It's been over six hours since the Final Smash Presentation by Mr. Sakurai, and we're only just now coming down from the high! What a show. Not everyone's dreams came true, but that's
Smash Bros. for you!
So, what went down in this special video? Just newcomer reveals and Mii Costumes. Many expected to see at least one veteran (Wolf, in particular), a returning stage or two, or even a new mode. Considering that we already had three veterans return, a variety of old stages and the downsizing of Sakurai's team, there's a variety of reasons as to why those didn't come to be (not the least of which is poor Snake!).
Of course, any slight disappointments regarding the absence of those factors immediately melted in the face of the first newcomer, who's already stirred quite the controversy!
Why, it's Corrin, the avatar protagonist of
Fire Emblem: Fates! The moment I saw the opposing kingdoms of Hoshido and Nohr, I knew trouble would be brewing. After all, not only has Sakurai made it no secret of his love for
Fire Emblem, but we already have five different
Fire Emblem characters in
Smash 4's cast! Isn't six characters pushing it...?
Well, perhaps, but
just look at how the character plays! He's just as versatile and inventive as his fellow
Fire Emblem newcomer Robin, what with the Manakete-boosted abilities (or, for those unfamiliar with
Fire Emblem terminology, him temporarily turning into a dragon). Just look at his reach! I forsee his Dragon Lunge attack, which turns his arm into a massive lance and nails it into the ground, leading to many hilarious scenarios aside from those seen in the video.
Truth be told, this is a character that's crossed my mind before, but I figured the presence of two
Awakening characters would render his chances as DLC nil (moreover, there's also Sakurai's
recent comment from the
Fire Emblem 25th Anniversary book to consider: "it’s not as if we have a stipulation that says “we have to include the protagonist of the next
Fire Emblem game.”). As with the last character, it only goes to show you can't make up any rules for roster inclusions. Think of it this way: if Corrin won't be a possibility by the time the next Smash rolls around, why not add him now?
In fact, I think the character looks so fun that I could care less he's yet another Fire Emblem entry. Now more than ever, I'm quite excited to play Fates this coming February. Maybe I'll finally get around to finishing my fifth
Awakening playthrough by then.
Next up, Cloud. We already saw him in action last month, but Mr. Sakurai went over his moveset in far greater detail this time, alongside the workings of the Midgar stage.
Cloud was made available soon after the video ended; naturally, I picked him up for both versions. While I've only had the chance to play him on Wii U, it was a beauty to witness to another famous foreign character who brings another dimension unfamiliar to
Smash. I'm in an interesting predicament with Cloud in how I'm not completely unfamiliar with him (thanks to his boss cameos in Kingdom Hearts), yet I've played very little of the game he originated from:
Final Fantasy VII. I'll be soon rectifying that by jumping into the series next year, but I can only imagine the glee others now feel at seeing
Final Fantasy's most popular character join the fray.
By the way, Midgar is incredibly fun! I know many (lame) people tend to complain about stage hazards, but fighting for the super-cool Materia summons is just as joyful as doing the same for a Smash Ball. Your loss if you can't handle the fair, telegraphed d summon attacks, I suppose. If anything, that there's only two music rips from
Final Fantasy VII available is the only real disappointment (alongside the lack of non-Cloud trophies), but I'm not too surprised given how strict Square-Enix can be regarding the foreign use of their visuals/audio (anyone who's seen the
Final Fantasy VII suite in
Video Games Live should know what I'm talking about). A shame, since I was looking forward to the possibility of Nobuo Uematsu returning to
Smash for an arrangement. Maybe next time!
Oh, but speaking of Square-Enix, look who's back! Yes, that's Geno, the sentient puppet from
Super Mario RPG! He may be just a Mii costume, but to see
Super Mario RPG finally be referenced in
Smash after all this time (barring perhaps Peach's frying pan) just...just brings a tear to your eye. Even if he was impossible, the fact remains that Geno was a very popular character suggestion for
Brawl, and to see that come full-circle in the next best possible way is an amazing nod. I know I'll be using it.
AND THE LAST CHARACTER IIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSS
BAYONETTA?!? AIIIIEEE!!!!
My goodness, a character most had written off due to her being practically synonymous with guns and flaunting her sexuality 24/7 is actually in
Smash?!? Incredible! That she hails from two action-game masterpieces ain't half-bad, either! She was the winner of the Smash Ballot, too. I guess that really did come down to popularity.
Just like Ryu, I'm at amazed at how the
Smash team got Bayonetta down within the confines of the game's controls. Just like in Bayonetta, you can suddenly shift into bullet-riddled Gun Arts just by holding the attack button, no matter what move you're using. The awe-inspiring Wicked Weaves retain their devastative impact through Smash Attacks. The time-slowing Witch Time is activated as a counter, which I typically stink at pulling off. If you look closely on the Wii U, you might realize Madam Butterfly is closer than you think. Both her
Bayonetta and
Bayonetta 2 outfits are included. And, best of all, stunning dance moves for taunts.
It's all too much to take in; I know I had to watch her presentation three times over to fully digest that all. Not to mention, her accompanying stage is one of the greatest opening sequences in video game history: the falling Umbra Clock Tower. And it comes with a plethora of amazing tracks too, not the least of which are two arrangements of both games' battle themes. A shame
You May Call Me Father and
The Greatest Jubilee didn't make the cut, but at least they nailed One of a Kind.
And you know what else is too much to take in? This glorious poster.
Just admire this beautiful piece of work for a moment, won't you? Be sure to find the hidden Smash logo.
But the eye candy doesn't end there, for I'm certain all us
Kirby fans are dying to know: what does Bayonetta Kirby look like?
JUST LOOK AT HIM USING HIS BIG POOFY FEET FOR HEEL GUN ARTS AWWWWWWW
At any rate, just look at all the magic DLC's brought us. We've had beloved veterans return, stunning third-party newcomers, classic stages for new and old characters to brawl upon...
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS is truly a gift, and all the post-launch content is courtesy of one man's vision: a love letter not just for Nintendo's history, but for video games as a whole.
Yet while the hype train may be stopping for Wii U and 3DS, many are still speculating over the possibility of an NX port. After all, it's not like we can expect Sakurai and the gang at Namco to get cracking at yet
another Smash game for the nearing console. But should such an amazing title be left to languish on a dying console and a handheld within its twilight period...?
This Thursday on
Nintendojo, I shall be reviewing such a case. Please join me then!
