Editorial: Pokemon should be harder. Open world makes this complicated.

For the longest time, people have been asking for an open-world Pokemon game where you can do everything out of order, and explore to your heart’s content. People dreamed about playing the games like how Ash lives out his journey in the Anime. It seemed like an appealing proposition, and now that we are getting there, I regret everything.

Pokemon’s difficulty is laughably low. Even in classic Pokemon games, it was very easy to defeat gym leaders who did not even have a full team of 6 Pokemon, especially with how easy it is to prepare with type advantages in mind. Without a challenge to push back against you, there really isn’t any satisfaction in prevailing against these characters at all. People will say “It’s a game for children, it should be easy”, and I argue that this is a preposterous notion.

On one hand, it is patronizing to assume that children lack the ability to learn and improve, especially with how their brains are extremely good at gathering and processing information. Furthermore, Pokemon fans skew far older than the target demographic, and as such, adding a difficulty setting would simply fix the issue. There is no reason to not have it there, and Pokemon Black 2 did in fact add this option, so it is not a new concept. However, I argue that even this solution would not be quite enough to offset the impact of an Open World Pokemon experience.

Having an open-world game means that:

1. It is possible to catch a wide variety of Pokemon before a gym, and build an entire team tailored to take down a specific gym leader. In classic games, you were limited to a pool of available Pokemon, and needed to choose them more strategically.

2. Exploring means, it is extremely possible to overlevel. Older games having many areas gated means that while it was possible to grind, it was time-consuming. In Sword and Shield, it was possible to grind on strong Pokemon and in dynamax dens extremely quickly. I was 20+ levels above the first gym leader just because I had explored the entire area.

3. Held items and money can be grinded ad-nauseum.

Some solutions can “help”, but may not even be enough:

1. Have gyms scale with your level up to a certain degree. Clearly, being able to grind is a good thing to let people of multiple skill levels be able to beat the game. However, the gym leaders should still never be too low below you. An easier mode could scale, but allow you to be a good few levels above the gym leader. A harder difficulty should not let you be more than a small handful of levels above them, and a hardest level should scale very close to your own level.

2. Gym leaders shouldn’t just be type-dependent anymore. Instead, they should focus on combat strategies and have better AI. It would be much harder to trivialize a gym if a character uses a Trick Room build, sets up weather conditions, or mixes Earthquake and flying types / levitate. These could be countered through preparation, but the solution would no-longer be to send 6 fire types at the grass-type gym-leader.

3. Hard mode should add some EVs and IVs in relevant stats. They don’t need to be maxed out, but the Pokemon should not be pushovers.

More can be done, but these tiny details would help a lot. It still wouldn’t fix the problem of being able to over-prepare, but it would mitigate some of it. Furthermore, the abundance of choice wouldn’t replace the concept of working with a limited pool of resources available to you and making the best of it.

I’m not saying that open-world can’t be done right, but it comes as the cost of the classic Pokemon style. It’s similar to how some feel let down by Breath of the Wild potentially marking the end of the classic 3D Zelda formula. Both are valid styles with ups and downs, but when one replaces the other, it leaves a gap that is not so-easily-replaced.

I have not enjoyed Sword and Shield, and am not exactly excited for Scarlet and Violet. I could change my mind, but not much seems to be done to add even a modicum of challenge. A single difficulty setting toggle would go a long way.

Oppinion: Why games preservation is under relentless threat

Video games, much like music, movies, and other art forms, perhaps even more so, are part of the cultural zeitgeist, and for many, even part of people’s identities. While I will not discuss the potential issues with letting a hobby have too much sway over your personality, it is undeniable that people are affected by the media they consume in numerous ways. People can be seen wearing clothing and accessories centered around an intellectual property. People will also be seen congregating around events such as tournaments and conventions centered around a general hobby, or even a subsection of it. People will also go to great lengths to keep their favourite media alive, and that includes things as crazy as creating entire controller boards like the PhobGCC, emulator hooks like Brawlback and Slippi, HDMI mods for classic systems, etc… People want to preserve what is precious to them. Sometimes, you just want to go back to something you grew up with, or continue to engage in something you currently enjoy well into the future.

The PhobGCC, attempting to survive the inevitable discontinuation of Gamcube controllers

Now, the problem is that there is a stampede of elephants in the room. One issue has to do with certain people simply not caring as of now. I say “now” because those who appear to not care about this appear to skew much younger. This makes some degree of sense, considering that I was like that when I was younger. I always wanted the newest thing. In my mind, new meant better; more advanced. Every time a new system was announced, I would devote myself to that new system fully, leaving my old consoles in the dust. I even sold some of them, which in retrospect, I deeply regret. But then I grew up, and there were times where I thought: “Man, I really want to go back and play Star Fox 64”. I didn’t have my Nintendo 64 anymore. I tried on the Wii virtual console, and while it wasn’t exactly perfect emulation, it did the job for me at the time. It brought me comfort to revisit something that brought me so many joyful memories. But also, with Virtual console, I discovered the YS and Shining Force series, and I went back to discover some of those old gems. Virtual console was not perfect, but it allowed me to expand my tastes, and revisit old favourites. As you grow older, you start to yearn for old, familiar experiences. It’s like seeing an old friend after being away for a long time. As such, while these younger consumers don’t care, they will in due time, and it will be too late. 

The virtual console, initially a good idea for preservation, but instead of improving on it, was replaced with a predatory subscription model.

Another elephant is business. Corporate bodies are not incentivized to keep games readily available, and when they do so, it is in a very predatory manner. A corporation’s mission is to maximize profit and growth. Preservation is not one of their priorities. As such, controlling your access to products they offer is their MO. With control, they can keep selling the same software over and over again as they let older versions of said software fall into disrepair, making them technically “available”, but more scarce and difficult to use. Unless you are skilled at hardware-modding for instances, most of your classic systems simply cannot even connect to newer TVs, and most of the “easier” solutions for those who are unwilling to spend a premium come with major setbacks such as massive input lag… and that’s if you can even track down the necessary hardware and software. While re-releases are a possibility, not all games get this chance, and when a game is remade, there are times when some prefer features in an older version. For instances in The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of time, the Gamecube has a Master Quest disk, which gives you remixed dungeons. However, if you play the 3DS version, it isn’t the true Master Quest, and instead, flips the whole game and increases damage taken. Both games have the “same” mode, but that is in name only. Heck, if you look at Super Smash Bros. Melee, the standard is to use the NTSC version, due to PAL versions having seemingly small, but significant balance changes. Even version differences matter to people. 

These are the differences for Fox and Falco between NTSC and PAL. There some all accross the cast. Many would heavily affect the meta.

As such, just remaking a game isn’t enough to preserve gaming history. Ideally, having the ability to roll back to older builds, as is evidenced by World of Warcraft players, is a valuable feature. Furthermore, anyone who enjoys games like Silent Hills might not really enjoy the remakes that remove the fog and have major visual glitches. Now, I’m not arguing that companies should be compelled to support older systems until the end of time, but they ought to offer solutions for continued ownership. Some argue that a service-based catalogue is advantageous, but I find it a very lacking solution. On one hand, this requires DRM. If you do not connect online regularly, you will lose access. This also means that access to your games will inevitably wane as the online service is discontinued. All of your progress will be lost, and every month where you didn’t play games on the service will be wasted money. Subscription models only exist to nickle and dime you continuously. Yet when they do discontinue the service, you will lose said progress anyways, and if that’s important to you, this is essentially ransomware. You must keep paying, or you will lose access to your saves. This also gives all of the power to the corporations, which can decide to withhold access at any time. If you break the End–User agreement that they force you to accept after you already gave them your money and have no recourse to be compensated upon refusal, they can simply choose to take the games away. Furthermore, the service-only model simply removes your ability to straight-up buy games and own them into the future. So while I can technically play Donkey Kong Country 2 on SNES online, I have no option to buy and keep it on my Switch when the service ends. You simply do not have a means to keep these games. They will disappear, and you cannot do anything to prevent it. 

One might say “Buy physical, you’ll have these games forever!” and fair enough, it “helps”… but it is not enough. I was recently made aware that Scott Pilgrim VS the World, handled by Limited Run Games requires you to have a Ubisoft Connect account to add Knives to the game. This may seem like a small hassle, but what would happen if Nintendo Online or Ubisoft Connect died? It means that any future physical copy owner would be unable to get Knives at all… and this is despite LRG priding themselves on fostering games preservation. The fact is… even physical games are not immune to loss of content. Many games like Xenoblade Chronicles X are “playable” without updates, but suffer without them. This game requires you to download 15 GB of data packs to reduce loading times and improve performance. Yes, you could play Xenoblade Chronicles X… but it would be a heavily-compromised version of it. Some games will not even load without a day 1 patch. Your game just becomes a glorified paper-weight. And that isn’t taking into account the many games that do not have a physical version, or rely on online components to even function. And even if the physical copies had all of the content, if you look at the state of the second-hand market, it’s hardly affordable anymore. It also doesn’t help that some companies like Nintendo feed into this by selling classic games at above MSRP. 

An actual Nintendo listing above MSRP

Then what are our alternatives? There is only one; emulation. Most people will support a developer when they feel like it’s a good deal. Buying from the official source means signaling your interest in the product and future similar products. It also is far more convenient than going around security features, and losing access to key services. Besides, Steam has proven that convenience will convince people to forego piracy. However, with their unwillingness to adopt a Steam model, where games continue to have an enduring library with actual ownership, people’s hands are being forced. Furthermore, modding is an alluring feature that allows everyday people to breathe new life into the games they already own, and can even result in brand new experiences altogether. However, video game providers often try to stifle such endeavors instead of encouraging them. This is akin to telling someone with a broken table that they are not allowed to use another piece of wood to repair one of its broken legs because it wasn’t their piece of wood. It’s like telling someone that they can’t renovate their home because the builder didn’t want you modify their work. If you pay for something, you logically ought to own it and do whatever you want with it. Money exchanged hands. You bought a good, it is yours. Most emulate out of necessity. 

Project M stage list, a competitive game with even a stage-striking feature to aid tournaments go smoothly.

But what about its legality? It’s entirely legal as seen in the videos below:

https://youtu.be/1SMZdUBj0YQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3vWibZ98Xs

 https://youtu.be/N42hFP1vCm0 

Indeed, the art of reverse-engineering is legal. It does mean that one simply cannot steal code, but recreating it… absolutely legal. Examples of how reverse-engineering has occurred in the industry, even from companies that publicly shun it:

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134790/the_secret_history_of_donkey_kong.php

https://youtu.be/5TZn__es1FA 

Granted, some countries like Japan do not make this distinction, but Japan law is not world law. Most western countries allow it, and most emulation is reverse-engineering. Granted, sharing roms is… more contestable, but many could argue that this may be the only way to experience media that has long been-forgotten. There is legally right, and morally right. The right things to do isn’t always what is the legal thing to do.

Companies like Disney have made copyright far too skewed towards IP owners, to the point of insanity. Mickey Mouse will enter public domain after 95 years in 2024, and that’s if Disney doesn’t push lawmakers to extend it: 

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/01/a-whole-years-worth-of-works-just-fell-into-the-public-domain/

While I am not against people being able to leverage their property, the current way that the world works is a problem. On one hand, 95 years to own anything is ridiculous. It stifles creativity and prevents people from building upon what was already created. I am fine with letting companies have exclusive rights to their products for about 5 years, which will be where the bulk of purchases tend to happen. After 5-7 years of initial-release (and even after patches), this specific version of the game doesn’t even have to fall into public domain, but it must at the very least allow for rom-sharing and emulation. Furthermore, any and all fan modifications and works that is not monetized must be protected, and any attempts to take people to court over this must be quashed before lawyers need to be involved. 

Access to justice is a major issue when it comes to copyright law. Due to letting anyone sue anyone, large multi-billion dollars corporations can simply go after individual fans and smaller entities, and whether they are right or wrong, it does not matter. You will eventually capitulate, as you simply cannot compete with their litany of lawyers, and the accruing debt from ever-increasing court costs will get to you. As such, non-commercial use of IPs ought to simply be made legal without a shadow of a doubt. 

Furthermore, I think that offering a rental service is fine, but all games in said service ought to be purchasable separately, and it should be enshrined in law that when a game is no-longer supported, a minimum effort should be made to make the features accessible. Whether it is providing means to download DLC for your physical games, keeping games available into the future digitally, or even enabling games to be connected online through peer to peer connections / custom servers, incentives must be put in place to punish the destruction of art. Even if it is "your art" it doesn't give you the right to take it away after taking money for it. Once money exchanges hands, it becomes a good.

These are extreme measures, but extreme situations demand extreme solutions. We have let things go out of hand, and even our current solutions let certain pieces of art through the cracks. If corporations refuse to do right by consumers, then consumers should demand their rights back and force them into law.

A case for a Kid Icarus Uprising remake:

Kid Icarus Uprising is a game a sequel to the classic Kid Icarus games, which was reimagined as a Star Fox-style flight action shooter with grounded action segments. Its concept as a whole was very appealing, and had an addictive gameplay loop with much replayability. It was a great game, but with flaws that could stand to be corrected.

To me, remakes and remasters benefit games like this. An amazing game that passes the test of time doesn't gain much from being remade, except for being made more accessible to newer players. Alternatively, a terrible game might not even warrant a remake at all. However, it is those games where you can see the untapped potential within the flaws, the diamonds in the rough, which benefit more from them. That is because the developpers can have the benefit of hindsight and consummer feedback.

I remember when I first played Uprising. It was unplayable. I am left-handed, and not the type that can just use a stylus with his right hand and power through. I was absolutely inept, and even dropped my stylus while playing this game. As a response, I bought the Circle Pad Pro accessory, which enabled me to play using my left hand to aim. It did the job on the original 3DS, and despite the stylus controls being far from ideal, I was able to get through the game. Then the XL was released, and I upgraded to it. Unfortunately, this led to a big problem: I needed to buy another Circle Pad Pro to fit the bigger system, but also... it was a lot heavier and clunky to hold a bigger piece of hardware "and" a giant plastic contraption with one hand. It was playable, but not comfortable. But then, the New 3DS XL was released, and I upgraded to that. Now, the problem was even worse. My only option was a little nub that didn't quite cut it as an analogue stick, and no Circle Pad Pro was available for this model. I could not physically play the game anymore.

The previous issue is what happens when software is centered around a specific gimmick (motion controls, gyro, touch controls, etc...) and doesn't offer alternatives. It's an accessibility issue just as much as it is a taste issue. Kid Icarus Uprising was hampered by its control scheme, and prevented people like me from fully enjoying this game. As such, a remake is a chance to make it right and add a twin stick control option. This would allow more people to enjoy the game, and with the added buttons, limitations of the 3DS hardware could be nullified. This is a game with a lot of charm that I want to, and should love. Let me. And for those who didn't mind the weirder controls, they're just getting an upgraded version.

Another angle is the multiplayer. With the many weapon types, and the team-based combat, it's a very solid and fast-paced experience. It was fun, the online is going to shut down, and there is no other way to play it. A remake with perhaps more maps and modes would bring this to new people, and can enhance an already decent multiplayer experiment into something more substantial.

The next angle is pretty straightforward: the game's age is showing when it comes to its visuals. The 3DS already wasn't very cutting edge in that department, and having this on an HD TV would make a game with good artwork and character design have a vehicle to show them in a more flattering light.

Finally, the extras. The game has a lot of collectible weapons with unique attributes, and adding more would be a fun. I've always wanted something silly like Amiibo-based weapons, just because I was Pit swinging fireballs out of the Binding Blade, but there is also much more that can be done. New challenges, extra chapters, maybe some featuring playing as characters like Magnus during the time Pit was out of commission for instances. Maybe add new heroes and vilains in the multiplayer mode. There's much that can be done, and even the base game as it is alone would simply benefit from a fresh coat of paint and the sheer popularity of the Switch.

A remake would be a less risky endeavour than a newer game, and while I think that it would be neat to have a sequel, if it's not in the cards, a remake would be the next best thing for the current fans awaiting something, it would be a boon for people like me who physically could not fully enjoy the game but liked the concept. It would be good for people who didn't even bother because the controls seemed too strange, and it would be a new experience to a lot of new players.

When it comes to 3DS games, it's likely one of the best picks for a remake.

Project M Moveset Writeup: Mia

She would be mostly a pure ice/water mage, almost never using her staff physically. Her moveset was mostly made using her primary class line, but some creative liberties had to be taken due to her having a lot of non-attacking moves in her arsenal. I expect her to be relatively light. I think her animations ought to be somewhat graceful and flowing. Because I have written a moveset that uses a bit of ice before (Soren), and hope for his inclusion, I’ve attempted to find new twists on the ice motif.

Much of her moveset would use a fixed Knockback gimmick for some of the freeze moves, such as Neutral B and throws. This would ideally make her a very accessible and beginner-friendly mage character. Since Isaac is a very complex character to play as, I thought to make her simpler (but not trivial) to use at face value, but have some hidden layers of depth. This is to hopefully allow Golden Sun fans with less experience to play as a character that is more approachable.

Attacks that have single spikes conjured will have a sweetspot as the tip of the spike. This means Mia enjoys a little bit of distance from her foes. As such, many attacks will keep enemies at bay, and some will have her trip enemies for tech chases.

---

Specials:

Neutral B: Glacier: Mia can charge a projectile. When thrown without charge, it will look like a small blue glowing sphere, which will go a small distance, around PK Fire distance. It will merely stun and deal minimal damage. When slightly charged, it will freeze the foes, sending them very slightly up and very slightly towards you. The KB is fixed. When charged more substantially, the KB will only be slightly better, but more importantly, the time the enemy is unable to act will lengthen. Mia can swoop in and follow up with another attack, breaking the stun. Even fully-charged, the projectile is not large.

https://youtu.be/1E9O1sBBQaY?t=902

https://youtu.be/QtUP_Bf0aw8?t=4398

https://youtu.be/QtUP_Bf0aw8?t=4970

Side B: Ice Horn / Ice Missile: Summon Icicles above head. Descends diagonally, more horizontal slant. This is has hits akin to Shiek's needles, but with more casting delay. It can be angled slightly depending on the stick angle itself. Not too dissimilar to Palutena's projectiles, but weaker, and multihit. Smashing the stick makes the ice into bigger icicles, but instead of stunning, has a bit of KB. While it can be used to intercept off stage, it can be reacted to. This version cannot be angled.

Down B: Douse and Frost: Tapping Down B once will set a a water bubble in front of Mia. It will fall down to the ground and cause very minimal damage if it hits anyone. Upon touching the ground, a puddle forms. If Mia taps down B again while the puddle is active, an ice pillar will be erected from the puddle and will hurt anyone on the way. KB similar to Snake's mine. The pillar will remain, but is easily broken with a single attack. You can stand on it, and so can your foes after the initial creation of the pillar. This could be use to intercept a projectile. Mia can also choose to shatter it with down B again to dismiss it. This also has some KB.

Up B: Tundra: This is a bit more of a creative liberty, but essentially, Mia would spin her staff, creating an icy wind current she could launch herself through. The initial rise is strictly vertical, and when she begins falling, she can start influencing the direction of her fall slightly. The icy wind corridor will also multi-hit damage enemies and launch them up.

https://youtu.be/s9_oSeje0tw?t=100

Special alternatives - Prism: Throws a chunk of ice in a vertical arc. Not too dissimilar to what Belmonts can do with Axes. I’m not too sold on this one for Mia, but I am putting it in there as a potential alternative if a move becomes too complicated to code.

https://youtu.be/dQ4oAQNjTDg?t=163 

---

Normals:

 

Jab: Simply points staff forward and a small water burst. KB similar to a weaker Palutena jab.

Dash attack: Mia does a short slide dash forward, where she brakes with her feet, and a ice spikes erupts from the ground up and diagonal. The KB from the initial dash is low. If you land the end of the dash, it's stronger.

https://youtu.be/s9_oSeje0tw?t=594

---

Tilts:

Forward tilt: Summons ice spike directly from her staff, giving good range. Not particularily strong, but does have a sweetspot at the tip of the spike:

https://youtu.be/dQ4oAQNjTDg?t=24

Up tilt: straight jab diagonally upwards with staff that also erupts frost, making it more of a cone hitbox. Can catch unsuspecting approaches from above, but also does increased damage at the tips.

https://youtu.be/s9_oSeje0tw?t=96

Down tilt: Either an ice or water slide kick.

https://youtu.be/t9xfCKwhc_U?t=53

Alternative: Mia conjures freezing air downwards. This trips opponents. Mia can then try to punish tech rolls with her projectile.

---

Smashes:

Forward Smash: Two parts. First is a close range ice seal. The second summons a spike from it. The first will merely stun the opponent in their tracks and has high priority. Tap A again for the spike to come out. The spike will send flying up and forward (but mostly forward). There is a sweetspot if you manage to hit with the tip of the spike.

https://youtu.be/dQ4oAQNjTDg?t=142

Down Smash: Slams both hands on the grounds, forming ice spikes from the ground. This actually sends more sideways in front of her.

https://youtu.be/t9xfCKwhc_U?t=44

Up Smash: Mia summon a pillar, which rises and causes good damage. The pillar breaks immediately after it forms. This has vertical KB.

 

---

Aerials:

 

Neutral Air: Bubbles appear around Mia and explode in mini water bursts. Meant as a means to get foes away form her. Loosely based on Froth. Another option is the bubbles spinning around her, based on Froth Spiral.

https://youtu.be/7x9S3ykHZQc?t=567

Forward air: Mia does a two-handed staff strike with an arc almost as wide as Ike's Forward Air, reminiscent of her attack animation in Golden Sun. This is meant to be a good follow-up option to Neutral B.

Back air: Mia summons an ice crystal from her hand, pointing slightly diagonally downwards. It sends up and back. It has a sweetspot at the tip of the ice spike. The sourspot has low KB, and one could choose to hit it on purpose for comboing purposes. The sweetspot is small, but does increase damage and KB. A well-placed hit can be a good horizontal kill option. Think of it as an angled version of Zelda’s side aerials. 

https://youtu.be/dQ4oAQNjTDg?t=100

https://youtu.be/ZMtcVveOwp4?t=36

Down air: Spreading ice spikes/air in a cone below Mia. This is multihit. Inspired by Cone of cold from D&D. Could base animations loosely on the “Cool’ psynergy line.

https://youtu.be/7x9S3ykHZQc?t=586

Up air: Prism: Raises staff, and little ice chunks swirl around it, couples with frosty winds. Brief multihit, then sends up. Not extremely strong, but can rack up damage. 

https://youtu.be/7x9S3ykHZQc?t=538

---

Throws: 

A little gimmick with her throws is that they have a fixed KB, not unlike her neutral B. They are something she can 100% rely on for follow-ups. But unlike some of the other mage characters, since she isn’t necessary a powerhouse, she relies on those setups.

Pummel: She doesn’t in fact “Grab” the opponent, but instead merely touches them with gently with two of her offhand (left) fingertips, freezing them in place with spikes from said animation:

https://youtu.be/Y-VR-BGn_YA?t=55

Then her pummels are her sending chilling air from her fingertips, causing small amounts of damage. 

Forward Throw: Encases foe in ice, push forward at low angle. Not sure if possible to make it slide at all.

https://youtu.be/ZMtcVveOwp4?t=48

https://youtu.be/dQ4oAQNjTDg?t=294

Back throw: Encases foes in ice, sends back.

https://youtu.be/Y-VR-BGn_YA?t=58

Down Throw: Blows chilled air below enemy feet, forces a tripping animation.

Up throw: Palms hit ground (or staff is raised), and an ice vortex send enemy up, straight.

https://youtu.be/ZMtcVveOwp4?t=25

---

Taunts: 

There are purposely less dynamic than Isaac’s taunts considering her calmer demeanor. 

Up taunt: Ply: Will actually put herself in a sort of praying pose. Will heal 1%. If you hold the button, it will continue to heal her, slowly. This is more meant as a nod as opposed to a useful tool. 

Side taunt: A mere polite bow with hands clasped. This refers to her characterization as a very humble and polite character.

Down taunt: Mercury Djinn appears. Mia holds in her arms in front of her, like someone would hold a cherished plush toy.

Project M Moveset Writeup: Dixie Kong

Dixie Kong is a character that was heavily rumoured to have been considered for official smash, and that has been a common request. After all, she helped Diddy Kong in DKC 2, then had her own game in DKC 3, and then was around in a few Mario sports entries as well as DKC Tropical Freeze as objectively the best character to beat the game. She seemed like a shoe-in. This was written upon request, whilst pondering my life on the toilet:

Physics: 

A little bit slower and less agile than Diddy Kong slightly floatier. She has great horizontal mobility and recovery, but her vertical recovery is mediocre. She is more easily killed from above or below. Her aerial mobility can have her go very far offstage for kills, and come back, so long as she doesn't end up too far below the stage.


Specials:

Neutral B: Gumball Popgun:

There are two directions this could be taken:

1. The gumball stuns the enemy slightly, very little damage. It does get a single little bounce off the ground, unlike Diddy's.

2. The gumball does not stun, but momentarily (a few seconds) slow down enemy movement.

https://youtu.be/REj6uj9n6Vk?t=27


Side B: Barrel Blast: 

Dixie is propelled forward slightly. This has a slight curve in the trajectory, going up very slighty, but descending at the level it began at. This is akin to an air-dash. Tapping B with moving will have her slam the bongoes and create a little shockwave. It is stronger if timed while hitbox overlaps enemy. The outskirts of the hitbox cause fairly minimal damage, hitstun and KB. This move is intended to chase airborne enemies and punish bad DI. Functionally, it is like Diddy's side B in trajectory, but has no active hitbox until B is tapped again. It only goes slightly further than Diddy's.

Down B: Guitar Shockwave:

Dixie can play the guitar to charge up. Once she does fully, she can hit all cords of her guitar in a wide motion and hop up slightly. (She doesn't hop at all in the air, but stalls). This unleashes a shockwave that has decent range around her, but also destroys projectiles.

https://youtu.be/JFNKi28pwAg?t=6787


Inspiration for the projectile blocking:

https://youtu.be/U7HOTjs-vjE


Up B: Dixie Copter (DKC TP / DKC 2 hybrid):

Dixie gains a bit of height. While rising, pretty decent damage, could feasibly kill at the top:

https://youtu.be/REj6uj9n6Vk?t=15

But then she continues spinning, falling slowly, giving her good horizontal recovery:

https://youtu.be/qFhT2yP_3U4 2:01

The falling phase has very weak hitboxes.


Normals:

Jab: 

Three hair jabs:

https://smashboards.com/attachments/attack-gif.157950/


Dash attack: 

Hair Dash (DKC 2 ver.): Dixie spins with forward momentum. Similar to Diddy in utility, can jump out of it, but hits slightly harder. It has slightly less distance. Can spin from ground to off the ledge.

https://youtu.be/qFhT2yP_3U4?t=3

Smash Attacks:

Forward Smash: 

Spins on her legs to propell her hair forward with force, abd whipping it back:

https://i.imgur.com/IHrA30W_d.webp?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium

Credit: Birthnote for the image.


Down Smash: 

Dixie slams her hair on both sides. A little slower than this animation.

https://youtu.be/tZrgCfVgkwI?t=708


Up Smash: 

Whips air in an a circle upwards while jumping slightly. Strong and good reach.

https://youtu.be/pw96e8dnNRI?t=77



Tilts:

Forward Tilt:

Dixie bends sideways, poking with her hair. This sends opponents in an upwards angle.

https://youtu.be/hgUWwkwbG6c?t=33

Down Tilt: Flicks hair forward and bring it back. This sends opponents up, towards you.

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-256f54c9e2d6aa0d41c940b54c42fb55


Up tilt: 

Whips her hair from in an upwards arc. Can intercept aerial approach.


Aerials:

Neutral Air: 

Rolls into a ball and if hits enemy from above, does a very slight bounce. Low damage, low angle KB. Good to use off-stage to gimp a recovering foe and gain a little bit of height:

https://youtu.be/ug3cxU-fE70?t=981


Forward Air: 

Flicks her hair forward in a sort of heavy metal air guitar stance, doing the hand sign in the video:

https://youtu.be/REj6uj9n6Vk?t=10


Back air: 

The hair slams behind her with force. Kind of like Roy Back air, up with hair.


Down air: 

A simple meteor, like Diddy.


Up Air: 

Spins hair over her head. Good at juggling. Multihit, but final hit send upwards with more force:

https://youtu.be/REj6uj9n6Vk?t=15

Another silly idea is her blowing a gum balloon and then it popping. The pop causes damage.

Grabs:

Pummel: 

Crushes with hair.

Up Throw: 

Raises opponent on top of her head. Can become a cargo throw. Not very high KB, but good for setting up aerials.

https://youtu.be/qFhT2yP_3U4?t=10


Forward Throw: 

Raises over head with hair, throws forward. Same animation if Cargo-throwing forward. Not the strongest of throws

https://youtu.be/qFhT2yP_3U4?t=10


Back Throw: 

Spins horizontally from front to back, releasing the enemy: Pretty strong. Think Smash 64 Mario Back throw.


Down Throw: 

Simple windup, arcing forward, then down, slamming on the ground. Bounces up, but forward as well.

Project M Moveset Writeup: Tifa Lockhart

 

I must admit that I am not exactly a vocal Final Fantasy VII fan. I have played the original game once, and found it fine, but it had aged very poorly by the time I had first gotten my hands on it. Still, it has a very large fanbase, and I was asked to see what I could come up with for a Smash Tifa moveset by someone. I'm not exactly extremely knowledgeable for the character and lore, but I decided to give it a shot. I do apologize if I get things wrong, but hopefully, this captures the feel of the character to their liking.

Tifa would be quick, be able to combo and rack up damage, and have strong finishers, but I would make her easy to kill, both because she is a fast faller, and because she would have low weight. Her recovery would not be amazing either. Here is a rundown of her special mechanic:

Unbridled strength:

Using ATB, Tifa can get 3 charges of it. She gets to cancel her normal attacks and normal specials into slightly stronger specials by using A+B inputs. Unlike Lucario, these don’t give her a massive buff, but they also charge faster than Lucario. These will only work on hit. The only exception is Chi Trap, which will instead become Beat Rush. However, final hit will incorporate Chi. Otherwise, this is essentially a combo-extender, as opposed to a super move. This meter fills up faster on longer combo chains.

 

---

Specials:

Neutral Special: Chi trap –

Summons a Chi trap in front of you. If in the air, this stalls your fall as it is being set up. This is essentially a damaging orbs that deals small amounts of damage to whatever touches it, and remains active until it is struck. If struck, it will explode and do increased damage and KB. It has a fair amount of hitlag, reminiscent on Lucas’ Up Smash.

It’s Unbridled strength Version will instead be Beat Rush (Classic ver.):

https://youtu.be/ne0Wv1JtpbQ?t=1

It’s a very fast series of punches. If performed in the air, Tifa’s fall will stall. It’s Multi-hit, and final strike is quite strong.

While most Unbridled Strength input cancels work on hit, this is a rare instance where setting up the Chi trap lets you cancel into a move. If you cancel the Chi Trap into Beat Rush for instances, this will make Tifa punch the orb into exploding, keeping the foe from being knocked back due to the fast multi-hit nature of Beat rush, racking up a lot of damage. Then there’s the powerful Beat Rush Finisher.

 

Forward Special: Overpower –

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=286

Tifa launches herself forward with a kick, causing multi-hit damage. Tapping A again at the end of the dash with have her perform an additional flip kick, a weak finisher that knocks enemies away, slightly upwards, and Tifa gets to bounces off backwards. This is good for getting an easier offstage recovery if it hits. The bounce only work if the final hitbox of the side B hits the enemy.

Unbridled Strength version is the same, but final kick has a tiny bit more power to it.

Another option for the Unbridled Strength version is Burning Arrow:

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=455

For simplicity purposes, simply add fire effect.

 

Up B: Dolphin Blow –

Tifa does a rising dolphin kick (could also be a punch, but needs an arced hitbox), actually summoning water / ethereal dolphin. This is fairly strong, and can kill sideways. It’s doesn’t give her much height, albeit the Unbridled Strength versions  summons a larger, dolphin, does more KB and damage, and rise Tifa a little more. Unbridled Strength also doesn’t put her in special fall. She can jump again if she has one left.

https://youtu.be/ne0Wv1JtpbQ?t=11  

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=489

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=94

 

Down Special: Divekick –

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=225

Tifa divekicks downwards, hitting foes. This causes a fair amount of damage, hits up and away.

Unbridled Strength version is stronger, easier time killing on the side.

 

---

 

Normals:

Jab: Meteor Crusher:

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=597

Multiple attacks, weak, but combos very easily into Beat Rush special.

 

Beat Rush (Dissidia ver.)

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=133

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=143

Multiple attacks, weak, but combos very easily into Beat Rush special. Doesn’t move her forward quite as much as the reference material.

 

Dash attack:

https://youtu.be/qHeLt51NRts?t=25

https://youtu.be/qHeLt51NRts?t=43

Halts for a brief moment, then dash forward with a punch that actually sends up and back, letting her air combo afterwards.

 

---

Smashes:

 

Forward Smash: Omnistrike:

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=48

https://youtu.be/qHeLt51NRts?t=138  

Will move her forward and do decent KB, lowish angle. Charging it very slightly increases the distance of the shoulder barge.

Alternative:

True Strike:

https://youtu.be/qHeLt51NRts?t=670  

Similar function, different animation.

Up Smash: Dolphin Strike –

https://youtu.be/qHeLt51NRts?t=1090

Has high reach, does maximum KB and damage if hits at Apex.

Alternative:

Whirling Uppercut:

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=64

Has high reach, does maximum KB and damage if hits at Apex.

 

Down Smash: Final Heaven:

https://youtu.be/ne0Wv1JtpbQ?t=18

Slams fist to the ground, fiery shockwave. Sends up and slightly away

Alternative: Rolling Rise

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=345

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=358

Spins, smashes ground with both fists, actually hits forward, sends up, slightly away.

 

 

---

 

Tilts:

 

Forward Tilt: Dolpĥin Kick –

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=158 (Second hit)

Kicks in front of her, less launch power than smash, low angle. Has decent range.

 

Up tilt:

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=47

Simple uppercut, send diagonally up. Meant to lead into N-air, U-air, or F-air

 

Down tilt: Dolphin Kick -

https://youtu.be/ne0Wv1JtpbQ?t=5

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=158 (First hit)

Hits enemies up and behind her. If the enemy has very low damage, can combo into up tilt, otherwise sends behind her. Good leadup to B-air.

 

 

---

 

Aerials:

 

Forward air: Spin kick aerial -

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=129   

Hits hard, meant for off the side aerial finishers. This is a tiny bit slower than the other aerials.

 

N-Air: Rise and Fall -

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=194

https://youtu.be/qHeLt51NRts?t=168

Multi-attack (3 hits). The first two have very low KB, but are ideal for cancelling into a boosted special. Third hit is actually good for gimping. On stage, its utility can be twofold. If you decide to not fastfall it, you will likely hit all three attacks, ending with a little knockback at the end. If you do fastfall, then this will only connect with the weaker hits, and as such, can be followed up with a grab / used for shield pressure.

 

Back air: Moonsault kick (but from behind) -

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=322

Kicks foes in an upwards arc. KB actually sends the opposing direction. In other words, it should be possible to do. Down tilt to back air, and then going into up air or forward air, depending on DI and percent. It felt like it would be different do have an aerial that doesn’t exactly send in the direction one is pressing.

 

Up air: Sommersault kick -

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=189

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=51

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=322

Similar to ZSS in function, upwards kick that is weak, but sends up and forward. Meant to combo well into Unbridled Strength Up B.

 

Down air:

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=327

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=349

Spin kicks down / diagonally. Actually fairly weak KB, but the angle is meant to synergize with Unbridled Strength Divekick.

Alternative:

Rolling strike -

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=386

As a multihit, could more easily translate into a boosted divekick.

 

 

---

Throws:

 

Forward Throw: Heat Crush -

Jumps and falls very falls, punches ground where foe stands, pillar of flame arises, multihit, the sends forward. The multi-hit nature is good for cancelling into a booster special.

 

Back Throw: Meteor Strike (Dissida ver.) -

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=69

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=250

Tifa chucks enemy behind her with a flame or chi blast. Low angle, low KB

Up throw: Star Shower –

https://youtu.be/qHeLt51NRts?t=460

Disappears, causes multiple hits, ends with an uppercut. Sends up

 

Down Throw: Meteodrive (Dissidia ver.)–

https://youtu.be/gsfzqxdmplc?t=522

Tifa jumps and chucks foe to the ground with explosive force. To keep this balanced, Tifa descends with them and slams them to the ground.

 

---

 

Miscellaneous:

Walk animation:

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=63

 

Running animation:

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=50

 

Dodge roll:

https://youtu.be/WgSqTOgDY1k?t=54

 

Shield stance:

https://youtu.be/qHeLt51NRts?t=965

Project M Moveset Writeup: Lilina

 

Lilina is Hector's daughter from Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword. She is also Roy's canonical love interest and childhood friend in the Binding Blade. She is a character known for her compassion, but in game, she is also known as a glass canon. She isn't the fastest mage, and can get killed rather easily, but she has very high magic and her spells hit very hard. She is mostly tied with fire magic, albeit she can use other types. Still, since Soren uses Wind magic and vertical combat primarily, I wanted to differentiate her from him. She kills more off the sides of stages, and is actually not that great and killing form the top. This is why most of her upward attacks hit at a diagonal angle.

As a part of her moveset, she can charge her specials with runes, but also uses flaming representations of Armads and the Binding blade for some attacks. She doesn't swing them herself, but she does guide them with her hand. As per her in-game stats, imagine a more Zelda-like physics, hits very hard, but also gets hit very hard. Not slow, but also not very quick on her feet.

Specials:

 

Neutral B: Fireball: Conjures fireball above her head, not unlike Robin, chucks a fireball forward at an angle downwards, but it does go further. The angle is not as steep. Unlike Robin, this does not stun the opponent. It explodes on impacts and has mildly weak KB. If Lilina holds B, she will use the crit animation where she places three runes in front of her over time. Each level boosts the strength of the next spell used. She can bank that charge. If she charges, and then presses A+B, the fireball increases in power and the explosion radius increases. Full charge is a sizeable blast.

Reference:

https://youtu.be/NXXFoGpyQkI?t=183 Normal cast
https://youtu.be/NXXFoGpyQkI?t=230 Charge animation (three runes placement)


Side B: Forblaze: Sends a small spinning fireball straight forward. The spin is similar to a bola and is fashioned around the first bits of the Forblaze animations. This marks the enemy. A fireball will then appear high above the enemy and then descend from above the marked enemy. The fireball takes a few frames to descend and aims at the last known location. In other words, if the opponent dashes around, they can get out of the way. The marking works on shield as well. This attack is meant to get around defenses by applying pressure through a projectile. While it can be easily dodged under normal circumstances, in the heat of battle, you are always under pressure. This attack works best if Lilina attacks after the marking. If A+B is tapped, fireballs will descend in succession, equal to 1 plus the number of charges.

 

Reference:

https://youtu.be/NXXFoGpyQkI?t=233

Up B: Lilina Copter: Lilina summons a fiery representation of Armads, which the spins over herself, creating a trails of flames. She doesn't touch it, but manipulates it with magic. This flies her up, but definitely not as high as any of the other mages. Howver, this goes a bit higher than Hector. A higher crit charge would make a wider flame trail, and add power to it. The height increase would be fairly minimal. This has more kill potential than Up air, but leaves her vulnerable. Lilina tends to kill more off the sides, and as such, her aerial combat is lesser than the likes of Soren or Robin.

 

Reference:

https://pa1.narvii.com/6733/a563f74d591ffbf8be681e143c78bfc600742daa_hq.gif

 

Down B: Flame Pillar: Lilina sends out a spark of flames through the ground. It travels quickly and will erupt in a high pillar of flames it hits a grounded opponent. However, if the enemy is airborne, she would have to manually tap Down B again to cause the eruption. If you do so, she snaps her fingers, and there is a short animation to sit through. The pillar would be tall enough to reach higher than the lower battlefield platforms, short multihit, not a ton of KB, low angle. The charged version increases time the pillar is active and enemy is stunned, as well as overall damage. KB increases slightly, albeit ideally, Lilina would jump in with a strike of her own. If used in the air, the spark will fly diagonally downwards, then once it hits the ground, it will start travelling on it. If the spark touches an airborne opponent (or down B is pressed while it is not on the ground), it explodes. Similar effect to Fireball.

Reference:

https://youtu.be/LotBWHObw50?t=914

---

 

Normals:

 

Jab: Single little explosion with a finger snap. Similar in function to Ganon jab.

 

Dash attack: Dash forward with hand in front. A shield of flames in front of her.

 

Reference:

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/8/8c/Resplendent_Lilina_Skill.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20210419045956

 

---

 

Smash attacks:

Forward Smash: Reaches forward and blasts an explosive, large gout of flame. Not quite unlike Charizard Side B, but more concentrated.

Reference:

Pose : https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/8/8c/Resplendent_Lilina_Skill.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20210419045956

 

Up Smash: Pops nearby enemies up with an upwards flame trail gesture, then blasts with powerful stream of flames (ends in explosion). Sends forward and up. KB is a little lower than 45 degrees.

 

Reference:

https://youtu.be/nfswHqMWiWw?t=95

 

Up smash alternative: Pillar of rising flame. 

 

Reference:

https://youtu.be/LotBWHObw50?t=33

 

 

Second Up Smash alternative: Lilina holds her hands to her chest as she glows with magic, and a pillar of flame erupts around her. It’s not very wide, but tall. Not great at killing from the top, and send diagonally in its KB, but good at getting foes above her.

 

 

Reference:

https://youtu.be/LotBWHObw50?t=278

 

 

Down Smash: Flames rise on both side as Lilina’s palm is open with a rune hovering over it. Then she suddenly clenches said hand into a fist and breaks the rune, and both pillars explode. Multi-hit at first, then explodes. Vertical KB.

 

Reference:

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/4/48/P05-014PR_artwork.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/596?cb=20200625012622

 

---

 

Tilts:

 

Forward tilt: Summons a spinning flame wheel, multihit, sends upwards, but not too high. More range than F-smash, but more of a combo setter than a kill move. Very bad DI could have foes be easily comboed in N-air, but normally would combo with the much faster F-air.

https://youtu.be/Lz6Gf33xsMM?t=29

Up tilt: hand swing upwards, trail of fire.

Reference:

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/c/c8/B05-005N.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/721?cb=20160924213633

 

Up tilt Alternative: In the event that the stream of flames is not used, it would make a pretty fitting F-tilt anti-air.

 

Reference:

https://youtu.be/nfswHqMWiWw?t=95

 

Second Up tilt Alternative: Lilina moves both arms in an upwards circular motion, conjuring flames. See reference, but more graceful.

Reference:

Only.first part: https://youtu.be/LotBWHObw50?t=1085

The point of all of there is to interception aerial approaches

 

Down Tilt: A hand wave with a trail of flames. While this is a diagonally downward attack, this is actually a low angle forward attack. Not extremely strong, send a small distance away.

 

Reference:

https://youtu.be/LotBWHObw50?t=1261

 

---

Aerials:

N-Air: Slow, but powerful all-around swing with a fiery representation of Armads. Her slowest aerial. Good kill potential. Leaves her vulnerable with higher landing lag. Lilina does not hold the fiery axe, but guides it with an open palm hand motion.

Reference:

https://youtu.be/pYKwsahc9gg?t=172

Hovering an axe with magic:

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/d/d7/B21-071SR_artwork.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/588?cb=20200625012617

Back air: Summons fiery representation of the Binding Blade. She doesn’t swing herself, she only controls it magically. It is similar utility to Melee Roy’s back air.

F-Air: Spins flames with finger. It hit forward at a slight low incline. First part is multihit. Final explosion has her snap her fingers to create said explosive force. Its utility is that it's a long hitbox duration. Explosion can potentially kill offstage, but keep in mind Lilina's lower than average recovery.

Reference:

https://youtu.be/nfswHqMWiWw?t=58

 

Up-Air:

Spins with flame twirl around her. Multi-hit, send up slightly. Ok at juggling. Since Soren would be more aerial-focused, I did not want to make this a kill move. It can however be used to rack up damage or try to lead into N-air, F-air, or a grounded attack if done close to the ground.

 

Reference:

https://s3-wiki.serenesforest.net/thumb/2/2d/B16-005.png/250px-B16-005.png

Other reference, but the aim is for the twister to end with her hand over her head.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/8/85/Lilina_Skill.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/728?cb=20170205170056

 

Down Air: Palm down, flame explosion, meteors. The blast’s force bounces her up slightly.

 

---

 

Throws:

 

Grab: Binds foes in a light rune

 

Reference:

https://fireemblemwiki.org/w/images/e/e0/Ss_fe07_light_rune.png

 

Pummel: Ignites foes.

 

Forward Throw: Slaps rune on foes, and fiery-blast them forward:

 

Reference:

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/9/9d/S07-002ST_artwork.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/596?cb=20200626131100

 

Back throw: Throws foes back with magical force and slashes them with a fiery representation of the Binding Blade.

 

Up Throw: Levitates opponent upwards (she doesn’t touch them), with hand raised up. She snaps her fingers and they explode, send forward and up diagonally.

 

Reference:

https://youtu.be/LotBWHObw50?t=104

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/fireemblem/images/3/3f/Forblaze_Lilina_by_Sachiko_Wada.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/705?cb=20190322212058

 

Down Throw: With the enemy trapped in the rune, a small flame pillar erupts from it. Sends upwards.