm basing this off thought and not actual testing.

If this theory is to be believed, and one can tell when the cloud will show up based on looking at the time at the top, then this definately opens a few new avenues for strategy, in a sense, it effectively increases the size of the stage, assuming one can predict the clouds location every time. (I read through Austin's P's post fairly quickly, so I'm probably assuming too much).

Considering the fact that in a tournament, matches are timed, you may be able to deduce the clouds position quickly just by a quick glance at it. So if you're knocked off the stage, you know that you'll get back on because you'll know the clouds location, and that you're screwed because it's on the other side. But here's where an advantage may lie, knowing the clouds location, when you knock your opponent out, and they're trying to recover, you know where the cloud is, and may infact be able to follow-up an attack, effectively ridding them of their luck, or something of the like.

This isn't a game breaking discovery, but is some knowledge that may save you from crying out "****ing cloud!" And a personal opinion, ridding the game of randomness is always good.

 

[MDZ]

But you can't really control when you're going to get sent flying off the edge, especially if it's a suprise even to you that you got knocked off. No matter the situation, you will get knocked off, and knowing the time of Randall isn't going to make it be there at the time of you getting knocked off.

I can't see it as being too important in playing as you cannot control where Randall will be, nor can you control when you want to really be sent off. Yea, you can delay it by shielding and stuff, but still >.> I was looking into it for about half an hour and didn't find much use for it.

 

[Divine189]

Thats a really good tip bro thanks.

 

[ꓰspeon]

From now on, everybody must refer to the cloud on Yoshi's Story as Randall.

Uh, wait, I don't get the point. Why should the cloud be called randall? Is it an english word? Or the name of a lucky player?

 

[Scrubs]

Lol randall is just a name...

Well done figuring all this out but i really can't see how knowing this would actaully improve your chances of surviving... Maybe for doc, mario and luigi but other than that its basically just luck...

 

[MDZ]

Yea, though it's great people can expand their knowledge by knowing the time of Randall's appearance on one side to the other, it really can't help improve your game as you could only be so lucky to have Randall there if you get knocked off the edge at the time of him being there. Since you can't control time, or his movement speed, or where he will be, Randall will just be there for you when you get really lucky, and now when you really need him.

Though, I'm sure theoretically there could be ways to incorporate Randall to your play on Yoshi's Story, I just havn't found any yet.

 

[Scrubs]

Stop calling the **** cloud Randall.

I guess you coul jump on him i mean IT and edgeguard from there. But you can do that without knowing that the clous will appear.

 

[MDZ]

Why? There are many clouds on many maps, so we took this cloud and gave him an official name; well, one person did.. I just use it because I find it to be funny. He just looks like a Randall, don't you think?

 

[ꓰspeon]

Yeah absolutely.

 

[fluffy]

god ppl luv the game so much that they notice the random things.

good work.

 

[jaywinner]

This is the kind of thing that might be useful in very rare cases. Perhaps as samus slowly bomb jumping back to the stage knowing when the c...Randall will show up might help. It might also be possible to edgeguard with a normally suicidal aerial knowing that Randall will appear right under you...maybe.

 

[ꓰspeon]

Yeah, in fact it is a so rare help that no one (exept me) bothered about knowing how it worked. But, yeah, the suicidal aerial thingie is a good idea for using the cloud.

 

[Wave⁂]

is there an actual NAME for the cloud? not randall?

another use could be knowing where it is so you know whether or not your opponent will get saved by it.
or...maybe even using it as a projectile buffer, ie thunderjolt on it, pill/fireball bounce off it....

 

[NJzFinest]

awesome, ty ty austinP

 

[Banks]

very interesting

but no one will put that much time into guessing where the cloud is, it will come down to random chance.

 

[AL CaPWN]

But you can't really control when you're going to get sent flying off the edge, especially if it's a suprise even to you that you got knocked off. No matter the situation, you will get knocked off, and knowing the time of Randall isn't going to make it be there at the time of you getting knocked off.

I can't see it as being too important in playing as you cannot control where Randall will be, nor can you control when you want to really be sent off. Yea, you can delay it by shielding and stuff, but still >.> I was looking into it for about half an hour and didn't find much use for it.

Simple. Psychological warfare. Stall over the side edge and "mess up" your recovery intentionally but end up landing on the cloud. Do this over and over and your opponent will be psyched out.

 

[ꓰspeon]

Simple. Psychological warfare. Stall over the side edge and "mess up" your recovery intentionally but end up landing on the cloud. Do this over and over and your opponent will be psyched out.

Yeah it's quite a plan.

 

[phanna]

is there an actual NAME for the cloud? not randall?

Lakitu's Cloud

The cloud on which Lakitu rides is called the Lakitu's Cloud in Super Mario Bros. 3, though the game itself does not refer to it by name, or any other game after that. It is roughly the same size as Lakitu, and it is characterized by its smiling face in every game except Super Mario 64. In the original instruction manual for the NES version of SMB3, it is called the Jugem's Cloud, the name coming from jugemu, Lakitu's Japanese name.

 

[Fortress | Sveet]

well phanna, from now on they have to start calling it randall in the books :/

anyways, to those who say its pointless to know where he is because you cant control when u get hit off, i have this to say. if you didnt want to use every chance you have to get back on the stage and try to get another stock, then why even try coming back to the stage at all? it would save the rest of us time edgeguarding you. anyways, some chars can actually slow themselves down in the air (shine does it, and marth's side air does it descently too, peach can float or upb until it gets there. thats just a few from the top of my head) and get themselves back on the stage. even if ur at 200%, if ur not dead dont give up, get back on the stage, and at least do some more damage. even 1% might win you the match.

 

[smashfan34]

this is somewhat helpful at the least.

I don't know about it saving your life, but think of it like this, if you know you are at like 200% and lets say you are link, if you know the cloud appears in 6 seconds, you can wait like a couple seconds and avoid the character, then finish the fighting, maybe possibly you will get the timing right and land on the cloud. Also it can be used as mind games, perhaps, the character doesn't know the timing of the cloud, and out of nowhere it appears you are jumping off then out of nowhere just so happens the cloud saves you. Just could be used to screw around i dunno. it definately can't hurt to know this. I know of a friend that somehow gets lucky with the cloud everytime. Perhaps he already knows this.

 

[Smash G 0 D]

Nice guide on Randall. This'll be useful for YS matches even tho I hate to stage . Maybe I'll start liking it now that I can call the cloud Randall.

 

[Overswarm]

For a good portion of the beginning of the match, there is an elephant in the background that tells you where Randall is. Follow the elephnat, you find Randall. After some time, it reverses.

 

[Pikaville]

Ha this is a cool thing to know.We usually call it super cloud.He hates Sheik and loves Marth(always seem to screw my recovery and always helps my friend who is Marth)

 

[Deleted member]

this cloud is not random, but the chance that you get saved by it,is as the cloud remains constant and gameplay is the variable

 

[Rage.]

Very cool AustinP

Ill remeber that when playing a Marth

 

[Banks]

there should be a cloud whistle to call it when needed.

 

[Rapid_Assassin]

Or the cloud should just save me and ignore my opponent like it should..

 

[Banks]

yea sometimes the cloud can be an ******* and speed up just as you are going for it. i swear sometimes it does that

 

[SPAWN]

I love this topic. I have been calling the cloud Randall ever since I saw this thread.

IT'S ALIVE AGAIN!! :o

Any more somewhat useful info on Yoshi's Story?.../tries to relate to topic

 

[FastFox]

Good news guys!

Randall the Cloud has a Smashwiki page!

Yay, keep the name alive, smashers!