The Uniqueness Tier List: Captain Falcon, Robin, Lucina, Shulk, and Meta-Knight

[FirstBlade]

I think you're underestimating Daitouryou's moveset potential, the animals are in a different art-style that it's really hard to call that animal abuse, he would use those animals as attacks, but they won't get damaged. Just imagine the blossoms he uses as attacks, I think it may be strange, but itis bizarrely cool.
I would give him a A-.

The animals are just colored red for the most part dude
My point still stands about the Napoleon thing and animals being used as attacks (attacking with butterflies still sound plausible?). I pretty much listed everything available to take from the cards in my analysis and I read all of the movesets off of the Daitoryou thread, so no, I don't believe I'm underestimating anything to be honest. It is just my personal opinion on the character. Blossoms seems like something more fit for someone like Lip per se and even then I can't see realistic petals being used appropriately. I can see you are a Daitoryo supporter which would explain why you are defending him...but honestly?

Alright, we'll do Eevee.
Everyone okay with the selections?
I also want more discussion on these two, since their uniqueness is extremely underrated.
Even if they don't bring anything new a D doesn't make sense unless they're a complete clone or are completely boring with no potential whatsoever.

This is exactly what I said about Urban Champion yet you people didn't listen. He has bad potential but it is not "no potential" or a clone which is why I didn't understand why he was in D. I gave him a C-.

Also, a character pretty much using other character's moves as potential is not its own potential so I'm failing to see how Diskun is underrated, if anything, he is overrated.

EDIT: Cpt. also came and explained that low potential can put you D so now I'm just confused as to who to blasted listen to around here.

 

[Louie G.]

Urban Champion has absolutely no potential.
He punches. That is literally it, even if you take things from his game he still brings nothing to the table.
Diskun and Daitoryo definitely bring unique visual styles, which should be considered. Playstyle ideas vary a lot.

 

[FirstBlade]

Urban Champion has absolutely no potential.
He punches. That is literally it, even if you take things from his game he still brings nothing to the table.
Diskun and Daitoryo definitely bring unique visual styles, which should be considered. Playstyle ideas vary a lot.

I suggest you go back and read my UC analysis as I listed a stance change type thing which makes sense in his context. Since we are apparently counting potential playstyles towards other characters uniqueness (Takamaru and Ridley are big examples) shouldn't it count for him too? This is the problem that I think comes up with this thread as I explained in my 1st post, "uniqueness is in the eye of the beholder". I by no means think UC is unique really, I gave him a C- for a combination of things which also relates back to the artstyle which you mentioned. For retros, isn't there a possibility for redesign or for them to be kept 8-bit. That already gives them good, flexible visual styles.

Considering, this is supposed to be as a whole, are unique visual styles really enough to bring them up a whole letter grade if the moveset potential isn't really there? It is a piece of it. For example, let's say Takamaru was given this awesome redesign that was completely different from every other character but all he did was slash. That's not really unique, is it.
The playstyle ideas for Daitoryou don't vary at all besides the Game and Watch-esque thing. At least, that is not what the movesets on his thread and elsewhere are showing me. I thought about other ways for him, and this is really the only thing that seemed to make sense. If somebody else can, I'd like to see it and if it is good (realistic to be carried out in a Smash game) I will reassess my score.
For Diskun, we've got literally 2 ideas circulating here on Smashboards. One of them seems Kirby-ish (not very unique) and the other is Game and Watch-ish.

Considering where UC is, I feel I gave Diskun a fair score considering neither offer much themselves. Daitoryou has more to give but as I said, in my analysis a lot of it didn't seem plausible or was very unfitting, so I think I also gave him a fair score.

 

[Louie G.]

Alright, I suppose.
I would rate Diskun a B. The one mechanic is Kirby-ish, like stated, but it's a playstyle that hasn't been used often at all. Plus his cartoony googly eyed floppy disk style would definitely stand out.
Daitoryo I would also give a B. He could use card moves in his moveset, but they don't bring anything new really. His realistic style would stand out as well.
An 8-bit character would stand out, certainly, but I see something like that happening for Sheriff over Urban Champ.

 

[Tepig2000]

@ FirstBlade Did you take a look at my Daitoryo moveset? Maybe it changes your mind about him.

 

[FirstBlade]

Alright, I suppose.
I would rate Diskun a B. The one mechanic is Kirby-ish, like stated, but it's a playstyle that hasn't been used often at all. Plus his cartoony googly eyed floppy disk style would definitely stand out.
Daitoryo I would also give a B. He could use card moves in his moveset, but they don't bring anything new really. His realistic style would stand out as well.
An 8-bit character would stand out, certainly, but I see something like that happening for Sheriff over Urban Champ.

I'm guessing you didn't get the point of my post at all did you...

Anyways, going on to other things....
I fail to see what you are seeing in Diskun that makes him so unique that he is put on the scale of Wario and Meta Knight for example. The copy mechanic isn't new (I mean for crying out loud, aren't you the one vying against the new PT for similar reasons?). The floppy disc is just another projectile, that doesn't have many options to be used differently. And overall, most of his moves would be pretty generic since he has pretty much nothing to pull from. This isn't Muddy Mole here, with a lot of brand new things that the generic moves can be excused slightly. And since when do the visuals of the characters attacks make them unique? If this is the case, then Little Mac would be much lower.

@ FirstBlade Did you take a look at my Daitoryo moveset? Maybe it changes your mind about him.

Yes, I saw your moveset but no it doesn't really change my mind at all. It is still Game and Watch randomness of pulling out different things for each move, so it is still the same exact mechanic. It doesn't change the fact that he currently has 1 playstyle nor does it change my thought on the plausibility of some of the items being used. Good effort though.

 

[Louie G.]

I meant that Diskun is essentially a floppy disk. That being said I can see him moving in a unique style, either sidestepping or running with his head drooping behind him.
A new Pokemon Trainer is no the same as another copycat character. We have tag teams: Zelda, PT. Another Pokemon Trainer isn't a terrible idea, just no longer unique. Diskun's copy ability would be a little different I think. Turning into an 8-bit sprite of his opponent. Also I thought maybe his copy could be for himself, duplicating himself and using his clone to help him battle.

 

[FirstBlade]

I meant that Diskun is essentially a floppy disk. That being said I can see him moving in a unique style, either sidestepping or running with his head drooping behind him.
A new Pokemon Trainer is no the same as another copycat character. We have tag teams: Zelda, PT. Another Pokemon Trainer isn't a terrible idea, just no longer unique. Diskun's copy ability would be a little different I think. Turning into an 8-bit sprite of his opponent. Also I thought maybe his copy could be for himself, duplicating himself and using his clone to help him battle.

You're contradicting yourself here which is what I was getting at. I specifically remember someone saying yesterday (Bowserlick?) that the PT's mechanic could be a little different and they gave some examples. Yet, now you are saying that Diskun's Copy ability being slightly different justifies him? What? You just said yourself in this same post that PT's isn't unique, so how would Diskun's really be all that unique. The copy mechanic you just gave me is essentially IC's now. Even if it is slightly different, the entirety of the character is bland with not much to pull from. I also think you need to recognize that moving and being visually unique gains them some points, but is not why a character like Game and Watch is in S Tier, I hope you know that.

 

[Tepig2000]

I agree with FirstBlade on Diskun. He is not that unique really. Maybe if he copied the enemy's stats instead of moves?

 

[FirstBlade]

I agree with FirstBlade on Diskun. He is not that unique really. Maybe if he copied the enemy's stats instead of moves?

This right here would actually make me put him higher since it is actually legit. I would still take off a little though due to the genericness of his other moves though, but his score would be better.

 

[Louie G.]

@ FirstBlade
Can you please stop arguing? I said I disagree with the rating, that's all. I don't think another Pokemon Trainer would be interesting to rate. I think Diskun and Daitoryo are above D Tier. I don't think Urban Champ is.
That's enough of that. The thread is getting derailed now.

 

[Tepig2000]

I think we should decide what Daitoryo's and Diskun's ratings are. I say Daitoryo should be a B+ tier and Diskun should be a C+ tier.

 

[Louie G.]

I don't think Diskun has been explored enough.
I had an idea that Diskun can use NES peripherals such as a psychic Power Glove and the Power Pad.
I also thought maybe Diskun could make a clone of himself, helping him in battle, instead of cloning others.
He has endless possibilities outside of copying opponents, which is why I'm not doing another PT.
While Diskun has other possibilities, another PT will inevitably have the same switching out mechanic.

 

[UltimateWario]

Don't wanna drag up old news or anything, but why is Prince Sable so low? I mean, if we can give Palutena an A, why not SnakeFrogMan?

 

[Tepig2000]

Don't wanna drag up old news or anything, but why is Prince Sable so low? I mean, if we can give Palutena an A, why not SnakeFrogMan?

His transformation mechanic is old news.

I don't think Diskun has been explored enough.
I had an idea that Diskun can use NES peripherals such as a psychic Power Glove and the Power Pad.
I also thought maybe Diskun could make a clone of himself, helping him in battle, instead of cloning others.
He has endless possibilities outside of copying opponents, which is why I'm not doing another PT.
While Diskun has other possibilities, another PT will inevitably have the same switching out mechanic.

Cool idea!

 

[OctiVick]

Diskun is interesting case to say the least.

Similar to R.O.B. he doesn't have really much to work with only being a peripheral but at the same time he is blank canvas meaning they can do almost anything with him. I would imagine he would have stiff movements and would just be a flopping flat piece of plastic.

A dumb idea I had for him was that he would flip himself open and attack with NES characters/sprites:

 

[UltimateWario]

Goodness, that wasn't very kind of you.

 

[OctiVick]

Goodness, that wasn't very kind of you.

Um . . . your welcome . . . What did I do?

 

[El Fonz0]

Um . . . your welcome . . . What did I do?

Apparently, whatever site you pulled that picture from doesn't take too kindly to people just linking to its pictures

 

[BluePikmin11]

Um . . . your welcome . . . What did I do?

 

[Tepig2000]

Um . . . your welcome . . . What did I do?

UltimateWario used joke!

It doesn't affect foe OctiVick...

 

[OctiVick]

Well here is the image I was referring too

 

[BluePikmin11]

That looks cool actually, I'd actually imagined that he would have somewhat of a "Tron" moveset, involving disc drives and USBs.

 

[FirstBlade]

I don't think Diskun has been explored enough.
I had an idea that Diskun can use NES peripherals such as a psychic Power Glove and the Power Pad.
I also thought maybe Diskun could make a clone of himself, helping him in battle, instead of cloning others.
He has endless possibilities outside of copying opponents, which is why I'm not doing another PT.
While Diskun has other possibilities, another PT will inevitably have the same switching out mechanic.

That seems a little too farfetched if you ask me. The Power Glove especially. Nor do I see that fitting very well due to his body frame. I also already mentioned that cloning thing as ICish considering what it does.

EDIT: The stats thing however does work and I would put him at a C for it.

 

[Louie G.]

Well what about his multiplying gimmick?
That could be pretty unique, a cosmic Mario type clone. He follows you around and does what you do, only a second delayed.

 

[Tepig2000]

Well what about his multiplying gimmick?
That could be pretty unique, a cosmic Mario type clone. He follows you around and does what you do, only a second delayed.

That sounds too much Ice Climbers-like to me.

 

[FirstBlade]

Diskun is interesting case to say the least.

Similar to R.O.B. he doesn't have really much to work with only being a peripheral but at the same time he is blank canvas meaning they can do almost anything with him. I would imagine he would have stiff movements and would just be a flopping flat piece of plastic.

A dumb idea I had for him was that he would flip himself open and attack with NES characters/sprites:

Technically, ROB is a robot, so the lasers, arm rotor and him doing generally robotic things didn't come out of nowhere. Gyromite was obviously from the titular game he is used for. Although it might have made more sense if he used some Stack-Up inspired things. Once again, this relates back to the "un debatable uniqueness" thing

That sounds too much Ice Climbers-like to me.

I agree, it would be more unique, if say, the clone followed you but didn't follow your moves and just glitchily exploded with contact or something. (or if you could command the clone forward in which it would explode on contact).

EDIT: This could work but having him use other peripherals and retro moves is pushing it. Maybe this type of stuff above can be used in different ways (clone, stat changing and possibly deleting if it involves rendering one of the opponents moves useless for a little while) but I feel this really the extent of what he can do. Everything else is kind of pushing it (retro moves, peripheral stuff, shooting floppy discs, etc.)

 

[Louie G.]

That sounds too much Ice Climbers-like to me.

A little bit of a mix between IC and Rosalina.
You can summon your clone when you feel like it, although Diskun can fight on his own.
I dunno, I just think D is incredibly low.
I agree with Tepig more, B-C is more his range, same with Daitoryo.

 

[Louie G.]

Alright, end of day.
Feeling uninspired.
Nobody saw potential in Diskun, although a few ideas shined. C.
Daitoryo's card tricks can be really cool. B.

Today we're doing Mach Rider and Bubbles. Happy Firstblade? Wait a second, you said you don't even know anything about Diskun and Daitoryo? What is this? WHY AM I EVEN ARGUING WITH YOU THEN?

Alright, Mach Rider is considered clone material by some, but hopefully someone brings his trusty motorcycle into the discussion!
And Bubbles, I don't know much about. Wow me!
Blossom and Buttercup are more up my alley.

 

[BluePikmin11]

Hurray!
I think Bubble's ability to swing into poles is pretty interesting, it feels like something that could be potentially be fun.

 

[FirstBlade]

Alright, end of day.
Feeling uninspired.
Nobody saw potential in Diskun, although a few ideas shined. C.
Daitoryo's card tricks can be really cool. B.

Today we're doing Mach Rider and Bubbles. Happy Firstblade? Wait a second, you said you don't even know anything about Diskun and Daitoryo? What is this? WHY AM I EVEN ARGUING WITH YOU THEN?

Alright, Mach Rider is considered clone material by some, but hopefully someone brings his trusty motorcycle into the discussion!
And Bubbles, I don't know much about. Wow me!
Blossom and Buttercup are more up my alley.

Yes, finally! But hey...I did research the characters before my analysis, I just wasn't convinced. I didn't know much about Muddy Mole either and I gave him an A.

 

[FirstBlade]

Bubbles

1.How many diverse options does this character have?
Quite a bit, but there are 2 main ones that stick out, that actually go very well together and could be just 1. One idea is that Bubbles doesn't really stop moving and keeps sliding long after you've stopped holding the control stick (bad traction). This "aftershock" if you will can do some additional damage even though you are not necessarily hitting the attack button, how much she slides depends on how much you tilt on the control stick (walking vs. dashing). Because in her game, the poles allowed for change of direction, the poles would allow her to change direction very quickly and can be used in succession. When you put this together with her slide it allows for more comboing opportunities and allows for opponents to be comboed like crazy! The other playstyle option is that she is a trapper like character which Smash currently has none of. In this form, she has quite the arsenal as I'll explain below. I, and some other people personally think she should be a mixture of both.
2. Is their moves or abilities diverse from the rest of the cast?
Yes, Bubbles has poles which could be unique on its own. Let me explain. Bubbles would keep swinging and swinging until you input for her to jump off. The speed and angle of the jump can be controlled very easily allowing for many different ways she could jump of the pole. Of course, her swinging causes damage to those near her (which would gradually decrease the longer she swings of course.) This main pole move is also used for movement purposes as well as I explained above. Bubbles being a fish can easily have access to water in her moves, especially large bubbles which can trap the opponent. It is not limited to bubbles though; spouts, water based punches and kicks, waves and splashes can also be attributed to her character while easily fitting. This brings me to Uniras, an item I'm sure most of you are familiar with if you played Brawl. Now, of course I have no idea if these are going to be items or not but nevertheless, Bubbles can have access to them regardless. There are a couple potential things you can do with uniras, you can throw them and place them in which they will stick either way. They retain the small attracting thing as well. But wait, there is more. The most important item in the game are golden ignots. Bubbles collects them and it seems possible that she can use these in her moveset. What would they do you ask? Well, it would help her control space. Golden Ignots are really made of gold so it would make sense if a character couldn't go through them. It would be cool if they worked sort of as a less powerful bumper that "reflects" players back in a way. I imagine she would be able to have out 2-3 at a time all serving the same purpose. Finally, she is capable of emitting sound waves which stuns her opponents. I can see it being a final Smash as well that damages and pushes characters away.
3. Has the concept of the character been done before?
No, there is currently no trapper in Smash and Bubbles has some unique niches
4. Does the characters abilities and moves provide enough to be entertaining?
Yes, I'd love to hit people with sound waves and water as well as be able to finally have a trapper in Smash.
5. How visually different is the character in terms of body shape and proportions?
Pretty different, the closest thing to her would be Kirby and Jigglypuff but I feel the tail and hands are different enough. She also looks a little different from Pacman for these same reasons if he was to get into the game.
6. Does it fit the character well enough?
Yes, she is a fish so water moves and et cetera make sense. All of the other things, come right out of her game Clu Clu Land.

Uniqueness rating: A+, Bubbles certainly has some unique niches and can be prevented from having generic normal attacks if water is involved. However, I do feel she may look a little similar to Kirby and Jigglypuff and I don't feel any of the unique things (or unique things combined) are the scale of what IC's and Rosalina and Luma have brought.

 

[BluePikmin11]

Though, how would I able to stop Bubbles if I were to pause on Training Mode for example.

 

[Capybara Gaming]

Though, how would I able to stop Bubbles if I were to pause on Training Mode for example.

There is no training mode, only zool

 

[BridgesWithTurtles]

Oh boy. Bubbles. Let's talk about her.

1. How many diverse options does this character have?
Not many. Hailing from a pre-Super Mario Bros. NES title, Bubbles is one of the many one-off "retro" characters that would need to have quite a few liberties taken in order to construct a complete moveset. This being said, she falls squarely into the same category as the Ice Climbers, in that she has enough background to play off of in order to make this process go much more smoothly than one might expect.

Bubbles' abilities are few in number, but they do offer some substance. She is able to fire sound waves, and she'd probably be able to make use of Uniras (which could work like the item introduced in Brawl), which would allow her to play the role of a trapper. She also has a disability, in that she's unable to change direction unless swinging around a pole. Perhaps she could plant down a limited amount of poles at certain points in order to alter how she reacts to the stage. This could be very interesting if she was unable to ever stop moving, for example. Combine this unique movement with a trap-based arsenal, and she can play the role of a unique trapper who sets up the stage as she wishes while maneuvering about it more freely than her opponents can. She can also make use of water and bubbles in her attacks, something only Squirtle really does.

Bubbles could even pull elements from Flingsmash, another Nintendo game with a similar protagonist and gameplay style. Perhaps, for example, she could ignite after traveling fast enough, turning herself into a crashing ball of destruction.

2. Is their moves or abilities diverse from the rest of the Smash cast?
I'd say that yes, they are. If Bubbles' unique method of locomotion were translated into Smash, she'd move in a completely different manner than everyone else currently playable. Sound waves are an attack type hardly explored in the series, with only one of Jigglypuff's moves and an Assist Trophy or two making use of them. She could possibly be unique in dealing damage by simply moving, getting faster the longer she goes without stopping.

3. Has the concept of the character been done before?
Not in any way. A character who is mechanically different from everyone else in the roster due to a unique movement control scheme is something that has yet to be delved into. A very momentum-based playstyle in which the player becomes more powerful but also more uncontrollable and punishable the longer they go without stopping is a very fresh idea not seen before. A literal exaggeration of the high momentum playstyle seen in Fox and Falco would be unique indeed.

4. Does the character's abilities and moves provide enough to be entertaining?
It can be argued that yes, Bubbles could be a worthwhile addition in this regard. Looking at her Melee trophy, it seems that she could display quite a lot of expressiveness. Swinging around from pole to pole, bumping into walls, and just generally bouncing around like a pinball would make the character quite comical and rather interesting to both play as and watch. Adding in exaggerated, cartoony, visual expressions such as fear (when losing control), pain (when colliding with something), and overconfidence (when moving very quickly without slipping up) would make the character visually appealing and entertaining to behold.

5. How visually different is the character in terms of body shape and looks?
Bubbles is a "bubble fish", which is a completely made-up species. As she originated in an era of simple, pixelized shapes, she's very simplistic in design, which I feel would make her stand out. She's only really comparable to Kirby and Jigglypuff in appearance, but that'd be a bit of a stretch. She'd also likely move and behave unlike any other character.

6. Does it fit the character well enough?
Some of the ideas I've suggested certainly fit the character. I simply suggested translating the gameplay of Clu Clu Land into a Smash environment, and I think that if pulled off successfully, it would be a natural fit that would also produce a rather unique character.

B+ or A-

 

[FirstBlade]

Oh boy. Bubbles. Let's talk about her.

1. How many diverse options does this character have?
Not many. Hailing from a pre-Super Mario Bros. NES title, Bubbles is one of the many one-off "retro" characters that would need to have quite a few liberties taken in order to construct a complete moveset. This being said, she falls squarely into the same category as the Ice Climbers, in that she has enough background to play off of in order to make this process go much more smoothly than one might expect.

Bubbles' abilities are few in number, but they do offer some substance. She is able to fire sound waves, and she'd probably be able to make use of Uniras (which could work like the item introduced in Brawl), which would allow her to play the role of a trapper. She also has a disability, in that she's unable to change direction unless swinging around a pole. Perhaps she could plant down a limited amount of poles at certain points in order to alter how she reacts to the stage. This could be very interesting if she was unable to ever stop moving, for example. Combine this unique movement with a trap-based arsenal, and she can play the role of a unique trapper who sets up the stage as she wishes while maneuvering about it more freely than her opponents can. She can also make use of water and bubbles in her attacks, something only Squirtle really does.

Bubbles could even pull elements from Flingsmash, another Nintendo game with a similar protagonist and gameplay style. Perhaps, for example, she could ignite after traveling fast enough, turning herself into a crashing ball of destruction.

2. Is their moves or abilities diverse from the rest of the Smash cast?
I'd say that yes, they are. If Bubbles' unique method of locomotion were translated into Smash, she'd move in a completely different manner than everyone else currently playable. Sound waves are an attack type hardly explored in the series, with only one of Jigglypuff's moves and an Assist Trophy or two making use of them. She could possibly be unique in dealing damage by simply moving, getting faster the longer she goes without stopping.

3. Has the concept of the character been done before?
Not in any way. A character who is mechanically different from everyone else in the roster due to a unique movement control scheme is something that has yet to be delved into. A very momentum-based playstyle in which the player becomes more powerful but also more uncontrollable and punishable the longer they go without stopping is a very fresh idea not seen before. A literal exaggeration of the high momentum playstyle seen in Fox and Falco would be unique indeed.

4. Does the character's abilities and moves provide enough to be entertaining?
It can be argued that yes, Bubbles could be a worthwhile addition in this regard. Looking at her Melee trophy, it seems that she could display quite a lot of expressiveness. Swinging around from pole to pole, bumping into walls, and just generally bouncing around like a pinball would make the character quite comical and rather interesting to both play as and watch. Adding in exaggerated, cartoony, visual expressions such as fear (when losing control), pain (when colliding with something), and overconfidence (when moving very quickly without slipping up) would make the character visually appealing and entertaining to behold.

5. How visually different is the character in terms of body shape and looks?
Bubbles is a "bubble fish", which is a completely made-up species. As she originated in an era of simple, pixelized shapes, she's very simplistic in design, which I feel would make her stand out. She's only really comparable to Kirby and Jigglypuff in appearance, but that'd be a bit of a stretch. She'd also likely move and behave unlike any other character.

6. Does it fit the character well enough?
Some of the ideas I've suggested certainly fit the character. I simply suggested translating the gameplay of Clu Clu Land into a Smash environment, and I think that if pulled off successfully, it would be a natural fit that would also produce a rather unique character.

B+ or A-

You may have hit this nail on the head better than I did. You brought up some other good points that I hadn't even thought of like the FlingSmash thing. While I am not positive towards her chances per se, I definitely think that if she got in she would almost have to be very unique.

EDIT: @ Capybara Gaming , I'm assuming you're here to help me convince these guys about Mach Rider right? The more the merrier!

 

[Capybara Gaming]

You may have hit this nail on the head better than I did. You brought up some other good points that I hadn't even thought of like the FlingSmash thing. While I am not positive towards her chances per se, I definitely think that if she got in she would almost have to be very unique.

EDIT: @ Capybara Gaming , I'm assuming you're here to help me convince these guys about Mach Rider right? The more the merrier!

Who hath summoned me?

But seriously, i guess I'll join in this, what's the harm?

 

[FirstBlade]

Mach Rider

1. How many diverse options does this character have?
There is potential for a rushdown type character of course, which Smash has plenty of already though. But the real potential comes with a "gear shift" or stance change type character, who can switch between 2 or 3 different stances, I guess
2. Is their moves or abilities diverse from the rest of the cast?
Well.....Mach could have access to chains (you chain your bike) as well as his machine gun toting Mach Bike obviously. Chains is a pretty unique weapon only used by Sheik (and only barely). The difference here is that a lot of his moves would use it. The chain gives him extended reach and as potential to be a grappler type thing in which he can grab opponents, etc. Mach is shown with a gun in the beginning of the game. How this gun is used depends on the imagination of the creator sadly. While it appears to be a machine gun we know full well why that can't happen. However, it could be based off the Quads (alien villains) alien technology. Mach also has the ability to explode into particles and regenerate so to speak, which seems viable as a recovery or counter type thing. Mach would obviously be a fast character based off of his bike as well. Since I mentioned it again, his bike would be best suited for a FS.
3. Has the concept of the character been done before?
For the most part, yes. A "gear shift" character could be cool, but is stretching it.
3a. If it has been done before, is the character's way of doing it unique on its own?
Sort of. The chains can really make it a unique approach to the rushdown character.
4. Does the characters abilities and moves provide enough to be entertaining?
Yes!!
5. How visually different is the character in terms of body shape and looks?
Body frame is similar to Captain Falcon but colorization and clothing is different enough.
6. Does it fit the character well enough?
Pretty much.

Uniqueness rating: B-/C+, I'm pained to say that Mach Rider doesn't necessarily have too much potential. There is some if you dig deep though. While the chains and materialization could be cool and unique, everything else has...sort of been done. I can also see some sort of generic or Captain Falcon related normals which is not good, not good at all.

I had a kind of original moveset that I will probably post tomorrow.

 

[Capybara Gaming]

Play Crusade - See how he plays, and remove the more generic "Sakurai'd" moves. He would be unique,

 

[FirstBlade]

Play Crusade - See how he plays, and remove the more generic "Sakurai'd" moves. He would be unique,

Mach Rider is in Crusade! Awesome! I was trying to be fair in what I took off for like what I did with other characters which is why he has a lower score than I personally wanted. I have a unique moveset for him over in the MR thread but I think it is a little too farfetched to be considered toward him. I might post it here later though.