Link's Side-Special?

[_Darkpit_]

Diddy Kong, is Link going to get a Shield bash? ^^ =)

 

[Lemonwater]

They should just give him the giant glowing super-boomerang from SSB64.

No, but seriously, Gale boomerang wasn't completely useless. Its pull-back effect just needed to be more consistent and its damage needed a buff. I've killed/mindgamed people countless times because they underestimate the wind effect. That and you sort of HAD to use it if you were using Link. Arrows and bombs could only do so much by themselves.

I'd hate to see one of his staple projectiles get changed entirely into something else. It would be like taking away Fox's blaster and giving him an RPG, or taking away Mario's fireballs and giving him the Fire Flower stream. It just won't feel right. I don't mind having boomerang variations, but no boomerang AT ALL? No thanks. It has earned its place by being one of the more distinguished projectiles in the game.

If you want the new games to be represented in his movesets, there are plenty of options in his actual attacks. His forward smash and dash attack, for instance, could be changed.

 

[LaniusShrike]

For shield bash, I kind of just want that to be his jab. It would be kind of similar to Ganondorf's jab... quick and pops enemies backwards. It's not like Link ever had that "thousand slashes" kind of attack that he has in Smash.

I literally don't understand why the Smash makers would go out of their way to avoid the actual moves of a character... Link's double slash smash is cool, but him jumping forward and swinging with a yell was so much more accurate.

Sometimes, sometimes, I think Sakurai flat out doesn't care about accuracy.

Too bad this is a Side Special thread... I kind of want to talk about what could be done to make his bow move more worthwhile.

 

[Diddy Kong]

I want Link's AAA to be kinda like a weaker Marth Side B. I think Side B would work best as Shield Bash. Should do little damage, very little knockback, but highhhhhh hitstun.

 

[KingofPhantoms]

I've always thought the Shield Bash would've been interesting.

I wonder exactly how many people were upset about the Boomerang turning into the Gale Boomerang at first, and how many realized the potential strategies that one could use it for at first.

 

[TeamFlareZakk]

Sword Beam anyone?

 

[Diddy Kong]

Sword Beam / Skyward Strike would be awesome. Also, Shield Bash could reflect certain projectiles even

 

[LaniusShrike]

Sword Beam / Skyward Strike would be awesome. Also, Shield Bash could reflect certain projectiles even

Oh, that's actually pretty nifty and would make it a lot more of a special. Maybe instead of increasing the damage like Fox's reflector it could instead greatly increase the speed that the projectile moves back at, thus increasing the chance of actually hitting an opponent?

So, a slight stunning, horizontal hitting, reflecting special... sounds good.

But the boomerang is still more iconic. I'd rather get rid of the useless bow and just return the boomerang to its old form or make the gale form more useful.

For instance, I think the gale boomerang's wind effect would be a lot more useful if it dragged opponents both directions, so you could actually throw it at someone to drag them back to you reliably.

 

[Diddy Kong]

Why is the Boomerang more iconic? As far as I can tell, Link's shield always acted on it's own. It has been a vital part of his character design. And there's always stuff as the Mirror Shield, that always reflected back... stuff (depending on the game). I think the Shield Bash is a good move representing the 3D games, and he'd be able to have interessting combos with that move. Plus, it suits him. The Boomerang's effect could just be replaced with the Bow if they'd buff it.

 

[LaniusShrike]

Why is the Boomerang more iconic? As far as I can tell, Link's shield always acted on it's own. It has been a vital part of his character design. And there's always stuff as the Mirror Shield, that always reflected back... stuff (depending on the game). I think the Shield Bash is a good move representing the 3D games, and he'd be able to have interessting combos with that move. Plus, it suits him. The Boomerang's effect could just be replaced with the Bow if they'd buff it.

Well... simply put, how many Zelda games has the boomerang been in? Now, how many games has the shield been used offensively? He may always have the shield, but actually using it as a weapon isn't nearly as common as using the boomerang.

Also, I think the boomerang seems more iconic than the bow, even... simply because every fantasy-ish warrior can use a bow, but the boomerang's a much more unique weapon.

I'm not sure I get what you mean by the boomerang's effect being replaced with the bow... I mean, the boomerang's effects are
- Slow moving, making it a good zoning tool
- Aimable
- Bounces off terrain
- Returns, increasing the zoning utility

I really don't see the bow taking any of these functions except for aiming.

 

[KingofPhantoms]

Oh, that's actually pretty nifty and would make it a lot more of a special. Maybe instead of increasing the damage like Fox's reflector it could instead greatly increase the speed that the projectile moves back at, thus increasing the chance of actually hitting an opponent?

So, a slight stunning, horizontal hitting, reflecting special... sounds good.

But the boomerang is still more iconic. I'd rather get rid of the useless bow and just return the boomerang to its old form or make the gale form more useful.

For instance, I think the gale boomerang's wind effect would be a lot more useful if it dragged opponents both directions, so you could actually throw it at someone to drag them back to you reliably.

The bow can be useful when used in conjuntion with his D and S specials, but it's not easy. I get your point though, as I said it's hard to use that way even.

I think the bow should stay, but let you aim it in other directions. Link can aim like that with his bow in LoZ games, what's stopping him from aiming in Smash?

 

[LaniusShrike]

The bow can be useful when used in conjuntion with his D and S specials, but it's not easy. I get your point though, as I said it's hard to use that way even.

I think the bow should stay, but let you aim it in other directions. Link can aim like that with his bow in LoZ games, what's stopping him from aiming in Smash?

Yeah, I think the bow has potential. Namely, I think it should be aimable and it should penetrate targets (so it could strike through multiple enemies and then only get stopped by terrain).

Wouldn't hate if it controlled like the Cracker Launcher so Link could walk left and right while aiming up and down if need be.

So, the bow can be useful, but I think it's in the bottom 10% as far as specials-usefulness goes. In my opinion, it's the least useful projectile in the game (that I can think of).

 

[IYM!]

i liked these ideas about the bow.

Compared with other projectiles, bow is pretty slow

 

[Gabe Hartzog]

I would love the Sword beam or Shield Bash in place of his usual side b. If they do keep the Boomerang, I would love it to hit on the return, and just ditch the gale boomerang gimmick. If you are gonna put that in, make it give a slight stun so Link can have a chance to follow up

 

[LinkSpecialist]

I think the boomerang will return, the biggest tip off I can muster up are the bombs and arrows Link uses being from TP, it would be inconsistent if he had a different weapon as his side-B if that's the case. Also, there's this.

Notice the blue feathers?

They can be seen here too and I doubt Luigi or Samus could emit the very same ones.

 

[LaniusShrike]

I think the boomerang will return, the biggest tip off I can muster up are the bombs and arrows Link uses being from TP, it would be inconsistent if he had a different weapon as his side-B if that's the case. Also, there's this.

Notice the blue feathers?

They can be seen here too and I doubt Luigi or Samus could emit the very same ones.

I also think the boomerang will return. There might be some changes to it, but it'll probably come back. A lot of the replacement suggestions aren't nearly as iconic to the character as his boomerang, and in terms of Smash Bros it's a rather important move for his zoning playstyle. It just needs to be fixed up a bit.

That being said, I'm pretty sure the blue feathers are pieces of Luigi's broken shield. It wouldn't really make sense for those to be from his boomerang, seeing as it's not on the screen and Link's in the middle of a different attack.

 

[Diddy Kong]

I see no blue feathers though. To me it looks more like... water? Or glass. Perhaps Luigi's shield has been broken on that attack.

 

[KingofPhantoms]

Notice the blue feathers?

They can be seen here too and I doubt Luigi or Samus could emit the very same ones.

Based on how spread out the particles are, as well as their color, and Luigi's position I think it's most likely Luigi's shield being broken.

I also just noticed the Master Sword isn't in it's scabbard, and Link is holding his sword. (probably in the middle of his F-Smash)

 

[ToothiestAura]

Based on how spread out the particles are, as well as their color, and Luigi's position I think it's most likely Luigi's shield being broken. I also just noticed the Master Sword isn't in it's scabbard, and Link is holding his sword. (probably in the middle of his F-Smash)

Yeah, it's this. Not a Side Special at all.

 

[NickerBocker]

Can we just have the sword beam come out on certain sword strikes when you're sitting at 0% damage? (Only on the 3rd strike of AAA, and forward A for example) it makes sense, because in a large number of the classic and top down games, thats when he is able to use it.

It wouldnt make him that much better, because once you take any amount of damage (which happens pretty quickly in smash) the move doesn't happen anymore

But ya, back to the topic. The boomerang is extremely useful, even the gale effect. It would be nice to get a slight buff and a small stun effect, it could be a deadly edge guard. Stunning someone in the air would be an effective finisher when youre on the stage keeping people off. Also,it could help recovery by stunning those who are edge guarding

I just want Link to not be bottom tier

 

[mantlecore77]

Why is the Boomerang more iconic? As far as I can tell, Link's shield always acted on it's own. It has been a vital part of his character design. And there's always stuff as the Mirror Shield, that always reflected back... stuff (depending on the game). I think the Shield Bash is a good move representing the 3D games, and he'd be able to have interessting combos with that move. Plus, it suits him. The Boomerang's effect could just be replaced with the Bow if they'd buff it.

\

A shield bash should be a tilt or throw if anything. The boomerang, bow, and bomb are three solid projectiles that give him range and defense.

 

[Naroghin]

Dash Boots:

3:54 to 4:03

Yes please!

 

[Kamiko]

So about the Gale boomerang. . . Couldn't it just be chargeable? An uncharged throw would function like the regular boomerang, and charging it would add the wind effect.

 

[Yoichi Hiruma]

I think the boomerang is one of his most iconic weapons, but Skyward Sword didn't have it. If they draw on SS for the next game, they might remove it. I hope they don't.
Honestly though, I honestly doubt they will change it.
Because Smash has become a competitive game, they change very few of the specials between games, as the "pro-smashers" would have to adjust to a new strategy. I'm guessing that that's why we haven't seen many new moves for characters.
However, I'm personally hoping that these are all placeholder moves and that many of them will be changed as the game nears the final stages of development.

 

[Diddy Kong]

Just no Gale Boomerang please.

 

[Yoichi Hiruma]

Just no Gale Boomerang please.

I loved Gale Boomerang. It was much better than Melee's Incarnation IMO.

 

[FalKoopa]

Make it behave like a normal boomerang, but keep the visual effects. They are pretty. :3

 

[Yoichi Hiruma]

The wind properties were useful for comboing. They weren't a gimmick as much as they were an upgrade.

 

[KingofPhantoms]

I find it hard to believe I made this thread back when I actually took more recency into consideration than I should've.

Perhaps I should change the OP sometime.

Anyway, I agree the Gale Boomerang was still useful, but in a different manner than the regular boomerang. You just gotta figure out how to play mind games on your opponents with it, though I do realize some players would prefer using different strategies the regular boomerang calls for.

 

[Naroghin]

The gale boomerang was definitely useful, but not as useful as it would be if it could be scoring quick, low-damage hits as it carries opponents.

 

[guedes the brawler]

OoT Adult Link never used the Boomerang and he had it in Smash 64. anyways.

 

[Spire]

I think the boomerang will return, the biggest tip off I can muster up are the bombs and arrows Link uses being from TP, it would be inconsistent if he had a different weapon as his side-B if that's the case. Also, there's this.

Spoiler

Notice the blue feathers?

They can be seen here too and I doubt Luigi or Samus could emit the very same ones.

The same "blue feathers" are seen in the new Zelda/Phantom shot:

It appears they mark the destruction of a shield, or are simple particle effects upon being struck.

Please come back Boomerang. I love you so.

 

[Hong]

Well, I would hope that the boomerang comes back. Otherwise it wouldn't be much of a boomerang, yeah?

 

[Knight Dude]

It'll still likely be some form of a Boomerang. It's one of Link's more iconic weapons, so he'll likely keep it. It is a useful tool too. Just buff it some from the Brawl incarnation. Toon Link should have been the one to use the unique weapons in their arsenal. Iron Boots, Pegasus Boots, Fire Rod, Ice Arrows, and the Deku Leaf. That'd be fun.

 

[Spire]

Neutral Special — Ice Arrow
Toon Link fires an Ice Arrow. When fully charged, it freezes opponents, otherwise dealing normal ice damage. OR, the longer it's held, the longer the opponent is frozen, maxing at x seconds.

Side Special — Fire Rod
Toon Link swings the Fire Rod forward, slinging a sphere of fire (similar to Mario's fireball) in a trailing line.

Up Special — Deku Leaf
Given three puffs, Toon Link is able to float and then shortly glide his way back towards the stage. Puffing in place raises him three intervals.

Down Special — Iron Boots/Pegasus Boots
Tapping Down B activates the Iron Boots, weighing Toon Link down, but halving his knockback reception. Holding Down B long enough equips the Pegasus Boots, with which Toon Link begins to run in place for a held amount of time (maxes out after x seconds). Upon release, he charges forward with his sword at a speed rivaling Jigglypuff's rollout.

 

[LazerRage]

Neutral Special — Ice Arrow
Toon Link fires an Ice Arrow. When fully charged, it freezes opponents, otherwise dealing normal ice damage. OR, the longer it's held, the longer the opponent is frozen, maxing at x seconds.

Side Special — Fire Rod
Toon Link swings the Fire Rod forward, slinging a sphere of fire (similar to Mario's fireball) in a trailing line.
Up Special — Deku Leaf
Given three puffs, Toon Link is able to float and then shortly glide his way back towards the stage. Puffing in place raises him three intervals.

Down Special — Iron Boots/Pegasus Boots
Tapping Down B activates the Iron Boots, weighing Toon Link down, but halving his knockback reception. Holding Down B long enough equips the Pegasus Boots, with which Toon Link begins to run in place for a held amount of time (maxes out after x seconds). Upon release, he charges forward with his sword at a speed rivaling Jigglypuff's rollout.

This is a cool idea. Sadly I doubt they will get this creative, but a guy can dream. I'm definitely down for AT LEAST one of the Link incarnations to have a new unique moveset. I am still optimistic since BOTH of the Link's side-specials are unconfirmed, so I think the chances of something like a shield bash, beetle-projectile, or even Pegasus boots/dash boots may be possible. A heavy hammer move could be possible too, although not probable since Dedede, Kirby and Ice Climbers already have hammers. Anyone else think it might be a something old-school like a Cane of Byrna? Summoning blocks? Eh? Anyone? Eh?? <.< *crickets* >.>

Can we just have the sword beam come out on certain sword strikes when you're sitting at 0% damage? (Only on the 3rd strike of AAA, and forward A for example) it makes sense, because in a large number of the classic and top down games, thats when he is able to use it.

It wouldnt make him that much better, because once you take any amount of damage (which happens pretty quickly in smash) the move doesn't happen anymore

This is definitely optimal as far as the application of a Skyward Strike/sword beam. And, you're right- you're only at 0% for so long. I'd just be happy to see it added in, so I don't care if it does much damage at all, since it could end up being super cheap way to gain an advantage. Maybe it would operate something like Fox's neutral special and have little to no knockback and minimal damage?

I think the boomerang is one of his most iconic weapons, but Skyward Sword didn't have it. If they draw on SS for the next game, they might remove it. I hope they don't.
Honestly though, I honestly doubt they will change it.
Because Smash has become a competitive game, they change very few of the specials between games, as the "pro-smashers" would have to adjust to a new strategy. I'm guessing that that's why we haven't seen many new moves for characters.
However, I'm personally hoping that these are all placeholder moves and that many of them will be changed as the game nears the final stages of development.

Personally, I doubt Sakurai gives a damn about appeasing the tourney crowd. Those are the people who are going to buy it and master it no matter what Sakurai or Nintendo ends up doing with it! Besides, why would people want the same game over and over? I still don't even understand why the 3DS and WIIU versions have the same roster, but that's a discussion for another thread. If they end up just making a Brawl 1.5, by keeping all the same rosters and move-sets, it would bore everyone. Everyone being ME ;-)
Mario's return of FLUDD is a big disappointment, yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean Link's unconfirmed side-special moves are all doomed for such lack of imagination.

 

[UltimateWario]

I very highly doubt the Boomerang is going anywhere, but if they're going to give Link a new Side-B, they should reassign the Boomerang to B, like in the old days. It's far more useful and iconic than the Bow, anyway, and I definitely wouldn't mind seeing Link belting out Skyward Strikes or LTTP/LBW-esque Sword Beams.

 

[thedoctr11]

love the gale boomerang. it does need some buffs though. still its a good idea.

 

[ryuu seika]

Wouldn't help much in a non-item match.

You lack creativity and vision. Pick up a bomb as it's nearing explosion and you have one seriously deadly projectile. Grab Turnips out the air without having to time it. Clear a path against a minion spamming Dedede. Heck, you could even end a combo with it to steal a lucky Peach's beam sword.

It would have its uses.

 

[9Volt]

Boomerang appeared at any screen?