This was yet another truly Smashing week! The highlights were the new item and the newest assist trophy, but it also had some gems discussing increased gameplay nuance. Granted, there were no new Brawlers announced, but I frankly expect it will be a while before that happens again, especially so soon after the Direct. To make up for that, we have a fun new Most Wanted Brawler I cooked up for you all.
But enough blabbing! Let’s get Smashing!
Is there any better start to the week than Midna? I say no. Why? ‘Cause Midna was the best thing to come out of Twilight Princess. Granted, it’s not news she’s an Assist Trophy, but I just find her adorable and chaotic. Just what Smash needs more of!
Okay, so Tuesday was also a bit of recap, but it went into more details about Tether Recovery. I’ll let Sakurai explain for me – “Tether recovery? Yes, you can! And from even longer range than before. Multiple fighters can latch on–who actually grabs hold is determined by the same rules as the standard ledge grab.” This updated mechanic is sure to make Samus and Link fans happy, and Olimar fans sad… But don’t cry! The next screen is a keeper.
As cute as Midna is, she’s got nothing on this picture. I honestly don’t know who is cutest. I would venture Toon Link, but Marth with fox ears is pretty funny. Peach is inherently cute, so I say she’s disqualified. Either way, I love this introduction of a new item! The Super Leaf of Mario fame is now an item, granting the power to hover to Brawlers! And possibly tail whip them. Thus continues the trend of new items introduced to give Little Mac an advantage to make up for his aerial weakness. I’m on to you, Sakurai…
Wow. Creepy. I’m sad to say I brely remember Orne from Kid Icarus: Uprising. Maybe it was so terrifying I blocked it out? Regardless, let’s hear what Sakurai has to say – “The menacing foe, Orne! It inflicts devastating damage–it’s even more powerful than the Ultimate Chimera in the last game. RUNNN!!” So there we have it. I may not know Orne well, but I’m well versed in the next reveal…
FINALLY!! I’ve been saying for a while the new Smash needs more eShop representation, and now we get Dillon as an Assist Trophy! I would have preferred him as a Brawler, but I love his inclusion all the same. The description just makes it all the better – “We didn’t introduce ALL of the Assist Trophies in the Smash Bros. Direct. Here’s Dillon from Dillon’s Rolling Western!! He may rival Sonic in the art of rolling.” Take THAT Sonic! Armadillo for the win!
But that’s not all! Stay tuned for another eShop related Most Wanted Brawler!
Most Wanted Brawler
I’ve been saying for a while that the characters in most need of a Smash Bros. introduction are those from the wealth of unique 3DS eShop titles. Mallo from Pushmo, Tempo from HarmoKnight, Dillon, the Hero from Sakura Samurai, and, of course, the heroine of Mighty Switch Force! – Patricia Wagon.
Hailing from not one, but two separate eShop titles, Mighty Switch Force!and Mighty Switch Force! 2 developed by WayForward, Patricia could make for a very interesting character. Besides being full of spunk, she could also alternate between two distinct yet similar play styles. Granted, the Direct said no more split Brawlers, such as Zelda/Shiek and Samus/ZSS, but I see Patricia playing somewhat differently than that. Her moves would remain mostly the same, but her Down B would switch her between her blaster and her trusty fire hose. Instead of changing her entire moveset, it would only affect her neutral B attacks, allowing her to be a more technical fighter.
By using neutral B, you could fire either blaster shots or a stream of water. Both would inflict damage, but the blaster would do more damage and move in slower succession. The water stream would work similar to Mario’s FLUDD, but would actually deal a bit of damage, say around 1% every 10 seconds or so, as well as stunning foes temporarily and pushing them back. Additionally, the water stream could cancel out certain projectiles.
However, Patricia is more than just attitude and a blaster. She is also part of a team! Thus, her Up B recovery would summon her trusty robotic ally, Corporal Gendarmor, who would fly up, deposit Pat inside his protective chest cavity, and fly at an upward angle. At a certain point, he would blast her out safely, firing her like a cannonball. Additionally, while flying, Pat would be immune to any damage, making this recovery especially potent as an evasion move.
I had a lot of trouble thinking of a Side B move, since those I described are essentially all of her moves in the Mighty Switch Force series. However, the one I haven’t touched upon is her ability to manipulate blocks in the foreground and background. So for her Side B, Pat would charge forward, and at the end of her dash, a block would burst forward from the background to hit anything and anyone in front of her. This would smash boxes, knock opponent’s senseless, or, at higher damage, Smash them off the stage.
For her Final Smash, Pat would call upon her allies, the Hooligan Sisters, to assist her in a move I would call the Hooligan Hustle! The reformed bad girls would rush onto the stage, hurling bombs at foes, lighting fires and causing all sorts of chaos. Pat wouldn’t have any invincibility frame during this, but the ensuing havoc would give her plenty of opportunities to deal damage. Better yet, if she douses flames from the Hooligan Sister’s chaos, it causes a smokescreen, obscuring the TV and giving her more breathing room. She could also blast bombs straight at foes, surprising them and causing major damage.
So, it might not be likely, but I would love to see this version of Patricia Wagon in the next Smash Bros. And after seeing Greninja become a Brawler, who knows what’s possible?
