Nintendo's First Samurai: Takamaru for SSB4 (Final Request: Ask the US HW devs to add Takamaru)

[APC99]

I support Takamaru due to my love of samurais and the desire to experience more of Nintendo's history.

 

[Yomi's Biggest Fan]

Well, it is. Got released like a week ago I think and I thought it would be fun to play the famous Takamaru's game.

I've finished 3 castles now and god it's hard. Even though I'm using save states regularly I have a hard time, haha. But an awesome game, now I'm a true Takamaru supporter. (He has climbed to my #1 want out of all realistic options).

Are you serious? What country it is in?

 

[Chauzu]

Well, it's released for the 3DS on the japanese VC. That's all I know, dunno if it's planned to the west.

It's a bit silly though really. Rarely a game translation has been as little needed as with this game - it's basically just the title screen, but everybody gets the picture in any case. Just release it, I say.

I've fallen in love with the game in any case, it's awesome. Currently writing a guide for it too, always been thinking about doing it sometime and it felt right now. ^^

And as for Takamaru design, I see him in the way as my avatar. If he ever gets into Smash, I want him to like something like that. And it would be awesome if he somehow could change between his different projectile weapons in game as well, if added. Fire balls needs to be in, in any case.

 

[Speculator]

I'm not alone am I? Whenever I see his different designs, retro artwork and captain rainbow and samurai warriors, the different styles make me think that he doesn't have a steady character. That idea is reinforced when I see people guessing his personality judging off of the time period and his cameos.

I certainly agree that he doesn't seem to have much in the way of an established design or personality, but I think that's a way that Takamaru could benefit from SSB. Sakurai is very good at giving characters personality and charm. Pit and the Ice Climbers were essentially stock characters before they showed up in Smash, but look at them now. I'm confident that I'll be pleased with whatever direction Sakurai and the dev team decide to take with him.

As it stands I do prefer his Samurai Warriors look to his Captain Rainbow appearance, though. I hope they can strike a balance between the serious and the comedic sides of his character.

 

[Chauzu]

I hope they choose to make him mostly serious, and any comedic episodes involving him blushing but keeping his calm, maybe being a bit ashamed. But that's it. He's an edo samurai, god damn it.

 

[Xigger]

I certainly agree that he doesn't seem to have much in the way of an established design or personality, but I think that's a way that Takamaru could benefit from SSB. Sakurai is very good at giving characters personality and charm. Pit and the Ice Climbers were essentially stock characters before they showed up in Smash, but look at them now. I'm confident that I'll be pleased with whatever direction Sakurai and the dev team decide to take with him.

As it stands I do prefer his Samurai Warriors look to his Captain Rainbow appearance, though. I hope they can strike a balance between the serious and the comedic sides of his character.

Takamaru COULD benefit from this yes, but that is a lot of work in itself. Not just fleshing out the character, but choosing what direction to take him in, how much retro and how much new. Should he keep to his retro roots as possible? Or should his style reflect modern game styles? What kind of personality or lack thereof should he have? How far should his design evolve from his roots? And what is the right balance of influences that go into updating his modern design?

It's really hard. Or rather, not a natural process.

 

[FlareHabanero]

The tone of The Mysterious Murasame Castle is kind of similar to some sort of cheesy action film in a sense. Like, it tries really hard to be serious with it's general dark toning, but the premise of aliens taking over Japan sounds silly. Not to mention there are some mild comedic tones, like every time Takamaru gets hit he flops on his back and twitches.

Of course, after that game was released, anything relating to The Mysterious Murasame Castle has been flipping between serious and comedic. Like Samurai Warriors 3 depicting the franchise as something serious, while Captain Rainbow depicts it as something comedic.

I suppose it's just a matter of prospective, but one thing for sure is that The Mysterious Murasame Castle isn't entirely serious.

 

[Fatmanonice]

Takamaru has too much going for him. Top of many different traits: japan-exclusive, retro Nintendo game, and references in modern games akin to R.O.B. But his inclusion seems iffy if you take design into consideration; the balance between his character, the edo period he represents, and originality (franchise as well as design) makes him a high-risk choice.

I'm not alone am I? Whenever I see his different designs, retro artwork and captain rainbow and samurai warriors, the different styles make me think that he doesn't have a steady character. That idea is reinforced when I see people guessing his personality judging off of the time period and his cameos.

If Takamaru gets in Smash, I feel that, yes, he will get a treatment similar to Pit. As you mentioned, Pit's design in Melee and his design in Brawl are completely different because in Melee his design was meant to look like the original game art but in Brawl Sakurai specifically redesigned him to look modern. I'd argue that, design wise, Takamaru and Little Mac are practically twin brothers because their histories are fairly similar. Little Mac has had a lot of different redesigns too. He has his original look, his Super Punch Out look, his Captain Rainbow look, and his Punch Out Wii look. Come to think of it; Link's had a lot of different character designs throughout the years too... With that being said, they will probably decide on a new look that either combines the old ones or simply create an all new one for his Smash incarnation.

 

[8-peacock-8]

One kills Aliens and the other kills Demons.

Together they will cut down the demon aliens.

 

[Chauzu]

Can't believe I missed that the castle town theme song was in Brawl! So awesome.

I'm a bit too obsessed in this game atm, Takamaru will really need to be in Sm4sh now or I will cry.

 

[TheBakonBitz]

We need a ninja/samurai is Smash. I would rather have Ryu Hayabusa but I don't think he is owned by Nintendo.

 

[8-peacock-8]

We need a ninja/samurai is Smash. I would rather have Ryu Hayabusa but I don't think he is owned by Nintendo.

He's owned by TecmoKoei.

 

[Robert of Normandy]

One kills Aliens and the other kills Demons.

Together they will cut down the demon aliens. fight crime.

Fix'd.

 

[Yomi's Biggest Fan]

Fun Fact: When the skeletal warrior enemies appear in the Murasame Jo level, it makes the same sound effect as Mario activating the Tanooki Suit's Statue Form in Super Mario Bros. 3.

 

[Ixbran]

Hey y'all, first timer here.

I am all for Takamaru being included in Smash.4! I love his character design, and having played Samurai Warriors 3, i really did love playing as him in that game. A very noble and kind person, i loved his portrayal in the game.

 

[Ixbran]

sorry double posted. can an admin delete this please.

 

[APC99]

Hey y'all, first timer here.

I am all for Takamaru being included in Smash.4! I love his character design, and having played Samurai Warriors 3, i really did love playing as him in that game. A very noble and kind person, i loved his portrayal in the game.

Welcome to Smashboards! Don't worry about double posts, they happen often.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Hey y'all, first timer here.

I am all for Takamaru being included in Smash.4! I love his character design, and having played Samurai Warriors 3, i really did love playing as him in that game. A very noble and kind person, i loved his portrayal in the game.

Glad to have ya here!

And you actually played Samurai Warriors? Is it any good?

 

[Ixbran]

Yes, i have been a long time Warriors fan seince the early PS2 years. Samurai Warriors 3, for the Wii, has mixed results. Many Warriors games fans are hard core Sony supporters. so when SW3 was announced as a Wii console game, not many were happy. though some, my self included, loved it.

Heres a gameplay video of Takamaru in Samurai Warriors 3, in the games free mode.

 

[LaniusShrike]

They're horrible games.

But so, so fun. Cumulatively, I've probably spent almost 200 hours on Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors, and Warriors Orochi.

Haven't played the one with Takamaru, though... maybe I'll pick that up and continue my study in carpal tunnel syndrome.

 

[Ixbran]

hahahaha, as i said, Samurai Warriors 3 on the Wii is the game he is in. To unlock Takamaru as a playable character you must play Murasame Castle mode with one of the main cast of SW3, or a custom edit character. Once you meet Takamaru in MCMode you can play as him in the mode along with the character you were playing as before.

To unlock Takamaru for the other modes in Samurai Warriors 3, you must find and break 33 Tanuki statues in Murasame Castle Mode.

 

[shinhed-echi]

I'm currently stuck in a level where I have to rescue a bunch of peasants from evil samurai soldiers. 3 rescues, I think, and there's this girl warrior who tags along at the beginning.

I can never make it to the 3rd rescue in time. I've tried EVERYTHING. This is why I could never beat the game.

 

[Yomi's Biggest Fan]

I'm currently stuck in a level where I have to rescue a bunch of peasants from evil samurai soldiers. 3 rescues, I think, and there's this girl warrior who tags along at the beginning.

I can never make it to the 3rd rescue in time. I've tried EVERYTHING. This is why I could never beat the game.

Back when I owned the game, I was lucky to survive. I had to be level 12 or 14 to beat the level. When the peasants have low health, just "eat" the recovery items to heal everyone else including you. If you think that's the hardest level, progress to Momosame and Ryokusame Castle where all hell breaks loose. I'm impressed that this mode is almost as hard as the original game.

 

[Ixbran]

If Takamaru does indeed get into smash bros, I hope that Nintendo will give him his Murasame Blade he got in SW3.

The warriors series has a weapon levels system. there are low level weapons, or high level weapons. Takamarus move set in SW3 is shared with the generic warrior general types, but his Musou Kaiden (the spinning fire balls), Special (going invisible) and his 4th level weapon are all unique to his character. I would love to see him use his Murasame Blade over the standard Katana, just think it would fit his design so much more than the plain looking sword as his CG model has.

 

[Tree Gelbman]

I can see Takamaru actually being the Pit of SSB4.

Someone who gets a bigger fanbase and a potentially new game comes out of his revival and appearance.

 

[Ixbran]

That would be lovely. I would be very happy to see Nintendo do more with Murasame Castle. I had always hoped that Koei would buy the rights from Nintendo, because I felt they could do more with the series since Nintendo wasnt for so long.

But now that you bring up what happened with Pit, I truly do hope that if Takamaru does get in, he could generate enough fan base to warrant another installation to his series.

I would also love to see maybe the Four Castle Lords be included in Smash.4 as bosses. The Castle Lords are demons who serve the Murasame, the main antagonist of Murasame Castle. If Takamaru is included they could probably appear as assist Trophies as well.

Lord Aosame​

​

• Element: Ice
• Human form Weapon: Quick Draw Katana
• Demon Form Weapon: Large Two Handed sword (but able to wield with one hand)

Lord Akasame​

​

• Element: Fire
• Human form Weapon: Hammer
• Demon Form Weapon: Large spiked steel club

Lord Ryokusame​

​

• Element: Poison
• Human form Weapon: twin spears and a serrated sword
• Demon Form Weapon: twin needle-spiked clubs

Lady Momosame​

​

• Element: Illusion
• Human form Weapon: Steel claws and throwing bombs
• Demon Form Weapon: Elongating gauntlets (causes the users arms to stretch)

 

[Speculator]

Heres a gameplay video of Takamaru in Samurai Warriors 3, in the games free mode.

That English voice for him isn't very good. I hope if he gets in SSB he just speaks Japanese, like Marth.

 

[Deleted member]

That reminds me, the fact they were made for Murasame Mode and serve the villain Murasame (who is a Nintendo property), does that mean those Four Castle Lords are Nintendo owned as well, or does Tecmo Koei own them?

 

[FlareHabanero]

That reminds me, the fact they were made for Murasame Mode and serve the villain Murasame (who is a Nintendo property), does that mean those Four Castle Lords are Nintendo owned as well, or does Tecmo Koei own them?

Everything relating to Murasame Castle Mode was developed by Nintendo EAD.

 

[Deleted member]

Everything relating to Murasame Castle Mode was developed by Nintendo EAD.

So that'd be a "Yes, Nintendo owns them".

So if hypothetically, a new Mysterious Murasame Castle game were to come out, they could appear in it without any rights issues.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

They would be great villains for a MMC game.

 

[Ninka_kiwi]

One kills Aliens and the other kills Demons.

Together they will cut down the demon aliens.

I'm so okay with everything going on in this post. Screw SMT X Fire Emblem, I want SMT X Mysterious Murasame Castle >.>

 

[8-peacock-8]

I'm so okay with everything going on in this post. Screw SMT X Fire Emblem, I want SMT X Mysterious Murasame Castle >.>

Imagine a Takamaru costume in SMTIV. That would be so freaking hype.

Or Takamaru playing a guest role similar to Dante in Nocturne. He would be a recruitable character into your party. That would be the best.

 

[Ninka_kiwi]

Imagine a Takamaru costume in SMTIV. That would be so freaking hype.

Or Takamaru playing a guest role similar to Dante in Nocturne. He would be a recruitable character into your party. That would be the best.

DLC mission with Takamaru equips and Murasame as the boss please.

 

[Fatmanonice]

I've come to like Takamaru simply because of what a blank slate he is. Like Pit, he's only had one major game to his name and a revival of his franchise could go in a large number of directions. One of the things I find the most endearing about Smash Bros as a franchise is how it gives old characters second chances and opens the door for franchises to expand. For me, the Ice Climbers have become some of my favorite Smash characters because of this. They took two virtually unknown characters from an incredibly obscure game and made them loved the world over. They then did the same with Pit in Brawl and I have a good feeling they're going to do the same with Takamaru in SSB4.

 

[Chauzu]

That would be lovely. I would be very happy to see Nintendo do more with Murasame Castle. I had always hoped that Koei would buy the rights from Nintendo, because I felt they could do more with the series since Nintendo wasnt for so long.

But now that you bring up what happened with Pit, I truly do hope that if Takamaru does get in, he could generate enough fan base to warrant another installation to his series.

I would also love to see maybe the Four Castle Lords be included in Smash.4 as bosses. The Castle Lords are demons who serve the Murasame, the main antagonist of Murasame Castle. If Takamaru is included they could probably appear as assist Trophies as well.

Lord Aosame​

​

• Element: Ice
• Human form Weapon: Quick Draw Katana
• Demon Form Weapon: Large Two Handed sword (but able to wield with one hand)

Lord Akasame​

​

• Element: Fire
• Human form Weapon: Hammer
• Demon Form Weapon: Large spiked steel club

Lord Ryokusame​

​

• Element: Poison
• Human form Weapon: twin spears and a serrated sword
• Demon Form Weapon: twin needle-spiked clubs

Lady Momosame​

​

• Element: Illusion
• Human form Weapon: Steel claws and throwing bombs
• Demon Form Weapon: Elongating gauntlets (causes the users arms to stretch)

I haven't seen this. So awesome. I need this game now.

Takamaru in Sm4sh and Castle Lords as bosses in story mode. Just make it happen.

On another note I'm happy that Nintendo are careful with holding on to all their franchises.

 

[LaniusShrike]

So, I feel like I'm a bit confused on this point... Originally, did Takamaru fight aliens, demons, or both? Are they pretty much just aliens that look like demons? Is it a weird translation error? Did an alien boss come to Earth and then... hire demons as underlings? What's going onnnnn?

 

[Ixbran]

So, I feel like I'm a bit confused on this point... Originally, did Takamaru fight aliens, demons, or both? Are they pretty much just aliens that look like demons? Is it a weird translation error? Did an alien boss come to Earth and then... hire demons as underlings? What's going onnnnn?

In the re-dux version in SW3 the back-story was changed. Murasame is a legit demon, having once been a holy figure till he was corrupt by evil magic. It was all revised by nintendo, and is now part of the main canon over the origonal story in the NES version.



Also, for anyone who is interested, here is what the Demon Murasmae looks like in his SW3 incarnation.

​

​

Boss battle with SW3 cast character, Kunoichi.​

 

[LaniusShrike]

In the re-dux version in SW3 the back-story was changed. Murasame is a legit demon, having once been a holy figure till he was corrupt by evil magic. It was all revised by nintendo, and is now part of the main canon over the origonal story in the NES version.



Also, for anyone who is interested, here is what the Demon Murasmae looks like in his SW3 incarnation.

​

​

Boss battle with SW3 cast character, Kunoichi.​

Dang, I think a Samurai fighting aliens is a little more interesting (well, different) than your classic "Japanese dude fighting Japanese demons" thing. Ohhh wellll. Thanks for the info!

 

[Chauzu]

In the original game the mystical life-forms land in the Murasame Castle where they bring the stone statue of Murasame to life, and then they take control of the four castle lords by handing them a, well, ball. This ball then gives the castle lords the power to control their underlings, which leads to the townspeople getting terrorized. Or so the japanese wiki page says.