S_B
Too Drunk to Smash
I've noticed something extremely encouraging about how heavyweight characters are being handled this time around, particularly ones who have few to no projectile options, as I'll explain below (much of this is still speculative, FYI)...
Typically, the spectrum in SSB looks like this, going from light characters to heavy characters (obviously, some variation can occur within, but this works as an overall guideline):
Light characters:
-Have few attacks capable of killing
-Typically smaller hitboxes that have shorter durations and more precise sweetspots (aka the tip of Marth's sword, Zelda's kick, etc.)
-Low attack priority
-Higher attack speed
-Higher character speed
to...
Heavy characters:
-Many attacks capable of killing
-Larger hitboxes with longer durations and less reliance on sweetspotting
-High attack priority
-Lower attack speed
-Lower character speed
...With a broad spectrum in between.
Here's why I'm actually excited that they may have finally gotten heavyweights right: in previous SSB games, speed was king. It didn't matter how strong an attack was if it would never actually land, but this time, it looks like heavyweights will have what they need to actually counterbalance the speed advantage: bigger hitboxes, less need for sweetspotting (in many cases, no need at ALL) and REAL higher move priority.
This means that a smaller, faster character cannot hope to simply pepper a heavy with weak attacks to stun them endlessly.
Instead, they will need to take a less direct approach, using evasion, projectiles and skilled placement of precision attacks to KO their heavy opponent.
For the heavy character (with no projectiles, anyway), it has become a game of cat and mouse, as you attempt to chase down your evasive prey and land your big hits, and if Bowser and DK are any indication, your hits just got a WHOLE lot bigger. Not only are your hitboxes easier to land, but they will send your smaller enemies FLYING, KOing at surprisingly low percentages.
All of this could, of course, still change, but I like the way it's shaping up. My guess is that Bowser, DK and any other heavyweights (with no projectiles, at least) will be playing the "close and overwhelm" game (Falcon will likely also do this, and his speed will help him here).
This is largely what we saw in the SDCC tournament, and I maintain that the reason Bowser players did so well in the 1v1s (aside from being EXCELLENT players) is because their small, quick opponents had never fought this kind of beast before. They were trained on BRAWL Bowser, an easily juggled sack of crap, and the old tricks don't work on heavyweights any longer.
So bottom line, I'm excited, and if you always liked playing the "Zangief" types, I think you should be excited, too.
Typically, the spectrum in SSB looks like this, going from light characters to heavy characters (obviously, some variation can occur within, but this works as an overall guideline):
Light characters:
-Have few attacks capable of killing
-Typically smaller hitboxes that have shorter durations and more precise sweetspots (aka the tip of Marth's sword, Zelda's kick, etc.)
-Low attack priority
-Higher attack speed
-Higher character speed
to...
Heavy characters:
-Many attacks capable of killing
-Larger hitboxes with longer durations and less reliance on sweetspotting
-High attack priority
-Lower attack speed
-Lower character speed
...With a broad spectrum in between.
Here's why I'm actually excited that they may have finally gotten heavyweights right: in previous SSB games, speed was king. It didn't matter how strong an attack was if it would never actually land, but this time, it looks like heavyweights will have what they need to actually counterbalance the speed advantage: bigger hitboxes, less need for sweetspotting (in many cases, no need at ALL) and REAL higher move priority.
This means that a smaller, faster character cannot hope to simply pepper a heavy with weak attacks to stun them endlessly.
Instead, they will need to take a less direct approach, using evasion, projectiles and skilled placement of precision attacks to KO their heavy opponent.
For the heavy character (with no projectiles, anyway), it has become a game of cat and mouse, as you attempt to chase down your evasive prey and land your big hits, and if Bowser and DK are any indication, your hits just got a WHOLE lot bigger. Not only are your hitboxes easier to land, but they will send your smaller enemies FLYING, KOing at surprisingly low percentages.
All of this could, of course, still change, but I like the way it's shaping up. My guess is that Bowser, DK and any other heavyweights (with no projectiles, at least) will be playing the "close and overwhelm" game (Falcon will likely also do this, and his speed will help him here).
This is largely what we saw in the SDCC tournament, and I maintain that the reason Bowser players did so well in the 1v1s (aside from being EXCELLENT players) is because their small, quick opponents had never fought this kind of beast before. They were trained on BRAWL Bowser, an easily juggled sack of crap, and the old tricks don't work on heavyweights any longer.
So bottom line, I'm excited, and if you always liked playing the "Zangief" types, I think you should be excited, too.
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