Alright...let's do this. First things first...
Mini Kangaroo
Chance: 0.25%
So this thing was one of Nintendo's mascots in the '70s back before they got into video games, huh? I guess it's a part of the company's history in that regard. Thing is...how much does that mean for Smash, a game focused on Nintendo's franchises and its history within video games in particular, and especially when we're talking optional content that seems mainly targeted toward the fans? How well would a character that's become so obscure now and wasn't involved with video games the way R.O.B. was fit into the realm of Smash? What moveset potential would there be that wouldn't involve large creative reaches?
These are all valid questions...and I don't know if any of the answers work in the Mini Kangaroo's favor.
Want: Abstain
But beyond that, I have no strong feelings for it one way or the other.
And now, for the main event. Before things get controversial, let me see if I can settle some arguments.
-♪- (SPOILER WARNING: Fire Emblem Fates music)
Rerate: Krystal
Chance: 55% -> 55%
Seems like Krystal can't get brought up anywhere without controversy following. Her first appearance was a radical departure for the series (even though it was designed to be a
gaiden game all along), and the two Star Fox games that came out afterward are considered kind of...lacking. Some of the fanbase associates her with the series' dip in quality, some dislike how undue of a focus she has in Star Fox Command, while others outside the fanbase loathe her for a
different fandom she's associated with, ironically ignoring how nearly every
other character in the series
also falls under them. Merely mentioning her in some places is enough to incur the commenters' wrath.
Krystal has always been a character with an unfair reputation. Kind of a
blue black sheep in her home series, she still fits into the setting in her own way while having more aspects to her character than pretty much anyone else there. It's never been fully realized due to how the Star Fox games we've had so far haven't done much in the realm of character development, and especially since Command wasn't very well written (and based on our first impressions, Zero isn't either...), but that isn't a strike against a very interesting character. In fact, we now know thanks to Source Gaming that Krystal at least got a look back during Brawl's development, and the main reason Wolf was chosen over her was because they were pressed for time and they decided he was easier to implement!
...And I've seen a lot of people assume Wolf would preclude her chances here, as well. There's this prevailing thought that we'll only get one DLC character per game series, and even though some--myself included--have
serious doubts, it still gets treated as unquestionably true far too often. We don't know for sure, but if there's anything we can tell about Sakurai's design philosophy from previous Smash games and even from Smash 4's base roster, it's that he has no problem bringing in two or more characters from the same series. Despite any "roster spot" concerns, despite any fears that Krystal would ruin the chances of fan favorite Wolf, past experience tells us there's a very realistic possibility they'll
both make it.
Say it with me:
Krystal and Wolf can both be DLC. Having one get in would not automatically rule out the other.
So where does that put Krystal herself? The telepathic warrior amidst a sci-fi setting who seems to be absent from its newest game? That's another thing I've seen brought up a lot, how Star Fox Zero is yet another retelling of the events of 64. I've seen some argue that this rules out Krystal's chances. Thing is, Nintendo went out of their way to say Zero
is not a retcon of the series--kind of like how the Metroid Prime trilogy doesn't retcon out the events of Super Metroid, they just take place before it. All this does is leave Krystal absent from her series' most recent game...and if the Smash Ballot is any indication, lack of relevance no longer matters if the fans can prove they still care about the character.
Isn't that right, K. Rool and Isaac fans?
Wait a minute, I'm one of them!
And that's another key point here:
Krystal's support base is starting to make their presence known. Fans that generally were quiet out of fear of being harassed in places online aren't quiet any longer. Has anyone seen how much more often she's been ranking high in the admittedly fewer straw polls that have happened lately? How about the few she literally
ran away with because someone rallied her supporters? Or the sheer amount of support art on Miiverse, to the point where I bet there's about a 50-50 chance that anyone who's played on the Miiverse stage occasionally,
regardless of the characters involved, has seen Krystal support art that ties into the characters? If there's one thing the so-often-maligned furries that comprise a part of her support base have among their ranks, it's legitimately talented artists.
Not only is Krystal's support base large
and beginning to make noise, it's also
consistently large! Whereas someone like Shantae falters from being relatively unknown in Japan, whereas someone like Pichu has the brunt of its support from the Japanese and is more polarizing everywhere else, Krystal is highly supported
worldwide!
So if the support base is there, what would encourage Sakurai and his team to give Krystal a chance? Believe it or not, that's
another one of Krystal's strong points! Most discussion about her possible moveset revolves around her battlestaff, used by Fox in Star Fox Adventures but rightfully hers--she even teaches him the basics of using it through astral projection--and how we have no one who currently wields a staff (the closest is Palutena with her scepter, but the way she uses it is completely different). That staff and the powers it's capable of--concentrated shots of flame, freezing mist, seismic shockwaves, energy shields, rocket-like propulsion--lend toward a moveset and playstyle all its own that
also practically writes itself just as Sakurai said Robin's moveset did! Said moveset
also happens to be one of the first things brought up when a Krystal supporter mentions her, as they'll regularly say how her uniqueness is one of the biggest reasons she would be such a worthy addition. It says an awful lot that a popular character's biggest arguments for inclusion also happen to be the very things Sakurai has said his team looks for.
Or what else? The fact that Krystal could be unique even
without her staff, using the various futuristic weapons from Star Fox Assault and elsewhere in the series? Or the fact that a moveset that uses both the staff and the aforementioned futuristic weapons could give her a blend of magic and technology that literally
no other character in Smash or in the running for DLC can bring? Or the fact that it wouldn't even be a problem that these were derived from older games, since Ryu's moveset and sound effects came primarily from Street Fighter II? Or the fact that we now know Sakurai was aware of this years ago since she was namedropped in regards to Brawl?
Despite all the controversy, despite all the bad blood, despite all the unnecessary
crossfire that surrounds her so often, this is a character with a now not-so-deceptively high amount of support and with all the qualities that would make her a breath of fresh air amidst an increasingly crowded roster.
For all intents and purposes, Krystal is a frontrunner for DLC...and likely a Top 5 candidate.
Want: 100% -> 100%
I've written two long essays now about this character. I've been all in for a while. Out of the characters with plausible chances, Krystal has me more interested than any other...and I hope I've done my part to explain why.
Even with whatever doubts or concerns you may have, if Krystal gets in, she'll be worth it.
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EliteXit
I counted your rating.
