Reflections on a Blue Blur
I've gotten Brawl time over the last few weeks, Sonic being my new main (I wouldn't be posting here otherwise, now, would I?) out of sheer love of the character. Smash Bros. went from being a game I loved featuring many characters I liked, to being a great game that featured my favourite character of all time. Top tier or low tier, Sonic is my main man.
The instant I picked him I knew there was only one way play to play him: and it's pretty much exactly the way Kuja has described. Playing Sonic correctly in Brawl is all about getting into the Sonic mindset: be proud of your (character's) strengths and never stop moving. Pursue, attack, retreat, be everywhere and keep moving forward. In Brawl, nobody can really match Sonic's speed, so keep on the move and never let anyone have a moment of rest in a Brawl or duel.
On the note that Sonic has trouble in killing foes: yeah. Totally true. He lacks the power in his most useful moves to make that a possibility. But you know what? Who cares. In a Brawl, for myself at least, it's not always about who gets the most kills, but rather who can make it to the end without ever lamely hiding to the side of the stage to preserve their last life. Sonic has the ability to pursue and be a threat to every character in a Brawl, no matter where they are: nobody, in the air or on the ground, is truly able to keep away from Sonic.
If you can't kill an opponent with a powerful attack, at least hit them with a weaker attack that you know they can't outrun. With Sonic's ability to chase guys both off the stage and high up in the air, you can hit with weaker attacks MUCH closer to the boundaries, meaning you can KO people with even a minor amount of knockback.
And don't get the wrong idea, guys: so far, there is really not a single move in Sonic's arsenal that is useless. All his A moves, of course, have their purpose. His B moves, however, can NEVER be called useless. With Sonic's ability to position himself and pursue, you're going to find yourself in so many different situations that you're bound to encounter JUST the right moment to pull off that Spin Charge, or recover against an edge-guarding foe using the Homing Attack. The chances will be there.
So in duels, sure: Sonic still has the speed and attack variety to challenge most other characters, but you'll need to work hard for that win.
In Brawls: Sonic should really think most about pressuring every opponent and never letting them a moment to breathe. Pit flying high in the sky? A simple Spring Jump will bring Sonic up to his level and punish him for staying aloft. A crowd forming on the ground? Blast through them with a Spin Charge and punish the last fellow with a nice rising combo.
And finally, in regard to the tier level of Sonic and his strengths and weaknesses? For such a delicate character to introduce into Smash Bros., they did a bang-up job. If Sonic had any more priority, range or (especially) power in his moves, he would be way too powerful in his own right. I love the little blue guy, but I don't want to be labelled a cheap S.O.B. for playing an unfairly balanced character.
Oh, and for everyone out there who hasn't had the pleasure of playing Sonic in Brawl yet? He's FUN. And in the end, that's all that matters, isn't it?
