Smash Advent Calendar - Day 5 - Jigglypuff

Jigglypuff is a strange character. She has appeared in every single Smash Bros. game to date, the first two in which she was the first unlockable character and then for no discernible reason was a hidden unlockable in Brawl. She was in the public spotlight when the first game came out, being a recurring character in the TV series but it seems like since then she has just become a Smash Bros. tradition. Of course, that's no complaint, she's universally loved. It's almost certain she'll make a comeback this time, so let's begin the analysis!

Jigglypuff has been a very up and down character as far as tiers go. She's jumped around the Melee tier list a fair bit but ended up being one of the very best in the game whilst her Brawl incarnation fell towards the bottom of the rankings. In Melee she was a force to be reckoned with: she could jump 5 times, which not only meant good recovery but also incredible aerial control. This was augmented by the precision of her movements as she followed your control stick like a magnet. Her air attacks were second to none, most being very hefty blows with little recovery, especially her Back+A, and this allowed her to chase foes with ease and create a tight wall of pain. Not only that, but against quick falling characters she could combo from a grab into her deadly Down+B at certain percentages, meaning KOs came fast against Fox and Falco.

Hell, what couldn't you exploit with her?

In Brawl however, she lost a lot of her power and that really damaged her on the whole. Jigglypuff suffers from being probably the lightest in the game, meaning a well placed attack will take her out at as low as 75-80%. So with all her damage gone and a reduced dominance in the air from the floaty game engine, she was unable to secure kills in the same manner as before. Even with her neutral B having better control, the slower paced engine killed the effectiveness of the move. This, along with other negatives such as her instant death from a broken shield and limited B moveset due to useless moves like her Up+B, meant that she was practically a joke character, only to be used by the most hardcore players.

So what does she need? Well for starters, let's try and make her Up+B useful in some way. Perhaps make it a little faster with less recovery to reduce the risk factor because right now it's too high to be practical. Maybe even make it hold the opponent down for a little longer at high percentages, enough for her to get in a Side+B or an uncharged smash. She also needs her power to be upped a fair amount - she suited the "kill or be killed" playstyle in Melee, but as of Brawl she's just "be killed". Her Down+B needs to be buffed, but perhaps not back to the power of Melee, as quick kill combos could throw off the balance. Keep her weaknesses, let her get back to being the Queen of aerials and then we've got a fun character on our hands.

What do you guys think of Jiggly? Will we see a better character in Smash 4? Do you think she'll even return? Let me know in the comments below or on the facebook page found here and see you tomorrow for another character!

Smash Advent Calendar - Day 4 - Bowser

Day 4 looks at Bowser in his third appearance in the series. Mario's nemesis, archenemy and tennis partner, this dinosaur turtle has always been a wrecking ball, with heavy damage and incredible launch power at the expense of speed and mobility.

He's changed a lot in each version of the game, and even more radically so in his 3DS/Wii U appearance. For starters, his stance is very different: he stands tall upright on his legs in a very humanoid way, a major change from his beast-like posture in previous games. This also affects his run, again, looking like a humanoid run instead of... well, vibrating across the arena as he did before. Never understood that one. He also seems to have recieved a ton of new standard attacks - his dash has become a flying kick that looks meaty and fast whilst his forward smash looks to have become a devastating drop kick. This gives Bowser a heavyweight wrestler kind of vibe which, combined with his more cartoony appearance, is certainly a very exciting and character building sort of change. It certainly goes with his wrestling slam Side+B, which he is confirmed to have kept. Players better still be wary of suicide dives, then!

It's no secret that Bowser has been ridiculously low on every tier list. Even as a 12 years old playing Melee casually, I just knew that Bowser didn't feel up to scratch and that his movement and attack speed made him almost completely nonviable against beasts like Fox and Falco. Brawl was a step in the right direction, giving him some tools to get by with like his now famous Side+B grab and slightly increasing his range and speed. Still, it was only enough to climb a couple of steps on the chaotic tier stairway of Smash Bros.

However, now is the time for change. Aesthetic differences aside, Bowser looks to be a very dangerous player in the new Smash Bros. with gameplay demonstrating that he is now significantly faster at running and attacking. This alone will make Bowser playable - but there's more. Close inspection of clips shows that Bowser has also been given an uppercut before his stomp in his grounded Down+B attack, allowing players to surprise enemies on the way up and even potentially combo them on the way down. Whilst this technically existed in Brawl, the uppercut hitbox was fairly small, so it wasn't a great attack overall. Combine these new characteristics with already awesome attributes like his fire breath which gives him a decent midrange game and we're talking about a potential new star of Smash Bros., or at least not a bottom player. Dedede paved the way for competitive heavy characters, can Bowser do the same?

Did you ever play Bowser? Did you ever use him for the challenge? Or did you main him against all odds? Leave a comment about Bowser and his changes below or over on the facebook page here.

Smash Advent Calendar - Day 3 - Link

Day 3 puts series veteran Link in the spotlight, donning a modern looking outfit that blends Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword together. Next to Mario, Link is the most obvious inclusion in each new installment into the franchise and is exceptionally popular to play as every time. Something about the sword-brandishing teenage star of arguably the most popular Nintendo franchise makes players, particularly casual players, gravitate towards him.

Link has always been a low tier character, to the dismay of Zelda fans. In all iterations his speed is fairly average and his damage dealing is okay but there's an element of sluggishness to his blows. Link hardly has a quick attack to his name; in Melee, one of his most important assets was his ground Up+B attack, a spin attack that came out incredibly fast and packed tremendous smash factor, even if the recovery was a little lengthy. However, even this move couldn't help the character overall, especially when nerfed in Brawl, and so was danced all over by so many other characters.

It is possible to imagine Link in a winning position. His skillset has the potential to leave opponents constantly guessing as to what is coming next, with varied projectiles and multi-hit smash attacks all up this Hylian's sleeve -it's just the execution of these moves that lets him down. His arrows should either be faster or deal more damage for a start, as these moves are easily predictable and leave Link far too open. His bombs are always a useful tool, but again can be seen coming a little too easily - some suggestions I've seen over on "Smashboards" would be having multiple ways to use the bombs: throwing, as per the norm in Smash Bros.; dropping on the spot, which would allow strategic placing around stages, and; rolling, which would mean the opponents have to guess where an attack is coming from and dodge accordingly.

And guys? A bit more imagination on his Final Smash?

All in all, I think Link carries the capacity to be a great fighter. Even in his present form, he's a tonne of fun to play, he just needs some more mobility and speed to then make him viable in competition - it's either that or buff his damage to high heaven (though I feel that wouldn't suit this type of character). Buff his stage recovery, reduce his attack recovery, buff his attack speed and well, then we might see more Link mains.

What are the opinions on Link out there? Does anyone play him despite his disadvantage? Do you feel he needs to be shaken up a little bit? Comment below or join the discussion over on the facebook page here. See you for another character tomorrow!

Smash Advent Calendar - Day 2 - Sonic

Day 2 brings around Mario's mascot rival, Sonic the Hedgehog. Once Snake was confirmed to be in Brawl, almost everyone saw this critter coming - people had dreamed of seeing Mario battle Sonic since the early 90s! Still, many were shocked to see him come back for another round after not being the most popular character in Brawl; I think it was safe to assume that many thought he would be moved aside for another third party character. Mixed reactions were the result of his return but I for one welcome him with open arms!

Sonic was a stupidly fun character to play in Brawl. His speed made him a very tough foe, being able to zip in and out of the fray with heavy damaging dash attacks thrown at a ridiculous pace. His Down and Side+B moves allowed for some pretty neat combos on an engine that wasn't combo friendly, which I always found interesting. His smash moves were nicely balanced - again, quick as can be but never sending opponents very far meaning players had to utilize his speed and devastating aerials and give chase to secure a KO. Oh, and divekicks were just the icing on the cake!

Even if he was the butt of internet jokes from then on...

Still, he drew a lot of criticism: many of his B moves left a lot to be desired - after all, there's limited potential for moves in a character that really just rolls into a ball in every one of his games. Down and Side+B were slightly different in speed and function but were almost identical aesthetically. His Neutral+B also left a lot to be desired, offering up a slow starting and sluggish homing attack that often missed. His Up+B was unique enough and useful to boot, but overall he left players wanting a little more.

Now, from the trailer that announced Sonic, many were left looking positively. For one, he didn't open his damn mouth once, hinting at a return of a more classic Sonic that doesn't throw around lines that a breakdancing skater in a turquoise jacket fresh from the 80s would cringe at. It also demonstrated some very appealing combos, linking spin dashes into smashes with potential for a good Sonic player to chase as is his specialty. Sonic was always one of my favourites in Brawl, so things are looking up for my spiky blue man, err, hedgehog.

What did you guys think of the recent announcement of Sonic? Were you ever a fan to begin with? Do you even care? Post below of head on over to the facebook page to chat about it here!

Smash Advent Calendar - Day 1 - Mario

Every day this month I'll be posting about a character in the new Smash Bros. - whether confirmed or speculative. I'll talk about how veterans should change, who should return and which newcomers could make the transition to fighting game star!

I think it's fair to start the month off with the most famous plumber in the world, Mario. As soon as a new Smash is announced, it's as certain you'll see this guy pop up as it's certain that Ryu will be in the next Street Fighter or that Zelda Wii U might star a blonde bloke with a pointy green hat.

He's the most standard fighter of the lot in every iteration, but that's no bad thing - playing with Mario offers juicy attacks that feel powerful to perform, meaty grabs with some small combo potential whilst all the while teaching you fundamental properties of the game without being too bizarre. No, he doesn't offer gimmick moves or transformations but he doesn't need them. All his smashes are lethal and easy to use, his speed matches his strength and he has basic versions of every tool you'll need; a slow but effective fireball and a counter in the form of a cape help him go from "bog-standard" to "Jack of all trades".

The "Shinku Fireball" says it all, really.

But Nintendo, there's one qualm I have with Mario. What happened to his Down+B attack? I never used it much in Melee personally, but it was a wildcard move that had some damage to give out and maybe even score a lucky kill with. But in Brawl, we were instead given... FLUDD? Don't get me wrong, it's a great idea in principle and done right could add a lot to the character but in combat it just offered nothing. Once you were done with the monstrous charge time, it just squirted water. Not even fast. Not even damaging. It just pushed an opponent back slightly, a trick an opponent could easily counter after the first time seeing it. It wasn't even powerful enough to do anything drastic to Mario's edge guard game - it was certainly no better than just giving chase with a punch or kick.

Early gameplay for Smash 4 suggests that FLUDD made the transition. Did it really have to, guys? Imagine Down_B instead replaced with Mario's signature spin attack from galaxy - it could be an unpredictable move similar in function to Link's Up+B but with less power. If FLUDD is truly going to stick, let's just hope that the range is improved, the charge time is reduced and perhaps allow it to easily be cancelled to prevent a horrible counter move. Perhaps even allow it to deal some minor damage? It would give our mustached friend a new lease of life at mid-range.

What do you guys think about Mario? Let me know what new moves he could do with, what worked for him in previous games and just generally if you enjoy playing with him. Leave a comment below or leave a wall post over on my facebook page.

Divekick

There are two perfectly innocent words in the English dictionary that are individually insignificant but when combined become a beautiful yet deadly maneuver. Dive. Kick. Divekick.

This game is ridiculous. It genuinely started as a parody video - a comedic view of one of the more irritating moves in fighting games to new players as they are often unpredictable and lightning fast. Fans of fighters, being the stark raving lunatics they are, decided that parody was not enough and that Divekick deserved a chance to live. After a highly successful Kickstarter campaign a company named "Iron Galaxy Studios" decided that they'd cut out the middle man and just entirely fund the game themselves, seeing the potential within. 

They were not wrong.

 

I've seen a few blokes stumble out of clubs like this on a Plymouth Saturday night.

The concept is probably the most simple of any fighting game ever. The minimum requirements for the game are a brain and two working fingers. One to propel yourself into the sky at terrifying speeds and one to rain down pain in the form of a diagonal kick. Each kick is a devastating one-hit KO and the winner is the first to achieve five rounds on their opponent. Now initially, I thought this sounded too simple to be good. A bit of a laugh for five minutes, yes, but nothing you could call "competitive" in any meaningful way. I'll hold my diving and kicking digits up in error now as on my first session I ended up playing for approximately four hours whilst bemused onlookers questioned my sanity.

The depth of the gameplay originates mainly from two things: the first of which is the variety in the characters. Each has different jumping abilities, diving angles and gimmicks, which will keep you locked in playing until you master your favourite player. The most simple characters, for instance, are Dive and Kick, two imaginatively named characters that are slightly better at their namesake abilities. Other characters, however, are downright bonkers. S-Kill, based around a popular figure in the fighting game community, can only kick after jumping twice. And his jumps are also teleports. Yes, some characters play rather strangely. But the fundamentals of the game are constant and this both allows interesting varied gameplay without needing to take a degree in each selectable fighter.

I wish I could even explain this.

The second factor in making a deep game is the special system. As you dive and kick your opponents you'll build up your Kick Factor meter; you can use bizarre and powerful moves using the Kick Factor meter with a press of both buttons, making each character unique - or you can wait until it's full, automatically entering a mode where your abilities are increased exponentially, parodying the "X Factor" system from "Marvel vs Capcom 3". You can eliminate the meter by hitting a headshot on your enemy which also dizzys them in the next round. Between avoiding these devastating blows and balancing the use of supers with saving the meter for Kick Factor mode, you're left with a game as complex as the most mainstream fighter.

Gameplay aside, this game is full to the brim with a vivid and unique personality, taking many elements from the fighting game community to rib-tickling effects. Almost every character is either a real famous fighting game player, a parody of an existing fighting game character or... the straight-jacketed demon embodiment of a laggy fighting game stream?

... Don't even ask.

Obviously, the game's humour might be lost on players not ingrained into the fighting game community, but there are still plenty of surreal and offbeat laughs to be had, from Uncle Sensei's master of wellington hand divekicks to Kick's losing shouts just being the names of Will Smith movies.

I think to summarise, all I can do is suggest, no, beg you to give this game a chance. It's a very refreshing take on a genre largely monopolized by giants and it's an absolute joy to play; the game possesses smooth controls and fluid gameplay that will leave you leaping up from your chair in celebration or to slam a high five to the closest person in the vacinity in awe of your buddies particularly well executed maneuver. It's a cheap game, coming in at around £7 in the UK so it is most certainly worth a try. So dive and kick into the night my friends and remember - don't choke!

Mega Man X Review

That's right, sod movies and sod the present. I'm going old school!

Now I have to confess, this is the first Mega Man game I've ever sat down and played through. I realise that half of the people reading this review have now stopped, but I'll carry on regardless. It's not like the older games never interested me, I love the idea of a difficult game with precise controls and no-one ever did it as well as Capcom did with the original NES titles. But unfortunately, I was born into the later generations of gaming and as a result my efforts, conditioned by the general easiness of games after 3D hit the mainstream, are met by the laughs and jeers of tiny 8-bit enemies who swat me away with no effort at all.

He KNOWS he's too good.

Don't get me wrong, Mega Man X still hits you hard. I died on the introduction level, I have no shame in that. And I can't blame the game either, that's the point. The controls are too tight to blame anyone else. YOU are the one rushing. YOU mistimed that jump. YOU thought you might be able to cheekily jump over that 8 feet tall ball of metal that fires missiles in all directions. Okay, so that last one only really applies to me, but the point stands. It's hard to find games like this in today's world filled with poor design and more often than not, game breaking glitches.

Difficulty aside, the name of the game is just plain fun. Shooting enemies feels amazing; weak enemies explode in a satisfying puff of smoke and larger enemies absorb bullets and carry on attacking, increasing the level of challenge and tension for the player, especially when you have a ton of other enemies swarming around you as well. Mastering enemy management will leave you satisfied and feeling like the bad-ass cyborg you should be feeling like. Once you obtain the dash upgrade the game gets a wicked pace, driven forward again by excellent control and game feeling. Performing a dash and jumping will make you leap like a super hero, giving you access to new strategies and secrets hidden in various levels. It's this kind of excellence through simplicity that really makes Mega Man X shine. On top of all that, every boss is unique and difficult in it's own way, and you'll often need to take a couple of tries to master their attack patterns. This leaves players beaming after finally defeating a boss - I certainly whooped and hollered after more than one of these tricky fights.

The background is just oozing detail.

Visually, the game is impressive. Like Mega Man of old, you choose a boss to fight and warp to their stage, each one lasting about 5-10 minutes. This means that you'll be fighting in luscious jungle environments one moment and the polar ice caps the next, each area drawn with more charm than the next. This constant switching of background keeps the game feeling fresh at all times, especially combined with a soundtrack that will stay with you for hours. I still find myself whistling some of the stage themes around the house, and that's always a good sign.

Unfortunately, no game is perfect, and whilst Mega Man X gets close, is does fall down in some areas. For instance, the game actually gets easier as the game progresses due to it's free approach to stage selection. The first stage will challenge you to your very limits as you overcome enormous obstacles with bare-bones weaponry and only a sliver of health. But by the fifth or sixth level, you'll find yourself unphased by enemy fire and you won't even blink at being knocked back by a large robot. Even the bosses can become a doddle if you figure out their weaknesses. That said, after all the normal bosses are defeated, you are presented with the final level which will offer a tough fight even when fully upgraded.

Ultimately, I'd have to put this game up among some of my favourites, which really suprised me. I hadn't held a game in such high esteem in quite some time before playing this, and it definitely left me wanting more. The game is a joy to run through again and again trying to beat my best level times, and has plenty of secrets that kept me intrigued for hours. If you like platformers, run-and-gunners or even just well designed games, then I urge you to find this game and play it to death. You won't regret it.

And hey, if this isn't the best secret move ever, I don't know what is.