With this Smashing Saturdays, I can hear the bell tolling. It’s almost Smash o’clock, and I’m going crazier by the minute! On the plus side, that means my creative juices are flowing, so hopefully you’ll all enjoy the unusual Most Wanted Brawler I came up with for the next couple of weeks. Additionally, I’ll cover the fighter bios, music, stages and Assist Trophies this week. So let’s stop talking and get Smashing!
It’s kind of fitting we start this week with Diddy Kong, since I literally was dreaming about a possible DLC reveal for Dixie Kong yesterday morning. No, I don’t need to be committed, I just need Smash Ultimate in my hot little hands. Diddy has always been second banana (I’m so sorry) to Donkey Kong, except for the brief moment in time where he was uber, right before he got the shit nerfed out of him with updates. But even now, the little guy is a distinct and crazy brawler. What he lacks in brute strength he makes up for with maneuverability and range. Sure, half his attacks are liable to kill him, but that’s just part of his charm. One nice change is that his Final Smash looks much more powerful than it used to be. Don’t discount Diddy, or you’ll regret it.
You can easily make the argument that Lucas is the better brawler than Ness. Hell, technically speaking it might be true. But that doesn’t change the love I have for Ness, deep in my soul. Having said that, I’m more than accustomed to getting the crap kicked out of me when facing Lucas while playing Ness, but that’s okay. This Echo fighter may be physically fiercer than Ness, but Ness is still better at PK juggling. So snake or no snake, I prefer the original psychic schoolboy.
They’re always adding more music to Smash Bros., but the latest song is a really fantastic one. It’s also a wordy one, since it’s called Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 Trailer BGM from The Legend of Zelda series. That’s a mouthful. It’s composed by Ryo Nagamatsu, and it features orchestral sequences that are stunning and overall sounds like it could be from a live action movie. Just take a listen here.
Suzaku Castle is an interesting stage. It feels both wide open and cramped at the same time. It’s far from my favorite, but I’m not sure what stage I would prefer from the Street Fighter series. One nice touch is it features songs from 16 different iconic characters from the Street Fighter series. So if you love Ryu and Ken, you’re sure to appreciate this stage.
You never know what’s gonna make it into the series as an Assist Trophy, but even knowing that, I didn’t see this one coming. None other than the Flies & Hand have come from Mario Paint to Smash Ultimate. The bugs will buzz around and the hand will swat them. Just be careful you don’t get swatted along with them! Cause that is sure to hurt…
I’ve loved Yoshi since Yoshi’s Island, and that goes double for how he plays in Smash Bros. Inexperienced players complain about his lack of a real recovery move, but they don’t know how much airtime Mario’s valiant steed can get with his Flutter Jump. And he can do a ton of damage with his shoes and tail! If you paid close attention to this trailer, you might have noticed another upgrade to Yoshi. His eggs bounce off the ground! That could be a game changer for my favorite dinosaur.
But that’s not all! Stick around for the next Most Wanted Brawler, straight from Fire Emblem Awakening!
Most Wanted Brawler
Walhart
Originally I was going to do today’s Most Wanted Brawler as a different Fire Emblem representative. I wanted to do Nowi, since I love the dragon characters in the series. But then I realized dragons are mostly covered by the inclusion of Corrin. Then I thought to myself, what do I most want more of in Smash Bros.? The answer was easy, I love villains! So how about the crimson crustacean himself, Emperor Walhart! Not only would he help round out the roster by being a villain, but he could also represent two of the unused weapons from the Weapon Triangle – Axes and Lances! Play-wise he would be somewhat slow moving, powerful and able to shrug off minor attacks with his epic defense.
In Fire Emblem Awakening, Walhart is a beast of a character. He’s relatively fast, he’s strong, and most of his attacks have a very good chance to KO your favorite characters with ease. Even worse, he can shrug off most attacks with skills like Aegis and Prescience. While that might be a bit unfair in Smash Ultimate, I think he could still show off his brutal nature with his attacks. They would have to show off his skill with lances and axes as well, especially his signature Axe, Wolf Berg. His Neutral B would be Wolf Berg, and serve as a projectile attack, since it’s a ranged axe. I could see him tossing it forwards or, by holding B, would alternate to a brutal rising axe attack instead. His Side B would involve a Brave Lance, and would be a brutal multi-hit stabbing attack, launching Walhart forwards. His Up B would be a powerful uppercut with his gauntleted fist. And for his Down B, it would have to be Conquest. It would be a counter that would reduce incoming damage by half, having Walhart reciprocate with his hidden sword, Sol. Half of the damage done by Conquest would be turned into healing for the emperor, making it a unique and dangerous counter. As for his Final Smash, it would start with Walhart rushing forward on his mounted horse. Upon connecting with a foe, the screen would change, showing Walhart signaling for his Valmese army to rush forward, hacking and slashing all foes to pieces, resulting in a devastating blow.
I think Walhart is one of the most intimidating villains from Fire Emblem, with an iconic look and powerful attacks. I think he would make an incredible addition to Smash Bros., and hope against hope to see him announced as DLC. Be sure to join us next week for the final Smashing Saturdays, with one last Most Wanted Brawler!
