Smash Advent Calendar - Day 24 - Zero Suit Samus

Day 24 - Christmas Eve! Today's article looks at Zero Suit Samus, a popular addition to the roster from Brawl. Zero Suit Samus has been in the spotlight more and more since "Metroid Zero", appearing in recent games like "Metroid Other M" making her chances of returning good - especially as Metroid lacks characters suitable for a fighting game.

Zero is a pretty unique character considering she's still Samus. Gone are her cannon attacks, morph balls and screw attacks but what she now lacks in raw power she gains in ridiculous speeds, agile nature and surprising reach. She is one of the quickest character in the game, only just below the likes of Sonic, and this makes her a very fun feeling character. Attack animations are smooth and juicy, with whip attacks making up most attacks and specials and landing with satisfying thwacks. Her Side+B in particular has a juicy feel when hitting the sweet spot.

Her aerial attacks are her strongest attribute as they are stupidly quick. With such high jumps, she can juggle like it's no-one's business. Most aerial attacks come out in only a few frames and have a nice damage with good knockback. She's downright dangerous in an air battle - one hit from her Up+A in midair at a decent percentage will send opponents helplessly skywards!

One interesting point is that since Zero is tied to regular Samus, she initially spawns with her armour pieces. These can be thrown at enemies and are exceedingly powerful, meaning that Zero has a great advantage to begin with and has a chance to get a stock up on opponents. Of course, this is balanced by the projectiles being catchable, meaning opponents with enough skill can turn the tables.

Zero Suit Samus is well balanced. Her light frame allows her to chase enemies well but of course it makes her very vulnerable to attacks with high smash factor even at medium percentages. However, she is also equipped with a good recovery should she need to come back, with two high jumps and then two main options to come back with; her tether whip can be used to grab on to nearby ledges and her Down+B has her perform a flip - this is good for horizontal recovery and approaching enemies can be hit with an exceptionally powerful kick activated with an additional button press.

Every whip effect is very aesthetically pleasing.

One major negative that needs to be fixed is her sub-par grab. The range isn't as good as other tether grabs but has a ton more lag. This makes her grab game unnecessarily risky and should be fixed off should she make it to Smash 4. I also personally would like to see the Samus' exist in two different character slots. It really isn't all that important in competitive play as the main way to switch characters is via Smash Ball but it does mean that a Samus player would have to learn how to play the very different style of Zero Suit Samus should they want to take advantage of Samus' final smash.

Overall, I think that Zero Suit Samus is a very good character, both fun and functional and I think she should continue to appear in Smash Bros. to keep Metroid representation up. There are a few tweaks I'd like to see, but otherwise I think Zero Suit Samus can remain fairly untouched and still extremely effective.

What do you think of Zero Suit Samus? Do you think she's a fun character? Or can you never secure kills with her? Let me know in the comments below or comment on facebook.

Smash Advent Calendar - Day 23 - Wario

Day 23 is Wario time! This monstrous bad guy was first seen in Super Mario Land 2 on the Game Boy and has appeared frequently ever since. He's starred in his own platformers, golfed with monkeys and turtles and even starred in a bizzaro mini-game bonanza. He's one of the most popular characters of Nintendo's recent history so his appearance in Brawl was long-awaited.

Wario is a strange character. His movement is jittery, similar to Game & Watch - it purposely lacks animation for effect. This is admittedly amusing to watch and suits Wario's creepy and wonderfully weird style... But I think it should be changed. It makes the character feels really clunky and isn't aesthetically pleasing, even if done so on purpose. I think a plodding run would suit Wario just as well and be smooth in animation as well.

One thing in design I do admire are Wario's attacks. All of them, in fact. Having jittery attacks gets Wario's awkward design across well without having to see it constantly as in his running animations. Many attacks are also plain stupid, such as his Back+A aerial which sees him sort of... flump. These little attacks really demonstrate who Wario is and why you should love him.

Warioman is my favourite final smash, hands down.

All of Wario's special moves are great and again, paint a perfect picture of him. His Neutral+B is a useful grapple involving taking a bite of the enemy, which shows off his gluttony well. His Side+B takes influence from Wario Ware and sees him charge across the stage on his motorcycle, which he can then pick up and throw around, adding a small interesting gimmick to the character. His Up+B is a unique move but taken with a pinch of inspiration from Wario Land games with the result being a satisfying looking move with a subtle nod to hardcore fans. His Down+B... Well, it's a fart. Not much more to be said there other than suiting Wario to a tee.

When it comes to gameplay, Wario is a great fighter with a solid standing on the tier list, having few bad matchups. His power and speed are balanced well, with faster speed than the average heavyweight with a slightly lower attack power. Moves like the Side+B give Wario solid approach options and exceptional recovery which is well balanced with a terrible recovery upon the bike's loss. Wario also possesses a great air speed, meaning Wario has a surprisingly agile aerial game, ripe for juggling.

All in all, Wario is a great character that in my opinion needs very little change, other than some minor visual tweaks. He's fun to play, a great competitive character and just oozes personality, so I hope to see him return in Smash 4., riding his motorcyle to victory as he always triumphantly does.

What do you think of Wario? Should he return? Does he creep you out? Leave a comment below or head to the facebook page here.

Smash Advent Calendar - Day 22 - Pit

Day 22 is Pit, and it really looks like Nintendo want to keep this guy as a star of Nintendo right now after his appearance in "Kid Icarus Uprising" on 3DS recently. He first debuted in "Kid Icarus" on the NES in the late 1980s and barely appeared until his surprise announcement in Brawl. Still, he's been a firm favourite since then, so it's no shock to see him return again in Smash 4.

First of all, Pit has changed in appearance a little. This is obviously due to having a new game out, meaning designers have been able to tweak and perfect his image. He now has slightly more anime hair and bigger, cuter eyes than before and some minor details on his costume have been reworked, like fur on his boots. These tiny features have made Pit look so much more appealing than before, demonstrating that a little can go a long way.

Pit was a really fun character to play in Brawl and ranked fairly highly on the tier list. He possessed a great projectile game in his Neutral+B which looks to still be in the game from early screens. This would see Pit firing an arrow which he could control midair - the move was very fast, very flexible and could even be charged, meaning opponents would have a hard time approaching Pit. It'd be good to see this move return in its full glory as this made Pit strong without breaking him.

The new attack effects are so nice to look at!

Pit has actually had some of his moves completely changed, making him one of the most tweaked returning characters. We can safely assume that his Down+B and Side+B have gone as his new moves look to alter or improve the key principles that the old ones held; Side+B was once an attack that saw Pit charge forwards spinning his sword, with good damage and had reflective properties. Now, we see him charge forward and deliver a powerful uppercut, which seems like a solid move with the right mix of risk to smash. This move is inspired by his most recent game. Down+B was once a reflecting shield that came out instantly but only faced in one direction - this is now a reflector similar to Fox's, meaning projectiles from all sides are blocked which is a major buff. again, this comes from his newest game. His Up+B also appears to have changed slightly, one trailer seeing him take off at an angle from the ground rather than straight up, but we've yet to see more than this yet.

Other than his new specials though, Pit seems to remain unchanged in his other attacks. What we need to see from him is more of the same, really, as he was a very strong contender in Brawl, with strengths and drawbacks in equal measure. I really look forward to seeing what Pit can do in Smash 4, and hope to see him used well in tournaments.

What do you think of Pit? A refreshing retro character? Or spamming nuisance? Leave a comment below or leave one on the facebook page.

Smash Advent Calendar - Day 21 - Villager

Day 21 casts the spotlight on Villager of Animal Crossing fame and I don't know whether this guy is cute or creepy. Either way though, Animal Crossing is a massively popular game at the moment ever since it came to Western shores on Gamecube and boomed on the DS, so it seems only right that after having some minor representation in previous games that we are now treated to a playable character from the series as well!

Now, the character I can most accurately compare the Villager to so far is probably Mr. Game and Watch from the small amount of footage we have seen so far. His attacks are bizarre, usually pulling random items from his game of origin out of nowhere like a cartoon character to devastate opponents, much as our favourite silhouette did in Melee and Brawl. This design choice is great and adds a lot of character to the Villager, which he needs because in Animal Crossing, the villager has a customisable appearance and no distinct personality as he is just meant to be a representation of the player.

All his moves look fun so far. The animations are always quick and fluid and usually quite funny to boot. Some of my favourites are the slingshot in midair, which looks to be a standard aerial attack with a good range and the bowling ball, which sees Villager dropping one of these heavy spheres on an opponents head like something from a Hanna-Barbera cartoon. He also appears to be able to plant a tree on the stage that he can come back and chop down later, presumably as a powerful attack. These attacks indicate that Villager will be an unpredictable and tricky opponent to fight, making the most out of item placement and misleading range.

Looks like he has some physical attacks up his sleeve, too!

One major weapon up Villagers' sleeve is the "collect" move. As Sakurai said in the address earlier this year, Villager has this move as the primary objective in Animal Crossing is to collect. Villager can grab any projectile in the game (Bar beam Final Smashes, presumably) and hold on to it for later use. Now this could be a simple fireball from mario, which Villager could use as a surprise stunning attack on the approach or it could be a fully charged Samus Neutral+B, which Villager could use to devastating effect at opportune moments. To balance this useful move, it appears Villager can only hold one item at a time, so as long as opponents are sharp, they can see what is going to come their way.

One factor we haven't seen much yet is a reference to games of Nintendo past. This can briefly be seen in what looks to be his Up+B, where he dons the Balloon Fighter's helmet and balloons and takes to the sky to recover, flapping his arms like the NES original. This move is both fun and useful, so it'll be exciting to see if Villager refers to any other games with his moves.

So far, the Villager is looking great and he fits right in with the cast of characters revealed so far. I eagerly await seeing more of what this tiny little man can do, but he's caught the interest of many people, Smash Bros. and Animal Crossing fans alike.

What do you think of the Villager? Great idea? Or out of place on the roster? Let me know below or leave a comment on the facebook page.

Smash Advent Calendar - Day 20 - Wii Fit Trainer

Just 5 days to go until Christmas, and Day 20 is newcomer "Wii Fit Trainer". This character shocked everyone when she was announced, almost more than third party character Mega Man. Still, her trailer showed off what she can do, and many were impressed. This is an overlook of the early things we've seen.

First of all, her animations are very fluid and very clever. She looks like yoga in motion - her posture is impeccable when she runs and jumps and every attack is graceful and utilises a healthy position. Attacks we've seen so far are often moves taken from Wii Fit, including using hula hoops in her Up+B move and smash moves are various positions that players would be told to hold.

Wii Fit Trainer looks like a solid all-rounder. She looks to combine a good speed with good power, meaning that it's up to the player to create a unique playstyle with her that opponents won't see coming. One of her greatest assets is her range - many of her attacks push her range to the limit through yoga and exercise meaning that it's hard for opponents to gauge how far she can reach without good experience playing against her. From the looks of it, several tilts also hit both in front and behind simultaneously making the most of her hands and feet. This is particularly visible in her crouching attack.

Of course, the internet had to make her and the Villager psychopaths too.

One thing I find amazing in her moveset so far is her Up+B. The vertical recovery is intense, flying upwards at incredible speeds. The move also seems to damage opponents who approach from the sides, so we'll see if it has combat uses through juggling or combos in due time. What I find lacking at the moment is her Final Smash - although it makes sense, showing off lots of poses from in the game, it just seems a little lazy being nothing more than a random projectile spam.

Overall, Wii Fit Trainer is looking like a solid, gimmickless character with the potential to be picked up in the competitive scene. It is too early to make any judgements as she has had some of the least attention placed on her compared to the other new characters but I look forward to seeing what else she can do.

What do you think of Wii Fit Trainer? A fun new character? Or a waste of a slot in the roster? Let me know below or join the facebook conversation here.

Smash Advent Calendar - Day 19 - Rosalina & Luma

Day 19 is Rosalina & Luma, who announced just yesterday! This will be a quick article as the character hasn't been shown off much yet, so these are just some initial impressions.

First of all, the animations for the characters look great. They move fluidly and cleanly, so look great from a technical standpoint. Rosaline moves with grace as you tend to expect from the character, and the Luma moves just like it does in the game, with cute twirls and spins. The colours and effects that jet from the characters look great and add some interesting visuals to the fight that suit the characters well, looking very star-like and suitably cartoony.

The gimmick for these characters is an expansion of the Ice Climbers - both Rosalina and the Luma that accompanies her attack together. The difference here though appears to be that the Luma can be thrown and placed at different points, similar to characters like "Fortune" in Skullgirls, who could have her head attack with certain button pressed when left around on the stage. From what the trailer shows, this ability looks insane, with some devastating looking combos utilising attacks that pass an opponent from Rosalina over to the Luma across the stage who then juggles the opponent upwards. It is unclear how this would control, but this already seems to be a great looking mechanic.

This promotional image is too cool.

It does seem like Rosalina suffers some negatives for her amazing gimmick though. It's easy to see that the character is light, possibly even lighter than similarly built characters like Peach, so will be knocked away from the stage with relative ease. Along with this, her power doesn't look impressive, but that's good - power would off balance her unique combo potential and spacing ability and make her completely overpowered, so it is nice to see some real thought behind her.

One thing that the trailer is unclear about is the colour of the Lumas. Do some attacks change the colour of the Luma automatically? Or does Rosalina have the ability to call out different coloured Lumas which possess different attributes? For all we know, they very well might just be the palette swaps for the character, but this seems unlikely. Either way, it'll be exciting to find out more. as more is revealed in the coming months.

So what do you think of this newcomer? Welcome addition? Or do you hate Rosalina with the power of a thousand burning suns? I welcome her myself, but let me know what you think below, or visit the facebook page.

Smash Advent Calendar - Day 18 - Captain Olimar

Captain Olimar is the focus of Day 18, and was introduced to the series in Brawl and has been confirmed to return in Smash 4. Star of the Pikmin series, Olimar represents one of Nintendo's most modern franchises and was met warmly during his debut. Many fans love his style and effectiveness that all stem from cleer implementation of the source material.

Olimar carries with him many unique attributes that make him a blast to play with. All his moves revolve around the Pikmin that potter around behind him. He plucks up to 6 Pikmin of assorted colours from the ground with Neutral+B and then every smash and special move uses them. Each colour has different powers and attributes, and most attacks will use the Pikmin closest to Olimar in the line behind him. These can be shuffled with Down+B which adds tactics and depth to Olimar by choosing the right Pikmin for the right job. Once a Pikmin is used, it goes to the back of the line, but too much damage or being thrown off of an edge means certain death for your flowery pals.

Of course, you want to avoid killing off Pikmin if you can avoid it. The longer a Pikmin stays alive, the flower on its head turns into a bulb, and then a flower, each a stage in its power and usefulness. If Olimar has a full set of Pikmin with flowers on their heads, you're in trouble. If Olimar is left with no Pikmin, it's best to pluck out some as soon as possible as he is only left with tilts and his neutral air attack.

I don't know what causes this - Olimar's good projectiles or Ness' bad recovery.

Olimar is without a doubt one of the best characters in the game. His grab range is long, and can KO easily with certain Pikmin. His tilts are good for juggles and combos and his range is pretty good too, with smash attacks reaching far by flinging Pikmin in front of him. Olimar also has a great projectile game - Side+B flings Pikmin massive distances and if they latch on to an enemy, they cling on and deala good amounts of damage, especially if they're white Pikmin. Purple Pikmin don't latch, but instead hit the opponent for good instant damage and knockback, giving Olimar some stun to his camping game. These projectiles are also great for gimping, as seen above.

Olimar's major downside is his poor recovery. His jumps aren't the best in the game for one, but what he really suffers with is his Up+B. Even with a full 6 Pikmin, the move only grabs on to ledges with a very minimal push in upwards momentum. This means that he is easily edgehogged and his recover is very predictable. Without Pikmin though, the move is next to useless, meaning Olimar plumets to his death from moves others would easily come back from. This disadvantage balances him well though, and makes you think about how you use Pikmin at high percentages.

All in all, it's good to see Olimar confirmed for Smash 4 at this early stage. He perhaps needs his power nerfed just slightly, but his position in the top of the tier list is mostly due to characters that need some heavy buffing instead. He's a unique character with functional gimmicks that are both interesting and effective in equal part. I hope to see him continue to be widely used and see some more tournaments.

What do you think of Olimar? Perfect for the roster? Or gimmicky nonsense? Let me know in the comments below or talk over on the facebook page.