#super smash bros fighter presentation

[marcmarcmomarc]

Super Smash Bros. Fighter Presentation

MASTER HAND: The second game in the series is “Super Smash Bros. Melee” for Nintendo GameCube! For the game’s newcomers, we have the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. Often kidnapped for her powerful magic, and has been saved by Mario more times than you can count. “The Princess of Toadstools”, number 13, Princess Peach!

Theme: Victory! Peach by GB6

(Peach steps to center stage and twirls her parasol.)

PEACH: Sweet!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Super Mario Bros.” for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

MASTER HAND: Also from this game is the “King of the Koopas”, arch-enemy of the Mario Bros., and the biggest threat of the Mushroom Kingdom, number 14, Bowser!

Theme: Victory! Bowser by GB6

(Bowser stomps to center stage, throws his head back and swivels it in a circle, roaring.)

MASTER HAND: The next fighter number goes to a young duo that climb icy summits in their spare time. “The Bone-Chilling Duo”, number 15, the Ice Climbers!

Theme: Victory! Ice Climbers by GB6

(The Ice Climbers step to center stage and point their hammers diagonally and upward.)

POPO AND NANA: Yup!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, "Ice Climber" for Arcade.

MASTER HAND: Popo is in blue, and Nana is in pink. Next is someone’s alter ego. They would help Link by leading him to the temples and teaching him songs to warp to them. Welcome “The Illusive Sheikah”, number 16, Sheik!

Theme: Victory! Sheik by GB6

(Sheik maneuvers to center stage, pulls out the tripwire she uses for Burst Grenade and stretches it out.)

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” for the Nintendo 64.

MASTER HAND: Sheik’s real identity boasts magical attacks. A descendant and incarnation of the Goddess Hylia who is reborn throughout the ages. She is “Hyrule’s Wise Princess”, number 17, Princess Zelda!

Theme: Victory! Zelda by GB6

(Zelda steps to center stage, then creates fire from her fingertip and waves it around.)

ZELDA: Wisdom is the key.

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “The Legend of Zelda” for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Her dress and hairstyle are a mix of her designs from “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and “The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds” for the Nintendo 3DS.

MASTER HAND: The Mushroom Kingdom’s deadliest medical caretaker is next. When dealing with pesky viruses that cause Fevers or Chills, he loses his hat, dons a coat, a doctor's light, and a stethoscope. He is “The Prescriber”, number 18, Dr. Mario!

Theme: Victory! Dr. Mario by GB6

(Dr. Mario steps to center stage, pulls a pen from his ear, and writes on his clipboard.)

DR. MARIO: I have a diagnosis. All of you have a very big case of Hype-For-Smash-osis. Heavily contagious, and doesn't seem to have a cure.

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Dr. Mario” for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo Game Воу.

MASTER HAND: The next fighter is the Tiny Mouse Pokémon, and the pre-evolved Pikachu. Discovered in the Johto region, it has the same properties as its older counterpart, but has little control over its abilities. Meet “The Mischievous Electric Shock”, number 19, Pichu!

Theme: Victory! Pichu by GB6

(Pichu steps to center stage, then jumps and waves at the audience.)

PICHU: Pichu!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Pokémon Gold and Silver” for the Nintendo Game Boy Color.

MASTER HAND: The next fighter is the ace pilot of the Star Fox mercenaries and Fox’s wingman and trusted ally. Presenting “The Proud Space Ace”, number 20, Falco Lombardi!

Theme: Victory! Falco by GB6

(Falco leaps out of his Landmaster and lands at center stage.)

FALCO: Personally, I prefer the air!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Star Fox” for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

MASTER HAND: Now, let’s bring out the prince of Altea, “The Hero-King”, number 21, Marth!

Theme: Victory! Marth - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(Marth steps to center stage and swings the Falchion around.)

MARTH: Keep your eyes open!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light” for the Nintendo Famicom!

MASTER HAND: Wondered who Link was as a child? Wonder no more. Here is “The Master of the Ocarina”, number 22, Young Link!

Theme: Victory! Young Link by Comet Mystic

(Young Link steps to center stage and holds the Kokiri Sword overhead triumphantly in the air.)

YOUNG LINK: Hyah!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” for the Nintendo 64.

MASTER HAND: Also from this game is the legendary Gerudo, immortal King of Evil and reincarnation of the Demon King Demise’s hatred for Hylia and her chosen hero, “The King of Darkness”, number 23, Ganondorf Dragmire!

Theme: Victory! Ganondorf by GB6

(Ganondorf steps to center stage, then unsheathes his sword, looks at it while sporting a mocking smirk as the blade’s tip pulses with dark magic, then sheathes it.)

GANONDORF: Sorya!

MASTER HAND: The Genetic Pokémon and one of the original Legendaries, created to be the most powerful Pokémon of all is “The Re-awoken Legend”, number 24, Mewtwo!

Theme: Victory! Mewtwo by GB6

(Mewtwo steps to center stage, then folds its arms as it telekinetically spins around on the spot while laughing ominously.)

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Pokémon Red and Blue” for the Nintendo Game Boy.

MASTER HAND: Next up is the son of Eliwood, who was called in to take his place due to illness. He’s led the armies of Pherae and defeated a corrupted divine dragon at the ripe age of fifteen. Meet “The Young Lion”, number 25, Roy!

Theme: Victory! Roy by GB6

(Roy steps to center stage and triumphantly holds the Binding Blade overhead.)

ROY: Failure is not an option!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, well... “Super Smash Bros. Melee”. Why is this the case? Because his planned debut game, “Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade” for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, was delayed to a release date after “Melee”.

MASTER HAND: Our next fighter is the epitome of old school, but not a distinct previously-existing character, but rather a conglomeration of various different characters that appeared in the myriad "Game & Watch" games. He is “The Master of Two Dimensions”, number 26, Mr. Game & Watch!

Theme: Victory! Mr. Game & Watch - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(Mr. Game & Watch steps to center stage and rings his bell around.)

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, on the Nintendo Game & Watch, specifically, “Ball”.

[smallmariofindings]

Desktop wallpaper for Super Smash Bros. Melee featuring a bizarre combination of official art and in-game renders (including Mario being present in his Wario alternate costume for an unknown reason despite the other fighters being in their standard forms, and Fox using Star Fox Adventures artwork), available for download from the official Nintendo of Europe site in 2002.

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source: Oersted20

[alln64games]

Rakugakids

JP release: 23rd July 1998

PAL release: 4th December 1998

NA release: N/A

Developer: Konami

Publisher: Konami

N64 Magazine Score: 80%

Rakugakids is odd in that it came out in Japan and Europe – but not North America. It’s a 1-on-1 fighting game where magic crayons have brought the creations of children to life. This created a fun cast of inventive characters – showing Clayfighter that something fun can be done with its concept – these fighters even change shape as they perform moves.

It has a really lovely visual style, and some neat touches like shadows and a stage that features a mirror. The fighting itself it a ton of fun, and I’m not someone that enjoys the genre. There are a lot of moves for each characters – the moves reminded me of Super Smash Bros in a way.

The presentation and how much fun it is to play – even the movement and jumping feels extremely fluid – makes this one of the N64’s standout fighting games, which is a nice change for a platform littered with poor examples.

The way fighting works has obviously been carefully thought out, and belies Rakuga Kid’s image as a novelty title.

- Martin Kitts, N64 Magazine 22

Remake or remaster?

A crisper looking version of Rakugakids would be lovely to see.

Official ways to get the game.

There is no official way to get Rakugakids.

[neogandw]

Page 4 of 6, the rest can be seen here.

Honestly this is the part where I just get to have fun with the training montage and the reason of why I love Smash Bros like I do.

The gameplay IS fun even if I don't actually play online matches all that much (I'm not all that competitive, I play mostly solo or with friends exclusively), but to me Smash Bros is a toy box.

I love these universes and Smash Bros has introduced me to many more over the years, to me its an introduction to various things I could learn and play with, and even more fun to me its concocting how these series gel together and how you could use their elements as playthings to craft a story or a cohesive universe.

I explored this before with another massive comic I made, honestly kind of one this is a sequel to. Its "The Strongest Fighter".

To me, I am not interested at all in "who would beat who", I prefer to think of "Okay, if these two were to meet, how WOULD it go down?" or "If so was in this situation, what would they do?", the joke of the Strongest Fighter comic is not to actually decide who is the strongest in terms of made-up power levels, but rather an exploration of how these characters view and talk about one of their own in a context disguised as a poorly thought-out question.

A lot of people tend to miss this, sadly, even if Shulk points out "Anyone can beat up Kirby" rather blatantly at the end.

So, going back to Page 4, its also similarly an exploration of the question "how do you go on about getting strong in this context?".

With splatoon, there's not much other than "pick up the weapon and sink or swim, we ain't an helicopter parent, you figure it out". But when you introduce the idea of a MENTOR (specially one out of universe like Peach is) how would you go on about teaching something so abstract as getting good aim?

Its not so much that Orange needs training in weaponry at all, I did make it a point to show that she was Super Fresh with everything BUT the Chargers back on Page 1, but that her aiming skills with the Charger are so off that:

Speedy targets won't stay still (Joker just dodging out of the way)

Her shots are blantantly obvious (Samus just leaning her head to the side)

She's not using shooting at a range, so her aim is so off that she misses even in Super Flat World.

So the training montage is tackling these issues.

Study up and learn how the weapon actually works, as I said her first mistake was skipping up Sheldon's explanation, so the first thing Peach does is explain the basics of the weapon to Orange (if you notice, the billboard does show things like leading the shot as exemplified with the Rabbid, using bombs to flush out your enemies and the importance of things like Ink Saver). Basic stuff, but you do hit the books to learn your tool.

Learn in a safe envoirement that is somewhat predictable, and it is slow going (notice the timer of the Break the Targets), get used to shooting long-distance first and foremost, no matter how long it takes.

Then you introduce the erraticness (AKA: the ducks) and practice off that, Orange hit exactly half and Peach mentions as much. The dog may laugh, but its a start.

And finally, put it to the test. I specifically chose Sonic to be the target to be hit because he'd be the most erratic, fastest and would NOT allow himself to be hit that easily. Landing a headshot on Sonic has to be the hardest thing you could do.

I did mostly pick scenarios that would be funny, but I did want it to be a ramping up in getting good. Not just jumping from point A to point B and just skipping to "welp, you're a god at sniping now".

Anyway, the hidden jokes and references of this page:

I used to be a teacher (programming, if you're curious), so the panel of Inkling Girl going to school is reminiscent of my experiences as a teacher and a student. hence why Inkling Girl's set-up on the school resambles what I know rather than the desks you find on Garreg Mach. Such as taking special attention to draw the ever present ruler, using a square notebook for math, the pencil sharpener and erasers being the ones we use down here on México and the bag being a knock-off rather than an official product. Its just sort of the norm you see around here.

You may notice the random calendar on the Garreg Mach page on the top left. On the coloring process I decided to add to the joke of Inkling Girl going to school by imitating a Persona UI.

Originally the joke was to have it be styled after P5's, but the UI used wound up being Persona 3's instead. Not only is it topical thanks to Reload, but the reason I did it is that curiously -just as I was working on this panel- I hit this date on reload ( 8/10 ) and it just so happened that THIS is when you downright lose an entire week worth of days because Mitsuru decided to sign you up for summer classes without consulting you. Fitting for Inkling Girl sacrificing her own free time to learn and study.

Small thing, but if you actually read Orange's notebooks you may notice she's dividing by zero.

Just to show how much Inkling girl sucks at aiming, the break the targets timer is there to show how badly she's doing. Normally during Break the Targets you either get timed to your best time counting UP if you're doing it on the dedicated mode or counting DOWN from 2 minutes if you do it from Classic Mode. The timer instead reads 28:05.15, meaning that Peach had her do it at her own pace and its been nearly half an hour of just missing shots (since she's only been able to hit 1 target so far).

Also, the timer number may be random, but its actually Splatoon 1's release date. I love to hide significant numbers like that on my works. I forgot to mention it but Peach's player ID back on page 3 was also a release date.

And to add on to the cute factor, the platform they're standing on in Break the Targets is actually taken directly from Peach's stage. So she's lending her own target test for the practice.

Fun fact: on the Duck Hunt panel you can see the UI discussing how many ducks have been hit by Inkling Girl. Not easily apparent though is the blue bar below the ducks.

THAT is the minimum requirement. In the original Duck Hunt the UI for the duck tally would shift over to the left and be compared to that blue bar, if you didn't shoot enough ducks to go beyond where the bar was pointing at the game would end.

Essentially, Peach is asking for a bare minimum of 4 ducks to be hit, which Inkling Girl technically did as she managed 5, but she's still frustrated due to the dog's mockery.

Irregardless of how the montage was gonna go on the planning phase, I always wanted to have Sonic be the last test for Inkling's improvement because -once more- I like to think more in-character when writting down these scenarios.

Sonic is the fastest thing alive, he's capable of dodging whatever bullet or explosive eggman tends to throw at him (capable, not reliable, it depends on player input if he does so or not). So he'd be perfect for target practice, specially for something like Sniping.

Sonic's pride would NOT agree with being shot in the face, admittedly, but he could be talked into it if asked as both a challenge and a request. Peach wouldn't put anyone in danger and it is really just ink, so if its for the sake of helping others, Peach could reliably ask Sonic to do it and he'd at least take solace in helping someone else. Though he'd likely taunt and make it as hard as possible due to his ego.

To show that it was amicable and that Sonic agreed to it I had the two bits of Peach handling a tower and Sonic giving a thumbs up, to show that he was in on the plan.

I could have drawn Green Hill Zone again (in fact, the planning phase did had it AS Green Hill), but I instead opted to go with Seaside Hill as the background (kind of a mistake on my part since Ocean Palace is OBTUSE on its architecture), mostly because I wanted some scenery variety with Sonic, its not always gonna be on Green Hill Zone, you know.

The Loading screen that Inkling is having on her head while she realizes she passed the final test is from Sonic 06, which I shouldn't have to tell you that its infamous for its loading.

I originally wanted it to be Splatoon's loading icons, but those would have required animation since they're not visually understandable otherwise. So I just went with the Sonic theme and made it match.

The UI used for the last two panels are the stage clear screens for Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 1 respectively. Also, I didn't just copy-paste the assets from Splatoon 3 into the comic, every time you see the weapon icons like that its one of my recreation of those assets.

[xb-squaredx]

The Many Missteps of MultiVersus

In 2022 Warner Bros. released a new platform fighter that managed to make quite the splash. MultiVersus, a 2v2 focused free-to-play title, found impressive success after it entered its open beta with well over 10 million players within the first month. The game was praised for its colorful artstyle that blended together characters from all sorts of different mediums, from the Looney Tunes to Gremlins, to the likes of Rick and Morty with Game of Thrones; it was a crossover that seemed like it had potential to rival Nintendo’s own Super Smash Bros. But then just as suddenly as the game arrived on the scene…content dried up, the devs were silent and at the conclusion of a rather underwhelming season two it was announced that the open beta was concluded and would re-launch within a year. This struck many as odd, as the game’s beta period was quite long and featured a multitude of balance patches, new content and characters being added, as well as a plethora of monetization options that certainly made it look like a full release. That year has come and gone, and MultiVersus has re-launched…but something has clearly gone wrong, as we enter a multiverse filled with a multitude of mishaps.

A REGRESSIVE RE-LAUNCH

In the first ten minutes of me booting up the re-launched MultiVersus, I found myself constantly repeating the same question: why was this feature better in the beta? For starters, the tutorial, while a bit more robust with a true level to run through as you’re taught the basics, lacks the advanced tutorials found in the beta. No more ways to learn about directional influence or how certain moves are meant to function. This is especially puzzling when this re-launch added new mechanics, such as the parry and dash attack, so you’d think they’d want to make sure people know they exist! Following this, I went into training mode, but was dismayed to see that you could no longer go into training with every character regardless of having unlocked them. In a world where every fighting game gets DLC and being able to train against them or even see how they play requires buying in, MultiVersus allowing you to “try before you buy” felt really revolutionary and fairly consumer friendly. The same held true for local play, making it a godsend for offline tournaments that would no longer have to rush to unlock everyone in preparation. That BOTH of these features are gone is troubling on its own, especially when you factor in changes to progression and monetization, but I’m getting ahead of myself here.

As I went into training mode I noticed that ranked play was present on the menu, but grayed out with a “coming soon” message. The original beta eventually got some form of ranked play briefly before the beta’s shutdown, and to not see it back again is disappointing. There were also a number of options and settings that were either taken out or adjusted from the beta, such as being able to swap the inputs for your basic three-hit combo and your strong attack. I used that feature since I felt the default was a bit awkward, but now I have no choice but to leave it as it is. Training mode no longer lets you change controls, and it seemingly takes longer to swap characters while in that mode. Another puzzling change is that stats from the end of battle are no longer there, such as listing who got the most ringouts or who did the most damage, making it difficult to tell how effective you really were in a fight. You can’t even see which players agree to or decline a rematch, and there’s no longer an option to “toast back” your opponent if they toast you, making it harder to give them props for a good fight. In general the UI is…different, and while somewhat improved it still feels somewhat lacking. You no longer have to move a very slow cursor for individual menu items on console, but there’s still parts of the UI that make it feel like it was made for a keyboard and mouse first and foremost.

Really, I could list out all of these changes all day, and to be fair most beta versions of a game are going to see changes for the full release. But to see so many changes that are basically just whole features being taken out is a concerning first impression. Now, about a week into the game’s re-launch an update has gone out that now allows everyone to play as every character in training mode, though not in local battle. Player First Games has been quick to respond to feedback and are currently attempting to put back in as many of these features as they can…but that kind of begs the question…what were they doing for a full year if this is the finished result?

SACRIFCED AT THE ALTAR OF GREED

An issue this game has had since day one is that Warner Bros. is the publisher, and they’re among the greediest when it comes to Western game publishers. From prioritizing DLC rather than fixing poor PC versions of various Batman Arkham games, to adding in loot boxes to a single player game like Middle Earth: Shadow of War, I knew things weren’t likely to be great. The beta was rife with terrible monetization. They gave you a fair bit of the free currency for characters right away to trick you into thinking the game will be more generous than it actually is, because after all…the first hit is free but once you’re hooked you have to pay for the rest. We had an abundance of costumes costing twenty dollars or more, with characters at seven dollars a pop. I knew that the chances were slim that the monetization would get any better, but I wasn’t really expecting it to get worse.

For starters, characters now cost ten dollars each…at least for the older beta characters. A new character like Joker costs about $12.50. That’s not even getting into the changes to the free currency. In the beta you had Gold, which could be used for characters, perks and a small handful of cosmetics. For this re-launch, they’ve seen fit to cut Gold entirely, but ADDED three new currencies to replace it. There’s a separate currency for perks and a separate one for fighters, with a new “prestige” currency that you only acquire by…getting cosmetics, which then lets you get a small handful of EXCLUSIVE cosmetics. Speaking frankly, it’s disgusting in just how brazenly greedy it all is. Before, you had options of what to spend your hard earned Gold on, and you’d gain some for every match played. Sure, it was a drop in the bucket, but every bit helped. But with these separate but equal currencies you’re far more limited. Once I’ve bought up all the perks I want that perk currency just sits there, useless and unable to be converted into anything else. Same goes for character currency, which also takes way longer to acquire. You only get it for specific events or character mastery, and even then you’ll get like 100 of it at a time, which doesn’t mean much when every character costs THOUSANDS of the stuff. In the beta, characters cost varying amounts of Gold; easy to use characters like Garnet or Taz were cheaper at 1500 Gold, hard characters like Tom & Jerry were 3000 Gold, and everyone else was at 2000. But now you’ll find EVERY character from the beta is 3000 of the character currency, and a new character like Joker costs 6000 of it. I already disliked the idea of pricing characters differently, since it kind of sets them up to be compared. If Joker costs more than everyone else is he just better? For the record, for the past two weeks or so since release I’ve done all my daily and weekly missions and about as much of the PvE stuff as I can, and that’s netted me a little over 11,000 character currency. I’ve gotten one character from the old beta, as well as Joker, leaving me with roughly 2000 currency I can’t do anything with for some time, and knowing future characters are going to cost more I’m more likely to hoard it than anything else. Adding to this, at launch you only earned battlepass XP by doing your daily and weekly missions, severely curbing just how fast you could advance through it. A later patch granted you a comically small amount of XP for a win and even less for a loss, though those amounts were also increased with yet ANOTHER patch a bit later. Nothing’s been done with character currency, meanwhile, so hoarding continues to be the way to go there.

You’ll see people try to defend this, stating that this is just like the good old days where you’d unlock everyone by playing, but the time investment here isn’t comparable at all. A game like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate infamously locked the bulk of its 70+ character roster away, leaving you with only the first game’s 8 initial fighters, but it took me way less time to unlock the entirety of that game’s roster than it has to get TWO characters in MultiVersus. I have it better than many, as I got to retain anyone I unlocked in that beta period. I have roughly half of the roster at this point, but for anyone starting fresh all you get is Shaggy and four rotating characters every week. I remembered when completing the initial beta’s tutorial got me Wonder Woman for free, thinking it was super generous…little did I know we peaked there. In all honesty, the initial closed beta was even more generous so this is the SECOND time they’ve slowed everything down to a crawl. But nowhere is this horrible, manipulative design more apparent than with the PvE mode added here, the Rift.

At first glance, The Rift seems like a lot of fun. A full on campaign mode with mini-games and boss fights, with plenty of ways to modify fights and give you a lot of things to do cooperatively with friends rather than just fight against each other online. But as with everything else here, fun has been sacrificed at the altar of greed. For starters, to get very far in the mode you’ll need to unlock and level up Gems, power-ups you affix to your characters that can have a range of effects. These help to make you stronger and fight back against increasingly tough missions, but you’ll quickly realize how much they drag things down. You see, there’s multiple difficulties for each campaign in a given Rift, and you are outright gated out of certain difficulties if your Gem level isn’t up to snuff. Even then, some fights get so tough at the higher difficulties you might not be able to win without getting your Gem levels up even higher. You have two options to get stronger: you can either go through every mission and complete the various sub missions within, some of which are fairly tedious to do and might require a character or skin (or a specific skin of a specific character) that you don’t have….or you could just slide them some money to juice the Gems that way. So much of the Rift’s progression is designed around a grind that wears you down so you just shell out and make it stop. It’s all about the path of least resistance, and BOY does this game resist you a lot. If you want full completion on a given Rift you’ll have to do almost every submission in every fight. It’s easier if you have a friend with you, as every fight has a submission for doing it with a co-op partner, but if you don’t have a friend to play with you’ll really struggle to fully complete a Rift. The devs even got into some hot water when it was found that later difficulties would have a limited amount of lives you had to budget each day, with the option to buy more lives with real money. They lie through their teeth that this is some bug, despite this being a part of the in-game shop and has dedicated UI elements for it, but even if it was a bug, it certainly fits in with the manipulative design.

It became pretty clear early on that the Rift mode just wasn’t going to do it for me, but you’re forced to contend with it if you want to progress your daily missions among other things. They even have an event going on that will reward you with the next character, The Matrix’s Agent Smith, if you can defeat 20 bosses in Rifts…but that will require a significant amount of time and effort…or money, of course. That would mean doing pretty much every Rift on every difficulty, and later Rifts actually take away one of the easier difficulties, just outright forcing you to contend with the harder versions of these same handful of missions over and over. This could have been a great contender compared to the Smash Bros. single player experiences, but they’ve only succeeded in making a mode I’m loathe to even look at. But hey, even if the monetization is awful, and the new mode is a grindy slog AND this full release is missing tons of features from the beta, as long as the core gameplay is fun this is all worth putting up with….right?

TOO FAST OR TOO SLOW, NEVER JUST RIGHT

The original beta for MultiVersus was fun, but flawed. It had a lot of interesting ideas, but with some shoddy execution. I had hoped that with a year or more to polish things up, the game could at least come back with some kinks ironed out…but what we got instead is practically a different game in some ways. For starters, the beta was notable for being a bit “slippery” for people. You had a great amount of air control and your dodge was fast and easy to spam over and over. So it was difficult to really catch up with opponents and chase them down. Adding to that, many attacks both came out fast and had barely any recovery, meaning you could just keep swinging away with no one able to punish that behavior. This re-launch has slowed the game down considerably…but now it just feels awful to move around. Some of this might be down to taste, but most players seem to agree that something is OFF about the game now. Some have noticed that the input buffer seems ludicrously high, storing inputs for upwards of 30 frames. For reference, Smash Ultimate has a buffer of around 10 frames, and people haaaaaaate how that feels. To be fair here, I think slowing the game down in some respects actually was the right call. There were too many actions in beta MultiVersus that were basically instant and really hard to punish. Finn could throw out a gem and instantly teleport over to it, as an example. Finn’s infamous backpack spin and Taz's side special spin were also notoriously hard to deal with as if you dodged them they’d recover and be able to do it again before you could stop them. The online for the beta also got…really bad at times, with characters constantly teleporting around and acting weird due to instability. They’ve allegedly upgraded the netcode for this game, and while I still see a fair variety of issues (such as frequent desynchs), the online experience DOES seem better. A slower game makes it easier to deal with stronger moves, while also making the online experience smoother….but the problem is that they didn’t stop there.

(Credit to MadMikeYT on Reddit)

In addition to slowing the game down so much, they also increased the size of every character by a good deal, all without changing the sizes of stages at all. The camera is also zoomed in a lot more than it used to, making things seem even more claustrophobic, especially on certain stages. But I think the single worst change here was the addition of FAR more hitstun to virtually every single move in the game. All of this combined makes for a game that’s incredibly different in feel and pace. Beta MultiVersus was slippery, making it hard to run someone down and start your offensive, but the full release of MultiVersus is a sluggish time where you’re in constant danger of being stuck in a near-infinite loop that’ll lead to your death.  As a result of this, 2v2 matches feel like crapshoots, where you could just constantly get ping ponged around and suddenly have a high damage percentage seconds into a match. 1v1s run the risk of being locked into long combos that can lead to early kills too. With the more recent patches, they have attempted to look into these issues a bit, such as reducing the hitstun in 1v1s only, but also changing a number of moves in an attempt to stop all of the infinite loops and force people to get more creative with combos. That said, they still have a lot of work to do.

On that note with these patches, the balance is clearly lacking this early on. I’m not a competitive player by any means so I can only say so much about it, but the consensus seems to be that the game is still a bit of a mess, not really an improvement from the beta. Certain characters seemingly got touched up and greatly improved like Taz or Black Adam, while characters like Velma got completely gutted. Curiously, some of the reported best characters in the game like Bugs, Harley and Wonder Woman, are barely touched despite so many other characters clearly needing more work to bring them up to par. I’m still baffled at how this game has tried to balance moves with cooldowns in a very uneven way. As an example, Wonder Woman’s lasso had a cooldown in the beta, despite it not being THAT powerful, and then it was removed for the full release….and now it’s back again after the first patch. Which is it? Why does Velma’s down special have a nearly TWO MINUTE cooldown when the buff she achieves with it doesn’t last more than a few seconds? There’s also the matter of the Iron Giant, who was found to have tons of infinites and exploits, leading to him being taken offline for well over a week before returning. Now, I don’t expect any fighting game to ever be perfectly balanced, especially at launch, but for things to be so bad you have to bring an entire character (that people might have paid MONEY for) offline for several days again begs the question…why did this game release in this state?

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

At this point, MultiVersus has been out for a few weeks, with a few patches thrown out to address some issues, with more along the way. I’m sure with time bugs will be addressed and certain features will be added that were missing. Player First Games have been pretty up front that they ran out of time with this re-launch and had to prioritize certain things to meet the deadline. The upgrade from Unreal Engine 4 to 5 is also likely contributing to some of the problems in this game. I’m not a programmer but I can assume performing an engine switch in just a year’s time is a tall order for any studio, let alone a smaller, less experienced one.

I want to make clear that I’m not going after anyone from Player First Games. The ones that are in the trenches doing testing and bug fixing and putting their all into designing characters are just doing their jobs to the best of their ability. I’d never accuse anyone here of being lazy or phoning things in. I truly think this dev team wants to make the best game they can, but they are also saddled with a publisher that is known for screwing over games with their greed, not to mention the whole of Warner Bros./Discovery being on fire right now and having to cancel projects for tax write offs and trying to shake off debt. I can only imagine the issues going on behind the scenes that the devs are forced to endure when they just want to make a fun fighting game. I’m sure that no one is more frustrated with the state of this game than the people working on it day and night.

That all being said though, this is still a game that people have spent money on. A game that people are trying to compete in professionally. Just because I can be understanding of the circumstances surrounding this game that doesn’t really change the fact that this full release is littered with bugs, predatory design and gameplay changes that severely impact my enjoyment. I’m sure others are in a similar boat; I WANT this game to succeed, but I also don’t want to make excuses for it. Time will tell if Player First Games can stomp out some issues and keep a decent content stream going for this game, or if people will get burned out or impatient and just move onto something else. With a new Nintendo system on the horizon, that just means a new Smash Bros. game is a matter of “when” and not “if.” There’s also more competition with games like Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2 or the upcoming Rivals of Aether 2 that’ll be competing for the attention of platform fighter fans everywhere, so…the clock is ticking. That’s kind of the rub with live service games; you only have so much time you can dedicate to them and there’s SO much competition. If something better comes along, people WILL flock to it. The always-online nature of this game also worries me with the fact that one day Warner Bros. could just flip a switch and take it offline forever. Hell, they’ve already done that once! I think there’s still time to improve this game and maybe down the line they can redeem themselves…but this is already their second chance and I’m not sure they’ve done anything to warrant a third.

Until next time,

-B

[snowboyclarkov]

Everybody Is Dead...!

In the Metal Fight Beyblade verse, Rago is capable via Diablo Nemesis of absorbing the power of his opponent and gaining their abilities. He can also gain the abilities and power of everyone that opponent has fought from the beginning to the present.

Despite this, Pluto states that Nemesis has the power of every bey in the world by the time he and Rago do battle with the Legendary Bladers and company. It opens the door to a potential trickle down effect that would go on and on. It makes Rago's main ability one of the most horrifying in any verse.

This got me thinking about another potential trickle down that could be applied to another overpowered deity. This one being of light rather than destruction. Galeem. Due to the incredible amount of crossovers and cameos that can be traced via some path to someone within the Super Smash Bros verse, there's a disturbing amount of verses that are almost certainly reduced to non-existence alongside everyone that ever existed within that verse by the Lord of Light and it's "Everybody Is Dead" attack. That isn't counting restoring the verses back into existence and shuffling them while everyone in them become mindless slaves. Even the verses with stages, Mii outfits and music have potential to be completely screwed. A scenario like this would represent the absolute highest limit of Galeem's power...

--------------------------------------------------

The Verses In Danger of Becoming Un-Made and Un-Alived

Section 1

Super Mario

Donkey Kong (verse)

The Legend of Zelda

Metroid

Yoshi's Island

Kirby (verse) - Kirby dies if either Galeem or Dharkon win in the end, having barely escaped Galeem's initial onslaught.

Star Fox

Pokémon

Mother

F-Zero

Ice Climber

Fire Emblem

Game & Watch

Kid Icarus

Wario (verse)

Metal Gear

Sonic the Hedgehog - Includes Frontiers, so Sage becomes un-alive. The End gets Galeem'd too.

Pikmin

R.O.B. (verse)

Animal Crossing

Mega Man (verse)

Wii - Includes Wii Fit, Wii Sports, Wii Party, et cetera. Part of the wider Mii verse.

Punch-Out!!

Pac-Man (verse)

Xenoblade Chronicles

Duck Hunt

Street Fighter

Final Fantasy

Bayonetta (verse)

Splatoon

Castlevania

Persona

Dragon Quest

Banjo-Kazooie

Fatal Fury

Arms

Minecraft

Tekken

Kingdom Hearts

The King of Fighters

Section 2

Paper Mario

Streetpass Mii Plaza - Part of the wider Mii verse.

Pilotwings - Part of the wider Mii verse.

Nintendo Land - Part of the wider Mii verse.

Sheriff (verse)

Baseball (verse)

Tennis (verse)

Devil World

Urban Champion

Clu Clu Land

Balloon Fight

Excite

Mach Rider

The Mysterious Murasame Castle

Famicom Mukashibanashi

Ice Hockey (verse)

Famicom Grand Prix

Famicom Wars

Advance Wars

Detective Club - Also known as Famicom Detective Club

Joy Mech

Yakuman

X (verse)

The Frog For Whom The Bell Tolls

Mole Mania

Card Hero

SimCity

Battle Clash

Stunt Race FX

Panel de Pon

Marvelous

Sutte Hakkun

Origin of the Forest

Teleroboxer

Wave Race

1080°

Custom Robo

Sin and Punishment

Kuru Kuru Kururin

Napoleon (verse)

Golden Sun

Magical Starsign

Tomato Adventure

The Legendary Starfy

Thousand Year Family

The Tower

Drill Dozer

Calciobit

Rhythm Heaven

Cubivore

Eternal Darkness

GiFTPiA

Baten Kaitos

Chibi Robo!

Jam With The Band

Another Code

Electroplankton

Brain Age

Big Brain Academy

Elite Beat Agents

Project Hacker

Chōsōjū Mecha MG

Hotel Dusk

Kurikin Nano Island Story

Number Battle

Slide Adventure MAGKID

Archaic Sealed Heat

Make 10

Soma Bringer

Fossil Fighters

Glory of Heracles

Personal Trainer: Cooking

Style Savvy

Art Academy

Looksley's Line Up

Tsukutte Utau: Saru Band

Fatal Frame

Captain Rainbow

Disaster: Day of Crisis

Takt of Magic

Zangeki no Reginliev

And-Kensaku

FlingSmash

The Last Story

Pandora's Tower

Nintendogs

Steel Diver

Pushmo

Sakura Samurai

Swapnote - Part of the wider Mii verse.

Kiki Trick

Dillon's Rolling Western

Shovel Knight

Culdcept

HarmoKnight

Fluidity

Nintendoji

Rusty's Real Deal Baseball

Nintendo Badge Arcade

BoxBoy!

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.

Ever Oasis

Sushi Striker

The Wonderful 101

Rayman (verse)

Snipperclips

Galaga

Bomberman (verse)

Virtua Fighter

Monster Hunter

Shantae (verse)

Nintendo Labo - Part of the real world.

Daemon X Machina

Tetris

Art of Fighting

Samurai Shodown

Psycho Soldier

Ikari Warriors

Resident Evil

Astral Chain

River City

Cuphead (verse)

Warframe

Ring Fit Adventure

Mana

Octopath Traveler

Bravely Default

Ghosts 'n Goblins

Sakuna: of Rice and Ruin

No More Heroes

Wrecking Crew

Section 3

Pictochat

Tomodachi - Also known as Tomodachi Life. Part of the wider Mii verse.

Miiverse - Part of the wider Mii verse.

Fallout

Doom

Babylonian Castle Saga

Goemon (verse)

Assassin's Creed

The Elder Scrolls

Devil May Cry

Shin Onigashima

Yūyūki

Nintendo Hardware - Includes Mii Channel, Wii Shop Channel, etc.

AR Games

Freakyforms

NES Remix

Tank Troopers

Undertale

Miitopia

Section 4

Soul [via The Legend of Zelda]

The Walking Dead [via Tekken]

Spawn (verse) [via Soul]

Mortal Kombat [via Spawn]

God of War [via Soul]

A Nightmare On Elm Street [via Mortal Kombat]

Friday The 13th [via Mortal Kombat]

Texas Chainsaw Massacre [via Mortal Kombat]

Predator [via Mortal Kombat]

Alien [via Mortal Kombat]

Terminator [via Mortal Kombat]

Robocop [via Mortal Kombat]

Rambo [via Mortal Kombat]

Injustice [via DC]

DC [via Mortal Kombat]

Hellboy [via Injustice]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [via Injustice]

Power Rangers [via Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]

Star Trek [via Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]

Masters of the Universe [via Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]

Star Wars [via Soul]

The Witcher [via Soul]

NieR [via Soul]

Drakengard [via NieR]

Indiana Jones [via Star Wars]

Dead By Daylight [via Alien]

Halloween [via Dead By Daylight]

Left 4 Dead [via Dead By Daylight]

Saw [via Dead By Daylight]

Scream [via Dead By Daylight]

Evil Dead [via Dead By Daylight]

Stranger Things [via Dead By Daylight]

Silent Hill [via Dead By Daylight]

World Wrestling Entertainment [via Mortal Kombat] - part of the real world.

Section 5

PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale [via Metal Gear]

Uncharted [via PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale]

LittleBig Planet [via PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale]

Ratchet & Clank [via PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale]

Jak & Daxter [via PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale]

Gravity Rush [via PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale]

BioShock [via PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale]

Dead Space [via PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale]

DreamMix TV World Fighters [via Castlevania]

Transformers [via DreamMix TV World Fighters]

Bakuten Shoot Beyblade [via DreamMix TV World Fighters] - Part of a wider Beyblade verse.

Beyblade X [via Bakuten Shoot Beyblade] - Part of a wider Beyblade verse.

Beyblade Burst [via Transformers] - Part of a wider Beyblade verse.

Metal Fight Beyblade [via Beyblade Burst] - Part of a wider Beyblade verse.

Section 6

Astro's Playroom [via Tekken]

The Last of Us [via Astro's Playroom]

Horizon Zero Dawn [via Astro's Playroom]

Ghost of Tsushima [via Astro's Playroom]

Resistance [via Astro's Playroom]

ICO [via Astro's Playroom] - Includes Shadow of the Colossus & The Last Guardian

Bloodborne [via Astro's Playroom]

Tomb Raider [via Astro's Playroom]

Crash Bandicoot [via Astro's Playroom]

Spyro the Dragon [via Astro's Playroom]

Legacy of Kain [via Astro's Playroom]

Brawlhalla [via Tomb Raider]

Ben 10 [via Brawlhalla]

Steven Universe [via Brawlhalla]

Section 7

Project x Zone [via Street Fighter]

Ace Attorney [via Project x Zone]

Professor Layton [via Ace Attorney]

Darkstalkers [via Project x Zone]

Resonance of Fate [via Project x Zone]

Marvel vs. Capcom [via Street Fighter]

Marvel [via Marvel vs. Capcom]

Disney [via Marvel]

Pixar [via Disney]

Fortnite [via Street Fighter]

Unreal [via Fortnite]

Who Framed Roger Rabbit [via Disney]

Looney Tunes [via Who Framed Roger Rabbit]

Betty Boop [via Who Framed Roger Rabbit]

Woody Woodpecker [via Who Framed Roger Rabbit]

Droopy [via Who Framed Roger Rabbit]

Space Jam [via Looney Tunes]

Ōkami [via Marvel vs. Capcom]

Dead Rising [via Marvel vs. Capcom]

Section 8

Blazblue [via Persona] - Includes Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle

Under Night In-Birth [via Blazblue]

RWBY [via Blazblue]

Vocaloid [via Persona] - Specifically, through Hatsune Miku. Crypton Vocaloids and Internet Co. Ltd. Vocaloids all affected. Includes Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA.

Arcana Heart [via Blazblue]

Senran Kagura [via Blazblue]

Akatsuki Blitzkampf [via Blazblue]

Dead or Alive [via Senran Kagura]

Super Sonico [via Senran Kagura]

Neptunia [via Senran Kagura]

Just Dance [via Vocaloid]

Like A Dragon [via Vocaloid] - Also known as Yakuza.

The Idolmaster [via Vocaloid]

Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion [via Vocaloid]

Neon Genesis Evangelion [via Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion]

Godzilla [via Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion]

Lucky Star [via Vocaloid]

Haruhi Suzumiya [via Lucky Star]

Groove Coaster [via Vocaloid]

Hololive [via Groove Coaster]

Kizuna AI [via Groove Coaster]

Aikatsu! [via Vocaloid]

Pretty Series [via Aikatsu!]

Ace Combat [via The Idolmaster]

God Eater [via The Idolmaster]

Granblue Fantasy [via The Idolmaster]

Katamari Damacy [via The Idolmaster]

Taiko no Tatsujin [via The Idolmaster]

Ridge Racer [via The Idolmaster]

Tales [via The Idolmaster]

Super Robot Wars [via The Idolmaster]

Smite [via RWBY]

Avatar: The Last Airbender [via Smite]

Nicktoons Unite! [via Avatar: The Last Airbender]

SpongeBob SquarePants [via Nicktoons Unite!]

The Fairly OddParents! [via Nicktoons Unite!]

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius [via Nicktoons Unite!]

Invader Zim [via Nicktoons Unite!]

Danny Phantom [via Nicktoons Unite!]

Rugrats [via Nicktoons Unite!]

My Life As A Teenage Robot [via Nicktoons Unite!]

Ren & Stimpy [via Nicktoons Unite!]

Halo [via Dead or Alive]

Forza [via Halo]

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE [via Fire Emblem]

Shin Megami Tensei [via Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE]

The Loud House [via Nicktoons Unite!]

Touhou Project [via Groove Coaster]

Jeremy Clarkson/Richard Hammond/James May [via Forza]

Katawa Shoujo [via Haruhi Suzumiya] - Galeem's whole thing seems like something out of Rin Tezuka's worst nightmares.

Section 9

Lego Dimensions [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

The Lord of the Rings [via Lego Dimensions]

Harry Potter [via Lego Dimensions]

Back to the Future [via Lego Dimensions]

The Lego Movie [via Lego Dimensions]

Jurassic Park [via Lego Dimensions]

Adventure Time [via Lego Dimensions]

Ghostbusters [via Lego Dimensions]

Mission: Impossible [via Lego Dimensions]

The Powerpuff Girls [via Lego Dimensions]

Knight Rider [via Lego Dimensions]

Gremlins [via Lego Dimensions]

The Goonies [via Lego Dimensions]

The Wizard of Oz [via Lego Dimensions]

Portal [via Lego Dimensions] - Includes Half-Life

Legends of Chima [via Lego Dimensions]

The A-Team [via Lego Dimensions]

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial [via Lego Dimensions]

Beetlejuice [via Lego Dimensions]

Scooby Doo [via Lego Dimensions]

Ninjago [via Lego Dimensions]

Doctor Who [via Lego Dimensions]

O.K. K.O.! Let's Be Heroes [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

RPG World [via O.K. K.O.! Let's Be Heroes]

Captain Planet [via O.K. K.O.! Let's Be Heroes]

Wacky Races [via O.K. K.O.! Let's Be Heroes]

Angry Birds [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

Hello Kitty [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

Gundam [via Hello Kitty]

Super Monkey Ball [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

Jet Set Radio [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

Crazy Taxi [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

House of the Dead [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

Billy Hatcher & the Giant Egg [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

Shenmue [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

Space Channel 5 [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

Skies of Arcadia [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

NiGHTS Into Dreams [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

Team Fortress 2 [via Sonic the Hedgehog]

Fall Guys [via Team Fortress 2]

Poker Night At The Inventory [via Team Fortress 2]

Sam & Max [via Poker Night At The Inventory]

Homestar Runner [via Poker Night At The Inventory]

Penny Arcade [via Poker Night At The Inventory]

Borderlands [via Poker Night At The Inventory]

The Venture Brothers [via Poker Night At The Inventory]

Section 10

The Simpsons [via Super Mario]

Futurama [via The Simpsons]

Family Guy [via The Simpsons] - Includes American Dad!.

Bob's Burgers [via The Simpsons]

Rick & Morty [via The Simpsons]

Cheers [via The Simpsons] - Includes Frasier.

The X-Files [via The Simpsons]

Archer [via The Simpsons]

King of the Hill [via The Simpsons]

South Park [via The Simpsons]

Tamagotchi [via Super Mario]

Shaun The Sheep [via Super Mario Maker] - Includes Wallace & Gromit.

Nisekoi [via Super Mario Maker]

Monogatari [via Nisekoi]

Puella Magi Madoka Magica [via Monogatari]

Onegai My Melody [via Super Mario Maker]

Shinya Arino [via Super Mario Maker] - Part of the real world.

Babymetal [via Super Mario Maker] - Part of the real world.

Section 11

Naruto [via Tekken]

One Piece [via Naruto]

Bleach [via Naruto]

Dragon Ball [via Naruto]

Yu-Gi-Oh! [via Naruto]

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure [via Naruto]

My Hero Academia [via Naruto]

Digimon [via Tekken]

Fist of the North Star [via Naruto]

Urusei Yatsura [via Fist of the North Star]

Ranma 1/2 [via Urusei Yatsura]

InuYasha [via Urusei Yatsura]

Section 12

DuckTales [via Minecraft] - Includes Quack Pack and Darkwing Duck.

Toy Story [via Minecraft]

Pirates of the Caribbean [via Minecraft]

Quake [via Doom]

Wolfenstein [via Doom]

Commander Keen [via Doom]

Yooka-Laylee [via Shovel Knight]

Creepy Castle [via Shovel Knight]

Super Meat Boy [via Shovel Knight]

Cave Story [via Shovel Knight]

Five Night's At Freddy's [via Shovel Knight]

Enter The Gungeon [via Super Meat Boy]

The Binding of Isaac [via Super Meat Boy]

...and this list isn't even all of them. By far.

Here's a full chart that someone that isn't me made. It includes Warhammer, so the Emperor of Mankind was murdered or possibly deleted from existence. I doubt that would be allowed to stand. Ever.

[maryo274]

"My friends are my power!"

As the fourth character of our #ninefanartchallenge I give you the holder of the legendary Key Blade, explorer of multiple Disney/Pixar universes and most recently the final fighter of Super Smash Bros Ultimate's Roster. From the Kingdom Hearts universe, here's Sora 🗝️✨

Not gonna lie, I know close to nothing about Kingdom Hearts but I've really wanted to get into the games and play all of them now that they're on PC, since I never had a Play Station console. My only experience playing as Sora has been in Smash Bros and it's been super fun. Also, I went with KH 1 Sora since it's the most iconic one, I suppose. It's the one that was presented at Smash after all.

Hope you like it. I'll try to post one more before the year ends. 😉✌🏼

Square Enix ©

Disney ©

Art by Maryo274 ©

If you like my art support with a reblog, it is appreciated. And you’re always welcome to comment too.

[miloscat]

[Review] Megabyte Punch (NS)

Cyberspace Emissary.

Ten years before Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Team Reptile (basically just two Dutch guys) had just made the browser version of Lethal League, and then Megabyte Punch was their next thing. The Switch version released seven years later with some slight additions, which is what I played.

Essentially, it's the platform-fighter mechanics of a Super Smash Bros. with on-the-fly customisation of your moveset thanks to swappable robot parts. It's got a straightforward battle match mode, but what I spent my time with was the adventure mode, a beat-em-up story in six stages that feels a bit like Subspace Emissary in Brawl. Brawl is my favourite instalment in its series and SSE is a big reason why, so I was pleased to see another game take a crack at the concept.

The story is pretty straightforward: the evil robot empire is muscling in on your peaceful robot village, there's some interludes of robot intrigue and robot zombies, and you eventually fight the robot emperor. The presentation helps it stand out though, the brightly coloured low-poly cyberworlds giving some novelty to proceedings, along with the team's trademark preoccupation with palette swaps.

As you fight through the robozones you will pick up new parts and bits (64 for an extra life in that stage, and can be cashed in at the hub village shop for rare parts). If you see a bot using a cool move, you might be able to snag it and start using it right away, or else give yourself more jumps, better defence, etc. In theory the parts can clue you in on an enemy's moves since (almost) all robots share a modular design, but they can be hard to read at a distance, cool though their individual designs may be. The experimentation with your loadout is nice, but parts do duplicate functionality and nothing is a strict upgrade so you really have to get creative/cheesy when the late-game difficulty spike arrives.

I enjoyed the parts that spawned in helper bots to temporarily fight by your side, but I might have also enjoyed co-op: you can play through the campaign with up to four simultaneous players. This would likely have helped with that tough final boss, although I imagine the splitscreen views get super cramped. The levels are huge with goodies hidden around to reward exploration, platforming, and even digging through the terrain with certain weapons: well suited to splitting up to range around, but I still had fun with them solo.

As with Brawlout which I played recently, Megabyte Punch has something of a stripped-back moveset compared to its inspiration. There's no smash attacks, no dodges, no grabs, and I kept finding myself reaching for these things out of muscle memory. The basic attacks seem to lack in impact and reach, and I had trouble avoiding damage and establishing proper spacing. I wished for a little more variety in the special moves granted by parts as well; the promise of a huge diversity of attacks wasn't quite fulfilled to me.

Still, the concept and presentation were cool enough to carry me through even if it's not quite a Subspace Emissary killer. It was enough for me that it plays around in that space and does its own thing to some extent. So if, like me, you were looking for more of that platform-fighter-adventure goodness with a bit of style, Megabyte Punch scratches that itch.

[scalproie]

KAZUYA GO

^ me when I send my beloved anjanath named kaz to battle in mhs2

First impression

whos that new fucker theyre putting in smash bros now. Ive made a typo in his name 30 times. His hair is so stupid. Obssessed with his eyebrows tho. Whats so special about hi

Impression now

I hate this dilf💜

Favorite moment

1) that one moment in the final father & son fight in t7 where he cant kill heihachi and it brings him back 44 years ago where he also couldnt kill heihachi when he was 5 and it resulted in him being tossed off a cliff and awakening his devil gene and back to the present it angers him so much his eyes looks a bit glassy and he punches (while being human and not in his super devil form) heihachi so hard he gives him a heart attack and heihachi dies

2) when he learns his mother foretold what he would become and send a character from street fighter after him and his father to kill them and at first hes shaken but then he fucking uncharacteristically laugh out loud (a bit like his dad btw) because the reason he became what he is is because his dad threw him off a cliff, awakening his devil gene, after kazuya fought him for vengeance for his mother, that his father killed, bringing it all together in a neat little ironic bow.

3) when he tells his men not to attack the overpowered street fighter character and get themselves killed, and to send him his way instead. I just love when kaz accidentaly makes himself look good, that was his whole storyline in t6, and in a way, t1

4) sex middair in his devil form

Idea for a story

kazzy loses his devil gene and has to come back on top the old fashioned human way. Hes still evil and power hungry but he HAS to have normal human emotions to succeed. Alternatively, I like when hes around for jun & jin

Unpopular opinion

I like that he came back since t4 bc hes popular and that the tekken storyline revolves around the mishima :) *harada nods* I also think he has hidden depths and that hes an interesting nuanced charact *harada shoots me dead*

Favorite relationship

love kaz and jun. would love to have the tinest crumb of what their relationship was like someday :)

also love kaz and jin. would love to have them not only interact but realize the futility of their shared hatred and their shared abuse at the hands of heihachi someday :)

Favorite headcanon

love to think that between his awful boss behavior at 28 when he was finally in charge of the zaibatsu and him now being the CEO of g corp, in the almost 20 years in spend in a tank he had a revelation that was like "wait... people work for you better when they feel respected, have sick days, and a better salary?" (he doesnt even care that much about money, what he wants is unconditional power)

[yazfmp]

WEEK 2

After the presentations in week 1, me and my classmate Keira decided to team up for our FMP. We recognised our similar art styles and love for 2D character design, so thought it would be good to collaborate and pull together a more substantial amount of work for our final year.

We came to a mutual agreement that we would work on an Art Book (idea 1 from my 3x3 project) - a 2D piece of media that would illustrate a series of characters from a shared universe within the context of a game. We both had the same goals and ideas of what we wanted to create within these project aims, such as including lots of splash art, making a hardback book with cover art, and so on - so we got started on our research.

We began looking at lots of imagery and pulling them together into a mood-board (above), until we came up with 3 main ideas that we would choose between.

Midsummer - A take on pagan/medieval artwork, focusing on themes of summer/winter solstice, pagan rituals, as well as Norse myth. Featuring lots of gold, referencing historical art from the time.

90s Horror - Exploring horror themes in the realm of 90s glam, referencing cinema and fashion statements. Female protagonist tropes, thinking about classic “slasher” films and sex appeal.

Queer History - An exploration into queer fashion history, statements and icons from years past. Referencing club kids, drag queens and the LGBTQIA+ community’s rich and eclectic history.

After finalising our idea, we moved on to secondary research focusing on the chosen theme of 90s Horror! We began creating a collaborative mood-board, gathering images to inspire the kinds of characters we could create. We are taking a lot of inspiration from movie posters from around this time, as they deliver this dynamic, vibrant and expressive mood that we want to include in our own work. We love the colour palate that most of them convey, with vivid reds, greens and blues. We also want to include dynamic typography across our splash images, which also makes movie posters a useful point of reference to see how they have been done in the past. They also mostly all include female protagonists which provides another good points of reference for us.

Some inspiring refences:

After carrying out all of our research around our chosen theme, we had come to a final concept and storyline for our game’s characters. We are going with the 1v1, platform style game, focusing on creating each character ready for “fighter” selection.

Some references from existing games that will help inform our decision making in terms of what expectations there might be for player experience when creating our characters - their physicality, stature, weapons, personality, etc.

Super Smash Bros: Brawl - this kind of platform style where characters can run around, can run off screen/stage (?)

Tekken 8 - Example of what players will see gameplay wise, this is how characters will be positioned to fight 1v1. Health bar at the top + finishing moves.

Mortal Kombat - Character selection, showing a small thumbnail of all the characters and a full version with description when clicked on/selected.

We also wrote a storyline behind our game to enforce the concept behind our characters, why they're there/being created and why this is a compelling concept that players will enjoy:

Name: TDB

Our game features 12 women with extraordinary abilities, each drawn into a deadly tournament controlled by the enigmatic and domineering Warden. Each character represents a classic horror archetype, from a vengeful vampire to a haunting siren. Their powers are closely tied to their unique identities and the history from which their stories originate.

The story centers on these women being forced to fight for survival in a high-stakes competition, where they must face not only their deadly opponents but also the dark forces that govern the tournament. The women must battle for dominance, with only one able to emerge victorious and escape the Warden’s twisted thirst for souls.

This project focuses on creating striking character designs that reflect the diverse personalities and abilities of each fighter. Through compelling horror-themed aesthetics and a polished art style, the game delivers a fresh take on the fighting genre, showcasing creativity, individuality, and the strength of its female cast.

[marcmarcmomarc]

Super Smash Bros. Fighter Presentation

MASTER HAND: The fourth game in the series is “Super Smash Bros. for Wii U” and “Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS”! For the game’s newcomers, we have a seemingly-random little guy who uses trademark, every-day tools for battle. “The Mayor of Smashville”, number 45, Villager!

Theme: Victory! Villager - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(The Villager steps to center stage and performs the Shrunk Funk Shuffle.)

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Doubutsu no Mori” for the Nintendo 64.

MASTER HAND: Next is Capcom’s mascot character, hailing from his namesake series. Though he’s had many future and alternate universe incarnations over the years, it’s “The Blue Bomber” who has come to join the fight. Welcome the Super Fighting Robot, number 46, Mega Man!

Theme: Victory! Mega Man by GB6

(Mega Man steps to center stage and pumps his arm.)

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Mega Man” for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

MASTER HAND: Next up, a pair of hard-working fitness instructors here to keep you fit. They are “The Yoga Warriors”, number 47, the Wii Fit Trainers!

Theme: Victory! Wii Fit Trainer - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(The Trainers step to center stage and perform various exercises.)

FEMALE TRAINER: Stretch those shoulders.

MALE TRAINER: Let’s get a good stretch.

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Wii Fit” for the Nintendo Wii.

MASTER HAND: Next is the head of the Comet Observatory and Guardian of the Cosmos. “The Cosmic Traveler”, number 48, Rosalina!

Theme: Victory! Rosalina & Luma - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(Rosalina floats to center stage and waves her wand.)

ROSALINA: Alright!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Super Mario Galaxy” for the Nintendo Wii.

MASTER HAND: Sharing this fighter number and also from this game is her adoptive son, Luma.

(Rosalina taps her son with the wand. Luma chirps.)

MASTER HAND: Next is the underdog pint-sized powerhouse champion “Bruiser from the Bronx”, who once took down Mike Tyson in his prime. Meet number 49, Little Mac!

Theme: Victory! Little Mac - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(Doc Louis steps to and around center stage holding a sandbag as Little Mac aggressively beats it into next week.)

DOC: It’s your time, Mac! Show ‘em what you got, baby!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, "Punch-Out!!" for Arcade.

MASTER HAND: Next, the Ninja Pokémon and final evolution of Froakie, the water starter of the Kalos region. A sneaky, creepy, and highly skilled humanoid frog ninja boasting the Water/Dark type. He is “The Master of Stealth”, number 50, Greninja!

Theme: Victory! Greninja by Groovy Monkey Music

(Greninja stands upright, clasps its hands together, and assumes a ninjutsu stance.)

GRENINJA: Gre. Nin.

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Pokémon X and Y” for the Nintendo 3DS.

MASTER HAND: Next are Nintendo’s customizable avatars, a staple since the days of the Wil. They are “The Fighters of Many Faces”, the Mii Fighters!

Theme: Classic Mode Clear - Super Smash Bros. 4

(The Mii Fighters step to center stage.)

CRAZY HAND: While their first appearance is on the Nintendo Wii’s Mii Channel, their first in-game appearance is “Wii Sports” for the Nintendo Wii.

MASTER HAND: The Miis come in three varieties with their own movesets. Number 51, Mii Brawler...

(Mii Brawler forms a grounded stance, then punches twice using alternating arms.)

MASTER HAND: ...number 52, Mii Swordfighter...

(Mii Swordfighter poses with his sword facing upwards while balancing on one foot.)

MASTER HAND: ...and number 53, Mii Gunner!

(Mii Gunner uses her free hand to hold the arm cannon, aims it left, slightly kneeling down in a “readying” pose, then aims right, with the arm cannon slightly angled higher.)

MASTER HAND: Next, “The Goddess of Light” and ruler of Skyworld is number 54, Lady Palutena!

Theme: Victory! Palutena by DIMON • CAMI

(Palutena floats to center stage and briefly spins her staff in front of herself telekinetically, catches it, and stands with it pointed outwards.)

PALUTENA: Too bad for you.

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Kid Icarus” for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

MASTER HAND: Next is Namco’s classic mascot character and arguably the first true mascot of gaming itself. “The Yellow Bane of Ghosts”, number 55, Pac-Man!

Theme: Victory! Pac-Man - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(Pac-Man jumps out of his round munching shape, lands at center stage, winks, and performs a thumbs-up.)

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Pac-Man” for Arcade!

MASTER HAND: The next fighter comes from the continent of Ylisse and is a very distant descendant of Marth. Welcome the first of the Echo Fighters, Marth’s Echo Fighter, “The Warrior From a Doomed Future”, number 21e, Lucina!

Theme: Victory! Lucina by GB6

(Lucina steps to center stage and twirls the Parallel Falchion.)

LUCINA: The future is not written!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Fire Emblem: Awakening” for the Nintendo 3DS.

MASTER HAND: Also from this game is the swords-person who woke up in a field one day with no recollection of their life other than their name. They are “The Tactician Magician”, number 56, Robin!

Theme: Victory! Robin - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(Both Robins steps to center stage. Male Robin points his currently held sword upward.)

MALE ROBIN: Time to tip the scales!

(Female Robin does the same.)

FEMALE ROBIN: Let’s go!

MASTER HAND: Next is a young Homs engineering student from Colony 9, who took on the legendary Monado after a devastating attack by the Mechon brought chaos to his hometown. He is “The Visionary”, number 57, Shulk!

Theme: Victory! Shulk - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(Shulk steps to center stage and grips the Monado's handle with his right hand while triumphantly pumping his left fist.)

SHULK: I’m really feeling it!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Xenoblade Chronicles” for the Nintendo Wii.

MASTER HAND: I suppose now is a good time to bring up Olimar’s alternate skin, another space traveler that hails from the planet Koppai, “The Astronaut in Training”, Alph!

Theme: Victory! Alph by GB6

(Alph steps to center stage and joyfully jumps in place.)

ALPH: Yo-ho!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Pikmin 3” for the Nintendo Wii U.

MASTER HAND: Alongside the Winged Pikmin from the same game! Next is the not-really-evil counterpart of Pit who was created when Pandora used the Mirror of Truth with the intention of getting her own Pit to serve her needs. He is “The Dark-Winged Doppelgänger”, Pit’s Echo Fighter, number 28e, Dark Pit!

Theme: Victory! Dark Pit - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(Dark Pit steps to center stage, turns around a bit, then points with his right blade.)

DARK PIT: Can’t help but feel sorry for you!

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Kid Icarus: Uprising”, for the Nintendo 3DS.

MASTER HAND: Next is Bowser’s beloved son, a crafty, scheming young prince who holds a strong emotional attraction to Peach and a thirst to defeat Mario to make his father proud of him. Meet “The Prince of the Koopas”, number 58, Bowser Jr.!

Theme: Victory! Bowser Jr. by GB6

(Bowser Jr. rolls to center stage in his Junior Clown Car and twirls a hammer.)

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Super Mario Sunshine” for the Nintendo GameCube. His Junior Clown Car made its debut in “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” for the Nintendo Wii.

MASTER HAND: His alternate skins are the seven Koopalings.

Theme: Victory! Koopalings by GB6

MASTER HAND: “The Youngest”, Larry! “The Cool One”, Roy! “The Bold Beauty”, Wendy! “The Laughing Prankster”, Iggy! “The Enforcer”, Morton! “The Wacky War Machine”, Lemmy! And “The Pompous Prodigy”, Ludwig!

(They all twirl their wands.)

CRAZY HAND: Their first appearance is “Super Mario Bros. 3” for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

MASTER HAND: Next are a duo composed of a trollish dog and a duck that has left behind its life as a target. “A Unique Group”, number 59, the Duck Hunt Duo!

Theme: Victory! Duck Hunt Duo - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

(The dog lays on his side and does his infamous laugh, while the duck flies next to him.)

CRAZY HAND: First appearance, “Duck Hunt” for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

[hivemindmoshpit]

With my thesis project in full swing, I think it's about time I announce the name of my project... ZERO TO 100!

Inspired by tabletop card games like Pokemon and MTG, as well as platform fighters like Super Smash Bros and Rivals of Aether, Zero to 100 aims to combine the gameplay elements featured in both genres into a new and exciting card/fighting game experience. Will I have a working prototype ready by the end of my thesis? I certainly hope. But will I at least have some prototypes of what it WOULD look like as a finished card game? Hell yeah. I'll be saving the most exciting stuff for when my thesis is fully presented, but I will be posting some smaller things to build up hype. Expect some character references soon... Zero to 100 has been something I have been brainstorming for about 2 years now, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it come to life. I'm really excited to work on this and I hope you're excited to see what I'm working on!! <3

[mysmashultimate]

### Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Trailer

#### Trailer

The trailer opens with chaos in a cityscape where various fighters are engaged in intense battles. Suddenly, Deadpool breaks the fourth wall, stepping into the scene with his trademark humor and bravado, brandishing his katanas and ready for action.

**Tagline:** "Deadpool: Maximum Mayhem!"

### Deadpool's Moveset

#### Special Moves

- **Neutral Special: Bang! Bang! Bang!**

Deadpool fires his dual pistols rapidly in front of him. The shots travel quickly but have limited range.

- **Side Special: Katana Slash**

Deadpool lunges forward with his katanas, slashing opponents multiple times. This move can be angled slightly up or down for aerial targets.

- **Up Special: Teleport Slam**

Deadpool teleports a short distance in any direction and slams down with force, creating shockwaves upon landing that knock opponents away.

- **Down Special: Chimichanga Grenade**

Deadpool throws a chimichanga-shaped grenade that explodes after a short delay, dealing damage and launching opponents caught in the blast radius.

#### Final Smash: Maximum Deadpool

Deadpool breaks the fourth wall completely, summoning multiple versions of himself from different universes. They unleash a barrage of attacks together, overwhelming opponents with chaotic slashes, gunshots, and explosions.

### Taunts

1. **Taunt 1:** Deadpool strikes a pose and says, "Hey you! Yeah, you! You like my moves?"

2. **Taunt 2:** Deadpool takes out a taco, takes a bite, and says, "Mmm, delicious victory."

3. **Taunt 3:** Deadpool pulls out a mirror and pretends to fix his mask, saying, "Gotta look good for my adoring fans."

### Victory Poses

1. **Victory Pose 1:** Deadpool does a victory dance, waving his katanas in the air and laughing.

2. **Victory Pose 2:** Deadpool leans on his katanas and delivers a witty one-liner to the camera.

3. **Victory Pose 3:** Deadpool takes a selfie with defeated opponents in the background, making a funny face.

### Kirby Hat

When Kirby inhales Deadpool, he gains Deadpool's mask and red-and-black outfit, along with the ability to use **Bang! Bang! Bang!**.

### Defeat Pose

Deadpool sprawls on the ground dramatically, then quickly sits up and quips, "Ah well, there's always next time!"

### Classic Mode Name

**"Merc with a Smash"**

Deadpool’s Classic Mode route involves battling antiheroes and mercenaries from various universes, culminating in a humorous and chaotic showdown against Master Hand and Crazy Hand.

### Stage

**"Danger Room"**

A stage set in the Danger Room, featuring holographic simulations of different environments and enemies. The stage periodically shifts and changes, presenting dynamic challenges and hazards.

### Attributes

- **Weight Class:** Middleweight

- **Height:** Medium

- **Speed:** Fast

### Victory Song

A fun and upbeat remix combining Deadpool's theme with a mix of rock and comic-inspired tunes, reflecting his unpredictable and irreverent nature.

With Deadpool in the fray, players can enjoy his unique blend of humor, combat skills, and fourth-wall-breaking antics, bringing maximum mayhem to the battlefield!

[onenettvchannel]

BALITANG TEKNOLOHIYA: Warner Brother Games' free-to-play fighting game 'MultiVersus' launch at the end of May 2024, brings together with the DC, Cartoon Network and WBD-related character properties

(Written by Ridley Terrance / Contributed News Reporter of OneNETnews and Master Control for ONC)

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA -- Warner Brothers Games (WBG) and Cartoon Network Studios (CNS) officially launched a free-to-play crossover fighting game 'MultiVersus', per inspiration of Nintendo's "Super Smash Brothers" on Tuesday morning (May 28th, 2024 -- Pacific local time) for both consoles and personal computer (PC) gaming systems.

The one and only Free-to-Play gaming platform fighter brings together an eclectic mix of main protagonist characters from various Warner Brothers-Discovery (WBD) franchises, including Cartoon Network animated shows in America, promising endless fictional-wise entertainment and a fresh take on the genre.

'MultiVersus' offers colorful and lively combat with its ever-expanding list of the fictional protagonist characters. Among the stars are 'Steven Quartz Universe' and 'Garnet' from the show "Steven Universe", accompanied with Norville "Shaggy" Rogers & Velma Dinkley from "Scooby-Doo". They bring in their best styles and abilities to fight each other. Their involvement is in recognition of iconic series in the Cartoon Network and present the game's diversity in its character designs.

Gaming mode of options in competitive matches such as 'Player vs. Environment' and 'Player vs. Player' battles each other with your favorite protagonists and villains alike on both properties, whether if you are a solo, groups or professional E-Sports players. 'MultiVersus' took inspiration from the above Nintendo game, per the millennium release of early 2000s. They share common match mechanics beginning from basic attacks up to special moves, double jumping and even dodging. However, having its own set of rules and character dynamics allows it to give a fresh spin to the concept of crossover fighting games.

With its rich roster, engaging gameplay and innovative features in the industry of gaming, 'MultiVersus' is set to become a staple in the new fighting game community. Players can expect fresh new updates regularly from the gaming developer 'Player First Games', with new characters, maps and stages; keeping the excitement alive for months to come.

'MultiVersus' is now available free-to-play worldwide on your PlayStation and XBox-supported consoles & launcher stores for PC gaming systems on Steam and Epic Games via Windows 10 or 11.

EDITOR's NOTE: Originally published on May 30th, 2024. But due to summer vacation in the Philippines, we rescheduled it from today's article publishing. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

FILE PHOTO COURTESY: Google Images SPECIAL THANKS to DJ Unikitty (formerly ColeThePony in Canada) for sending us a gaming news tip!

SOURCE: *https://x.com/multiversus/status/1794896358073303541 [Referenced X Network Captioned Post via MultiVersus] *https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/warner-bros-games-launches-multiversus [Referenced PR News Article via Warner Bros. Discovery Pressroom] *https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/multiversus-vs-super-smash-bros-similarities-differences-explored [Referenced Editorial Article via Sportskeeda] and *https://www.ign.com/wikis/multiversus/Characters [Referenced Character Listings via Imagine Games Network]

-- OneNETnews Online Publication Team

[jcmarchi]

Possessor(s) Is A Side-Scrolling Action Game From The Devs Behind Hyper Light Drifter And Solar Ash

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/possessors-is-a-side-scrolling-action-game-from-the-devs-behind-hyper-light-drifter-and-solar-ash/

Possessor(s) Is A Side-Scrolling Action Game From The Devs Behind Hyper Light Drifter And Solar Ash

Heart Machine, the team behind Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash, has revealed Possessor(s), a side-scrolling action game coming to consoles and PC next year. Revealed during today’s Devolver Digital presentation and teased earlier this week, Possessor(s) features action combat inspired by platform fighters like Super Smash Bros. set in a quarantined city destroyed by interdimensional catastrophe. 

In Possessor(s), you control Luca, the host, and Rehm, her less-than-cooperative counterpart as the two venture through a sprawling metropolis filled with collapsed skyscrapers to explore and secrets to uncover. Devolver says the narrative features multiple paths in an “open-ended world structure” as players attempt to learn the truth behind the catastrophe that has wrecked the city (and seemingly the world). 

[embedded content]

“Gameplay is centered around tight, fast-paced platforming with a range of unique movement abilities that extends to its tense, precise combat,” a press release for Possessor(s) reads. “Balance ground and air attacks, replete with combos and juggles as you encounter a variety of deadly enemies and challenging bosses.”

Throughout Possessor(s), players will discover upgrades that allow Luca and Rehm to explore previously inaccessible areas, nodding toward a potential Metroidvania-style city layout. 

Here are some Possessor(s) screenshots: 

Possessor(s) hits consoles and PC in 2025, presumably after Heart Machine’s other in-development game, Hyper Light Breaker, hits PC this year. 

What do you think of this Possessor(s) reveal? Let us know in the comments below!

[bellmo15-blog]

Will I Ever Be As Hyped For A New Smash Game Again?

No, probably not. Thank you and goodnight.

…………….. Okay, to all the people who stayed and actually care about what I have to say allow me to say thank you for actually giving a shit about what I have to say. And also allow me to say that me saying that I don’t think I’ll be as excited for a new Smash game as much as I was for Ultimate isn’t some sort of result of me becoming cynical or anything. Nor was it even a result of Ultimate being disappointing because it wasn’t. I love Ultimate and in the five and a half years it’s been out that hasn’t changed. Rather, I think the reason I won’t be as hyped for a new Smash Bros game as I was for Ultimate can be answered with another question. Where the Hell do you even go with this series from here?

The whole reason I was even as hyped for Super Smash Bros Ultimate in the first place was because of its main selling point. “Everyone is here!” Every single character who was ever playable in a previous Smash game was going to be playable in Ultimate regardless of if they were from third party franchises, only ever made one appearance in a game before hand or were previously DLC in Wii U and 3DS on top of the new characters we would be getting. No one was going to be left out. It was, for lack of a better term, the Ultimate Smash Bros experience. THIS was the whole reason I was as into Ultimate leading up to and after its release! And the best part is that every character felt good to play as two! Unlike previous games none of them felt really that overpowered unless you were playing with Spirit’s enabled, they all felt balanced and even characters who were literal jokes in the past like Pichu were actually good… I mean Pichu still hurts himself in this game if you use his electric attacks but still. I actually watched that overview trailer from Nintendo 2018 E3 presentation again while writing this and I cannot begin to tell you the amount of nostalgia I got just from watching that. And it was only half a decade ago two! The moment Solid Snake showed up in that trailer and the words “Everyone is here” showed on screen I knew my hype was justified.

This also meant that realistically, all kinds of people who play this game should have been pleased. Those who take these games very seriously, main specific character who might not be in every game and have a deep, deep, DEEP passion for this series to the point where they will play on nothing but Omega Stages with items off and normal human beings who just want to play a fun crossover game! And when the game eventually did come out, I felt like my hype paid off. I loved it! It was tied with Red Dead Redemption 2 as my personal favourite game that came out in 2018. I cleared every single challenge on the challenge board, 100%ed World of Light, got every single spirit before more were added via the DLC or free updates, cleared every characters classic mode routes, brought both Fighters Passes meaning I got every DLC character instantly and brought all of the Mii costumes especially because, come on, do I even have to say what characters that I really love some of those costumes belonged to?

Was it a perfect game? Of course not! No game is truly perfect. For as much as I love that every single character from past games was playable the way the roster is laid out where they are organized by when they first appeared in a Smash game instead of the characters being grouped together by series like in the past is something I will never come to love especially when the “Ready to Fight” text blocks half of the roster as well. Also, not every single stage made it into this game either. I mean some of the absent stages I don’t really miss that much anyway especially FUCKING YOU *Looks at Rumble Falls* but still. Not to mention for as much as I love that we got the Codex Calls back for if you’re playing as Snake on Shadow Mosses Island it’s only for the characters who were in Brawl and no new ones were added despite the fact that David Hayter admitted he would have been more than happy to record new conversations. Oh and of course Trophies > Spirits because at least the Trophies in the previous games actually told you some of the lore of those characters and series.

Even with those few issues I do have Ultimate is still in my opinion of the best and most complete Smash games in the series and one where my hype for it was more than justified. And by the time we got the final DLC character of Sora I asked myself “So… now what? Where does this series go from here? How are they going to top a game whose whole gimmick was that everyone was here?”

Yes, my whole reason for thinking I won’t be as hyped for a new Smash game if we ever get one as I was for this particular Smash is because it would be very hard to top a game that basically did what Mortal Kombat Armageddon tried to do but better and without feeling the need to compromise anything like MK Armageddon did! We might never get another game where every character is playable again. Because for a lot of these characters, mainly the third party ones, Sakraui really had to go out of his way to even get the rights to use them in the first place. I mean Sora alone cost the guy SO MUCH money just to get him into the game allegedly. Hell, I’m more impressed he managed to get BOTH Cloud and Sephiroth as well as the four variants of Hero in this game considering Square Enix when they did allow Cloud in Wii U and 3DS only allowed two Final Fantasy songs on the Midgar stage which came off to me as if Square was being WAY to strict with their properties.

If we ever do get another Smash game chances are high that we might not get every single character in it like we did with Ultimate. And I know for a fact that is going to upset A LOT of people. Especially if a character that doesn’t make it in is someone they typically main for one reason or another. Is that going to make the game bad over all? God no, of course not! Because as long as the game itself is fun and I’m having a good time with it then I’m not really going to be bothered to much if my man Robin really doesn’t make it into the next game somehow. But I know that it likely won’t ever reach that same level of hype that Ultimate did, at least for me.

And again, that’s even assuming we DO get another Smash game! Because with everything Ultimate includes and tried doing I personally believe this might actually be the last Smash Bros game! Or at least, the last one we are going to be getting for a long time. Sakurai has to know a new game might not be able to top this one and he might want to work on some other stuff until he get’s motivated to make a new Smash. Which honestly, I can totally buy if that is the reason and even respect it. Double so if it’s a new Kid Icarus game because I loved Uprising and it’s been a while since we got a new Kid Icarus game. At least that’s what I personally would want. Or maybe he just doesn’t want to make another Smash for a long time because of how God awful the fandom is and doesn’t want to put up with the harassment and bullshit from it any longer just because he dared to put in a new character that wasn’t on all of those copy pasted “TOP 10 CHARACTERS THAN NEED TO BE IN SMASH BROS” lists and videos. Which I also totally get if that is the reason we might not get a new Smash for a while and it sucks that Sakurai had to go though all that shit! I do not envy game developers if you couldn’t tell.