Smashboards Creates: Battle of AGES, a SEGA platform fighter

[Megadoomer]

I'm going to nominate Bayonetta again.

Bayonetta

As a character action game, Bayonetta has quite a few options to choose from for a second character.

Jeanne works as an obvious clone character, though changes could be made to her moveset by giving her different weapons if we don't want to go the clone route.

Rodin could work as a slower hard-hitting brawler that contrasts with Bayonetta, assuming that he could be playable while being an announcer.

Other alternatives could include Balder, Rosa, Viola (the new protagonist from Bayonetta 3), various angels and demons, Strider from Bayonetta 3, etc. The Bayonetta series is known for over-the-top action, so it's well-suited to a fighting game or platform fighter.

To go into more detail about some potential options:

• Jeanne: Bayonetta's rival and best friend. While she could be a clone or a semi-clone, the Bayonetta games have more than enough weapons to give her a distinct moveset.
• Rodin: the game's shop-keeper, and the post-game superboss in every Bayonetta game with the possible exception of Cereza And The Lost Demon. (I haven't played much of it yet; Persona 4 Golden has been occupying most of my spare time) A brawler who can use both angelic and demonic powers, Rodin is easily the most challenging foe in any given Bayonetta game.
• Balder: the last living Lumen Sage (that we know of), Balder could either be included in his Bayonetta 1 incarnation (where he keeps his distance and fights with magic and summons) or his Bayonetta 2 version (who fights with a double-bladed halberd. He can summon the angels from the Bayonetta series, including the first game's bosses.
• Viola: the new playable character for Bayonetta 3. Viola primarily fights with a sword, and in order to activate Witch Time, she has to guard with the right timing rather than dodging like how Bayonetta does. She can also summon a demonically-possessed stuffed cat, Cheshire.
• Strider: a mysterious werewolf who's pursuing Bayonetta and Viola through the multiverse. Neither angelic or demonic, he's something else entirely.
• Singularity: an artificial intelligence who seeks to gain power by destroying the realm of chaos (the human realm) and rebuilding it in his own image. How he plans to do that is unclear (the game goes into very little detail about Singularity, and even his plan is only revealed through optional character bios), but it generally seems to involve killing and absorbing as many Bayonettas as possible.
• Aesir: the god of the human realm, and the source of the Eyes Of The World that were sought after in the first game. He was split into two halves, with his evil half regaining their full power and seeking to take away free will.
• Cereza and Chesire: the playable characters of Cereza and the Lost Demon. Cereza is a little bit older than she was in the first game, and with the help of a demon that she summoned, she's set off to free her mother from her imprisonment. She'd be less about high octane action than the other character on here, since her game is slower paced. (maybe more of a trap-based character? I'd have to play more of the game to get a better idea)

Various enemies from the games, whether they're angels, demons, or homunculi, could also work. (I can't think of too many homunculi that stand out, but I'm sure there's some that do)

 

[cashregister9]

Jet Set Radio

Jet Set Radio is a series with many characters that can be pulled from, each with their own Distinct personalities and designs

Some ideas

You have the members of the main group of the series, the GG's each one has their own quirks and their own style they could bring
Gum
Mew
Yo-yo
Corn
Cube
Combo
Garam
Mew
Slate
Piranha
Pots
Jazz
Rhyth
Roboy

There is also the villains like Goji Rokkaku, an evil chairman or Hayashi the commander of a police force

There is also plenty of mooks that could be playable

there is also DJ Professor K who has shown up plenty in this thread.

 

[Speed Weed]

Job #255: Shining

So Shining is a big deal for SEGA. The original games were among the most popular on the Mega Drive (as in, when they polled people on what series' they'd want to see in the original MD Mini, it was right up there in the top 3 with Sonic and Puyo), and it's continued for a long time since then. This means we have a ton of potential characters to choose from, and I think right now, with only the basic swordsman protagonist being in, the representation feels a bit......naked. This would be a goldmine of potential. The idea that seems to be most popular on here is getting a modern-era character in, and that'd be fun, but the more biased side of me would like to see another classic rep as well. It's a cool and important franchise with a lot of potential.

 

[Deleted member]

Super Monkey Ball

Our DLC so far has been very heavy on the anime style characters, which isn't a bad thing. But I do think a more "casual" Sega pick like this has some merrit. Monkey Ball is a series Sega keep returning to, with merch and new games. We already have series hero AiAi in the game but there are options for a second rep, MeiMei, GonGon, Baby, YanYan, The Doctor, Jam, Professer BadBon. All have their own appeal.

funni monki

 

[Speed Weed]

Gamers it's time we must vote

Shin Megami Tensei ( KneeOfJustice99 )
The House of the Dead ( tonygameman )
Shenmue ( YoshiandToad )
Bayonetta ( Megadoomer )
Jet Set Radio ( cashregister9 )
Shining (ya boy)
Super Monkey Ball (@DarkVortex)

Vote for your top 3 picks - you can self-vote, but only in third place.

Also keep in mind: this is prolly the last time we'll do series-based votes when it comes to second reps. If we go on to do another season, we'll go back to the original specific character-based format when the time comes.

 

[Tankman from Newgrounds]

1. Shin megami tensei
2. Bayonetta
3. Super Monkey ball
4. Shenmue

 

[ssbashworld]

JSR
SMT
Bayonetta
Shenmue

 

[cashregister9]

1. SMT
2. Bayonetta
3. HOTD

 

[HyperSomari64]

1. Bayonetta
2. House of The Dead
3. Shining
4. MegaTen

 

[Megadoomer]

1. Shin Megami Tensei
2. Shining
3. Bayonetta

 

[OrpheusTelos]

1. SMT
2. Shining
3. House of the Dead

 

[Deleted member]

1. SMT
2. HOTD
3. Shining

 

[YoshiandToad]

1. The House of the Dead
2. Jet Set Radio
3. Super Monkey Ball

Edit: Altered my votes. My previous votes were more logical, but eh...I prefer these series.

 

[tonygameman]

1. Shenmue
2. Jet Set Radio
3. The House of the Dead

 

[KneeOfJustice99]

Gamers it's time we must vote

Shin Megami Tensei ( KneeOfJustice99 )
The House of the Dead ( tonygameman )
Shenmue ( YoshiandToad )
Bayonetta ( Megadoomer )
Jet Set Radio ( cashregister9 )
Shining (ya boy)
Super Monkey Ball (@DarkVortex)

Vote for your top 3 picks - you can self-vote, but only in third place.

Also keep in mind: this is prolly the last time we'll do series-based votes when it comes to second reps. If we go on to do another season, we'll go back to the original specific character-based format when the time comes.

1. The House of the Dead. Honestly, there's a lot of potential here - and the main reason I didn't submit this one was mostly because I was pretty certain I'd get ninja'd, which I think says a lot about the series' effective placement here. There's a ton of iconic and interesting characters that HotD could bring to the table (Magician Type-0 feels like an obvious pick but the aforementioned Dr. Curien, Agent G or Ebitan Type B-3 would also be very cool), and I think it's a great choice to give a bit of flair to our DLC overall.
2. Shining. The extent of my knowledge on the Shining series pretty much extends to "it exists", but even then, cursory research alone suggests its importance. It's one of SEGA's more prolific series with plenty of history behind it, has a huge presence within Genesis/Megadrive fancircles, and seems particularly prolific for simply how many characters it has going for it. I'll admit I don't know much about the series, but it seems important enough to warrant inclusion.
3. Shenmue. Whilst the Shenmue series might have less "obvious picks" than some others, I think it still springs out as one of the more interesting series to represent - and one you could do in a variety of ways. I've already spoken at length about why Lan Di would be an incredibly interesting antagonist to be playable as here, but I personally think the Great Chai would be a brilliant pick to see here too - as would some of the other suggestions that YoshiandToad put forward. It might not be as continually relevant as Shining or as instantly iconic as HotD, but I think Shenmue has a place here.

 

[Speed Weed]

Alright, the votes are in. We have a winner. And it is......

SMT: 17 points
HOTD: 13 points
Shenmue: 4 points
Bayo: 10 points
JSR: 7 points
Shining: 7 points
Monki: 2 points

Our second Season 3 fighter will come from Shin Megami Tensei!!!

Moving on:

Job #256: Submit a second Shin Megami Tensei fighter

So now it's time to decide on who it'll be. So calling it SMT is a bit of a misnomer: mainline SMT is on the table, yes, but so are Devil Summoner, Digital Devil Saga, etc. This technically encompasses anything Megaten that isn't Persona, so yeah, go nuts.

 

[ssbashworld]

Demi-Fiend

Surprised he wasnt the SMT rep we already have. Not super familiar the series but feel like Demi-Fiend is arguable the most recognizable lead character. Think he has a cool design & his game spawned the infamous featuring Dante meme which is a pretty cool cross-over regardless. Like I said im no expert at SMT but based on the wiki he looks like hed focus on casting skills which seem like a big part of the series.

 

[KneeOfJustice99]

Job #256:
This might be a bit unexpected, or a bit obvious, depending on how you look at it.

Character Names: Jack Bros. (Jack Frost & Pyro Jack)
Character Origins: Megami Tensei II (1990), though technically also Jack Bros. (1995)

Given that the demons are one of the primary draws of the SMT series in the first place, and that Jack Frost is considered near-unanimously to be ATLUS's mascot, it felt logical to include him. However, his inclusion in my proposal doesn't have him alone - but instead has him joined by his brother, Pyro Jack. Both of these Jacks are some of the most iconic characters in the series, having a wide array of appearances, skills and attributes that could be used in combat - and having the pair of them fighting together feels like it'd be a great opportunity to provide a particularly unique take on our SMT rep that'd be completely unique to pretty much everyone else here.

Essentially, Pyro and Frost are both present at all times. Unlike, say, Pyra/Mythra however, the Bros. continually fight in sync - acting as a representation of both their brotherhood and the tendency for SMT games to have multiple demons on a party which will typically attack one after the other due to how turn-based combat works. If anything, imagine them being more akin to Banjo & Kazooie in that they're one playable fighter, but two playable characters.

Their moveset, for the most part, plays with this sense of duality. Pyro's moves are typically on the faster side, having a fire effect when used, whilst Frost's moves are slower but deal more damage, as well as an ice effect. What's more, they can also use their magical skills too - which allows for some cool properties. They, in some cases, can have their magical abilities directly represented in normal moves - for instance, Side Tilt could have Pyro use Fire Breath - and can also in further cases take creative liberties, such as Frost's run animation potentially having him "skate", Pyro smacking people with his lantern, or Pyro picking up Frost for their double jump. (Also, it'd be really nice if one of their taunts had Pixie come out to scold them.)

What's more, their duality can be played into with specific individual moves too. An example of this is how their Neutral Special could combine elements of Ultimate's Hero and Sora - it's a projectile that has three stages of charge, but rotates between being fire-based and having more damage (Agi, Maragi, Agidyne) or ice-based and having a freezing effect (Bufu, Bufula, Bufudyne) on a cycle. They obviously wouldn't bring the MP mechanic over, though.

This iconic pair of brothers feel like they'd be a really fun and fresh take on a character in this game, whilst being suitably iconic and having plenty of moveset potential with a bit of experimentation. ALSO, THEY SHOULD HAVE A SNOWBOARD KIDS (inspired) ALT, I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL

Also, yes, I'm aware that I'm snubbing Jack Ripper here, but his whole thing is that he has a knife and he literally appeared, like, once. As an assist he... might work, but kind of feels unwarranted. Sorry, Jack Ripper fans

 

[Champion of Hyrule]

Nemissa

While it might be better to have a character from the mainline SMT, I still think Nemissa could be a good pick considering she’s popular, cool, and can do a lot of the same spells as characters from the mainline games.

Nemissa is the protagonist of the 1997 game Soul Hackers, which is still considered one of the greatest SMT games and was very influential to other games in the series and the Cyberpunk genre in general. She’s basically the face of the game and the most well known character from it. Soul Hackers is also more in the public eye recently thanks to Soul Hackers 2. It didn’t feature Nemissa in the base and wasn’t received very well but if anything that’s a reason to add her right?

I’m imagining her fighting as an all-rounder with all sorts of spells similar to Raidou but being more focused on an aggressive playstyle. It all depends on what whoever submits her moveset decides, of course, but the spells of SMT can be used in many different potential ways for a moveset so I think adding another character that is focused on them could be cool.

 

[Megadoomer]

Dante from the Devil May Cry series

Making his Shin Megami Tensei debut in SMT3: Nocturne, Dante has proven to be a recurring character in the series, also making an appearance in Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2. A legendary devil hunter, he...

...never mind, I'll be serious.

...sort of.

Matador

One of the Fiends, a recurring race of skeletal demons who often serve as bonus bosses in Shin Megami Tensei. Matador is infamous for players of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, as he serves as a massive brick wall for players - if they don't realize how important buffs and debuffs are, then he will dodge seemingly every attack thrown at him and hit your party like a truck.

He's primarily a physical fighter with a high degree of evasiveness, which could translate to him being a speedy character with the ability to counter. In addition, for specials, he could summon other Fiends, like Trumpeter, Hell Biker, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the last of which could serve as his All Star move.

Admittedly, the only Shin Megami Tensei game I've played is SMT3 (I have 4 on the 3DS and 5 on the Switch, but my RPG backlog is huge); there are probably other characters that I could have nominated instead, but I'm not familiar with the protagonists of the games that are before or after SMT3. Still, Matador became well-known because of his role in the game, especially during the lead-up to the remaster's release, so I'll nominate him for this.

 

[Captain Shwampy]

Nemissa

While it might be better to have a character from the mainline SMT, I still think Nemissa could be a good pick considering she’s popular, cool, and can do a lot of the same spells as characters from the mainline games.

Nemissa is the protagonist of the 1997 game Soul Hackers, which is still considered one of the greatest SMT games and was very influential to other games in the series and the Cyberpunk genre in general. She’s basically the face of the game and the most well known character from it. Soul Hackers is also more in the public eye recently thanks to Soul Hackers 2. It didn’t feature Nemissa in the base and wasn’t received very well but if anything that’s a reason to add her right?

I’m imagining her fighting as an all-rounder with all sorts of spells similar to Raidou but being more focused on an aggressive playstyle. It all depends on what whoever submits her moveset decides, of course, but the spells of SMT can be used in many different potential ways for a moveset so I think adding another character that is focused on them could be cool.

Nemissa at high levels fights exactly like Naomi (uses Fudo Myouo, Chi You, Hecate, Ahriman signature moves (Kurikara Kokuryu, Overlord, Full Moon Queen, 240,000,000 Evils) without needing to summon them) more so than Raidou. There's also the fact that you decide which element (Agi, Bufu,Zio) she can fight with depending on your answer at the beginning of the game. Zio is the usual popular one since electric magic deals the most damage and also she learns Full Moon Queen which has a silly gimmick where it deals a ton of damage if you fight during a full moon.

 

[YoshiandToad]

I know very little of SMT, and I'm aware this might be considered a bit of an odd pick over a protagonist as a result, but:

Job #256: Alice (SMT)

One of the most popular demons in the series reaching 2nd place on the popularity poll(1st was Mara, who...probably isn't for all audiences), Alice was first introduced as a NPC Demon in the original Shin Megami Tensei, a secret boss in the sequel, and appearing as a reoccurring demon throughout all SMT related series with an (almost) perfect track record.

Whilst she may muddy the water somewhat as a Shin Megami Tensei pick, as she also appears in Persona and the various SMT spinoffs, she, alongside the previously nominated Jack Frost are some of the demons so famous that even those who have never touched a SMT(or Persona) title will recognise them.

Between her powerful magic abilities and light weight frame she could be quite unique.

 

[Captain Shwampy]

One thing to note about Alice is that she is raised by her Uncles, Belial and and Nebiros in the first SMT. This is referenced in several other games like Raidou having entire mission about it, you fight both after agreeing/disagreeing whether you want to die for her. She also has her own battle theme's (which sadly has never came back in recent entries) its a different variation of the usual Fiend theme.

 

[Speed Weed]

fellas fellas time to Vote

Here are our options:

Demi-Fiend ( ssbashworld )
Jack Bros. ( KneeOfJustice99 )
Nemissa ( Champion of Hyrule )
Matador ( Megadoomer )
Alice ( YoshiandToad )

Vote for your top 2 picks - you can self-vote, but only in second place.

 

[HyperSomari64]

1. Nemissa
2. Jack Bros.

 

[GamingFan1997]

1. Demi-Fiend
2. Jack Bros.

 

[Deleted member]

1. Demi-Fiend
2. Alice

 

[ssbashworld]

Jack Bros
Demi Fiend

 

[Megadoomer]

1. Demi-Fiend
2. Jack Bros.

 

[KneeOfJustice99]

God, this one wasn't easy.

1. Alice. I feel like Alice is a pretty solid pick, and I'm a little disappointed that I didn't think of her in my original list! As a prominent recurring demon/character in the SMT series, she seems logical enough to be a prominent character - and her potential "vibe" feels like it'd be reeeally unique.
2. Nemissa. Soul Hackers might not necessarily be the newest game in the series, but it's undeniably one of the most beloved - and Nemissa feels like she'd be a lot of fun to see as a playable character. Whilst I'd have to wonder how her specific skills would work (given her skilltree depends on her description at the beginning of the game, setting her on a fire/ice/electricity path), I think the latter would be solid (especially given her use of electricity/almighty attacks in Soul Hackers 2.)

Honestly though, big shoutout to Matador, I love the concept. (And Demi-Fiend - he's undeniably iconic, and has plenty of potential.)

 

[Champion of Hyrule]

1. Jack Bros
2. Demi Fiend

 

[Tankman from Newgrounds]

1. Demi-Fiend
2. Jack Bros.

 

[ninjahmos]

1. Demi-Fiend
2. Jack Bros.

 

[tonygameman]

1. Alice
2. Jack Bros.

 

[Justoneguyhere1999]

1. Demi-Fiend
2. Jack Bros

 

[Captain Shwampy]

1.Demi-Fiend
2.Nemissa

 

[YoshiandToad]

1. Nemissa
2. Demi-Fiend

 

[Speed Weed]

Alright, the votes are in. Let's take a look:

Fiend: 17 points
Bros: 11 points
Nemissa: 7 points
Matador: 0 points
Alice: 4 points

And there we have it: the next character to join Battle of AGES will be none other than the Demi-Fiend!!!!!

Moving onto our next couple jobs:

Job #257: Submit a moveset for Demi-Fiend

MUITO REAL

you know how this works by now, just make sure to put effort into your moveset

Job #258: Submit up to two secondary assists for base game properties

It is time for this once again: just submit a second assist for any series that got characters in base. Sonic, Streets of Rage and Yakuza aren't allowed since they already got secondary assists, and you're allowed to submit up to two assists. Have at it

 

[Captain Shwampy]

Resubmitting these again.

Witch (Puyo puyo)
Flies around her broomstick summoning comets and crescents shaped beams similar to her movements in Comet Summoner. Is usually among the top 5 or top 10 popular Puyo Puyo characters in polls.

View attachment 365884
Elenor Camuel (Phantasy Star Online)
A Ranger Caseal. Will be equipped with Frozen Shooter(One of the best rifles) meaning getting shot by her bullets will freeze the player for a short couple seconds. Will use her MAGs Photon Blast to blast away the players before shes gone.

 

[ssbashworld]

Assist 1 - Wolf Hawkfield (Virtua Fighter)

Will attempt to grab other fighter and use wrestling style throws on them if caught.

Assist 2 - Puffy (Nights)

Will bounce around the platforms and edges of the stage doing damage to anyone caught in her path.