Week in Review Issue #34

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

The Week in Review Edition #34
9/01-09/05

Banner by @ Venus of the Desert Bloom

Staff
Writers:
@ Venus of the Desert Bloom
@TumblrFamous
@---
@Opossum
@Mario_and_Sonic_Guy
@Frostwraith
@MaskO'Gears
@BigAxle
@Vegito2727

Editor:
@Aerodrome


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

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
Issue #19
Issue #20
Issue #21
Issue #22
E3 in Review
Issue #23
Issue #24
Issue #25
Issue #26
Issue #27
Issue #28
Issue #29
Issue #30
Issue #31
Issue #32
Issue #33
[/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: Yay! Riki! Our Heropon!
2.1 Day #1: An All-Star Update!
3.1 Day #3: 8 Times the Color, 8 Times the Fun
4.1 Day #4: Race to the Finish
5.1 Day #5: Games & More Games & More Games & More
6.1 Week Overview
7.1 Kalos Pokemon League Stage Analysis
11.1 Sakurai's Diary
12.1 Editorial of the Week
13.1 We Want YOU to Vote! Results
14.1 Help Wanted

Yay! Riki! Our Heropon!
9.01.14
Day #1: Monday
Writer: @TumblrFamous

After gracing the Smash roster on Friday, Shulk was expected to be shown again on Monday. Those who expected him were right on the money. But wait a minute. Shulk isn't even the main attraction to this picture, is he? Nope! Instead, we get the incredible, brave, Legendary Heropon Riki! Riki is officially confirmed as an Assist Trophy for the game!

"The legendary hero Riki appears as an Assist Trophy and in Shulk's Final Smash!! As an Assist Trophy, he uses many arts like Happy Happy, Freezinate, and Yoink! He sounds a bit like Tingle...but don't worry, Tingle will make an appearance too.

Riki was shown in the trailer for Shulk. Aside from being a part of Shulk's Final Smash, Chain Attack, he was shown to be out on the battlefield. It was unknown what he did, but many thought he could be a taunt, or a stage hazard. It was, however, assumed he was an Assist Trophy, so little surprise.

Riki is the sixth party member you acquire. In order to pay his debt (what did he get it for?) to his village, he was called the "Legendary Heropon", and was to aid Shulk and his friends in their travels.

He's a bit of a mixed bag, a "jack-of-all-trades", so to speak. He has extraordinary HP, and very good status moves. While not the strongest, he is an excellent party member.

So what can he use? Well, the moves in his arsenal (Freezinate, Yoink!, and Happy Happy) were explained in a Famitsu article published this week. According to the article, he can knock down, freeze, or put enemies to sleep. He also has the ability to heal you, but you need to be careful, because he'll heal anyone in his vicinity.

Freezinate, Yoink!, and Happy Happy Arts

Well, another major part of this update is that little icon. In order to make it easier to tell who is in control of which item, Assist Trophies and Pokeballs will have an icon over them with the player number. This will make it easy for people to know if they have to skedaddle or not.

Also, a little heads-up: Tingle was confirmed...officially. We saw him at E3, so no surprise there.

Player 1 over top of Riki.
o.O
Things got interesting.
If I can play as Heropon, I will scream.

@ThatWasPeachy

A weird shoutout to Tingle, but okay I guess.

@Wariofan1

"HEROPON BEAT ENEMY GOOD!"

Yay! Thought Riki was only part of the Final Smash at first. This is just what I wanted for a Xenoblade AT.

@Rebellious Treecko

Sakurai referenced Tingle. My life is complete.

Ahem, so dual roles are possible... I wonder what this means for other characters.

@FalKoopa
​

Things Confirmed for Monday:
1. Riki is an Assist Trophy.
2. To indicate which player has custody of the Assist Trophy/Pokeball, a cursor will appear over the item.​

An All-Star Update!
9.02.14
Day #2: Tuesday
Writer:@Venus of the Desert Bloom

​

Sakurai unveiled a time honored gameplay mode where players went through the roster and, with only three heart containers, fought against the ntire Smash Bros. cast. This mode makes its return to Smash Bros. but with a big change:

"Pic of the day. This time, you can challenge every fighter in All-Star Mode from the moment you turn on the game!! This is a survival battle with limited recovery items and no option to continue. However, this mode will be incomplete until you've unlocked every fighter... Until then, you can only play against characters that are already available. This is a picture of the bottom-screen menu, with a padlock indicating that the mode is still incomplete."

According to Sakurai, the mode will be unlocked from when you start the game but, unlike its previous incarnations, only characters that are on your roster will appear in this mode but, as you unlock more characters, they will be begin to appear.

Sakurai added yet another picture and comment:

​

"In these battles, multiple opponents appear in one stage, and you clear the battle by defeating a number of them. The rest area that appears between battles displays the next opponents and the year the characters made their first appearances, and it also holds recovery items and an occasional reward. The characters you fight against appear pretty much in chronological order. Behold, the history of Nintendo games!!"

In it's previous incarnations, characters were fought in blocks according to their franchises but Super Smash Bros. 4 takes a different approach and pits you against characters based on their initial appearance. This would make characters like Pac Man and potentially Mr. Game and Watch first and Greninja last. This seems to indicate a focus on preserving Nintendo's legacy and highlighting on its vast and rich history.

Here are what people had to say:

Ha, it's almost like Sakurai wanted to tell us the leak wasn't complete.

@LancerStaff

This is good news to a lot of people, actually.

@AkashicSword

I doubt the all star mode screen will update with each individual character we unlock. Maybe it'll completely change when we unlock all the characters and have the whole roster posing together

@Kirbybrawl

Funny how Pac-Man is present on that screenshot. Does this mean that some 3rd party characters are going to be starters?

@Mario_and_Sonic_Guy

The possible order of fights after Meta Knight: (Please note, I'm not sure if it's Japan only debuts, but that's what I'm going off of, Japan only.)
Mr. Game & Watch - 1980
Duck Hunt - 1984
R.O.B. - 1985
Dr. Mario - 1990
Wario - 1992
Ness - 1994
Pikachu, Charizard, Jigglypuff - 1996
Sheik, Ganondorf - 1998
Villager, Olimar - 2001
Toon Link, Bowser Jr. - 2002
Zero Suit Samus - 2004
Ike - 2005
Mii Fighter, Lucario - 2006
Wii Fit Trainer, Rosalina & Luma - 2007
Shulk - 2010
Lucina, Robin, Dark Pit- 2012
Greninja - 2013

It could be out of order, but I tried my best based on Japan's release dates. Also note, that only the years are in order, not the individual days that the characters appeared in.

@Shirma Akayaku

Things Confirmed for Tuesday:

1. All-Star Mode is unlocked from the start.
2. You will face characters based on first appearance chronologically.
3. As you unlock more characters, they will become available in All-Star Mode.
4. The padlock indicates that the mode is still incomplete.
5. Fairy Bottles replace Heart Containers.​

8 times the Colors, 8 times the Fun
9.03.14
Day #3: Wednesday
Writer:@Venus of the Desert Bloom

​

Wednesday was a huge delight to fans of costumes and palette swaps. Masahiro Sakurai confirmed that there will be 8 total palette swaps for each character. In prior games, certain characters like Samus had a total of 6 palette swaps in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Now, according to Sakurai, each character will have a total of 8. That means for characters with a limited number of palette swaps like Pikachu who only 4 will get an additional 4 more of new costumes and palette swaps. Sakurai had this to day on Wednesday:

Pic of the day. Until now, you were only able to choose from four, or sometimes five or six colors for each character. This time, though, all characters have eight colors to choose from! The first four color schemes for Samus are based off her Varia Suit, Fusion Suit, Gravity Suit from Super Metroid, and the Dark Suit.

He also added four more palette swaps for our dear Samus:

"…And here she is in the color schemes of the Gravity Suit from Metroid Prime, Green Samus (a regular in the Smash series), the Light Suit, and Dark Samus. A total of eight colors."

Sakurai also uploaded the rest of the Villager's costumes...

"You can choose between four male and four female Villagers to play with. The designs for their faces and clothes are different. And here are the four Villagers we haven't shown you yet."

Samus' palette swaps come from here various power suit upgrades in the Metroid series:

• Orange: Based on the Varia Suit and the Power Suit. No longer used as Samus's Red team costume, as the corresponding Zero Suit Samus (as default) is cyan. (Default, file 00)
• Blue: Based on the Fusion Suit from Metroid Fusion. (Blue Team color, file 03)
• Pink: Based on the appearance of the Varia Suit of the original Metroid when missiles are selected. (Red Team color, file 01)
• Brown: Based on the Dark Suit from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. (File 05)
• Purple: Based on the Gravity Suit as it appeared in Super Metroid and most games in the series since. The visor has the same coloration as the Gravity Suit has in Metroid Prime. The Gravity Suit costume was previously used as Samus' blue team color. (File 04)
• Green (Green Team color, file 02)

http://www.ssbwiki.com/Palette_swap_(SSBB)#Samus

In addition, Samus also has the Light Suit costume which was revealed a month or so ago and the never before seen Dark Samus costume. Dark Samus is an Assist Trophy for the Metroid series. While Dark Samus fans, like myself who were sad at her AT status, this is quite the surprise and I am really loving that design.

Also confirmed are the four additional costumes for the Villager:

The Lime Dress (Female)

4 Ball T-shirt (Male)

Blue Tie Dye Shirt (Male)

Rugby Shirt (female)
​

Most if not all of these alternate outfits for the Villager comes from Animal Crossing: City Folk. To view the rest of the faces in all of the Animal Crossing games, go here:

http://animalcrossing.wikia.com/wiki/Face_Styles_Guide​

Here are what some had to say about the PotD:

Holy **** that "Dark Samus" color. MMMMMMMM....

@Banjodorf

That female villager to the left will haunt my dreams forever.

@Wasoodle

so many colours but no actual alternate costumes for samus. how can a fan made hack do a better job with costumes then nintendo themselves

@AwesomeCauliflower68

Pretty cool. Always glad to have more colors.

Then again, I tend to stick to the default colors. I know all the characters from their original games so well that switching colors is a little weird for me.

There are some that work really well with color alts, though, like Mega Man and Villager. Really looking forward to seeing all the options we'll have.

@Nixon_Corral

8 colors, great!

Samus ranking:
1. Dark Samus
2. Light Suit
3. Fusion Suit
4. Varia Suit
5. Dark Suit
6. Gravity Suit
7. Pink Suit
8. Green Suit

@JUr

I thought it would be pretty hard to top the other Samus Alt update the other week.

I think my fangirling broke the sound barrier.

@IsmaR

Things Confirmed for Wednesday:​

1. Samus has a Dark Samus alt
There will be 8 palette swaps per character
Villager has four more alt outfits featuring two girls and two boys.

Race to the Finish
9.04.14
Day #5: Thursday
Writer: @ Venus of the Desert Bloom

​

With the Japanese release fast approaching, Sakurai showed off a little bit about Smash Run with a new mode within it that harkens back to the "Race to the Finish" of olde. Sakurai had this to say:

"Pic of the day. Here's one of the final battles in Smash Run, called "Run!" As you'd expect, it involves you dashing toward the finish line. In general, the fighters who are fast by default, equipped with speed-boosting equipment, and powered-up with speed boosts over the course of that Smash Run will have the advantage. However, speed isn't the only factor that will determine who will be victorious... "

It is possible that this takes place of the final Free-for-All after completing the 5 minutes in Smash Run. It involves players racing to a set finish line and fast characters such as Sonic, Fox, Sheik, Captain Falcon, Greninja, etc will have the obvious advantage; especially when powered up by speed power ups. However, Sakurai included two additional pictures and comments...

"Those red things in the picture are called danger zones, and if you touch one, you'll get penalized by respawning farther back in the stage!! The danger zones disappear after someone else touches them, so fighters following those in the lead will have an advantage. You can still find speed boosts throughout the stage, so it'll be a heated battle 'till the end!!"

This requires a bit of strategy to avoid these aptly named Danger Zones or even to try and knock other players into them in order to make them vanish. It truly makes this mode rather hazardous yet fun in trying to trick the other players in jumping into the Danger Zones while you yourself tries to avoid them.

"Here's another final battle called "Climb!" Obviously, those that can jump or fly higher will have the advantage, but they also have to avoid the danger zones!! It gets pretty challenging if you've boosted your speed too much, as well. Everyone really gets into this when playing multiplayer."

Along with Run!", this final battle was shown in the Nintendo 3DS Direct a few weeks back. Players must jump through various levels that are akin to Rumble Falls. In fact, the entire stage is reminiscent to the Donkey Kong series. This stage also has the dangerous Danger Zones that will cause players to go back a bit. The entire notion of being set back reminds me of the independent game Nidhogg (I would have loved to see a Smash-version of Nidhogg as a bonus mode).

​

Besides the final battle Free-for-All, there appears to be other versions of the Final Battle such as special brawls, fighting of hordes of enemies, and various other modes seen in the 3DS Direct.

Here are what people are saying:

"Run" kind of reminds me of Gourmet Race.

@Turmalinium

Hehe great, how many friendships ruined by Smash Run's fault??

Ganondorf has no problem, just spam DownB and perhaps you hit someone in the road...

@JUr

Can't wait to play Smash Run. A mode for you that won't make you bored even though playing by yourself.

@ mario123007

Even though I'm a bit tired of Smash Run news, this is a great update, and I love this new Run game! Loving Smash Run even more now.

@WwwWario

Things Confirmed for Thursday​

1. There are two new final abttles for Smash Run "Race!" and "Climb!"
2. In both modes, players will teleport further back if they touch a Danger Zone.​

Games & More Games & More Games & More
9.05.14​

Day #5: Friday
Writer: @BigAxle

Today's update was huge in details! Sakurai's POTD Triple Post detailed below...

Pic of the day. So what is this Games & More option in the menu? I assume that some people may use this mode the most.

This is what you see after you click on Games & More. There are many modes to choose from. There's the Options button, too.

​

Futhermore, this is what the screen looks like after you click on Solo. In the Stadium, you can find the Home-Run Contest, various Multi-Man Smash challenges, and Target Blast!

​

We got to take a small preview of the Games & More Menu. It appears that this menu packs things in quite deep! In the Games & More first menu, Options, Vault, Custom, Solo and Group are contained. From what we know, Solo contains Classic Mode, All-Star, Stadium (which contains Target Blast, Home-Run-Contest, and Multi-Man-Smash) and Training. It may seem crammed at first, it really does appear to work well. We haven't seen any details on Training, but it's safe to assume it's going to work the same as it has in previous games.

Group Mode is something new that hasn't been shown yet. However, we can make a few assumptions:
-It will include co-op versions of the Stadium, All-Star and other modes. (The Mii Fighter confirms that Multi-Man Smash is co-op again)
-It may include the Smash mode, unless Smash itself allows you to select wireless directly from there.

As for the Vault Mode, it's likely that this mode will include the Sound Test and the Trophies section at the least. These aren't big, groundbreaking news, but a few modes and menus have changed in positions since Brawl, so it's good to get reacquainted!

Menus menus menus..... All showing off things we already know about. Could this be another Filler Friday before a big announcement?

@M&Mavocado

I find the solo mode-map-thing pretty cool. Also, i hope that the events from melee and brawl can make it even in this game.

@NovaDS

At least now I know where to go for single player modes, haha. But it looks interesting that there might be a group "single player" mode, even though it shows multi-man in the picture, I don't think it will be just that. Maybe a duo classic mode? Or something else we don't know?

@Sqa$

Things Confirmed for Friday:

1. The Vault Mode will be retuning.
2. Custom Mode is in Games & More.
3. Training Mode will be returning.
4. Options is confirmed to be in the Games & More menu.
5. Multi-Man Smash is (most likely) a co-op wireless mode.

Overview:
Monday gave us details on a new Assist Trophy, Riki! The Heropon uses many arts to fight and is on both versions of the game. He's also part of Shulk's Final Smash!

THANKS FOR READING!!!​

​

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Kalos Pokemon League
By: @ Venus of the Desert Bloom

The Kalos Pokemon League is the final destination for a Pokemon trainers journey in the Kalos region. First appearing in Pokemon X/Y, the Kalos Pokemon League was ran by four Elite 4 members and a champion. Each room was decorated to match that Elite 4 member's type specialty. The player can challenge any Elite 4 member in any order but is unable to leave the Pokemon League until either all of his or her Pokemon faint or they defeat the Champion, leader of the Elite 4. Therefore, healing items are definitely a life saver when battling the Elite 4.

Exterior of the Kalos Pokemon League​

The Elite 4 members are as such:

1. Malva
The Blazing Chamber
Pokemon: Pyroar, Torkoal, Chandelure, and Talonflame
Type: Fire

2. Seibold
The Flood Chamber
Pokemon: Clawitzer, Gyrados, Starmie, Barbarcle
Type: Water

3. Wikstrom
The Ironworks Chamber
Pokemon: Klefki, Probopass, Scizor, Aegislash
Type: Steel

4. Drasna
The Dragonmark Chamber
Pokemon: Dragalge, Druddigon, Altaria, Noivern
Type: Dragon

5. Diantha
The Radiant Chamber
Pokemon: Hawlucha, Tyrantrum, Aurorus, Gourgeist, Goodra, Gardevoir
Type: None (Champion)​

Each Chamber holds an Elite 4 member and is decorated to match his or her typing. There is also a main section called the "Main Lobby". In addition, upon defeating the Elite 4 Champion, Diantha, the player and his/her Pokemon are inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Elite 4 can be challenged multiple times after the first victory. To view how the Kalos Pokemon League appeared in Pokemon X and Y, please watch this video:

Kalos Pokemon League and Super Smash Bros.

Despite being shown off in the Smash Bros. Direct back in April along with the reveal of Greninja and Charizard, director Masahiro Sakurai has yet to fully reveal the stage in a PotD. This is strange as the stage has appeared in many PotD and promotional pictures as well as videos yet there hasn't been any sort of confirmation to what this stage does or it's role in the games. It is confirmed, however, to appear only on the Wii U version and will represent the Pokemon franchise.

From what we have seen in video and pictures, the stage appears as a single floating platform with an intricate design. It will ascend to various levels within the Pokemon League in which it will enter into at least two of the Chambers but it will most likely go through all 4 or even the Radiant Chamber which belongs to the Champion. It is also confirmed that at some point of the stage, Pokemon will appear that have an affinity of that Chamber. Let's start off with the three that we know of:

Main Chamber

The Main Chamber is the center location of the Kalos Pokemon League. It is dimly lit with a beautiful blue hue with gorgeous stained glass windows, banners, and statues of Pokemon. It is quite the regal setting; especially for a Smash Bros. match. This is the main area where the player finds him/herself in and can access the other chambers. Graphically, the Smash Bros. version is much more grandeur and detailed. In addition, the illuminated circle on the floor is much larger in the Smash Bros. version and almost covers the entire length of the room where as the Pokemon version is more smaller. The stage appears to have edges as well as floating platforms as seen in the Palutena trailer though it isn't sure if they are permanent or static.

So far, it has appeared in many PotD and website images; the most of any chamber:

Dragonmark Chamber​

​

The Dragonmark Chamber has been the second most visible of all of the chambers with the Greninja\Charizard reveal showing much of this section. In addition, a good majority of the official pictures have been taken on this stage. It has a a grand yet dark design with dragon statues and motifs gracing the walls of the Chamber. It has a huge gigantic dragon in the center of the room and dominates most of it. In the Pokemon X and Y games, the dragon unfurls when the player enters in revealing the Elite 4 member Drasna.

​

Also located in the Dragonmark Chamber are two decorated pipes emitting some sort of smoke that resembles like dragon smoke. As seen in various gameplay videos, smoke does indeed rise up from the stage but is is unsure as to how this affects the game play. The general color of the stage is lavender and purple with a slight purple-blue hue. Unlike the Main Chamber, it is confirmed to have Pokemon appear in this stage. In the picture showing Meta Knight and Palutena Kirby are 4 Dragon-type Pokemon:

• Garchomp
• Hydreigon
  
• Axew
• Dragonite

It is interesting to note that none of these Dragon Pokemon are Generation 6 Pokemon nor apart of Drasna's team therefore it is entirely possible that these Pokemon are not the only ones that appear on the Dragonmark Chamber portion. It is also unknown if they will participate in the battle or, much like in Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2, just interact in the background. In this picture, it appears they are just standing still without doing much. Here are some other potential Dragon-type Pokemon:

• Druddigon
• Goomy
• Sliggoo
• Goodra
• Altaria
• Salamence
• Flygon
• Dragalge
• Noivern

As mentioned earlier, the Dragonmark Chamber has appeared in several photos:

Blazing Chamber

​

The Blazing Chamber has been shown in only one picture therefore not much is known about it. The Blazing Chamber is wreathed in fire and has an air of royalty and exceptional-ism. It is decorated with lavish banners and red carpeting. It even has a red royal throne where the Elite 4 member, Malva, waits while the trainer walks the long steps towards her. The chamber is decorated to shock a sense of awe into those who come. The windows create a red-orange glow accompanied with the glow of many fires.

Upon entering the dark chamber, the two furnaces in the center ignite and send a up a pillar of fire and the edges of the area ignite as well. This could potentially become a stage hazard but, judging from the Robin/Marth picture, this is not the case but we have yet to see a fully fleshed out version of this stage. While the Dragonmark Chamber showed four Dragon-type Pokemon, the Blazing Chamber did not. Here are some potential ideas for Pokemon that can potentially appear in this portion:

• Ninetales
• Arcanine
• Rapidash
• Cyndaquil
• Torkoal
• Magmortar
• Pansear
• Darmanitan*
• Heatmor
• Chimchar
• Pyroar
• Talonflame
• Houndoom
• Chandelure
• Volcarona

Now, the three other chambers have not yet been revealed so this will be entirely speculation...

Flooding Chamber

The Flooding Chamber is a blueish aqua chamber with flowing water and dropping raindrops. The entire color palette is blue hues with patches of white. Upon entering the stage, the two gears in the middle of the stage begin to turn via the chain and, in an instant, two geysers erupt in the chamber and floods it. Water cascades down the walls creating waterfalls with the blue stained glass windows behind.

Within Super Smash Bros., it is likely that upon entering this phase, the geysers will erupt causing the stage to begin to flood much like in Pokemon X and Y. Visually, the entire chamber is bathed in a blueish hue due to the water. The architecture is visible behind the cascading water. Water could be present on the stage or possibly pouring out of ducts on the edge of the stage making grabbing on a bit harder than usual. Pokemon wise, Water-type Pokemon would most likely appear on this stage. Here are a list of potential Pokemon:

Squirtle
Seel
Horsea
Totodile
Octillery
Mudkip
Clamperl
Floatzel
Panpour
Clawitzer
Tentacool
Slowpoke
Starmie
Gyarados
Mantine
Sharpedo
Gastrodon
Ducklett
Barbaracle

Ironworks Chamber

The other Elite 4 chamber that has yet to be shown. The Ironworks Chamber is dominated by greys, blues, and purples with a very block-like simple design. It seems envision the steel-like attitude of Wikstrom. The walls are lined with windows that give the sense of a castle with dark red banners and a purple stained glass window. In the center of the chamber are two massive swords can come crashing down into the holes that are shaped like sword hilts. When they turn, it causes the northern portion, which was previously a huge black of steel, to collapse revealing the Elite 4 member and his throne.

Within Super Smash Bros., it is likely that upon the Ironworks Chamber phase, the swords will activate the stage and possibly be stage hazards. However, the stage is fairly bland afterwards unlike the Blazing, Flooding, and Dragonmark Chambers so to keep things interesting, swords or steel blocks could fall down from the ceiling while in the background. In addition the edges could potentially have the walls you see in the above picture thus making it more difficult to get back to the stage. Seeing as how the chamber is centered on the Steel-type, Steel Pokemon can be present on this stage:

Klinklang
Skarmory
Mawile
Aggron
Bronzong
Aegislash
Klefki
Scizor
Bastiodon
Probopass
Excadrill
Durant

Radiant Chamber

​

The Radiant Chamber is a brightly-lit room with colorful banners and even more colorful floor. Light shines down onto the chamber in many hues and dust sparkles in the air. The architecture is white stone masonry with elegant designs. Along the sides are white lace drapery that flows in the wind. Overall, it is a stunning and awe-inspiring chamber that defers from the violent Blazing Chamber, stoic Ironworks Chamber, mysterious Dragonmark Chamber, and the rushing Flooding Chamber. This one is a chamber of beauty. perfection, and elegance.

With Super Smash Bros., it would be the last chamber visited if the Kalos Pokemon League would shift to various phases. In fact, there is a possibility this chamber would not be included in the stage. However, it is was to be included, it would be splendid indeed. The drapery would float in the background with the dust glittering in the air. There wouldn't be any sort of stage hazards but, possibly at times, the light from the windows could intensify which could obstruct vision for a time. It would be a rather calming chamber to fight in. Pokemon wise, it could feature Diantha's Pokemon:

Hawlucha
Tyrantrum
Aurorus
Gourgeist
Goodra
Gardevoir

Gardevoir may be an exception but who says there can't be two: one a pokeball and one as a background content?

Permanent vs Static​

There are two ways the Kalos Pokemon League could operate:

Permanent

Permanent would mean that every time the stage is picked, the chamber it is fought in doesn't change throughout the match. Upon picking the stage, one of the 5 stages in randomized and chosen by the computer. The stage does not change throughout the match and remains the same.

Pros

• There wouldn't be any surprises as opposed to a static version.
• Players can get to know each chamber more easier by playing a full match on it.
• Less confusion and chaos during the match

Cons

• Goes against the canon idea of the Pokemon League changing when entered.
• The computer choosing the stage at random may hurt the stage competitively.
• Not enough of a challenge.

It is a feasible way to incorporate this stage but it may leaves though who wish to see the other chambers a bit frustrated. As well, if players don't like a certain chamber, they are stuck with it for the rest of the match which can hurt people's chances at victory.

Static

Static would mean that the stage itself changes every so often ascending or descending into various chambers. Upon entering, the animation of the chamber would unfurl (such as Dragonmark Chamber's dragon statue opening its wings). While it may be more chaotic than the Permanent option, it would give a tour of the entirety of the Kalos Pokemon League and would be a good homage to it.

Pros

• Homage to the Kalos Pokemon League
• Offers different strategies compared to Permanent
• More variety

Cons

• Possibly banned competitively
  
• Too chaotic/random for some players
• Does not allow skills to show for players

I feel like a good majority of fans of both Super Smash Bros. and Pokemon feel that the Static option is more likely and would like to see it happen.

Music

It is possible that each Chamber may have it's own Battle Theme though this isn't present in the Pokemon X and Y game:

Main Chamber

Flooding Chamber

Blazing Chamber

Ironworks Chamber

Dragonmark Chamber

In Conclusion...​

Kalos Pokemon League is a stage that we have known for quite some time have yet to really heard or see anything about it which is quite surprising. It has loads of potential and looks to take over the previous Pokemon Stadium stages. It is confirmed to incorporate the Main Chamber, Dragonmark Chamber, and Blazing Chamber but it is unknown if it will incorporate the Flooding, Ironworks, and Radiant Chamber though it is possible that will incorporate at least the Elite 4 ones. It is also confirmed for at least the Dragonmark Chamber that Pokemon that are attributed to that typing will also appear but where or when isn't known yet. Also not known yet is whether the stage will be permanent or static. It looks to be a great stage that has a lot of potential and hopefully is something that Sakurai and his team really lets lose and has fun with it.

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

saved for Sakurai's diary

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

saved for editorial

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

We Want YOU to vote! Results!​

Do You have a Japanese 3DS and will you be purchasing Super Smash Bros. for 3DS?​

With the Japanese release just a week away, some users have specifically bought or imported a Japanese 3DS in order to purchase or download the game. While some users are importing it from overseas and downloading it, other users actually live in Japan and will be purchasing a hard copy of it. That being said, the WiR polled readers whether they will be getting or have a Japanese 3DS and a Japanese version of the game:

Do you have a Japanese 3DS and will you be purchasing the 3DS version?

1. Yes, I will.
   4 vote(s)
   10.8%
2. No, I won't.
   33 vote(s)
   89.2%

As I thought, overwhelmingly number of people said "No, I don't" while only four said they will. This was more so for me to see of those who read the WiR will be getting the Japanese 3DS. These type of people will be in high demand for when the game comes out so it's important to see what they think of the initial game. To learn what the Japanese 3DS'ers find out, check out the Super Smash Bros. 3DS Japanese Release Information Thread!

We want YOU to vote!

How satisfied are you with the current game prior to release?
​

With the release of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS fast approaching, we should reflect this past year. Some people joined the speculation just this past week, others in the Spring, and other's last year. Some have been speculating since it was announced at E3 2012 and others were still speculating about it after Brawl was released. It has been one wild and fun ride but the release of the game means the end of speculation and the start of meta game and character discussion. It is rather bittersweet for those who enjoyed the speculation part and those interested in the meta game are waiting anxiously. That being said, how satisfied are you with the current game? We have seen the full release of it minus unlockable content in the form of the Full Release Demo Event in Japan with information provided by Zipzo. With the Japanese release less than 5 days away and the Western release less than a month, we are nearing the speculation time for the 3DS version. How satisfied are you from what you can see?

1. I am immensely satisfied. All of my wanted characters, stages, and content are in!
2. I am fairly satisfied. Missing some of what I wanted but I am happy with the game
3. I am satisfied but I have a few complaints.
4. I am not satisfied with the current game but I can live with it.
5. I am missing a few of my most wanted characters and content so I am not really satisfied.
6. I am extremely unsatisfied with this game. It has none of the characters or content I wanted.
7. I am unable to make a decision on how satisfied I am until I can play the game myself.

 

[Venus of the Desert Bloom]

Notice
​

While this won't be the last issue of the Week in Review, I will have to take some time off from it to focus on the Japanese 3DS release thread; something that has eaten a good portion of my time. However, more pressing is that I will be traveling back to the States next Monday to start my wedding preparations. The ceremony is on the 21st of this month so I won't have much time to dedicate myself to writing for the WiR and updating the Japanese release thread as well as attending to my wedding plans. That being said, the current future of the WiR is currently in the air though some of the WiR staff members will likely take care of the next issue.

 

[mario123007]

The last "Week in Review"before the release.
LOL, comment in!

As I thought, overwhelmingly number of people said "No, I don't" while only four said they will.

That's me

However, more pressing is that I will be traveling back to the States next Monday to start my wedding preparations.

Good luck!

 

[KaZe_DaRKWIND]

I'm happy with the game but I miss Ice Climbers. Dark Samus Alt is cool though.

 

[mario123007]

I'm happy with the game but I miss Ice Climbers. Dark Samus Alt is cool though.

Me too....

 

[Raijinken]

Such a short time until all becomes known via Japan. Except a voice language option. Gonna have to wait on NoA before that's verified or not.

Looking forward to it all, even if Lucas is out.

 

[allison]

I'm fairly satisfied. The game looks really awesome, except for a distinct lack of space dragon...

For now I'm hoping the leak wasn't complete.