With the North American and European releases of the 3DS version of Super Smash Bros finally upon us, some of our more passionate fans of the series thought it would be fun to discuss who we’re planning on using as our main characters. Sure, we all play as everyone at one time or another, but there’s always that one character that each player uses the most and gets particularly good with. Smash 3DS will be no exception, and there’s no shortage of potential with such a large roster. With that, let’s take a look at who caught our eyes. And, yes, there’s a bit of overlap here in our entries, but, if it gets to be a problem, that’s just something we can settle in Smash.
Shulk
Chris Stollings: Since the early days of Melee, I have mained Marth. He was suggested to me by a friend when I first started, as he knows I play faster characters and have an unhealthy interest in swords. That will all change now with Shulk in the mix. In most other games, I have been a jack-of-all-trades; able to do something useful in any specific moment, and Shulk seems to do that perfectly. His ability to change his attributes to fit the situation, such as increased jump or launching power at the cost of something else, intrigues me to no end. So, while I am always going to be a Marth player at heart, I am looking forward to mastering Shulk due to his ability to adapt to being thrown into combat with this cast of characters — each with their own unique powers and abilities.
Justin Guillou: Out of all the newcomers, I really want to play and main Shulk from Xenoblade Chronicles. He is one of my favorite characters from one of my favorite games. Most importantly, his play style looks incredibly fun. There has been a lot of debate over the supposed abundance of sword wielders in the new Smash Bros. While there is a decent amount of characters that can slice Pikachu in half (sorry for the gruesome image), they all have their own fighting style that makes them stand out. This is especially true for Shulk. His defining ability is to switch the mode or symbol on the Monado — he has five modes which are (thankfully) color-coded to make it easier for those who are unfamiliar with Japanese Kanji. Each mode temporarily buffs Shulk in a certain way. It can increase his attack, speed, defense, launch power or jumping height while sacrificing one or more of those stats. It may sound rather complex in a game that prides itself on being a fighter that is simple to play and easy to get into, but I think it really works and adds a whole new layer of depth. Besides, it’s not like you are forced to use it.
Shulk’s moveset is so varied that, even if you don’t take advantage of his Monado modes, you will still have plenty of options to attack and defend yourself. His counter of vision move, in particular, looks sweet, and his Back Slash will be nice for punishing your opponent. In addition to Shulk, I actually really wanted to see Melia as a playable character in Smash. In Xenoblade Chronicles, she was very fun to play as, since her skills involved buffing herself and the party by summoning elements. When she was fully ready, she could unleash a massive attack that dealt absurd amounts of damage. I thought this kind of buffing/attacking gameplay could have been interesting to see in Smash, so I was a bit disappointed when I found out she would not be in it. However, to see a similar kind of gameplay adapted into Shulk’s Monado skills makes me very happy. I look forward to winning as him!
Mega Man
Josh Speer: OK, this might seem redundant, since I’ve gone on and on about how amazing Mega Man is in Smash Bros. But I’m here today to reiterate why I plan on maining the Blue Bomber in Smash Bros for the 3DS and Wii U. First of all, I like challenging-to-master underdog characters. Given the number of folks already complaining about how difficult he is to play, or giving up on him in favor of a more broken character *cough* Marth *cough*, he definitely qualifies. Secondly, I have a rabid obsession with Mega Man dating back to my NES childhood days. But, honestly, I just think Mega Man is cool. I love how he has such a diverse skill set, both in his own games and in Smash Bros. He’s so well-equipped to deal with numerous problems and look cool and confident while doing it. Also, I just have gotten really used to his moves playing the Smash demo and am already causing mayhem against the other four currently available Brawlers. So, there you have it. Mega Man might not be the only character I main in Smash Bros, but he will certainly be at the top of my list, at least until they announce Vile as a playable character…
Villager
Dalton McClain: I’ll be the first to admit it: I have a horrible habit when it comes to picking my main Smash Bros characters. I tend to pick really overpowered characters. In the past, I have played a number of OP characters ranging anywhere from Kirby to Captain Falcon, and even Jigglypuff. However, in honor of Super Smash Bros 4, I have decided to pick a new character; the Villager. On the surface, this character may not seem like much, but, deep down, he is a cold-blooded psycho. With his B attack, he can pick up any projectile and use it against his opponent, even other Villagers’ items! This could prove to be extremely useful, seeing as, when most of my friends play, it’s usually with items. This may not be as useful competitively, but it’s still pretty cool. He also gets a short invincibility boost by doing so, which is pretty awesome. In the Villager’s Final Smash, he summons the Nooks, and they build a house over whatever opponents were within range. It then launches the players caught in the house. He’s very fun to use and has a lot of really strong moves that are extremely easy to pull off, so why not give him a shot? You might just be pleasantly surprised by the sheer power.
Ike
Brandon Rose: Robin, Shulk, Greninja, Little Mac, Mega Man, Pac-Man… With all of these exciting new characters joining the ranks, it’s easy to overlook the returning members of the cast. I say we should be getting just as excited about them, as well! We’ve seen improvements all around so far from Zero Suit Samus’s rocket heels to Bowser’s posture. This all makes me wonder, what is to become of the Radiant Hero?
Ike was my go-to in Brawl. The sheer power behind every swing of Ragnell could send people on a one-way flight to KOs-ville before they knew it, and that made him exciting both to play as and to play against. In Brawl, there was little more satisfying than catching everyone in a free-for-all by surprise with Ike’s Smash attacks. With what I’ve seen of Smash Bros 4 so far between live streams, videos and playing the demo for myself, the game seems faster and more responsive than its predecessor. I can only imagine how ferocious Ike has become.
Fast forward to today, and Ike has classed up from Ranger to Hero, and that new look now better fits his bruiser play style than it did in Brawl. Is that raw power still at play in the sequel? Is he faster? Stronger? More fighting-for-his-friends-y? Simply wondering how one of my favorites has changed between games is enough to excite me. I simply can’t wait to clear out a crowd with him again (you can tell I don’t write for the website often, can’t you).
Plus, Ragnell now emitting blue flames instead of regular ol’ red pleases the Fire Emblem fan in me. I love it when little aesthetic elements reflect the characters and their origins.
Rosalina and Luma
Tyler Lubben: When it comes to deciding who I’m going to main in each Smash Bros game, I usually follow my gut. From Fox in the original game, to Mario in Melee, to King Dedede in Brawl, it tends to be a snap decision that I make prior to release. Smash Bros for 3DS and Wii U was no different. Initially, none of the new contenders were really tickling my fancy, but when I first saw Rosalina’s announcement trailer, I knew immediately that she’d be my new main.
I found her use of Lumas during combat particularly fascinating. I look forward to the prospect of laying down the hurt with a Luma while staying a safe distance away. Of course, this is all the more interesting because I’ve never been particularly good with similar characters like Ice Climbers and Olimar who rely on the help of some partner or minion to be viable, so I’m hoping Rosalina will be able to hold her own, even if she’s without a Luma. Either way, I’m committed to getting good with her, even if I’m going outside of my usual comfort zone. Even after finding that that my most-wanted brawler, Bowser Jr., will be in the game, I’ll still be sticking with the intergalactic princess.
Plus, Rosalina just has that certain… je ne sais quoi that Peach simply doesn’t offer.
With 48 characters to choose from in the new game, it’s obvious that we only scratched the surface of potential Smash goodness. Of course, this is just a gut reaction to the roster as it stands now. Some of our opinions very well may change after we’ve tried our hands at all the new characters. How about you? Who in the new roster are you looking forward to laying waste to your opponents with in the new game when it hits store shelves tomorrow? Let us know in the comments!
Special thanks to Brandon Rose for the awesome image up top.
Super Smash Bros for 3DS and Wii U are available for pre-order on Amazon:
