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

[Banjodorf]

That moveset/everything is one of the best I've ever seen. Whoa.

 

[HylianHeroBigBoss]

Indeed well done habenero, i would love that moveset for him.

 

[Banjodorf]

I think the best part for me was actually the tea drinking victory pose. That'd just be soooo epic.

 

[Yomi's Biggest Fan]

Mother of Master Hand! Your moveset just put all the other fanmade Takamaru movesets to shame. Well done, Habenero!

 

[Speculator]

Gonna post this little move set I've made. For this, I wanted to create a character that is ruthless in action but honorable in mannerism. Also an emphasis on being more agile then other characters of his ilk. Also references to typical Japanese culture, and even some references to Samurai Warriors 3.

[COLLAPSE="Takamaru"]Long ago in the land of rising sun, a samurai of much praise once lived among the people. He was clamored in the back allies as a valiant and wise warrior, who's sword could slice faster then the eye could blink and very pin point accuracy matched by nobody. His name was Takamaru, a warrior with the vigor of an assassin but with the heart of a monk.

He was tasked many a year by the shogun to infiltrate Murasame Castle and it's nearby castles to inspect the rumors of an evil force plunging the land into chaos. Though alone in this journey, Takamaru knew he had to stop whatever force is driving the land towards darkness. It was a very violent endeavor filled will all sorts of assassins and monsters, but eventually he entered Murasame Castle and slayed the evil alien causing the chaos. The day was then saved and the land returned to peace once again.

Takamaru is is indeed very fast, notably very light on his feet and in the air. This speed makes approaches very simple compared to other characters, but because of the fast falling speed it's more tricky to recover. As such it's ideal to use Takamaru for punishing the opponent with very fast speeds first and foremost. Aside from that, it's difficult to camp Takamaru due to his play style having a notably resilience to stall. His attacks do abnormally high amounts of shield damage in particular, despite the attacks themselves being relatively weak otherwise. But as stated, his attacks are not powerful, as such being resilient with combos should be a priority over making kills. When using Takamaru, always remember to not be reckless, for like the samurai you need to stay focused in combat at all times. Being reckless will only lead to demise for both the player and Takamaru.

Special

:bbutton:
Shuriken
Throws out a shuriken at a high velocity straight forward. It has a fast fire rate, but notably low power that is influenced further by the range. It's a unique projectile in that it can also stick to walls and floors, which can cause additional damage if touched. The angle of the shot can slightly manipulated by the angle of the control stick.
:bbutton::stick8:

Windmill Sword
Blows with a large sword shaped like a fan. It has two different functions depending on the air or ground. In the air it acts like a standard recovery, where Takamaru jumps into to the air while spinning the blade at an intense speed. But on the ground, it instead acts like a deflecting move that causes projectiles to be deflected in varies directions and also causes wind that pushes away the opponent. The move will be implemented as long as you hold the B button.

:bbutton::stick6:
Falcon Strike
Takamaru briefly stops and grasps the hilt of his katana, with a quick spark in front of him. If anyone is within the range of the spark, Takamaru with unsheathe the katana and strike at blinding speeds. It's a tricky attack to execute due to the small range and exposure. But it is notably Takamaru's strongest attack, and can instantly destroy shields.

:bbutton::stick2:
Invisibility Cloak
Briefly turns invisible in a puff of smoke for about 10 seconds, or until Takamaru makes an attack. Attacks will have a 20% boost in power. After usage, the move will have a roughly 10 second cool down period.

:bbutton: (Final Smash)
Inazuma Lightning
Takamaru's katana glows brightly as he points it towards the sky, which summons a lightning storm that rains down lightning bolts. As the move finishes, the lightning gets more intense and it finishes with a large strike from above that does considerable damage.

Standard

:abutton:
Swipes horizontally twice, then slams down vertically. If the second imput is held down, instead he will rapidly jab the opponent at quick succession. It is a fast attack that can be used in a vein to a jab.

:stick6::abutton:

Dashes forward with a quick swipe of his sword. It has a very specific hit box roughly around execution that causes considerable damage. If preformed right, both Takamaru and the opponent will freeze for a brief second. If used anywhere else, it will do pathetic damage.

:abutton::stick8:

Swipes upwards. Good move for juggling.

:abutton::stick6:
Swipes forward up to two times consecutively. Good spacing option.

:abutton::stick2:

Swipes across the ground. If preformed at the tip, it causes tripping. Moderately fast move, slightly pushes the user forward.

stick8:

Jumps upwards and attacks the opponent with a barrage of relentless slashes. On the first frame (the jump) it knocks the opponent upwards, then the actually attack inflicts small amounts of damage in quick succession. It can be used to implement a DACUS technique.

stick6:

Charges the sword with energy, then swings forward with a trail of intense fire. It's one of Takamaru's few killing moves with above normal range and power, but unreliable lag.

stick2:

Spins around in a circle with his katana strutted out. It has similar properties to Link's Spin Attack from Melee.

Aerial

:abutton:

Slashes while spinning in a circle. The attack has no knockback but hits the opponent multiple times.

:abutton::stick8:

Slices upwards in a very quick motion. Very good juggling move for aerial combat.

:abutton::stick6:

Preforms 5 kicks simultaneously in quick succession. The first 4 kicks don't have knockback, but the fifth knocks the opponent forward.

:abutton::stick4:

Preforms a somewhat slow yet powerful back kick. Decent KO option.

:abutton::stick2:

Briefly stops for a second, then dives down with the katana forward at a roughly 150 degree angle while surrounded in wind. If it hits an opponent, Takamaru will bounce back and the opponent will be knocked back in the same trajectory. But along with stall-then-fall moves of it's ilk, it's risky to use it over a pit.

Grab

:zbutton:
Grabs the opponent with his left hand open wide. It's a quick grab, but with limited range.

:abutton:
Slices the opponent with a shuriken.

:abutton::stick8:
Preforms the legendary "Turning Swallow Cut" technique, by quickly striking from above the striking from below.

:abutton::stick6:

Knocks the opponent forward with a forceful kick.

:abutton::stick4:

Throws the opponent backwards, then throws a barrage of shurikens at the opponent.

:abutton::stick2:

Slams the opponent downwards and quickly stabs them roughly across the stomach. Can be used to chain grab large enemies like Bowser or Donkey Kong, but ineffective for anything roughly smaller.

Ledge Attack
:abutton: (>100%)
Kicks downwards with a quick sweep.

:abutton: (<100%)
Stabs the ground as he's climbing back up.

Floor Attack
:abutton: (front)
Stabs the ground, which causes a small shock wave.

:abutton: (back)
Preforms a 360 down swipe with his feet.

:abutton: (trip)
Slashes on both sides.

Other

Wall Jump: Yes
Wall Cling: Yes
Crawl: No
Tether: No

Shield: Hold out his katana in front of his face.
Roll Dodge: Ether slides forward or backwards with an afterimage effect.
Side Step: Vanishes for a second.
Air Dodge: Preforms a somersault backwards.

Entrance: Jumps off from the talons of a large falcon.

Taunt 1: Brushes off his bang as if ether hot or admiring himself.
Taunt 2: Sticks out his katana in front of him with a gust of wind blowing in front, while yelling "戦士の魂を目撃! (Witness the soul of a warrior!)"
Taunt 3: Faces towards the screen, then clenches his hands together and bows, while saying "立派な努力. (A commendable effort.)".

Victory Pose 1: Jumps into the air off screen, throws down shurikens, then slams onto the ground with his katana.
Victory Pose 2: Drinks green tea out of a tea bowl while mumbling "このような無意味な戦い... (Such a pointless battle...)".
Victory Pose 3: Slashes with his katana in a flurry of cuts, then stops and raises the katana next to his head while yelling "私の戦い精神は決して滅びる ！(My fighting spirit will never perish!)"
Defeat Pose: Kneels on the ground seiza styled, looking down with his katana embedded into the ground next to him.[/collapse]

That's amazing. He'd really feel like the same character from the game. Great job on giving him some personality too, not many movesets go that far.

 

[Mirron]

Takamaru is the other Retro character I'd definitely like to see in SSB, and the retro character I'm expecting more. After seeing what they did with Pit I definitely look forward to seeing Takamaru, I just hope that they actually include him. Would be kind of disappointed at this point if they didn't, given how popular he seems to be.

 

[FlareHabanero]

Great job on giving him some personality too, not many movesets go that far.

Believe it or not, but having character does make a difference with these types of things. it shows off something sort of interesting.

The thing to remember about this character is that there isn't a set personality to him, so as such I had to make up something. Being a samurai, naturally having a sense of chivalry should be a high priority; in other words trash talking and vulgar expressions are out of the question. He'd also be kind of stern, with a very firm expression of seriousness to him in both combat and socialization, but also at the same time having a sense of serenity and sincerity, and be a bit of a mentor for the young or weak with a fair amount of wisdom to share. However, he has little tolerance for violence or cheating and won't be afraid to show off a more intimidating side.

In a sense, he's kind of a foil to Pit. Which would actually an interesting interaction, considering that foils make for good character development opportunities.

After seeing what they did with Pit I definitely look forward to seeing Takamaru, I just hope that they actually include him. Would be kind of disappointed at this point if they didn't, given how popular he seems to be.

Yes I do think that the character should be given some sort of bone in this day and age, which has happened in baby steps so far. A big leap at this point wouldn't hurt at all.

Also the popularity thing is probably due to recent publicity, like Nintendo Land.

 

[Banjodorf]

And I really love Nintendoland for giving him that; it may just be the push he needed. Considering Sakurai's past statements.

 

[Oasis_S]

Believe it or not, but having character does make a difference with these types of things. it shows off something sort of interesting.

The thing to remember about this character is that there isn't a set personality to him, so as such I had to make up something. Being a samurai, naturally having a sense of chivalry should be a high priority; in other words trash talking and vulgar expressions are out of the question. He'd also be kind of stern, with a very firm expression of seriousness to him in both combat and socialization, but also at the same time having a sense of serenity and sincerity, and be a bit of a mentor for the young or weak with a fair amount of wisdom to share. However, he has little tolerance for violence or cheating and won't be afraid to show off a more intimidating side.

AND THE NOSEBLEEDS DON'T FORGET THE NOSEBLEEDScaps.

 

[FalKoopa]

AND THE NOSEBLEEDS DON'T FORGET THE NOSEBLEEDScaps.

Perfect for a taunt.

 

[Mirron]

I really hope it does. There aren't a lot of pure Retro reps I like enough that could get in. Most of them I either don't like or are too obscure. Takamaru is the only one I can think of barring Sukapon, and that's mostly for his potential. I expect if he does get in he's another person on my (increasingly growing) list of people I'll learn how to use well.

 

[FlareHabanero]

AND THE NOSEBLEEDS DON'T FORGET THE NOSEBLEEDScaps.

After the Crazy Tracy incident, I'm surprised I forgot about that little detail.

Might make for a good easter egg taunt of sorts when you fight against someone like Zamus, Peach, Zelda, and Palutena. Gotta get that teen rating somehow, you know.

 

[Rukifellth]

Aw yeah, we defenitely need Takamaru. He as recently appeared in Samurai Warriors on the Wii version, Smash Bros have no katana users in it's playable roster. Altough the flickering explosion screen would have to go due to the epilepsy it could cause. :S

 

[Yomi's Biggest Fan]

After the Crazy Tracy incident, I'm surprised I forgot about that little detail.

Might make for a good easter egg taunt of sorts when you fight against someone like Zamus, Peach, Zelda, and Palutena. Gotta get that teen rating somehow, you know.

Though it could interfere with the usual A ratings that Smash usually get in Japan. I believe Captain Rainbow must have been either rated B or C. Nethertheless, the nosebleed would be a great Easter egg.

 

[FlareHabanero]

Though it could interfere with the usual A ratings that Smash usually get in Japan. I believe Captain Rainbow must have been either rated B or C.

Captain Rainbow was considered rated B by CERO, which is the equivalent of a Teen rating by the ESRB. Mainly that was contributed by the risque topics thrown around in that game, the relationship between Takamaru and Tracy being one example. One could argue that was the main reason why it was released only in Japan, despite the fact that that there were plans to also release it in Europe.

Luckily there is an English patch in the works that translates the whole game and bypasses the region locking, meaning that being able to play the game on an American Wii would be possible with a little hacking.

Altough the flickering explosion screen would have to go due to the epilepsy it could cause.

Naturally. Mysterious Murasame Castle did have this odd fascination with flickering lights in general...

 

[Deleted member]

Reason why Captain Rainbow was not A:

-You had to find "proof" that Birdo is a girl to a court. Said proof, while censored, is a vibrator.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

Reason why Captain Rainbow was not A:

-You had to find "proof" that Birdo is a girl to a court. Said proof, while censored, is a vibrator.

0_o


Well....at least that clears up the whole transvestite thing.

Or does it?

 

[Oasis_S]

0_o


Well....at least that clears up the whole transvestite thing.

Or does it?

Well, it's not like a man can't use a vibrator.

 

[~ Valkyrie ~]

Heheheh, and if I remember correctly, Birdo even curses in that game like there's no tomorrow. Speaking which, I'm curious how's with the translation of the game by Kirameki.

By the way, my big applauds to Habanero due his dedication to Takamaru and this topic. It's amazing how much creative content and ideas you managed to cram in it.
b_(-lul-)_^

 

[Yomi's Biggest Fan]

Birdo is a hermaphrodite, nuff said.

If Snake were to return, what type of codec conversation he'd might have for Takamaru?

 

[FlareHabanero]

Speaking which, I'm curious how's with the translation of the game by Kirameki.

The last I heard, it was originally planned to be released during Christmas. But it seems to have been delayed for whatever reason.

By the way, my big applauds to Habanero due his dedication to Takamaru and this topic. It's amazing how much creative content and ideas you managed to cram in it.
b_(-lul-)_^

Being creative is one of the many joys of handling such a character like this. You pretty much have to be convincing in order to grab peoples attention.

 

[N3ON]

Here you go Habanero, feel free to use it or ignore it:

[COLLAPSE="Takamaru OP Banner"]

Direct link:
http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg519/nthreeon/SSB4 Newcomers/TakamaruHeader_zps552be128.png
[/COLLAPSE]
After playing Sakura Samurai, I thought the cherry blossoms swirling around Takamaru would be a nice addition, but I can remove them if you want.

 

[FlareHabanero]

The sakura are fine, but I guess in context something like lightning, fire, or feathers would also work. The latter being a reference to the falcon theme Takamaru sports from his name (鷹 Taka means falcon), his appearance sporting wing patterns on his vest, and his title 侍鷹 (Samurai Falcon). That's why I even referenced the "Falcon Strike" move to begin with.

 

[Mirron]

Is Sakura Samurai the name of the minigame from Nintendo Land? I've never played Nintendo Land, but I keep seeing Sakura Samurai brought up, so that's what I'm guessing.

And... er, that's just bizarre on the Birdo thing. Captain Rainbow is definitely one of those really, really weird kind of games I don't get.

Anyways, any alternate costumes Takamaru could have which would reference his game any? One of the things I like about SSB is looking at alternate costumes and trying to pin where they came from. Doesn't always work, but I'd like to see more of it in the future.

 

[FalKoopa]

Takamaru's minigame in Nintendo Land is called Takamaru's Ninja Castle. Speaking of recolors, I can't think of any references they can possibly point to. -_-

 

[HylianHeroBigBoss]

Is Sakura Samurai the name of the minigame from Nintendo Land? I've never played Nintendo Land, but I keep seeing Sakura Samurai brought up, so that's what I'm guessing

 

[FlareHabanero]

Anyways, any alternate costumes Takamaru could have which would reference his game any? One of the things I like about SSB is looking at alternate costumes and trying to pin where they came from. Doesn't always work, but I'd like to see more of it in the future.

Arguably going strictly by Mysterious Murasame Castle, there is not many choices. Maybe a pink costume based on the princesses you rescue and a blue costume based on the Blue Daimyo.

 

[Yomi's Biggest Fan]

Arguably going strictly by Mysterious Murasame Castle, there is not many choices. Maybe a pink costume based on the princesses you rescue and a blue costume based on the Blue Daimyo.

I guess the Blue Daimyo must be Aosame since he's the first you had to takedown.

 

[DragonSniperNintendo]

Arguably going strictly by Mysterious Murasame Castle, there is not many choices. Maybe a pink costume based on the princesses you rescue and a blue costume based on the Blue Daimyo.

An updated version of his appearance, similar to Samurai Warriors 3, would of course be the main costume.

Maybe his Captain Rainbow outfit would be an alt costume.

 

[Frostwraith]

The sakura are fine, but I guess in context something like lightning, fire, or feathers would also work. The latter being a reference to the falcon theme Takamaru sports from his name (鷹 Taka means falcon), his appearance sporting wing patterns on his vest, and his title 侍鷹 (Samurai Falcon). That's why I even referenced the "Falcon Strike" move to begin with.

Maybe he can also use the Falcon Punch?

Just kidding. I didn't know that Takamaru's name had the falcon kanji (then again, I don't know Japanese, save for a very few words... =P).

An updated version of his appearance, similar to Samurai Warriors 3, would of course be the main costume.

Maybe his Captain Rainbow outfit would be an alt costume.

Perhaps it could be a costume or at least a color scheme based on this.

My best guess is that Sakurai will do a total redesign like how he did to Pit in Brawl. At the very least, his design will be based on his Samurai Warrior 3's design.

 

[Deleted member]

At the same time, I can see a non-blocky take on the Captain Rainbow design being used.

 

[FlareHabanero]

Keep in mind in Captain Rainbow, characters are exaggerated in a vein to a caricature. In the case of Takamaru, exaggerated emphasis on his hair bang and ponytail. Other characters also go through a similar premise, like Lip having huge ears and boots or Devil having a very protruding jaw.

In the case of design, at this point to satisfy both sides maybe having a hybrid between the realistic and cartoon style would be nice, for example using the proportions of the realistic style but using the outfit used by the cartoon style, but at the same time it's not necessary. Unlike Pit, Takamaru already has an ideal design to use that does not require making a new design from scratch. In other words, the method of "adding small details to make a big change as if the series continued" is not necessary.

 

[Chidosengan]

Ugh.... That 3D model have always rubbed me the wrong way.

I'm not saying I have something against this character, I think he has potential to be very original if done right. But that model... bleh... Its really bad that this is the best we got to work with. I hope that they make a better design if they include him in Smash,.

 

[DragonSniperNintendo]

Keep in mind in Captain Rainbow, characters are exaggerated in a vein to a caricature. In the case of Takamaru, exaggerated emphasis on his hair bang and ponytail. Other characters also go through a similar premise, like Lip having huge ears and boots or Devil having a very protruding jaw.

In the case of design, at this point to satisfy both sides maybe having a hybrid between the realistic and cartoon style would be nice, for example using the proportions of the realistic style but using the outfit used by the cartoon style, but at the same time it's not necessary. Unlike Pit, Takamaru already has an ideal design to use that does not require making a new design from scratch. In other words, the method of "adding small details to make a big change as if the series continued" is not necessary.

I meant the costume, imagine the Samurai Warriors 3 version in that costume for an alternate. Not the character itself.

 

[Diddy Kong]

I would prefer a new model, similar to Pit's actually.

 

[FalKoopa]

I would prefer a new model, similar to Pit's actually.

With a look similar to Marth and Ike.

 

[Speculator]

If there's anything that they absolutely must get right it's his big poofy trousers.

 

[FlareHabanero]

If there's anything that they absolutely must get right it's his big poofy trousers.

Those trousers are called hakama, specifically the umanori variant. Typically they were worn by men and complimented varies types of kimono except for yukata, but in more recent years it's more restricted to festivals and ceremonies and is a more gender neutral article of clothing.

Takamaru sports the kamishimo style of clothing typically worn by samurai; formal kimono, hakama, and sleeveless jacket.

 

[TheCreator]

Takamaru confirmed for FE:A DLC.

 

[Oasis_S]

Takamaru sports the kamishimo style of clothing typically worn by samurai; formal kimono, hakama, and sleeveless jacket.

Takamaru confirmed for Style Savvy.