Like Mario, Pikachu has pioneered and dominated it’s own place in the world. I find it funny that whenever journalists and annalists talk about highest selling games of all time, they conveniently leave out the Pokemon games. Topping the charts as most logged in games using the NintendoWifi service, people all around the world connect with these pocket sized creatures on a cultural level. Nintendo gave Sakurai complete creative freedom over Brawl with only one condition (or should I say four?). Mario, Link, Kirby, and Pikachu had to be returning characters. We have to respect the little yellow guy for consistently bringing in millions for Nintendo. He’s very important to Nintendo. So important, that Sakurai made him low tier in Melee? Something isn’t right here. It’s that time again.
<p align="center"> <img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/sad_pikachu_by_miyayoshi.jpg" /></p>
Pikachu is a Pokemon. Pokemon games are traditionally RPG’s. This means that Pikachu has a slew of moves available for fighting moves in Smash. <a href="http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/025.shtml">Check them out here</a>. Wow. That’s a lot. Somehow, Sakurai and team have picked only four moves to best represent Pikachu.
But before I go into detail on his moves, I wanted to address a larger problem with this character. In order to remain Pika-like, Pikachu had to be a small sized character. Unfortunately, small size generally means small range and power. Though many of Pikachu’s A moves are quite unique and versatile, there’s definitely a lack of flow between Pikachu’s moves. Pikachu is an electric mouse. Most of his uniqueness comes from his electric attacks. In the TV series and games, Pikachu can run out of electricity or “stamina.” This implies that Pikachu draws his energy for all his electric moves from a single source: the two small red electric pouches on his cheeks. Sakurai has already implemented a “stamina” system for one of our new Brawl attendees and I believe a similar approach needs to be taken for Pikachu.<!--more-->
<img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/pikachu_by_psychoartist1101.gif" alt="pikachu" height="317" width="342" />
Pikachu’s electricity (as well as all electric attacks in the game) should have the elemental effect of electricity. Because organic muscles use electric impulses to contract, when hit by electricity, your muscles would cause you to seize/scrunch up (almost into a ball). Surely, this should translate into an inability for opponents to DI as effectively when hit by an electric attack. In effect, being hit by electricity in Smash should enable a temporary paralysis. Likewise, electric attacks should have little knockback. This would make sense with Pikachu’s projectile compared to Captain Falcon’s Knee. Pikachu’s electric projectile has (virtually) no mass and should only cause the opponent to seize-up for a moment. However, the knee causes opponent to seize-up, and there’s also the physical attack behind it making it quite deadly. Now for the moves.
<strong>Thunder Jolt</strong>: It’s a projectile that moves at medium speed. When it hits opponents it causes a slight jolting stun. On the ground the electricity bounces. In the air, it travels in a straight diagonal line. Because of the slow speed and trajectory options, this move is hard to aim. Also, because Pikachu can’t cancel or spam this attack, its uses dwindle. And finally, it doesn’t set up into Pikachu’s other attacks well because of Pikachu’s low speed and the lag from launching the attack. What can be done?
<ul>
<li>I think this attack needs to have 2 parts. 1) Charge. 2) Release. Have you noticed that all the top and high tier characters can cancel or store the “charge” for their projectiles? It’s little things like this that help make those characters good.</li>
<li>1) CHARGE: Hold down the button; Pikachu stores energy. Pikachu should be able to store three levels (similar to Mr.Game&Watch’s three bucket levels). How quickly Pikachu can charge is a matter of overall game balance. So we’ll move on.</li>
<li>2) RELEASE: Depending on the charge, Pikachu can release a variety of attacks. Thunder Jolt would be the slowest and have the least amount of stun. Then Thunder Wave: A short shockwave of energy that travels out in a bubble to about twice the size of Pikachu’s shield. This attack would paralyze opponents for much longer than the jolt, allowing Pikachu to set up other attacks. Keep in mind, the charged used up for this attack would leave Pikachu’s other electric attacks weaker. In this way, Pikachu can’t freeze you, and then kill you with a really strong electric attack. From this point, it’s easy to imagine additional attacks: Discharge. Thunder bolt. However, it would also be interesting if Pikachu could power up his other moves, even A moves, with the Charge.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Thunder: </strong>As part of the paltry list of Smash projectiles that attack up, Thunder is probably the most powerful. A cloud appears and ushers forth a bolt of lightening that never stops until hits the ground or Pikachu. If it does hit Pikachu, there’s an explosion of electricity, and anyone nearby is blasted. Unfortunately, hit or miss, Pikachu has a lot of lag from this attack. This is understandable. Jumping up and around on platforms is how players can position themselves around the stage and around opponents. If you’ve seen the way I fight with Ness, you would understand how deadly up projectiles are. So, in Pikachu’s case, this super strong up projectile had to be balanced. Too bad, it was limited too much.
<ul>
<li>I like the idea of an ominous cloud hovering around as Pikachu feeds it with energy until finally it erupts. What if the cloud could be summoned and charged before the thunder strikes so Pikachu wouldn’t have so much lag.</li>
<li>I never liked how the actual thunder bolt had multiple hit boxes. It needs to be a solid column of energy that greatly paralyzes opponents. If enemies are in the air, the electric bolt should seek them as it tries to find the shortest path to the ground. If opponents get shocked in the air, they would fall straight down unable to move.</li>
<li>The electric explosion around Pikachu should be as strong as the knee or stronger. It should operate under the new havok bomb explosion physics too.</li>
<li>If you think this move is too good, well… good! I want to make this move good enough that Pikachu can only use it a few times before all his stamina is used up. Just like in the game, Thunder was a strong move that could be used very few times. Spamming would not be advised.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Skull Bash:</strong> This move helps Pikachu recover. Like Mario’s Tornado, it’s good for little else. It’s not that strong, and it requires some charge which only increases Pikachu’s lag. It can be stopped easily with attacks or grabs. It’s easy to dodge. I would much rather have Double Team or Agility, but that’s not the name of the game. We have to work with what we have. Creative limitations are what shape the mind. So let’s get shaping.
<ul>
<li>Remember when I said that Pikachu’s release could be used with other attacks. While charging the skull bash, it would be interesting if Pikachu could use any stored up charge to perform a move called Discharge. Because using the move in this way would be a defensive countermeasure, Discharge (as the name implies) would bring all of Pikachu’s charge levels back to zero. Discharge would release a quick burst of energy surrounding Pikachu to push opponents away. Think of the push like the F.L.U.D.D but with much smaller range.</li>
<li>Pikachu shoud have unflinching/super armor while flying at enemies. The more players charge up skull bash, the more super armor they get, the faster they fly, and the more damage they could do. This is a good trade off because it allows Pikachu to be aggressive with the attack.</li>
<li>Because the attack can still be easily dodged by jumping, I believe this attack should have the added bonus of being able to push opponents back even if they’re shielding. Similar to how Mario’s cape works through shields, this move would send opponents sliding back with stun but no damage. This would prevent easy defensive counters, and it would bring a little terror into the move.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Quick Attack:</strong> It’s quick. But as an attack, it falls short. One of the single most versatile recovery moves in the game, what can be done to make it better? I have a gripe against teleporting or fast recovery moves. I understand how Sakurai tried to balance recovery moves. Each player had to be balanced against how their recovery move attacks, how far they move, how quickly they move, how much lag they have before and after, and how invincible they are while doing it. Mewtwo and Zelda have the longest teleports. Because they can’t inflict any damage while recovering, their distances, speeds, and lag times are very low. Fox’s recovery is very long and very versatile. He can point it in 16 directions! To balance this ability, Fox has to charge the up B before launching off. The damage and knockback done with this move is minimal. Unfortunately, the developers couldn’t see that Fox’s speed and power allow him to combo after his Up+B hits opponents. If this wasn’t enough of an oversight, Fox has (magical) flames that protect him when charging. Clearly the balance isn’t with Fox. With Falco, his recovery move has some seriously killing potential. So, in theory, they balance it with a shorter distance and no (magical flames) when charging. This is why we can beat him up so easily, right? Unfortunately, both Fox and Falco have illusions. These moves are invincible in some ways, fast, variable (they can be shortened), and Fox can combo out of it while Falco’s can kill you off the edge. These characters have terribly unbalanced recoveries. For the record, Marth, Sheik, Samus, Peach, and Jigglypuff break the recovery rules too. (Do you wonder why they’re at the top of the tier list?)
<ul>
<li>Just like in the RPG’s quick attack is weak. If it were any stronger, it would be Volt Tackle (and we all know what happened to that move). This move is good, and follows the rules. What can I say? [STAMP]</li>
</ul>
What?! <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=ozZ4ZM5S6Hg">Pikachu’s evolving</a>.
<p align="center"> <img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/pikachu_by_viittaperkele.jpg" height="321" width="372" /></p>
“Pika-HIGH TIER!” Yeah, pretty much.
<p align="center"> <img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/sad_pikachu_by_miyayoshi.jpg" /></p>
Pikachu is a Pokemon. Pokemon games are traditionally RPG’s. This means that Pikachu has a slew of moves available for fighting moves in Smash. <a href="http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-dp/025.shtml">Check them out here</a>. Wow. That’s a lot. Somehow, Sakurai and team have picked only four moves to best represent Pikachu.
But before I go into detail on his moves, I wanted to address a larger problem with this character. In order to remain Pika-like, Pikachu had to be a small sized character. Unfortunately, small size generally means small range and power. Though many of Pikachu’s A moves are quite unique and versatile, there’s definitely a lack of flow between Pikachu’s moves. Pikachu is an electric mouse. Most of his uniqueness comes from his electric attacks. In the TV series and games, Pikachu can run out of electricity or “stamina.” This implies that Pikachu draws his energy for all his electric moves from a single source: the two small red electric pouches on his cheeks. Sakurai has already implemented a “stamina” system for one of our new Brawl attendees and I believe a similar approach needs to be taken for Pikachu.<!--more-->
<img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/pikachu_by_psychoartist1101.gif" alt="pikachu" height="317" width="342" />
Pikachu’s electricity (as well as all electric attacks in the game) should have the elemental effect of electricity. Because organic muscles use electric impulses to contract, when hit by electricity, your muscles would cause you to seize/scrunch up (almost into a ball). Surely, this should translate into an inability for opponents to DI as effectively when hit by an electric attack. In effect, being hit by electricity in Smash should enable a temporary paralysis. Likewise, electric attacks should have little knockback. This would make sense with Pikachu’s projectile compared to Captain Falcon’s Knee. Pikachu’s electric projectile has (virtually) no mass and should only cause the opponent to seize-up for a moment. However, the knee causes opponent to seize-up, and there’s also the physical attack behind it making it quite deadly. Now for the moves.
<strong>Thunder Jolt</strong>: It’s a projectile that moves at medium speed. When it hits opponents it causes a slight jolting stun. On the ground the electricity bounces. In the air, it travels in a straight diagonal line. Because of the slow speed and trajectory options, this move is hard to aim. Also, because Pikachu can’t cancel or spam this attack, its uses dwindle. And finally, it doesn’t set up into Pikachu’s other attacks well because of Pikachu’s low speed and the lag from launching the attack. What can be done?
<ul>
<li>I think this attack needs to have 2 parts. 1) Charge. 2) Release. Have you noticed that all the top and high tier characters can cancel or store the “charge” for their projectiles? It’s little things like this that help make those characters good.</li>
<li>1) CHARGE: Hold down the button; Pikachu stores energy. Pikachu should be able to store three levels (similar to Mr.Game&Watch’s three bucket levels). How quickly Pikachu can charge is a matter of overall game balance. So we’ll move on.</li>
<li>2) RELEASE: Depending on the charge, Pikachu can release a variety of attacks. Thunder Jolt would be the slowest and have the least amount of stun. Then Thunder Wave: A short shockwave of energy that travels out in a bubble to about twice the size of Pikachu’s shield. This attack would paralyze opponents for much longer than the jolt, allowing Pikachu to set up other attacks. Keep in mind, the charged used up for this attack would leave Pikachu’s other electric attacks weaker. In this way, Pikachu can’t freeze you, and then kill you with a really strong electric attack. From this point, it’s easy to imagine additional attacks: Discharge. Thunder bolt. However, it would also be interesting if Pikachu could power up his other moves, even A moves, with the Charge.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Thunder: </strong>As part of the paltry list of Smash projectiles that attack up, Thunder is probably the most powerful. A cloud appears and ushers forth a bolt of lightening that never stops until hits the ground or Pikachu. If it does hit Pikachu, there’s an explosion of electricity, and anyone nearby is blasted. Unfortunately, hit or miss, Pikachu has a lot of lag from this attack. This is understandable. Jumping up and around on platforms is how players can position themselves around the stage and around opponents. If you’ve seen the way I fight with Ness, you would understand how deadly up projectiles are. So, in Pikachu’s case, this super strong up projectile had to be balanced. Too bad, it was limited too much.
<ul>
<li>I like the idea of an ominous cloud hovering around as Pikachu feeds it with energy until finally it erupts. What if the cloud could be summoned and charged before the thunder strikes so Pikachu wouldn’t have so much lag.</li>
<li>I never liked how the actual thunder bolt had multiple hit boxes. It needs to be a solid column of energy that greatly paralyzes opponents. If enemies are in the air, the electric bolt should seek them as it tries to find the shortest path to the ground. If opponents get shocked in the air, they would fall straight down unable to move.</li>
<li>The electric explosion around Pikachu should be as strong as the knee or stronger. It should operate under the new havok bomb explosion physics too.</li>
<li>If you think this move is too good, well… good! I want to make this move good enough that Pikachu can only use it a few times before all his stamina is used up. Just like in the game, Thunder was a strong move that could be used very few times. Spamming would not be advised.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Skull Bash:</strong> This move helps Pikachu recover. Like Mario’s Tornado, it’s good for little else. It’s not that strong, and it requires some charge which only increases Pikachu’s lag. It can be stopped easily with attacks or grabs. It’s easy to dodge. I would much rather have Double Team or Agility, but that’s not the name of the game. We have to work with what we have. Creative limitations are what shape the mind. So let’s get shaping.
<ul>
<li>Remember when I said that Pikachu’s release could be used with other attacks. While charging the skull bash, it would be interesting if Pikachu could use any stored up charge to perform a move called Discharge. Because using the move in this way would be a defensive countermeasure, Discharge (as the name implies) would bring all of Pikachu’s charge levels back to zero. Discharge would release a quick burst of energy surrounding Pikachu to push opponents away. Think of the push like the F.L.U.D.D but with much smaller range.</li>
<li>Pikachu shoud have unflinching/super armor while flying at enemies. The more players charge up skull bash, the more super armor they get, the faster they fly, and the more damage they could do. This is a good trade off because it allows Pikachu to be aggressive with the attack.</li>
<li>Because the attack can still be easily dodged by jumping, I believe this attack should have the added bonus of being able to push opponents back even if they’re shielding. Similar to how Mario’s cape works through shields, this move would send opponents sliding back with stun but no damage. This would prevent easy defensive counters, and it would bring a little terror into the move.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Quick Attack:</strong> It’s quick. But as an attack, it falls short. One of the single most versatile recovery moves in the game, what can be done to make it better? I have a gripe against teleporting or fast recovery moves. I understand how Sakurai tried to balance recovery moves. Each player had to be balanced against how their recovery move attacks, how far they move, how quickly they move, how much lag they have before and after, and how invincible they are while doing it. Mewtwo and Zelda have the longest teleports. Because they can’t inflict any damage while recovering, their distances, speeds, and lag times are very low. Fox’s recovery is very long and very versatile. He can point it in 16 directions! To balance this ability, Fox has to charge the up B before launching off. The damage and knockback done with this move is minimal. Unfortunately, the developers couldn’t see that Fox’s speed and power allow him to combo after his Up+B hits opponents. If this wasn’t enough of an oversight, Fox has (magical) flames that protect him when charging. Clearly the balance isn’t with Fox. With Falco, his recovery move has some seriously killing potential. So, in theory, they balance it with a shorter distance and no (magical flames) when charging. This is why we can beat him up so easily, right? Unfortunately, both Fox and Falco have illusions. These moves are invincible in some ways, fast, variable (they can be shortened), and Fox can combo out of it while Falco’s can kill you off the edge. These characters have terribly unbalanced recoveries. For the record, Marth, Sheik, Samus, Peach, and Jigglypuff break the recovery rules too. (Do you wonder why they’re at the top of the tier list?)
<ul>
<li>Just like in the RPG’s quick attack is weak. If it were any stronger, it would be Volt Tackle (and we all know what happened to that move). This move is good, and follows the rules. What can I say? [STAMP]</li>
</ul>
What?! <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=ozZ4ZM5S6Hg">Pikachu’s evolving</a>.
<p align="center"> <img src="http://smashboards.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/pikachu_by_viittaperkele.jpg" height="321" width="372" /></p>
“Pika-HIGH TIER!” Yeah, pretty much.
You're Kirbykid, not Kirby King!
