Passive Super Armor is a toxic mechanic. Having Tough Guy any better than it already is would be ridiculous.
This I can understand. Why ever throw any punches if every time you do you're just ramming a freight train into your face? This seemed like the big problem when the game just came out and Little Mac was tearing through everything thrown at him. Super armor abuse will definitely give you a sharp edge to compete with if you know how to handle it.
However, it's not like we're buffing this armor to levels even close to those. Bowser shouldn't be able to tank any hits that are a little bit stronger than a poke. I question why Mario's fireball makes him flinch at all, especially at low percents. Kirby's rapid jabs stun him, but not the first two jabs. Inversely, Mac's first two jabs push him into the air a little, and the rapid jabs don't actually flinch him. The way this armor works is bonkers and confusing.
Crouching gives him stronger armor (and thus more launch resistance, I would assume, do to how the armor works), but by doing anything at all you forfeit your bonus armor, thus rendering this possible benefit completely moot! Being able to crawl through Falco's laser would actually be very useful. Instead we're forced to sit in place so that we don't flinch, and in the end it would be better to simply put up our shield. I mean, sometimes I like to take a little bonus damage to confuse my opponent while I build up rage, but in the end this is a risky move and it's better to avoid taking any damage at all.
I guess I'm trying to find a reason to justify Tough Guy. When you get the metal box and your character turns to complete metal, you are given huge launch resistance. You're also given a bit of super armor. I'm under the assumption that they made Bowser so heavy that it ended up activating this flinch resistance that being very heavy gives you. When you make your character heavy enough, he gains this "tough guy" trait. Bowser is just so heavy that it is naturally activated at low percents against weak attacks, in the same way that you are stunned and launched at higher percents with the metal effect on. If he were made heavier (aka giving him more defense through equipment), he gains more of this natural super armor. Frankly Bowser is heavy enough.
I started ******* around with the metal box on bowser with luigi attacking me. Fireballs didn't flinch past 200%, his first two jabs connected but not the third - they were armored through and I took a swing. The launchers at the end of jabs should definitely knock him away but at earlier percents and with these jabs and pokes, he oughtta live up to that tough guy standard, you know? Maybe I just feel like he needs to be buffed when in reality he really is quite the powerhouse. I mean, I know quite well the power he packs as it is.
