Week in Review Issue #19

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

The Week in Review Edition #19
5/19- 5/23

Banner by @ Venus of the Desert Bloom

Staff
Writers:
@ Venus of the Desert Bloom
@TumblrFamous
@---
@Opossum
@ Mario & Sonic Guy
@Frostwraith
@ Pazzo.
@BigAxle

Editor:
@Aerodrome

I would like to take this time to apologize for the lack of content in tWiR. Sadly, I have been very busy so I have not been able to give my 100% all to the articles. Wthin a few weeks, however, I think I will be able to dedicate more time to it. Again, I apologize and I hope you enjoy the articles.

I would like to say a big and huge thank you to:
​

• @TumblrFamous, and @ Pazzo. for writingthe weeks articles
• @Scoliosis Jones for agreeing to an interview
• To my staff members who help out to make the WiR great!
• To all the readers who support us!

Previous Issues

[collapse=Previous Issues]
To view the previous issues
Issue #1
Issue #2
Issue #3
Issue #4
Issue #5
Issue #6
Issue #7
Issue #8
Issue #9
Issue #10
Issue #11
Issue #12
Issue #13
Issue #13 Direct
Issue #14
Issue #15
Issue #16
Issue #17
Issue #18
[/collapse]

Want to help or contribute?

[collapse=Rules and Other Infos]This is the first edition of "The Week in Review". The Week in Review will be a series of articles I have made throughout the week concerning the Pic of Day through using posts, threads, and MiiVerse to pool information and opinions about Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS . However, the articles are not only limited to my own observation but to those of the larger Smash 4 community. Users are encouraged to submit articles and observations as well as opinions concerning the pictures that were updated throughout the week. I will explain how you can contribute later.

So what can you expect from this thread? On Friday, I will update the thread with a new article which will contain the Pic of the Day, other relevant images, information, I will also be pulling out interesting and thought provoking posts that have popped up throughout the week on the various threads such as the Wii U Discussion thread, 3DS Discussion Thread, MiiVerse Photo Thread, Roster Discussion Thread, character support threads as well as the Super Smash Bros, Wii U/3DS Backroom thus linking them altogether. In addition, I will also be adding up any information that Sakurai has revealed outside of the website/MiiVerse such as interviews and news articles.

I will open the thread on the weekend for people to talk about how the week went and comment on the articles. However, I will be closing the thread on Monday in order to prevent premature discussion about the weeks updates. I will be operating on Japanese Standard Time since both myself and Sakurai (OMG both of us in the same sentence?!?!?!) live on JST. View the JST Page in order to fully understand how time works.

Additionally, while this thread will focus on solely the Pic of the Day, I will sometimes allow pieces to be written about Smashboards, the Smash Community, MiiVerse, or Sakurai information. Additionally, once we have more information regarding the nature of the character, I will allow a user to write up an in-depth analysis of a character, veteran or newcomer. So come show your stuff!

Why is this thread needed?

We do have various discussion threads pertaining to various aspects of Smash. However, this is less of a discussion thread and more like a newsletter. I intend to present the facts and portray an unbiased review of the week. It will also serve as a hub to collect information, pictures, and articles that have been released in a weekly format thus allowing users to review the past weeks for better understanding how to predict future updates or to comb through information in an effective manner. It will also serve as a place to users to present their information, opinions, and observations in a semi-academical format. More information is listed below. If you see an interesting, funny, thought-provoking, or ridiculous post either on the SWF or on MiiVerse, PM me about it and I will include it! If you want me to remove you from a certain Tag, PM me and I will take you off.

Also, I wanted to use this space to allow users to be creative and constructive in speculating Smash in a more journalistic manner. I will not edit any posts except if they are inappropriate, bypass the censor, hateful in nature, or irrelevant.

How can I help?

You can contribute to this thread in many ways.
1) You can serve as a guest writer. This is done by contacting me via PM and apply to be a guest writer for the current week. I am able to allow or refuse the guest writer based on past credentials and reputation within the Smash 4 community so please keep that in mind.

After approval, I can either give you a piece to write OR you can choose one yourself. It should be focused on a particular Pic of the Day. Please promptly let me know which one you intend to. If I do not hear from you within a day, I will not accept an article. The article itself should be professionally written with little to no grammar or spelling mistakes. Any sources should be cited with a link to direct readers. While I understand some updates may be hard to write for, please write at least two paragraphs for each update. Unless it is an update of Luigi's nose but I am sure someone can find some Freudian psycho-analysis about that update. Please refer to the first edition post about how to write an article (though I am pretty sure many journalist/lit majors can do a much better job than I can lol).

2) You can help me gather posts that are excellent or at least interesting in nature. PM me any posts concerning a particular update and I will then add it to the articles. I frequent the above mentioned threads on a daily basis but I obviously miss things so I am heavily dependent on everyone getting me those great and thought-provoking posts. I want this thread to showcase what the brilliant minds in the Smash 4 community can do!

3) While you can discuss past and future weeks, please refrain from dissecting or analyzing the previous/future weeks and save that for the current week.

4) Could someone be a dear and make a banner for this thread. It's not urgent but a banner would be grand.[/collapse]

Table of Contents

Spoiler

1.1 Day #1: Sakurai's Log
2.1 Day #2:Rainbow Blinking Figures
3.1 Day #3: Palettes and Mirrors
4.1 Day #4:Coming soon!
5.1 Day #5: WE LIKE IKE!
6.1 Week Overview
7.1 Week in Review Interview: @Scoliosis Jones
8.1 Stage Analysis: Mario Galaxy by @ Mario & Sonic Guy
9.1 We Want YOU to Vote! Results

​

Sakurai's Log
5.19.2014
Day #1: Monｄay
Writer: @ Pazzo.

Monday’s pic brought us an ordinary filler pic. Although some considered it lame, director Masahiro Sakurai had a humorous caption for us..

Under certain circumstances, the creatures on this planet appear to grow larger and go berserk. The Pikmin and I must be cautious lest we lose our heads to these beasts.

The caption is no doubt a reference to Olimar’s Log, a feature in Pikmin to where at the end of each day, Captain Olimar writes an entry in his Voyage Log.

-One of many entries-

Although no new information was revealed, Smashboards users had plenty to say about the pic and Olimar’s new ‘friend’.

Comment was hilarious actually.

@Swampasaur

Am I the only one that saw BigMac's hair when the pic was loading and shuddered *Goku?*

@D-idara

Interesting post, sakurai did something different with his comment today, that being said the pic is a downer.

@Mind Ranger

Sakurai could always incorporate humor in a picture that reveals something new. It doesn't have to be either/or. However, I will give him a pass, he is probably saving relevant news for e3.

@Morbid Altruism

In addition to Snake Codecs and Star Fox Convos, we should get Olimar Logs on Garden of Hope.

@Sehnsucht

I'm assuming the quote was just Sakurai being funny, not a hint at an increased number of character-specific conversations in game. That said, I wouldn't write off all the posts until E3. There's been some good ones mixed in lately, and Monday tends to get the majority of redundant/funny/minor details pictures.

@spader13


Lackluster pic, but funny caption. Looks like Sakurai’s trying to capitalize on the “Sakurai’s Diary” section of the WiR.


Things Confirmed for Monday:

1. Nothing.
2. Big Mac is too big.


Rainbow Blinking Figurines
05.13.2014
Day #2: Tuesday
Writer: @ Venus of the Desert Bloom

​

The Assist Trophies (Assist Figurine in Japan) took center stage on Tuesday. As previously revealed in the Super Smash Bros. Direct last month, the Assist Trophies return albeit the trophy itself received a massive image change.

This was the Brawl Design

And here is the Wii U and 3DS design

​

According to Sakurai,

"Pic of the day. This is the capsule for the Assist Trophies. It may emit rainbow-colored lights, or even blink. Even if there's something like a Color TV-Game 15 inside…."

The PotD shows the green color scheme of the trophy but the above picture shows how the assist trophy changes colors.

Here is a refresher of the Assist Trophy. The actual trophy is shown from :10 to :13 as well the the color changing/rainbow effect that Sakurai described.
​

This sort of cosmetic change reinforces the more dynamic style that Sakurai is trying to achieve as shown with the new visual of the items and stages. Everything seems to be moving with a vibrant energy called HD.

Here are some reactions to this PotD:

I think Sakurai completely forgot about the direct.

Empyrean

either sakurai is trolling us this week with useless potds and is going to reveal something awesome on friday
or we wont get anythng till e3

@extremechiton

If the green guy was a playable character i would use him xD

@Cancel

creepy.... looks like a test-tube baby...... o_O

@infzy

@sonicbrawler182

And indeed this is a rather useless PotD and one that is basically old news. While the lack of substantial new information since the Direct is a bit disappointing, one can hope for a surge of information come E3.
​

Things confirmed for Tuesday:

1. The Assist Trophies blink or emit rainbow colors.

Palettes and Mirrors
05.21.2014
Day #3: Wednesday
Writer: @ Venus of the Desert Bloom

​

Wednesday's PotD opened up to something I was looking forward to very much. Not only did we see Mario's "Fire Mario" palette swaps but Kirby's "Blue" and Bowser's "Brown" palette swaps. However, there was no doubting that those palette swaps would appear again. More importantly was Greninja's palette swap which was something we have never seen before.

Pictured is most likely his red color palette swap that will appear if he is apart of the Red Team during Team Matches. owever, some were disappointed that they did not show his Shiny palette swap:

I need my shiny lucario and greninja

@Sonicguy726

Regardless, it is great to see Greninja's palette swap and hopefully the other newcomers will have revealed palette swaps somewhere down the road. Hopefully, Mega Man's palette swaps will draw heavily from various Mega Man Universe characters such as Proto Man, Roll, Beat, Auto, Dr. Light and Dr. Wily, Yellow Devil, and maybe even Zero (a fan can wish, can't he?)

However, palette swaps weren't the focus of the PotD. In fact, they were never mentioned in the two comments made by Sakurai:

"Pic of the day. The leg and arm positions of some characters will automatically be mirrored when facing left or right. Mario, for example, will have his chest shown in the foreground regardless of whether he's facing right or left. This was quite a tedious task, but thanks to it we can show the best features of each character even better."

"Here's another example: in the previous games, you saw the back of Kirby's head when facing left. Now Kirby looks great from any angle."

This is to say that each character's stance is mirrored for the Wii U and 3DS versions. As Sakurai mentioned, it is to show the full model of the character. While this may be a bad comparison but I took some pictures of two Mario's, Peach's, Bowser's, and Kirby's to compare the two versions:


As you can see, the stances are little bit different. It is not a huge difference but the Wii U/3DS version does show the characters fully as opposed to the backsides of them when they face somewhere different.

This new change had a wide amount of reactions from:

I like this, actually.

@Keybladeguy

Black Bowser is best Bowser.

I like that he said he only did it for "some" characters. I think Samus would look weird if all of a sudden her arm cannon switched hands.

@Daveman Cosman

Let's keep in mind he said "some" and not all. I'd like to think at least Link is safe.

I actually like this change. It adds more of a fighting game aesthetic to it. Plus, who wants to see someone's back?

@BBG| Scott-Spain

Yea, some characters are the same on either side, there should be no need to redo them on the other side. Especially when things can be expressed better if they look the same either way.

And no, mirroring is in all likelihood not that difficult. You're simply putting in a flipped texture when they go in that direction.

I doubt they'll do this to characters like link, samus, etc.

@powerhouse

This is not a mirror effect. Just look at Greninja's neck. You can see the line where his scarf twists on the red one, but not on the regular one.

@Tackman91

I've seen some people become mad because of this new feature...
Why!? This is only a good thing!
Do you think Mega Man should look like this when shooting to the left?

This is so we can more easily see the expresiveness of the characters. And its not just a mirror effect, they would have to make for example: Greninjas tounge be on the other side of his head, which they have done.

@Toa Idar

I'm rather concerned about how this will work for those who are wielding weapons. Marth is a right-handed swordsman, so you'd expect his face to be facing towards his own sword.

@ Mario & Sonic Guy

Guys rewatch the developer direct from last year, you can see that characters like mario, mega man and bowser do this while samus doesn't
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQD1yJinzeQ

@Sonicguy726

:L

@ mimgrim

Kirby looks like a tasty mochi.

@Shorts

Things Confirmed for Wednesday​

1. Characters will be slightly mirrored when turning as to fully show the character's model.
2. Greninja has a red palette swap.
3. Fire Mario, Blue Kirby, and Brown Bowser return as palette swaps.


It's Los Vegasmash, Baby!
5.15.2014
Day #4: Thursday
Writer: @ Venus of the Desert Bloom

"Pic of the day. In previous games in the series, if you chose the red team in a team battle, your Mario would have been red. But now you can choose any color you want! The color outlining the characters will show their team affiliation."

Sakurai revealed that teams will now longer be restrained to just having aplette swaps but, instead, players can choose to keep the original color schemes for the characters by opting to add a colored border around the character. Pictured above are teams: red vs blue. Mario and Donkey Kong are on the red team and indicated by their red lines while Link and Samus are on the blue team. However, as seen in Wednesday's PotD, palette swaps are back. However, more than likely, they will not have a huge emphasis in team battles as before.

In addition, it is currently unknown if this is only a 3DS feature or if it will be extended to the Wii U. Also unknown is if the team colors are limited to only red, blue, ad green or if other colors such as yellow, purple, orange, pink, white, black, etc will be available.

Here are what some had to say about it:

This is great! I play Mario and my Bro plays Luigi so now we truly can play as the Mario Bros with their respective colours on the same team! I wonder if the Wii U version will have such a defining outline like that.

@Jerm

Yeah, I'm curious about how this is handled on WiiU

@Warchamp7

An interesting approach to the 3DS version for Team Battles. The Wii U one probably will do what Smash has been doing in the past since 3DS one has the whole outline thing.

@LordShade67

Coolies! I saw a few people on this board who had this idea--not with the outlines, specifically, but for teams to be represented by the icons over every character's head, and letting you pick any color swap you want. Small conveniences like this are actually pretty exciting to me.

@Wanderer from Roseyard

Team battles in tournaments with ditto's I'm sure the community will ensure that if you pick a team color you will also need to change your characters color to match it.

So blue teams will still need to keep their characters blue. At most its a minor inconvenience. For casual play though this is good, as now you're no longer forced to go with colors for your team that might look bad on your character (pink pit I'm looking at you)


Besides I think this might be a 3DS only feature, as it seems like the outlines are anyhow, and I doubt the 3DS one will seriously take off for competitive play like the wii U version.

And even if you can still pick any color on the wii U version as well, I'm betting the arrow that is hovering over your head(or any names) will always be there and allow most players to know which character is which. on top fo that, again, the community itself will still make sure that in teams you make sure your characters change their costumes to the same color as your team.

So I dont' see any big issues with this up date

@link2702

can see TO's mandating a revised color rule ("blue-r" characters like Lucario/Sonic got priority for picking blue team, etc.), but otherwise this is cool for friendlies/Wi-Fi.

I wonder if like outlines, there will be an option to increase/decrease their visibility on the 3DS version at least.

@IsmaR

I'm rather happy about this update, since it at least enables you to use the color of your choice, and still be affiliated with your team color.

@ Mario & Sonic Guy

Hopefully THAT is a hint at this -

@Relax Alax

I agree with that. That would be very cool.

​

Things Confirmed for Thursday:

1. Teams will now have a colored outline to indicate which player is on which team.

WE LIKE IKE!!!
05.21.2014
Day #5: Friday
Writer: @ Venus of the Desert Bloom

​

​

Both Fire Emblem fans and Ike fans celebrated around the world with today's reveal! Ike, the star of "Path of Radiance" and "Radiant Dawn" appears as veteran. First appearing in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Ike reappears with his great sword, Ragnell, and his powerful smash attacks. For a recap, visit the Brawl page for Ike here.

According to Sakurai....

"Pic of the day. Ike, the swordsman of magnificent strength, joins the battle!! Strike your foes down with his powerful smash attacks."

Sakurai makes note to mention his impressive strength and in particular, his Smash attacks. Both Ike fans and Ike haters know of Ike's prowess with his slow but highly damaging Smash attacks. Sakurai also said...

"For this game, Ike's design is based on the hero that appears in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. His sword deals heavy damage in Smash Bros., so this design suits him very well! Rest assured, he can use Aether as well."

And indeed Ike does look stronger and more muscular compared to his SSBB model. For a comparison, here are the two models:

​

Not only does Ike appear more muscular but older as well which fits in with his appearance in "Radiant Dawn" as he is older in the game, as well. Plus, his fighting style also matured thus making him powerful yet more refined than before. While confirmed, this could potentially be used in Smash ros. with his move set pool and metagame being tweaked and buffed.

Ike was one of the few characters that were commonly thought to be axed along with Toon Link and Lucario. However, with Ike reappearing, many have grown hopeful that a large majority of the SSBB cast will reappear. However, Chrom and Roy supporters both found this reveal a little uneasy yet happy for a FE character reveal. Ike's chances certainly hurts the chances of other FE characters (if you consider Chrom a possibility for the roster slot).

Here is what some members are saying about Ike's triumphant return:
​

I don't have to worry anymore *tears of joy*

Plus, his Hero design is so darn cool.

@Morian

Oh come on. This might just kill the chances of an FE:Awakening rep unless Sakurai puts one more in. I'm only half happy about this.

@*Risen*

Thank god. Ike deserved to return, so thank goodness this means no characters being cut for recency bullcrap.

And hey, maybe this mean they'll actually have to make Chrom stand out with his own move set.

@鉄腕アトム

Holy balls! Ike's back!!!!

@Tollhouse

Ahhhh... getting some cool news at the end of this lousy week of PoTDs feels nice. Glad to see Sakurai wasn't saving everything for the E3.

@Banjo-Kazooie

Whaaaaaaaaat? Who saw this coming? Didn't everyone (myself included) expect Chrom to replace him?

And they even used the ridiculously badass Radiant Dawn design this time! **** yeah!

Let's see how they plan on dealing with the shortcomings he had in Brawl. Could he be getting a little more agile to go along with the decent speed he had in Radiant Dawn? Will Quick Draw not send him into freefall any more? Will Eruption be changed to an aura-based attack to go along with Ragnell's actual ranged attack?

Hell, since we know there are alternate versions of moves, could there be an option to have him wield Urvan instead? What if that was the deciding factor for bringing him back?

And this might not even count Chrom out. With how massively popular Awakening is, we very well could get three Fire Emblem characters in. But would it be Marth/Ike/Chrom...or Marth/Ike/Robin?

@Delzethin

NOOOOOO! Sakurai why you do dis!?! We wanted Chrom :''/

@Jupo

Once again congrats to all of the Ike supporters!

@The Real Gamer

Up there with Zero Suit Samus for most substantial redesign from Brawl to 4.

@Kink-Link5

FINALLLYYYYY!

Yesssssssssss. This is easily the most excited I've been since the games' reveal! I don't care about the rest of the cast now. At the end of the day, ZSS and Ike are really the only ones I wanted.

@sheik93

I love his redesign; getting rid of most of that blue distinguishes him from Marth a lot more, which will be valuable when Chrom is inevitably revealed in all his azure luster.

As cool as Chrom is, though, I hope they opt for a female representative like Anna or Lucina. Robin, with both male and female alts would be my first choice, though.

@BADGRAPHICS

However, it is in the realm of possibility that we may get a total of 3 Fire Emblem newcomers so fans of Chrom, Roy, Anna, Tharja, or who ever shouldn't throw in the towel so soon Nothing is confirmed or deconfirmed...except Ike is coming back!

Here are some pictures for everyone to enjoy!

Potentially his Dash attack

Aether confirmed to be back (as well from Sakurai's quote)

Looks to be his Counter

I feel like this is taunt

Up Smash most likely

Also coincidentally, when I put up a draft of the WiR, I always put title placeholders on Monday. I have been rewatching Futurama and I have always been a fan of Nixon on that show. So some of the titles were Haroo and such. This was title, for Friday was "Nixon's Back!"

Nixon....was a president.
Ike....was a presient.
Nixon's back
Ike's back.


@_@

Things confirmed for Friday

1. Ike is back as a returning veteran
2. He has a new look inspired from Radiant Dawn.
3. Retains his godly Smash attacks.

Overview

Coming soon!​

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Week in Review Interview of the Week

@Scoliosis Jones​

Continuing with interviewing the recent moderators, I sat down with a certain Scoliosis Jones aka Old Man Jones. Scoliosis Jones was modded early this year and has taken to his duties with gusto and passion. He is also known for his outspoken love for Snake as well as Shulk and Palutena. Prior to his avatar change, he was distinguishable for his Booker DeWitt avatar which had gone through various levels of modification when seen fit. Currently, he sports the lovely Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games. Scoliosis Jones is a common sight in the Ridley support thread and Character Discussion Thread. He was, in fact, the owner of the now defunct Roster Prediction Disucssion Thread. I hope you enjoy our interview with Scoliosis Jones and hopefully you also get to know the man behind the Booker DeJennifer Lawrence.

1) How long have you been a member on Smashboards and why did you join? When did you become a moderator for Smashboards?

I've been member of Smashboards for almost two years now. I originally joined in August of 2012. I became a moderator just a few months ago, starting my position on February 9th, 2014 (4 days after my birthday!)

2) What is your favorite part of Smashboards? What is your least favorite part?

My favorite part of Smashboards quite honestly is the community as a whole. I never thought Smash was this big prior to me joining, but I soon realized the series had such a huge following. However, most of my visiting on here is devoted to the Smash Bros Wii U and 3DS forums, not only because of my modding jurisdiction over that area, but because I am still an avid speculator.

3) Will you be getting Super Smash Bros. for Wii U or 3DS?

Easy. My answer is both. I plan on getting the 3DS version so that I can bridge the gap between that game and the Wii U. Both games look great at this point, so I'm really excited.

4) Who are your Mains in 64/Melee/Brawl? Who do you plan to main in Smash 4?

Up until Brawl, I always mained Mario because he was my favorite character ever. I played all the Mario games all the time. Honestly, I hadn't even touched Zelda before Brawl. I finally changed mains though in Brawl to Sonic (he was my most wanted), and then eventually to Snake. Snake being in Brawl kind of convinced me to start the Metal Gear Solid series, and I fell in love with it. I love how he plays, and the fact that he knows how to use those legs of his.

5) Who is your most wanted newcomer for Smash 4? More than one answer is ok.

I actually have a few different most wanted newcomers for Smash Wii U and 3DS. I'd like to see Shulk from Xenoblade Chronicles, and Palutena the most out of any new characters. I was a big supporter of Ridley, but based on the recent Smash Direct, I kind of abandoned hope. I'd also like to see Chrom from Fire Emblem: Awakening, and I'd like to see the return of Mewtwo.

6) What stages would you like to see included in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS? Past stages included?

This is a tough one, because I don't always think about stages. I guess I'd like to see Gaur Plains, or basically any pretty locale from Xenoblade Chronicles. I'd like to see a better stage for Fire Emblem, because while I liked Castle Siege in Brawl, it seemed like a generic castle more than anything else. I do like the stages so far in Wii U and 3DS.

As far as returning stages, Halberd is already back which is nice. There aren't too many stages I'm particularly rooting for to come back, but it would be nice to see any of them.

7) What would you like to see improved or expanded from Super Smash Bros. Brawl?

Gameplay. I actually liked Brawl's gameplay, but that mainly was because of the roster itself and all of the playstyles. Recently however, I've realized that the gameplay itself isn't all that great, and it's hard to land good combos with a lot of the roster. Plus it's really terribly balanced. Snake packs some massive beef in his legs, while Meta Knight needs to lay off the roids if you ask me.

8) What is your best/favorite Smash Bros. moment/memory?

Most of my Smash memories come from Brawl, as that's when I started playing it with most of my friends. Awhile ago, I played a one on one against my friend (with items) and we both played as Snake. It was a five stock match. He didn't hit me once. It was embarrassing. Every time he's over and we're playing, I'm sure to play the video of the match for everyone to see, and then laugh at him. A more recent memory would be a no items tournament I played with a group of friends. I went undefeated until the final round against my other friend who is pretty good. He went up 1-0 in a best out of three, but I called it comeback and won the tournament. There wasn't a prize, but the victory was sweet.

9) Where did your username come from?

Well, as unsurprising as this may be, I actually have Scoliosis. Scoliosis is the name for Curvature of the spine. My spine curves to about 49 degrees, which is just short of needing surgery. Because of how bad mine was, I had to wear a back brace for a few years in high school. One day, I was sitting in my study hall, and a buddy of mine broke the news to a few seniors behind me that I had a brace. I was a little embarrassed, and the one decided to call me "Scoliosis Jones". I actually thought it was a funny name, so I took it in stride.

As part of the origin/legend of Scoliosis Jones, I ended up getting myself a Buffalo Sabres jersey with "Jones" on the back, mainly because I named my Be A Pro NHL player after my great nickname. (I actually sported the best Save Percentage for 3 years straight in EA's NHL 09-11 for goalies worldwide)

10) While you may not have the Booker DeWitt avatar now, would you consider yourself a fan of series? Do you think there is anything that Nintendo could learn from games like Bioshock?

Absolutely. Bioshock has been a favorite of mine for years now, mainly because the storyline has a lot of depth to it. I know Infinite got a lot of flack for the gameplay, but I think people are too harsh when gameplay isn't expanded on. I thought it was great, and the story blew me away. There are...A LOT of things Nintendo could learn from Bioshock. While Bioshock is made primarily by 3rd party developers, it seems to me like the formula of gameplay reflects something Nintendo could come up with and make their own. It's about a guy who ventures in a foreign world, using super powers and guns.

Frankly, the vigors/plasmids would make for a really fun moveset in Smash Bros I think. Not to say I support Booker DeWitt for Smash Bros, but his abilities or something similar to them would be a great Smash Bros moveset.

However, I DO support Jennifer Lawrence for Smash Bros. Because she's Jennifer Lawrence. What's not to love?

11) If you add any impossible character to Super Smash Bros., who would it be?

If I'm being serious, Banjo-Kazooie would be my answer. They are Nintendo characters if I've ever seen a third party that would fit into Smash Bros like they would. They have the moveset potential, and they have the goofy antics and history of their series. Bring them back to me Nintendo! PLEASE!...Oh, and Jennifer Lawrence.

12) What store do you find yourself shopping/visiting most at? Why?

Well, I honestly don't do much shopping because I'm fairly cheap. But when I do go out shopping, I visit Gamestop mostly because gaming is my biggest hobby. I recently went there to play Mario Kart 8 (amazing game by the way), and I competed with a few friends for a poster they offered us. I won it because I win everything gaming related among my friends. (They tell me I should do competitive Smash, but I'm not so sure)

13) Please tell us one thing about yourself that we may not know?

I actually have a black belt in Isshin Ryu Karate. I haven't taken the classes in a few years because the owner was a beer bellied cheapskate. One other thing is that I only have one kidney. One kidney and scoliosis. A winning combination.

Thank you Scoliosis Jones for agreeing to an interview! Check back next week when we interview yet another member! Will it be you?​

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Stage Analysis - Mario Galaxy
Author: Mario & Sonic Guy

Introduction

If you enjoy the likes of outer space, and want to alter your battling experience, welcome to the Mario Galaxy stage. Mario Galaxy is the newest stage in the Wii U version of Smash 4, and it implements some elements that are exclusive to that very stage.

This article will cover the stage, its origins, and even the aesthetic materials that are in the stage.

Stage Overview

Mario Galaxy is a circular type of stage with a few platforms, a house, and even some trees and flowers. However, unlike with all the other stages, Mario Galaxy features a major element that can affect how players fight.

Because the match is fought on a circular planet, all players will be affected by its gravity, which can end up angling them differently. The gravity even goes far enough to affect projectile movement, as a projectile that normally travels straight will make a curved path instead.

The gravity can even go so far as to affect how fighters are sent flying, making them fly diagonally, instead of straight. However, it's currently unclear if fighters can be KO'd horizontally or not, but seeing as players don't get to see the lower portion of the planet, horizontal borders appear to be present.

In terms of aesthetic elements, the Starship Mario is present, with some Lumas and Lubba riding on it. Alongside the Starship Mario is one of Bowser's airships, which is also merely there for aesthetics.

Starshrooms also roam around the stage, but so far, it's hard to tell if they're occupied.

Stage Hazards

Mario Galaxy does not have any actual hazards that could damage fighters. The only main element is the stage's gravity.

However, the stage's gravity can also influence how the Assist Trophies and Poke Ball Pokemon will operate with their attacks.

Stage Teaser

Mario Galaxy first appeared as an early teaser for one of Kirby's screenshots. However, the background strongly references the Super Mario Galaxy titles, as it looked highly identical to what the Gateway Galaxy's background scenery looked like. The stage was later confirmed officially by Sakurai in one of his pic of the day screenshots.

Franchise Logo

As the stage's name would suggest, Mario Galaxy is a Mario franchise stage. The stage also serves as Rosalina's home stage, considering how it seemed to foreshadow her appearance in the game; Mario Galaxy was revealed before Rosalina.

Stage Origins

Mario Galaxy is strongly based on the Gateway Galaxy, which originated from Super Mario Galaxy. The stage's gravity was also inspired by the game play mechanics from Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, where Mario would be affected by each planet's gravitational pull. Now, while Mario Galaxy is based on the Gateway Galaxy, the stage's geography is different with its usage of trees, and with only one house being present.

Starshroom

The Starshrooms are a type of spaceship that were used by the Toad Brigade in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2. They were designed by the Lumas to enable the Toads to travel to the same galaxies as Mario, and Mario could even be pulled onto the ships by their gravitational pull.

Coincidentally, the Starshrooms look highly identical to the Starshroom that Rosalina used during her childhood. However, the Starshrooms that the Toad Brigade utilized were more advanced in detail.

Starship Mario

The Starship Mario originated from Super Mario Galaxy 2, and served as the game's hub, despite being much smaller than places like Peach's Castle, Delfino Plaza, and the Comet Observatory. Lubba lives on the ship, alongside some of his own Luma crew members, and he allows Mario to utilize the Starship Mario to travel to different galaxies.

Airship

The airship is one of Bowser's many different transportation options for his troops. While his airships first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3, they were also used in Bowser's plans to conquer the universe.

Bowser Jr. also utilized one of the airships to try to take down Mario. The airship's weaponry mostly focuses on the use of cannonballs, jet engines, and in some cases, Bullet Bills. Rocky Wrenches and Mecha-Koopas have also been known to ride on the airships as well.

Stage Legality

When people take into account stages that are friendly for competitive battles, they'll typically think of stages that are based on Battlefield and Final Destination. Unfortunately, Mario Galaxy's elements may end up making the stage be used only for casual play.

However, despite not normally being competitive-friendly, Mario Galaxy does have a Final Destination version, which does not utilize the modified gravity. As a result, the Final Destination version would be better suited for competitive matches.

Background Music Options
Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 offered a rather good amount of background music options that could be considered for the Mario Galaxy stage. This section merely covers the ones that seem best suited for the stage.

Comet Observatory
Franchise: Mario
Type: Remix
Origin: Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Wii U - 2014, Wii U
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXt5BdNgCL8
Note: The Smash Bros. Direct offered a brief preview of a remixed version of the Comet Observatory background music. A version of the music without the commentary does not exist at the moment.

Good Egg Galaxy
Franchise: Mario
Type: Original
Origin: Super Mario Galaxy - 2007, Wii
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy8Sn6DHIi0

Space Fantasy + Battlerock Galaxy
Franchise: Mario
Type: Original
Origin: Super Mario Galaxy - 2007, Wii
Link 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbsFA47wCeU
Link 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYhmHovdBxY

Gusty Garden Galaxy
Franchise: Mario
Type: Original
Origin: Super Mario Galaxy - 2007, Wii
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEIWhy-urqM

Bowser's Galaxy Reactor
Franchise: Mario
Type: Original
Origin: Super Mario Galaxy - 2007, Wii
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVZTMPLqNw8

Cloudy Court Galaxy
Franchise: Mario
Type: Original
Origin: Super Mario Galaxy 2 - 2010, Wii
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6d4lxw9FYM

Throwback Galaxy
Franchise: Mario
Type: Original
Origin: Super Mario Galaxy 2 - 2010, Wii
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVt61oE5BfE

Purple Coins
Franchise: Mario
Type: Original
Origin: Super Mario Galaxy 2 - 2010, Wii
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gadk8EFVUkI

Bowser Jr.'s Boomsday Machine
Franchise: Mario
Type: Original
Origin: Super Mario Galaxy 2 - 2010, Wii
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVHo6KVK5qg

Champion's Road
Franchise: Mario
Type: Original
Origin: Super Mario 3D World - 2013, Wii U
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-xjejirRi8

Extra Screenshots

The following are just additional screenshots for the Mario Galaxy stage.

Spoiler

Conclusions

Overall, Mario Galaxy is a nice new stage that attempts to add some extra diversity to the battles. The gravity elements for the stage are quite new, and can make matches much more interesting when playing for fun. Of course, the lack of the Comet Observatory does seem rather disappointing, but who's to say that another Mario Galaxy themed stage could be held there. Nevertheless, this stage is still quite good, and takes full advantage of the Wii U's capabilities.​

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

We Want YOU to Vote! Results

Gematsu/Sal Romano Leak: Real or Fake?​

Last week I polled readers on how they feel whether the heavily disputed Gematsu/Sal Romano Leak is real or fake. As a refresher, the Gematsu/Sal Romano Leak called for Mega Man, Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Mii, Pac-Man, and Little Mac to appear at E3 2013 prior to the event. As well all know, of those six, Mega Man, Villager, and Wii Fit Trainer were revealed. However, Little Mac was revealed in February during a Direct.

Just recently, prior to the Super Smash Bros. Direct last month, the leaker said that both Pac-Man and Mii will be coming along with Shulk from the Xenoblade series, Palutena from Kid Icarus, Chrom from Fire Emble, Chorus Men from the Rhythm Heaven game, and a Pokemon X and Y representative will be in the game. Later in the Direct, Gredninja was revealed as a newcomer for the Pokemon series.

This leak was become one of the most heavily discussed leak due to its accuracy and the fact that five of the predictions have turned out to be true (Mega Man, Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Little Mac, and Gredninja). Howeverm as some pointed out before, these could easily be seen as educated guesses or just mere "lucky guesses"...especially concerning Wii Fit Trainer and Villager.

There seems to be two teams that believe that either it is real or it is fake with a few in between. Let's look to the polls:

1. Yes, I think it is real.
   9 vote(s)
   19.1%
2. No, I think it's fake.
   10 vote(s)
   21.3%
3. I want it to be real.
   2 vote(s)
   4.3%
4. I want it to be fake.
   10 vote(s)
   21.3%
5. I have no opinion on the matter.
   6 vote(s)
   12.8%
6. I am ok if it is real or fake.
   9 vote(s)
   19.1%
7. Other
   1 vote(s)
   2.1%

Judging from the results we had our first first place tie with Yes, I think it's fake and I want it to be fake. They scored 1 votes total or 21.13% of the total votes. I think this speaks volumes in terms of how people are judging this leak. While it has many characters people want or expect, the possibility this might be the final roster has sent shockwaves into the community. Especially with the additions of Mii (a likely yet unpopular choice) and the Chorus Men (who would be interesting but extremely WTF out in left field choice).

Trailing behind with one point is yet another tie for second place Yes, I think it's real and I am ok if it is real or fake. It scored 9 votes each pr 19.1% total. The fact these two tied shows that the believer team is strong while others are more apathetic. They may enjoy the roster but they are happy either way. I would say this portrays the apathetic speculator who isn't too invested in leak and rumor discussion. Third place was given to I have no opinion on the matter which would show that at least the readers do not have a strong enough opinion on the subject or may simply not be too interested in it. They amounted to 6 votes or 12.8% total. Falling behind were those that voted for I want it to be real at fourth place at only 2 votes or 4.3%. I think this correctly portrays that while a large portion believe in the leak, many do wish it is not real or rather a fake. I imagine those who support any of these characters (especially the Chorus Men) may have voted for this, Finally, in last place was the Other option at 1 vote or 21%.

Here is what some readers had to say:

I think that the Gematsu leak is real...
I could care less about five of the characters remaining on the leak. However, I want it to be real for one reason and one character only; Shulk. It would make my day if he got confirmed for Smash.

Brawler610

As for the leak, people have discussed the first one to death already. Once we get Pac-Man and Mii confirmed, then we can say that the first leak was real. The second leak is kinda fishy, but if they get all the characters rights, then it's real.

Jumpman84

There's no feasible way that the Chorus Boys or whatever they are called will be playable. And if SOMEHOW the "leak" is true, I still hope it isn't, thus why I chose "I want it to be fake" instead of "I think it's fake".

RascaltheCharizard

I went with "I am ok if it is real or fake." As I have no real strong opinion on the whether or not it is real and don't really care either way either. I'm really not stressed over the roster and don't really care which new characters get in as long as they keep the quality they have been having so far.

mimgrim

I did "I have no opinion on the matter."
I really don't care if it's true or not.

dimensionsword64

As far as the Sal leak goes I'm pretty torn. Some I agree with and some I don't. Palutena is happening in some way shape or form, combining this with the still un-disproven leaked pictures I say she is 100% a lock, and it makes sense considering A. Sakurai recently revived Kid Icarus and B. They are pushing fairly heavily for more female inclusions this time around. Pac-Man is a sure fire inclusion as well. One of the biggest icons in video game history, as well as the fact that Namco gets special items where other third parties don't makes me think he's in for sure. Shulk could happen, representing a new series as well as being a popular pick both here and in Japan, I don't know the character well enough to want or not want him so I'm neutral there. The Mii would feel very redundant at this point. Not only do we have two avatar-esque characters already(Villager and WFT) but we also have customisable moves for all characters. If the Mii had been included with WFT not appearing and Villager being swapped for Tom Nook, I think the Mii would be much more appealing. Customization is kind of the Mii's thing though, and its already included without the Mii. The Mii is being pushed to the moon by Nintendo though, with two or three potential stages already, I can see it happening as well. Chorus Boys is just a bizzare thing, while it does seem like it could be right up Sakurai's alley, it just seems too out of place. Three full characters on the screen at once could be quite a hassle for the 3DS as well. On the whole, I suppose I'd be okay with it, but something feels off about it, like its missing something. Swapping out the Mii and Chorus Boys for another WTF character and one of the big three would make it much more appealing. Finally, there is no retro character, something Sakurai specifically hinted at for this game(unless Little Mac, Pac-Man or Megaman counts, but they were all active/revived before Sakurai got a hold of them.)

abrinx77

Judging from the polls, the leaks seem to draw a fair amount of negative criticism with many citing that they dislike the character choices or the possibility of it being the final roster. Still, there are those who like the idea of the leaks and believe it; either due to the earlier predictions. And there are some who simply have no opinion on the leaks and are simply waiting for the leaks to be proven or disproven.

To discuss the the leak, visit this thread:
http://smashboards.com/threads/the-official-thread-for-the-sal-romano-gematsu-leak.353570/

Which Characters do you think will appear at the Tournament and the SmashFest?

Which characters do you think will appear playable in the Super Smash Bros. Invitational and the Super Smash Bros. SmashFest? I am allowing for multiple choices.
​

1. 1. Mario
   2. Luigi
   3. Bowser
   4. Peach
   5. Rosalina and Luma
   6. Link
   7. Zelda
   8. Shiek
   9. Toon Link
      
   10. Kirby
   11. King Dedede
   12. Pikachu
   13. Charizard
   14. Lucario
   15. Gredninja
   16. Donkey Kong
   17. Diddy Kong
   18. Yoshi
   19. Samus
   20. Zero Suit Samus
   21. Marth
   22. Ike
       
   23. Pit
   24. Fox
   25. Pikmin and Olimar
       
   26. Sonic
   27. Mega Man
   28. Villager
   29. Little Mac
   30. Wii Fit Trainer
   31. The E3 Characters

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Misc Information/Requests
The WiR is a huge commitment for me. I typically spend anywhere from an hour to 5 hours of my day making sure the WiR is as good as it can be. But I do have a job that I constantly have to prepare and study for as long as taking online classes myself and studying Japanese to further my career. Not to mention I have a social life, a wife, and commitments that conflicts with the WiR.

Therefore, I depend A LOT on outside help. If you would like to help write a WiR, please contact me via Private Message and we can work out the details. If you have any idea or would like to contribute something different, I am open to ideas. For example, the veteran analysis was entirely @APC99’s idea. I could also use some help in finding quotes, watching threads, and proofreading. If you see some interesting posts that you think may help me in writing the WiR, simply quote it in a Private Message or quote/tag me in your post on that thread. That way, I am sure to read it and within its context.

Secondly, I want to open to three Requests I have for people. If you are interested in helping out, please put "____________ Submission" so I know what you are applying for.

PLEASE NOTE: We are in extreme need of a character analysis writer for Little Mac. Please see below...


Little Mac Newcomer Analysis

Are you planning on maining Mac? Was he one of your most wanted characters? Or are you interested in writing about him? I am looking for a capable writer to help cover the Little Mac analysis.

If you want to write up a analysis on Little Mac, hit me up on PM.​

Link

Link Veteran Analysis

Are you a Link main and want to try your hand at writing an analysis? Contact me and we can work out the details!​

Stage Analysis

Are you interested in writing about stages? Feel free to contact me and apply to write about a Stage Analysis!

Here is a list that you can choose from!

1. Spirit Train
Taken

2. Tomodachi Collection

3. Arena Ferox
Taken

4. Mario Galaxy
Taken

5. Windy Hill
Taken

6. Garden of Hope

Let me know if you are able to write an analysis for either one of these stages!​

 

[Pazzo.]

Great as always! Ike sure brought a little.. Fire back to the week!

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Ike was certainly the post-Direct, pre-E3 that was needed. I had a feeling we'd get a veteran reveal before June.

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

I wasn't expecting Ike though. Meta Knight or Wario perhaps, but Ike shocked me big time.

 

[mimgrim]

Hey!

I got mentioned, not once, but twice!

I haven't been referenced in a WiR, since the very first one xD.

As for the poll. Dang is that a hard one.

I honestly have no clue as to which characters might get in for invitational and demos. So, I selected every option!

 

[Deleted member]

Honestly, I expected Wario or no one next week. I was surprised by Ike's reveal, but I'm not surprised that he returned. I expected him to return to be honest.

 

[mimgrim]

I feel like this is taunt

It looks like his Dsmash to me.

 

[Jumpman84]

Hey, I was featured in the poll results for the second week in a row! My opinions are important!

This poll was a tricky one, as there are so many different ways it could go. I think we'll see Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Kirby, Fox, and Pikachu at minimum since they're the Perfect Attendance Crew. Marth, Pit, and Olimar I think will be there as the main characters of their franchises. I also think that we'll see Zelda, Sheik, Zero Suit Samus, and Charizard to demonstrate their new play styles without transformations. We'll probably see both Sonic and Mega Man for being third party characters. Rounding up my list are Rosalina and Luma, Villager, Little Mac, and Wii Fit Trainer for newcomers. And the E3 2014 announced characters will be included to build off the Smash hype.

 

[Ryan.]

I wasn't expecting Ike though. Meta Knight or Wario perhaps, but Ike shocked me big time.

Definitely unexpected for me as well, I figured one of the two you mentioned or Ice Climbers would come first. It was a pleasant surprise.

Great Week in Review as always!

 

[FalKoopa]

Ike's reveal was the best news for me in a long time.

 

[Pazzo.]

Ike's reveal was the best news for me in a long time.

Because of all the haters, or because of the shock? I literally wake up Friday, said to myself "More Filler, here I come", and Ike was looking back at me.

 

[FalKoopa]

Because of all the haters, or because of the shock? I literally wake up Friday, said to myself "More Filler, here I come", and Ike was looking back at me.

Haters.

I didn't have too much doubt about his chances.

 

[Jumpman84]

Haters.

I didn't have too much doubt about his chances.

I don't see why people thought Ike would get cut when Sakurai said that they would put in as many characters as they can and not cut characters out of the way back at E3. Or especially after Toon Link and Lucario were confirmed to return. It really made no sense. But he's back, so now we'll wait and see which character they claim will get cut now...

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

I don't see why people thought Ike would get cut when Sakurai said that they would put in as many characters as they can and not cut characters out of the way back at E3. Or especially after Toon Link and Lucario were confirmed to return. It really made no sense. But he's back, so now we'll wait and see which character they claim will get cut now...

To be fair, Squirtle and Ivysaur may be out of the picture with Charizard now being a standalone fighter.

 

[allison]

As for the poll, I voted for all the newcomers, since they're who people will want to play as. Apart from them, I had some protagonists of most of the veteran franchises.

 

[Jumpman84]

To be fair, Squirtle and Ivysaur may be out of the picture with Charizard now being a standalone fighter.

I doubt that we'll get any cuts at all, to be honest. But that's what I thought about Melee. Still, I'll believe it when I see it...

 

[dimensionsword64]

Yay! I was quoted for the poll!

For this poll, I voted every character that was shown at E3 2013 (plus Yoshi) and the newcomers.

 

[Rocket Raccoon]

@ Venus of the Desert Bloom , great read just like always but where did you find that Gestmastu picture?

YAY, I GET TO WRITE FOR TOMORROW! GIVE ME LUCK THAT SAKURAI GIVES ME SOMETHING GOOD!

 

[Pazzo.]

Boy oh boy, have we got a Week in Review coming... E3 is going to be fun for us.