Official Smash Ultimate Discussion

[JustKindaBoredUKno]

I'd really just be happy with a better look at some non-demo characters. I'm DYING to see more of G&W, but there's plenty of characters we still haven't seen much on.

(but for real, I've got literally five seconds of gameplay, the rest of that stupid snippet is taunting and climbing ladders, jfc)

 

[KingofKoopas]

At this point Nintendo needs to buy the rights to the Mario RPG OCs such as Geno from Square and be done with it. Its not like itll cost as much as Cloud or Tidus.

 

[Idon]

At this point Nintendo needs to buy the rights to the Mario RPG OCs such as Geno from Square and be done with it. Its not like itll cost as much as Cloud or Tidus.

Yeah but you can't buy what people aren't willing to sell.

 

[KingofKoopas]

Yeah but you can't buy what people aren't willing to sell.

well why wouldnt they. Not using them, Dont care about Mario RPG was just a gateway game to FF, Free Money..

 

[King Sonnn DeDeDoo]

At this point Nintendo needs to buy the rights to the Mario RPG OCs such as Geno from Square and be done with it. Its not like itll cost as much as Cloud or Tidus.

That’s if Square is selling which it’s probably not, and honestly if Nintendo is actually looking to buy. Nintendo could probably make greater amount of profits if they just made another Paper Mario or Mario and Luigi game rather than spend money on buying the rights for Mario RPG to make a new Mario RPG game.

 

[Diem]

That's kinda my issue with BotW as a whole.
It aint got no story.

Just, a ****-ton of interesting back-story which doesn't get expanded upon. Like, instead of Daruk telling me about all the broventures we went on or being told about the sexual tension with Mipha or being explained that Revali was my friendly rival, I'd like to experience it, through I dunno, GAMEPLAY?

It's the consequence of open-world, hands-off progression. By not controlling the order of destinations, you can't craft much of a narrative. Hence why all the narrative is in flashback instead of in gameplay. The word "linear" has become such a negative term in gaming, so almost all games nowadays are open world in some capacity, but that comes with its own strengths and weaknesses. Breath of the Wild is more hands-off than almost any other open world game, so that gives it some major strengths, but also causes some major weaknesses as well.

I guess that's why Twilight Princess has remained my favorite Zelda game and one of my Top 3 Favorite Games of All Time for almost 12 years now. Its progression is linear, but that makes its story all the more compelling. The world becomes larger and larger as you progress through the game and gain access to new provinces, and each section of the story is unique in its own way. That couldn't happen if you could go anywhere you wanted at any time.

I love BotW and have completed two playthroughs of it, one of them being a complete 100% run of the game, but it still lacks in some major areas. Hopefully the next game can address those weaknesses.

 

[osby]

It's the consequence of open-world, hands-off progression. By not controlling the order of destinations, you can't craft much of a narrative. Hence why all the narrative is in flashback instead of in gameplay. The word "linear" has become such a negative term in gaming, so almost all games nowadays are open world in some capacity, but that comes with its own strengths and weaknesses. Breath of the Wild is more hands-off than almost any other open world game, so that gives it some major strengths, but also causes some major weaknesses as well.

I guess that's why Twilight Princess has remained my favorite Zelda game and one of my Top 3 Favorite Games of All Time for almost 12 years now. Its progression is linear, but that makes its story all the more compelling. The world becomes larger and larger as you progress through the game and gain access to new provinces, and each section of the story is unique in its own way. That couldn't happen if you could go anywhere you wanted at any time.

I love BotW and have completed two playthroughs of it, one of them being a complete 100% run of the game, but it still lacks in some major areas. Hopefully the next game can address those weaknesses.

*sees someone who also loved Twilight Princess* It's been 80 years...

 

[KingofKoopas]

That’s if Square is selling which it’s probably not, and honestly if Nintendo is actually looking to buy. Nintendo could probably make greater amount of profits if they just made another Paper Mario or Mario and Luigi game rather than spend money on buying the rights for Mario RPG to make a new Mario RPG game.

No but itd avoid this Geno issue in the future. Can you imagine elements of mario rpg being put into the spinoffs like the sports games and such? And i imagine they gotta pay extra for the characters when they re release the game each time.. though i aint a lawyer so dont quote me on it.

 

[NineS]

Quick question. I know we all have characters that we have all come into terms with that probably won't be in Smash.
What's the most out-there or questionable character you would want in Smash as a Character? I mean, just crazy or unlikely characters. Like any Sony-owned characters

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Crono is 100% a character no one really thinks about too much unless he showed up on some believable leak whereupon history would change to reflect that he was always a greatly demanded candidate.

Chrono always gets my vote. If not for the character, then for it’s epic music that stills brings pleasure to my ears.

 

[Fenriraga]

Quick question. I know we all have characters that we have all come into terms with that probably won't be in Smash.
What's the most out-there or questionable character you would want in Smash as a Character? I mean, just crazy or unlikely characters. Like any Sony-owned characters

I mean, she's a Mega Man character, but from the least popular sub series. So even if Mega Man were to extend into non-classic, non-Mega reps for Smash, she'd be at the back of the list.
I'd kill for a Mii costume, at least.

 

[Idon]

It's the consequence of open-world, hands-off progression. By not controlling the order of destinations, you can't craft much of a narrative. Hence why all the narrative is in flashback instead of in gameplay. The word "linear" has become such a negative term in gaming, so almost all games nowadays are open world in some capacity, but that comes with its own strengths and weaknesses. Breath of the Wild is more hands-off than almost any other open world game, so that gives it some major strengths, but also causes some major weaknesses as well.

I guess that's why Twilight Princess has remained my favorite Zelda game and one of my Top 3 Favorite Games of All Time for almost 12 years now. Its progression is linear, but that makes its story all the more compelling. The world becomes larger and larger as you progress through the game and gain access to new provinces, and each section of the story is unique in its own way. That couldn't happen if you could go anywhere you wanted at any time.

I love BotW and have completed two playthroughs of it, one of them being a complete 100% run of the game, but it still lacks in some major areas. Hopefully the next game can address those weaknesses.

See, there's a way they can have some bits of linear gameplay while largely remaining open-world.
Just have short segments of linear gameplay when the plot demands it. The game already does it when we do the divine beasts and the events that lead up to them. In fact, the flashbacks in the Champions Ballad would've been a great way to integrate past characters with gameplay, instead of just... fighting Ganon 4 more times for more cutscenes.

And this is coming from a guy that almost 100% the game on Master.
Still haven't beaten Trial of the Sword on Master yet because it's total bull****, but that's another can of worms entirely.

 

[Shroob]

I mean, she's a Mega Man character, but from the least popular sub series. So even if Mega Man were to extend into non-classic reps for Smash, she'd be at the back of the list.

>Least popular



boi


At least Smash acknowledges Starforce.


ZX is literally forgotten about.

 

[KingofKoopas]

Quick question. I know we all have characters that we have all come into terms with that probably won't be in Smash.
What's the most out-there or questionable character you would want in Smash as a Character? I mean, just crazy or unlikely characters. Like any Sony-owned characters

Hold on i got a list:

Doomguy, Dante, Ryu Hayabusa, Phoenix Wright, Geralt of Rivia (admittedly not a game character but hey its never gonna happen anyway), Cole Macgrath, Kasumi from Dead or Alive, Scorpion, Nightmare from Soul Calibur, Alucard from Castlevania (unless assists can be DLC i doubt the castlevania reps will return for game 6), Trevor Belmont, Soma Cruz, Shanoa, Strider Hiryu, Bill Rizer from Contra...

i could go on but honestly hardly any of these got a shot this time around some not even as dlc.

 

[Fenriraga]

>Least popular



boi


At least Smash acknowledges Starforce.


ZX is literally forgotten about.

I feel like ZX and Zero are only omitted because they aren't Megamen.

I mean, they ARE, but not like... Blue Arm Cannon Megamen. Then again, now we have Protoman and Bass, sooooo...

Being a spinoff of a spinoff of a spinoff is rough. At least Starforce is just a spinoff of a spinoff.

 

[hazza5557]

Quick question. I know we all have characters that we have all come into terms with that probably won't be in Smash.
What's the most out-there or questionable character you would want in Smash as a Character? I mean, just crazy or unlikely characters. Like any Sony-owned characters

Sackboy from Little Big Planet

 

[JustKindaBoredUKno]

Goku or Master Cheif.

I feel both could do significant damage to the internet.

 

[Idon]

I mean, she's a Mega Man character, but from the least popular sub series. So even if Mega Man were to extend into non-classic, non-Mega reps for Smash, she'd be at the back of the list.
I'd kill for a Mii costume, at least.

Aw man, I loved Starforce. I'm really disappointed we never got a 4th entry where the BN series got 6.
Anywho, Sonia's adorable, and I would really like to see the Starforce cast again, maybe even timeskipped so it's not as ridiculous when a 10 year old saves the planet.

>Least popular



boi


At least Smash acknowledges Starforce.


ZX is literally forgotten about.

I CAN'T BELIEVE CAPCOM DIDN'T CONTINUE THE ZX SERIES.
YOU ****ING POWER-RANGER INTO YOUR MEGA-FORMS. THAT'S RAAAAAAD.

Plus, ZXAdvent ended on that stupid cliffhanger too so we'll never see the end of that.

 

[BlondeLombax]

Quick question. I know we all have characters that we have all come into terms with that probably won't be in Smash.
What's the most out-there or questionable character you would want in Smash as a Character? I mean, just crazy or unlikely characters. Like any Sony-owned characters

I've been playing a ton of Ape Escape 2 lately (the strangely-mislocalized European version on the PS4 store, anyway), and I got me thinking; how crazy would it be if they brought the entire cast of Playstation All-Stars to Smash? Think about it; it'd be insane enough to be a blast, but there's a greater chance of Home Depot getting in as a fighter first. They could even bring along a few echo fighters of their own (Jimmy for Spike, Kuro for Toro), and even the stages from the game. It's the pipe dream of pipe dreams, sure, but think about how ridiculously amazing that would be.

 

[Aurane]

Quick question. I know we all have characters that we have all come into terms with that probably won't be in Smash.
What's the most out-there or questionable character you would want in Smash as a Character? I mean, just crazy or unlikely characters. Like any Sony-owned characters

Almost the rest of my wishlist.

 

[TMNTSSB4]

Ooh, another Zelda debate!

I’m in the ‘Zelda is poorly repped’ camp. Yeah, we got loads of assists/items/stages, but I’d trade loads of that for characters. Incidentally, I’d also trade a few FE clones for some FE stages as well.

I think the top one I have is Midna. Of all of the Zelda ‘helper’ characters, she had the best personality - Navi had nothing, Fi was basically an advanced Navi, Tatl got a backstory and some sass, but Midna was the one who you hated at the beginning of the game and grew to like by the end. She had the best development while still being interesting and tricksy.

The Champs all have personalities as well, but each has one that will grate on at least one person. Urbosa as the ‘badass team mom,’ Daruk as the ‘big, dumb, and scared of nothing but ine innocuous thing,’ Revali as the ‘narcisstic *******,’ and Mipha as the ‘typical love interest.’ I honestly can’t stand Mipha in BotW, but I love Urbosa and I have a love/hate thing with Birdbrain.

If it were up to me, I’d really want to see Urbosa and Midna in, with Skull Kid and Ghirahim behind them.

Sidon is better than all the Champions...@ me

Anywho, I’d rather Zelda and Fire Emblem keep what they currently have but add more to both series (Zelda getting new characters and FE having more stages, items, Assist Trophies, bosses...pretty much the kinds of upgrades Kid Icarus got)

 

[Paperchampion23]

Quick question. I know we all have characters that we have all come into terms with that probably won't be in Smash.
What's the most out-there or questionable character you would want in Smash as a Character? I mean, just crazy or unlikely characters. Like any Sony-owned characters

For me, with all of the big fan related requests and likely huge 3rd party support, I've come to terms that Mother may not get more reps. It's a franchise that ended in 2006 and has no plans on continuing at the moment. However it is missing 2 core characters that I believe should be in Smash, Porky and Masked Man. Not only does it give Ness and Lucas Villains, but it also adds another unique heavy and a very interesting Melee fighter.

Additionally, I'm a big fan of the Yoshi series, and since we probably wouldn't get another Bowser type character (Baby Bowser), id vote for Kamek and his uniqueness as a Mage.

Anyway, I don't think any of the 3 will be in Smash any time soon, as much I want the original characters to get their villains.

 

[osby]

I've been playing a ton of Ape Escape 2 lately (the strangely-mislocalized European version on the PS4 store, anyway), and I got me thinking; how crazy would it be if they brought the entire cast of Playstation All-Stars to Smash? Think about it; it'd be insane enough to be a blast, but there's a greater chance of Home Depot getting in as a fighter first. They could even bring along a few echo fighters of their own (Jimmy for Spike, Kuro for Toro), and even the stages from the game. It's the pipe dream of pipe dreams, sure, but think about how ridiculously amazing that would be.

I actually would love to play as Dante (real one), Kat and Fat Princess in Smash.

 

[Idon]

Quick question. I know we all have characters that we have all come into terms with that probably won't be in Smash.
What's the most out-there or questionable character you would want in Smash as a Character? I mean, just crazy or unlikely characters. Like any Sony-owned characters

This guy:

ONE MORE GOD REJECTED.

DEMI-FIEND FOR SMASH, BAY-BEEEEEEE.

​

 

[Zinith]

Quick question. I know we all have characters that we have all come into terms with that probably won't be in Smash.
What's the most out-there or questionable character you would want in Smash as a Character? I mean, just crazy or unlikely characters. Like any Sony-owned characters

Oh gee, I have absolutely no clue...

 

[Fenriraga]

Aw man, I loved Starforce. I'm really disappointed we never got a 4th entry where the BN series got 6.
Anywho, Sonia's adorable, and I would really like to see the Starforce cast again, maybe even timeskipped so it's not as ridiculous when a 10 year old saves the planet.


I CAN'T BELIEVE CAPCOM DIDN'T CONTINUE THE ZX SERIES.
YOU ****ING POWER-RANGER INTO YOUR MEGA-FORMS. THAT'S RAAAAAAD.

Plus, ZXAdvent ended on that stupid cliffhanger too so we'll never see the end of that.

X is on a Cliffhanger...
ZX is on a Cliffhanger...
Legends is on a Cliffhanger...
BN and Starforce are like... Cliff-hanger ISH? Starforce Morso than BN.

Capcom you got a LOT of work to do if you're gonna bring back the other series.

 

[NineS]

Only one character I want who has little to no chance. 2B from NieR: Automata. I mean, her chances right now are about as low as Cloud and Bayonetta's used to be before the DLC era of Smash 4. And I say this just because of the fact that the game she comes from is made by Platinum Games, owned by Square Enix, and technically appeared on a Nintendo console once in a Japan-only game. . . Along with the fact Sakurai played the game she's from and enjoyed it, and he's following the guy who made it on twitter (but that probably means nothing.) It probably won't happen though.

and no, i don't want her for the reasons you think. i actually like her as a character, and genuinely enjoy the game she's from for many reasons.

 

[BlondeLombax]

X is on a Cliffhanger...
ZX is on a Cliffhanger...
Legends is on a Cliffhanger...
BN and Starforce are like... Cliff-hanger ISH? Starforce Morso than BN.

Capcom you got a LOT of work to do if you're gonna bring back the other series.

Judging by their confidence in 11, and their potentially looking into ideas for X9, it seems like this is going to be an easy enough task for ol' Cappycomma. I honestly won't be surprised if we see a mere mention of them considering bringing back Legends 3 in the near future, Inafune or (preferably) not.

 

[Idon]

Oh gee, I have absolutely no clue...

This... this is amazing.

X is on a Cliffhanger...
ZX is on a Cliffhanger...
Legends is on a Cliffhanger...
BN and Starforce are like... Cliff-hanger ISH? Starforce Morso than BN.

Capcom you got a LOT of work to do if you're gonna bring back the other series.

With the success of Megaman 11, I really hope we go back to the golden age of Megaman spinoff content.

 

[Blade of Evil's Bane]

Quick question. I know we all have characters that we have all come into terms with that probably won't be in Smash.
What's the most out-there or questionable character you would want in Smash as a Character? I mean, just crazy or unlikely characters. Like any Sony-owned characters

My Soul Calibur main, my favorite soul drinker, Nightmare.

Chrono always gets my vote. If not for the character, then for it’s epic music that stills brings pleasure to my ears.

My favorite soundtrack after FF6, i never thought of supporting a character just for the music he would bring to smash but that's a good idea More pleasure incoming:

 

[KingofKoopas]

X is on a Cliffhanger...
ZX is on a Cliffhanger...
Legends is on a Cliffhanger...
BN and Starforce are like... Cliff-hanger ISH? Starforce Morso than BN.

Capcom you got a LOT of work to do if you're gonna bring back the other series.

At least Mega Man 11 was pretty good

ps Mighty No 9 BTFO

 

[KMDP]

Oh gee, I have absolutely no clue...

This video...

The fight is obviously DBZ inspired... but uses One Piece music.

I... what? Okay.

 

[Iko MattOrr]

Something about Young Link.
IMO, Young Link's moveset should have been completely different:

-rename him as Hero of Time instead of Young Link (this is not moveset but still applies)
-remove bombs from down special
-remove bow from regular special (in OoT Young Link used the slingshot and was unable to use the bow)
-remove boomerang from side special

-replace his regular special with Ocarina: similar to Jigglypuff's lullaby but way more powerful and with a slighty wider range. Link creates a time distortion around him: every character catched by the music's range will slow down for a small time frame similar to Bayonetta's counter. During that time frame, Link can play the Ocarina of Time again, this time he plays the Song of Storm, and the characters trapped in the time distortion will be hit by a lighting, with a similar effect as Pikachu's down special. Kirby can copy this.

-Replace his side special with Bombchu: Same as the item but less powerful (as powerful as Link's regular bombs). Link can't hold a bombchu, only activate/throw them.

-Replace his down special with Masks: in a similar way as Shulk, you can select one of the 3 transformation masks from Majora's mask, or nothing. They won't transform Link instantly, but only when he performs a speical move (and a taunt where Link plays a different instrument depending on the mask he's wearing).
*Ocarina is replaced with Bubble (Deku), Boomerang (Zora) or Roll (Goron). The bubble can be aimed like Pit's bow, and can be charged: the more you charge it, bigger will be; a bigger bubble travels for more distance. The bubble projectile has a similar trajectory as Mewtwo's projectile, with the difference that it becomes smaller and less powerful with time, until it disappears completely. Boomerang is very similar to Link's regular boomerang, it's double though, it's more powerful, but on the other hand you can't move Link until it comes back to him (you can move the boomerang a bit though, and the amount of time you hold the button will affect the distance). Roll is similar to other character's roll moves (Jigglypuff, Sonic...), but you are doing it as a goron, so you are super heavy and you have more defense.
*Bombchu is replaced by that spinning attack for the Deku (very fast), a melee combo for Zora, and a slow and heavy punch for Goron.
*Up special is replaced by Deku Flower for Deku, a drill jump attack for Zora, and an explosion for Goron: if you explode as a Goron, you will stay curled in a ball and damage other players similar to when Ness is launched during his up special, but you can't decide the direction, it's always up (also it's a weak recovery).
I'm not sure if Kirby should copy the transformed specials or not.
After performing the move, Link returns normal until you perform another special.

-last but not least, give him Fierce Deity Link as final smash.

 

[TMNTSSB4]

Oh gee, I have absolutely no clue...

Boshi will be an echo or alt of Yoshi confirmed

 

[osby]

Quick question. I know we all have characters that we have all come into terms with that probably won't be in Smash.
What's the most out-there or questionable character you would want in Smash as a Character? I mean, just crazy or unlikely characters. Like any Sony-owned characters

To answer the question seriously, the guy on my avatar.

Even us getting any Persona character is slim, much less one that is from a 12 year old game with newer, more popular entries and at least T-rated abilities.

But he's one of the best uses of silent protagonist I've ever seen, he comes from what probably is my favourite game of all times and he can be a unique summoner with using both Orpheus and Thanatos.

Also, he'd bring Persona 3 music, which is awesome by itself:

Spoiler

 

[Idon]

To answer the question seriously, the guy on my avatar:

Even us getting any Persona character is slim, much less one that is from a 12 year old game with newer, more popular entries and at least T-rated abilities.

But he's one of the best uses of silent protagonist I've ever seen, he comes from what probably is my favourite game of all times and he can be a unique summoner with using both Orpheus and Thanatos.

Also, he'd bring Persona 3 music, which is awesome by itself.

Holy **** yes,
Persona 3's my favorite Persona by far (With 2 duology as a second, but nobody played those)

People say he's got no moveset potential, but seriously? The guy can use every weapon in the game, has THREE main personas, summons his powers in the most metal way, has the coolest looking Personas, and also had a plot so good, 4 and 5 copied it beat for beat.

Also, Lotus Juice.
Plus, it'll make up for never getting him in Persona 4 Arena:

If, and this is a very big if here, Persona gets representation, it should totally be Minato (with Minako alt/echo)

 

[Zinith]

That Boshi video may have converted some people

 

[osby]

Holy **** yes,
Persona 3's my favorite Persona by far (With 2 duology as a second, but nobody played those)

People say he's got no moveset potential, but seriously? The guy can use every weapon in the game, has THREE main personas, summons his powers in the most metal way, has the coolest looking Personas, and also had a plot so good, 4 and 5 copied it beat for beat.

Also, Lotus Juice.
Plus, it'll make up for never getting him in Persona 4 Arena:

If, and this is a very big if here, Persona gets representation, it should totally be Minato (with Minako alt/echo)

Persona 2 duology was fine but I found the second game kinda redundant in some aspect, not my favourite entry.

Persona 4 has its own plot but 5 definitely copied from it.

Lotus Juice is a valid reason to add any character.

Heroine would be great but only way she works as an echo would be giving her a sword/giving Leader a spear.

 

[Blade of Evil's Bane]

-last but not least, give him Fierce Deity Link as final smash.

This part could still happen, YLink's Final Smash has not been revealed yet (spoiler alert, it's going to be Fierce Diety or the Giant Mask)

Something about Young Link.
IMO, Young Link's moveset should have been completely different:

-rename him as Hero of Time instead of Young Link (this is not moveset but still applies)
-remove bombs from down special
-remove bow from regular special (in OoT Young Link used the slingshot and was unable to use the bow)
-remove boomerang from side special

-replace his regular special with Ocarina: similar to Jigglypuff's lullaby but way more powerful and with a slighty wider range. Link creates a time distortion around him: every character catched by the music's range will slow down for a small time frame similar to Bayonetta's counter. During that time frame, Link can play the Ocarina of Time again, this time he plays the Song of Storm, and the characters trapped in the time distortion will be hit by a lighting, with a similar effect as Pikachu's down special. Kirby can copy this.

-Replace his side special with Bombchu: Same as the item but less powerful (as powerful as Link's regular bombs). Link can't hold a bombchu, only activate/throw them.

-Replace his down special with Masks: in a similar way as Shulk, you can select one of the 3 transformation masks from Majora's mask, or nothing. They won't transform Link instantly, but only when he performs a speical move (and a taunt where Link plays a different instrument depending on the mask he's wearing).
*Ocarina is replaced with Bubble (Deku), Boomerang (Zora) or Roll (Goron). The bubble can be aimed like Pit's bow, and can be charged: the more you charge it, bigger will be; a bigger bubble travels for more distance. The bubble projectile has a similar trajectory as Mewtwo's projectile, with the difference that it becomes smaller and less powerful with time, until it disappears completely. Boomerang is very similar to Link's regular boomerang, it's double though, it's more powerful, but on the other hand you can't move Link until it comes back to him (you can move the boomerang a bit though, and the amount of time you hold the button will affect the distance). Roll is similar to other character's roll moves (Jigglypuff, Sonic...), but you are doing it as a goron, so you are super heavy and you have more defense.
*Bombchu is replaced by that spinning attack for the Deku (very fast), a melee combo for Zora, and a slow and heavy punch for Goron.
*Up special is replaced by Deku Flower for Deku, a drill jump attack for Zora, and an explosion for Goron: if you explode as a Goron, you will stay curled in a ball and damage other players similar to when Ness is launched during his up special, but you can't decide the direction, it's always up (also it's a weak recovery).
I'm not sure if Kirby should copy the transformed specials or not.
After performing the move, Link returns normal until you perform another special.

For the rest, the subject came up a few times on this thread, the Skull Kid thread and the Link Social. A Pokemon traineresque YLink with masks would be great but it would be a ton of work to put on a veteran and would probably piss off a lot of YLink main... like 'everyone is here', except YLink is a totally different character now...

Personally i would love a more canonical and MM inspired YLink but i understand why it won't happen.

 

[Diem]

*sees someone who also loved Twilight Princess* It's been 80 years...

The irony is that I got Twilight Princess as a Christmas gift with my Wii, but didn't ask for it and almost returned it. The only other Zelda game I'd played was Wind Waker, but I never finished it, so I wasn't really a fan of the franchise yet. I'd seen trailers and promotional material for Twilight Princess in Nintendo Power and stuff for a year or two as well, but I actively disliked the game's aesthetic and wolf transformation. I would have never touched the game had I not been gifted it, and if I could have easily returned it sooner, I would have.

But I took a gamble one day, opened the shrinkwrap on the game, popped it in, and it completely blew me away. I liked Wind Waker and it still holds a special place in my heart as my first Zelda game, but Twilight Princess is what completely sucked me into the franchise, and nothing has truly lived up to it for me since. You know how a lot of people were blown away by Skyrim when it came out? That's how I felt with Twilight Princess. I'd never played a game like it before: the world felt huge and connected and full of secrets to uncover, the story and characters were compelling, and the dungeons were all exciting and interesting. And here I thought it was a game I probably wouldn't like!

After that, I got really into the franchise, and after hearing constantly about how Ocarina of Time was the best in the series and one of the best games of all time, I thought "Damn, if this game is better than Twilight Princess, it must be incredible!" And then I got it less than a year later on the GameCube, and was really confused. The gameplay wasn't as good as Twilight Princess, the story wasn't nearly as compelling, it felt janky at 20 frames per second, and the world wasn't as interesting to explore. I got the Master Sword, but after that I lost interest and didn't progress much farther. It wouldn't be until 2015 when I got a 3DS that I played the remake and completed it. I really like it now, have beaten it a couple more times since then, and can definitely see why it's so acclaimed, but I feel like, for the mostpart, Twilight Princess does things better.

It hurt when I'd later find people talk crap about the game in recent years for really stupid reasons. The comment that sticks with me the most is something along the lines of "Twilight Princess is like the Christopher Nolan Batman movies, compared to Majora's Mask, which balances the darkness with some lightheartedness." I guess that person never actually played Twilight Princess and saw the part where you fight a midboss monkey by slashing its huge red butt, snowboard and cook soup with yetis, help a toddler become the dominant businessman in Hyrule, talk to frogs, or any of the other silly Zelda moments that fill the game. The only people who complain about the game being "too dark" are people who are either never played the game and thus never saw those parts, or people who either forget or choose to omit those parts of the games from their judgment.

Or "The art style doesn't hold up as well as Wind Waker, because it's trying to be realistic." While the game is more realistic than other Zelda games, it's most definitely not trying to be fully realistic, and still maintains a unique art style just like any other Zelda game. Metal Gear Solid 3 came out the same year, and that's what a realistic game looks like. Crysis came out the following year--looks a lot different from Twilight Princess. And the argument about the graphics "not holding up" is silly because Gamecube games generally hold up way better than N64 games like Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, yet no one gripes about their graphics. If Wind Waker didn't exist, no one would be complaining about Twilight Princess's graphics. Instead people feel the need to say that Wind Waker is better because its graphics hold up more, which is a really confusing argument to me. Does that mean that no game should attempt to have a realistic style, and every game should have cartoonish graphics, simply because it will inevitably not hold up as well in the future?

The game is definitely not perfect. No game is. Some of the dungeon items could have had a bit more application outside of their dungeons, Wolf Link could have been developed further, and the story could have done one or two things better. But I consider it to be the best of the classic 3D Zelda games because it builds on the foundation of Ocarina of Time, an already great game, and fulfills it in the same way that Link to the Past is a fulfillment of the first Legend of Zelda.

Which is what I hope the next Zelda game will do for Breath of the Wild. BotW sets up an amazing foundation, so if the next game can build off of that with a better story, more diverse enemies to fight, better dungeons, and no freaking weapon durability, I might end up liking it more than Twilight Princess. We'll have to see. I'm not close-minded with an attitude of "Nothing will ever be as good," but rather I'd love to see a game do better, because that's the point of sequels after all!

And that's my Twilight Princess rant for the night.

To wind back around to the topic of Smash, obviously I'm sad to see the Twilight Princess designs for Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf go. Though to be fair, the way Link and Ganondorf were rendered in Smash 4 was terrible. They were rendered much better in Brawl. Though hopefully we'll get either mods or post-launch alternate costume DLC for some of these fighters.

Samus needs alternate costumes, too. Give us her Prime design for once. Or the Light Suit.