Mr. Banbollow originates in the obscure survival horror game Illbleed, in which the narrative revolves around a schoolgirl who goes to a crazy, horror-themed amusement park to rescue her friends and encounters all sorts of monsters, insane puzzles, booby traps galore as well as her estranged father, who turns out to be the owner of the park. Despite how it might sound like a serious plot, the game is often poking fun at itself with its ludicrous premise and unique way of progressing through the levels, in of themselves an attraction of the park each based on a single fake B-horror movie. The fact that it's so unique is what makes it a fun game to watch be played by someone else, but part of the reason why it bombed was that it's awkward to play, whilst also being so grotesque that Suda 51 may raise a brow if he experienced it. For a better idea of the character and the boss battle itself,
I recommend watching it through this linked text.
Gale Banbollow is the boss of the first level, The Homerun of Death, where he fights the player several times in battles where he is invincible, only being beatable through a meta sequence of turning him off, as he's actually a mechanical part of the park designed to test the visitor. As this set treats him as if he were real, thankfully, he doesn't have the same privilege in Smash. His story is a spoof on Nightmare on Elm Street as well as Friday the 13th: his son, Jimmy, is killed when teenagers burn down his inn by accident while playing with fire. Mr. Banbollow is burnt by the blaze too, giving him his grisly appearance and causing him to lose his mind, hunting down each of the teenagers who caused the fire and murdering them all. When met in Illbleed, he is incessantly calling for Jimmy, even going so far as to kidnap one of the protagonists because he mistakenly thinks that he's Jimmy. Like all good B-horror movie villains, he makes use of that which he hates most - fire, in the form of a home-made flamethrower using a Coca Cola can nozzle and GAS-brand gas canister.
(Stats)
Fall Speed: 8/10
Traction: 7/10
Size: 7/10
Aerial Movement: 7/10
Movement: 6/10
Weight: 6/10
Recovery: 5/10
Jumps: 5/10
Most of these stats are fairly self-explanatory; Banballow is a baseball player, he needs good traction, good hustle and a good air game to field the ball properly, brawling is no exception! For a good size comparison, Banballow is about the size of Jigglypuff or a Party Ball; he is however higher off the ground than Jigglypuff and his crouch is not even CLOSE to how good Jiggs’ is.
(Specials)
Neutral Special: Rebound Striker
Banballow’s signature move is one of his most playstyle relevant as well! Taking a pitching pose, Banballow forcefully hurls a small (about the size of a gooey bomb) pink baseball forward (or diagonally downward if used in midair) at the speed of Samus’ Neutral Special. This baseball will fly forward (or diagonally upward/downward if you tilt up or down slightly while using it) at the same speed until it hits a wall, an opponent or an opponent’s attack. If it hits an opponent, this move will deal a solid 6% and low knockback. Once it hits something it will do one of two things, both of which are -INCREDIBLY- important to keep in mind:
1.) If Banballow’s Rebound Striker hits an opponent or an opponent’s attack, the Striker will automatically fly back towards Banballow’s direction with a 1/4th speed increase. The damage and knockback of the Rebound Striker will also increase by 1/4th.
2.) If Banballow’s Rebound Striker hits a wall or another stationary part of the stage the Striker will automatically ricochet off the wall diagonally up or down (at random) with a 1/4th speed increase. The damage and knockback of the Rebound Striker will also increase by 1/4th.
Regardless of whether or not the Striker hits an opponent or a part of the stage, there’s something of the utmost importance you need to know about this move; once the Rebound Striker hits ANYTHING, the hitbox becomes dangerous to you! So the hitbox is now active to you too huh…? Good thing this move has such low priority; you can smack it right back at your opponent! Yep, that’s right, funny that Banballow can play the ultimate game of dodgeball isn’t it? If you hit a Rebound Striker after it’s been reflected, the damage, knockback AND speed will be increased by ½ from its original stats, struck back by an opponent again and the move will be increased by ¾’s from its original stats. And of course, since it’s Banballow’s own move…of course he gets the final hit in! After being reflected for the fourth time, the Rebound Striker will now do DOUBLE the damage and knockback (killing at as low as 80% now!) it originally would’ve done AND it moves at twice the speed of a normal Rebound Striker! To sweeten the deal, the move now has infinite priority! That’s right, after the fourth rebound, the Rebound Striker is not only twice as deadly, but it’s impossible to knock back, hard as hell to dodge and will even shatter shields instantly! This is of course all assuming that the opponent plays your little game…but the alternative to that is dodging a flurry of Rebound Strikers or taking a repeated 6%…who knows? Maybe the foe will get lucky and Banballow will strike out? Keep in mind that the ball will always fly back at whoever hit it before you and cannot hurt or be hit again by the person who “threw it” last. If the stage “hits” it however, the hitbox will be active to anyone and everyone! Only four Rebound Strikers can be on stage at one time and will not vanish until they’ve flown off the stage.
Side Special: Catching and Pitching
Banballow punches into his gloved hand twice (for a bit of start up lag) before “kneeling” down into a catching stance for as long as you hold the button. What? He has no knees, he can’t really “kneel”. Anyway, any PROJECTILE attack that hits Banballow (including but not limited to energy projectiles, thrown items, explosives, etc.) in the front will, instead of hitting him, be caught in his glove! At this time, Banballow is free to throw the projectile back at the foe…oh, and you can release the button now at this point.
But just hurling a random object at your foe isn’t that interesting now is it? Why would a pro baseball inkeeper just THROW the item back when he could pitch it and be much cooler and showy? And really, wouldn’t just straight up hurling stuff at a foe be predictable after a while? That’s where Banballow’s mastery of all things baseball comes into play; he’s an awesome pitcher if you didn’t know. Keep in mind that this can also be used in midair. If performed in the air, Banballow will hover in place as he pitches the ball but will fall if no pitch is used within two seconds, Banballow will enter a free fall and most likely die. Also keep in mind that while pitching in midair, Banballow will pitch any pitches that would normally go forward diagonally downward.
Neutral Special Button: Fastball
Once you have something in your mitt, simply tapping the Special button will cause Banballow to pitch the projectile forward laglessly at three times its normal speed! Sounds deadly right? Well…not so much. For whatever reason (probably because he doesn’t have enough power behind throwing it…) the projectile will deal half as much damage and knockback as it normally would…granted, it’s still fairly effective if the opponent through…oh…I don’t know, a hammer head or a bob-omb at you?
Neutral Special Button: Fireball Strike
Aha! It’s the name of his theme, how clever! Anyway, once you press and hold the Special button, Banballow will begin turning the projectile over and over in his hand as it glows red! If you throw it like this, it will fly at the same speed as it normally would if the opponent used it and deal the same knockback and damage. Nothing too impressive really…but if you hold it to maximum charge (about the length of a Reverse Falcon Punch)…the projectile will burst into flames! At this time, the attack will move twice as fast and deal twice as much knockback and damage! Don’t expect to land this one too often though…
Forward Special Button: Curveball
Banballow throws the projectile forward and…! It’s curving around the opponent?! This is truly one of Banballow’s weirder pitches; the curveball will cause the projectile to fly forward indefinitely until it hits a wall or flies off the stage. The moment it “touches” an opponent tough…it curves around them and flies into the background before curving back onto the stage! How weird…needless to say this does no damage or knockback but…what’s the use? Well…for one it travels at the speed the projectile would normally travel at and essentially looks identical to the uncharged Fireball Strike…useful mindgames to punish people who try and dodge it? Oh! And since it curves into the background? Yeah, it’ll actually hit spotdodgers; seems like they would’ve been better off taking one for the team…probably would’ve dodge it that way!
Down Special Button: Sinker
Banballow throws the projectile at the ground before him causing it to spin in place for a while before shooting across the stage at twice the speed it would normally move at! While the projectile spins, it deals 1% on contact ultimately dealing up 6% just from that! Once this pitch hits a foe, it deals the regular damage the projectile would normally deal…it is however quite easy to simply jump over.
Up Special Button: Changeup
Banballow looks straight up and then hurls the projectile violently into the air…so hard that it even flies off screen! After about half a second, the projectile then rockets back towards the ground two Battlefield platforms before Banballow! This’ll deal double the normal damage and knockback…but it’s surprisingly difficult to land against competent opponents…
Back Special Button: Screwball
The only way to stop an opponent who’s behind you (once you grab a projectile, you can’t turn around until you’ve thrown it!), Banballow throws the projectile forward a ways…before it goes spiraling past him at twice the normal speed! This’ll not only move twice as fast, but it makes the projectile twice as powerful both knockback and damage wise! The downside however is quite apparently, with the ball shooting past him, Banballow spirals in place, dizzy for a full second before he regains his composure.
Neutral Standard Button: Blinkball
There’s only one pitch for the Standard button and that’s the Blinkball! Physically, it looks the same as the same as the uncharged Fireball Strike or the Curveball…but unlike those, the Blinkball does no damage under ANY circumstances! That’s right, this pitch is purely mindgames…in fact, it’s not even a pitch! Banballow will go through the motions of pitching, heck, you’ll even see the projectile be pitched…but in reality, he’s still holding onto it! If the illusion hits a foe, it does nothing at all, not even flinching knockback…it just phases through them. Have the foe swinging at air with this so you can pelt them with a -REAL- pitch!
Up Special: Fly Ball
Extending out both arms to his side, Banballow begins to spin VERY rapidly, becoming a blur as he spins! Physically, this move looks very much like Meta Knight’s Mach Tornado (fortunately for opponents it doesn’t have Mach Tornado’s insane priority) and will actually give him both horizontal and vertical lift slightly greater than that of the Mach Tornado! So how is this move any different than your basic Meta Knight **** move? Well, first of all, it’s a move Banballow actually uses in game, no I didn’t just rip off a good move! Second of all, Banballow will throw out FOUR Rebound Strikers upon activation of the move, two to each side!
This is a pretty effective recovery and a great “get away from me” attack…but it also has its canon downside; after spinning at such speed, Banballow will be vulnerable for a full ¾’s of a second once he lands as he rocks in place, visibly dizzy. Use with caution; you could easily get one of your Rebound Strikers back in your face during your recovery time!
Down Special: Line Drive
Banballow will roll up into, what else? A ball! He’ll then take two small hops and then a great hop that is actually determined by you, the player! If you simply tap this input, Banballow will take two short hops (that will go about a Pokeball width each) before taking a massive, horizontally moving jump that will move you a full Battlefield platform in the direction you’re facing!
If you hold the button however, Banballow will take the two short hops mentioned above followed by a massive VERTICAL jump that will take him almost two Ganondorf heights upwards (while only about a Kirby width forward). Either way you decide to use this move, you’ll be a moderately high priority hitbox (so you’ll shrug off most projectiles but still eat it from physical attacks) that will deal 8% upon making contact with Banballow. It also takes about two seconds to fully finish the move. That being said, this has a number of uses; not only will it reflect any Rebound Strikers that may be heading back towards you while in ball form, it also allows you to successfully approach against people who may be trying to beat you out by camping against you.
(Standard Attacks)
Neutral Combo: Balk
In baseball, a balk is an illegal motion performed by a pitcher which results in an immediate dead ball (IE the base runners can’t advance). In Brawl, a balk is Banballow’s neutral combo. So with that in mind…Banballow suddenly and erratically swings his gloved hand forward (at the speed of Ganondorf’s jab) as if pitching. If one were to come in contact with this, they’d take 3% and flinching knockback. However this has several other applications. The first and most obvious are the potential mindgames. Because of the fact that this looks like a pitch (much like in your Neutral Special), you can easily catch a foe off guard with it when no Rebound Striker is thrown.
Aside from that, if you hit a Rebound Striker with this move, its attributes will change considerably. Regardless of how many times the Rebound Striker has been reflected, the next time it hits an object, player or the stage, the Rebound Striker will pop, dealing no damage but flinching if an opponent is within a Kirby width of the burst.
Dash Attack: SAFE!
Banballow drops down and does your traditional baseball slide with his glove raised the total length of a Battlefield platform.. Getting hit by a sliding Banballow will deal a poor 3% and tripping, but there are ultimately two outcomes to Banballow’s dash attack.
1.) If you catch a projectile while sliding (such as one of your own Rebound Strikers or an opponent’s projectile) Banballow will automatically stand up after the slide and “field it”. Upon standing up, Banballow will pitch the projectile with the power of a Fireball Strike (double damage/knockback and double speed of the original projectile) directly forward.
2.) If Banballow does NOT catch any projectiles while sliding, he’ll immediately stand up and make the “Safe!” sign with his hands, attempting to chop any opponents to either side of him. This deals a weak 3% and is ultimately fairly useless…it can however be used to deflect Rebound Strikers.
Side Tilt: Bunt
Contrary to the name, this is the key move you’ll be using to deflect Rebound Strikers back at your foe. In one quick movement, Banballow swings his gloved hand back and will stay in this pose forever. No really, until you release the button, Banballow will stay in this position. The moment you release, Banballow will, fairly laglessly, swing his arm forward dealing 2% and flinching knockback. If the button is just tapped, Banballow will simply swing instantly with no stalling. VERY important for using the Rebound Strikers effectively; just remember that timing is everything, swing too early or too late and you’ll be smacked by your own Rebound Striker.
Up Tilt: Brushback
Banballow’s up tilt is very similar to his side tilt in the aspect that they both can be held until you want to use them and both are used primarily for reflecting Rebound Strikers. Upon pressing utilt, Banballow will bend his knees(?) slightly. Upon releasing, Banballow will jump up a Kirby height and forcefully swing his gloved hand above him while sweeping forward. This strike will deal 4% and a weak diagonal spike. It will however spike any Rebound Strikers into the ground causing its priority, damage and speed to increase quickly…but it’ll also be going diagonally upward, potentially over the opponent’s head!
Down Tilt: Breaking Ball
Breaking Ball acts as Banballow’s “failsafe” of sorts and is actually very useful providing something went wrong with your master scheme. In short, pressing the input for this move causes Banballow to stamp the ground with rage, something’s got him upset for sure! Being hit by this stamping deals about 3% and moderate “get away” knockback. So why is Banballow so angry? Well, because something went wrong with his Rebound Strikers of course! We all know how glitchy Brawl can be at times and we all know how many sets out there can bend and shape the terrain and mess with all kinds of stuff…so this is why the down tilt is a crucial move for Banballow.
If the down tilt is used while there are Rebound Strikers -ANYWHERE- on the stage (as long as they’re yours that is!) the Rebound Strikers will suddenly fall to the ground and pop! Upon popping, anyone near them (within a Kirby width) will trip providing they’re on the ground of course. No damage, no knockback, nothing. So why is this helpful? Well usually, the Rebound Strikers will bounce a maximum of four times the proceed uninterrupted off the stage with their insanely high priority…but the stage always has greater priority. If the Rebound Striker gets caught bouncing on a part of the stage, it’ll bounce there until the match ends. Thus, if you make a big enclosed cube stage and throw out all four Rebound Strikers, you’ll not be able to use your Neutral Special again (as you can only have four out at once!). The down tilt will almost instantly pop all of your Strikers on the stage allowing you to once again use them as you please instead of being limited by the Strikers glitching. That being said, the tripping isn’t anything to sneeze at either.
(Smash Attacks)
Side Smash: Pickoff
As you charge this Smash, Banballow will take up a pitching stance with his eyes constantly shifting back and forth. Upon release of the Smash, Banballow will throw a Rebound Striker forward a distance determined by its charge (Battlefield platform uncharged, ¾th’s of Final Destination fully charged). Once the ball has reached its maximum distance, it’ll burst in a tiny explosion that’ll deal 13-18% depending on the charge (being hit by the ball before this will deal minimal damage) and medium-high knockback. This is a good alternative to use as one of Banballow’s KO move; if your opponent won’t play with you, force them too by whipping these out!
That being said…it’s called Pickoff for a reason! At anytime during the charging process, if you hold away from the direction that Banballow is facing, he’ll, upon release of the smash, spin around and throw the ball in THAT direction. Quite handy if your opponent’s one of those teleporting fiends or if they have a partner!
Up Smash: Strike Out
Banballow hops slightly in place as the move charges, holding one hand behind him and his gloved hand before him. Upon releasing the smash, Banballow will then throw one to three Rebound Strikers diagonally upward (45 degree angle) depending on how long your charged it. These Strikers however vanish upon making contact with anything.
Each of these Strikers does a different amount of damage and knockback. The first Striker will only deal 4% and little to no knockback, the second Striker will deal 5% and low-medium knockback and the third Striker will deal 10% and medium-high knockback. Keep in mind though that unless your opponent is TRYING to get hit by all three Strikers, they’ll most likely only get hit by one or two at the most due to the knockback of the second one. If at all possible, try and catch the opponent with the third Striker or have Jimmy knock them into it; that’s the Striker that’ll knock them out!
Down Smash: Double Play
While charging, Banballow rolls rapidly into ball form and begins spinning in place much like Sonic. Instead of spinning from side to side however, Banballow jumps up a short ways (a Kirby height to a Ganondorf height) depending on the charge. Banballow will then fall to the ground creating a shockwave a Bowser width long to both sides.
At minimum charge, this attack will deal 6% and a 30% chance of tripping…while at full charge, it’ll cause 10% and medium knockback. The best use for this move however is that even at minimum charge, it’ll deflect Rebound Strikers both with the shockwave and with Banballow himself. Hitting Banballow while he bounces however will only deal 3% and downward spike…right into the shockwaves!
(Aerials)
Neutral Aerial: Sacrifice Fly
Banballow’s nair acts as a grab of sorts and is, oddly enough, more defensive than offensive. Banballow extends both arms to his side and does a quick 360 degree spin. If anyone is within arms reach of Banballow as he spins, he’ll grab hold of them, spin them with him and release them to the opposite side. This does no damage and, oddly enough, no knockback. Instead, the foe will simply keep the momentum they had going…so if you catch a foe with this mid attack, they’ll keep on going once they’re on the other side of Banballow. A handy move indeed, not so much useful for gimping or anything as it is for stopping opponent’s from gimping you…just make sure their ahead of or behind you; it won’t catch foes from above.
Also keep in mind that, if Friendly Fire is on, Banballow can use this to give Jimmy a bit more “oomph” to their recovery OR take a hit for them by swapping places, hence the name.
Forward Aerial: Shutout
Banballow’s one aerial that isn’t helpful when it comes to aiding teammates…it is quite useful when it comes to reflecting Rebound Strikers! Curling up into a ball, Banballow lunges forward a Kirby width fairly laglessly and with some considerable speed. Any Rebound Strikers that hit Banballow during this lunge will automatically be deflected back.
Any opponent (or Jimmy) hit by this lunge however…will take 5% and be instantly foot stool jumped by Banballow. This can effectively be used as a gimping tool or a way to extend Banballow’s recovery…just make sure it counts; if you miss, you’ll enter a free fall! Also be aware that you’re quite easy to knock around during this attack, a disjointed hitbox like Marth’s fair or just a generally powerful move like DK’s fair will put the hurt on you quite fast.
Back Aerial: Robbing Runs
A ball just out of Banballow’s reach, what a shame, guess he’ll be missing it huh? Not with this power play! When the buttons are pressed Banballow will suddenly leap backwards a ways (similar in distance to Diddy’s Side Special) with his glove raised over him! At this point, Banballow acts as a low priority hitbox that deals 5% and weak horizontal knockback. It does however serve the more important mission however of snagging any projectiles out of the air that may come in contact with Banballow allowing him to throw them in midair. It’s a more reliable way to catch projectiles in the air than his Side Special basically and can also be used as a good way to retreat (despite its landing lag)…but it has a far, far more awesome usage too…
We all know what the term mean; when you rob a run, you do an amazing over the fence catch to stop the other team from scoring! Banballow can do this too! How? You know when an opponent hits you with a particularly powerful move, usually when you’re at higher percents and you fly away corkscrewing? The bit where if a friend or foe touches you, they’ll usually be knocked away a bit as you hurtle off the blast zone? Banballow can rob those. If Jimmy is sent rocketing off stage, use Banballow’s speed to get there followed by his bair to ensure you’ll be a bit ahead of Jimmy. If done properly, Banballow should grab them out of the air like a normal projectile! You can even pitch them in any of the ways mentioned in the Side Special; just be advised that they’ll take damage from your hurling them around too! This can also be used AGAINST opponents. Say Jimmy knocks someone off but you want to make SURE they’re going down for the count! Run up and snatch them out of the air then Screwball them backwards off stage!
Up Aerial: Tag Up
With moderate start up lag, Banballow throws his gloved hand upwards…only to have his glove fly straight up! Yes, Banballow’s glove will fly a full Ganondorf height upward before it comes falling back down to him. If you hit Jimmy, projectile or opponent is caught in the glove as it flies upwards, they’ll be brought back down to Banballow where he can then pitch them as he pleases. Be cautious though; only one other player can be grabbed at a time…not only that…but you’re perfectly vulnerable until your glove returns to you. By itself, no damage or knockback are caused at all by this attack.
One thing to keep in mind about all these moves that can snatch up opponents. Unless they’re at about 80% or more, they’ll most likely break out of the grab fairly quickly before you can pitch them. While it certainly is an effective strategy, it won’t be too easy pull off with the opponent fighting back and all.
Down Aerial: Pull Hitter
Banballow quickly rolls up into a ball and then plummets downward, his glove extended below him (somehow) as he falls. If an opponent makes contact with Banballow himself as he spins, they’ll take slight knockback and 5% damage, nothing too impressive really.
If the opponent/a projectile is grabbed however by Banballow’s gloved hand, he’ll instantly enter his mid-air pitching stance and be able to pitch the opponent/a projectile like in the Side Special. While this could be used for gimping theoretically, it’s fairly obviously telegraphed (with fair start up lag and bad landing lag) and cannot be canceled unless Banballow catches a foe, touches the ground or falls off the stage. It CAN however be used to rescue Jimmy if he has fallen below the stage in combination with the Change Up pitch…
(Grabs and Throws)
Grab: For his normal grab, Banballow makes a no thrills grab with his non-gloved hand. Yaaay…for his dash grab however, he actually makes a dramatic diving catch in an attempt to grab them. The normal grab is very short range but very fast whereas your dashing grab is also very fast, long range but
-INCREDIBLY- laggy upon missing.
Pummel: Golden Sombrero
Yes, that is actually a baseball term. Yes, I laughed too. Banballow’s pummel however is surprisingly simple; Banballow simply smacks them with his free hand; it’s a bench-clearing brawl! It is a fairly fast pummel however…that being said, it only does 1% per smack.
Forward Throw: RBI
Banballow reaches down and snatches up the foe by their legs! Holding them like a bat, Banballow throws a Rebound Striker up in the air and then bats it forward with the opponent’s body! Upon making contact with the ball, the opponent will take 5% and be dropped to the ground, taking another 1% in the process. Like his good buddy Silver however, Banballow’s throws do considerably more damage to bystanders! Anyone hit by the Rebound Striker batted by Banballow will take 8% and decent horizontal knockback!
Back Throw: Hike!
Banballow glances around for a moment before nodding and throwing the opponent between his legs! Unfortunately, Banballow seems to have forgotten he’s not exactly high off the ground…this actually causes Banballow to fly forward as the opponent flies backwards! The opponent will fly backwards one Battlefield platform whereas Banballow will fly FORWARD one Battlefield platform! The unlucky tossed foe receives a weak 4% while any opponent hit by Banballow will take 6% and low horizontal knockback. Something tells me you’re better off sticking to baseball Banballow…
Up Throw: Pop Up
Putting some serious strength into it, Banballow hurls the foe off screen (much like Kirby’s uthrow)…but they don’t come down? Yes, this is truly one of the longest throws in the game. After throwing the opponent up in the air, you’ll regain control of Banballow who will now be looking towards the sky with his glove raised. At this point, you cannot jump or attack…so you’re fairly vulnerable. Exactly a second and a half later, the opponent will come rocketing downwards towards Banballow who will, of course, start sweating anime-esque sweat drops before diving forward a Bowser width, leaving the poor foe to smash into the ground. Upon hitting the ground, the opponent will take a solid 7%. Any foe hit by the falling foe will take 9% and be pitfalled and any foe hit by Banballow as he dives out of the way will take 4%.
Keep in mind that if the opponent is thrown up into a platform, they’ll just take the 9% and the rest of the animation won’t play.
Down Throw: Beanball
The only Banballow throw that can’t effect multiple targets, Beanball is a painful one. Upon pressing down, Banballow will jump back and throw a Rebound Striker directly at the opponent’s head. Upon being hit, the opponent will take a solid 9% and instantly crumple to the ground (so no knockback) for about a second and a half.
A rather basic throw but an undeniably useful one; use this when you want some breathing room for you or a partner to take care of other things (such as the other opponent or trap set up, not that Banballow himself has any…).
(Final Smash)
-Grand Slam-
You knew this was coming; it’s the ultimate play in baseball for crying out loud! That being said, Banballow’s Final Smash can be a tad tricky to land! Upon activation of the Final Smash, Banballow will begin waving his arms, seemingly to rally an unseen crowd! At this, Banballow’s theme will begin to play (at the stadium-esque part) but…nothing else happens? What is this a pep rally?! Nope! Banballow has to press the B button -AGAIN- to actually use his Final Smash! With another tap of the B button, Banballow will roll in place as the “CHARGE!” theme plays for a little over a second. Once the theme is done, Banballow will rocket forward and Sonic’s dashing speed (or if the B button is held, he’ll bounce forward in arcs at Sonic’s dash speed) Regardless of whether you tap or hold the button, if Banballow makes contact with any foe as he spins forward, he’ll pull them along with him! If Banballow reaches an edge, he’ll simply turn around and go the other way so make sure not to try this on a small platform!
Anyway, once you’ve rolled up a foe, you’ll suddenly appear at a stadium in a little mini-cutscene! Banballow will stand on the pitcher’s mound and pitch every opponent he rolled up towards…nobody?! There’s no batter? What madness is this?! With amazing speed, Banballow will roll rapidly towards the batter’s box, whip out a bat and point to the fences. He’ll then take a massive swing at each opponent that passes by him, sending each rocketing clear over the fence for an easy home run…and a KO!
That’s right, if you’re rolled up, you stand absolutely zero chance of survival! That being said, you’ve got a bit of time to clear out of the way and it’s only one stock lost! Could be worse; at least it’s not Landmaster cheap!
Solo Playstyle - Pitching Machine
So Banballow’s the Illbleed villain for you, huh? Good choice! You’ve picked a character who’s very versatile when it comes to both 1v1 and 2v2 matches. Let’s first of all cover 1v1 matches.
So first of all, you’ll want to build up damage on the opponent. Damage building can be done in many, many ways…but it can be kind of tricky as Banballow’s attacks don’t do a whole lot of damage on their own. Banballow’s Rebound Strikers are the obvious choice for damage building; a fast projectile that can be increased damage wise; win, win right? Well that’s providing the opponent “bats” them back to you. There’s a pretty good chance they will though as it gives them potential to hit you as well as distracting you with the ball game so they’re not getting pummeled by a near endless onslaught of Rebound Strikers. Try to mix things up though; if you think your opponent may try and leap the Striker and attack from the air, use up tilt to spike the ball into the ground and up into their face! Alternatively, use your Neutral Combo to trick the opponent into batting at a false Striker and follow it up with a real one while their stunned. While the down tilt may seem situational for glitches…it’s also very useful for stunning a foe long enough to pelt them with another Striker.
Speaking of Strikers, keep in mind your Side Special at all times. Projectile campers are Banballow’s dream match as it gives him plenty of ammo to hurl right back in their faces. Not only this, but Banballow creates more than enough ammo of his own, especially with reflecting Strikers and whatnot. Always remember your pitches too. Most of them are fairly self-explanatory but they’re each useful for their own situation and very versatile. If your opponent hurls a powerful projectile your way, consider throwing it back as a fast ball. The increased speed and already high damage of it should more than make up for the damage cut it gets.
So for damage racking, you have your Strikers and any number of your normal attacks. They’re mostly fast enough to use safely…but they’re also fairly short range. So in short, Rebound Strikers are easily your best method for both damage racking AND KO’ing. With that in mind though, your Smashes should work well enough to KO if your opponent just refuses to play catch with you but don’t rely on them too heavily.
Aerials are mostly going to be used for gimping as their true potential doesn’t really shine through until you’re playing team battles. With that in mind, know that dair, fair nair and fair are all useful gimping tools…dair and fair however are fairly dangerous to use solo though as there’s a high potential for a self-destruct if your opponent catches on.
Banballow’s grabs and throws are a tad too weak to be truly effective in a singles match but they’re certainly useable. Consider using your pummel instead though to rack up some quick damage.
Mindgames are also a GREAT idea for Banballow to utilize. Your Neutral Combo and Side Tilt look similar animation wise and, essentially, serve very similar purposes. While your opponent may think you used a side tilt to reflect it back, in reality you could’ve used the Neutral A which would end up stunning the opponent for a short time. Likewise, if you use the Blinkball after catching a projectile, Banballow will throw nothing; especially useful against twitchy opponents or simply to mix up your strategy. Your Change Up can also be used to effectively mindgame. Side Smash can also be used throw an opponent off; if you’re charging in one direction and they roll past you, spin around and smash them in the face with it. It won’t do a whole lot of damage but it’ll get them out of your hair for a moment. One last good trick is proper use of the dtilt; wait until your opponent goes to swing, take the balls out of the air and Strike them when they get to their feet!
Team Playstyle - All-Star Game
Banballow’s forte is in Team Battles, plain and simple. Here he has a much easier time KO’ing, peppering opponents with Rebound Strikers AND he even has Jimmy backing him up!
First of all, Rebound Strikers become even easier to use as you no longer need to make the opponent play…but can simply play with Jimmy! Batting the Rebound Strikers back and forth and then having Jimmy spot dodge while Banballow sends it rocketing past is an excellent strategy if you have some breathing room. If you don’t, Banballow works extremely well with trap characters too as his Strikers will usually rebound off of standing traps. Not only this, but you have twice as many opponents to peg with them making accuracy much less of an issue.
Banballow’s main catch with Jimmy is that he can, to an extent, almost always save him. All of Banballow’s aerials (excluding his fair) are EXTREMELY useful when it comes to saving Jimmy, whether it be from an attack or from falling off the edge. Catching an opponent and pitching them (Change Up is most effective) will almost always save them from falling off the edge.
Another great benefit of team matches is, Banballow’s smash attacks are all the more useful when you don’t have an opponent breathing down your neck. You can also be a lot less accurate with the side and up smashes while fighting multiple opponents.
Throws also get a major buff in team matches. Like Silver the Hedgehog, most of Banballow’s throws will hurt teammates for more damage than the person actually being thrown. That being said, you’ll have to watch out that you’re hurting the opponent’s teammate and not your own.