From Street Fighter to SNK, Mortal Kombat to Tekken, Soul Calibur to Killer Instinct, and even other non-smash Platform Fighters like Rivals of Aether or Brawlhalla. There are a TON of popular fighting games out there as well as a plethora of underground fighters like BlazeBlue and Skull Girls.
The question is pretty straight forward. I know it's HIGHLY unlikely to be an addition EVER in Smash Ultimate, but what Character would you pull out of what franchise and why? If you could also include a custom moveset with an at least semi-in depth explanation, that would also be quite awesome.
I will have my pick listed below as an example, or for those who just want to know what my pick would be and why.
The question is pretty straight forward. I know it's HIGHLY unlikely to be an addition EVER in Smash Ultimate, but what Character would you pull out of what franchise and why? If you could also include a custom moveset with an at least semi-in depth explanation, that would also be quite awesome.
I will have my pick listed below as an example, or for those who just want to know what my pick would be and why.
Yes, I know, Akuma would inherently be called out as an "echo fighter" and would be "too similar" to Ryu or Ken. Let me just stop you right there and go through my favorite SF fighter of all time, who also happened to be my inherent main on every team in Marvel V Capcom.
Yes, it is true that Akuma shares the Haduken, Shoryuken and Tatsumaki Kick with Ryu and Ken, however, how they function and the tilt of power is incredibly different. Let's also not forget to mention that Akuma has a staple few other techniques that are not shared, we'll just use the most known in this case as an example. The Raging Demon attack. I'll go over each attack I would give him, how it would function as well as go over movement speeds, weight and fall speed, etc. We'll be ignoring all tilts, smash attacks, and aerials as we can just assume, the general Ken/Ryu staples would be included there.
Before getting into his Specials, and their descriptions, I'd like to note that I would apply a lightning effect as sweet spots on all his aerials and tilts that would increase hit stun by 1.1X but do not increase knock back. The question of balance is up for debate, but I consider it staple for his theme, and I also think that while it would help him combo with precise inputs, it also gives the opponent more time to react for proper survival DI at kill percents. I also think that in general, the tilts and aerials should be faster and deal more damage than Ken and Ryu, because they always have in SF games and other titles he has been featured in. That being said, let's move onto the Specials.
Neutral Special: Instead of being blue, it would be purple. It would have less damage and knockback than Kens and Ryus, but it also beats other projectiles and keeps going and happens to be slightly faster moving, just like Akumas Hadouken does in other fighters he's been in. In addition, to adapt to Akuma's style, unlike Ryu and Ken, when you use this attack in the air, it travels downward at an angle instead of going straight forward and you can perform a proper input to shoot 2 instead of 1.
Side Special: Akumas Tatsumaki kick should phase through projectiles like ken and Ryu, and should hit harder and be slightly faster, but travel much less distance than both Ken and Ryu. There isn't much else to say about this attack.
Up Special: Shoryuken by Akuma should travel about 3/4 the distance of Ken and Ryu but should also hit harder and come out slightly faster. The earlier the hitbox lands, the harder the attack hits.
Down Special: Raging Demon. This is the interesting difference that I would have to make be the thing that separates Ken/Ryu from Akuma. Raging Demon would honestly be his best move in how it would be applied. Raging Demon will always travel toward the opponent because like Ken and Ryu, Akuma would always face the opponent. There would be a maximum travel distance he could glide across the ground/air (less distance in the air), and he should be able to cancel the option by letting go of the input button. This attack does not beat out projectiles, but will allow him to pass right through them. In addition, you can cancel the move with a jump or shield to further its utility. By pressing the Special Attack Input Button during the initial glide of Raging Demon, you'll perform a command grab that will put the opponent on the ground and force a tech situation, kind of like Ganondorf. The applications of this move would be extremely interesting.
MOVEMENT & WEIGHT: Akuma is viewed as the faster Ken/Ryu clone who is more rushdown based and happens to be a glass cannon.... screw that, a glass BOMB. I think Akuma should stick to this nature of his. Akuma should be light, but not super light. He SHOULD die earlier than characters like Joker, but live longer than characters like Pichu. However, his knockback and damage output on general aerials and tilts would make up for this. His movement speed on the ground should be quite similar to Palutina but his air speed should stick to around Ryus air speed. Should also be a semi-fast faller.
Yes, it is true that Akuma shares the Haduken, Shoryuken and Tatsumaki Kick with Ryu and Ken, however, how they function and the tilt of power is incredibly different. Let's also not forget to mention that Akuma has a staple few other techniques that are not shared, we'll just use the most known in this case as an example. The Raging Demon attack. I'll go over each attack I would give him, how it would function as well as go over movement speeds, weight and fall speed, etc. We'll be ignoring all tilts, smash attacks, and aerials as we can just assume, the general Ken/Ryu staples would be included there.
Before getting into his Specials, and their descriptions, I'd like to note that I would apply a lightning effect as sweet spots on all his aerials and tilts that would increase hit stun by 1.1X but do not increase knock back. The question of balance is up for debate, but I consider it staple for his theme, and I also think that while it would help him combo with precise inputs, it also gives the opponent more time to react for proper survival DI at kill percents. I also think that in general, the tilts and aerials should be faster and deal more damage than Ken and Ryu, because they always have in SF games and other titles he has been featured in. That being said, let's move onto the Specials.
Neutral Special: Instead of being blue, it would be purple. It would have less damage and knockback than Kens and Ryus, but it also beats other projectiles and keeps going and happens to be slightly faster moving, just like Akumas Hadouken does in other fighters he's been in. In addition, to adapt to Akuma's style, unlike Ryu and Ken, when you use this attack in the air, it travels downward at an angle instead of going straight forward and you can perform a proper input to shoot 2 instead of 1.
Side Special: Akumas Tatsumaki kick should phase through projectiles like ken and Ryu, and should hit harder and be slightly faster, but travel much less distance than both Ken and Ryu. There isn't much else to say about this attack.
Up Special: Shoryuken by Akuma should travel about 3/4 the distance of Ken and Ryu but should also hit harder and come out slightly faster. The earlier the hitbox lands, the harder the attack hits.
Down Special: Raging Demon. This is the interesting difference that I would have to make be the thing that separates Ken/Ryu from Akuma. Raging Demon would honestly be his best move in how it would be applied. Raging Demon will always travel toward the opponent because like Ken and Ryu, Akuma would always face the opponent. There would be a maximum travel distance he could glide across the ground/air (less distance in the air), and he should be able to cancel the option by letting go of the input button. This attack does not beat out projectiles, but will allow him to pass right through them. In addition, you can cancel the move with a jump or shield to further its utility. By pressing the Special Attack Input Button during the initial glide of Raging Demon, you'll perform a command grab that will put the opponent on the ground and force a tech situation, kind of like Ganondorf. The applications of this move would be extremely interesting.
MOVEMENT & WEIGHT: Akuma is viewed as the faster Ken/Ryu clone who is more rushdown based and happens to be a glass cannon.... screw that, a glass BOMB. I think Akuma should stick to this nature of his. Akuma should be light, but not super light. He SHOULD die earlier than characters like Joker, but live longer than characters like Pichu. However, his knockback and damage output on general aerials and tilts would make up for this. His movement speed on the ground should be quite similar to Palutina but his air speed should stick to around Ryus air speed. Should also be a semi-fast faller.
Let me say this before anything, Nightmare and Cervantes are my favorite fighters of all time from any Fighting game. However, due to Nightmare being the more relevant character, I have chosen him over Cervantes for this.
Nightmare should be a semi-sluggish, heavy hitting mixup character, just like in Soul Caliber. I note the term 'semi-sluggish' being VERY important here. I would apply this to his general ground and air movement. He should run like Krool at best, and move in the air like Kirby. However, I would give him a few excellent frame data options in moves I will explain later, and he should fast fall like a rock, think of Fox fall speed here. I wouldn't say he'd be a super heavy, but he'd be on the heavier side.
Tilts and Smash Attacks would be general sword use. However, I'd give him his 2 frame punch from Soul Calibur 5 as his forward tilt that causes a knockdown tech situation, which would promise a followup with maybe his 2K move, which is a low kick, but doesn't cause much damage or knockback. I'd His general aerials should be sword use but his forward air should be his signature dropkick.
Onto his specials
Neutral Special: I think this should be his AGA sword swipe. It's a fast 4 frame attack with a straight shooting knockback but doesn't have much knockback growth. It's just a super quick get off me ground option.
Down Special: Nightmares Counter. In Soul Cal 4 and 5, he has a move that explodes in an aura, but if he is hit, it will either tank X amount of damage or reflect the move at the correct frames. His counter should work similarly in Smash. If he's hit at early frames, it will reflect the opponent and deal serious knockback or apply a damage multiplier, but if he is hit in the middle to late frames, he'll just tank the hit and explode in his aura.
Up Special: Upward aerial attacks don't really exist in Soul Cal for Nightmare, so I would just make one up on the fly. Let's just give him Clouds up special but it doesn't allow you to come back down with a hitbox, and if you hit at the apex, it will launch the opponent.
Side Special: A command grab, the signature choke grab that Nightmare has in Soul Cal. This command grab has no momentum in it kind of like Bowsers. It should also slam the opponent down and cause a meteor bounce if unteched so he can follow up on it.
Nightmare should be a semi-sluggish, heavy hitting mixup character, just like in Soul Caliber. I note the term 'semi-sluggish' being VERY important here. I would apply this to his general ground and air movement. He should run like Krool at best, and move in the air like Kirby. However, I would give him a few excellent frame data options in moves I will explain later, and he should fast fall like a rock, think of Fox fall speed here. I wouldn't say he'd be a super heavy, but he'd be on the heavier side.
Tilts and Smash Attacks would be general sword use. However, I'd give him his 2 frame punch from Soul Calibur 5 as his forward tilt that causes a knockdown tech situation, which would promise a followup with maybe his 2K move, which is a low kick, but doesn't cause much damage or knockback. I'd His general aerials should be sword use but his forward air should be his signature dropkick.
Onto his specials
Neutral Special: I think this should be his AGA sword swipe. It's a fast 4 frame attack with a straight shooting knockback but doesn't have much knockback growth. It's just a super quick get off me ground option.
Down Special: Nightmares Counter. In Soul Cal 4 and 5, he has a move that explodes in an aura, but if he is hit, it will either tank X amount of damage or reflect the move at the correct frames. His counter should work similarly in Smash. If he's hit at early frames, it will reflect the opponent and deal serious knockback or apply a damage multiplier, but if he is hit in the middle to late frames, he'll just tank the hit and explode in his aura.
Up Special: Upward aerial attacks don't really exist in Soul Cal for Nightmare, so I would just make one up on the fly. Let's just give him Clouds up special but it doesn't allow you to come back down with a hitbox, and if you hit at the apex, it will launch the opponent.
Side Special: A command grab, the signature choke grab that Nightmare has in Soul Cal. This command grab has no momentum in it kind of like Bowsers. It should also slam the opponent down and cause a meteor bounce if unteched so he can follow up on it.
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