#I hope that when the mario anniversary finally ends they will do more zelda stuff

[ellenent]

new Peach outfit!!

[yopalonso]

Arle Nadja for Smash Bros.!

THERE’S A PART TWO NOW!

Ever since the introduction of the concept of a Smash Bros. Ballot, I’ve always been an advocate of three choices for Smash DLC: Bandana Waddle Dee from the Kirby series, Sora from Kingdom Hearts, and Arle Nadja from the Puyo Puyo games. Today, I’ll use every effort to make a moveset for the one and only Arle Nadja. Now, allow me to daydream a little bit and think of how my favorite female protagonist ever could be included in my favorite crossover fighting series of all time.

This will encompass mostly her whole moveset, and we will draw inspiration from the whole series. Yes, the whole series. Whenever the “Works like” part details another move, that’s only so that the motion of the attack can make sense in your head. Buckle up, because this will be a long read. Hope you’ll stick ‘till the end...! But before that, we need to address something else.

いっきまーす ！

Número 0: Archetype, movement, and... To Puyo, or not to Puyo?

People are quick to say that Zelda fits the Magical Girl archetype in Smash Bros., I assure you that. I don’t think so. Despite her using magic on her moves, she’s not quite representative of the more happy type of magical girl that Arle fits in best.

In terms of how she would move on the field, well, she would be average. To put it simply, she would be below Mario in terms of movement speed and jump height. Having her as a floaty type wouldn’t suit her that much, considering she’s pretty quick and snarky. But she can’t be a fastfaller either, c’mon, she’s not that fast. Besides, having her this way works greatly to introduce her as a not-so-complicated fighter, well-balanced and all that.

Arle, in terms of raw power is quite capable. But her base level cannot be overpowered. In fact, she could be a character type that depends fully on comboing to unleash her full strength, because at base level, she could work like base Joker: capable, yet feeble and not too powerful. #foreshadowing

Now, whenever people think of Arle, most will be quick to draw a link to the puzzle series Puyo Puyo, which is absolutely normal. So, when people try to come up with a moveset for her, more often than not they come up with a mechanic that involves either chaining or pelting Puyos into the field. I’m gonna do without. Not because I couldn’t come up with one, but because it wouldn’t feel natural. It would come up as a nuisance to include a gimmick like this one in her moveset. Plus, I think we can do better by creating a mix of her appearances in both Puyo AND Madou without having to sacrifice one for the other. WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY:

Número 1: Her Neutrals, Tilts, Smash Attacks and Aerials.

Jab: Fighter Arle’s Punch and Kick (Puyo Puyo Quest).

Works like: Mario / Luigi / Dr. Mario (jab 2 & 3)

First a punch, then a flipkick. A swift movement, fit for her.

Side Tilt: Finger-pointing (Puyo Puyo Fever era).

Works like: Original

You know this pose. A trademark of her appearances in the modern Puyo Puyo games. Not fast on motion, but could pack a punch.

Up Tilt: Thunder [サンダー] (Puyo Puyo Fever).

Works like: Ness (up tilt)

Some lightning! Inspired by the way she uses Heaven’s Ray in Fever 2, she would raise her arms, unleashing small lightning bolts on the way up.

Down Tilt: Judgement (bomb) (Madou Monogatari I Mega Drive).

Works like: Villager (down tilt)

A small bomb item that explodes in a spark instantly in front of her. No way we’re letting her use such explosives in the game, oh no.

Dash Attack: Escape dash (Madou Monogatari: Saturn).

Works like: Wario (dash attack)

Make way! A straightforward tackle attack. No one will know you were running away.

Forward Smash: Fireball (Blast) (Madou Monogatari: Final Exam).

Works like: Mario / Dr. Mario (forward Smash, attack), Zelda (forward Smash, motion)

Wind up, then unleash one explosive blast!

Up Smash: Judgement [ジュゲム] (Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary).

Works like: Original

Charge up, then unleash a barrage of ascending shocks that end up in one big explosion. The bursts come from the sides, something that hasn’t been seen yet in Smash.

Down Smash: Mind Blast [ブレインダムド] (Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary).

Works like: Original

Low on damage, good for shield damage. A wavy spell that wouldn’t deal much knockback. A confusing Smash attack that’s bound to leave some puzzled.

Neutral Air: Counter [リバイア] (Puyo Puyo Chronicles)

Works like: King K. Rool (N-Air)

A quick aerial hit with a special barrier-like effect. Don’t worry, this is not a counter. It’s only to push your foes away.

Forward Air: Fireball (downwards motion) (Puyo Puyo Fever Chuu!)

Works like: Peach / Daisy (F-Air)

A quick fling of her hand forward in mid-air. Could also have a burning effect, who knows!

Back Air: Ice Storm (wave motion) (Puyo Puyo Tetris)

Works like: Corrin (B-Air, no impulse)

A wide motion, unleashing a light wave of ice. Not strong and can’t freeze, but could be a multi-hit.

Up Air: Ruipanko [るいぱんこ] (Puyo Puyo~n)

Works like: King K. Rool (U-Air, no impulse)

A motion up, then a small, quick barrier that hits opponents from below. The barrier can protect you from incoming attacks from above. Could be used as a juggling tool!

Down Air: Guest move: Tempest [アクティーナ] (Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary)

Works like: Zelda (D-Air)

Borrowing a move from one of her friends, it’s Amitie’s Tempest attack. A big spark at the bottom that spikes opponents.

Número 2: Throws, Special Attacks and Final Smash.

Forward Throw: Y E E T (Madou Monogatari: Saturn)

Works like: Mario / Dr. Mario / Luigi (forward throw)

Imagine that you’re that spell that’s flying across the screen. Yep, a heavy throw forwards.

Back Throw: Bayoen (motion) (Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary)

Works like: Donkey Kong (back throw)

With a smile and a gleamy face, she flings her foe backwards. The attack could also feature Carbuncle attacking with a laser beam, who knows.

Up Throw: Heaven’s Ray [ヘブンレイ] (Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary)

Works like: Original

A toss up with a blast of light that could potentially damage others in the vicinity or above the blast.

Down Throw: Guest move: Algorithm [インテグラル] (Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary)

Works like: Original

Borrowing another move, this time, from Ringo: She would use Carbuncle as a book to slam her foe down! Eh? Nah, don’t worry about the little guy, I’m sure he’s OK.

Neutral Special: Fireball [ファイヤー] (Madou Monogatari: Saturn)

Works like: Plasma Breath (Ridley, wavy motion), Bomb (Young Link, explosive effect, knockback)

This one is the real deal, her trademark spell, Fireball! Pelt one good fireball that explodes on contact. Enemies that get hit by it won’t fly too far, but no one will ever be able to remove the burn. Plus, its wavy pattern makes it hard to avoid.

Side Special: Ice Storm [アイスストーム] (Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary)

Works like: Poison Breath (Piranha Plant, chargeable side-B), Blizzard (Ice Climbers, freezing effect)

Charge up, store, then on command, unleash a wave of icicle sparks that, when fully charged, can freeze you up! Low charges will disappear right away, while a full charge will take longer to dither. A nice tool for edgeguarding when fully charged (I’m getting way ahead of myself, ain’t I).

Up Special: Mind Blast Yo~n [ブレインダムド] (Puyo Puyo~n)

Works like: Thrust Uppercut (Mii Brawler, multihit), Air Slash (Shulk, second, wider hit)

A move that ascends, hits multiple times, then finishes off with a wide attack. That’s another way to use Mind Blast, wouldn’t you know! And, just like the down Smash variation, the first hit will deal big shield damage to shielding opponents.

Down Special: Diacute [ダイアキュート] (Madou Monogatari series)

Works like: Original

Her to-go mechanic and a power-up move, now that’s interesting. Most of them need you to get hit, but not this one. When used, it boosts up your next attack and ONLY your next attack (throws not included). Diacute acts as a chain starter. If your attack lands, you’ll start a chain!

Every succeeding attack you connect (throws not included) increases your chain. You start with a 1.1x increase with the first charge, and with every successfully connected attack, Arle’s power will raise by 0.05 more, to a max. of 1.5x in damage and knockback by chain 7 onwards. But with every connected attack, the time you have to connect the next hit decreases. And if you miss your attack, time runs out, or you get hit during your chain, it’s back to zero. If you need more time, you can use Diacute for a slight time refill, but its effect will be less effective the more you use it.

Final Smash: Bayoen [ばよえ～ん]

Truly, it can’t be any other move, and this one needs no introduction. A wave of H A P P Y that hits around Arle, transporting the unlucky into a field where they’re pelted with all sorts of things, from flowers, to toys, to Nuisance Puyo, even, blasting them away once all is over. Diacute charges do not power up Bayoen though.

Número 3: Aesthetic, colors and other nifty stuff.

Not covered earlier, her defense stances! Most of these are borrowed from Madou: Saturn. From top to bottom, left to right: spot dodge, roll (a sliding dodge), shield, parry, shield-break and air dodge. All taken from animations in her games.

How about, one good UI mockup now? Well, check it out! Her Chain (or Rensa) counter would appear whenever you’d connect combos with Diacute, as displayed before.

EDITOR’S NOTE MAJOR, MAJOR THANKS TO KAITE AGAIN BECAUSE IT’S THANKS TO KAITE THAT I CAN SAY Here’s her alternate colors! Inspired by Olimar and Lucina, every color references another Puyo Puyo character. Some well known, some obscure, and some that are definitely for the fans. Also, I wouldn’t go out and just make colors out of the colors of the Puyo, that’s ridiculous. (by the way I would totally play as green Ally Arle because would you just look at her)

Her design? It could be her Puyo Puyo Champions look, given the fact that it’s the one with the better proportions and the more standard design. However, I was suggested that her appearance could borrow elements from her Puyo Puyo!! Quest design, as it feels like a fusion of almost every Arle design ever. In my opinion, both would work just fine, but one of them has more flair than the other, you know?

And, yes, of course she would wear modesty shorts.

Her voice? The talented Mie Sonozaki for her Japanese version, and the awesome Erica Mendez for the overseas one.

Número 4: Reasons, special thanks and resources used.

If you made it this far, congratulations! I did this to not only release a weight from my soul, but to also partake in the creation of potential movesets. Every time I heard people say Arle wasn’t worthy of joining the fray, I knew I could find a way to include her vast story into a moveset that worked. Is this moveset perfect? Hell, no. It does reference plenty of Arle’s history, yes. But I think that with some good tweaks here and there, it could become something incredible, yes yes.

If this potential moveset sparked your interest, Celerity910 (on Discord) hooked up a pretty nice server to show support for Arle for Smash Bros., and I highly suggest you all to join in if you liked the concept I crafted! I’m pretty sure others have come up with other movesets, so it would be nice to see and compare.

Special thanks to my good Discord friend Kaite20 for helping me crank up this moveset. I couldn’t have done it without you checking and suggesting ideas for it (and also answering back when I needed help the most, you rock). Also, thanks to Marigio300X and TheSpatialWeeg for taking a look at the script before I eventually decided to just slap this here instead. You all were a tremendous help. Special thanks also to the people of Discord at Puyo Meet ‘N Greet, the English Puyo Puyo Community, and the lovely folks at The Edge of Forever for their support.

As for the resources I used for this post:

Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary (2007, PSP) - 02 of 22: Arle / アルル [720p60]

Puyo Puyo Tetris English Dub - All Spells (Normal + Alternate Voice)

Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary - All Characters' Spells ( With Subtitles)

Puyo Puyo Fever 2 - Arle Heaven Ray

Madou Monogatari Saturn: Arle Techniques

Madou Monogatari: Final Exam - Part 1 - Floors 1, 2 and 3

Sega Genesis / Mega Drive-Longplay-Madou Monogatari I (J)

Puyo Puyo Chronicle - Animation Montage (Main 24 Characters)

All Default Character Spells - Puyo Puyo 4 (ぷよぷよ〜ん) (Dreamcast)

Puyo Puyo Fever 2 Amitie VS Arle

Arle stock icon by Rafael Mauna (link to his Twitter profile)

Puyo Music, Voice, and Texture Rips on Puyo Nexus

And, of course, FreeGifMaker

Random tip of the day: try not to pop 4 Puyos, who knows what’ll happen. You could get warped to another dimension, or to your bathroom. No one is certain.

©SEGA. 2019.

[beardycarrot]

Nintendo E3 Hopes and Dreams

It’s probably dumb to actually hope for...anything, BUT HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS DAMNIT. Nintendo will have a twenty-five minute video spotlight, presumably showing off trailers for new games, while Treehouse Live will be going more in-depth with gameplay.

Nintendo’s big game this year is Super Mario Odyssey, which will be playable on the show floor, with Treehouse Live probably showing off some levels not available to the public. This is pretty much all we know for sure; anything else is just speculation (and wild hopes) on my part.

No Arms

Rebel that I am, I decided to start my list of things I want to see with something that I don’t want to see. Arms is coming out just three days after Nintendo’s presentation, and the reviews are already in. Anyone attending the event who would be likely to put out good press has already reviewed the game, so there’s not much point in making it playable on the show floor. I can see Treehouse Live dedicating a few minutes to showing off the game and maybe teasing some of the free DLC that will be coming out, but I really hope that’s the only focus this game gets. The spotlight video is only twenty-five minutes long, so they’d better not waste time on Arms.

Kid Icarus: Downfall

That title is completely made up, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a sequel to Kid Icarus: Uprising. Sakurai is working on a new game, which probably isn’t just the Switch port of SSB4. I can totally see Sora and Platinum collaborating on a new Kid Icarus game for Switch. Maybe this time with an option to keep in the Japanese voice acting? It’s a crying shame to dub over Minami Takayama.

Mo’ Like NOkémon

Yeah, I, uh... I don’t want to see any of the stuff from this week’s Pokemon Direct in the Nintendo spotlight. That trailer for Pokken Tournament was great and really showed off the potential of the Switch, but it’s a game everyone expected to see a Switch port, and we already know everything important about it for the time being. I’m okay with Treehouse showing off some of the new content, but I don’t want it in the spotlight. Same with Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon. A trailer wouldn’t be useful to us at this point, so just show some gameplay during Treehouse Live and explain what the game is there. Speaking of Pokemon, I hope that we’ll finally see an English release for Detective Pikachu, though I don’t know whether that’s really worthy of showing during the spotlight.

Golden Sun 4

This is a long shot, but a friend recently reminded me of the cliffhanger ending to Golden Sun: Dark Dawn. Unfortunately, that game wasn’t great, and didn’t sell well, so it’s entirely possible that nothing will come of the sequel bating. Which sucks, because the first two games in the series were fantastic. Since Dark Dawn, Nintendo’s just had Camelot working on bland Mario Sports titles... but with the latest one, Mario Sports Superstars, they’ve finally brought all the Mario Sports games (...and... horse racing) together into one package! They had the team from Namco that worked on Mario Super Sluggers helping out, so maybe the extra man power meant they were able to divert some resources towards a new Golden Sun pitch? I mean, with five sports games in one coming out just a few months ago, there’s no need to release another in the near future, so that totally opens them up their schedule, right? Right? Please, Nintendo, even just a teaser image showing silhouettes of the four Djinn types will do. PLEASE?

Retro Studios 2D Metroid

I know what Nintendo was trying to do with Metroid Prime: Federation Force. They knew that there was a big market for online gaming, and Splatoon’s unexpectedly huge success encouraged them to push ahead. Tri Force Heroes was... less, of a success, but people clearly liked online play and were clamoring for a new Metroid game, so it seemed like a perfect fit. Unfortunately, this is one of the few instances where Nintendo’s “develop a gameplay concept and then choose a Nintendo franchise to use it in” approach didn’t work. People seem to thing that Nintendo doesn’t care about the Metroid series, having done nothing special for its thirtieth anniversary... but bear in mind, Federation Force DID come out during the anniversary month. It just... would’ve been nice if they’d actually acknowledged it. ANYWAY, while Metroid isn’t nearly as popular in Japan as it is in the US, Nintendo DOES care about the series; it’s their only franchise in the Metroidvania genre, and it’s bad business to leave a market untapped.

All that said, Retro Studios has been quiet since Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze came out three years ago. They apparently didn’t like working with Kensuke Tanabe, and his role as a producer on Retro games and point of contact with Nintendo was supposedly filled by Yoshio Sakamoto, the director of the Metroid series. Considering Retro’s history with Metroid and their recent foray into 2D platforming with the Donkey Kong Country games, with or without Sakamoto, their secret project definitely feels like it must be a 2D Metroid game. When they finished working on DKC:TF coincides with when Nintendo should’ve started really thinking about the next Metroid game, and the silence on both the Retro and Metroid fronts is telling. It’s gotta be time to reveal what Retro’s been working on, and all signs point to it being Metroid... and a 2D one, I hope.

Zelda Maker

Somehow, it’s been over a year and a half since Tri Force Heroes, and three and a half since A Link Between Worlds. That’s not too soon for them to be far enough into the next handheld Zelda to at least tease it, right? Tri Force Heroes was barely even a game! Okay, maybe it’s too early for the next main series Zelda game, but they could definitely show Zelda Maker. It would need a lot more variation in visual styles than Mario Maker so that every dungeon doesn’t look exactly the same, and a ton of items and interactive elements so that people can make original puzzles, but I think it can be done. Realistically, I don’t think Zelda Maker is likely to happen... but this isn’t a “realistic expectations” list, it’s a HOPE AND DREAMS list!

Ice Climber. Wait, what?

This is completely out of left field, but... new Ice Climber? Nobody’s asking for it, nobody wants it, but I think they could do something with it on Switch. Y’know, a competitive co-op mode to make use of the Joycons? There are plenty of developers this could’ve gone to... Next Level, Sora... maybe a even Namco or Capcom? This game is probably never happening, but if it ever does, I can see it as a Switch eShop title.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

A Mario/Raving Rabbids crossover RPG was rumored months ago, and while there wasn’t really anything to support it, it seemed too weird of a concept for someone to just start a rumor about. Then, a few weeks ago, what appear to be internal materials from Ubisoft regarding the game were leaked... and then the Brazilian ratings board issued a rating for the game, pretty much confirming it. It’s unfortunate that all this was leaked, as this game was probably going to be one of Nintendo’s big reveals at E3. I don’t imagine the leak will impact their plans that much, so this will probably take up a good portion of the spotlight.

Fire Emblem Warriors

Nintendo’s been all about the Fire Emblem lately, and while I don’t expect any details on the next major game in the series, Fire Emblem Warriors is supposed to be coming out sometime this year. The reveal trailer told people pretty much everything they need to know, but I expect it to show up in Treehouse Live, and at the very least in a sizzle reel during the spotlight. Assuming the only sizzle reel isn’t indie developers, which it might be.

Animal Crossing Something-Or-Other

Switch is a great console for Animal Crossing, and I’m excited to see what they do with it. They’ve already announced some kind of mobile Animal Crossing game, which is another perfect platform for the series (assuming it’s not some weird Animal Crossing-themed puzzle game or something). If Katsuya Eguchi’s been working on the mobile game he probably hasn’t had time to work on one for Switch in addition to everything else he’s been involved with... buuut, if they originally started development on Wii U, the game could be close to release by now. Either way, I’m hoping to see something Animal Crossing in the spotlight.

amiibo-Centric Games

I love amiibo, but I’d like to see more games (other than the ones they’re made for) that use them. amiibo Tap is basically just demos of NES and SNES games, and I don’t know anyone who played that Mario vs DK-type game that uses amiibo. The best use of amiibo I’ve seen is in Super Mario Maker, where scanning an amiibo unlocks that character as a skin, and Breath of the Wild, where every amiibo gives you random materials (and Zelda ones give you special items). Codename STEAM also has playable Fire Emblem characters unlocked via amiibo of those characters, which is... random as hell, but still pretty cool. I want Nintendo to put out some games that make use of amiibo in a cool way, something like Skylanders or Disney Infinity.

Switch VR

I’m not all that interested in VR... at least, not as it currently stands. The Switch, however, seems to have been designed with VR in mind. Sure, the main appeal is that it’s a home console that you can take on the go and even has portable multiplayer... but it could also easily become a portable VR system as well. I mean, the unit is a screen with two detachable motion controllers; all they need to do is release a headset to mount it in. I think the screen on the Switch may be kind of a low resolution to use for VR, but it’s definitely a much more attractive solution than other platforms that do VR and nothing but.

Monster Hunter XX

I’ve been waiting for another console Monster Hunter game, and it’s finally coming to Switch with Monster Hunter XX! Currently it’s only announced for Japan, but the series is also incredibly popular in North America, so I’m sure we’ll get it. C’mon, Capcom, give us a date! Also, while you’re at it, work things out with Arthur Conan Doyle’s family (or just ignore them, they have no legal claim to early Sherlock Holmes stuff) and release Dai Gyakuten Saiban here!

RPGs! JRPGs! ARPGs! SRPGs!

I want Japanese role-playing games. We’ve seen enough of Ever Oasis that if it’s in the spotlight it will only be part of a sizzle reel, and... I’m really not sure what’s up with Octopath Traveler, but hey, weird lighting engine aside it looks pretty cool. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of it. I feel like they’ll finally be showing off the Switch version of Dragon Quest XI, though I expect it to be close to the PS4 version. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is pretty much guaranteed to make an appearance. That’s all nice and good, but I want more. I want the Switch version of Dragon Quest X to come out in North America. I want Slime Morimori 3 to finally come out here. Hell, Nintendo and Namco have been working together a lot recently, how about a new Tales game? A NEW MARIO & LUIGI GAME WITH WARIO AND WALUIGI PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE.

I think that’s about all I’ve got. I really don’t know what they’ll have time for in a twenty-five minute spotlight, but there will supposedly be announcements made during Treehouse Live as well. Hopefully the trailers for things we already know about will be short and most of the new stuff for them will come from Treehouse. I really don’t want ten minutes of the spotlight to be taken up by Super Mario Odyssey, Mario + Rabbids, and Xenoblade 2.